reported speech in movies

Reported Speech

Perfect english grammar.

Reported Statements

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.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Hello! I'm Seonaid! I'm here to help you understand grammar and speak correct, fluent English.

Read more about our learning method

Reported Speech (Meaning, Rules, Examples, And FREE Worksheet)

Have you ever wondered how we can share what someone said without using their exact words?

That’s where reported speech comes in.

Whether you’re recounting a story, sharing an interview, or simply conveying what someone said, reported speech adds depth and authenticity to your communication.

In this blog post, we’ll uncover the secrets of transforming direct speech into indirect speech, making conversations come to life in a whole new way.

What Is Reported Speech?

Picture this scenario: your best friend tells you about a great movie he watched. Later, when you’re chatting with another friend, you tell them, “ My best friend said he watched a great movie. ”

Bingo! That’s reported speech.

It’s how we pass along or ‘report’ what someone else has said. Instead of repeating their exact words (that’s called direct speech), we often rephrase things, put them in our own words, or change the tense. 

We use reported speech all the time, often without even realizing it—it’s a key part of how we share information.

In the  English language , reported speech (also known as indirect speech ) is a handy tool, so let’s dig into it some more. 

Don’t worry. We’ll take it step by step!

Reported Speech Rules

Alright, now that we know what reported speech is, let’s talk about the rules. Don’t worry, and it’s not as scary as it sounds. Just like in a football game or a board game, rules help everything flow smoothly. 

Here’s how it works with reported speech:

1. Say Bye To Quotation Marks

When we’re using reported speech, we don’t need quotation marks . Quotation marks are like party guests who show up when we’re quoting someone’s words directly. But for reported speech, we’re rephrasing things, so the quotation marks can take a little break.

2. Change The Tense

Usually, we shift the tenses back. This is because we’re usually talking about something that happened in the past. It’s like time  travel  but with words! If someone said, “I love pizza,” and you reported it, you’d say, “She said she loved pizza.”

3. Adjust Pronouns

Just like you wouldn’t wear your friend’s glasses, we don’t use the same pronouns when we shift to reported speech. We need to change them to match who we’re talking about. If your brother said, “I aced my  IELTS speaking test ,” you would tell your friends, “My brother said he aced his IELTS speaking test.”

4. Time And Place References

If the direct speech mentions a  specific time  or place, you may have to change these references too. So if your friend tells you on a Monday, “I’ll visit you tomorrow,” and you report it on Tuesday, you’d say, “She said she would visit me today.”

Tense Change In Reported Speech

Changes in time and place in reported speech.

When we’re telling someone else about a conversation that happened at another time or place, it’s super important to adjust the time and place references.

It might sound complicated, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really just about making sure everything makes sense.

Let’s check out more examples:

Isn’t it cool how these little changes help keep the timeline clear when we’re sharing past conversations? That way, there’s no mix-up over when or where things happened! It’s one of the many neat tricks that language gives us.

Questions In Reported Speech

You know when someone asks a question, it sounds and looks a certain way, right? Well, when we talk about that question later, we change it up a bit.

We turn the question into a statement.

Sounds tricky? Don’t worry, I’ll explain!

See what we did there? We made those questions smooth out into statements. It’s like ironing the question mark right out of them!

Oh, and one more thing. If the question starts with a question word (like ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘where’), keep it in the reported speech. But if it’s a yes/no question, use ‘if’ or ‘whether.’

Reported Speech Worksheet With Answers

Here are a few reported speech exercises to practice and reinforce your understanding:

Exercise 1: 

Rewrite the following direct speech sentences as reported speech sentences.

• “I love ice cream,” said Emily.
• “Have you finished your homework?” asked the teacher.
• “We’re going on vacation next week,” said Mark.
• “Why didn’t you attend the meeting?” he asked.
• “I will help you with your project,” she promised.
• “I will visit my grandparents next weekend,” said Jack.
• Emily said she loved ice cream.
• The teacher asked if I had finished my homework.
• Mark said they were going on  vacation   the following week.
• He asked why I hadn’t attended the meeting.
• She promised to help me with my project.
• Jack said he would visit his grandparents the following weekend.

Exercise 2: Change the following sentences from reported speech to direct speech.

• He said that he had finished his work.
• She told me that she would call me later.
• They said they were going to the movies.
• The teacher told us to study for the test.
• He said he had seen the movie before.
• “I have finished my work,” he said.
• “I will call you later,” she told me.
• “We are going to the movies,” they said.
• “Study for the test,” the teacher told us.
• “I have seen the movie before,” he said.

