reported speech past perfect simple

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Reported speech - indirect speech

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• Reported Speech
• 01 Reported Speech rules
• 02 Pronouns change
• 03 Pronouns change
• 04 Change place and time
• 05 Simple Present
• 06 Introduction Simple Pres.
• 07 Backshift
• 08 Backshift Tenses
• 09 Simple Past negative
• 10 Simple Past negative
• 11 Questions
• 12 Questions
• 13 Past - Past Perfect
• 14 Past - Past Perfect
• 15 Past Perfect negative
• 16 Past Perfect negative
• 17 with-out question word
• 18 with-out question word
• 19 Perfect Past Perfect
• 20 Perfect - Past Perfect
• 21 Perfect - Past Perfect
• 22 Perfect - Past Perfect
• 23 Questions without qw.
• 24 Questions with qw.
• 25 will - would
• 26 Will-Future
• 27 Will-Future negative
• 28 Will-Future negatives
• 29 Will-Future Questions
• 30 Will-Future will - would
• 31 Commands
• 32 Commands Reported
• 33 Commands negative
• 34 Commands negative
• 35 Mixed exercises
• 37 Questions all tenses
• 38 Questions all tenses
• 39 Commands all tenses
• 40 Commands all tenses
• 41 all forms all tenses
• 42 all forms all tenses
• 43 Change place and time
• 44 Change place and time
• 45 Test Reported Speech
• English Tenses
• Simple Present Tense
• Simple past Tense
• Present perfect
• Past Perfect
• Simple Future
• Future Perfect
• Going-to-Future
• Continuous Tenses
• Present Continuous
• Past Continuous
• Present perfect Progr.
• Past Perfect Continuous
• Simple Future Continuous
• Future 2 Continuous
• Comparison of Tenses
• Passive exercises
• If clauses - Conditional

Reported speech simple past - past perfect

Simple past.

The simple past tense usually changes to the past perfect in reported speech.

Change of tenses

The tenses , word-order, pronouns may be different from those in the direct speech sentence. The Past Perfect Tense does not change in the Reported Speech.

English Reported speech exercises

Reported speech - indirect speech with free online exercises, Reported speech - indirect speech examples and sentences. Online exercises Reported speech - indirect speech, questions and negative sentences.

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What is Reported Speech and how to use it? with Examples

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Olivia Drake

Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said.

On this page:

Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker’s exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions.

1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually “said.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, “I am going to the store,” becomes “He said that he was going to the store.”

2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually “asked.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, “What time is it?” becomes “She asked what time it was.”

It’s important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples:

• Direct speech: “I will call you later.”Reported speech: He said that he would call me later.
• Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.
• Direct speech: “I love pizza.”Reported speech: They said that they loved pizza.

When do we use reported speech?

Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly.

Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include:

News reports:  Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference.

Business and professional communication:  In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer.

Conversational English:  In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, “She told me that she was running late.”

Narration:  In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.

How to make reported speech?

1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the store now,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then.

In this example, the pronoun “I” is changed to “she” and the adverb “now” is changed to “then.”

2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day.

In this example, the present tense “will” is changed to the past tense “would.”

3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” or “inquire” depending on the context of the speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.

In this example, the reporting verb “asked” is changed to “said” and “did” is changed to “had.”

Overall, when making reported speech, it’s important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker’s message accurately.

How do I change the pronouns and adverbs in reported speech?

1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I love chocolate.” Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate.

Direct speech: “You should study harder.” Reported speech: He advised me to study harder.

Direct speech: “She is reading a book.” Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book.

2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night.

Direct speech: “He is here.” Reported speech: She said he was there.

Note that the adverb “now” usually changes to “then” or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context.

It’s important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.

How do I change the tense in reported speech?

In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech:

Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I like pizza.” Reported speech: She said she liked pizza.

Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I am studying for my exam.” Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam.

Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I have finished my work.” Reported speech: She said she had finished her work.

Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I visited my grandparents last weekend.” Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend.

Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I will help you with your project.” Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project.

Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I can speak French.” Reported speech: She said she could speak French.

Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker’s perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.

Do I always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech?

No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech.

In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as “I heard that” or “It seems that” without using a reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she’s going to the cinema tonight.

However, it’s important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it’s generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible.

Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example:

Direct speech: “I think we should invest in renewable energy.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy.

Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate

How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?

1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is the meeting?” Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was.

Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech.

2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “ordered” or “told” followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Clean your room!” Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room.

Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech.

In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples:

Direct speech: “Will you go to the party with me?”Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: “Please bring me a glass of water.”Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water.

Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

How to make questions in reported speech?

To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech:

Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include “asked,” “inquired,” “wondered,” and “wanted to know.”

Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker.

Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use “if” or “whether” to introduce the reported question.

Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word.

Here are some examples of reported questions:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: “Where are you going?”Reported speech: She wondered where I was going.

Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions

What is the difference between reported speech an indirect speech?

In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, “I am going to the store,” in reported speech you would say, “He/she said that he/she was going to the store.”

The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.

Examples of direct speech to reported

• Direct speech: “I am hungry,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was hungry.
• Direct speech: “Can you pass the salt, please?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked her to pass the salt.
• Direct speech: “I will meet you at the cinema,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet her at the cinema.
• Direct speech: “I have been working on this project for hours,” she said. Reported speech: She said she had been working on the project for hours.
• Direct speech: “What time does the train leave?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked what time the train left.
• Direct speech: “I love playing the piano,” she said. Reported speech: She said she loved playing the piano.
• Direct speech: “I am going to the grocery store,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to the grocery store.
• Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” the teacher asked. Reported speech: The teacher asked if he had finished his homework.
• Direct speech: “I want to go to the beach,” she said. Reported speech: She said she wanted to go to the beach.
• Direct speech: “Do you need help with that?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked if she needed help with that.
• Direct speech: “I can’t come to the party,” he said. Reported speech: He said he couldn’t come to the party.
• Direct speech: “Please don’t leave me,” she said. Reported speech: She begged him not to leave her.
• Direct speech: “I have never been to London before,” he said. Reported speech: He said he had never been to London before.
• Direct speech: “Where did you put my phone?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked where she had put her phone.
• Direct speech: “I’m sorry for being late,” he said. Reported speech: He apologized for being late.
• Direct speech: “I need some help with this math problem,” she said. Reported speech: She said she needed some help with the math problem.
• Direct speech: “I am going to study abroad next year,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to study abroad the following year.
• Direct speech: “Can you give me a ride to the airport?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked him to give her a ride to the airport.
• Direct speech: “I don’t know how to fix this,” he said. Reported speech: He said he didn’t know how to fix it.
• Direct speech: “I hate it when it rains,” she said. Reported speech: She said she hated it when it rained.

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Reported Speech – Rules, Examples

| Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

They say gossip is a natural part of human life. That’s why language has evolved to develop grammatical rules about the “he said” and “she said” statements. We call them reported speech.

Every time we use reported speech in English, we are talking about something said by someone else in the past. Thinking about it brings me back to high school, when reported speech was the main form of language!

Learn all about the definition, rules, and examples of reported speech as I go over everything. I also included a worksheet at the end of the article so you can test your knowledge of the topic.

What Does Reported Speech Mean?

Reported speech is a term we use when telling someone what another person said. You can do this while speaking or writing.

There are two kinds of reported speech you can use: direct speech and indirect speech. I’ll break each down for you.

