Reported speech - 1
Reported speech - 2
Reported speech - 3
Worksheets - handouts
Reported speech
Worksheets - pdf exercises.
- Reported statements - worksheet
- Worksheet - reported questions
- Reported yes/no questions
- Worksheet - reported speech
- Reported speech - exercises pdf
- Indirect speech - exercises
- Reported speech - exercises
- Mixed reported speech 1
- Mixed reported speech 2
- Reported speech 1
- Reported speech 2
- Reported speech 3
- Reported speech 4
- Reported speech 5
- Reported wh- questions
- Reported speech - worksheet
- Reported commands
- Reported questions
- Reported speech 1
- Reported speech 2
- Reported requests and orders
- Reported speech exercise
- Reported questions - worksheet
- Indirect speech - worksheet
- Worksheets pdf - print
- Grammar worksheets - handouts
Grammar - lessons
- Reported speech - grammar notes
- How to use reported speech - lesson
- Tense changes - grammar
- B1-B2 grammar
Reported speech: questions
Do you know how to report a question that somebody asked? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.
Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person asked.
direct speech: 'Do you work from home?' he said. indirect speech: He asked me if I worked from home. direct speech: 'Who did you see?' she asked. indirect speech: She asked me who I'd seen. direct speech: 'Could you write that down for me?' she asked. indirect speech: She asked me to write it down.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 2: 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
A reported question is when we tell someone what another person asked. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.
direct speech: 'Do you like working in sales?' he asked. indirect speech: He asked me if I liked working in sales.
In indirect speech, we change the question structure (e.g. Do you like ) to a statement structure (e.g. I like ).
We also often make changes to the tenses and other words in the same way as for reported statements (e.g. have done → had done , today → that day ). You can learn about these changes on the Reported speech 1 – statements page.
Yes / no questions
In yes / no questions, we use if or whether to report the question. If is more common.
'Are you going to the Helsinki conference?' He asked me if I was going to the Helsinki conference. 'Have you finished the project yet?' She asked us whether we'd finished the project yet.
Questions with a question word
In what , where , why , who , when or how questions, we use the question word to report the question.
'What time does the train leave?' He asked me what time the train left. 'Where did he go?' She asked where he went.
Reporting verbs
The most common reporting verb for questions is ask , but we can also use verbs like enquire , want to know or wonder .
'Did you bring your passports?' She wanted to know if they'd brought their passports. 'When could you get this done by?' He wondered when we could get it done by.
Offers, requests and suggestions
If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern instead, for example offer + infinitive, ask + infinitive or suggest + ing.
'Would you like me to help you?' He offered to help me. 'Can you hold this for me, please?' She asked me to hold it. 'Why don't we check with Joel?' She suggested checking with Joel.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 2: 2
Language level
Hello, dear teachers and team!
Could you please help me with the following:
- She asked me "Does the Earth turn around the Sun?"
Does it have to be: "She asked me if the Earth TURNED around the Sun" ?
Do we have to change the question into the past form here as well?
2. She asked: "Was coffee originally green"?
Is "She asked me if the coffee HAD BEEN originally green" correct option? Can I leave WAS in an inderect speech here?
3. Is "She asked me if I knew if the Sun IS a star" or "She asked me if I knew if the Sun WAS / HAD BEEN a star" (if any) correct?
I'm very very grateful for your precious help and thank you very much for your answering this post in advance!!!
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Hello howtosay_.
1. She asked me "Does the Earth turn around the Sun?" Does it have to be: "She asked me if the Earth TURNED around the Sun" ?
No, you can use the present here as well. The verb for this context would be 'go' rather than 'turn':
She asked me if the earth goes around the sun.
She asked me if the earth went around the sun.
Do we have to change the question into the past form here as well? 2. She asked: "Was coffee originally green"? Is "She asked me if the coffee HAD BEEN originally green" correct option? Can I leave WAS in an inderect speech here?
You can use either 'had been' or 'was' here. The adverb 'originally' removes any ambiguity.