FAQs On Reported Speech 

What are the 5 examples of reported speech.

Here are five examples for you:

1. “She’s really tired,” becomes, “He said she was really tired.” 2. “I’ll help you tomorrow,” becomes, “She said she would help me tomorrow.” 3. “I’m reading a great book,” becomes, “He said he was reading a great book.” 4. “We’re going on vacation,” becomes, “They said they were going on vacation.” 5. “I’ve lost my hat,” becomes, “She said she had lost her hat.”

What Are The 3 Most Common Reporting Verbs In Reported Speech?

The three most common reporting verbs are “say,” “tell,” and “ask.” We use these all the time in reported speech!

What Is An Example Of Reported Speech For Kids?

If your friend Billy says, “I have a new bike,” and you want to tell someone else what Billy said, you would use reported speech. You might say, “Billy told me that he had a new bike.”

What Are The 3 Main Elements Of A Reported Speech?

The three main elements are:

1. Pronoun: In reported speech, pronouns are typically changed to match the perspective of the person doing the reporting. For example, first-person pronouns in direct speech (“I,” “we”) become the third person (“he,” “she,” “they”) in reported speech. This keeps the meaning clear when the speaker’s words are reported by someone else.

2. Reporting Verb: This is the verb used to indicate that speech or thought is being reported. Common reporting verbs include “say,” “tell,” “ask,” “think,” and “feel,” among others. The choice of reporting verb can convey additional nuances about how the speech was originally delivered.

3. Tense Shift: Known as “backshifting,” the shifting of tenses is common in reported speech. If the direct speech is in the present tense , it’s customary to shift it to the past tense in reported speech. For instance, “I am happy” would become “she said she was happy.” This shift accurately portrays that the reported action or state happened at a previous time.

These elements work together to convey the original meaning of the speaker’s words while fitting into the grammatical structure of the reporting sentence .

Wrapping Up Reported Speech

Congratulations on completing your journey into the realm of reported speech! 

Remember to adjust pronouns, tenses, and other elements to accurately report speech. 

As you continue to practice and apply what you’ve learned, you’ll become more confident in reporting speech accurately and creatively.

If you’ve found this post helpful, please do follow Hi English Hub   on  Pinterest  and  Twitter  for more linguistic insights, and feel free to share this with others who might also benefit. 

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

• English Grammar
• Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Table of Contents

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

• The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
• You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.
• You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
• Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

• Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
• Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
• Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

• Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
• Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
• Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
• The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
• Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
• Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
• Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
• Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
• The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
• Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the definition of reported speech.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

• Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

Search form

• B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech

Daisy has just had an interview for a summer job. 

Instructions

As you watch the video, look at the examples of reported speech. They are in  red  in the subtitles. Then read the conversation below to learn more. Finally, do the grammar exercises to check you understand, and can use, reported speech correctly.

Sophie:  Mmm, it’s so nice to be chilling out at home after all that running around.

Ollie: Oh, yeah, travelling to glamorous places for a living must be such a drag!

Ollie: Mum, you can be so childish sometimes. Hey, I wonder how Daisy’s getting on in her job interview.

Sophie: Oh, yes, she said she was having it at four o’clock, so it’ll have finished by now. That’ll be her ... yes. Hi, love. How did it go?

Daisy: Well, good I think, but I don’t really know. They said they’d phone later and let me know.

Sophie: What kind of thing did they ask you?

Daisy: They asked if I had any experience with people, so I told them about helping at the school fair and visiting old people at the home, that sort of stuff. But I think they meant work experience.

Sophie: I’m sure what you said was impressive. They can’t expect you to have had much work experience at your age.

Daisy:  And then they asked me what acting I had done, so I told them that I’d had a main part in the school play, and I showed them a bit of the video, so that was cool.

Sophie:  Great!

Daisy: Oh, and they also asked if I spoke any foreign languages.

Sophie: Languages?

Daisy: Yeah, because I might have to talk to tourists, you know.

Sophie: Oh, right, of course.

Daisy: So that was it really. They showed me the costume I’ll be wearing if I get the job. Sending it over ...

Ollie: Hey, sis, I heard that Brad Pitt started out as a giant chicken too! This could be your big break!

Daisy: Ha, ha, very funny.

