Reported speech !

1. Boris : "I often have a big hamburger."

• A. B said (that) he often has a big hamburger.

• B. B told that he always has a big hamburger.

• C. B said (that) he often had a big hamburger.

• D. B told (that) he often has a big hamburger.

Answer explanation

In reported statements, we can use either 'say' or 'tell'. The meaning is the same, but the grammar is different.

For example:

Direct speech:

John: "I'll be late".

Reported speech:

John said (that) he would be late.

OR

John told me (that) he was going to be late.

With 'tell' we NEED the object (e.g. 'me', 'you', 'her').

With 'say' we CAN'T use the object (e.g. 'me', 'them', 'us').

So we CAN'T say:

“John said me that he would be late.”

“John told that he would be late.”

Here are some correct examples:

Julie said (that) she'd come to the party.

I said (that) I was going to bed early.

He told me (that) he loved living in London.

They told John (that) they would arrive at six.

We can also use 'tell' in reported orders. In this case, 'tell' is followed by a direct object and 'to + infinitive': 'She told me to sit down'.

2. Yana: We live in St. Petersburg.

Yana said that _________.

• A. They lived in St. Petersburg.

• B. We live in St. Petersburg.

• C. They live in Mexico.

• D. I live in Moscow.

Answer explanation

The given sentences have to be rewritten according to the instruction given below.

The sentences have been changed from direct speech to indirect speech.

While doing so, the inverted commas are removed.

'That' has been added to each of the sentences.

The tenses and pronouns are changed accordingly.

Rule #1

First person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. I, we) is changed according to the pronoun of reporting verb if pronoun in reporting verb is third person pronoun (i.e. he, she)

For example:

Direct speech: He said, “I don’t want to shock people”

Reported speech: He said that he didn’t want to shock people.

Direct speech: They said, “we‘ll look after Liam.”

Reported speech: They said that they would look after Liam.

Rule #2

First person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. I, we) is not changed if the pronoun (Subject) of reporting is also first person pronoun (i.e. I or we).

For example:

Direct speech: I said, “I do my homework.”

Reported speech: I said that I did my homework.

Direct speech: We said, “we buy our clothes.”

Reported speech: We said that we bought our clothes.

“John has written a great poem,” she said.

• She said John has written a great poem.

• She said that she had written a great poem.

• She said that John had written a great poem.

Answer explanation

The tenses and pronouns are changed accordingly ! Use the past tense in reported speech.

When we use Reported Speech the verb tenses ________

• Change

• Don't change

Answer explanation

Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech:

She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired.

Explanation : We use reported speech when we want to repeat what someone had previously said.

Let's look at the difference between direct speech and reported speech:

Direct Tomie said = 'I am tired.'

Reported Speech = 'Tomie said (that) she was tired.'

In reported speech we need to use the past tense form of the verb. In direct speech the present tense is used. As you can see, in the above sentence 'am' changes to 'was' when we use reported speech.

My sister told me____ good care of myself while I was away.

• that I take

• I will take

• that take

• to take

Answer explanation

NOTA BENE: The tenses of verbs in a sentence must be consistent when the actions happen at the same time. When dealing with actions that occur at different points in time, however, we can use multiple tenses in the same sentence.

“They have been singing for their daughter,” he said.

• He said that they have been singing for their daughter.

• He said that they had been singing for their daughter.

• He told me they sing for their daughter.

Grandfather : I always woke up early !

My grandfather said that he always____ up early.

• wake

• wakes

• to wake

• woke

Answer explanation

When not to change the verb tense :

When direct speech uses the past tense we do not need to make a change:

Direct John: 'I broke my arm.' Reported: 'John said that he broke his arm.'

The teacher told the boys____ their money.

• not waste

• to waste not

• not to waste

• to not waste

Answer explanation

Reported Commands :

There is no backshift of tenses with commands/requests in Reported Speech.

You only have to change the person and shift expressions of time/place.

Form :

Affirmative commands → to + infinitive

Negative commands → not + to + infinitive

Affirmative commands :

Direct Speech → Dad: “Do your homework.”

Reported Speech → Dad told me to do my homework.

“We are eating together after a long time,” she said to her friend.

• She told her friend that they were eating together after a long time.

• She told her we are eating together after a long time.

• She told her friend that they were going to eat after a long time.

“I live in Paris”, she told her colleague.

• She told her colleague I live in Paris.

• She told her colleague that she lived in Paris.

• She told her colleague that she has been living in Paris.