reported speech b2

Search form

• B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech

Daisy has just had an interview for a summer job. 

Instructions

As you watch the video, look at the examples of reported speech. They are in  red  in the subtitles. Then read the conversation below to learn more. Finally, do the grammar exercises to check you understand, and can use, reported speech correctly.

Sophie:  Mmm, it’s so nice to be chilling out at home after all that running around.

Ollie: Oh, yeah, travelling to glamorous places for a living must be such a drag!

Ollie: Mum, you can be so childish sometimes. Hey, I wonder how Daisy’s getting on in her job interview.

Sophie: Oh, yes, she said she was having it at four o’clock, so it’ll have finished by now. That’ll be her ... yes. Hi, love. How did it go?

Daisy: Well, good I think, but I don’t really know. They said they’d phone later and let me know.

Sophie: What kind of thing did they ask you?

Daisy: They asked if I had any experience with people, so I told them about helping at the school fair and visiting old people at the home, that sort of stuff. But I think they meant work experience.

Sophie: I’m sure what you said was impressive. They can’t expect you to have had much work experience at your age.

Daisy:  And then they asked me what acting I had done, so I told them that I’d had a main part in the school play, and I showed them a bit of the video, so that was cool.

Sophie:  Great!

Daisy: Oh, and they also asked if I spoke any foreign languages.

Sophie: Languages?

Daisy: Yeah, because I might have to talk to tourists, you know.

Sophie: Oh, right, of course.

Daisy: So that was it really. They showed me the costume I’ll be wearing if I get the job. Sending it over ...

Ollie: Hey, sis, I heard that Brad Pitt started out as a giant chicken too! This could be your big break!

Daisy: Ha, ha, very funny.

Sophie: Take no notice, darling. I’m sure you’ll be a marvellous chicken.

We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech.

So, direct speech is what someone actually says? Like 'I want to know about reported speech'?

Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb.

He said he wanted to know about reported speech.

I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted .

Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could ; will changes to would ; etc.

She said she was having the interview at four o’clock. (Direct speech: ' I’m having the interview at four o’clock.') They said they’d phone later and let me know. (Direct speech: ' We’ll phone later and let you know.')

OK, in that last example, you changed you to me too.

Yes, apart from changing the tense of the verb, you also have to think about changing other things, like pronouns and adverbs of time and place.

'We went yesterday.'  > She said they had been the day before. 'I’ll come tomorrow.' >  He said he’d come the next day.

I see, but what if you’re reporting something on the same day, like 'We went yesterday'?

Well, then you would leave the time reference as 'yesterday'. You have to use your common sense. For example, if someone is saying something which is true now or always, you wouldn’t change the tense.

'Dogs can’t eat chocolate.' > She said that dogs can’t eat chocolate. 'My hair grows really slowly.' >  He told me that his hair grows really slowly.

What about reporting questions?

We often use ask + if/whether , then change the tenses as with statements. In reported questions we don’t use question forms after the reporting verb.

'Do you have any experience working with people?' They asked if I had any experience working with people. 'What acting have you done?' They asked me what acting I had done .

Is there anything else I need to know about reported speech?

One thing that sometimes causes problems is imperative sentences.

You mean like 'Sit down, please' or 'Don’t go!'?

Exactly. Sentences that start with a verb in direct speech need a to + infinitive in reported speech.

She told him to be good. (Direct speech: 'Be good!') He told them not to forget. (Direct speech: 'Please don’t forget.')

OK. Can I also say 'He asked me to sit down'?

Yes. You could say 'He told me to …' or 'He asked me to …' depending on how it was said.

OK, I see. Are there any more reporting verbs?

Yes, there are lots of other reporting verbs like promise , remind , warn , advise , recommend , encourage which you can choose, depending on the situation. But say , tell and ask are the most common.

Great. I understand! My teacher said reported speech was difficult.

And I told you not to worry!

Check your grammar: matching

Check your grammar: error correction, check your grammar: gap fill, worksheets and downloads.

What was the most memorable conversation you had yesterday? Who were you talking to and what did they say to you?

Sign up to our newsletter for LearnEnglish Teens

We will process your data to send you our newsletter and updates based on your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of every email. Read our privacy policy for more information.

Learn Vocabulary

Learn English Vocabulary Through Pictures with 150 Topics

Vocabulary Exercises A1

English Vocabulary Exercises for A1 with Answers.

Vocabulary Exercises A2

English Vocabulary Exercises for A2 with Answers.

Vocabulary Exercises B1

English Vocabulary Exercises for B1 with Answers.

Vocabulary Exercises B2

English Vocabulary Exercises for B2 with Answers.

