English Edge Pro

B1 · grammar

Reported Speech Exercises (B1) — Free

Reported speech: statements, questions and commands

When we report what someone said in the past, the verb usually moves one step back in time: am/is becomes was, will becomes would, can becomes could, and the present perfect becomes the past perfect ('I've finished' becomes 'he said he had finished'). Time words change too: 'today' becomes 'that day' and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day'. Use 'tell' with a person (She told me that...) and 'say' without one (She said that...); 'she said me' is a common mistake. Reported questions use statement word order, without 'do' or 'did': 'Where do you live?' becomes 'He asked me where I lived', not 'where did I live'. For yes/no questions, use 'if' or 'whether'. Commands use tell + person + to + infinitive, and 'not to' for negative ones (The teacher told us not to run). If what someone said is still true now, you can keep the original tense, but in these exercises the context shows that the situation is in the past.

  1. At lunch yesterday, Leo said, "I'm hungry." → Leo said that he (be) hungry.

  2. Last night they said, "We're watching a film." → They said that they (watch) a film.

  3. Before dinner last night, Sam said, "I've finished my homework." → Sam said that he (finish) his homework.

  4. On Monday Eva said, "I'll call you tomorrow." → Eva said that she (call) me the next day.

  5. When he was six, my brother said, "I can't swim." → My brother said that he (not/can) swim.

  6. Maria, who moved to Paris last year, once told me, "I live in Madrid." → Maria told me that she (live) in Madrid.

  7. Dad said, "I bought a new laptop." → Dad said that he (buy) a new laptop.

  8. She (say/tell) me that she was leaving the company.

  9. "Do you like pizza?" she asked me. → She asked me I liked pizza.

  10. During my holiday in Rome, a man asked me, "Where are you staying?" → He asked me where I (stay).

  11. "Close the door, please," said the teacher. → The teacher told us (close) the door.

  12. "Don't touch the paintings," the guide said. → The guide told us (not/touch) the paintings.

Want the PDF with all the answers?

Get started free →
3 free worksheets, no card required