read the conversation and write the reported speech

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Reported Speech: Dialogue Writing Practice Questions CBSE Class 10 Grammar

• Post last modified: 25 February 2024
• Post category: Grammar Exercises / School Grammar

Reporting the narration is done two ways – Direct or Indirect. The CBSE Class 10 Gramar syllabus includes this reporting in dialogue forms. After that an exercise with blanks to be filled to transform the whole conversation in indirect form. Here are given practice exercises to help practice Dialogue reporting.

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Dialogue Reporting Practice Questions

Q. read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the passage that follows. (cbse set 2, 2022) .

Neha: I’m really looking forward to the class picnic tomorrow. Namita: Yes, after a long time we will be meeting our friends and teachers.

Neha told Namita (1) ______________ looking forward to the class picnic _____________. Namita agreed that after a long time (2) ______________ friends and teachers.

(1) that she was really, the next day (2) they would be meeting their

Q. Read the conversation and complete the passage that follows: (OD 2022)

Ritika: Can I borrow your Math book for a couple of days? Mohit: Yes certainly, I have already studied for the test tomorrow. Ritika asked Mohit (1) ……………. for a couple of days. Mohit agreed and said that (2) ……………. .

(1) if she could borrow his Math book (2) he had already studied for the test the next day.

Q. Read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the passage that follows. (Term 2 SQP 2021-22) 

Biology Teacher: I instructed you to draw the diagram of bacteria. Why did you submit a blank sheet?   Sameer: Sir, I had drawn the diagram of bacteria, but you can’t see it because it is not visible to the naked eye 

The biology teacher had instructed Sameer to draw the diagram of a bacterial cell and asked him (a) ……..… a blank sheet. Sameer respectfully answered that he had drawn the diagram but (b) …….…. to the naked eye. 

(a) why he had submitted (b) he/ the teacher couldn’t see it because it is not visible

Q. Read the following dialogue between a mother and her son. Complete the paragraph that follows by filling in the gaps appropriately. (2012)

Marie: Did you see my new umbrella? Isn’t it fine? Tony: Yes, it is! Did you buy it from the mall? Marie: No, your father has brought it for me.

Marie asked her son Tony (a) …………… and she wanted to know whether it was a fine one. Tony agreed and asked his mother (b) …………… His mother replied in the negative and added that (c) ……………

(a) if he had seen her new umbrella (b) if she had bought it from the mall (c) his father had brought it for her.

Note: A sentence in Simple Past (verb 2nd form or Did + Verb 1st form) need not always be converted to Past Perfect (had + Verb 3rd form) . But it is safe to convert to Past Perfect as others (evaluators) may not be knowing it. Even CBSE marking schemes seem to follow the safe rule i.e. Changing Past Tense to past Perfect tense. An example is given below.

Direct: He said, “I saw the thief myself.”

Indirect: he said that he had seen the thief himself. (The safe rule to follow) OR He said that he saw the thief himself. (It is also correct – but mostly not followed)

Q. Read the following dialogue between Garima and Karan. Complete the paragraph that follows by filling in the gaps appropriately. [AI 2011]

Garima: So, after a decade in the industry, are you truly ‘satisfied’? Karan: I love the film industry. It has its flaws though. Garima: What do you mean by this statement? Karan: We are a bunch of competitive, ambitious, sometimes petty people. But the passion cements us together.

Garima asked Karan if after a decade in the industry (a) _________. Karan told her (b) _________ although it had its flaws. Garima then enquired (c) _________. Karan explained that they were a bunch of competitive, ambitious, sometimes petty people but the passion cemented them together.

(a) he was truly ‘satisfied’ (b) that he loved the film industry (c) what he meant by that statement

Q. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete Venu’s narration. [SQP 2020]

I saw Supanddi standing in the field. When I -(A)- doing there, he -(B)- he was trying to win a Nobel prize. I was confused and enquired how standing in the rice field would help him do so. He stumped me by saying that he -(C)- won Nobel prizes had all been outstanding in their fields!

(A) (a) exclaimed what he was (b) told him what he was (c) asked him what he was (d) says to him about what (B) (a) ordered that (b) refused that (c) questioned that (d) replied that (C) (a) has heard that people who has (b) was hearing that people who were (c) had heard that people who had (d) did hear that people who had

(A) – (c) (B) – (d) (C) – (c)

Q. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete the narration of Patty’s conversation with Charlie. [SQP 2020]

Charlie: Dear Santa, here is a list if what I want. Patty: How do you suppose Santa Claus can afford to give away all those toys? Charlie: Promotion! Don’t kid yourself……Everything these days is promotion! I will bet if the truth were brought about, you will find that he’s being financed by some big eastern chain!

While making the list of what Charlie wanted from Santa Claus, he asked Patty how …..(A)….. all those toys. She said that …..(B)….. and that it was possible as Santa …..(C)….. big eastern chain.

