Reported Speech past tenses

REPORTED SPEECH

Reported speech is used to report or describe what someone else says,
asks or thinks.

Here are some common "reporting" verbs:
say inform report ask
tell mention think wonder
claim announce complain inquire
know believe promise want/would like to know

Statements:
Direct quote: "I get to work around 8:30 every day," said Mary.
Reported: Mary said (THAT) she GOT to work around 8:30 every day.

Everyone who saw the play said it was fantastic.
Mrs. Carter claims she was overcharged for her car repair.
Mary complained that she hadn't been treated fairly.

Yes/No Questions:
Direct Quote: "Are you coming home for dinner, Tom?" asked Anne.
Reported: Anne asked Tom IF/WHETHER HE WAS COMING home for dinner.

Arlene wanted to know if I was going jogging today.
Ask Jim whether or not he has a camera I can use.
The desk clerk inquired whether we'd be staying another night.

Question-word Questions:
Direct quote: "How much does this camera cost?"
Reported: Please ask the clerk how much THIS CAMERA COSTS.

Notice that the reported questions change form and word order,
becoming statements.

I wonder when the train will arrive.
Peter wanted to know how long I'd been studying French.
Jim asked Mary what she was going to do Saturday night.

When the reporting verb is in the past tense the verb in the reported
statement or question may change form:

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

Mary said, Mary said ...
"I GO to the theater." she WENT to the theater.
"I AM GOING to the theater." she WAS GOING to the theater.
"I WENT to the theater." she HAD GONE to the theater.
"I HAVE GONE to the theater." she HAD GONE to the theater.
"I WILL GO to the theater." she WOULD GO to the theater.
etc.

Jerry asked, Jerry asked Gina ...
"Where DO you LIVE?" where she LIVED.
"When are you LEAVING?" when she was LEAVING.
"What time DID you ARRIVE?" what time she HAD ARRIVED.
"ARE you ENJOYING yourself?" if/whether she WAS ENJOYING herself.

John said, "I love classical music."

I bought concert tickets because I knew he _________ it.
1. 'd loved
2. love
3. loved
Mary told me, "I'm leaving at 4 o'clock."

She mentioned this morning _________________ at 4 o'clock.
1. she left
2. she was leaving
3. I was leaving
4. she'd been leaving
I told my sister, "I won't be home for dinner."

I informed her ___________ be home for dinner.
1. I wasn't
2. she wouldn't
3. I wouldn't
4. I won't have been
John asked me "What time will you arrive?"

He asked what time I ____________ .
1. should arrive
2. arrived
3. will arrive
4. would arrive
Susan said, "I think this play is excellent."

She said _____________________ .
1. she had thought the play is excellent
2. she thought the play was excellent
3. she thought the play is excellent
Susan asked Arlene, "How do you like the play?"

She asked her ____________ the play.
1. how she was liking
2. how she liked
3. how she had liked
4. how did she like
I told Lisa, "I'll be here tomorrow at 8 o'clock."

I promised Lisa ________ here today at 8 o'clock.
1. I was
2. I'd be
3. I'm
4. I'd been
John said to Anne, "I can't pick you up after work anymore."

He announced to her he _____________ after work.
1. can't pick up her up
2. couldn't pick her up
3. couldn't have picked her up
Mary told me, "I didn't go to work."

Mary finally told me that ____________ to work.
1. she hadn't been going
2. she wasn't going
3. she went not
4. she hadn't gone
Jim said, "I've never been to Australia."

Last week Jim told me that ____________ .
1. he was never in Australia
2. he never went to Australia
3. he'd never been to Australia
Louisa told me, "I'm going to the theatre on Sunday."

She told me long ago that ________________ Sunday.
1. she would go to the theatre
2. she was going to the theatre
3. she's going to to the theatre
4. she went to the theatre
Tom asked me, " Do you want to go out for dinner?"

On my birthday Tom asked me _________________ .
1. did I want to go out for dinner
2. if I want to go out for dinner
3. if I wanted to go out for dinner
I asked Tim, "Why did you move to this city?"

I really wanted to know why ___________ to this city.
1. had he moved
2. did he move
3. he had moved
4. he was moving
Bob told his boss, "I can work late." When his boss first asked,

Bob told him _____________ work late.
1. he can
2. he could
3. he'll
I asked Anne, "Have you seen Mary recently?"

I asked Anne when I saw her ______________ Mary recently.
1. if she'd seen
2. if she's seen
3. has she seen
4. had she seen
Harry asked me, "When will you start your new job?"

At the party Harry asked me ____________ my new job.
1. when I will start
2. when I started
3. when I would start
Stephen asked me, "Where do you live?"

The second time I met him he asked me where _________ .
1. I lived
2. I had lived
3. had I lived
4. did I live
Maria said, "I flew to new York."

I couldn't believe it when she said she __________ to New York.
1. flew
2. has flew
3. had flown
I told John, "I went to the lake on my vacation."

I mentioned to John that ____________ to the lake on my vacation.
1. I've gone
2. I was going
3. I'd gone
James asked Susan, "How often do you drive into the city?"

He was wondering how often __________ to the city.
1. did she drive
2. she drove
3. she was driving
4. had she driven
James told me, "I invited Pablo to dinner."

He didn't tell me until today ____________ Pablo to dinner.
1. he's invited
2. he'd invited
3. invited
Arlene said, "I'm going jogging in the morning."

She said last night she ___________ jogging in the morning.
1. went
2. was going
3. is going
Stephen asked me, "Did you go to the party last Saturday?"

He asked me _________ to the party last Saturday.
1. if I went
2. if I go
3. if I'd gone
4. if I've gone
Jill asked Barbara, "Where did you see that play?"

She asked her where __________ that play.
1. did she see
2. she had seen
3. she sees
John said, "I'll be talking to Tom tomorrow."

John told us __________ Tom the following day.
1. he's talking to
2. he'd be talking to
3. he talked to
Mary said, "I've already eaten dinner."

When I offered Mary some pasta she said ____________ dinner
1. she already ate
2. she's already eaten
3. she'd already eaten
Ann asked me, "Will you be able to help me?"

During a break she asked me whether ___________ to help her.
1. I'll be able
2. I can
3. I'd be able
John said, "We got a letter from their solicitors."

John reported that we __________ a letter from their solicitors.
1. had got
2. got
3. have got
"Will you marry me?" Peter asked Melissa again.

He's always asking her if _____________ .
1. she'd marry him
2. she'd married him
3. she'll marry him
4. she married

Reported Speech past tenses

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