Sophie: Take no notice, darling. I’m sure you’ll be a marvellous chicken.

We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech.

So, direct speech is what someone actually says? Like 'I want to know about reported speech'?

Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb.

He said he wanted to know about reported speech.

I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted .

Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could ; will changes to would ; etc.

She said she was having the interview at four o’clock. (Direct speech: ' I’m having the interview at four o’clock.') They said they’d phone later and let me know. (Direct speech: ' We’ll phone later and let you know.')

OK, in that last example, you changed you to me too.

Yes, apart from changing the tense of the verb, you also have to think about changing other things, like pronouns and adverbs of time and place.

'We went yesterday.'  > She said they had been the day before. 'I’ll come tomorrow.' >  He said he’d come the next day.

I see, but what if you’re reporting something on the same day, like 'We went yesterday'?

Well, then you would leave the time reference as 'yesterday'. You have to use your common sense. For example, if someone is saying something which is true now or always, you wouldn’t change the tense.

'Dogs can’t eat chocolate.' > She said that dogs can’t eat chocolate. 'My hair grows really slowly.' >  He told me that his hair grows really slowly.

What about reporting questions?

We often use ask + if/whether , then change the tenses as with statements. In reported questions we don’t use question forms after the reporting verb.

'Do you have any experience working with people?' They asked if I had any experience working with people. 'What acting have you done?' They asked me what acting I had done .

Is there anything else I need to know about reported speech?

One thing that sometimes causes problems is imperative sentences.

You mean like 'Sit down, please' or 'Don’t go!'?

Exactly. Sentences that start with a verb in direct speech need a to + infinitive in reported speech.

She told him to be good. (Direct speech: 'Be good!') He told them not to forget. (Direct speech: 'Please don’t forget.')

OK. Can I also say 'He asked me to sit down'?

Yes. You could say 'He told me to …' or 'He asked me to …' depending on how it was said.

OK, I see. Are there any more reporting verbs?

Yes, there are lots of other reporting verbs like promise , remind , warn , advise , recommend , encourage which you can choose, depending on the situation. But say , tell and ask are the most common.

Great. I understand! My teacher said reported speech was difficult.

And I told you not to worry!

Check your grammar: matching

Check your grammar: error correction, check your grammar: gap fill, worksheets and downloads.

What was the most memorable conversation you had yesterday? Who were you talking to and what did they say to you?

Sign up to our newsletter for LearnEnglish Teens

We will process your data to send you our newsletter and updates based on your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of every email. Read our privacy policy for more information.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

7 Musical Hits to Get You Teaching Reported Speech Through Song

Mama said, there’ll be days like this.

There’ll be days like this, mama said.

As you can see from the above example, reported speech is used to summarize or convey what was said in the past.

An important part of conversational English, reported speech can be difficult for some students to learn if they don’t already have a grasp on verb tenses.

But with the help of reported speech songs, you can teach your students how to use reported speech while rocking out to some of their favorite music .

Songs to Practice Reported Speech

• 1. “She Has No Time” by Keane

2. “Norwegian Wood” by The Beatles

3. “what goes around… comes around” by justin timberlake, 4. “apologize” by timbaland featuring onerepublic, 5. “can’t help falling in love” by elvis presley, 6. “somebody that i used to know” by gotye, 7. “photograph” by nickelback, direct speech vs. reported speech, activities to teach your students reported speech, listen and fill in the blanks, change reported speech into direct speech, change direct speech to the correct version of reported speech.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1.  “She Has No Time” by Keane

This song is useful because of its simple and uncomplicated lyrics. Also, there are a few nice idiomatic phrases in the song, like “goes her own way.”

The use of reported speech in this song is a little atypical. Instead of being in the past tense, it’s in present simple and “that” is omitted from the phrases. Still, the song is great for showing students that there are always exceptions to grammar rules.

Reported speech:

She says she has no time for you now;

She says she has no time

This song is chock-full of examples of reported speech. It’s also fairly short and easy to understand.

“Norwegian Wood” provides an example of direct speech ( We talked until two and then she said, “it’s time for bed” ), which is a nice contrast to the instances of reported speech. The song includes important words, like  asked, told and said.

She asked me to stay; 

And she told me to sit anywhere. 

She told me she worked in the morning…

I told her I didn’t.

A typical, angst-filled love song which most students will probably be able to relate to on some level.

“What Goes Around… Comes Around” is a song with many examples of direct speech. As a result, this will make your students work extra hard to identify the true examples of reported speech.