(A) (a) Santa Claus could afford to give away    (b) will give away (c) gave away (d) giving away

(B) (a) everything these days were promotion (b) everything these days was promotion (c) everything those days was promotion (d) everything these days was going to be promotion

(C) (a) was financing by some big eastern chain (b) had been financed by some big eastern chain (c) was being financed by some big eastern chain (d) will be financed by some big eastern chain

(A) – (a) (B) – (c) (C) – (c)

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Determiners english grammar practice questions, cbse class 10 english paper 2022-23 grammar portion solutions, subject verb agreement rules, modals: english grammar for cbse/icse boards classes, this post has 66 comments.

Thank you for question These were excellent and also improved my spech

It’s speech not spech

clapings it is speech

thank you it will help with my exam preparation

Thanks. New questions are also added from time to time.

Thanks a lot for these questions it helped me to be thorough with the exam pattern.

Are you from India:)

thanks for those questions

Why are there so many mistakes in the given questions?The names of the people in the conversation and the names of the people in the related question are completely different.Pls chk and rectify.It is confusing the kids and the purpose of these practice questions is totally defeated.

Thank you for informing us of the mistakes. We have done the required corrections. I hope all is well now.

page 2 question 3 there is a name error plz rectify it as soon as possible to avoid more confusion

Thank you for informing us of the mistake. The required correction has been done- ‘Mohan’ has been replaced by ‘Vinnet’ in the last line of the question.

Please add more questions

In the second question (page 1) , answer to the first part is wrong as Did changes to had + verb’s 3rd form.

Thank you for referring to the issue. We have updated the post and added a ‘note’ section.

Thanks a lot! These were truly of great help! Excellent questions!

It was very helpful ☺️. Thanks ncert tutorials

Really, it was very helpful.

Sir, i wanted to know where “it” is changed to “that” . I have this confusion as there are many questions where it is changed to that..but in many questions there is “it” only.

Sir, In Question no. 4 , please check the answers of option (c) , (f) , (h) why there is “been”

‘Had been’ is used in place ‘was and were’.

Sir, In question 7 (a), How could ‘may’ change into ‘could’?

Thanks for pointing out the error. We have made the required correction.

It was nice to have such a exercise to practice….

Sir, In question 8(d), It should be ‘ she had been talking’ instead of ‘ she has been talking’

The correction done. Thank You Ayush for sparing time to help us clean the exercises out of mistakes.

Why are you using Wrong English ?

Why are you using Wrong English ? Please use correct English to teach. Thank you.

Please give proper reference. I would do required corrections or elaborate upon your issue.

Thank you for this. Please add more. And I think there are some mistakes please do check and correct them. Thanks again🙌

thank you, Elena, and after reports of some errors corrections also have been done. If future reports received, required corrections will be done.

in the fifth page 4th ques there will be what he had been reading as past progressive changes to past perfect progressive

Thank you Sarthak for informing us of the error. Corrections done and the question has also been modified with one more filling gap (d).

thank u for giving a lot of questions this was useful for my class 10 board term 2 exam

thank you so much

Tomorrow is board

Yess all the bestt

I have my english board exam tomorrow, and this helped me a lot

thank you soo much. this site is the only one that consists of grammar questions based on the format of the board exams

it helped me a lot to prepare for my term 2 board exam of english. LOOKING FORWARD TO SCORE 40/40

Best of Luck Aishwarya 👍👍

best of luck to me to plz saaaayyyyy Subscribe to Jonja hi Jonja

Ok, Best of luck to you also 👍👍

Thank you sir , Your questions on reported speech have helped me a lot to study for my exam.

EXCELLENT QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KEEP IT UP………………..

Sir in question no. 3(b) the past tense of buy should be bought and not brought.Pls make the changes.

Correction done 😊.

I love the lessons for they are smart enough to learn personally.

I would like to show my gratitude …….this website was really good and helpful 👍 and more comfortable

Very nice examples They helped me a lot in my exam preparation

thanks for sharing this information

Questions were very helpful and amazing also… Thanks for such practice question..

Good questions thank you

sir on page 1 Q 2 it should be “for tomorrow’s test” instead of “the test tomorrow”.

Hi Arnav, it is written as ‘for the test tomorrow’ so no problem.

Thanks too much this is awesome for my test this help me more

Thank you admin blog. Very good

Please add longer questions

there some questions with mistakes arun and rohit question pls rectrfy the mistakes thanks it helped me a lot because it was my todays homework i referred and completed it Thank you

We revisited the question mentioned by you but did not find any error. May be you have any doubt. Feel free to ask us about that.

Pls take a look at the first question Isnt ‘will’ supposed to be changed to ‘would’

Correction done

THANKS, IT WAS AWESOME…

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Report the dialogue: reported speech conversation

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Read the following conversation and report the dialogue in the reported speech.

Mike: "What are you doing here, Liz? I haven't seen you since June." Liz: "I've just come back from my holiday in Ireland." Mike: "Did you enjoy it?" ...

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Reported speech exercises with answers and grammar rules.

