Grammar Time: Reported Speech

Revise how to change the direct speech into reported speech.

We often change to reported speech when we tell someone what another person said.

Exam in Mind Level A2/B1

Task 1. Change to reported speech.

1. The teacher said, “You can’t leave the room!” – The teacher ordered us …
2. Mom told me, “Don’t spend too much money on clothes”. – Mom warned me …
3. I said to her, “Speak more slowly!” – I told her …
4. The doctor said, “You mustn’t eat any sweets.” – The doctor forbade me …
5. Don said, “I won’t tell anyone.” – Don promised …
6. Anna said, “I won’t help you.”- Anna refused …
7. Jake said, “You should see a doctor.” – Jake advised me …
8. I said to the teacher, “Please don’t give us any homework.”- I begged the teacher …
9. I told him, “I will punish you if you don’t behave!” – I threatened …
10. He said, “It was you who broke the vase!” – He accused me …
11. He told me, “Buy some food on your way back.” – He reminded me …
12. She said, “I’m sorry I lost the book you gave me.” – She apologised …
13. The guide said, “Stay away from the edge of the cliff!” – The guide told us …
14. I said, “Let me carry your groceries.” – I offered …
15. My mother said, “Get out of bed at once”! – My mothered ordered me …
16. Dad said, “Let’s go to the park”! – Dad suggested …
17. He said, “I am in love with your sister.” – He said that …
18. The reporter asked, “Where is the president staying?” – The reporter wanted to know …
19. George said, “I can’t do it now, but I’ll try later.” – George said that …
20. My friend said, “Don’t go there after dark.” – My friend warned me …
21. Peter to Elizabeth: “I’ll give back the money when I have it.” – Peter told Elizabeth that …
22. My husband asked, “What should I wear for the party?” – My husband asked me …
23. My boss said, “You haven’t been working hard enough.” – My boss said that …
24. Malcolm said, “You must take your shoes off. “ – Malcolm ordered him …
25. I said, “Could you please pass me the salt?” – I asked him …
26. Dad explained, “I will be leaving this house next week.” – Dad explained to us that …
27. I asked him, “Did you see the fire?” – I asked him …
28. The doctor asked, “How did you feel after the operation?” – The doctor wanted to know …
29. Mom said, “Don’t forget your umbrella.” – Mom told me …
30. The teacher asked me, “Could you swim when you were little? – The teacher asked me …
31. Jimmy said, “ I haven’t seen Harry for ages and I don’t know where he is. – Jimmy said that …

Task 2. Change to reported speech.

1. She asked me,” Where have you been?” – She asked me …
2. She said to me, “Close your eyes!” – She told me …
3. Oliver said, “Please, can I have some more food?” – Oliver asked …
4. The park attendant said, “Don’t walk on the grass!” – The park attendant warned us …
5. Roy said, “I own two cars.” – Roy said that …
6. Maria said, “He has never written to me before.” – Maria said that …
7. Father said, “Go to your room and stay there.” – Father ordered me …
8. He asked me, “Are you alright?”- He asked me …
9. Mom said, “I haven’t seen him in the last few days.” – Mom said that …
10. The students said, “Please don’t give us any homework. – The students begged the teacher …
11. He asked me, “Do you speak English?” – He asked me …
12. She said, “I’m very tired and can’t come with you. – She said that …
13. He asked me, “Why didn’t you phone me?” – He asked me …
14. Mom said, “You must see a doctor”. – Mom said that …
15. The neighbour said, “Don’t make so much noise.” – The neighbour told us …
16. The teacher said, “I won’t be here next year.” – The teacher said that …
17. Dad said, “Could you take the dog for a walk?” – Dad asked me …
18. The boy asked the tour guide, “Where is the main tourist office? “ – The boy asked the tour guide …
19. The police officer said, “Get out of the car!” –  The police officer ordered the boys …
20. The woman asked,” How long have you worked as a tour guide?” – The woman wanted to know …
21. He said, “Come to me!” – He told me …
22. I asked the waiter,” When is dinner served?” – I asked the waiter …
23. The old lady asked the policeman, “Is there a shopping centre nearby?” – The old lady wanted to know …
24. Dad asked,” Did you find my glasses?” – Dad asked me …
25. He said to his son, “Don’t be afraid!” – He told his son …
26. Dad advised us “, You should always wear a helmet when you ride a bike!” – Dad advised us …
27. The biologist wondered, “What kind of marine animals are there in the park”? – The biologist wondered …
28. The journalist asked, “Have you published any interesting stories yet?” – The journalist wanted to know …
29. He said to her, “I may not be able to meet you at the airport.” – He told her he …
30. She said, “Let’s go out!” – She suggested …
31. The doctor told her, “Don’t get up until Sunday!” – The doctor told her …
32. The girl said, “Please don’t tell my parents “! – The girl begged the teacher …
33. She asked, “Can I go tomorrow?” – She asked …

Task 3. Change to reported speech.

1. She said, “I can get home on my own”.
2. They said, “We haven’t been to an art gallery for ages”.
3. The police asked me, “When did you leave the house this morning?”
4. He said, “I’ll think about it.”
5. Mary said, “I should have phoned my mother”.
6. The doctor told me. “You should cut down on your smoking.”
7. He asked me, “Do you understand all the rules?”
8. She asked me, “When will I see you again?”
9. My parents said, “We are going on holiday tomorrow.”
10. She said, “Wait until I get back!”
11. My sister said, “I always eat lots of fresh fruit and salad.”
12. The workers said, “We won’t have enough time to finish the job.”
13. The passenger asked, “Could someone help me with the luggage?”
14. Mom said, “Don’t worry!”
15. Jack said, “We must leave soon.”
16. She said, “It’s been a long time since I had such a good meal.”
17. They wanted to know, “What time does the party start ?”
18. The guide said, “The weather may get much worse.”

Task 4. Put in ‘said’ or ‘told’.

1. Julie ______________ that she would join us after work.
2. She ______________ me that she was going running this evening.
3. John ______________ us that he couldn’t come to the party.
4. John ______________ that he had been to the cinema at the weekend.
5. She ______________ them she wanted to quit.
6. David ______________ he was going to arrive at eight.
7. They ______________ that they didn’t want to meet us on Tuesday.
8. I ______________ him I wasn’t impressed.
9. Lucy ______________ Julie that she was leaving on Wednesday.
10. We ______________ that we were going on holiday the following week.
11. Jack ______________ my mother he would be in Spain this week.
12. I ______________ that I hated mushrooms.
13. She ______________ she loved chocolate.
14. They ______________ they were meeting Luke today.
15. They ______________ us they were going to the museum this afternoon.
16. He ______________ he wouldn’t start without us.
17. I ______________ them I’d bring pudding.
18. Jonathan ______________ it would rain today.
19. They ______________ us that it was fine to come late.
20. The boss ______________ me that I should do some more work on this report.

I hope now it’s a problem for you to change to reported speech.