3. Is "She asked me if I knew if the Sun IS a star" or "She asked me if I knew if the Sun WAS / HAD BEEN a star" (if any) correct?
You can use 'is' or 'was' here but not 'had been' as that would suggest the sun is not a star any more.
The LearnEnglish Team
She offered me to encourage studying English. She asked us if we could give her a hand.
He said, "I wished she had gone."
How to change this sentence into indirect speech?
Hello bhutuljee,
'He said that he wished she had gone.'
Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team
He said, "I wish she went."
How to change the above sentence into indirect speech?
Hi bhutuljee,
It would be: "He said that he wished she had gone."
LearnEnglish team
He said , "She wished John would succeed."
This is the third sentence you've asked us to transform in this way. While we try to offer as much help as we can, we are not a service for giving answers to questions which may be from tests or homework so we do limit these kinds of answers. Perhaps having read the information on the page above you can try to transform the sentence yourself and we will tell you if you have done it correctly or not.
Hi, I hope my comment finds you well and fine. 1- reported question of "where did he go?"
Isn't it: She asked where he had gone?
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/reported-…
2- how can I report poilte questions with( can I, May I) For example: She asked me" Can I borrow some money?"
Your reply will be highly appreciated.
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Reported questions commands + requests exercises PDF
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Reported questions, commands and requests
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PDF book 1: English grammar exercises PDF
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Exercises with answers to download for free.
Reported questions PDF exercise 1
Key with answers 1
- Change direct questions to reported questions. "Where did you work?" - He asked me ___.
Reported questions PDF exercise 2
Key with answers 2
- Report a dialogue. "Did you pass the exam, Sue?" - "Yes, I did."... Tim asked Sue ___.
Reported questions PDF exercise 3
Key with answers 3
- Change reported questions into direct questions. Sam asked me why I hadn't come. - "Why didn't you come?"
Reported commands PDF exercise 4
Key with answers 4
- Complete sentences in the reported speech. "Leave your room." - He asked me ___.
Reported commands PDF exercise 5
Key with answers 5
- Find and correct mistakes. "Don't do it." - He told me I didn't do it.
Reported speech exercises PDF Changes of tenses, time and place in reported statements.
Online exercises with answers:
Direct and indirect speech exercises Multiple choice and gap-filling exercises on reported statements, questions and commands.
Grammar rules PDF:
Reported speech rules PDF Changes of tenses, pronouns, time and place in reported statements, questions and commands.
English grammar PDF All PDF rules with examples on this website to download for free.
Reported questions
Direct questions become reported questions with the same word order as statements. The reporting verb say changes into ask, want to know, wonder... "Where have you been?" he said. - He asked me where I had been. "What time did it start?" he said. - He wanted to know what time it had started. "Why won't he do it?" she said. - She wondered why he wouldn't do it.
In yes/no questions we use if or whether in questions. If is more common and whether is more formal. "Will you come?" she asked me. - She asked me if/whether I would come. "Did he marry Sue?" she said. - She wondered if/whether he had married Sue.
Reported commands and requests
The commands, requests and advice mostly have the same form in English: verb + object + infinitive ( advise, ask, beg, forbid, order, persuade, recommend, tell, urge, warn etc.).
In the direct speech we do not mention the person in the imperative. In the indirect speech the person addressed must be mentioned. "Get up!" he said. - He told me to get up. "Please, revise for the test," he said. - He urged me to revise for the test. "Put on your coat," I said. - I advised him to put on his coat.
Negative commands, requests and advice are made by verb + object + not + infinitive. "Don't hesitate," he said. - He persuaded me not to hesitate. "Don't smoke," the doctor warned my father. - The doctor warned my father not to smoke.
Tell can introduce statements, commands, requests or advice. The form is different, however.
Statements with tell "I'm leaving," he told me. - He told me that he was leaving.
Commands, requests or advice with tell "Leave the room," he told John. - He told John to leave the room. "Don't give up," the teacher told her students. - The teacher told the students not to give up.
Similarly ask is used in reported questions, commands, requests or advice in different forms.