How to report a dialogue

If we report a conversation, we use a reporting verb ('say' and 'tell' are the most common, but there are a lot of other verbs like 'claim', 'admit', 'explain'...). If the reporting verb is in the past tense ( I said that... He told us that... ), we have to change the following:

• Tenses "I am hungry," I said. - I said I was hungry. "Sarah went to hospital," Terry said. - Terry said that Sarah had gone to hospital. "Jim has gone away," Betty told me. - Betty told me that Jim had gone away. "We will try it again," we promised. - We promised we would try it again.
• Pronouns They called us," said Tom. - Tom said they had called them. "I like this," Sarah told me. - Sarah told me she liked that.
• Time and place Harry: "She will come tomorrow." - Harry said she would come the next day. My brother: "I arrived at Warsaw yesterday." - My brother told me that he had arrived at Warsaw the day before. "I'll be here on time," he said. - He said he would be there on time.
• Word order in reported questions "How old are you?" asked Peter. - Peter wanted to know how old I was. "What did you do?" asked my mum. - My mum asked what I had done. "Will you catch a bus?" I asked my sister. - I asked my sister if she would catch a bus.

Reported Speech

Perfect english grammar.

Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Direct speech: I like ice cream.
• Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.

• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.

• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.

• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.

• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples

Reported speech is a very common aspect of the English language. You use it nearly every day, both in conversations and in writing. This reference covers key sections about reported speech, including what it is, examples, rules, and verb tense changes. You’ll also learn about modal verbs, changes in time and place, and different reporting verbs.

Reported Speech

What Is Reported Speech?

Reported speech is simply when you tell somebody what someone else said. You can do this in your writing, or in speech. Reported speech is very different from  direct speech , which is when you show what somebody said  in the exact way that they said it . In reported speech though, you do not need to quote somebody directly.

Instead, you use a reporting verb, such as ‘say’ or ‘ask’. These reporting verbs are used to report the speech to someone else. There are many different reporting verbs that can be used.

In short, reported speech is the linguistic technique that you use to tell somebody what someone else’s  direct speech  was. In reported speech though, you may need to make certain changes to the grammar to make the sentence make sense. Some examples below highlight what needs to be changed.

Reported Speech Examples

When using reported speech, you are usually talking about the past. The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too.

For example :

• Direct speech:  I’ve lost my umbrella .
• Reported speech:  He said (that) he had lost his umbrella.

Another example :

• Direct speech:  She is doing her homework .
• Reported speech:  He said (that) she was doing her homework.

Table of Changes :

Reported Speech Rules

Verb tense changes in reported speech.

When the reporting verb is in the present tense, only small changes are needed.

• Direct speech:  I like dogs.
• Reported speech:  She  says  she likes dogs.

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, you need to change the tense of both the reporting verb and the main verb.

• Reported speech:  She  said  she  liked  dogs.

The tenses generally move backward as follows:

For sentences about the future, you also need to change the future verbs.

• Direct speech:  I shall leave in a moment.
• Reported speech:  She said that she would leave in a moment.

Here are the changes for future tenses:

Modal Verbs and Reported Speech

Modal verbs also change when used in reported speech.

• Direct speech:  Will I see you later?
• Reported speech:  He asked if he  would  see me later.

Some modal verbs do not need to change tense because they fit naturally.

• Direct speech:  I should go to the park.
• Reported speech:  He told me he  should  go to the park.

Here are both correct and incorrect examples of reported speech for clarity:

• Reported speech:  He told  me  he should go to the park.
• Reported speech:  He said he should go to the park.
• Incorrect reported speech:  He told he should go to the park.
• Incorrect reported speech:  He said me he should go to the park.

To correct these:

• Add ‘me’: He told  me  he should go to the park.
• Remove ‘me’ or add ‘to’: He said he should go to the park or He said  to  me he should go to the park.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Changes in time and place in reported speech.

References to  time  and  place often need to change when you use indirect speech. Here is a useful guide to these changes:

No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

In some cases,  verb tenses  do not change when you report speech indirectly. Here are the key instances:

• When the introductory verb is in the present , present perfect , or future .
• When the reported sentence deals with a  fact  or  general truth .
• When the reported sentence contains a  time clause .
• If the verb of the sentence is in the  unreal past  (the  second  or the  third conditional ).
• The  subjunctive  stays unchanged in the  subordinate clause .
• Had better ,  could ,  would ,  used to ,  should ,  might ,  ought to , and  mustn’t  remain unchanged.
• If the speaker reports  something immediately  or  soon after it was said .

Reporting Verbs in Indirect Speech

Reporting verbs are crucial in indirect speech. Here is a list categorized by their usage:

• Basic Verbs : Tell, say, ask
• Verb + that + clause : Complain, deny, explain, exclaim, remark, promise, boast, inform somebody, claim, agree, suggest
• Verb + to + infinitive : Agree, offer, refuse, demand, threaten, promise, claim
• Verb + indirect object + to + infinitive : Advise, allow, beg, command, encourage, forbid, invite, want, instruct, permit, urge, order, remind, warn
• Verb + “ing” form : Admit (to), accuse somebody of, apologize for, boast about/of, complain to somebody of, deny, insist on, suggest
• Verb + how : Explain to somebody

Reported Questions

When converting questions from direct to indirect speech, you follow rules similar to those for statements.  Verbs  used include inquire, wonder, want to know, ask.