A direct speech sentence mentions the exact words the other person said. For example:

• Kryz said, “These are all my necklaces.”

Indirect speech changes the original speaker’s words. For example:

• Kryz said those were all her necklaces.

When we tell someone what another individual said, we use reporting verbs like told, asked, convinced, persuaded, and said. We also change the first-person figure in the quotation into the third-person speaker.

Reported Speech Examples

We usually talk about the past every time we use reported speech. That’s because the time of speaking is already done. For example:

• Direct speech: The employer asked me, “Do you have experience with people in the corporate setting?”

Indirect speech: The employer asked me if I had experience with people in the corporate setting.

• Direct speech: “I’m working on my thesis,” I told James.

Indirect speech: I told James that I was working on my thesis.

Reported Speech Structure

A speech report has two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. Read the example below:

• Harry said, “You need to help me.”

The reporting clause here is William said. Meanwhile, the reported clause is the 2nd clause, which is I need your help.

What are the 4 Types of Reported Speech?

Aside from direct and indirect, reported speech can also be divided into four. The four types of reported speech are similar to the kinds of sentences: imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, and declarative.

Reported Speech Rules

The rules for reported speech can be complex. But with enough practice, you’ll be able to master them all.

Choose Whether to Use That or If

The most common conjunction in reported speech is that. You can say, “My aunt says she’s outside,” or “My aunt says that she’s outside.”

Use if when you’re reporting a yes-no question. For example:

• Direct speech: “Are you coming with us?”

Indirect speech: She asked if she was coming with them.

Verb Tense Changes

Change the reporting verb into its past form if the statement is irrelevant now. Remember that some of these words are irregular verbs, meaning they don’t follow the typical -d or -ed pattern. For example:

• Direct speech: I dislike fried chicken.

Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken.

Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form.

Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting. This verb tense also works if the report is something someone would repeat. For example:

• Slater says they’re opening a restaurant soon.
• Maya says she likes dogs.

This rule proves that the choice of verb tense is not a black-and-white question. The reporter needs to analyze the context of the action.

Move the tense backward when the reporting verb is in the past tense. That means:

• Present simple becomes past simple.
• Present perfect becomes past perfect.
• Present continuous becomes past continuous.
• Past simple becomes past perfect.
• Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous.

Here are some examples:

• The singer has left the building. (present perfect)

He said that the singers had left the building. (past perfect)

• Her sister gave her new shows. (past simple)
• She said that her sister had given her new shoes. (past perfect)

If the original speaker is discussing the future, change the tense of the reporting verb into the past form. There’ll also be a change in the auxiliary verbs.

• Will or shall becomes would.
• Will be becomes would be.
• Will have been becomes would have been.
• Will have becomes would have.

For example:

• Direct speech: “I will be there in a moment.”

Indirect speech: She said that she would be there in a moment.

Do not change the verb tenses in indirect speech when the sentence has a time clause. This rule applies when the introductory verb is in the future, present, and present perfect. Here are other conditions where you must not change the tense:

• If the sentence is a fact or generally true.
• If the sentence’s verb is in the unreal past (using second or third conditional).
• If the original speaker reports something right away.
• Do not change had better, would, used to, could, might, etc.

Changes in Place and Time Reference

Changing the place and time adverb when using indirect speech is essential. For example, now becomes then and today becomes that day. Here are more transformations in adverbs of time and places.

• This – that.
• These – those.
• Now – then.
• Here – there.
• Tomorrow – the next/following day.
• Two weeks ago – two weeks before.
• Yesterday – the day before.

Here are some examples.

• Direct speech: “I am baking cookies now.”

Indirect speech: He said he was baking cookies then.

• Direct speech: “Myra went here yesterday.”

Indirect speech: She said Myra went there the day before.

• Direct speech: “I will go to the market tomorrow.”

Indirect speech: She said she would go to the market the next day.

Using Modals

If the direct speech contains a modal verb, make sure to change them accordingly.

• Will becomes would
• Can becomes could
• Shall becomes should or would.
• Direct speech: “Will you come to the ball with me?”

Indirect speech: He asked if he would come to the ball with me.

• Direct speech: “Gina can inspect the room tomorrow because she’s free.”

Indirect speech: He said Gina could inspect the room the next day because she’s free.

However, sometimes, the modal verb should does not change grammatically. For example:

• Direct speech: “He should go to the park.”

Indirect speech: She said that he should go to the park.

Imperative Sentences

To change an imperative sentence into a reported indirect sentence, use to for imperative and not to for negative sentences. Never use the word that in your indirect speech. Another rule is to remove the word please . Instead, say request or say. For example:

• “Please don’t interrupt the event,” said the host.

The host requested them not to interrupt the event.

• Jonah told her, “Be careful.”
• Jonah ordered her to be careful.

Reported Questions

When reporting a direct question, I would use verbs like inquire, wonder, ask, etc. Remember that we don’t use a question mark or exclamation mark for reports of questions. Below is an example I made of how to change question forms.

• Incorrect: He asked me where I live?

Correct: He asked me where I live.

Here’s another example. The first sentence uses direct speech in a present simple question form, while the second is the reported speech.

• Where do you live?

She asked me where I live.

Wrapping Up Reported Speech

My guide has shown you an explanation of reported statements in English. Do you have a better grasp on how to use it now?

Reported speech refers to something that someone else said. It contains a subject, reporting verb, and a reported cause.

Don’t forget my rules for using reported speech. Practice the correct verb tense, modal verbs, time expressions, and place references.

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A Comprehensive Guide To Reported Speech In English

There are times when someone tells you something and you’ll have to report what they said to someone else.

How can you do this in English?

You’ll need to know how to use what's called reported speech in English and this is what you’ll learn in this blog post.

What Is Reported Speech In English?

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of retelling what someone else has said without repeating their exact words. 

For example, let’s say you have a friend called Jon and one called Mary. Mary has organised a house party and has invited you and Jon. 

Jon, however, is not feeling well. He says to you, “Sorry but I cannot come to the party. I spent all day working outside under the rain and I feel ill today.” 

A few days after the party, you meet Sarah. She’s another one of your friends and she was at the party too, but she arrived late – a moment before you left. You only had time to say hello to each other. 

She asks you, “I saw you at the party but I didn’t see Jon. Where was he?”

When Sarah asks you, “Where was Jon?” you can say, 

“Jon said, ‘Sorry but I cannot come to the party. I spent all day working outside under the rain and I feel ill today’.”

However, it would be more natural to use indirect speech in this case. So you would say, “Jon said he couldn’t come to the party. He had spent all day working outside under the rain and he felt ill that day .” 

Did you notice how the sentence changes in reported speech?

Here’s what happened:

• “I” became “he”
• “Cannot” became “couldn’t”
• “Spent” became “had spent”
• “I feel ill today” became “he felt ill on that day” 

Let’s take a closer look at how we form reported speech.

How To Form Reported Speech In English

To form reported speech, you might have to make a few changes to the original sentence that was spoken (or written). 

You may have to change pronouns, verb tenses, place and time expressions and, in the case of questions, the word order.

There are certain patterns to learn for reporting promises, agreements, orders, offers, requests, advice and suggestions.

Let’s have a look at all these cases one by one.

Reported Speech In English: Changing Verb Tenses

In general, when we use reported speech, the present tenses become past tenses.  

We do this because we are often reporting someone else’s words at a different time (Jon’s words were spoken 3 days before you reported them to Sarah).