FULL Grammar Exercises

FULL English Grammar Exercises with Answers

Verbs and Tenses Exercises

English Verbs and Tenses Exercises with Answers and Explanations

Grammar Exercises A1

English Grammar Exercises for A1 with Answers

Grammar Exercises A2

English Grammar Exercises for A2 with Answers

Grammar Exercises B1

English Grammar Exercises for B1 with Answers

Grammar Exercises B2

English Grammar Exercises for B2 with Answers

Listening Exercises Beginner

English Listening Exercises for Beginner with Answers

Listening Exercises A1

English Listening Exercises for A1 with Answers

Listening Exercises A2

English Listening Exercises for A2 with Answers

Listening Exercises B1

English Listening Exercises for B1 with Answers

Listening Exercises B2

English Listening Exercises for B2 with Answers

Listening Tests A1

Practice Listening Tests for A1 with Answers & Transcripts

Listening Tests A2

Practice Listening Tests for A2 with Answers & Transcripts

Listening Tests B1

Practice Listening Tests for B1 with Answers & Transcripts

Listening Tests B2

Practice Listening Tests for B2 with Answers & Transcripts

Word Skills Exercises A1

English Word Skills Exercises for A1 with Answers

Word Skills Exercises A2

English Word Skills Exercises for A2 with Answers

Word Skills Exercises B1

English Word Skills Exercises for B1 with Answers

Word Skills Exercises B2

English Word Skills Exercises for B2 with Answers

Reading Exercises A1

English Reading Exercises for A1 with Answers

Reading ExercisesC A2

English Reading Exercises for A2 with Answers

Reading Exercises B1

English Reading Exercises for B1 with Answers

Reading Exercises B2

English Reading Exercises for B2 with Answers

Speaking Exercises A1

English Speaking Exercises for A1 with Answers

Speaking Exercises A2

English Speaking Exercises for A2 with Answers

Speaking Exercises B1

English Speaking Exercises for B1 with Answers

Speaking Exercises B2

English Speaking Exercises for B2 with Answers

Writing Exercises A1

English Writing Exercises for A1 with Answers

Writing Exercises A2

English Writing Exercises for A2 with Answers

Writing Exercises B1

English Writing Exercises for B1 with Answers

Writing Exercises B2

English Writing Exercises for B2 with Answers

Business Listening A1

Business English Listening Exercises for A1 with Answers

Business Listening A2

Business English Listening Exercises for A2 with Answers

Business Listening B1

Business English Listening Exercises for B1 with Answers

Article Level 1

Improve your ability to speak English

Article Level 2

Article level 3, article level 4, conversations.

Listening Practice Through Dictation with Transcripts

• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Reported speech

English Grammar Exercises for B2

1. Change the direct speech to reported speech. The people are/were talking to you.

1   ‘You should read my news blog.’

      Emma says …………………………………………… .

2   ‘I’ll be working at home tomorrow.’

      My mum said …………………………………………… .

3   ‘I hate watching the news on TV.’

       Anna says …………………………………………… .

4   ‘You haven’t been working hard enough.’

       Ben complained …………………………………………… .

5   ‘I hadn’t expected the broadcast to be live.’

      Ian explained …………………………………………… .

6   ‘I’d like to borrow your newspaper.’

      Fred said …………………………………………… .

7   ‘I don’t want to go to the theatre.’

      Amy has said …………………………………………… .

1   (that) I / we should read her newsblog

2   (that) she would be working at home the next / following day

3   (that) she hates watching the news on TV

4   (that) I / we hadn’t been working hard enough

5   that he hadn’t expected the broadcast to be live

6   (that) he would like to borrow my newspaper

7   (that) she doesn’t want to go to the theatre

2. Choose the correct answers.

1   Sam said / told her to leave.

2   ‘This article is really interesting,’ said / told Harry.

3   ‘I’m hungry,’ she said / told to her dad.

4   They said / told me he was a reporter.

5   Jake says / tells that he wants to study journalism.

1 told   2 said   3 said    4 told   5 says

3. Read the dialogue and complete Imogen’s report of the conversation.

Imogen     What are you doing?

Ed             I’m writing a letter to the newspaper.

Imogen     What’s the letter about?

Ed             It’s about crime rates in our town. There should be more police!

Imogen     You should mention that recent bank robbery.

Ed             I will, if I can find the name of the bank.

Imogen     Have you looked online?

Ed             I can’t. Somebody has stolen my laptop!

I asked Ed what 1 …………………………… . He explained that 2 …………………………… . I asked 3 …………………………… , and Ed replied 4 …………………………… . He said that 5 …………………………… . I said 6 …………………………… and Ed said 7 …………………………… if 8 …………………………… . I asked 9 …………………………… . He said 10 …………………………… because 11 …………………………… !

1   he was doing

2   he was writing a letter to the newspaper

3   (him) what the letter was about

4   (that) it was about crime rates in our town

5   there should be more police

6   he should mention the recent bank robbery

7   he would

8   he could find the name of the bank

9   (him) if he had looked online

10   he couldn’t

11   someone had stolen his laptop

4. Listen to a woman carrying out a survey about newspapers. Report the questions.

1    She asked him if he read ……………………………………………… .

2    She asked him ……………………………………………… .

3    She asked him ……………………………………………… .

4    She asked him ……………………………………………… .

5    She asked him ……………………………………………… .

6    She asked him ……………………………………………… .

1   newspapers

2   how many papers he had bought in the previous week.

3   which his favourite newspaper was.

4   why he liked it.

5   how it could be made even better.

6   if he trusted newspaper journalists to tell the truth.

Woman     I’m carrying out a survey about newspapers. Do you have a spare minute to answer some questions?

Man          Sure. Fire away.

Woman    Do you read newspapers?

Man          Yes, I read the newspaper every day.

Woman    How many papers have you bought in the last week?

Man          I’ve bought a paper every day.

Woman    Which is your favourite newspaper?

Man          I like The Times.

Woman    Why do you like it?

Man          There’s a good mix of serious news and human-interest stories.

Woman    How could it be made even better?

Man          There should be more sport.

Woman    Finally, do you trust newspaper journalists to tell the truth?

Man          Yes, I do. Most of the time.

5. Match the answers (a-f) with the questions in exercise 4.

a   There should be more sport.

b   I’ve bought a paper every day.

c   Yes, I do. Most of the time.

d   Yes, I read the newspaper every day.

e   I like The Times.

f   There’s a good mix of serious news and human-interest stories.

a 5   b 2   c 6   d 1   e 3   f 4

6. Now complete the woman’s report.

The man told her he read ………………………………… and that ………………………………… every day that week. He said ………………………………… The Times and that he liked it ………………………………… .

