Reported Speech

Direct Speech

• 'I love the Toy Story films,' she said.

• She said she loved the Toy Story films.

Answer explanation

Direct speech shows a person's exact words. Quotation marks ("....") are a sign that the words are the exact words that a person used.

Hai asked Manny where he was going.

• Direct Speech

• Reported Speech

Answer explanation

Reported speech puts the speaker's words or ideas into a sentence without quotation marks.

Change the direct speech into reported speech:

"He works in a bank"

• She said that he works in a bank

• She said that he worked in a bank

• He worked in a bank

Answer explanation

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'.

Change the reported speech into direct speech:

She told me (that) she had been waiting for the bus when he arrived.

• "She is waiting for the bus when he arrived"

• "She was waiting for the bus when he arrived"

• "I was waiting for the bus when he arrived"

Change this direct speech into reported speech:

"I'm coming!"

Change this reported speech into direct speech:

She told me (that) she didn't like chocolate.