Reported speech in English grammar is a way of expressing someone’s words without directly quoting them. For example, instead of saying “She said ‘I’m going to the store’,” you would say “She said she was going to the store.” Other examples include “He asked me if I wanted to come” instead of “He asked ‘Do you want to come?'” and “She explained that she couldn’t help” instead of “She said ‘I can’t help.'”
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of expressing the content of a statement or sentence without directly quoting the exact words that were used. It is typically used to report or repeat what someone else has said or written, and involves changing the original words into a new sentence or phrase that maintains the same meaning. For example, if someone said “I am going to the store,” the reported speech version of this would be something like “She said that she was going to the store.” In reported speech, the verb tense is often changed to reflect the time when the original statement was made, rather than the time when it is being repeated. For example, if the original statement was made in the past, the verb tense in the reported speech version would typically be changed to the past tense as well.
In reported speech, the verb tense is often changed to reflect the time when the original statement was made, rather than the time when it is being repeated. For example, if the original statement was made in the past, the verb tense in the reported speech version would typically be changed to the past tense as well.
Here are some examples of how verb tense can change in reported speech:
“I am going to the store,” said John. (direct speech)
John said that he was going to the store. (reported speech)
“I will see you tomorrow,” said Sarah. (direct speech)
Sarah said that she would see me the next day. (reported speech)
“I have been working on this project for months,” said Jessica. (direct speech)
Jessica said that she had been working on the project for months. (reported speech)
In each of these examples, the verb tense has been changed to reflect the time when the original statement was made (i.e., the past), rather than the time when it is being repeated. This is a common way to use reported speech in English grammar, and can help to clarify the timing and context of the original statement.
Here are a few examples of reported speech exercises:
Change the following direct speech sentences into reported speech:
“I love learning about grammar,” said John.
“I can’t believe it’s already 5 o’clock,” said Maria.
“I’m going to the beach this weekend,” said David.
Answers:
John said that he loved learning about grammar.
Maria said that she couldn’t believe it was already 5 o’clock.
David said that he was going to the beach that weekend.
Change the following direct speech sentences into reported speech, taking into account any changes in verb tense:
“I’m going to the movies tonight,” said Sarah.
“I will see you tomorrow,” said Tom.
“I have been working on this project for months,” said Jessica.
Answers:
Sarah said that she was going to the movies that night.
Tom said that he would see me the next day.
Jessica said that she had been working on the project for months.
Write a sentence in reported speech based on the following direct speech sentence:
“I’m going to the park to play soccer,” said Alex.
Answer: Alex said that he was going to the park to play soccer.
Note: These are just a few examples of reported speech exercises. There are many other ways to create and use reported speech in English grammar, so it’s a good idea to continue practicing and learning more about this concept.
Some more examples of reported questions
Reported questions are a type of reported speech that are used to repeat or report a question that someone has asked. In English grammar, reported questions are typically introduced with a phrase like “he asked” or “she wondered,” and the verb tense is often changed to reflect the time when the original question was asked, rather than the time when it is being repeated. Here are some examples of reported questions:
“Do you want to go to the movies tonight?” asked John. (direct question)
John asked if I wanted to go to the movies that night. (reported question)
“Have you finished your homework yet?” asked Sarah. (direct question)
Sarah wondered if I had finished my homework yet. (reported question)
“Will you be coming to the party tomorrow?” asked David. (direct question)
David asked if I would be coming to the party the next day. (reported question)
In each of these examples, the original question has been repeated using reported speech, and the verb tense has been changed to reflect the time when the question was asked (i.e., the past). This is a common way to use reported questions in English grammar, and can help to clarify the timing and context of the original question.
Some grammar exercises of reported speech
Here are a few examples of reported speech exercises:
Change the following direct speech sentences into reported speech:
“I love learning about grammar,” said John.
“I can’t believe it’s already 5 o’clock,” said Maria.
“I’m going to the beach this weekend,” said David.
Answers:
John said that he loved learning about grammar.
Maria said that she couldn’t believe it was already 5 o’clock.
David said that he was going to the beach that weekend.
Change the following direct speech sentences into reported speech, taking into account any changes in verb tense:
“I’m going to the movies tonight,” said Sarah.
“I will see you tomorrow,” said Tom.
“I have been working on this project for months,” said Jessica.
Answers:
Sarah said that she was going to the movies that night.
Tom said that he would see me the next day.
Jessica said that she had been working on the project for months.
Write a sentence in reported speech based on the following direct speech sentence:
“I’m going to the park to play soccer,” said Alex.
Answer: Alex said that he was going to the park to play soccer.
Note: These are just a few examples of reported speech exercises. There are many other ways to create and use reported speech in English grammar, so it’s a good idea to continue practicing and learning more about this concept.
