B1- REPORTED SPEECH
Explicación
Tower Languages
Online Learning is Today
Created by Julio Ángel R. — Bilingual Educator
Reported Speech — Indirect Speech
Grammar Guide
📌 What is Reported Speech?
🔷 1. Reporting Statements
Reported speech is used to tell what someone said without using their exact words. Instead of repeating the sentence, we report it.
💬 Direct Speech
She said: "I am tired."
📋 Reported Speech
She said (that) she was tired.
🔹 Tense Changes — Backshift (Present → Past)
When we report statements, we usually:
Change the verb tense (backshift)
Change pronouns to match the speaker
Sometimes change time expressions
| 💬 Direct Speech | 📋 Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "It's a big secret." | He said (that) it was a big secret. |
| "I'm getting a terrible grade." | He said he was getting a terrible grade. |
| "They got engaged." | He said they had gotten engaged. |
| "We weren't talking about you." | They claimed they hadn't been talking about me. |
| "She's been absent since Tuesday." | He said she had been absent since Tuesday. |
| "We had never been there before." | She said they had never been there before. |
| "I'll meet you at the café." | He said he would meet me at the café. |
🔹 Yes/No → if / whether | Wh- → wh- word
⚠️ Important rules when reporting questions
Do NOT use question word order
Do NOT use auxiliary verbs do / does / did
Use if / whether for yes-no questions
Use the wh- word for information questions
💬 Yes / No Question
Direct
"Did you know about the layoffs?"
Reported
I asked him if he had known about the layoffs.
💬 Wh- Question
Direct
"What are you saying?"
Reported
I asked them what they were saying.
🔹 Affirmative → to + verb | Negative → not to + verb
✅ Affirmative command
Direct
"Sit down."
Reported
She told me to sit down.
❌ Negative command
Direct
"Don't say anything."
Reported
He warned his friend not to say anything.
🔹 No tense change — the fact is still true today
💡 Rule
If the reported statement is a general truth or fact, the verb tense does not change.
💬 Direct
"The sun rises in the east."
📋 Reported — no change
She said the sun rises in the east.
🔹 Modals that Change & Modals that Stay the Same
🔄 Modals that CHANGE
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| can | could |
| may | might |
| must | had to |
| have to | had to |
| don't have to | didn't have to |
✅ Modals that DO NOT change
| Modal | In Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| might | might (no change) |
| should | should (no change) |
📝 Examples in context
can → could
"You can go to the party."
She said I could go to the party.
must → had to
"We must tell him the truth."
They said they had to tell him the truth.
have to → had to
"He has to go to the bank."
He said he had to go to the bank.
don't have to → didn't have to
"You don't have to pay me back."
She said I didn't have to pay her back.
might → might (no change)
"We might get married."
She said they might get married.
should → should (no change)
"I should replace my old laptop."
He said he should replace his old laptop.
🔹 SAY — no object | TELL — must have an object
SAY → no object needed
She said (that) she was tired.
She said not to park the car there.
TELL → must include an object
She told me (that) she was tired.
She told me not to park the car there.
💡 Quick rule to remember
say something → no person after it | tell someone something → person always follows
🔹 Very recent speech — tense can stay the same
✅ Rule
If the reported speech happened very recently, no backshift is needed — the original statement is still relevant and true.
💬 Example conversation
A: I didn't hear that. What did she say?
B: She said she wants to go out for dinner.
Statements → change tense, pronouns & time expressions
Questions → if/whether for yes-no, wh- word for information
Commands → to + verb / not to + verb
General truths → no tense change needed
might / should → stay the same in reported speech
Very recent speech → no backshift needed
🧠 Quick Tip — Say vs Tell + Key Exceptions
She said she was tired. → no object after "said"
She told me she was tired. → "me" is the object after "told"
General truth → "Water boils at 100°C." → She said water boils. → no change
Very recent → "What did she say?" → She said she wants to eat. → no backshift
Ejercicio 1
Tower Languages
Online Learning is Today
Created by Julio Ángel R. — Bilingual Educator
Reported Speech — Said or Told?
— / 10
Instrucción: Choose said or told from the dropdown to complete each reported speech sentence correctly.
SAY / SAID
No object needed after the verb.
She said that she was tired.
TELL / TOLD
Must be followed by a person (object).
She told me that she was tired.
1
She
me that she was tired.
2
They
the teacher they were ready.
3
He
that he couldn't come.
4
I
my friend the truth.
5
She
that the movie was great.
6
We
them about the problem.
7
He
me he was busy.
8
She
that she liked the gift.
9
I
him to wait.
10
They
that the test was easy.
Check Answers ✓
Ejercicio 2
Tower Languages
Online Learning is Today
Created by Julio Ángel R. — Bilingual Educator
Reported Speech — Writing Exercise
— / 10
Instrucción: Complete each sentence using Reported Speech. Type the missing part after the reporting verb. Pay attention to tense changes, pronoun changes, and word order.
Statements → that + backshift
Yes/No questions → if + backshift
Wh- questions → wh-word + backshift
Commands → to / not to + verb
1
"I'm feeling very tired today."
She told me _______________
2
"Did you finish your homework?"
He asked me _______________
3
"There's a new restaurant near my house."
She said _______________
4
"Why are you late?"
She asked me _______________
5
"Close the window, please."
He told me _______________
6
"We're planning a trip this weekend."
She told me _______________
7
"Is the test difficult?"
The students asked me _______________
8
"I didn't see the message."
He told me _______________
9
"Where do you live?"
She asked me _______________
10
"Turn off the lights."
He told me _______________
Check Answers ✓