Level 4 Chapter 10 - Reported Speech - Present & Past.

Complete the sentences.

Fill in all the gaps, then press "Check" to check your answers. Use the "Hint" button to get a free letter if an answer is giving you trouble. You can also click on the "[?]" button to get a clue. Note that you will lose points if you ask for hints or clues!

Reported speech: Present & Past indirect forms

Both the Simple past and the Present perfect usually become Past perfect in reported speech:

I sent 20 e-mails yesterday.
He said he had sent 20 e-mails the day before.

I have sent 20 e-mails today.
He said he had sent 20 e-mails that day.

Or

"The boss fired three employees last week."
The boss's secretary told me that he had fired three employees the week before.

"The boss has fired three employees this week."
The boss's secretary told me that he had fired three employees that week.

Notice the time change:
"Yesterday" becomes "the day before"
"Today" becomes "that day"
"This month" becomes "that month"
"Now" becomes "then"

(and "here" often becomes "there")
etc.

"Just" is often used for very recent events with the Present perfect in English.

"Why are you laughing so much?"
"John has just told me a really funny story about a banana"
Mary said John had just told her a funny story."

And often with the Simple past in American

"John just told me a really funny story about a banana"
Mary said John had just told her a funny story."

John told the story before Mary laughed so the Present perfect (or Simple past) become the Past perfect.

Orders use the infinitive with all tenses:
"Open the window please."
He asked me to open the window
He always asks me to open the window
He has asked me to open the window
etc.

In the negative:
"Don't write in your textbooks!"
The teacher told them not to write in their textbooks
The teacher has told them not to write in their textbooks
The teacher was telling them not to write in their textbooks
etc

In some cases of ongoing situations which are still true you don't have to change tenses (but you can):
"Teachers don't hit children any more these days."
He said teachers don't hit children any more.
or
He said teachers didn't hit children any more.

Even though "said" is in the past, the statement "teachers don't hit children" is clearly still true now so the present tense is acceptable.

However:

Mary's teacher hit her this morning! I thought you said teachers didn't hit children any more!

This sounds better because the hypothesis is apparently not true any more.


The past perfect in reported speech:
"I was excited because I had never driven a Ferrari before."
Peter said he was excited because he had never driven a Ferrari before.

The tense stays in the Past perfect (There isn't a "super past perfect") so it stays the same.

Describing ongoing situations in the past:
"When I worked for the company we had longer hours."
She said that, when she worked for the company, they had longer hours."

In this historical context, there is no change.

Progressive forms:
"John is fishing under the bridge."
Mary told us John was fishing under the bridge.

"He's been fishing there for ages and he still hasn't caught anything!"
Mary said he had been fishing there for ages and still hadn't caught anything.





"I saw three films last week."
He said he had seen three films the week before.

"I have seen two films already this week."
He said he had seen two films already that week.

"Please don't open the window."
John asked me the window

"Don't put your feet on the table"
You're always telling me my feet on the table!

"Get me a coffee without sugar please?"
He asked me him a coffee.

"I had caviar for breakfast yesterday."
I saw John last week and he told me for lunch the day before.

"I've had two job interviews this moring."
He told me two job interviews that morning.

I have been able to drive for 10 years.
In June he told us he to drive for ten years.

"What is this? I have never had to show identity papers before!"
Peter complained, telling the policeman that he to show identity papers before.

"The British do not have to carry identity cards yet."
He stated that the British to carry identity cards yet.


"John has just told me a really funny story about a banana"
Mary said John her a funny story."

"You can't smoke in bars in France any more."
John has just told me you in bars in France any more.

"I couldn't repair the car myself so I took it to a garage."
John told me he to repair the car an that he had taken it to a garage

"Because I've just passed my driving test!"
I asked John why he was so happy. He told me he his driving test.

"When I was a boy you had to work hard at school."
Granddad always says that when he was a boy they hard at school.

"We can see the new Johnny Depp film tonight if you like. I've never seen any of his fims."
Would you believe it. Anne says she any Johnny Depp films!

I had never eaten snails when I came to France.
He said he snails when he came to France.

I was lying in a hospital bed when I first met my wife.
He told us that in a hospital bed when he first met his wife.

I've been lying here for hours, waiting for a doctor.
He told us he there for hours, waiting for a doctor.

"We started picking grapes last Monday so now we've been picking for exactly a week."
The students told us picking grapes the previous Monday and that therefore they for a week when we met them.