You said that you were moving on now;

And maybe I should do the same.

“Apologize” has some great examples of reported speech, as well as some  nice metaphors , like: “I’m holding on a rope; got me ten feet off the ground.”  You can use this song to dive deeper into metaphors and similes with your more advanced students.

As with many of the songs on this list, “Apologize” has a lot of repetition in the lyrics and chorus. This gives your students several chances to pick up on the reported speech.

You tell me that you need me; 

Then you go and cut me down;

You tell me that you’re sorry; 

Didn’t think I’d turn around 

That it’s too late to apologize; 

It’s too late.

I said it’s too late to apologize. 

This song only has one example of reported speech, but it’s a short and very sweet tune.

This song also provides some nice examples of direct speech, like when the singer asks the listener,  “Shall I stay? Would it be a sin, if I can’t help falling in love with you?”

Reported speech: 

Wise men say; 

Only fools rush in.

Gotye uses a lot of reported speech in his hit song, “Somebody That I Used to Know.”

The lyrics may be a little advanced for beginners, as they tell a rather elaborate and involved story, but your students may enjoy the challenge. I recommend playing the song several times for them, so they can catch all the instances of reported speech.

Like when you said you felt so happy you could die; 

Told myself that you were right for me…

Well, you said that we would still be friends…

You said that you could let it go; 

And I wouldn’t catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know.

Again, this song tells a fairly detailed story by relating to the memories of the singer’s childhood.

In a way, the whole song is an example of direct speech to the listener. However, there are some useful examples of reported speech sprinkled throughout the lyrics, too.

The cops hated us hangin’ out; 

They say somebody went and burned it down. 

We said someday we’d find out how it feels; 

To sing to more than just the steering wheel. 

It’s important to remind your students that English has direct speech and reported speech, also known as “indirect speech.”

Explain to your students that direct speech is often indicated with quotation marks.

Direct speech example:   The teacher said,  “You must learn proper grammar.”

Reported speech, in contrast, is typically used for describing things people said in the past. Words such as tell, say  and  ask are used to report what was said to the listener.

Reported speech example:   The teacher said  that   we  must learn proper grammar. 

In reported speech, the personal pronouns often change and you typically add “that”  after the verb.

Maximize the learning experience by carefully considering what songs you’ll be using, then adjust the activities accordingly. For example, if your class is lower-level students, you may want to pick a song with simple, easy-to-understand lyrics to make these activities more accessible.

Below are some exciting activities using music to teach reported speech.

This activity is great for warming up your class.

Pick a song that includes reported speech, then create a worksheet using the lyrics from that song by removing all uses of reported speech from the lyrics and replacing them with blanks.

For example, the song “Norwegian Wood” by The Beatles would look like this:

_______ to stay; 

And ______ to sit anywhere. 

_____ she worked in the morning…

_____ I didn’t.

Before beginning the activity, spend some time in class going over the general rules of reported speech with your students. When ready, pass out the worksheet to the class and give them a moment to read over the lyrics.

Tell the class that you’re going to play the song one time as a warm-up and that they shouldn’t write on the worksheet yet. Instead, they should carefully listen to the song and make note of any words they don’t understand. Once the song has finished, go over any new words and expressions with the class.

The second time, play the song again and have your students listen while completing their worksheets. Once the music has finished, let your students share their findings. Make any corrections needed.

You can pair this activity with a session on FluentU , where students can watch music videos (and other authentic English videos like movie trailers, news segments and inspirational talks). Once students have heard the chosen song a few times, you can ask them to watch it in the FluentU program, where they’ll be able to check the meaning of any word by clicking on it in the subtitles.

Students can also compare their attempts to fill out the reported speech lyrics with the transcript that accompanies every FluentU video. While they watch, they can add unfamiliar words to their flashcard decks directly from the video player. For homework, they can study these flashcards with practice exercises that adapt to every individual student’s learning speed.

This is a good activity for testing student’s recognition of reported speech, as well as highlighting the differences between reported and direct speech.

Pick a song to play for the class, instructing them to identify and write down all of the examples of reported speech they hear in the song. At the end of the song, ask students to share their results. Make sure they correctly identify all samples of reported speech from the song, and write the answers on the whiteboard so everyone can check their answers and correct their mistakes.

Once finished, have your students work individually or in pairs to change reported phrases into direct speech. Don’t forget to save time at the end of class for students to share their results and make any necessary corrections.