However, he told her ………………………………… . In answer to the final question, he said that ………………………………… .

(The man told her he read) the newspaper every day (and that) he had bought a paper (every day that week. He said) (that) he liked ( The Times and that he liked it) because there was a good mix of serious news and human-interest stories. (However, he told her) (that) there should be more sport. (In answer to the final question, he said that) he trusted journalists to tell the truth most of the time.

Report a conversation that you had recently with a friend or a member of your family.

……………………………………………………………

Related Posts

• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Unreal past and had better
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Emphasis
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Mixed conditionals
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Criticising past actions
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Relative clauses

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Talking about ability
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Modals: present and future
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Reporting verbs
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – The passive: advanced structures

Download World Class eBooks

Pin It on Pinterest

A1 – Elementary

Practice Grammar Tests for A1 with Answer

A2 – Pre-intermediate

Practice Grammar Tests for A2 with Answer

B1 – Intermediate

Practice Grammar Tests for B1 with Answer

B2 – Upper-intermediate

Practice Grammar Tests for B2 with Answer

C1 – Advanced

Practice Grammar Tests for C1 with Answer

Pre-A1 – STARTERS

Practice Listening Tests for STARTERS with Answer & Audioscript

Practice Listening Tests for A1 with Answer & Audioscript

Practice Listening Tests for B1 with Answer & Audioscript

Practice Listening Tests for B2 with Answer & Audioscript

Practice Reading Tests for STARTERS with Answer

Practice Reading Tests for A1 with Answer

Practice Reading Tests for A2 with Answer

Practice Reading Tests for B1 with Answer

Practice Reading Tests for B2 with Answer

Use of English Tests for A1 with Answer

Use of English Tests for A2 with Answer

Use of English Tests for B1 with Answer

Use of English Tests for B2 with Answer

Practice Writing Tests for STARTERS with Answer

Practice Writing Tests for A1 with Answer

Practice Writing Tests for A2 with Answer

Practice Writing Tests for B1 with Answer

Practice Writing Tests for B2 with Answer

Key (KET) Listening Tests

Key (ket) reading & writing tests.

Practice KET Reading and Wrting Tests with Answer

Preliminary (PET) Listening Tests

Practice PET Listening Tests with Answer & Audioscript

First (FCE) Listening Tests

Practice FCE Listening Tests with Answer & Audioscript

CAE Listening Tests

Practice CAE Listening Tests with Answer & Audioscript

Practice Vocabulary Tests for A1 with Answer

Practice Vocabulary Tests for A2 with Answer

Practice Vocabulary Tests for B1 with Answer

Practice Vocabulary Tests for B2 with Answer

Reported speech – B2 English Grammar Test

• Grammar Tests for B2

1   In 1–4, underline the original verbs and reported verbs, then decide the reason (A, B or C) the tense of the reported verbs does not change.

1   ‘They ’re changing the speed limit soon.’ → I found out that they ’re changing the speed limit soon . … B …

2   ‘In Japan they also drive on the left.’ → He informed us that in Japan they also drive on the left . ……

3   ‘What time is it?’ → He’s asking what the time is . ……

4   ‘Are you coming by car tomorrow?’ → She asked if you’re coming by car tomorrow . ……

A   The events are true at any time.

B   The events reported are not in the past.

C   The reporting verb is in the present tense.

2    drive → drive – A

3    is → is – C

4    Are … coming → ’re coming – B

2   Complete the reported sentences. Change the verb tense only where necessary. When the reported verb stays the same, give the reason (A, B or C) from Exercise 1.

1   ‘There are always traffic jams on this road.’

      My mum warned me that …… there are always …… traffic jams on this road. … A …

2   ‘We’re going to be early.’

      She thought that they ………………………… to be early, yet they arrived just on time. ……

3   ‘Can I have some more cake, please?’

      Are you asking me if you ………………………… some more cake? ……

4   ‘My train gets to Milan at 11.15 tomorrow morning.’

      He reminded me that his train ………………………… to Milan at 11.15 tomorrow morning. ……

5   ‘Have you filled up the car with petrol?’

      Before we left, I asked him ………………………… the car with petrol. ……

6   ‘I’m injured.’

      Before the race, he claimed that he ………………………… injured. ……

7   ‘Do you like driving?’

      He asked me ………………………… driving. ……

2   were going

3   can have – C

4   gets – B

5   if he had filled up

7   if I like – A

3   Complete the table with the verbs in the box. Some verbs can go in more than one place.

4   complete the second sentences in each pair so they have a similar meaning to the first, with one of the words given. do not change the word given. you must use between two and five words, including the word given..

1   ‘Yes, I’ll pick you up at 6.15. No problem,’ Jamie said.

      Jamie …… agreed to pick me up …… at 6.15. AGREED / DENIED

2   ‘It was me. I scratched your car. Sorry!’ said Max.

      Max ………………………… my car. SUGGESTED / CONFESSED

3   ‘Why don’t we get a taxi instead of taking public transport?’ Beatrice said.

