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Webpage: Reported Speech

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Click here for a list of reported speech exercises.
Click here to download this explanation in PDF.
Reported Statements
When do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight". Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said.

Watch my reported speech video:

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:

Direct speech: I like ice cream.

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

* doesn't change.

Occasionally, we don't need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense):

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?

How can we make the reported speech here?

In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence. A bit confusing? Maybe this example will help:

Direct speech: Where do you live?

Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.

Do you see how I made it? The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to change the verb to the past simple.

Another example:

Direct speech: Where is Julie?

Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.

The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We make the question form of the present simple of be by inverting (changing the position of)the subject and verb. So, we need to change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.
Here are some more examples:

Where is the Post Office, please?

She asked me where the Post Office was.

What are you doing?

She asked me what I was doing.

Who was that fantastic man?

She asked me who that fantastic man had been.

So much for 'wh' questions. But, what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any question words to help us. Instead, we use 'if':

Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?

Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

No problem? Here are a few more examples:

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?

All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word when we tell another person about it. We simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':

Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.

Here are a few more examples:

Please help me.

She asked me to help her.

Please don't smoke.

She asked me not to smoke.

Could you bring my book tonight?

She asked me to bring her book that night.

Could you pass the milk, please?

She asked me to pass the milk.

Would you mind coming early tomorrow?

She asked me to come early the next day.

To report a negative request, use 'not':

Direct speech: Please don't be late.

Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:

Direct speech: Sit down!

In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask':

Reported speech: She told me to sit down.

Time Expressions with Reported Speech

Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions too. We don't always have to do this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the reported speech.

For example:

It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".

If I tell someone on Monday, I say "Julie said she was leaving today".
If I tell someone on Tuesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving yesterday".
If I tell someone on Wednesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving on Monday".
If I tell someone a month later, I say "Julie said she was leaving that day".

So, there's no easy conversion. You really have to think about when the direct speech was said.

Here's a table of some possible conversions:

today

yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June

yesterday

the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December

last night

the night before, Thursday night

last week

the week before / the previous week

tomorrow

today / the next day / the following day / Friday

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Practise reported speech - clear explanations and lots of exercises.

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English grammar exercise about reported speech

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English with Ronnie · EnglishLessons4U with engVid

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Grammar: Learn to use REPORTED SPEECH in English

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The past perfect is a verb tense which is used to show that an action took place once or many times before another point in the past. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present perfect exercises.

Past Perfect Forms

The past perfect is formed using had + past participle. Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and had. Negatives are made with not.

Statement: You had studied English before you moved to New York.

Question: Had you studied English before you moved to New York?

Negative: You had not studied English before you moved to New York.

Complete List of Past Perfect Forms
Past Perfect Uses

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Past

The past perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.

Examples:

I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.

I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.

Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the city several times.

Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand?

She only understood the movie because she had read the book.

Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.

We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not booked in advance.

A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2006?
B: Yes, Ihad been to the U.S. once before.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With non-continuous verbs and some non-continuous uses of mixed verbs, we use the past perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.

Examples:

We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.

By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years.

They felt bad about selling the house because they had owned it for more than forty years.

Although the above use of past perfect is normally limited to non-continuous verbs and non-continuous uses of mixed verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT non-continuous verbs.

IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect

Unlike with the present perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the past perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not necessary.

Example:

She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

MOREOVER

If the past perfect action did occur at a specific time, the simple past can be used instead of the past perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so the past perfect is optional. For this reason, both sentences below are correct.

Examples:

She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

HOWEVER

If the past perfect is not referring to an action at a specific time, past perfect is not optional. Compare the examples below. Here past perfect is referring to a lack of experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this reason, simple past cannot be used.

Examples:

She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct

She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

You had previously studied English before you moved to New York.

Had you previously studied English before you moved to New York?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license.

Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license.

More About Active / Passive Forms
Past Perfect Exercises

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The past perfect is a verb tense which is used to show that an action took place once or many times before another point in the past. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present perfect exercises. The past perfect is formed using had + past participle.

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Past Perfect - Simple Past - Exercises - English

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Past Perfect, Simple Past, Tenses - Exercises - Learning English Online

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Past Perfect Tense in English - Simple Explanation!

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The past perfect continuous (also called past perfect progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an action started in the past and continued up to another point in the past. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present perfect continuous exercises.