Reported Commands and Requests

Commands and requests  in Indirect Speech are formed using the  to-infinitive  and  not to-infinitive . Common reporting verbs include order, shout, demand, warn, beg, command, tell, insist, beseech , threaten, implore, ask, propose, forbid.

Pronoun and tense changes  are needed when shifting from direct to indirect speech.

Reported Speech Video

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Reported speech worksheet |.

Updated: Oct 29, 2023

Do the following exercises on Reported Speech. 4 Marks allotted for Board Exam

For Rules of Reported Speech, Click here

Q1. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follow :

Son : Mummy, Where have I put my wallet ?

Mother : I don’t know. Ask your father.

Son : He will say the same thing.

Mother : Why don’t you put things in their proper place ?

A son asked his mother (a) _________ ? The mother replied that (b) _________and advised him to ask his father. The son retorted saying that he would say the same 3 Page 7 of 7 thing. The mother asked him irritatingly (c) _________ The mother (c) ________

Q2. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows.

Mother to me : Are you unwell today?

I to mother : No, Mummy, not at all.

Mother : Have you done any work today?

I replied : “Nothing”.

My mother asked me (a) __________. I replied to my mummy (b) __________. My mother again asked me (c) ___________.

Q3. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows.

PATENT : I want to see the doctor. I am very sick.

RECEPTIONIST : I am sorry. The doctor is very busy. You'll have to wait for at least one hour.

A patient went to his doctor's clinic and told the receptionist (a) __________ The receptionist (b) __________ She further added that (c) __________

Q4. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows.

Biju : Bina why don't you fold your umbrella?

Bina : It looks beautiful when it is kept open.

Biju : You should keep it folded otherwise it comes in the way.

Bina seldom folded her umbrella. Biju did not like it. He asked her (a) __________. Bina replied that (b) __________ Biju advised her to keep it folded otherwise (c) __________

Q5. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows :

Ram : I want to meet the Principal.

Peon : Sir, he is not in his office.

Ram : When will he come back to the office ?

Peon : I think in another ten minutes.

Ram went to K.V.Jaipur for the admission of his daughter to that school. He went to the Principal's office and told the peon (a) -----------.Respectfully the peon told him that (b) -------------------.So Ram asked him (c)------------ .The peon replied that in his opinion the Principal would be back in another ten minutes.

Q6. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that below.

Receptionist : Good morning. This is Hotel Oberoi, Bangalore.

Mr. Deepak : Good morning. I would like to make a booking in your hotel. Kindly book a suite with attached bathroom and lobby for Monday, September 20, 2012.

Receptionist wished good morning to Mr. Deepak and told him that (a) __________ , Bangalore. Mr. Deepak also (b) __________ and said that (c) ___________ make a booking in their hotel. He requested her to book a suite with attached bathroom and lobby for Monday, September 20, 2012.

Q7. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows :

Kokila : Maitryee ! My new dress is very pretty.

Maitryee : Will you show it to me?

Kokila : I will show it to you tomorrow when you come to my house.

Kokila told her friend Maitryee that (a) __________. Maitryee asked her if (b) __________. She replied, that she would love to show it to her (c) ___________.

Q8. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows :

Customer : Waiter, come here.

Waiter : Yes Sir.

Customer : Look, there are flies in my soup.

Waiter : But sir, they are fresh flies.

Customer : What do you mean ?

Waiter : They arrived only this morning Sir.

A customer in a restaurant complained that there were flies in his soup. The waiter told the customer (a) __________ . When the customer asked (b) __________ , the waiter replied that they (c) __________ .

Q9. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph.

Mother : What are you doing?

Rani : Just watching TV.

Mother : Turn off the TV and help me in cleaning your room.

Rani : Ma, I will do it later.

Mother asked Rani what she was doing. Rani replied that (a) __________ TV. The mother asked her to turn it off and (b) __________ . Rani replied that (c) __________ .

Q10. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph.

Berry : Daddy! I am the happiest girl in the world.

Daddy : Have you won a million dollar lottery?

Berry : No! I have got something much better.

Berry screamed with joy that (a) ______. Her father asked (b) ______ a million dollar lottery. She replied that (c) ______ something much better.

Download Answer Key

Q11. Read the following conversation and complete the given paragraph. Write the correct answer against the correct blank number. Do not copy the whole sentence.

Miss Grundy : Mohit, you spent time on this homework assignment and it really shows.

Mohit : Thanks, Miss grundy. You mean it's that good?

Miss Grundy : No, I mean it's covered with stains from an evening's worth of snacks.

Mohit's teacher, Miss Grundy told him that (a) ______ and it really showed. Mohit thanked his teacher and asked her (b) ________. To that the angry teacher replied that (c)_________.

Q12. Read the following conversation and complete the given paragraph. Write the correct answer against the correct blank number. Do not copy the whole sentence.

Child : I want to buy a birthay card for my little sister.

Salesman : Do you want a small card or a big card?

Child : I want any cad that will show that I love my litle sister a lot.

Salesman : Then it would be better if you make one yourself.