Questions with ask "Will you make coffee?" he said. - He asked me if I would make coffee.
Commands, requests or advice with ask "Make coffee, please," he said. - He asked me to make coffee. "Don't park in my place," Greg told me. - Greg asked me not to park in his place.
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Reported Speech with Examples and Test (PDF)
Reported speech is used when we want to convey what someone else has said to us or to another person. It involves paraphrasing or summarising what has been said , often changing verb tenses , pronouns and other elements to suit the context of the report.
*doesn’t change
Formula of Reported Speech
The formula for reported speech involves transforming direct speech into an indirect form while maintaining the meaning of the original statement. In general, the formula includes:
- Choosing an appropriate reporting verb (e.g., say, tell, mention, explain).
- Changing pronouns and time expressions if necessary.
- Shifting the tense of the verb back if the reporting verb is in the past tense.
- Using reporting clauses like “that” or appropriate conjunctions.
- Adjusting word order and punctuation to fit the structure of the reported speech.
Here’s a simplified formula:
Reporting Verb + Indirect Object + Conjunction + Reported Clause
For example:
- She said (reporting verb) to me (indirect object) that (conjunction) she liked ice cream (reported clause).
Here’s how we use reported speech:
Reporting Verbs: We use verbs like ‘say’ or ‘tell’ to introduce reported speech. If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tense of the reported speech generally remains the same.
If the reporting verb is in the past tense , the tense of the reported speech often shifts back in time.
Tense Changes: Tense changes are common in reported speech. For example, present simple may change to past simple, present continuous to past continuous, etc. However, some verbs like ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘might’, ‘must’, and ‘ought to’ generally don’t change.
Reported Questions: When reporting questions, we often change them into statements while preserving the meaning. Question words are retained, and the tense of the verbs may change.
Reported Requests and Orders: Requests and orders are reported similarly to statements. Reported requests often use ‘asked me to’ + infinitive, while reported orders use ‘told me to’ + infinitive.
Time Expressions: Time expressions may need to change depending on when the reported speech occurred in relation to the reporting moment. For instance, ‘today’ may become ‘that day’ or ‘yesterday’, ‘yesterday’ might become ‘the day before’, and so forth.
Reported Speech with Examples PDF
Reported Speech PDF – download
Reported Speech Test
Reported Speech A2 – B1 Test – download
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Reported speech 2. Reported requests and orders. Reported speech exercise. Reported questions - worksheet. Indirect speech - worksheet. Worksheets pdf - print. Grammar worksheets - handouts. Grammar - lessons. Reported speech - grammar notes.
Reported Speech. Greg: "I am cooking dinner Maya.". Maya: "Greg said he was cooking dinner.". So most often, the reported speech is going to be in the past tense, because the original statement, will now be in the past! *We will learn about reporting verbs in part 2 of this lesson, but for now we will just use said/told.
RS008 - Reported Questions. RS007 - Reported Speech. RS006 - Reported Speech. RS005 - Reported Speech. RS004 - Reported Speech. RS003 - Reported Speech. RS002 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises. RS001 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises. Adjective and Adverbs - Downloadable PDF Worksheets for English Language Learners - Intermediate Level (B1)
PDF exercises with answers to download for free. Reported speech PDF exercise 1. Key with answers 1. Complete sentences: "It is too late." - I said it was too late. Reported speech PDF exercise 2. Key with answers 2. A multiple choice choice test: "Sam may contact you." - He said Sam might contact me. Reported speech PDF exercise 3. Key with ...
Perfect English Grammar. Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site: ( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech ) Reported Statements: Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here) Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy)
Reported questions + commands exercises PDF. Practise the difference between the direct and indirect speech in questions, commands and requests. Online exercises with answers: Direct - indirect speech exercise 1 Rewrite sentences in the reported speech. Direct - indirect speech exercise 2 Report a short dialogue in the reported speech.
Key with answers: www.e-grammar.org/reported-questions-commands/ Reported questions Exercise 1. Complete the questions in the reported speech.