Past Perfect Continuous Forms

The past perfect continuous is formed using had + been + present participle. Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and had. Negatives are made with not

Statement: You had been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

Question: Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived?

Negative: You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

Complete List of Past Perfect Continuous Forms

Past Perfect Continuous Uses

USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Past

We use the past perfect continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are both durations which can be used with the past perfect continuous. Notice that this is related to the present perfect continuous; however, the duration does not continue until now, it stops before something else in the past.

Examples:

They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived.

She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business.

How long had you been waiting to get on the bus?

Mike wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day at work.

James had been teaching at the university for more than a year before he left for Asia.

A: How long had you been studying Turkish before you moved to Ankara?
B: Ihad not been studying Turkish very long.

USE 2 Cause of Something in the Past

Using the past perfect continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and effect.

Examples:

Jason was tired because he had been jogging.

Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.

Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending class.

Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the past continuous rather than the past perfect continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Past continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas past perfect continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the past. Study the examples below to understand the difference.

Examples:

He was tired because he was exercising so hard.

He was tired because he had been exercising so hard.

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non-continuous verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for mixed verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using past perfect continuous with these verbs, you must use past perfect.

Examples:

The motorcycle had been belonging to George for years before Tina bought it. Not Correct

The motorcycle had belonged to George for years before Tina bought it. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

You had only been waiting there for a few minutes when she arrived.

Had you only been waiting there for a few minutes when she arrived?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years before he moved to Paris.

The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris.

NOTE: Passive forms of the past perfect continuous are not common.
More About Active / Passive Forms
Past Perfect Continuous Exercises

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The past perfect continuous (also called past perfect progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an action started in the past and continued up to another point in the past. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present perfect continuous exercises.

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Past Perfect Continuous | ENGLISH GRAMMAR VIDEOS

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Exercise on Past Perfect Progressive :: page Default

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Future continuous has two different forms: "will be doing " and "be going to be doing." Unlike simple future forms, future continuous forms are usually interchangeable.

FORM Future Continuous with "Will"

[will be + present participle]

Examples:

You will be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

Will you be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight?

You will not be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

FORM Future Continuous with "Be Going To "

[am/is/are + going to be + present participle]

Examples:

You are going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

Are you going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight?

You are not going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

REMEMBER: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the future continuous with little difference in meaning.

Complete List of Future Continuous Forms

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Future

Use the future continuous to indicate that a longer action in the future will be interrupted by a shorter action in the future. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

Examples:

I will be watching TV when she arrives tonight.

I will be waiting for you when your bus arrives.

I am going to be staying at the Madison Hotel, if anything happens and you need to contact me.

He will be studying at the library tonight, so he will not see Jennifer when she arrives.

Notice in the examples above that the interruptions ( marked in italics) are in simple present rather than simple future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption in the Future

In USE 1, described above, the future continuous is interrupted by a short action in the future. In addition to using short actions as interruptions, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be eating dinner.

At midnight tonight, we will still be driving through the desert.

REMEMBER

In the simple future, a specific time is used to show the time an action will begin or end. In the future continuous, a specific time interrupts the action.

Examples:

USE 3 Parallel Actions in the Future

When you use the future continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions will be happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

Examples:

I am going to be studying and he is going to be making dinner.

Tonight, they will be eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

While Ellen is reading, Tim will be watching television.

USE 4 Atmosphere in the Future

In English, we often use a series of Parallel Actions to describe atmosphere at a specific point in the future.

Example:

When I arrive at the party, everybody is going to be celebrating. Some will be dancing. Others are going to be talking. A few people will be eating pizza, and several people are going to be drinking beer. They always do the same thing.

REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future tenses, the future continuous cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of future continuous, present continuous is used.

AND REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that non-continuous verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for mixed verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using future continuous with these verbs, you must use simple future.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

You will still be waiting for her when her plane arrives.

Will you still be waiting for her when her plane arrives?

You are still going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives.

Are you still going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

NOTE: Passive forms of the future continuous are not common.
More About Active / Passive Forms
Future Continuous Exercises

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Complete description of the future continuous verb tense with future continuous exercises and examples. ( A.k.a. Future Progressive )

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Future Continuous Quiz | Grammar | EnglishClub

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Online quiz to test your understanding of the Future Continuous tense in English. This is a free multiple-choice quiz that you can do online or print out. For ESL learners.