Exercise on Reported Speech

1. Statements in Reported Speech

1.1 [Backshift] Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and time expressions
where necessary.
1. She said, "I am reading."
She said that
2. They said, "We are busy."
They said that
3. He said, "I know a better restaurant."
He said that
4. She said, "I woke up early."
She said that
5. He said, "I will ring her."
He said that
6. They said, "We have just arrived."
They said that
7. He said, "I will clean the car."
He said that
8. She said, "I did not say that."
She said that
9. She said, "I don't know where my shoes are."
She said that
10. He said: "I won't tell anyone."
He said that
ANSWERS
1. She said, "I am reading."
She said that she was reading.
2. They said, "We are busy."
They said that they were busy.

3. He said, "I know a better restaurant."

He said that he knew a better restaurant.
4. She said, "I woke up early."
She said that she had woken up early.
5. He said, "I will ring her."
He said that he would ring her.
6. They said, "We have just arrived."
They said that they had just arrived.
7. He said, "I will clean the car."
He said that he would clean the car.
8. She said, "I did not say that."
She said that she had not said that.
9. She said, "I don't know where my shoes are."
She said that she did not know where her shoes were.
10. He said: "I won't tell anyone."
He said that he would not tell anyone.

1.2 [Backshift and Place expressions] Imagine you want to repeat sentences that you heard two weeks
ago in another place. Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and expressions of
time and place where necessary.
1. They said, "This is our book."
They said
2. She said, "I went to the cinema yesterday."
She said
3. He said, "I am writing a test tomorrow."
He said
4. You said, "I will do this for him."
You said
5. She said, "I am not hungry now."
She said
6. They said, "We have never been here before."
They said
7. They said, "We were in London last week."
They said
8. He said, "I will have finished this paper by tomorrow."
He said

9. He said, "They won't sleep."

He said
10. She said, "It is very quiet here."
She said
ANSWERS
1. They said, "This is our book."
They said that was their book.
2. She said, "I went to the cinema yesterday."
She said that she had gone to the cinema the day before.
3. He said, "I am writing a test tomorrow."
He said that he was writing a test the next day.
4. You said, "I will do this for him."
You said that you would do that for him.
5. She said, "I am not hungry now."
She said that she was not hungry then.
6. They said, "We have never been here before."
They said that they had never been there before.
7. They said, "We were in London last week."
They said that they had been in London the week before.
8. He said, "I will have finished this paper by tomorrow."
He said that he would have finished that paper by the next day.
9. He said, "They won't sleep."
He said that they wouldn't sleep.
10. She said, "It is very quiet here."
She said that it was very quiet there.

2. Questions in Reported Speech

2.1. Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns and tenses.
1. "Where is my umbrella?" she asked.
She asked
2. "How are you?" Martin asked us.
Martin asked us
3. He asked, "Do I have to do it?"
He asked
4. "Where have you been?" the mother asked her daughter.
The mother asked her daughter
5. "Which dress do you like best?" she asked her boyfriend.
She asked her boyfriend

6. "What are they doing?" she asked.

She wanted to know
7. "Are you going to the cinema?" he asked me.
He wanted to know
8. The teacher asked, "Who speaks English?"
The teacher wanted to know
9. "How do you know that?" she asked me.
She asked me
10. "Has Caron talked to Kevin?" my friend asked me.
My friend asked me
ANSWERS
1. "Where is my umbrella?" she asked.
She asked where her umbrella was.
2. "How are you?" Martin asked us.
Martin asked us how we were.
3. He asked, "Do I have to do it?"
He asked if he had to do it.
4. "Where have you been?" the mother asked her daughter.
The mother asked her daughter where she had been.
5. "Which dress do you like best?" she asked her boyfriend.
She asked her boyfriend which dress he liked best.
6. "What are they doing?" she asked.
She wanted to know what they were doing.
7. "Are you going to the cinema?" he asked me.
He wanted to know if I was going to the cinema.
8. The teacher asked, "Who speaks English?"
The teacher wanted to know who spoke English.
9. "How do you know that?" she asked me.
She asked me how I knew that.
10. "Has Caron talked to Kevin?" my friend asked me.
My friend asked me if Caron had talked to Kevin.
2.2 - Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns and tenses.
1. "What's the time?" he asked.
He wanted to know
2. "When will we meet again?" she asked me.
She asked me

3. "Are you crazy?" she asked him.

