When we want to report something that was said in the past, we go back one tense !

Present simple and present continuousDirect speech: “I travel a lot in my job” Reported speech: He said that he travelled a lot in his job.

The present simple tense (I travel) usually changes to the past simple (he travelled) in reported speech.

Present continuous usually changes to the past continuous.

“I am working in Italy” Reported speech: He told me that he was working in Italy.

The past simple tense (we lived) usually changes to the past perfect (they had lived) in reported speech.

Direct speech: “We lived in China for 5 years.”

Reported speech: She told me they had lived in China for 5 years.

Past continuous usually changes to the past perfect continuous.

Direct speech: “I was walking down the road when I saw the accident.” Reported speech: He told me he’d been walking down the road when he’d seen the accident.

The present perfect tense (have always been) usually changes to the past perfect tense (had always been).

Direct speech: “They’ve always been very kind to me”.

Reported speech: She said they’d always been very kind to her.

The past perfect tense does not change in reported speech.

Direct speech: “They had already eaten when I arrived”

Reported speech: He said they had already eaten when he had arrived.

“Don’t worry, John. I will help you with your

Math homework”, said Susan.

Susan to John:

“John, don’t worry. I will help you with your

Math homework.”

John to Ben:

Ben, I am so happy ! Susan said she would help

me with my Math homework.

“I can’t come to your party on Saturday”, said

Mary.

How would you report these words to someone

else?

“I can’t come to your party on Saturday”, said

Mary.

Mary said she couldn’t come to my party on

Saturday.

We use tell and ask to report orders and

requests.

“Be quiet”, said the teacher.

She told them to be quiet.

“Please help me”

She asked him to help her.

The following activity is a variation of the well-known 'broken telephone'. Whisper a sentence in English to a student. That student then whispers it to another and so on until the last student has to say out loud what was said originally.

If the above seems too easy, ask students to alternate reported speech/direct speech. If they hear it in reported speech they put it back to direct speech and vice versa. For example:

T: I like it.

S1: He said he liked it.

S2: I like it.

S3…

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Do you have any questions?

The teacher asked if we had any questions !