This activity will require a little bit of prep time before class.

First, decide on the songs you’ll use for the lesson. Then, convert the speech in each song into direct speech and create a worksheet listing all of the direct speech conversions.

Determine whether you want students to work in pairs or as individuals, then hand out the worksheets. Instruct the class to change the direct speech back to reported speech while listening to the song.

Begin by playing the song (or songs) for your class. I recommend playing it more than once so they can hear the reported speech in the song. At the end of each song, have the students rewrite their sentences—be sure to give them ample time to complete the exercise. After finishing, go over the results in class, correcting any mistakes you come across.

Another option is to have the students complete the worksheet before listening to the songs. Once they’ve finished writing, play the songs so they can check their answers. The benefit of performing the activity this way is that it gives your students extra listening practice as they’re checking their answers.

As you can see, music is a great tool for teaching English! These are just some of the many songs that make use of reported speech, too.

Add these popular tunes to your next lesson on reported speech, or find some other songs to use in the classroom . Your students will surely remember learning more about reported speech through music!

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

• 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!!! 

• Log in or register to post comments

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.

Online courses

Group and one-to-one classes with expert teachers.

Learn English in your own time, at your own pace.

One-to-one sessions focused on a personal plan.

Get the score you need with private and group classes.  

Movie quotes you should know!

• Culture Vulture
• TV & Cinema

Grammar - reporting verbs

LESSON OVERVIEW

With this worksheet, your students will learn some classic movie quotes, use them to practise reporting verbs and do some fun pairwork activity.

DISCUSSION & MOVIE QUOTES

The worksheet starts with a short discussion about the types of movies students like. Next, they move to reading some famous quotes and they have to match them with movie titles . To extend a bit this activity, ask them whether they remember any of these films and what they were about. It’s up to you (and your students’ willingness to speak) how much time you spend on this activity.

REPORTING VERBS

Next, students get a table which presents reporting verbs and the structures we use with them. Their task is to rewrite the quotes using verbs in brackets. You can divide your students into pairs or groups as they have to rewrite as many as ten quotes. Then, you can check the answers together.

On top of that, there is a semi-controlled production task where students need to be a bit creative and come up with some original celebrity quotes . First, they write down a name of a famous person (politician, actress, singer, model, etc.) under each bubble. Then, they exchange their handouts and write what these famous people could say. Finally, they get the handouts back from their partners and report what the celebrities said using reporting verbs where possible.

RELATED LESSON PLANS

This worksheet goes well with our lesson plan:

• Practise reported speech with Vogue interviews

Subscribe to unlock these and many other Standalone lesson with the Premium plan

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

There are some really nice activities in this lesson. Guessing the quotes from film is a really nice context for looking at reporting verbs. My class also enjoyed the final activity at the end which we turned into a guessing game. Thanks!

Thank you for your feedback! I’m really glad to hear that 🙂

Thanks for the great lesson!

The last category on slide 30 is a bit misleading as we don’t use prepositions after ‘deny, admit…’

Hi Oksana! Thanks for the comment! Actually, we forgot to transfer brackets to the e-lesson plan from our PDF version of the worksheet. The correct label in the table should be ‘verb + (preposition) + ing’ to make students aware that a preposition is optional. Thanks for bringing it to our attention! We’ve just fixed that!

Browse other materials recommended for you

Music festivals and other outdoor events

With this speaking lesson, students talk about festivals and other outdoor events. They read short texts, discuss music festival tips and watch a video about it. Students also talk about the use of technology and brainstorm useful gadgets for such events.

Brave new influencers

With this Flipped lesson, advanced students get a great chance to revise and practise grammatical aspects, learn collocations connected to social media activity and have engaging conversations about AI influencers.

Art that refuses to settle

With this lesson, students practise advanced adjectives to talk about art, discuss art’s purpose and analyze art pieces. They also watch a video on performance art and discuss its impact and their personal experiences.

The petconomy boom

With this lesson, students engage with the topic of petconomy through discussions on different perspectives of pets and pet care! They revise pet-related vocabulary, evaluate pet services, explore pet apps, and read about famous pets.

Save coral reefs!

With this lesson, students will dive into the different uses of ‘as’ in phrases and statements. They will also explore the realm of coral reefs and watch an inspiring informational video.