      Beatrice ………………………… instead of taking public transport. SUGGESTED / AGREED

2    confessed to scratching / having scratched

3    suggested getting a taxi

5   Cross out the mistakes in the sentences. Write the correct sentences.

1   The doctor says that in one week he would take off my bandage.

      ……The doctor says that in one week he will take off my bandage. ……

2   I tried to persuade them. I say them that nothing bad will happen and I was right.

      …………………………………………………

3   I warned him that it will be slower that way and he took ages.

4   She asked me where do I live.

5   I said eight o’clock, but she insisted to come earlier.

2   I tried to persuade them. I told / said to them that nothing bad would happen and I was right.

3   I warned him that it would be slower that way and he took ages.

4   She asked me where I live / lived .

5   I said eight o’clock, but she insisted on coming earlier.

6  Complete the story with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use reported speech where necessary.

Last month I stupidly left my rucksack on the coach. I immediately phoned the coach company and 1 …… asked …… (ask) them whether someone 2 ……………………. (find) it. They told me that someone 3 ……………………. (call) me back within the hour, but of course they didn’t, so I rang again. They asked me where I 4 ……………………. (live) so that they could send it to me if it 5 ……………………. (turn up). It still hasn’t turned up! A week later, I received a package. I couldn’t believe it. I 6 ……………………. (send) someone else’s bag. When I told them, they completely denied 7 ……………………. (make) any mistake. They said the postman must have 8 ……………………. (take) it to the wrong house. Can you believe it?

2   had found

3   would call

4   live/lived

5   turns up/turned up

6   had been sent

7   making / having made

Related Posts

• Advanced English Grammar Test – Multiple-choice Test 33
• B2 English Grammar Test – Multiple-choice Test 40
• B2 English Grammar Test – Multiple-choice Test 39
• B2 English Grammar Test – Multiple-choice Test 38
• B2 English Grammar Test – Multiple-choice Test 37
• B2 English Grammar Test – Multiple-choice Test 36

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• CAE (C1) Listening Tests
• FCE (B2) Listening Tests
• Grammar Tests for A1
• Grammar Tests for A2
• Grammar Tests for B1
• Grammar Tests for C1
• KET (A2) Listening Tests
• KET (A2) Reading and Writing Tests
• Listening Tests for A1
• Listening Tests for A2
• Listening Tests for B1
• Listening Tests for B2
• Listening Tests for Starters
• PET (B1) Listening Tests
• Reading Tests for A1
• Reading Tests for A2
• Reading Tests for B1
• Reading Tests for B2
• Reading Tests for Starters
• Use of English for A1
• Use of English for A2
• Use of English for B1
• Use of English for B2
• Vocabulary Tests for A1
• Vocabulary Tests for A2
• Vocabulary Tests for B1
• Vocabulary Tests for B2
• Writing Tests for A1
• Writing Tests for A2
• Writing Tests for B1
• Writing Tests for B2
• Writing Tests for Starters

Pin It on Pinterest

• Grammar & vocab

Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): reported speech

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

English grammar practice exercise, upper-intermediate.

In this exercise you will practise reported speech.

Exercise instructions

Rewrite the following using reported speech:

Anonymous - November 3, 2020, 6:18 am Reply

Good exercise.

Anonymous - November 20, 2022, 6:26 pm Reply

Great excercise

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

Notify me of new posts by email.

Related Posts

• Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): word order in reported speech sentences
• Reported speech
• Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): future perfect simple
• Upper-intermediate exercises (B2 level)
• Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): present tense to past tense
• Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): prepositions
• Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): prepositions ex. 2
• Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): prepositions ex. 3
• Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): third conditional
• Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): first, second and third conditionals

• English Grammar
• Clause structure and verb patterns

Reported speech

Level: intermediate

Reporting and summarising

When we want to report what people say, we don't usually try to report their exact words. We usually give a  summary , for example:

Direct speech (exact words) :

Mary :  Oh dear. We've been walking for hours! I'm exhausted. I don't think I can go any further. I really need to stop for a rest. Peter :  Don't worry. I'm not surprised you're tired. I'm tired too. I'll tell you what, let's see if we can find a place to sit down, and then we can stop and have our picnic.

Reported speech (summary) :

When Mary complained that she was tired out after walking so far, Peter said they could stop for a picnic.

Reporting verbs

When we want to report what people say, we use reporting verbs . Different reporting verbs have different patterns, for example:

Mary complained (that) she was tired . (verb + that clause) She asked if they could stop for a rest . (verb + if clause) Peter told her not to worry . (verb + to -infinitive) He suggested stopping and having a picnic . (verb + - ing form) 

See reporting verbs with that , wh-  and if clauses , verbs followed by the infinitive , verbs followed by the -ing form .

GapFillDragAndDrop_MTY1NTE=

GapFillTyping_MTY1NTI=

Tenses in reported speech

When reporting what people say or think in English, we need to remember that the rules for tense forms in reported speech are exactly the same as in the rest of the language.

This is a letter that Andrew wrote ten years ago:

If we wanted to report what Andrew said in his letter, we might say something like this: 

Andrew said that when he  was  22, he was an engineering student in his last month at university. He wanted  to travel abroad after he  had finished  his course at the university, but he would need to earn some money while he was abroad so he wanted  to learn to teach English as a foreign language. A friend  had recommended  a course but Andrew needed more information, so he wrote to the school and asked them when their courses started  and how much they were . He also wanted to know if there was  an examination at the end of the course.

We would naturally use past tense forms to talk about things which happened ten years ago. So, tenses in reports and summaries in English are the same as in the rest of the language.

Sometimes we can choose between a past tense form and a  present tense  form. If we're talking about the past but we mention something that's still true , we can use the present tense:

John said he'd stayed at the Shangri-la because it' s the best hotel in town. Mary said she enjoyed the film because Robert de Niro is her favourite actor. Helen said she  loves visiting New York.

or the past tense:

John said he'd stayed at the Shangri-la because it was the best hotel in town. Mary said she enjoyed the film because Robert de Niro was her favourite actor. Helen said she  loved visiting New York.

