Reported Speech Exercise
Reported Speech Exercise
Reported speech refers to using a noun clause to report what someone has said. No quotation
marks are used. Notice the changes in the verb forms from quoted speech to reported speech in the
following examples.
Quoted Speech Reported Speech
a) She said, “I watch TV every day.” She said (that) she watched TV everyday
b) She said, “I am watching TV.” She said she was watching TV.
c) She said, “I have watched TV.” She said she had watched TV.
d) She said, “I watched TV.” She said she had watched TV.
e) She said, “I will watch TV.” She said she would watch TV.
f) She said, “I am going to watch TV.” She said she was going to watch TV.
g) She said, “I can watch TV.” She said she could watch TV.
h) She said, “I may watch TV.” She said she might watch TV.
i) She said, “I might watch TV.” She said she might watch TV.
j) She said, “I have to watch TV.” She said she had to watch TV.
k) She said, “I should watch TV.” She said she should watch TV.
l) She said, “I ought to watch TV.” She said she ought to watch TV.
m) She said, “Watch TV.” She told me to watch TV.
n) She said, “Don’t watch TV.” She said not to watch TV.
o) She said, “Do you watch TV?” She asked me if I watch TV.
Note:
*Sometimes the present tense is retained even in formal English when the reported sentence deals
with general truth: She said that the world is round.