A child told the salesman that (a)______________ his little sister. The sales man asked him (b)_________________ a big card. The child said that he wanted any card which would show his love for his sister a lot. The sales man then advised him (c)_____________.

Q13. Read the conversation given below and then complete the report by transforming sentences into reported speech.

Daughter : Will you allow me to go for trekking with my classmates?

Father : Dear, we are going to Singapore for a family holiday.

Daughter : The trekking camp will be in Chail and I may not get another chance to visit this place.

Nandika asked her father (a)________________ to go for trekking with her classmates. Her father replied that (b)_____________________ for a family holiday. Nandika told her father that (c)____________________ might not get another chance to visit that place.

Q14. Read the dialogue given below and complete the paragraph that follows :

Amit: Can you lend me your Physics book?

Sunil : Yes, but only for one day. Will you be able to return it to me tomorrow?

Amit : Definitely, Thanks.

Amit asked Sunil (a) __________ . Sunil replied in the affirmative but told him (b) __________ . He then asked him (c) __________ . Amit replied that he would definitely return it to him. He also thanked him.

Q15. Read the following dialogue given below and then complete the paragraph transforming the sentences into reported speech. Write your answer in your answer sheet with correct blank number. Do not copy the whole passage. Babita : where do you want to go?

Pragati : I want to to to the drop point near the zoo.

Babita : In that case you will have to get down at the Laxmi Nagar bus stop and take an auto.

Pragati : How long will I take to reach there?

Babita asked Pragati where she wanted to go. Pragati told her that (a) __________. Babita told her that in that case (b) __________ and take an auto. Pragati asked Babita (c) _____________.

Q16. Read the dialogue given below and complete the report by transforming the sentences into reported speech. Write your answer in your answer sheet with correct blank number. Do not copy the whole passage.

Seema : Do you know how to prepare custard?

Roma : I do not enjoy working in the kitchen.

Seema : But it is so easy.

Roma : I will ask my mother to teach me.

Seema asked Roma if (a) __________ prepare custard. Roma replied that (b) __________ in the kitchen. Seema commented that it was so easy. Roma said that (c) __________ teach her.

Q17. Read the following dialogue and then complete the paragraph by transforming the sentences into reported speech. Write your answer in your answer sheet with correct blank number. Do not copy the whole passage.

The Man scolded the servant (a) __________ . He questioned him if he had not asked him to get his breakfast ready by 8 O‟ clock. The servant apologized to him and explained that (b) __________ . The man asked him if he had not set the alarm before going to sleep. The servant answered politely that he had done so. His master further enquired the reason for the delay. The servant answered humbly that (c) __________ .

Q18. Read the following dialogue and then complete the paragraph by transforming the sentences into reported speech. Write your answer in your answer sheet with correct blank number. Do copy the whole passage.

Riya: When are you leaving for Kolkata?

Sandhya : I will leave right after the examination.

Riya : would you like me to drop you at the station?

Sandhya : Thanks, it would really help me.

Rita met Sandhya and asked her (a) __________. Sandhya replied (b) _________ . Rita then asked her (c) _________. Sandhy a thanked her and told her that it would really help her.

Q19. Read the following dialogue and then complete the paragraph by transforming the sentences into reported speech. Write your answer in your answer sheet with correct blank number. Do not copy the whole passage.

Father : When is the fancy dress competition in your school?

Son : It is next week.

Father : Are you taking part in it?

Son : Yes, I am taking part as an engine driver.

Father : Why have you chosen that role?

Son : So that I can reach late.

Father asked his son when the Fancy Dress competition in his school was. Son replied that (a) __________.Father enquired (b) _________.Son replied that he would be an engine driver. Father asked why he had chosen that role. He answered so that (c) __________.

Q20. Read the following dialogue and complete the report that follows. Write your answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Do not copy the dialogue and report.

Shopkeeper : What can I do for you?

Mohan : I want to purchase the sugar.

Shopkeeper : Do you have the money?

Mohan : No, I have the credit card.

At the shop, the shopkeeper asked Mohan (a) __________. Mohan replied (b) __________. At this shopkeeper asked again (c) __________. Mohan replied in negative and told that he had the credit card.

Answer key from Q11 to Q20 is available for download below:

Recommended Reading: Competency-Based Grammar Worksheet

Recommended reading: listening skill worksheet | class xi-xii | board exam 2024| english core (englishwithadifference.com).

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

Published by

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, Exceptions

👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2

Advanced Grammar Course

What is reported speech?

“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:

• Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
• Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.

There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.

So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.

In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called “backshift.”

Here are some examples in different verb tenses:

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

Exceptions to Backshift in Reported Speech

Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.

There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.

If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.

When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.

But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.

Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”

• If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
• If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.

Here’s an example:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
• “She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
• It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
• Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.

Let’s look at a different situation:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
• “She said she ‘d  call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Quick review:

• Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
• when the situation is still true
• when the situation is still in the future

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.

What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?

For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:

• “Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
• She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)

For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”

• “Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
• “He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)

The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:

• She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me  make  a copy of the report.
• He told me to go to the bank. He told me  go  to the bank.