Here’s an example:

Jenny (on Saturday evening) says,  “I don't like this place. I want to go home now.”(present tenses)

Matt (on Sunday morning) talks to James and says, “Jenny said that she didn't like the place, and she wanted to go home. (past tenses)

So this is how different verb tenses change:

Simple Present → Simple Past

DIRECT: I need money.

INDIRECT: She said she needed money.

Present Progressive → Past Progressive

DIRECT: My French is improving.

INDIRECT: He said his French was improving.

Present Perfect → Past Perfect

DIRECT: This has been an amazing holiday.

INDIRECT: She told me that it had been an amazing holiday.

What if there is a past simple form of the verb in direct speech? Well, in this case, it can stay the same in reported speech or you can change it to past perfect .

Past Simple → Past Simple Or Past Perfect

DIRECT: I didn’t go to work.

INDIRECT: Mary said that she didn’t go to work / Mary said that she hadn’t gone to work 

Past Perfect Tenses Do Not Change

DIRECT: I arrived late because I had missed the bus.

INDIRECT: He said he arrived (or had arrived) late because he had missed the bus.

Modal verbs like “can,” “may,” and “will” also change in reported speech.

Will → Would

DIRECT: The exam will be difficult.

INDIRECT: They said that the exam would be difficult.

Can → Could

DIRECT: I can’t be there.

INDIRECT: He told me he couldn’t be there.

May → Might

DIRECT: We may go there another time.

INDIRECT: They said they might go there another time.

However, past modal verbs don’t change (would, must, could, should, etc.) don’t change in reported speech.

DIRECT: It would be nice if we could go to Paris.

INDIRECT: He said it would be nice if we could go to Paris.

Here are some other examples:

So, in summary, 

• am/is → were
• do/does → did
• have/has → had
• had done → had done
• will → would
• can → could
• may → might
• could → could
• would → would
• like/love/buy/see → liked/loved/bought/saw or had liked/ had loved/had bought/had seen.

You make these verb tense shifts when you report the original words at a different time from when they were spoken. However, it is often also possible to keep the original speaker’s tenses when the situation is still the same.

For example, 

1. DIRECT: I am feeling sick.

   INDIRECT: She said she is feeling sick.

2. DIRECT: We have to leave now.

   INDIRECT: They said they have to leave now.

3. DIRECT: I will call you later.

   INDIRECT: He said he will call me later.

4. DIRECT: She is not coming to the party.

   INDIRECT: He said she is not coming to the party.

5. DIRECT: They are working on a new project.

   INDIRECT: She said they are working on a new project.

What about conditional sentences? How do they change in reported speech?

Sentences with “if” and “would” are usually unchanged.

DIRECT: It would be best if we went there early.

INDIRECT: He said it would be best if they went there early.

But conditional sentences used to describe unreal situations (e.g. second conditional or third conditional sentences) can change like this:

DIRECT: If I had more money I would buy a new car.

INDIRECT: She said if she had had more money, she would have bought a new car OR She said if she had more money, she would buy a new car.

Reported Speech In English: Changing Pronouns

In reported speech, because you’re reporting someone else’s words, there’s a change of speaker so this may mean a change of pronoun.

An example:

Jenny says,  “I don't like this place. I want to go home now.”

Matt says, “Jenny said that she didn't like the place, and she wanted to go home.” 

In this example, Jenny says “I” to refer to herself but Matt, talking about what Jenny said, uses “she”.

So the sentence in reported speech becomes:

• Jenny said that she didn’t like . . . ( not Jenny said that I didn’t like . . .)

Some other examples:

1 . DIRECT: I have been studying for hours.

   INDIRECT: He said he had been studying for hours.

2. DIRECT: I don’t like that movie.

   INDIRECT: She said she didn’t like that movie.

3. DIRECT: He doesn't like coffee.

   INDIRECT: She said he doesn't like coffee.

4. DIRECT: We have a new car.

   INDIRECT: They told me they had a new car.

5. DIRECT: We are going on vacation next week.

    INDIRECT: They said they are going on vacation next week.

Reported Speech In English: Place And Time Expressions

When you’re reporting someone’s words, there is often a change of place and time.  This may mean that you will need to change or remove words that are used to refer to places and time like “here,” “this,” “now,” “today,” “next,” “last,” “yesterday,” “tomorrow,” and so on. 

Check the differences in the following sentences:

DIRECT: I'll be back next month.

INDIRECT: She said she would be back the next month , but I never saw her again.

DIRECT: Emma got her degree last Tuesday.

INDIRECT: He said Emma had got her degree the Tuesday before.

DIRECT: I had an argument with my mother-in-law yesterday .

INDIRECT: He said he’d had an argument with his mother-in-law the day before .

DIRECT: We're going to have an amazing party tomorrow.

INDIRECT: They said they were going to have an amazing party the next day.

DIRECT: Meet me here at 10 am.

INDIRECT: He told me to meet him there at 10 am.

DIRECT: This restaurant is really good.

INDIRECT: She said that the restaurant was really good.

DIRECT: I'm going to the gym now.

INDIRECT: He said he was going to the gym at that time.

DIRECT: Today is my birthday.

INDIRECT: She told me that it was her birthday that day .

DIRECT: I'm leaving for Europe next week.

INDIRECT: She said she was leaving for Europe the following week.

Reported Speech In English: Word Order In Questions

What if you have to report a question? For example, how would you report the following questions?

• Where’s Mark?
• When are you going to visit your grandmother?
• What do I need to buy for the celebration?
• Where are your best friend and his wife staying?
• Do you like coffee?
• Can you sing?
• Who’s your best friend?
• What time do you usually wake up?
• What would you do if you won the lottery?
• Do you ever read nonfiction books?

In reported questions, the subject normally comes before the verb and auxiliary “do” is not used.

So, here is what happens when you're reporting a question:

DIRECT: Where’s Mark?

INDIRECT: I asked where Mark was. 

DIRECT: When are you going to visit your grandmother?

INDIRECT: He wanted to know when I was going to visit my grandmother.

DIRECT: What do I need to buy for the celebration?

INDIRECT: She asked what she needed to buy for the celebration.

DIRECT: Where are your best friend and his wife staying?

INDIRECT: I asked where his best friend and his wife were staying.

DIRECT: Do you like coffee?

INDIRECT: I asked if she liked coffee.

DIRECT: Can you sing?

INDIRECT: She asked me if I could sing.

DIRECT: Who’s your best friend?

INDIRECT: They asked me who my best friend was. 

DIRECT: What time do you usually wake up?

INDIRECT: She asked me what time I usually wake up.

DIRECT: What would you do if you won the lottery?

INDIRECT: He asked me what I would do if I won the lottery.

DIRECT: Do you ever read nonfiction books?

INDIRECT: She asked me if I ever read nonfiction books.

You might have noticed that question marks are not used in reported questions and you don’t use “say” or “tell” either.

Promises, Agreements, Orders, Offers, Requests & Advice

When you’re reporting these, you can use the following verbs + an infinitive:

Here are some examples:

DIRECT SPEECH: I’ll always love you.

PROMISE IN INDIRECT SPEECH: She promised to love me.

DIRECT SPEECH: OK, let’s go to the pub.

INDIRECT SPEECH: He agreed to come to the pub with me.

DIRECT SPEECH: Sit down!

INDIRECT SPEECH: They told me to sit down OR they ordered me to sit down.