If we're talking about something that  everybody knows is true , we normally use the present tense :

Michael said he'd always wanted to climb Everest because it' s the highest mountain in the world. Mary said she loved visiting New York because it' s such an exciting city.

Hi! I found the following paragraph from a grammar site while I was studying the reported speech. Can you help me? It says; --> We can use a perfect form with have + -ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past: He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’)

And my question is: How do we understand if it is a hypothetical event in the past or not? We normally don't change 'might' in reported speech. (e.g. ‘It might snow tonight,’ he warned. --> He warned that it might snow that night.) But why do we say 'He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters.' instead of 'He said that the noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ What's the difference between these two indirect reported speeches? Could you please explain the difference? And I also found this example which is about the same rule above: --> He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: a) ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or b) ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’) Can you also explain why we report this sentence like that. How can we both change a) and b) into the same indirect reported speech? Thank you very much!

• Log in or register to post comments

Hello Melis_06,

1. He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. 2. He said that the noise might be the postman delivering letters.

In sentence 1 it is clear that the noise has ended; it is a noise that 'he' could hear but it is not a noise that you can hear now. In sentence 2 the noise could have ended or it could be a noise that you can still hear now. For example, if the noise is one which is constant, such as a noise that comes from your car engine that you are still trying to identify, then you would use sentence 2. In other words, sentence 2 allows for a wider range of time possibilities - both past (ended) and present (still current).

Your second question is similar:

He said he would have helped us if we needed a volunteer - you no longer need a volunteer

He said he would help us if we needed a volunteer - this could still be relevant; you may still need a volunteer.

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello my friend : what are you doing now? me : I'm eating an apple now and My friend repeated his question now

my question

Can I repeat the sentence in the past ( I was eating an apple) and mean( I'm eating an apple now) ?

You can but it is unusual. If you say  I was eating an apple  (past continuous), it means that it was in the past. You already finished eating the apple and you are not eating it now. But if your friend asked you just a moment ago, I guess you are still eating the apple when she/he asks the second question, so I would say  I'm eating an apple  (because you are still doing it).

Alternatively, you can use a past tense reporting verb e.g. I said I was eating an apple  (referring to the time of the first question), or  I said I 'm eating an apple  (to show that you are still eating it now, at the moment of speaking).

LearnEnglish team

Am I correct then? When someone wants us to repeat the sentence we have just said a moment ago we say 'I said I am doing...' if we are still doing that action. But if we are done with that action, then we say 'I said I was doing...' Did I get it right? Thanks!

Hello Meldo,

Yes, that's correct. Well done!

Hi. I wish to enquire if the verb tense used after a conjunction also changes in complex sentences as per tense transition rules, especially if it is already in simple past tense. In order to explain, could you please solve the following for me: 1. It has been quite a while since I last saw you. 2. Nevertheless, she has been quite desensitized to such perverse actions to the extent that it seldom ever seems obnoxious to her. 3. Let me keep this in my cupboard lest I misplace this. 4. I had arrived at the station before you even left your house. 5. I met my grandfather before he died.

Hi Aamna bluemoon,

The verb may or may not be backshifted, depending on whether the original speaker's point of view and the reporter's point of view are the same or not. For example:

• She said it had been quite a while since she last saw me . (it seems relatively recent, for both the original speaker and the reporter)
• She said it had been quite a while since she had last seen us . (a lot of time has passed between speaking and reporting this, or the situation has changed a lot since then e.g. they have met frequently since then)
• She said she had met her grandfather before he died . (seems quite recent)
• She said she had met her grandfather before he'd died . (a lot of time has passed between speaking and reporting this)

I hope that helps.

Hi, can you help me, please? How could I report this famous quotation: 'There's no such things as good news in America'.

Hi bri.q630,

First of all, the sentence is not grammatically correct. The phrase is 'no such thing' (singular), not 'things'.

How you report it depends. Using 'said' as the reporting verb we have two possibilities:

1. They said (that) there's no such thing as good news in America. 2. They said (that) there was no such thing as good news in America.

Sentence 2 tells that only about the time when 'they' said it. It does not tell us if it is still true or not.

Sentence 1 tells us that what 'they' said is still relevant today. In other words there was no good news (in their opinion) when they spoke, and there is still no good news now.

Thank you Peter,

All things are getting clear to me.

So, you mean, I can use both sentences depending on what I want to indicate, can't I?

then the possible indications are bellow, are those correct?

1-a I remembered the World War 2 ended in 1945. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.)

1-b I remembered the World War 2 had ended in 1945. (This would be indicated I might missunderstand.)

2-a I felt time is money. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.)

2-b I felf time was money. (This would be indicated I might not feel any more.)

3-a I knew the sun rises in the east. (This would be indicated the statement is still true.)

3-b I knew the sun rase in the east. (This would be indicated I might misunderstand or forget.)

4-a I guessed* that Darth Vader is Luke's father. (This would be indicated I still believe he is.*sorry for the typo)

4-2 I guessed that Darth Vader was Luke's father. (This would be indicated I might know he is not.)

Thank you in advance.

Hello again Nobori,

1-a I remembered the World War 2 ended in 1945. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.) 1-b I remembered the World War 2 had ended in 1945. (This would be indicated I might missunderstand.)

Both forms are possible here. The 'ending' is a moment in the past; after this there is no war. By the way, we treat 'World War 2' as a name so there is no article before it.

