Washington Monument (a tall white obelisk) photographed from under the cherry trees in bloom in Washington DC, USA

Activities: “Reported speech: How to say what someone said in English?”

By: Stacey Shim Christensen
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our English Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

Activity 1: Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill had a short conversation, as shown in the box below.

Jack

Hello Jill, where are you going?

Jill

I am going to the school library. I need to study for a test tomorrow.

Jack

Are you going to Sue's party tomorrow night?

Jill

Yes, I am bringing dessert.

Jack

That's great. I am bringing salad.

Jill

I will see you tomorrow then.

Jack

Good luck with your test tomorrow!

Jill

Thank you!

Report the conversation:

Now it is a week later and I want to tell my friend Tom about what I heard. Click the correct expression in each set to help me tell the story:

Jack asked Jill [!that / !where / !if] she was going.

Jill [!said / !told / !asked] Jack that she had a test [!tomorrow / !today / !the next day].

Jack asked Jill [!that / !if / !when] she was going to Sue’s party.

Jill said to Jack [!that / !when / !whether] she [!will / !would] see him the next day at the party.

Jack [!wished / !wondered / !believed] Jill good luck with her test.

Activity 2: Make it indirect

Read the following sentences using direct speech carefully, then select the best option from each set to indirectly report the speech.

Sue said to me, “I like your shoes.”
→ Sue said to me that [!I / !she / !Sue] liked [!your / !my / !her] shoes.

“I have been studying English for two years,” said Thomas.
→ Thomas [!asked / !stated / !felt] that he [!have been / !had been / !was] studying English for two years.

The teacher said, “Be on time for class.”
→ The teacher said [!that / !to / !whether] be on time for class.

The teacher said, “Don’t use your cell phones during class.”
→ The teacher asked us [!do not / !not to / !not] use our cell phones during class.

“They are going to McDonald's,” said Sue.
→ Sue said that [!we / !they / !the class] were going to McDonald’s.

Sue asked me, “Have you met Tom?”
→ Sue asked me [!that / !if / !do] I [!meet / !met / !had met] Tom.

I asked Sue, “Where does Tom live?”
→ I asked Sue [!that where does Tom live / !if where Tom lived / !where Tom lived].

Sue said to me, “How long have you known Tom?”
→ Sue wondered [!how / !how long / !if how long] I [!have known / !knew / !had known] Tom.

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