REPORTED SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH

In reported speech we usually report what was said at a different time, and so we change the tense to reflect the time which we are reporting. We normally "shift back" one tense.

• Direct speech: "I'm not playing football.
• Reported speech: "He said that he wasn't playing football."

Sometimes we need to change the pronoun.

• Direct speech: Jane: "I don't like living here." (Jane is referring to herself)
• Reported speech: Jane said (that) she didn't like living here. (The pronoun she refers to Jane)

We may also need to change other words about place and time.

• Direct speech: "I like this car." 
• Reported speech: He said (that) he liked that car.
• Direct speech: "I went to Tokyo last week."
• Reported speech: She said (that) she'd been to Tokyo the week before.

LET'S PRACTICE!

1. http://www.englishw.com/ReportedSpeechWheelSpin.php
2. https://jeopardylabs.com/play/reported-speech-game2
3. http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3765
4. http://kico4u.de/english/uebungen/reportedspeech/report1.htm
5. http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/ar/grammar-exercises/reported-speech-1
6. http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-speech/exercises?04
7. http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/102.html
8. http://www.passporttoenglish.com/Advanced-English/Lesson11/Game.html
9. http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-speech/exercises
10. http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-72035.php
11. http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3765