How smart should home appliances be

Engage students in a conversation about the advantages and disadvantages of smart appliances! With this lesson, students will also reinforce essential vocabulary such as adjectives and collocations to discuss the topic.

Why are we late? (personality traits)

With this lesson, students discover advanced personality adjectives, discuss punctuality, and boost listening skills with a fascinating video!

Do you enjoy quiz shows? (question tags)

Teach your students how to express uncertainty about facts. They will practise using question tags and apply general knowledge to answer quiz questions!

How does shopping make you feel?

As shopping is part of everyone’s life, this speaking lesson on shopping addiction won’t leave your students indifferent. Discuss whether it is a serious problem, discover hacks on how to control it and dive into how instant gratification works.

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there’s no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won’t be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Reported speech movies

Examples from our community, 3,412 results for 'reported speech movies'.

Reported speech movies

• Game Code: 1011426
•  English     16      Public reported speech
•   Play   Study   Slideshow   Share  Elvira  129 #ESL #A2 #B1 #englishclass #REPORTEDSPEECH #reported

Share Reported speech movies

Use Class PIN to share Baamboozle+ games with your students. Upgrade

Save to Folder

• "The most important thing a girl wears is her confidence," the fairy godmother said. The fairy godmother said (that) the most important thing a girl wore was her confidence.

• "My name is Iñigo Montoya, you have killed my father, prepare to die" he told him. He told/said to him (that) his name was Iñigo Montoya, that he had killed his father and to prepare to die.

• "Do you want to build a snowman?" Anna asked her. Anna asked her if she wanted to build a snowman.
• "Houston, we have a problem," the pilot said. The pilot told/ said to Houston (that) they had a problem.

• "Winter is coming," Ned Stark said. Ned Stark said (that) winter was coming.

• "Everybody has got problems," Merlin said. Merlin said (that) everybody had problems.

• “Your music has to be who you really are" Shane said Shane said to/told her (that) her music had to be who she really was.

• “We may have our differences, but nothing is more important than family,” Miguel said. Miguel said (that) they might have their differences, but that nothing was more important than family.

• "We didn't set out to be superheroes," Hiro said. Hiro said (that) they hadn't set out to be superheroes.

• "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun," Mary Poppins said. Mary Poppins said (that) in every job that must/had to be done, there was an element of fun.

• "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." Judy Hopps said Judy Hopps said (that) they had nothing to fear but fear itself.

• "Even trash can be recycled into something beautiful." Diane Foxington said. Diane Foxington said that even trash could be recycled into something beautiful.

• “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all” Said the emperor to Mulan The emperor said to Mulan that the flower that bloomed in adversity was the most rare and beautiful of all.

• “All it takes is faith and trust” said Peter Pan Peter Pan said (that) all it took was faith and trust.

• “Can anybody be happy if they aren’t free?” Beauty asked. Beauty asked if anybody could be happy if they weren’t free.

• “The only thing predictable about life is its unpredictability” Remy told him. Remi told him (that) the only thing predictable about life was its unpredictability.

Sign up for a trial to unlock features.

San Francisco sues Oakland over proposed airport name change

The city of San Francisco has filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit.

The city of San Francisco is suing the nearby city of Oakland over the latter's plan to modify its airport name to include "San Francisco," arguing that the proposed name infringes on its trademark and would "cause confusion and chaos."

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit on Thursday, a week after the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners preliminarily approved a plan to rename Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.

The lawsuit alleges that the proposed name would infringe on San Francisco International Airport's (SFO) trademark.

"We had hoped Oakland would come to its senses, but their refusal to collaborate on an acceptable alternative name leaves us no choice but to file a lawsuit to protect SFO's trademark," Chiu said in a statement . "This new name will cause confusion and chaos for travelers, which will damage the travel industry for the entire region."

Chiu said that at least one airline has already started using the modified Oakland airport name, "indicating that SFO has already suffered economic harm."

"We want to see the entire Bay Area thrive as a tourist destination and expand our offerings to visitors, but the renaming is not a legal or practical way to go about it," he said.

In a statement to ABC News, the Port of Oakland denied that the proposed renaming infringes on SFO's trademark.

MORE: Famous authors' lawsuit against ChatGPT developer gets underway

"We will vigorously defend our right to claim our spot on the San Francisco Bay," the Port of Oakland said. "We are standing up for Oakland and our East Bay community."