2-a I felt time is money. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.) 2-b I felf time was money. (This would be indicated I might not feel any more.)

That's correct. Remember that backshifting the verb does not mean something is no longer true; it simply does not tell us anything about the present. Here, it tells the reader how you felt at a given moment in time; you may 

3-a I knew the sun rises in the east. (This would be indicated the statement is still true.) 3-b I knew the sun rase in the east. (This would be indicated I might misunderstand or forget.)

That's also correct. Again, remember that backshifting the verb does not mean something is no longer true; it simply does not tell us anything about the present.

4-a I guessed* that Darth Vader is Luke's father. (This would be indicated I still believe he is.*sorry for the typo) 4-2 I guessed that Darth Vader was Luke's father. (This would be indicated I might know he is not.)

Again, correct. In the second example it might still be true that he is Luke's father, or it might have turned out to be not true. The sentence does not tell us.

Hi Peter, Thank you for your thoughtful answer. Allthing is now very clear to me. Best

Hi, I am translating a fiction novel into English and need your help regarding the reporting speech as for few things I am not getting any clear understanding over the internet. As you know in fiction, we need to write in non-ordinary way to create unique impressions of the word and academic writing is different than speaking. Will be grateful if you could give your insight below, especially considering in the context of fiction/academic writing.

1) Let’s say If someone is giving a speech or presentation, I want to mix their speech, indirect-direct and past tense- present tense. Below are three examples:

-He said, their company makes excellent profit every year OR their company made excellent profit every year ( can both be correct? As the sentence)

- Roger had given his speech yesterday. He said, their company makes excellent profit every year and your company will sustain for next hundred years.(Can YOUR be used in the sentence)

- Roger said people wants to feel important OR Roger said people wanted to feel important (which will be correct as this is a trait which is true in past and present)

2) He thought why he is talking to her OR He thought why he was talking to her (are both write? As usually I see in novels the second example with WAS)

3) Gia was sitting with Jake and she told him she had met with her last year. Her mother had taken her to the dinner. Her mother had told her about her future plans. Her mother also had paid the bill for the dinner. (Do I need to use every time past perfect in this example though it doesn’t feel natural? As a rule of thumb I think past perfect needs to be used when we talk about another past event in the past )

Hello Alamgir3,

We're happy to help with a few specific grammar questions, but I'm afraid we can't help you with your translation -- I'd suggest you find an editor for that.

1) In the second clause, you can use present or past. We often use the present when it's still true now, but the past is not wrong. FYI we don't normally use a comma after 'said' in reported speech.

2) 'Why was he talking to her?' he thought.

3) This is really more of a question of style than grammar. Here I would suggest doing something like combining the four sentences into two and then leaving out 'had' in the second verb in each sentence. Even if it isn't written, it's understood to be past perfect.

All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Hello teachers, I'm sorry, I could not find where to new post. Could you tell me about the back-sifting of thoughts bellow? Which forms are correct?

1-a I remembered the World War 2 ended in 1945. 1-b I remembered the World War 2 had ended in 1945.

2-a I felt time is money. 2-b I felf time was money.

3-a I knew the sun rises in the east. 3-b I knew the sun rase in the east.

4-a I guess that Darth Vader is Luke's father. 4-2 I guessed that Darth Vader was Luke's father.

Do those questions have the same conclusion as indirect speech, such as say and tell?

Hello Nobori,

The verb form remains the same when we want to make it clear that the situation described by the verb is still true, and this works in the same way as indirect speech. For example:

She said she loves me. [she loved me then and she loves me still] She said she loved me. [she loved me then; no information on how she feels now]

Other than this rule, the choice is really contextual and stylistic (up to the speaker). Sometimes a choice implies something. For example, the saying 'time is money' is a general statement, so if you choose to backshift here the listener will know it is an intentional choice and suspect that something has changed (you no longer believe it).

Hi teachers, I've read almost the section of comments below and my summarize is the present tense only can be used if the statement is still true now and past simple only tells the statement was true in the past and doesn't tell the statement is true or not now. Just to make sure, I wanna ask, If I'm not sure whether the statement is still true or not now, can I choose backshift instead (this is still apply to past tense become past perfect)? Thank you

Hello rahmanagustiansyah,

It sounds to me as if you've got the right general idea. Could you please give a couple of example sentences that illustrate your question?

Thanks in advance, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

For example, Steve said "Anna hates you." Then I wanna tell about that to my friend, but I'm not sure whether Anna still hates me or not now. What should I choose between these two options. Answer 1:Steve said Anna hates me or Answer 2 : Steve said Anna hated me. Thank you

Hi rahmanagustiansyah,

In that case, I would choose answer 2. I might even add "... but I don't know if she still does" to the sentence to clarify, if that is the key point you want to communicate.

Jonathan The LearnEnglish Team

Hello Natasa Tanasa,

Both sentences are grammatically possible.

The first sentence is only possible if when the person asks the original question the woman is no longer there (she has already gone). The second sentence can be used in this situation too, or in a situation in which the woman was still there when the original question was asked. As the past tense is used in the original question ( Who was... ), both sentences are possible.

Hello Ahmed Imam,

When the situation is still true at the time of reporting, we can leave the verb form unchanged. For example:

1. She told me she loved me.

2. She told me she loves me.

In sentence 1 we know she loved me when she told me but we don't know whether or not she loves me now. In sentence 2, we know she loved me when she told me and we know that she loves me now.

In your example, if the supermarket is still in the same place then we can use either form. If the supermarket has been closed down or moved to another location then we need to use was .