DIRECT SPEECH: I can go to the post office for you.

INDIRECT SPEECH: She offered to go to the post office.

DIRECT SPEECH: Could I please have the documentation by tomorrow evening?

INDIRECT SPEECH: She requested to have the documentation by the following evening.

DIRECT SPEECH: You should think twice before giving him your phone number.

INDIRECT SPEECH: She advised me to think twice before giving him my phone number.

Reported Speech In English

All right! I hope you have a much clearer idea about what reported speech is and how it’s used. 

And the good news is that both direct and indirect speech structures are commonly used in stories, so why not try the StoryLearning method ? 

You'll notice this grammatical pattern repeatedly in the context of short stories in English.

Not only will this help you acquire it naturally, but you will also have a fun learning experience by immersing yourself in an interesting and inspiring narrative.

Have a wonderful time learning through books in English !

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Past Perfect: The Past Perfect (#3)

Bob said to Julie, "Did you eat earlier?" ---> Bob asked Julie if she  had eaten  earlier. Bob added, "I was hoping to have dinner with you." ---> Bob added (that) he  had been hoping  to have dinner with Julie. Julie said, "I'm sorry, but I've already eaten and I'm full." ---> Julie said (that) she  was  sorry but added that she  had already  eaten  and (that she)  was  full. Bob said, "I've been looking forward to having dinner with you." ---> Bob said (that)  he'd been looking forward  to having dinner with Julie. Julie said, "I'm sorry. I hadn't expected to see you." ---> Julie said (that) she  was  sorry and added that she hadn't expected  to see Bob. Bob said, "I'd been counting on seeing you." ---> Bob said (that)  he'd been counting on  seeing Julie. _________________________________________________ Special Notes: t. Julie said, "I can still go with you. I just won't eat." ---> Julie said (that) she  could  still go with Bob. She added that she just  wouldn't  eat. Bob said, "I would really appreciate that." ---> Bob said (that) he  would  really appreciate Julie's doing that. Bob added, "You shouldn't do that if you don't really want to."--> Bob said (that) Julie  shouldn't  do that if she didn't really want to." Bob thought, "Julie must really want to go out with me." ---> Bob thought (that) Julie  must  really want to go out with him. SPONSORED LINKS Looking for a way to promote your products and services on the #1 ESL Website on the Net? Advertise with ESL Cafe Now! Reported Speech in English Grammar Direct speech, changing the tense (backshift), no change of tenses, question sentences, demands/requests, expressions with who/what/how + infinitive, typical changes of time and place. Lingolia Plus English Introduction In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks , this is known as direct speech , or we can use indirect speech . In indirect speech , we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting verb or phrase such as ones below. Learn the rules for writing indirect speech in English with Lingolia’s simple explanation. In the exercises, you can test your grammar skills. Mandy is sitting in the café where James works. He tells her, “I work in this café almost every day. But yesterday I saw a famous TV presenter here for the first time. She was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting now.” A week later, Mandy is speaking to a friend on the phone, “I saw James at the café last week. He said that .” When turning direct speech into indirect speech, we need to pay attention to the following points: changing the pronouns Example: He said, “ I saw a famous TV presenter.” He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter. changing the information about time and place (see the table at the end of this page) Example: He said, “I saw a famous TV presenter here yesterday .” He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter there the day before . changing the tense (backshift) Example: He said, “She was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting .” He said (that) she had been eating an ice-cream at the table where I was sitting . If the introductory clause is in the simple past (e.g. He said ), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table). The term for this in English is backshift . direct speech indirect speech simple present simple past present progressive past progressive simple past past perfect simple present perfect simple past perfect simple past progressive past perfect progressive present perfect progressive past perfect progressive future (going to) was / were going to future (will) conditional (would) conditional (would) The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change. If the introductory clause is in the simple present , however (e.g. He says ), then the tense remains unchanged, because the introductory clause already indicates that the statement is being immediately repeated (and not at a later point in time). In some cases, however, we have to change the verb form. When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points: As in a declarative sentence, we have to change the pronouns, the time and place information, and set the tense back ( backshift ). Instead of that , we use a question word. If there is no question word, we use whether / if instead. Example: She asked him, “ How often do you work?” → She asked him how often he worked. He asked me, “Do you know any famous people?” → He asked me if/whether I knew any famous people. We put the subject before the verb in question sentences. (The subject goes after the auxiliary verb in normal questions.) Example: I asked him, “ Have you met any famous people before?” → I asked him if/whether he had met any famous people before. We don’t use the auxiliary verb do for questions in indirect speech. Therefore, we sometimes have to conjugate the main verb (for third person singular or in the simple past ). Example: I asked him, “What do you want to tell me?” → I asked him what he wanted to tell me. We put the verb directly after who or what in subject questions. Example: I asked him, “ Who is sitting here?” → I asked him who was sitting there. We don’t just use indirect questions to report what another person has asked. We also use them to ask questions in a very polite manner. When turning demands and requests into indirect speech, we only need to change the pronouns and the time and place information. We don’t have to pay attention to the tenses – we simply use an infinitive . If it is a negative demand, then in indirect speech we use not + infinitive . To express what someone should or can do in reported speech, we leave out the subject and the modal verb and instead we use the construction who/what/where/how + infinitive. direct speech indirect speech today that day now then at that moment/time yesterday the day before … days ago … days before last week the week before next year the following year tomorrow the next day the following day here there this that these those Say or Tell? The words say and tell are not interchangeable. say = say something tell = say something to someone How good is your English? Find out with Lingolia’s free grammar test Take the test! Maybe later REPORTED SPEECH – How can I use it correctly? In today’s blog we are going to look at how you can use this correctly. Below I’ve broken down everything for you in a step by step manner. There are examples with info graphics, and I’ve included my YouTube video lesson for all my visual learners as well. Let’s get started! Reported Speech comes from Direct Speech. Direct Speech is exactly what someone says . Reported Speech is repeating someone else’s words . Let’s look at 2 examples: Professor Albert: Direct Speech Students : Reported Speech. They are reporting Professor Albert’s words. Trainer: Direct Speech. Student: Reported Speech. Brenda is reporting her trainer’s words. SAY and TELL are reporting verbs. We need these two verbs to report other people’s words. SAY + (that): Amy said (that) she loved horses. SAY + to + object + (that): Amy said to me (that) she loved horses. TELL + object + (that): Amy told me (that) she loved horses. (that) is optional. COMMON MISTAKES! Amy said me that she loved horses. ☑Amy told me that she loved horses. Eric said Jack about his holiday. ☑Eric told Jack about his holiday. My dad told to me that he was going to visit next week. ☑My dad said to me that he was going to visit next week. SAY or TELL? How can I use these verbs correctly? Tense Change in Reported Speech When you use reported speech, many times the verb from direct speech changes. Think about the verb going one step backwards. Present Simple → Past Simple Direct Speech: I eat a lot of fruit. Reported Speech: Mary said that she ate a lot of fruit. / Mary told me that she ate a lot of fruit. Present Continuous → Past Continuous  Direct Speech: Our English is improving . Reported Speech: My students said that their English was improving . / My students told me that their English was improving.  Present Perfect → Past Perfect Direct Speech: I have been to France many times. Reported Speech: Gary said that he had been to France many times. / Gary told me that he had been to France many times. Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous Direct Speech: I’ ve been working out a lot lately. Reported Speech: My sister said that she had been working out  a lot lately. / My sister told me that she had been working out a lot lately. Past Simple → Past Perfect  Direct Speech: I bought a new car. Reported Speech: Jessica said that she that she had bought a new car. / Jessica told me that she had bought a new car. Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous Direct Speech: I was working as a chef. Reported Speech: Max said that he had been working as a chef. / Max told me that he had been working as a chef. Past Perfect → Past Perfect (It stays the same!) Direct Speech: I had gone to work. Reported Speech: Carla said that she had gone to work. / Carla told me that she had gone to work. Past Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous (It stays the same!)  Direct Speech: We had been agonizing over our mortgage for months. Reported Speech: Our neighbours said that they had been agonizing over their mortgage for months. / My neighbours told us that they had been agonizing over their mortgage for months. Future Simple (WILL) → Would  Direct Speech: You will be famous one day. Reported Speech: Rebecca said that I would be famous one day. / Rebecca told me that I would be famous one day. Modal Verb Tense Change Can → could . Direct Speech: I can help you later. Reported Speech: My teacher said that she could help me later. / My teacher told me that she could help me later. (Possibility) May → Might  Direct Speech: I may go out later. I’m not sure. Reported Speech: George said that he might go out later. / George told me that he might go out later. (Possibility) Might → Might (It stays the same!)  Direct Speech: I might watch a Star Wars film later. Reported Speech: My flatmate said that she might watch a Star Wars film later. / My flatmate told me that she might watch a Star Wars film later. (Obligation) Must → Had to Direct Speech: Everyone must be here by 7 a.m. tomorrow. Reported Speech: Our boss said that we had to be here by 7 a.m. tomorrow. / Our boss told us that we had to be here by 7 a.m. tomorrow. Should → Should (It stays the same!) Direct Speech: You look tired Ramiro. You should sleep. Reported Speech: My girlfriend said that I should sleep. / My girlfriend told me that I should sleep. Would → Would (It stays the same!) Direct Speech: It would be nice to see you later. Reported Speech: Sarah said that it would be nice to see me later. / Sarah told me that it would be nice to see me later. We DO NOT need to change the verb form if the information is STILL TRUE NOW. So, remember earlier: You can also say: Mary said that she eats a lot of fruit. (This information is still true now.)  Direct Speech: Our English is improving. Reported Speech: My students said that their English was improving. / My students told me that their English was improving. You can also say: My students said that their English is improving. (This information is still true now.)  This is a lot of information to remember. This list is in my Free Library! Subscribe for the password:  Yes, I want a list of this grammar Thank you so much for reading! I hope you found it helpful. Don’t forget to check out my youtube channel ,  instagram ,   facebook  and  other blogs., see you next time arnel , related posts. Advanced Writing Masterclass: Mastering Transition Words Should and Ought To – English Grammar Lesson Adverb Clauses – where, when, how, why Privacy Policy Stack Exchange Network Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Q&A for work Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Past simple and past perfect in reported speech “I joined the company three years ago.” Mr. Jones said yesterday that he joined the company three years ago. “I joined the company exactly three years ago, to the day. ” Mr. Jones said yesterday that he had joined the company exactly three years before, to the day. Can somebody explained the difference in terms of meaning between these 2 different reported sentences. What does it mean to the day .Why in one sentence past simple is correct (same time frame) and why in the second it is not (different time frame)so past perfect is needed how ever both are said" yesterday" past-perfect reported-speech 2 Answers 2 The basic rule for tense shift in reported speech is" 1 Present tense becomes past tense 2 Past tense becomes past perfect 3 Future tense becomes conditional tense Direct speech: I do - reported speech: He said he did I did - He said he had done I'll do - He said he would do In the first example the situation is still valid so no need to backshift whereas in the second it is not true so backshift is necessary. @5577, You cannot answer your question here. –  Khan Commented Feb 16, 2016 at 13:49 1 @Khan, I'm sure you're aware that a user can answer his or her own question on ELL, or any of the communities on Stack Exchange. This is solely intended to help others with the same question, in a situation where the OP himself did a lot of research and came up with the most suitable answer, possibly when other answers couldn't really solve the problem explained in the original post. There is even a badge given to those who answer their own questions. –  Varun Nair Commented Feb 16, 2018 at 12:36 However, this isn't an answer, but a comment and it shouldn't be posted as an answer. –  Varun Nair Commented Feb 16, 2018 at 12:37 You must log in to answer this question. Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged past-perfect reported-speech .. Featured on Meta Introducing an accessibility dashboard and some upcoming changes to display... 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Reported speech – Simple Past – Sentences – Exercise Task no. 2333. Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary. Layla, "They landed on a little island." Layla said (that)   Layla said (that) they had landed on a little island . Do you need help? Reported speech Emma, "The train left at eight." Emma said (that) . Sophia, "Dan forgot his keys." Sophia said (that) . Alexander, "I had a meeting at four." Alexander remarked (that) . Jackson and Leo, "We visited Aunt Elisabeth." Jackson and Leo said (that) . Mum, "William repaired the printer." Mum remarked (that) . Toby, "Jeff didn't like the food in the restaurant." Toby mentioned (that) . Hannah, "I walked to the museum." Hannah told me (that) . Nick, "She went home late." Nick said (that) . Alisha, "Lucas lost my money." Alisha told me (that) . Dad, "Emily didn't eat potatoes as a child." Dad told me (that) . You are here: Grammar Exercises Reported Speech English Grammar Reported Speech Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic. Table of Contents Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech. Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message. Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is. Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.” Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively. The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker. You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said) You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly. Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech. Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work. I He, she Me Him, her We They Us Them You He, she, they You Him, her, them My His, her Mine His, hers Our Their Ours Theirs Your His, her, their Yours His, hers, theirs This That These Those Here There Now Then Today That day Tomorrow The next day / The following day Yesterday The previous day Tonight That night Last week The week before Next week The week after Last month The previous month Next month The following month Last year The previous year Next year The following year Ago Before Thus So Simple Present Example: Preethi said, “I cook pasta.” Simple Past Example: Preethi said that she cooked pasta. Present Continuous Example: Preethi said, “I am cooking pasta.” Past Continuous Example: Preethi said that she was cooking pasta. Present Perfect Example: Preethi said, “I have cooked pasta.” Past Perfect Example: Preethi said that she had cooked pasta. Present Perfect Example: Preethi said, “I have been cooking pasta.” Past Perfect Continuous Example: Preethi said that she had been cooking pasta. Simple Past Example: Preethi said, “I cooked pasta.” Past Perfect Example: Preethi said that she had cooked pasta. Past Continuous Example: Preethi said, “I was cooking pasta.” Past Perfect Continuous Example: Preethi said that she had been cooking pasta. Past Perfect Example: Preethi said, “I had cooked pasta.” Past Perfect (No change) Example: Preethi said that she had cooked pasta. Past Perfect Continuous Example: Preethi said, “I had been cooking pasta.” Past Perfect Continuous (No change) Example: Preethi said that she had been cooking pasta. Will Would May Might Can Could Shall Should Has/Have Had Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech. Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech. Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech. Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech. Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out. Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl. Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations. Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were. The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition. Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m. Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day. Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station. Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch. The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately. Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature. Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes. 1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.” 2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?” 3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.” 4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!” 5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.” 