For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.

• “Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
• He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
• “Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)

The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.

Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:

• She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.

For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):

• “When was the company founded?” (direct)
• She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
• “What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
• He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)

Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:

• “Where does he work?”
• She wanted to know  where does he work.
• She wanted to know where he works.

Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:

• “Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
• He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
• He asked where was I born.

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Learn more about reported speech:

• Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
• Reported speech: BJYU’s

If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!

I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.

Master the details of English grammar:

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Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 with Answers

Here is an exercise on the transformation of direct speech to indirect speech. Go through the following sentences, work them out and then check your answers to assess how far you have understood their usage.

Change as directed

Read the following sentences and change them into reported speech.

• Mimi said, “I have been writing this letter.”
• I said, “Sam’s driving the car.”
• My uncle said, “I am cooking lunch.”
• My brother said, “I had already eaten.”
• The old lady said to the girl, “Where do you come from?”
• Jon said, “I like to play rugby.”
• My mother said, “I get up early every morning.”
• The maths teacher said, “Three divided by three is one.”
• Mohit said, “Switzerland is a very beautiful country.”
• Ruben said, “It is very cold outside.”
• The teacher said, “The French Revolution took place in 1789.”
• Uma said, “I saw a Royal Bengal Tiger in the zoo.”
• Luke said, “I can do this homework.”
• Aswini said to her mother, “I have passed the test”.
• Daphne said to Antony, “I will go to London tomorrow.”
• The boy said, “My father is sleeping.”
• The traffic police said to us, “Where are you going?”
• The man shouted, “Let me go.”
• Shivina said, “Alas! I am lost.”
• “I know her contact number,” said Helena.
• Stefen said, “My granny is making pasta.”
• Raj said to Simran, “Have you ever been to the National Museum?”
• Anish said to Sid, “Please lend me the book.”
• The teacher said to the parents, “Shelly is working very hard.”
• Joshua said, “I have completed my assignment.”
• I said to Alka, “How long will you stay here?”
• The child told his dad, “I want an ice cream.”
• Meera said, “I am not feeling well.”
• The teacher said to Vivek, “Draw the diagram of the plant’s parts.”
• Irin said, “I am playing the piano.”
• My mother said to me, “Help me carry this bag.”
• Rahul said, “My sister is very helpful.”
• The news reporter said, “The flight will be delayed by a few hours due to heavy rains.”
• Urmi said to her mother, “I want a slice of pizza.”
• I said to Daniel, “Are you reading this book?”
• Mimi said that she had been writing that letter.
• I said that Sam was driving the car.
• My uncle said that he was cooking lunch.
• My brother said that he had already eaten.
• The old lady asked the girl where she came from.
• Jon said that he likes to play rugby.
• My mother said that she gets up early every morning.
• The maths teacher said that three divided by three is one.
• Mohit said that Switzerland was a very beautiful country.
• Ruben said that it was very cold outside.
• The teacher said that the French Revolution took place in 1789.
• Uma said that she saw a Royal Bengal Tiger in the zoo.
• Luke said that he could do that homework.
• Aswini told her mother that she had passed the test.
• Daphne informed Antony that she would go to London the next day.
• The boy said that his father was sleeping.
• The traffic police asked us where we were going.
• The man shouted to them to let him go.
• Shivina exclaimed sadly that she was lost.
• Helena said that she knew her contact number.
• Stefen said that his granny was making pasta.
• Raj asked Simran if she had ever been to the National Museum.
• Anish requested Sid to lend him the book.
• The teacher told the parents that Shelly was working very hard.
• Joshua said that he had completed his assignment.
• I asked Alka how long she would stay there.
• The child told his dad that he wants an ice cream.
• Meera said that she was not feeling well.
• The teacher instructed Vivek to draw the diagram of the plant’s parts.
• Irin said that she was playing the piano.
• My mother asked me to help her carry the bag.
• Rahul said that his sister was very helpful.
• The news reporter said that the flight would be delayed by a few hours due to heavy rains.
• Urmi said to her mother that she wanted a slice of pizza.
• I asked Daniel if he was reading that book.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct narration.

When the actual words/sentences spoken by the speaker are quoted in a speech, it is known as direct speech/narration.

Is knowing reported speech necessary for Class 10?

Having a basic understanding of reported speech is necessary for students of any class or age. Solving exercises on direct and indirect speech will help them understand thoroughly and use them correctly.

What is indirect speech?

When the quoted speech is reported in the form of a narrative without changing the meaning of the actual quotation/words by the speaker, it is called indirect speech. Indirect speech is also known as reported speech.

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Reported Speech in English

“Reported speech” might sound fancy, but it isn’t that complicated.

It’s just how you talk about what someone said.

Luckily, it’s pretty simple to learn the basics in English, beginning with the two types of reported speech: direct (reporting the exact words someone said) and indirect (reporting what someone said without using their exact words ).

Read this post to learn how to report speech, with tips and tricks for each, plenty of examples and a resources section that tells you about real world resources you can use to practice reporting speech.