As for which is 'safer', you'll need to make your own mind up! Keeping the verb in the same form carries more specific information and that may be appropriate or even important.

Hello eugelatina87,

I'll give you a hint: a verb is missing from the question.

Does that help you complete it?

All the best,

The first two sentences are possible and they can both mean that he is still Mary's boyfriend now. The first one makes this more clear, but the second one doesn't only refer to the past.

Hello magnuslin

Regarding your first question, the most common way of saying it is the second one. In some very specific situation, perhaps the first option would be possible.

This also answers your second question. It is not necessary to always backshift using the tenses you mention.

As for your third question, no, it is not necessary. In fact, it is probably more common to use the past simple in the reported speech as well. 

All the best

Hello manu,

Both forms are possible. If you use  had been  then we understand that he was there earlier but not when he said it - in other words, when he said it he had already left. If you use was then he may have left at the time of speaking, or he may have still been there.

Hello _princess_

I would recommend using answer a) because this is the general pattern used in reported speech. Sometimes the verb in the reported clause can be in the present tense when we are speaking about a situation that is still true, but the reported verb in the past tense can also have the same meaning. Since here the time referred to could be either past or present, I'd recommend using the past form.

Hello mwright,

This is an example of an indirect question. An indirect question reports a question, but is not a question itself, which is why we do not use a question mark at the end. Since it is not a question, we use the normal word order without inversion or auxiliary verbs. For example:

Indicative: He lives in Rome. Interrogative: Does he live in Rome? (Where does he live?) Reported: She asked if he lives in Rome. (She asked where he lives.)  

Hello ahlinthit

There are different styles of punctuating direct speech -- in other words, you might find other sources that will disagree with me -- but what I would use here is something different: "The boss is dead!" said the doctor.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes

Hello Timmosky,

The form that comes after the auxiliary verb 'do' (or 'does' or 'did') is not the plural present simple verb, but rather the bare infinitive (also known as 'base form' or 'first form') of the verb. Does that make sense?

All the best, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

Hello sky-high,

This is very formal language. The phrase 'to the effect that' means 'with the meaning that'. In this context it can be understood to mean 'with the result that'.

Best wishes,

The difference is quite logical. If we use 'said' then we are talking about a claim by Peter in the past which he may or may not still maintain. If we use 'says' then we are talking about an opinion expressed by Peter which he still holds.

The reported information (whether or not Rooney is in good shape) can refer to only the past or to the present as well and the statement (what Peter thinks) can separately refer to only the past or the present as well. Of course, all of this is from the point of view of the person reporting Peter's opinion, and whether or not they think that Peter still thinks now what he thought then.

Both are possible. If you use the present tense then it is clear that the statement is still true (i.e. the business was not growing when Mary spoke and is still not growing now). If you use the past tense then no information is given regarding the present (i.e. the business was growing when Mary spoke and may or may not be growing now).

Hello aseel aftab,

It should be 'if they had'. This is not from this page, is it? I don't see it anywhere here, but if I've missed it please let me know.

Online courses

Group and one-to-one classes with expert teachers.

Learn English in your own time, at your own pace.

One-to-one sessions focused on a personal plan.

Get the score you need with private and group classes.  

Reported Speech – Free Exercise

Write the following sentences in indirect speech. Pay attention to backshift and the changes to pronouns, time, and place.

• Two weeks ago, he said, “I visited this museum last week.” → Two weeks ago, he said that   . I → he|simple past → past perfect|this → that|last …→ the … before
• She claimed, “I am the best for this job.” → She claimed that   . I → she|simple present→ simple past|this→ that
• Last year, the minister said, “The crisis will be overcome next year.” → Last year, the minister said that   . will → would|next …→ the following …
• My riding teacher said, “Nobody has ever fallen off a horse here.” → My riding teacher said that   . present perfect → past perfect|here→ there
• Last month, the boss explained, “None of my co-workers has to work overtime now.” → Last month, the boss explained that   . my → his/her|simple present→ simple past|now→ then

Rewrite the question sentences in indirect speech.

• She asked, “What did he say?” → She asked   . The subject comes directly after the question word.|simple past → past perfect
• He asked her, “Do you want to dance?” → He asked her   . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you → she|simple present → simple past
• I asked him, “How old are you?” → I asked him   . The subject comes directly after the question word + the corresponding adjective (how old)|you→ he|simple present → simple past
• The tourists asked me, “Can you show us the way?” → The tourists asked me   . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you→ I|us→ them
• The shop assistant asked the woman, “Which jacket have you already tried on?” → The shop assistant asked the woman   . The subject comes directly after the question word|you→ she|present perfect → past perfect

Rewrite the demands/requests in indirect speech.

• The passenger requested the taxi driver, “Stop the car.” → The passenger requested the taxi driver   . to + same wording as in direct speech
• The mother told her son, “Don’t be so loud.” → The mother told her son   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
• The policeman told us, “Please keep moving.” → The policeman told us   . to + same wording as in direct speech ( please can be left off)
• She told me, “Don’t worry.” → She told me   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
• The zookeeper told the children, “Don’t feed the animals.” → The zookeeper told the children   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t

How good is your English?

Find out with Lingolia’s free grammar test

Take the test!

Maybe later

Breakout English

First (FCE) B2 Key Word Transformations – Reporting Verbs Exercise

Reporting verbs is a challenging grammar point at B2 level, but doing plenty of reporting verbs exercises can help. This grammar combines reported speech, which is nobody’s favourite, with verb patterns, which is really nobody’s favourite. Throw in using the reporting verbs in the past and you’ve got a messy lesson on your hands.