6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?” 7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.” 8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.” 9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.” 10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.” Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly. 1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day. 2. Mahesh asked what he was doing. 3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit. 4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie. 5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month. 6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations. 7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me. 8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day. 9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore. 10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles. What is reported speech? What is the definition of reported speech. Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.” What is the formula of reported speech? You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said) Give some examples of reported speech. Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. ENGLISH Related Links Leave a Comment Cancel reply Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked * Request OTP on Voice Call Post My Comment Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs Register with byju's & watch live videos. Reported speech Tense changes in reported speech Indirect speech (reported speech) focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words.  In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command. Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I  am  tired." = She said that she  was  tired. Phrase in Direct Speech Equivalent in Reported Speech "I always   coffee", she said She said that she always   coffee. "I   a book", he explained. He explained that he   a book "Bill   on Saturday", he said. He said that Bill   on Saturday. "I   to Spain", he told me. He told me that he   to Spain. "I   the light," he explained. He explained that he   the light. They complained, "We   for hours". They complained that they   for hours. "We   in Paris", they told me. They told me that they   in Paris. "I   in Geneva on Monday", he said. He said that he   in Geneva on Monday. She said, "  the car next Friday". She said that she   the car next Friday. You do not need to change the tense if the reporting verb is in the present, or if the original statement was about something that is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense) , e.g. He says  he has missed  the train but  he'll catch  the next one. We explained that  it is  very difficult to find our house. Direct speech: The sky is blue. Reported speech: She said (that) the sky  is/was  blue. These modal verbs do not change in reported speech:  might, could, would, should, ought to : We explained, "It  could  be difficult to find our house." = We explained that it  could  be difficult to find our house. She said, "I  might  bring a friend to the party." = She said that she  might  bring a friend to the party. Course Curriculum Direct and indirect speech 15 mins Tense changes in reported speech 20 mins Changing time and place in reported speech 20 mins Reported questions 20 mins Reporting verbs 20 mins Reporting orders and requests 15 mins Reporting hopes, intentions and promises 20 mins CEFR text analysis tool past perfect simple (report of statements) Point 75 in the category of PAST is defined as: Past perfect simple to report statements, where the main verb in the reporting clause is in the past simple. *This point overlaps B1. So we might surmise that ‘said’ and ‘told’ are B1 and other reporting verbs might be B2 within this structure. A search in iWeb for: _vvd * * had _vvn 5 ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD ENTERED 140 ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD SIGNED 21 ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD REACHED 68 28 ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD ACQUIRED 62 30 ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD RECEIVED 54 38 REPORTED THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED 48 96 CONFIRMED THAT IT HAD RECEIVED 30 125 CLAIMED THAT HE HAD SEEN 25 146 MENTIONED THAT HE HAD SEEN 23 156 STATED THAT HE HAD MADE 22 171 REPENTED THAT HE HAD MADE 20 176 CONFESSED THAT HE HAD KILLED 20 185 TESTIFIED THAT THEY HAD SEEN 20 195 EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD COME 19 202 REVEALED THAT SHE HAD SUFFERED 19 247 ADDED THAT HE HAD SPOKEN 16 248 ADMITTED THAT HE HAD USED 16 264 WROTE THAT HE HAD RECEIVED 16 272 INDICATED THAT THEY HAD USED 15 Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Reported Speech Exercise 5 Perfect english grammar. Review reported statments, questions, orders and requests Download this quiz in PDF here More reported speech exercises here Hello! I'm Seonaid! I'm here to help you understand grammar and speak correct, fluent English. Read more about our learning method Reported speech past perfect Ss have to report others' speech Loading ad... Google Classroom Microsoft Teams Download PDF Direct and Indirect of Past Perfect Tense We talked about direct and indirect of past progressive tense , in the lesson below I am going to elaborate direct and indirect of past perfect tense. You will learn how to convey a message of someone from past perfect tense. Affirmative, negative, interrogative and negative interrogative sentences along with examples. For direct and indirect speech complete rules click: Direct and indirect speech complete rules Tense Change: As a rule, whenever we change a sentence from quoted speech into reported speech, we go one tense back. But if we have past perfect tense in direct speech, we use the same tense in indirect speech. Affirmatives Direct speech: RP, +, + S + had + V3 + ROTS I said to him, “They had played cricket.” Indirect speech: RP + that + S + had + V3 + ROTS I told him that they had played cricket. Direct speech: RP +, + S + had not + V3 + ROTS He said to me, “We hadn’t played cricket.” Indirect speech: RP + that + S + had not + V3 + ROTS He told me that they hadn`t played cricket. Interrogatives Direct speech: RP +, + had + S + V3 + ROTS He asked, “Had you finished playing cricket before the rain started? Indirect speech: RP + whether/if + S + had + V3 + ROTS He asked me whether/if we had finished playing cricket before the rain started. Negative interrogatives Direct speech: RP +, + had not + S + V3 + ROTS He asked, “Hadn`t you finished playing cricket before the rain started?” Indirect speech: RP + if + S + had not + V3 + ROTS He asked me if we hadn’t finished playing cricket before the rain started. WH/Information questions Direct speech: RP +, + WH + had + S + V3 + ROTS She asked, “Who had you played cricket with before the rain stared?” Indirect speech: RP + WH + had + S + V3 + ROTS She wanted to know who I had played cricket with before the rain started. Check out Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises With Answers If you would like to know more about direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech, check out more in the book below. Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Related posts How to use adverb clause of reason/ cause, adverb clause of supposition or concession exercises, indefinite pronoun exercises with answers, leave a comment cancel reply. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. school Campus Bookshelves menu_book Bookshelves perm_media Learning Objects login Login how_to_reg Request Instructor Account hub Instructor Commons Margin Size Download Page (PDF) Download Full Book (PDF) Periodic Table Physics Constants Scientific Calculator Reference & Cite Tools expand_more Readability selected template will load here This action is not available. 2.2: Simple Past vs Present Perfect Last updated Save as PDF Page ID 273138 \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \) \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) ( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\) \( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\) \( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\) \( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \) \( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \) \( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \) \( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \) Simple Past vs. Present Perfect SIMPLE PAST A verb in the expresses that an activity, event or state began and ended in the past. Adverbs such as and make clear that the activity is pinned to a time in the past. See . COMPLETED IN PAST Construction on the Tower of Pisa in 1173. Builders a third story in 1185. Then, it to lean. It 5.5º before the renovation. It only 3.99º after the renovation. The soil foundation under the tower in 1185. Officials the tower during the 1990s. The tower was in 2001. PRESENT PERFECT "UP TO NOW" A verb in the present perfect may express that an activity began in the past and continued up to the present (and may extend into the future.) Adverbs and make clear this past-to-present timing. FROM PAST TO PRESENT MOMENT The Tower of Pisa to the south since its third story was added in 1178. It has continued to lean . Its lean has remained unchanged . Engineers gradually the lean by 14 centimeters . The Leaning Tower of Pisa any farther The project $30,000,000 . fail (V) – lose strength, become weak lean (V) – to be at an angle that is not upright at 90º; lean (N) the difference in degrees from the upright 90º angle. foundation (N) – the base upon which something sits "The Leaning Tower of Pisa." towerofpisa.org/tower-of-pisa-historical-facts/ Exercise 1: Correct or Incorrect Decide whether the tense use is correct or incorrect Select your response correct or incorrect . Top of Form 1. The Tower of Pisa was the center of attention since a long time ago. Correct Incorrect 2. For the people of Pisa, the tower has been a slightly imperfect bell tower to their cathedral. Correct Incorrect 3. For the Germans during World War II, the tower have been an observation tower and a landmark that deserved protection from bombing. Correct Incorrect 4. For architects over the past 600 years, the tower is an example of excellent 11th century design, which unfortunately was placed on a bad foundation. Correct Incorrect 5. For tourists today, the tower has been a reminder that people make mistakes and that some are very beautiful! Correct Incorrect Simple Past vs Present Perfect from Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International Contrasting Present Perfect and Simple Past Read the sentences below. In which sentence is the action finished? I have called two senators about climate change so far I called two senators about climate change last week The action is finished in the second sentence. "Called" is simple past. In the first sentence, the tense is present perfect, "has called." The author might call another senator in the future Read the sentences below. In which sentence is the time definite (known)? Have you ever studied geology? I studied geology in college The time is definite (known) in the second sentence. "Studied" is simple past. In the first sentence, the tense is present perfect. The speaker wants to know about your studies of geology at any time in the past The simple past is used for finished actions at a definite time... He wrote three articles about climate change last year I read one article last night The present perfect is used for unfinished actions or actions that take place in the indefinite past He has written letters to his senators every month (and he will continue this month) I have already read the article (the time when this happened is not important) Simple Past and Present Perfect Usage Past and present reference. One way of thinking about the difference in use is to think of the names of the tenses themselves: Simple Past is used for something which is past and finished with, while Present Perfect is used when we are talking about a past event which has some sort of connection with, or effect on, the present. If I say - I went to Paris last year , I am referring to a specific visit which is finished and done with, when certain things may have happened. But if I simply say - I've been to Paris , the time is not important. What is important is that I have experienced Paris to some extent. I now know how crowded the Louvre can be; what the view from Montmartre is like, how smart the street cleaning trucks are, and so on. If I say - I locked myself out of the house yesterday , it sounds as though that's all in the past, and that everything is OK now, and I can get back in. But if I say - I've locked myself out of the house , it means I still haven't found my keys, with the very real present result that, for the time being at least, I can't get into my house. Summary of Present Perfect and Simple Past Uses The main uses of present perfect. To talk about single or repeated events which have or haven't happened: at an unspecified time in the past - the fact that something has happened is more important than when it happened - The human race has come a long way in the (very) recent past - especially with adverbs like just, yet, already etc in the current time period - today, this year etc during our lifetime up until now - especially with words like ever and never . during a specified period up until now - especially with for and since The main uses of Simple Past To talk about single or repeated events which happened or didn't happen: at a specified time in the past - yesterday, last year, when he was a child etc about people who are no longer alive or situations which are obviously in the past - Dickens wrote a lot of novels. The Romans built a lot of roads. during a period which is finished - especially with for . Time reference When we use Simple Past, we usually given a specific past time reference. We sometimes do this with Present Perfect as well, so the first thing we need to do is to sort out what are past time references and what are present time references. past present 1. two days ago 2. this morning (it is now 11am) 3. this morning (it is now 3pm) 4. yesterday 5. today 6. last year / month / week 7. in the last year / month / week 8. at Christmas 9. on my birthday 10. since last year 11. last night 12. when he was a child 13. in 2008 14. since 2008 15. five minutes ago 16. in the last five minutes 17. then 18. once upon a time 19. lately 20. during the summer (it is now December) A note on past and current time periods Expressions like yesterday, last week and the year before are sometimes referred to as past time periods, while today and this week are referred to as current time periods. We usually use Simple Past with past time periods and Present Perfect with present time periods. But these are flexible. For example, if it's one o'clock and I haven't had lunch yet, I might consider that it's still morning, so I might use Present Perfect and say - I haven't had any coffee this morning , even though technically 'this morning' has finished. Conversely when I get home, although it's still 'today', I probably consider my working day to be over and I might use Simple Past and say - I had so much work to do today. We use so far to mean up until now in a period that is not yet finished. It is often used with numbers or amounts, which we could reasonably expect to increase by the end of the given period; or with situations that could change later. We've sold ten contracts so far this week. (and we hope to sell some more) So far today, I've had 50 emails. (and no doubt I'll get more) We've had no replies so far. (but there's still time) How much have you done so far? (I don't expect you to have finished yet) Have you enjoyed it so far? (you might change your mind later) Last week etc and the last week etc Careful with time expressions like last week / month / year etc and the last week / month / year etc. They sound similar, but have different meanings and take different tenses: last week - the previous Monday to Sunday (or however you define your week) - I read three books last week - Simple Past the last week - the seven days up until and including today - I've read four books in the last week. - Present Perfect The expression the past week has the same meaning as the last week - I've read four books in the past week. Plural expressions such as in the last / past few weeks are also used with Present Perfect. Exercise 2 - Simple Past or Present Perfect? Use the verbs in the box in the correct tense to fill the gaps. Use contractions after pronouns. 1. We ____________________ to the zoo last Tuesday.   2. The property company ____________________ six houses this week.   3. ____________________ Jack in the last hour or so? (you)   4. Yes. I think I ____________________ him before lunch.   5. So far, the concert ____________________ really good.   6. Last week I____________________ about 600 miles.   7. In the last few years, the company____________________ from strength to strength.   8. Your telephone ____________________ a minute or so ago.   9. I ____________________ three model airplanes this morning and it isn't even noon yet.   10. We ____________________ the beach almost every day this summer so far.   11. They____________________ with us for Christmas.   12. I ____________________ to him in the pub a couple of times in the last year or so.   Recent Past - things you've done or haven't done recently We use Present Perfect to talk about things we've done or haven't done recently, usually with some sort of result in the present. We often use these adverbs: just, already, yet, still, at last Exercise 3 - Fill the gaps by entering the adverbs in the box. Each one is used twice. yet · already · still · just · at last 1. I've ____________ finished that book you lent me. It was really great!   2. Have you seen that new film ____________ . Everyone's talking about it.   3. You ____________ haven't answered my question. When is your exam?   4. You don't need to do the dishes; I've ____________ done them.   5. She's finished with the computer ____________ . I've been waiting for ages.   6. I'm sorry but I haven't spoken to Davis about your project ____________ .   7. Well, that's that done. ____________ I can go home.   8. I've ____________ told you a hundred times. Don't do that to the cat!   9. Your Dad's ____________ been on the phone. He wants you to meet him at the station.   10. It's 9am and you ____________haven't got up! Come on, rise and shine.   Recently, Lately The adverbs recently and lately have very similar meanings. To my mind, recently is a bit more immediate than lately . And we seem to use lately especially for longer actions - I've been reading a lot of her books lately . Also, I don't think we use lately after a verb in Simple Past, except for the construction - it was only lately that ... ) Note - just, recently Although recently is usually used with Present Perfect, it can also be used with Simple Past. And the same is true of just , although sometimes the meaning can change slightly. Exercise 4 - Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets, in either Present Perfect or Simple Past. Include any other words given in the brackets. use contractions for negatives. 