She asked him
4. "Where did they live?" he asked.
He wanted to know
5. "Will you be at the party?" he asked her.
He asked her
6. "Can you meet me at the station?" she asked me.
She asked me
7. "Who knows the answer?" the teacher asked.
The teacher wanted to know
8. "Why don't you help me?" she asked him.
She wanted to know
9. "Did you see that car?" he asked me.
He asked me
10. "Have you tidied up your room?" the mother asked the twins.
The mother asked the twins
ANSWERS
1. "What's the time?" he asked.
He wanted to know what the time was.
2. "When will we meet again?" she asked me.
She asked me when we would meet again.
3. "Are you crazy?" she asked him.
She asked him if he was crazy.
4. "Where did they live?" he asked.
He wanted to know where they had lived.
5. "Will you be at the party?" he asked her.
He asked her if she would be at the party.
6. "Can you meet me at the station?" she asked me.
She asked me if I could meet her at the station.
7. "Who knows the answer?" the teacher asked.
The teacher wanted to know who knew the answer.
8. "Why don't you help me?" she asked him.
She wanted to know why he didn't help her.
9. "Did you see that car?" he asked me.
He asked me if I had seen that car.
10. "Have you tidied up your room?" the mother asked the twins.
The mother asked the twins if they had tidied up their room.

3. Requests in Reported Speech

3.1 Exercise 1 Requests (positive)
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns in some sentences.
1. "Stop talking, Joe," the teacher said.
The teacher told Joe
2. "Be patient," she said to him.
She told him
3. "Go to your room," her father said to her.
Her father told her
4. "Hurry up," she said to us.
She told us
5. "Give me the key," he told her.
He asked her
6. "Play it again, Sam," she said.
She asked Sam
7. "Sit down, Caron" he said.
He asked Caron
8. "Fill in the form, Sir," the receptionist said.
The receptionist asked the guest
9. "Take off your shoes," she told us.
She told us
10. "Mind your own business," she told him.
She told him
ANSWERS
1. "Stop talking, Joe," the teacher said.
The teacher told Joe to stop talking.
2. "Be patient," she said to him.
She told him to be patient.
3. "Go to your room," her father said to her.
Her father told her to go to her room.
4. "Hurry up," she said to us.
She told us to hurry up.
5. "Give me the key," he told her.
He asked her to give him the key.

6. "Play it again, Sam," she said.

She asked Sam to play it again.
7. "Sit down, Caron" he said.
He asked Caron to sit down.
8. "Fill in the form, Sir," the receptionist said.
The receptionist asked the guest to fill in the form.
9. "Take off your shoes," she told us.
She told us to take off our shoes.
10. "Mind your own business," she told him.
She told him to mind his own business.
3.2 - Exercise 2 Requests (negative)
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns in some sentences.
1. "Don't touch it," she said to him.
She told him
2. "Don't do that again," he said to me.
He told me
3. "Don't talk to me like that," he said.
He told her
4. "Don't repair the computer yourself," she warned him.
She warned him
5. "Don't let him in," she said.
She told me
6. "Don't go out without me," he begged her.
He begged her
7. "Don't forget your bag," she told me.
She told me
8. "Don't eat in the lab," the chemistry teacher said.
The chemistry teacher told his students
9. "Don't give yourself up," he advised her.
He advised her
10. "Don't hurt yourselves, boys," she said.
She told the boys
ANSWERS
1. "Don't touch it," she said to him.
She told him not to touch it.

2. "Don't do that again," he said to me.

He told me not to do that again.
3. "Don't talk to me like that," he said.
He told her not to talk to him like that.
4. "Don't repair the computer yourself," she warned him.
She warned him not to repair the computer himself.
5. "Don't let him in," she said.
She told me not to let him in.
6. "Don't go out without me," he begged her.
He begged her not to go out without him.
7. "Don't forget your bag," she told me.
She told me not to forget my bag.
8. "Don't eat in the lab," the chemistry teacher said.
The chemistry teacher told his students not to eat in the lab.
9. "Don't give yourself up," he advised her.
He advised her not to give herself up.
10. "Don't hurt yourselves, boys," she said.
She told the boys not to hurt themselves.
3.3 Exercise 3 Requests (mixed)
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns in some sentences.
1. She said, "Go upstairs."
She told me
2. "Close the door behind you," he told me.
He told me
3. "Don't be late," he advised us.
He advised us
4. "Stop staring at me," she said.
She told him
5. "Don't be angry with me," he said.
He asked her
6. "Leave me alone," she said.
She told me
7. "Don't drink and drive," she warned us.
She warned us
8. "John, stop smoking," she said.
She told John

9. "Don't worry about us," they said.

They told her
10. "Meet me at the cinema." he said.
He asked me
ANSWERS
1. She said, "Go upstairs."
She told me to go upstairs.
2. "Close the door behind you," he told me.
He told me to close the door behind me.
3. "Don't be late," he advised us.
He advised us not to be late.
4. "Stop staring at me," she said.
She told him to stop staring at her.
5. "Don't be angry with me," he said.
He asked her not to be angry with him.
6. "Leave me alone," she said.
She told me to leave her alone.
7. "Don't drink and drive," she warned us.
She warned us not to drink and drive.
8. "John, stop smoking," she said.
She told John to stop smoking.
9. "Don't worry about us," they said.
They told her not to worry about them.
10. "Meet me at the cinema." he said.
He asked me to meet him at the cinema.

4. Mixed Exercises on Reported Speech

4.1 - Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is a request, a statement or
a question.
1. He said, "I like this song."
He said
2. "Where is your sister?" she asked me.
She asked me
3. "I don't speak Italian," she said.
She said
4. "Say hello to Jim," they said.
They asked me

5. "The film began at seven o'clock," he said.

He said
6. "Don't play on the grass, boys," she said.
She told the boys
7. "Where have you spent your money?" she asked him.
She asked him
8. "I never make mistakes," he said.
He said
9. "Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know.
He wanted to know
10. "Don't try this at home," the stuntman told the audience.
The stuntman advised the audience
ANSWERS
1. He said, "I like this song."
He said that he liked that song.
2. "Where is your sister?" she asked me.
She asked me where my sister was.
3. "I don't speak Italian," she said.
She said that she didn't speak Italian.
4. "Say hello to Jim," they said.
They asked me to say hello to Jim.
5. "The film began at seven o'clock," he said.
He said that the film had begun at seven o'clock.
6. "Don't play on the grass, boys," she said.
She told the boys not to play on the grass.
7. "Where have you spent your money?" she asked him.
She asked him where he had spent his money.
8. "I never make mistakes," he said.
He said that he never made mistakes.
9. "Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know.
He wanted to know if she knew Robert.
10. "Don't try this at home," the stuntman told the audience.
The stuntman advised the audience not to try that at home.
4.2 - Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is a request, a statement
or a question and whether you have to change the tenses or not.

1. "I was very tired," she said.

She said
2. "Be careful, Ben," she said.
She told Ben
3. "I will get myself a drink," she says.
She says
4. "Why haven't you phoned me?" he asked me.
He wondered
5. "I cannot drive them home," he said.
He said
6. "Peter, do you prefer tea or coffee?" she says.
She asks Peter
7. "Where did you spend your holidays last year?" she asked me.
She asked me
8. He said, "Don't go too far."
He advised her
9. "Have you been shopping?" he asked us.
He wanted to know
10. "Don't make so much noise," he says.
He asks us
ANSWERS
1. "I was very tired," she said.
She said that she had been very tired.
2. "Be careful, Ben," she said.
She told Ben to be careful.
3. "I will get myself a drink," she says.
She says that she will get herself a drink.
4. "Why haven't you phoned me?" he asked me.
He wondered why I hadn't phoned him.
5. "I cannot drive them home," he said.
He said that he could not drive them home.
6. "Peter, do you prefer tea or coffee?" she says.
She asks Peter if he prefers tea or coffee.
7. "Where did you spend your holidays last year?" she asked me.
She asked me where I had spent my holidays the year before.

8. He said, "Don't go too far."

He advised her not to go too far.
9. "Have you been shopping?" he asked us.
He wanted to know if we had been shopping.
10. "Don't make so much noise," he says.
He asks us not to make so much noise.