1. Reported speech
We use reported speech when we are telling someone what another person said or thought, but do not use their exact words.

2. Reporting statements
When we report a statement, we use reported verbs such as say, tell, …..
Say + (that)
She said (that) they were happy together.
Tell + person + (that)
He told me (that) he loved Marry

3. Change in Tenses Direct speech Reported speech
Present Simple → Past Simple
Present continuous → Past Continuous
Present Perfect → Past Perfect
Past Simple → Past Perfect
Will → Would May → might
Must → had to Can → Could
Could, might, ought to, should, would stay the same

4. Changes in adverbs of time and place and demonstratives
now → then, at that time
today → that day
yesterday → the day before/ the previous day
tomorrow → the following day
this week → that week
next week/month → the following week/month
last week → the week before/the previous week
ago → before
here → there
this → that
these → those

5. Changes in Pronouns
In reported speech, you often have to change the pronoun depending on who says what.
Example:
She says, “My dad likes roast chicken.” → She says that her dad likes roast chicken.

6. Reporting questions
If you put a question into Reported speech there are some steps which are the same like in statements: (changing of the pronouns, backshift of tenses, changing of expressions of time).
Also note that you have to:
transform the question into an indirect question (the word order is: subject+ verb, no inversion)
use the question word (where, when, what, how) or if / whether

7. Reporting questions Example:
1. “What time does the film begin?”→ He wanted to know what time the film began.
2. “Have you seen that film?” → He asked if/whether she had seen that film.

8. Reporting requests/commands
For affirmative, use to + infinitive (without to)
For negative requests, use not to + infinitive (without to).
Example:
1. She said, “Sit down." - She asked me to sit down.
2. She said, "don't be lazy" - She asked me not to be lazy

9. Practice (1) 1. “How many survivors are there?” asked the journalist.
The journalist wanted to know ……………………………………………
2. “Can I borrow your typewriter, Janet?” asked Peter.
Peter asked if …………………………………………………………………
3. “I don’t know how to do this exercise,” said Jim.
Jim said ………………………………………………………………………
4. “Bring your swimming things in case it’s sunny”.
He told …………………………………………………………………………
5. “Keep away from this area,” said the security guard when we approached the fence.
The security guard told ………………………………………………………
6. I asked the hotel porter to wake me at 8 o’clock the following morning.
“Please ………………………………………………………………………”
7. “It isn’t so foggy today as it was yesterday,” said the teacher.
……………………………………………………………………………….
how many survivors there were…..
he could borrow Janet’s typewriter.…..
he didn’t know how to do that exercise.…..
us to bring our swimming things in case it was sunny…..
us to keep away from that area…..
wake me up at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning…..
The teacher said( that) it wasn’t so foggy that day as it had been the day before..

10. Practice (2) 8. She asked John how he liked her new dress.
9. “Where is the car park?” Mr. Smith asked.
Mr. Smith asked me ………………………………………………………
10. “Will I ever find a job?” Jim asked to himself.
Jim wondered …………………………………………………………………
11. “Don’t take more than two of these at once”, said the doctor.
The doctor told me ……………………………………………………………
12. “When is the first day of your holiday, Peter?” Martha asked.
Martha asked Peter …………………………………………………………
13. “Can I have a new bicycle?” said Ann to her mother.
Ann asked ……………………………………………………………………
14. “Whose bicycle did you borrow yesterday?”, his mother asked him.
His mother asked him ……………………………………………………
do you like my new dress, John?…..
where the car park was…..
whether/if he would ever find a job…..
not to take more than two of those at once…..
when the first day of his holiday was…..
her mother if she could have a new bicycle…..
whose bicycle he had borrowed the day before.…..