1. I ___________ him leaving just as I arrived. (see)   2. Look who ___________ into the room. (just / come)   3. I _______________ her quite recently at a friend's party. (meet)   4. There ________________ a lot about it in the news lately. (be)   5. We ________________ much of them recently. (not see)   6. I ________________ to him about it just the other day. (speak)   7. He ________________ to see us lately. (not be)   8. She ________________ at the cookie factory until fairly recently. (work)   In Your Lifetime up until Now We often use Present Perfect without specifying a time - Have you seen 'The Rocky Horror Show'? - and when asking how often somebody has done something - How many times has your mother seen 'The Sound of Music'? - meaning during their lifetime up till now. We often use these adverbs: Exercise 5 - Paul and Jenny are at a party on a boat on the River Thames in London. Complete their conversation by entering one word in each gap. The answers include not only the adverbs above, but some other words as well. P: Hello, my name's Paul. Haven't we met __________ , somewhere?   J: I think we __________ , yes. What a noise that helicopter's making.   P: Have you __________ flown in a helicopter?   J: Only __________ . It was a birthday present. How about you?   P: No,__________ . But I have been in a glider. That was fun.   J: Now that is one of those many things I've__________ done. Ever.   P: And how __________ have you flown on commercial flights?   J: Oh, lots of __________ . But only on holiday.   P: And have you__________ had a bad experience when flying?   J: No. At least not__________ , touch wood.   P: __________ have I, thankfully.   J: And have you been on this boat __________ ?   P: Yes, I __________ , in fact. I came to a party here last year.   J: This is my first time. I've __________ been on any of these Thames boats until now.   P: Oh, isn't that Mary Johnson. I've seen her on TV a __________ times.   J: Yes, that's right. Have you __________ seen her show 'Cook it right'?   P: Yes, I have, but not very __________ . I'm usually working then.   J: I think I've probably __________ seen episode. I'm a big fan.   P: I've never actually seen a TV personality in the flesh __________ .   J: Well you have __________ . And she's coming over to speak to us.   Note - never Note that although we usually use never with Present Perfect, it can also be used with Simple Past - All the time he lived here, he never came to see us once. Discussing Experiences with Present Perfect and Simple Past. We often use Present Perfect to ask somebody generally about an experience, and then switch to Simple Past when we start talking about specifics. Exercise 6 - Complete these conversations with the verb given in brackets in Present Perfect or Simple Past. If no verb is given, enter a short answer or question tag. Use contractions in negatives and after pronouns. Conversation 1 A ___________________ (you meet) my friend Candy? B Yes I ________ . We (meet) at a party back in August. B Oh, I think I ________________ (be) at that party, too. Conversation 2 A Oh, no. I ________________ (lose) my car keys. B Are you sure? When ________________ (you see) them last? A I just remember that I ________________ (put) them down somewhere. B It's OK, I ________________ (find) them. Here you are. They (be) on that table over there. Conversation 3 A You ________________ (just come) back from Mexico, you? B Yes, we ________________ (get) back a couple of days ago. It________________ (be) absolutely wonderful. A Where ________________ (you go)? B We ________________ most of the time in the South, near Oaxaca. A What________________ (you like) most about Mexico? B It ________________ (be) the natural history that______________ (impress) us most. We ________________ (not be) anywhere with such diversity of flora and fauna before. Conversation 4 A ________________ (you ever visit) the Czech Republic? B No, but we________________ (go) to Slovakia last year. That's just next door. A Oh I ________________ (never be) in Slovakia. What ________________ (be) your holiday like? B Great. We ________________ (stay) most of the time in the High Tatras, it's really beautiful, and the people________________ (be) really friendly. In fact, we ___________________(decide) to go back again, next year. Past and Present Reference from Random Idea English is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License . 346 IMAGES How to Use Reported Speech in English Reported Speech Reported Speech: Past Simple to Past Perfect by The Linguistic Artist Reported speech past perfect worksheet PPT reported speech rules table COMMENTS Reported Speech Learn how to use reported speech with clear explanations and lots of exercises. Perfect English Grammar helps you master grammar skills. Simple Past to Past Perfect English online reported speech exercises with answers. All direct and indirect speech exercises free and with help function, teaching materials and grammar rules. Reported Speech Exercises Lots of reported speech exercises - practise using free interactive quizzes. What is Reported Speech and How to Use It? with Examples Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker's exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions. Reported Speech For example: Direct speech: I dislike fried chicken. Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken. Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form. Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting. Reported Speech Exercise 9 Reported Statements 3 (Past Simple) Make reported statements. Remember, with the past simple you can change to the past perfect or keep to the past simple. In this exercise you should change to the past perfect. Start each sentence with 'he told me'. It's the same day, so you don't need to change the time expressions. Reported Speech In English: The Ultimate Guide What if there is a past simple form of the verb in direct speech? Well, in this case, it can stay the same in reported speech or you can change it to past perfect. Past Perfect: The Past Perfect (#3) The Past Perfect Tense #3: Uses (#2) The past perfect tense is used in several different ways. One of the most common ones happens when there are. two past actions and one happened before the other: the past perfect tense is used for the first (earlier) action. Another common use for the past perfect is in indirect. (reported) speech. PDF Lesson 35 Reported Speech. Greg: "I am cooking dinner Maya.". Maya: "Greg said he was cooking dinner.". So most often, the reported speech is going to be in the past tense, because the original statement, will now be in the past! *We will learn about reporting verbs in part 2 of this lesson, but for now we will just use said/told. Reported Speech in English Grammar In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. In reported speech, we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Learn all about reported speech in English with Lingolia, then test your knowledge in the interactive exercises. REPORTED SPEECH Reported Speech: Carla said that she had gone to work. / Carla told me that she had gone to work. Past Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous (It stays the same!) Direct Speech: We had been agonizing over our mortgage for months. Reported Speech: Our neighbours said that they had been agonizing over their mortgage for months. Past simple and past perfect in reported speech 1 Present tense becomes past tense. 2 Past tense becomes past perfect. 3 Future tense becomes conditional tense. Direct speech: I do - reported speech: He said he did. I did - He said he had done. I'll do - He said he would do. Share. Improve this answer. answered Feb 16, 2016 at 8:32. Reported speech Sentences in Reported speech in the Simple Past in English in an Online Exercise Reported Speech Reported Speech: In this article, you will be introduced to reported speech, its meaning and definition, how and when to use it. You can also check out the examples given for a much better understanding of reported speech. Tense changes in reported speech In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command. Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: past perfect simple (report of statements) B2, PAST, perfect, REPORTED SPEECH, simple, statements. Point 75 in the category of PAST is defined as: Past perfect simple to report statements, where the main verb in the reporting clause is in the past simple. *This point overlaps B1. So we might surmise that 'said' and 'told' are B1 and other reporting verbs might be B2 within this ... Reported Speech Past to Past Perfect worksheet This is a worksheet on reported speech going from past to past perfect. It includes time and place changes. Reported Speech Exercise 5 Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 2 Make reported speech. Start all your answers with 'she', and use the past simple of 'ask', 'say' or 'tell'. It's the same day, so you don't need to change the time expressions. Reported speech past perfect worksheet 28/05/2021. Country code: CO. Country: Colombia. School subject: English as a Second Language (ESL) (1061958) Main content: Reported speech (2013113) From worksheet author: Ss have to report others' speech. Direct and Indirect of Past Perfect Tense We talked about direct and indirect of past progressive tense, in the lesson below I am going to elaborate direct and indirect of past perfect tense. You will learn how to convey a message of someone from past perfect tense. Affirmative, negative, interrogative and negative interrogative sentences along with examples. 2.2: Simple Past vs Present Perfect Simple Past vs Present Perfect from Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International Contrasting Present Perfect and Simple Past Read the sentences below. essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis