Reported Speech

USES:
The reported speech is used when someone says a sentence and we want to tell someone else what the first person said before.

• If the sentence starts in present there is no backshift of tense: She says she works in an office.
• If the sentence starts in past there is backshift of tense: She said she worked in an office.

NOTE: Backshift of tense is not necessary when the sentence is still true (compare the previous examples).

REPORTING QUESTIONS:

• Wh- Questions: Keep the question word + grammar change into a normal sentence.

"Where do you live?"     -     She asked me where I lived

• Yes/No Questions: IF + grammar change into a normal sentence.

"Do you like chocolate?"     -     She asked me if I liked chocolate.

REPORTING REQUESTS:  Ask me + TO + INF

"Close the window, please"     -     She asked me to close the window.

REPORTING ORDERS:  Tell me + TO + INF

"Sit down!"     -     She told me to sit down.

ADDITIONAL CHANGES:

It is necessary to have the expressions of time changed and also the pronouns and possesives.

This - That                                                   Ago - Before

Today - That day                                         Last - The previous

These - Those                                              Here - There

Now - Then                                                 Tomorrow - The following day / The next day

Video

Links to exercises:
Reported Speech mix 1 (Easy)
Reported Speech mix 2 (Medium)
Reported Speech mix 3 (High)
Reported Speech mix 4 (Questions)
Reported Speech - Requests and orders