Reported Questions - PDF Grammar Worksheet - B1 - RS008 Author: Nikolaus ROSMANITZ Subject: Reported Questions - PDF Grammar Worksheet - B1 \(Intermediate\) Created Date: 5/13/2020 5:12:39 AM ...
Reported Speech (Intermediate Advanced) Exercises and Practice A. Change each direct speech example into the reported speech . The first one has been done for you. 1. Michelle said, "I love my Chihuahua, Daisy." Michelle said that she loved her Chihuahua, Daisy. 2.
Reported Speech - Reported Questions - English Grammar PDF Worksheet Author: Klaus Rosmanitz Subject: English grammar PDF worksheet on reported questions. Keywords: Reported Questions Created Date: 5/4/2012 4:39:15 PM
Reported Speech Discussion Questions. Work in twos or threes. Take turns asking questions from below, for three or four minutes each time before switching roles. Is there is more than one question on a line that you choose, only use the other questions on that line after your partner answers the first. question, and only if they don't mention ...
A reported question is when we tell someone what another person asked. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech. direct speech: 'Do you like working in sales?' he asked. indirect speech: He asked me if I liked working in sales. In indirect speech, we change the question structure (e.g. Do you like) to a statement structure (e.g.
In English grammar, reported speech is used to tell someone what another person said. It takes another person's words (direct speech) to create a report of what they said (indirect speech.) With the following direct and indirect speech exercises, it will be easier to understand how reported speech works.
REPORTED SPEECH - QUESTIONS www.engames.eu 1. Match the sentences in Direct speech with their counterparts in reported speech: 2. Write the sentences in reported speech: 3. Write the sentences in direct speech: Title: reported speech Author: Zdenda Created Date: 11/5/2016 5:42:51 AM ...
A selection of English ESL reported speech printables. Log in / Register. Worksheets. Powerpoints. Video Lessons. Search. Filters. Browse Topics: Grammar Topics General Topics. 389 Reported speech English ESL worksheets pdf & doc. SORT BY. Most popular. ... Reported Speech. Orders - Statement - 32017 uses. missaldana. Reported Speech. Questions ...
Read how to punctuate direct speech below. Insert the first set of quotation marks. Begin the sentence or phrase inside the quotation marks with a capital letter. Place the correct punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation point, etc.) at the end of the sentence. Insert the second set of quotation marks after the punctuation.
Online exercises with answers: Direct and indirect speech exercises Multiple choice and gap-filling exercises on reported statements, questions and commands. Grammar rules PDF: Reported speech rules PDF Changes of tenses, pronouns, time and place in reported statements, questions and commands. English grammar PDF All PDF rules with examples on ...
Communicative Grammar Exercise. 1) Do the exercise in speaking at home. 2) Always say the sentences aloud. 3) If you're a VIP member, record a video about yourself. 4) Upload the video in the Communicative Grammar Course VIP fb group. 5) Our teachers are going to watch your video and will give you feedback.
Watch my reported speech video: Here's how it works: We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence: Direct speech: I like ice cream. Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
Reported Speech (Reporting verb in past tense) "I eat breakfast at 8 AM.". She said (that) she ate breakfast at 8 AM. "We are going to the beach.". They told me (that) they were going to the beach. "He speaks Spanish fluently.". She said (that) he spoke Spanish fluently. "She cooks delicious meals.".
Wh-questions Reported speech. LeslyZoe. 9892. 82. 62. 0. 1/1. Let's do English ESL general grammar practice. This worksheet concentrates on practicing reported speech.
Reported Speech Imperatives Exercise -. Reported Mixed Exercise. Reported Questions Grammar: a. We use introductory verbs like ask, wonder, want to know, inquire... b. We change the interrogative word-order to statement word-order. c. All the other changes in indirect speech still apply.
Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 with Answers. Here is an exercise on the transformation of direct speech to indirect speech. Go through the following sentences, work them out and then check your answers to assess how far you have understood their usage. Change as directed . Read the following sentences and change them into reported speech.