Reported Speech Practice and English Verb Tenses

Reported Speech Exercises

47.2 Complete the Sentences

1. I thought you said she wasn't coming to the party.
2. I thought you said you hadn't passed your examination.
3. I thought you said Ann didn't like Bill.
4. I thought you said you hadn't got many friends.
5. I thought you said Jack and Jill weren't going to get married.
6. I thought you said Tom didn't work very hard.
7. I thought you said you didn't want to be rich and famous.
8. I thought you said you wouldn't be here next week.
9. I thought you said you couldn't afford a holiday this year.

48.1 Reported Speech

1. You said you were hungry.
2. Tom told me that Ann had gone away.
3. You said you didn't smoke.
4. You told me you wouldn't be late.
5. I told you I couldn't come to the party that night.
6. You said you were working the following evening.

48.2 Said, Told, or Talked

1. Jack told me that he was enjoying his new job.
2. Tom said it was a nice restaurant, but I didn't like it much.
3. The doctor told me that I would have to rest for at least a week.
4. Mrs. Taylor told us she wouldn't be able to come to the next meeting.
5. Ann told Tom that she was going away.
6. George couldn't help me. He told me to ask Jack.
7. At the meeting, the chairman talked about the problems facing the company.
8. Jill told us all about her holiday in Australia.

48.3 Rewrite the Sentences

1. The doctor said that I should eat more fruit and vegetables.
2. He told me to read the instructions before I switched on the machine.
3. She told us to shut the door but not to lock it.
4. He asked me to speak more slowly because he couldn't understand me.
5. I told him not to come before 6 o'clock.

Summary of English Tenses and Modal Changes

• Present Simple: (-s, -es with he/she/it) / don't, doesn't / do, does
• Present Continuous: am / is / are with -ing; am not / isn't / aren't with -ing
• Present Perfect Simple: have / has; haven't / hasn't + V3
• Present Perfect Continuous: have / has been with -ing
• Past Simple: past verb form; didn't + base verb
• Past Continuous: was / were with -ing
• Past Perfect Simple: had with V3 (3rd column)
• Past Perfect Continuous: had been with -ing
• Future Simple: will / won't + base verb
• Be Going To: am / is / are + going to; am not / isn't / aren't + going to
• Future Continuous: will be with -ing; won't be with -ing
• Future Perfect: will have with V3; won't have with V3
• Future Perfect Continuous: will have been with -ing; won't have been with -ing
• Modal Changes in Reported Speech:
  • will → would
  • can → could
  • must → had to