In the First Certificate exam, there often seems to be at least one key word transformations question with reporting verbs. So, like always, we need to prepare students for the eventuality of encountering it in the exam. Below, you’ll find 10 key word transformation questions for the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Use of English Part 4. If you are looking for even more transformations to practise for the exam, consider picking up Breakout English’s book 250 Key Word Transformations for the B2 First exam.

GET 250 B2 FIRST (FCE) KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS:

Why do you need to know reporting verbs?

It is essential to familiarise your students with the unique structures that follow reporting verbs so that they can confidently and accurately use them in their exams. One effective way to do this is through drilling. This involves repeating the structures multiple times to help students internalise them. You can do this by repeating the phrases from your controlled practice activity in a course book or grammar book. Try drilling by building up the sentence from one word until it’s complete. Then break it back down. Drill fast, then slow, then quiet, then loud. It’s a fun activity and helps students with complex pronunciation and connected speech.

Another useful technique is to present your students with real-life examples of how the reporting verbs are used in context. This could involve reading articles or watching videos that contain examples of reporting verbs. Encourage your students to identify and highlight the reporting verbs in the text and discuss the structures that follow them. Youglish is an impressive tool to find words in context in YouTube videos. Just search for the phrase you want to see and it will find a series of videos using that word.

Incorporating role play activities can also be helpful. For example, students could take on the role of journalists reporting a news story, or characters in a scene discussing events that have taken place. After the role play, have students switch roles and share their findings. This forces them to used reported speech and reporting verbs. These reporting verbs activities not only provide students with the opportunity to practise using reporting verbs but also allow them to have fun while doing so.

Examples of reporting verbs

As you can see in the examples below, there are often multiple structures that can be used following different reporting verbs. They might be followed by a gerund, an infinitive, a preposition + gerund or a “that” clause. They might also require or not an object following the verb.

“We should go out on Saturday,” suggested Paul.

• Paul suggested going out on Saturday.
• Paul suggested (that) we go out on Saturday

“I didn’t see anything,” claimed Sarah.

• Sarah claimed not to have seen anything.
• Sarah claimed (that) she hadn’t seen anything.

“I’m going to quit my job,” announced Jane.

• Jane announced (that) she was going to quit her job.
• Jane announced quitting her job.

“I can’t make it to the meeting,” apologised Tom.

• Tom apologized for not being able to make it to the meeting.
• Tom apologized (that) he couldn’t make it to the meeting.

“I’ve never been to Paris,” admitted Lucy.

• Lucy admitted (that) she had never been to Paris.
• Lucy admitted never having been to Paris.

It’s important to note that some reporting verbs have a set structure that we must follow, while others can have more flexibility in terms of structure. It’s also important to be aware of the tense changes that might occur in the transformation from direct speech to reported speech.

Practice is key when it comes to mastering reporting verbs. Encourage your students to practise using different reporting verbs and structures in various contexts to help them feel confident and comfortable with this grammar point.

There are no hard and fast rules to tell your students which verbs have which patterns, so use your course book or a nice grammar explanation like this one from perfect-english-grammar.com .

ESL Worksheets for Teachers

Check out our selection of worksheets filed under grammar: reported speech. use the search filters on the left to refine your search..

FILTER LESSONS

Customised lessons

Worksheet type

Intermediate (B1-B2)

In this lesson, students learn language related to government and human rights by discussing control of technology and information. The control of technology and information is important to lawyers working in diverse fields, ranging from human rights to business.

by Susan Iannuzzi

This worksheet teaches reported speech . The rules for changing the tense of the verb from direct speech are presented and practised. The worksheet is suitable for both classroom practice and self-study. 

Pre-intermediate (A2-B1)

In this lesson, students read an article about pros and cons of Sweden's six-hour work day. The 5-page worksheet includes a grammar activity on reported speech.

The first of a two-part lesson plan that looks at the causes and impact of stress in the workplace. Students read about how stress is affecting small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. The lesson rounds off with a grammar exercise on reported speech in which students complete a stressful negotiation dialogue using the target language structures.

This lesson is based on an article about a woman from New Zealand who became an 'accidental millionaire' when her partner's bank mistakenly increased his overdraft limit by nearly £5 million ($8 million). There is plenty of crime and punishment vocabulary as well as banking terms and expressions (which should be familiar to students who have done the worksheet Banking ). In the grammar section, there is an exercise on the past perfect simple , which is used throughout the article. Use this worksheet with a strong intermediate or upper intermediate class. Important notes are included in the key.

Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

This lesson teaches the vocabulary and grammar necessary for taking meeting minutes in English. Students listen to a dialogue of a meeting and read an extract from the minutes. After studying the vocabulary and grammar used in the text, they practise reporting statements and taking minutes.

This lesson is based on an article on the nascent space tourism industry. The text focuses on the different companies that will be operating in this market, including Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, as well as the future costs and environmental impact of commercial space flights. In the grammar section of the worksheets, reported statements and questions are studied and practised. At the end of the lesson, students discuss whether they believe space tourism could become mass market.

The theme of this lesson is prediction. Students read an amusing article on eight embarrassing predictions made by well-respected experts at different periods of modern history. In the grammar exercises, structures for reporting a prediction made in the past are learnt and the use and omission of the definite article for talking in general is studied. At the end of the lesson, students practise making and reporting predictions.

Reported speech

Loading ad...

Reported speech structures with exercises

• Google Classroom
• Microsoft Teams
• Download PDF