Reported speech worksheet - Free Printable

The task in the image is to convert direct speech into reported (indirect) speech. Reported speech involves changing the tense and pronouns of the original statement or question to reflect that it is being reported rather than spoken directly.

Key Rules for Reported Speech:

1. Tense Change:
- Present tense → Past tense
- Present perfect → Past perfect
- Future tense → Conditional (would + infinitive)
- Modal verbs (can, could, will, etc.) may change depending on the context.
2. Pronoun Adjustment:
- First-person pronouns (I, my, me) may need to be changed to third-person pronouns (he/she, his/her, him/her).
- Second-person pronouns (you) may need to be changed based on the context.
3. Time and Place Words:
- Words like "today," "tomorrow," "here," etc., may need adjustment to reflect the time and place when the report was made.
4. Question Transformation:
- Direct questions are converted into statements in reported speech.
- Special attention is needed for word order and verb forms.

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Solution:

#### 1. Reported Statements and Commands:
1. She said, “I can stay at home.”
- Reported: She said she could stay at home.

2. He said, “I live in London.”
- Reported: He said he lived in London.

3. Tom said to him, “I phoned you.”
- Reported: Tom told him he had phoned him.

4. I said, “I will go to the party.”
- Reported: I said I would go to the party.

5. He said, “I’ve just finished it.”
- Reported: He said he had just finished it.

6. Ben said, “The train leaves at 5.”
- Reported: Ben said the train left at 5.

7. Liz said, “Kate took my book.”
- Reported: Liz said Kate had taken her book.

8. Paul said, “Pam is writing a test.”
- Reported: Paul said Pam was writing a test.

9. I said, “Tim was in the hospital.”
- Reported: I said Tim was in the hospital.

10. He said, “I’ve lost my key.”
- Reported: He said he had lost his key.

11. She said to us, “Stand up!”
- Reported: She told us to stand up.

12. He said to them, “Don’t sleep!”
- Reported: He told them not to sleep.

13. They said to me, “Run!”
- Reported: They told me to run.

14. I said to him, “Don’t take it!”
- Reported: I told him not to take it.

15. She said to me, “Don’t talk!”
- Reported: She told me not to talk.

16. He said to us, “Write the test!”
- Reported: He told us to write the test.

17. My mum said to me, “Stop it!”
- Reported: My mum told me to stop it.

18. She said to him, “Don’t smoke!”
- Reported: She told him not to smoke.

19. He said to her: “Call me at 11!”
- Reported: He told her to call him at 11.

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#### 2. Reported General and Special Questions:
1. She asked, “Do you like to sing?”
- Reported: She asked if I liked to sing.

2. Tim asked, “Did you visit London?”
- Reported: Tim asked if I had visited London.

3. I asked, “Was your trip OK?”
- Reported: I asked if his trip had been OK.

4. He asked, “Will you arrive at 6?”
- Reported: He asked if I would arrive at 6.

5. She asked, “Were you at home?”
- Reported: She asked if I had been at home.

6. He asked her, “Can you swim?”
- Reported: He asked her if she could swim.

7. They asked, “Does she ski well?”
- Reported: They asked if she skied well.

8. I asked, “Have you seen my dog?”
- Reported: I asked if they had seen my dog.

9. We asked, “Were you in Spain?”
- Reported: We asked if he had been in Spain.

10. Kate asked, “Is Bill at school?”
- Reported: Kate asked if Bill was at school.

11. I asked, “Where do you live?”
- Reported: I asked where he lived.

12. He asked, “Why are you crying?”
- Reported: He asked why I was crying.

13. I asked, “Why didn’t you come?”
- Reported: I asked why he hadn’t come.

14. They asked, “What do you play?”
- Reported: They asked what he played.

15. We asked, “What has he seen?”
- Reported: We asked what he had seen.

16. She asked, “When will he come?”
- Reported: She asked when he would come.

17. I asked, “What is he doing?”
- Reported: I asked what he was doing.

18. We asked, “Why was he absent?”
- Reported: We asked why he had been absent.

19. He asked, “Where are you from?”
- Reported: He asked where I was from.

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Final Answer:

- Reported Statements and Commands:
1. She said she could stay at home.
2. He said he lived in London.
3. Tom told him he had phoned him.
4. I said I would go to the party.
5. He said he had just finished it.
6. Ben said the train left at 5.
7. Liz said Kate had taken her book.
8. Paul said Pam was writing a test.
9. I said Tim was in the hospital.
10. He said he had lost his key.
11. She told us to stand up.
12. He told them not to sleep.
13. They told me to run.
14. I told him not to take it.
15. She told me not to talk.
16. He told us to write the test.
17. My mum told me to stop it.
18. She told him not to smoke.
19. He told her to call him at 11.

- Reported General and Special Questions:
1. She asked if I liked to sing.
2. Tim asked if I had visited London.
3. I asked if his trip had been OK.
4. He asked if I would arrive at 6.
5. She asked if I had been at home.
6. He asked her if she could swim.
7. They asked if she skied well.
8. I asked if they had seen my dog.
9. We asked if he had been in Spain.
10. Kate asked if Bill was at school.
11. I asked where he lived.
12. He asked why I was crying.
13. I asked why he hadn’t come.
14. They asked what he played.
15. We asked what he had seen.
16. She asked when he would come.
17. I asked what he was doing.
18. We asked why he had been absent.
19. He asked where I was from.

Boxed Final Answer:
\boxed{
\text{See detailed solutions above.}
}