Reported Speech

🎯 Lesson Goal:

Learn how to report what someone said using correct changes in tense, pronouns, and time expressions.

1. Warm-Up (3 min)

🗣️ Discuss:

1. What’s something a friend said to you recently?

2. How do you usually share news you’ve heard from someone else?

3. Do you think people sometimes change what others say when retelling stories?

💬 Sample answers:

My friend said she was going on holiday.
I told my parents my teacher said I’d done well in the test.

🎯 Focus:
We use reported speech to tell someone what another person said, without repeating their exact words.

2. Presentation (8 min)

A. What is Reported Speech?

• It’s when we report what someone said using our own words.

• We usually change the tense, pronouns, and sometimes time expressions.

🗣️ Direct Speech:

“I’m tired,” she said.

🗣️ Reported Speech:

She said she was tired.

B. Changes in Tense

When the reporting verb (say/tell) is in the past, the verb in the reported clause usually moves one step back in time.

💬 Examples:

“I am happy.” → She said she was happy.
“I went to Paris.” → He said he had gone to Paris.
“I will call you.” → She said she would call me.
“I can swim.” → He said he could swim.

🧠 Tip:
If the reporting verb is in the present, no tense change is needed.

She says she is tired. ✅

C. Pronoun Changes

Pronouns change depending on who said it and who they’re speaking to.

💬 Example:

“I love my job,” he said. → He said he loved his job.
“We’ll help you,” they said. → They said they’d help me.

D. Time Expression Changes

Direct SpeechReported Speechtodaythat daytomorrowthe next day / the following dayyesterdaythe day before / the previous daynowthenthis weekthat weeknext weekthe following weeklast weekthe week before

💬 Example:

“I’ll finish it tomorrow.” → She said she would finish it the next day.

E. Reporting Verbs

Common ones: say, tell, ask, explain, promise, advise, warn, remind

💬 Examples:

She told me she was late.
He asked if I could help.
They warned us not to go.

3. Controlled Practice (5 min)

Change these direct sentences into reported speech.

1. “I’m studying for my exam,” she said.

2. “We went to Italy last summer,” he said.

3. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.

4. “Can you help me?” he asked.

5. “We are watching TV now,” they said.

6. “I don’t like this restaurant,” she said.

7. “I must finish this today,” he said.

8. “I’m going to buy a new car,” she said.

9. “We’ve never been there,” they said.

10. “Do you want to come with us?” he asked.

✅ Answers + Explanations

1. She said she was studying for her exam. → “am” changes to “was”.

2. He said they had gone to Italy the summer before. → Past simple → past perfect.

3. She said she would see me the next day. → “will” → “would”; “tomorrow” → “the next day”.

4. He asked if I could help him. → Question form changes; “can” → “could”.

5. They said they were watching TV then. → Present continuous → past continuous; “now” → “then”.

6. She said she didn’t like that restaurant. → “don’t like” → “didn’t like”; “this” → “that”.

7. He said he had to finish it that day. → “must” → “had to”; “today” → “that day”.

8. She said she was going to buy a new car. → No tense shift needed; already future plan.

9. They said they had never been there. → Present perfect → past perfect.

10. He asked if I wanted to come with them. → Question → statement form; “do you want” → “if I wanted”.

4. Transformation Practice (4 min)

Rewrite these sentences in reported speech using the given verbs.

1. “I’m tired,” he said. (say)
   → ______________________

2. “We can start now,” she said. (tell)
   → ______________________

3. “I don’t like coffee,” he said. (say)
   → ______________________

4. “Please be quiet,” the teacher said. (tell)
   → ______________________

5. “I will come later,” she said. (say)
   → ______________________

✅ Possible Answers

1. He said he was tired.

2. She told me we could start then.

3. He said he didn’t like coffee.

4. The teacher told us to be quiet.

5. She said she would come later.

💡 Tip: For commands or requests, use tell + object + to + infinitive.

5. Engaging Discussion (5 min)

🗣️ Answer naturally using reported speech ideas:

1. What’s something your parents often told you when you were younger?

2. What advice has a teacher or coach given you that you still remember?

3. Have you ever promised something important? What did you say?

4. What’s the nicest thing someone has ever said to you?

5. Have you ever told someone something that wasn’t true? What happened?

💬 Encourage full sentences:

My teacher told me to never give up.
My parents said I should be kind to others.

6. Extra Discussion (3–4 min)

💬 Deeper prompts:

1. Do you think people always report what others say accurately? Why or why not?

2. How does news or gossip change when it’s repeated by different people?

3. When do you think it’s important to quote someone’s exact words instead of reporting them?

🎯 Goal: Encourage use of reporting verbs and reported speech tense changes in natural conversation.

7. Wrap-Up & Review (2 min)

🧾 Quick Recap

• Reported speech = telling someone what another person said.

• Shift tenses one step back (am → was, will → would, have → had).

• Change pronouns and time words:

  • today → that day

  • tomorrow → the next day

  • now → then

• Use say, tell, or ask correctly:

  • say + clause (“She said she was tired.”)

  • tell + object + clause (“She told me she was tired.”)

💬 Mini Challenge:
Say three sentences in reported speech about something you heard recently.

My boss said we’d have a meeting tomorrow.
My friend told me she’d passed her exam.
My dad said he was proud of me.