Reported Speech Exercises
Do more with this exercise
Report what someone said
Reported speech tells another person about words said earlier. After said or told in the past, we often move a present tense one step back and change pronouns and time words.
- Statements:
- I am tired → She said (that) she was tired. The word that is optional.
- Tell:
- Use told with a person: She told me that she was tired. Use said without an object: She said that she was tired.
- Backshift:
- Present simple → past simple; present continuous → past continuous; will → would; can → could.
- Time and place:
- When reporting later, today may become that day, tomorrow → the next day, and here → there.
- Questions:
- Use statement order after asked: Where do you live? → She asked where I lived. Do not keep do or a question mark.
Examples
“I work here.” → She said that she worked there.
present simple backshifts; here changes to there
“I am studying.” → He said that he was studying.
present continuous becomes past continuous
“I will call tomorrow.” → She said that she would call the next day.
will becomes would and time changes
“I can help.” → He told me that he could help.
tell needs a person; can becomes could
“Where do you live?” → She asked where I lived.
reported question uses statement word order
Audio uses a synthetic voice.
Practice exercises
Choose the reported form
Choose the standard reported form. For statements, use backshift when reporting later.
1.Mia said, “I am tired.” Mia said that she ___.
2.Leo said, “I work here.” Leo said that he ___ there.
3.Ana said, “I will help.” Ana said that she ___ help.
4.Tom said, “I can swim.” Tom said that he ___ swim.
5.Choose the sentence with told used correctly.
6.Nina asked, “Where do you live?” Nina asked where I ___.
Complete the report
Write the changed verb or time expression. Imagine you are reporting later.
Report the whole sentence
Report the words later using the given start. Change pronouns, tenses and time words where needed.
13.Mia said, “I live here.”
14.Sam said, “I am working today.”
15.Ana said, “I will call tomorrow.”
16.Leo said to me, “I can help you.”
17.Nina asked me, “Where do you live?”
18.Ben asked me, “Are you ready?”
Reported statements and questions in English
Reported speech lets you pass on another person's words. You do not repeat the exact quotation. Instead, you adjust the sentence so that it makes sense from your own point of view. Pronouns can change because the speaker and listener are different, and time words can change when you report the words later.
After said or told in the past, present simple commonly becomes past simple, present continuous becomes past continuous, will becomes would, and can becomes could. Tell needs a person after it, while say does not. The word that can introduce a reported statement, but it is often optional.
Reported questions have their own pattern. Use asked and keep normal statement word order rather than question word order. A question beginning with where, when or why keeps that question word; a yes/no question uses if or whether. These exercises use if, and every answer is written as a complete reported sentence.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always change the tense in reported speech?
When reporting later after a past reporting verb, English often shifts the tense back. If the information is still true, keeping the original tense can sometimes be possible, but these exercises practise backshift.
What is the difference between said and told?
Use said without a person directly after it: “She said that she was busy.” Use told with a person: “She told me that she was busy.”
How do I report a question?
Use asked, then statement word order. For a yes/no question, add if: “Are you ready?” becomes “He asked if I was ready.”
What happens to tomorrow and today?
When you report the words later, tomorrow often becomes the next day and today becomes that day.
Answer key
1. Mia said, “I am tired.” Mia said that she ___.
Answer: was tired
After past said, am usually shifts to was. I becomes she.
2. Leo said, “I work here.” Leo said that he ___ there.
Answer: worked
Present simple work shifts to past simple worked; here becomes there.
3. Ana said, “I will help.” Ana said that she ___ help.
Answer: would
After past said, will shifts to would.
4. Tom said, “I can swim.” Tom said that he ___ swim.
Answer: could
Can usually shifts to could in reported speech.
5. Choose the sentence with told used correctly.
Answer: She told me that she was late.
Told needs a person (me); said does not take me directly.
6. Nina asked, “Where do you live?” Nina asked where I ___.
Answer: lived
A reported question uses statement order: where I lived, without do.
7. “I am hungry.” → He said that he ___ hungry.
Answer: was
Am shifts to was after past said.
8. “We are waiting.” → They said that they ___ waiting.
Answer: were
Present continuous are waiting shifts to were waiting.
9. “I will leave.” → She said that she ___ leave.
Answer: would
Will shifts to would.
10. “I can drive.” → Ben said that he ___ drive.
Answer: could
Can shifts to could.
11. “I like this place.” → Jo said that she ___ that place.
Answer: liked
Present simple like shifts to past simple liked.
12. “I will visit tomorrow.” → She said that she would visit ___.
Answer: the next day
When reporting later, tomorrow becomes the next day.
13. Mia said, “I live here.”
Answer: Mia said that she lived there.
I becomes she, live becomes lived, and here becomes there.
14. Sam said, “I am working today.”
Answer: Sam said that he was working that day.
Present continuous shifts to past continuous; today becomes that day.
15. Ana said, “I will call tomorrow.”
Answer: Ana said that she would call the next day.
Will becomes would and tomorrow becomes the next day.
16. Leo said to me, “I can help you.”
Answer: Leo told me that he could help me.
Tell takes me; can becomes could and you becomes me.
17. Nina asked me, “Where do you live?”
Answer: Nina asked where I lived.
Drop do, use statement order where I lived, and end with a period.
18. Ben asked me, “Are you ready?”
Answer: Ben asked if I was ready.
A yes/no reported question uses if and statement order: I was ready.