The Port of Oakland announced in a press release on March 29 that it was considering changing the airport's name from Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The city of San Francisco claimed in its lawsuit that the city of Oakland notified the SFO airport director of the proposed name change only 30 minutes prior to issuing the release.

Related Stories

San Francisco sues Oakland over new airport name that includes 'San Francisco'

• Apr 18, 4:34 PM

Oakland officials vote to include ‘San Francisco’ in airport's name

• Apr 11, 1:02 AM

Dave McCarty, 2004 World Series winner with Red Sox, dies at 54

• Apr 20, 12:19 PM

The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners voted unanimously to modify the airport's name on April 11 in a first reading vote. A second reading is scheduled for May 9, at which point the Port Commission would give its final approval and staff would then move forward with the formal renaming, according to the Port of Oakland.

"This will boost inbound travelers' geographic awareness of the airport by highlighting the airport's location on the San Francisco Bay," Port Commission President Barbara Leslie said in a statement following the April 11 vote. "This name will make it clear that OAK is the closest major airport, for 4.1 million people, three national laboratories, the top public university in the country, and California's Wine Country."

The airport code OAK and visual brand would not change, the Port of Oakland said.

MORE: Gamers turning to public domain to find the next big trend

The city of San Francisco said it has raised concerns to the city of Oakland that the proposed name will likely lead to confusion among consumers but that Oakland has "refused to engage with the City for the three weeks since it announced its renaming plan," the lawsuit stated.

"The proposed renaming of Oakland International Airport will have a detrimental impact on the passenger experience, creating confusion and frustration for travelers, especially those from foreign markets," SFO airport director Ivar Satero said in a statement. "For these reasons, we support this legal challenge and urge the Port of Oakland to find a solution that puts all Bay Area airport customers first."

San Francisco has owned the U.S. federal trademark registration for the mark "San Francisco International Airport" with the first date of use in commerce in 1954, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief to immediately stop the use of the proposed name and orders declaring that Oakland has infringed on SFO's mark and requiring the city to destroy any materials containing the new name. The lawsuit is also seeking unspecified damages and fees.

There were 11.2 million passengers who came through Oakland International Airport in 2023, while San Francisco International Airport saw 50 million passengers last year.

Related Topics

Meta's newest AI model beats some peers. But its amped-up AI agents are confusing Facebook users

• Apr 18, 12:30 PM

Tyler Freeman hits a 2-run homer to help power the Guardians past the Athletics 10-2

• Apr 19, 9:42 PM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

TOP STORIES

News and analysis from the day’s top stories., why did biden suggest that his uncle was eaten by cannibals.

By Clarissa-Jan Lim

President Joe Biden made an odd suggestion Wednesday that his uncle who served in the Army during World War II may have been eaten by cannibals after his plane crashed off the coast of New Guinea.

In a portion of a speech at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh, Biden drew a distinction between his family's military service and Donald Trump's disparaging comments about military members as reported in The Atlantic in 2020. (Trump has denied making those remarks.) Biden then brought up Ambrose J. Finnegan, a second lieutenant with the U.S. Army Air Forces whose plane crashed off the coast of New Guinea in 1944.

“He got shot down in New Guinea, and they never found the body because there used to be — there were a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of New Guinea,” Biden said of his uncle.

Researchers have documented cannibalism practices in parts of the Melanesia region, but Biden's remarks raised eyebrows. As NBC News reported , the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said that Finnegan's plane was "forced to ditch in the ocean" for unknown reasons, and that three men, including Finnegan, "failed to emerge from the sinking wreck and were lost in the crash."

While Biden’s claim that his uncle’s remains were not recovered is in line with the official military record — the detail about cannibalism is not.

"He has not been associated with any remains recovered from the area after the war and is still unaccounted-for," the DPAA said of Finnegan.

Biden had also told reporters a similar story about his uncle after visiting a veterans memorial in Scranton, Pennsylvania, earlier Wednesday before departing for Pittsburgh, CNN reported.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates did not clarify Biden's remarks in a statement later but did add that the president "is proud of his uncle’s service in uniform, who lost his life when the military aircraft he was on crashed in the Pacific after taking off near New Guinea."

The cannibalism detail in Biden's story about his uncle may simply be an embellishment or a bit of unsubstantiated family lore. At any rate, Biden does not appear to have brought that detail up before; according to The Associated Press , Biden only briefly mentioned his uncle as a flyer killed in New Guinea in his 2008 memoir.

Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking/trending news blogger for MSNBC Digital. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.