Level 3 Unit 1 - Reported speech: Present into past

Complete the sentences.


Fill in all the gaps, then press "Check" to check your answers. Use the "Hint" button to get a free letter.

Reported (Indirect) speech.

When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked, complained ...) you usually have to change the tense
(There are some exceptions but if you change the tense it is always correct).

Notice that, in the affirmative and the negative the word "that" is optional in simple sentences.

Simple present:

"I live in London" = John said (that) he lived in London.

"I don't drink wine." = Mary told me (that) she didn't drink wine.

"Do you have a cat?" = John asked me if I had a cat.

Present progressive:

"We're opening a new shop soon." = They told us (that) they were opening a new shop soon.

"I'm not coming to your party." = She told me (that) she wasn't coming to my party.

"When are you having the next meeting?" = They asked us when we were having the next meeting.

"Going to" future:

"You are going to regret your decision!" = He said I was going to regret my decision.

"We're going to move house as soon as possible." = They said they were going to move house as soon as possible.

"We're not going to buy a new car." = John said they were not going to buy a new car.

"What are you going to do?" = Mary asked me what I was going to do.

Use these as models to do the exercise opposite.


















1 "I like my tea with lots of sugar."
Peter said (that) tea with lots of sugar.

2 "We are working on the problem."
The maintenance team said (that) on the problem.

3 "You're sitting on my hat!"
Sue said (that) I on her hat.

4 "Joan always arrives late for work."
The boss complained (that) late for work.

5 "I often see rare birds on the park lake."
John's a bird-watcher. He told me (that) rare birds on the park lake.

6 "I´m going to complain to the management."
George said (that) to the management.

7 "We don't like canned food."
John and Mary said (that) canned food.

8 "We're not having a holiday this year."
The Smiths told me (that) a holiday this year.

9 "Do you take milk in your tea?"
The waitress asked me if milk in my tea.

10 "My wife is wonderful about my travelling and always meets me at the airport when I get back from a trip."
Peter said (that) his wife wonderful and that at the airport when back from a trip.

11 "I'm not leaving until the weekend."
Jim told me (that) until the weekend.

12 "What are you working on at the moment?"
The Boss asked Peter what on at the moment.

13 "What are you doing at the weekend?"
Henry asked us what at the weekend.

14 "Where do you buy your wine?"
George asked Elisabeth where wine.

15 "Why don't you fly to New York."
Henry asked me why to New York.