How to Report Direct Speech

How to report indirect speech, reporting questions in indirect speech, verb tenses in indirect reported speech, simple present, present continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous, simple past, past continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous, simple future, future continuous, future perfect, future perfect continuous, authentic resources for practicing reported speech, novels and short stories, native english videos, celebrity profiles.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Direct speech refers to the exact words that a person says. You can “report” direct speech in a few different ways.

To see how this works, let’s pretend that I (Elisabeth) told some people that I liked green onions.

Here are some different ways that those people could explain what I said:

Direct speech: “I like green onions,” Elisabeth said.

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Direct speech: “I like green onions,” she told me. — In this sentence, we replace my name (Elisabeth) with the pronoun she.

In all of these examples, the part that was said is between quotation marks and is followed by a noun (“she” or “Elisabeth”) and a verb. Each of these verbs (“to say,” “to tell [someone],” “to explain”) are ways to describe someone talking. You can use any verb that refers to speech in this way.

You can also put the noun and verb before what was said.

Direct speech: Elisabeth said, “I like spaghetti.”

The example above would be much more likely to be said out loud than the first set of examples.

Here’s a conversation that might happen between two people:

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1: Did you ask her if she liked coffee?

2: Yeah, I asked her.

1: What did she say?

2. She said, “Yeah, I like coffee.” ( Direct speech )

Usually, reporting of direct speech is something you see in writing. It doesn’t happen as often when people are talking to each other. 

Direct reported speech often happens in the past. However, there are all kinds of stories, including journalism pieces, profiles and fiction, where you might see speech reported in the present as well.

This is sometimes done when the author of the piece wants you to feel that you’re experiencing events in the present moment.

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For example, a profile of Kristen Stewart in Vanity Fair  has a funny moment that describes how the actress isn’t a very good swimmer:

Direct speech: “I don’t want to enter the water, ever,” she says. “If everyone’s going in the ocean, I’m like, no.”

Here, the speech is reported as though it’s in the present tense (“she says”) instead of in the past (“she said”).

In writing of all kinds, direct reported speech is often split into two or more parts, as it is above.

Here’s an example from Lewis Carroll’s “ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ,” where the speech is even more split up:

Direct speech: “I won’t indeed!” said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject of conversation. “Are you—are you fond—of—of dogs?” The Mouse did not answer, so Alice went on eagerly: “There is such a nice little dog near our house I should like to show you!”

Reporting indirect speech is what happens when you explain what someone said without using their exact words.

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Let’s start with an example of direct reported speech like those used above.

Direct speech: Elisabeth said, “I like coffee.”

As indirect reported speech, it looks like this:

Indirect speech: Elisabeth said she liked coffee.

You can see that the subject (“I”) has been changed to “she,” to show who is being spoken about. If I’m reporting the direct speech of someone else, and this person says “I,” I’d repeat their sentence exactly as they said it. If I’m reporting this person’s speech indirectly to someone else, however, I’d speak about them in the third person—using “she,” “he” or “they.”

You may also notice that the tense changes here: If “I like coffee” is what she said, this can become “She liked coffee” in indirect speech.

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However, you might just as often hear someone say something like, “She said she likes coffee.” Since people’s likes and preferences tend to change over time and not right away, it makes sense to keep them in the present tense.

Indirect speech often uses the word “that” before what was said:

Indirect speech: She said that she liked coffee.

There’s no real difference between “She said she liked coffee” and “She said that she liked coffee.” However, using “that” can help make the different parts of the sentence clearer.

Let’s look at a few other examples:

Indirect speech: I said I was going outside today.

Indirect speech: They told me that they wanted to order pizza.

Indirect speech: He mentioned it was raining.

Indirect speech: She said that her father was coming over for dinner.

You can see an example of reporting indirect speech in the funny video “ Cell Phone Crashing .” In this video, a traveler in an airport sits down next to another traveler talking on his cell phone. The first traveler pretends to be talking to someone on his phone, but he appears to be responding to the second traveler’s conversation, which leads to this exchange:

Woman: “Are you answering what I’m saying?”

Man “No, no… I’m on the phone with somebody, sorry. I don’t mean to be rude.” (Direct speech)

Woman: “What was that?”

Man: “I just said I was on the phone with somebody.” (Indirect speech)

When reporting questions in indirect speech, you can use words like “whether” or “if” with verbs that show questioning, such as “to ask” or “to wonder.”

Direct speech: She asked, “Is that a new restaurant?”

Indirect speech: She asked if that was a new restaurant. 

In any case where you’re reporting a question, you can say that someone was “wondering” or “wanted to know” something. Notice that these verbs don’t directly show that someone asked a question. They don’t describe an action that happened at a single point in time. But you can usually assume that someone was wondering or wanted to know what they asked.

Indirect speech: She was wondering if that was a new restaurant.

Indirect speech: She wanted to know whether that was a new restaurant.

It can be tricky to know how to use tenses when reporting indirect speech. Let’s break it down, tense by tense.

Sometimes, indirect speech “ backshifts ,” or moves one tense further back into the past. We already saw this in the example from above:

Direct speech: She said, “I like coffee.”

Indirect speech: She said she liked coffee.

Also as mentioned above, backshifting doesn’t always happen. This might seem confusing, but it isn’t that difficult to understand once you start using reported speech regularly.

What tense you use in indirect reported speech often just depends on when what you’re reporting happened or was true.

Let’s look at some examples of how direct speech in certain tenses commonly changes (or doesn’t) when it’s reported as indirect speech.

To learn about all the English tenses (or for a quick review), check out this post .

Direct speech: I said, “I play video games.”

Indirect speech: I said that I played video games (simple past) or I said that I play video games  (simple present).

Backshifting into the past or staying in the present here can change the meaning slightly. If you use the first example, it’s unclear whether or not you still play video games; all we know is that you said you played them in the past.

If you use the second example, though, you probably still play video games (unless you were lying for some reason).

However, the difference in meaning is so small, you can use either one and you won’t have a problem.

Direct speech: I said, “I’m playing video games.”

Indirect speech: I said that I was playing video games (past continuous) or I said that I’m playing video games (present continuous).

In this case, you’d likely use the first example if you were telling a story about something that happened in the past.

You could use the second example to repeat or stress what you just said. For example:

Hey, want to go for a walk?

Direct speech: No, I’m playing video games.

But it’s such a nice day!

Indirect speech: I said that I’m playing video games!

Direct speech: Marie said, “I have read that book.”

Indirect speech: Marie said that she had read that book (past perfect) or Marie said that she has read that book (present perfect).

The past perfect is used a lot in writing and other kinds of narration. This is because it helps point out an exact moment in time when something was true.

The past perfect isn’t quite as useful in conversation, where people are usually more interested in what’s true now. So, in a lot of cases, people would use the second example above when speaking.

Direct speech: She said, “I have been watching that show.”

Indirect speech: She said that she had been watching that show (past perfect continuous) or She said that she has been watching that show (present perfect continuous).

These examples are similar to the others above. You could use the first example whether or not this person was still watching the show, but if you used the second example, it’d probably seem like you either knew or guessed that she was still watching it.

Direct speech: You told me, “I charged my phone.”

Indirect speech: You told me that you had charged your phone (past perfect) or You told me that you charged your phone (simple past).

Here, most people would probably just use the second example, because it’s simpler, and gets across the same meaning.

Direct speech: You told me, “I was charging my phone.”

Indirect speech: You told me that you had been charging your phone (past perfect continuous) or You told me that you were charging your phone (past continuous).

Here, the difference is between whether you had been charging your phone before or were charging your phone at the time. However, a lot of people would still use the second example in either situation.

Direct speech: They explained, “We had bathed the cat on Wednesday.”

Indirect speech: They explained that they had bathed the cat on Wednesday. (past perfect)

Once we start reporting the past perfect tenses, we don’t backshift because there are no tenses to backshift to.

So in this case, it’s simple. The tense stays exactly as is. However, many people might simplify even more and use the simple past, saying, “They explained that they bathed the cat on Wednesday.”

Direct speech: They said, “The cat had been going outside and getting dirty for a long time!”

Indirect speech: They said that the cat had been going outside and getting dirty for a long time. (past perfect continuous)

Again, we don’t shift the tense back here; we leave it like it is. And again, a lot of people would report this speech as, “They said the cat was going outside and getting dirty for a long time.” It’s just a simpler way to say almost the same thing.

Direct speech: I told you, “I will be here no matter what.”

Indirect speech: I told you that I would be here no matter what. (present conditional)

At this point, we don’t just have to think about tenses, but grammatical mood, too. However, the idea is still pretty simple. We use the conditional (with “would”) to show that at the time the words were spoken, the future was uncertain.

In this case, you could also say, “I told you that I will be here no matter what,” but only if you “being here” is still something that you expect to happen in the future.

What matters here is what’s intended. Since this example shows a person reporting their own speech, it’s more likely that they’d want to stress the truth of their own intention, and so they might be more likely to use “will” than “would.”

But if you were reporting someone else’s words, you might be more likely to say something like, “She told me that she would be here no matter what.”

Direct speech: I said, “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

Indirect speech: I said that I would be waiting for your call. (conditional continuous)

These are similar to the above examples, but apply to a continuous or ongoing action.

Direct speech: She said, “I will have learned a lot about myself.”

Indirect speech: She said that she would have learned a lot about herself (conditional perfect) or She said that she will have learned a lot about herself (future perfect).

In this case, using the conditional (as in the first example) suggests that maybe a certain event didn’t happen, or something didn’t turn out as expected.

However, that might not always be the case, especially if this was a sentence that was written in an article or a work of fiction. The second example, however, suggests that the future that’s being talked about still hasn’t happened yet.

Direct speech: She said, “By next Tuesday, I will have been staying inside every day for the past month.”

Indirect speech: She said that by next Tuesday, she would have been staying inside every day for the past month (perfect continuous conditional) or She said that by next Tuesday, she will have been staying inside every day for the past month (past perfect continuous).

Again, in this case, the first example might suggest that the event didn’t happen. Maybe the person didn’t stay inside until next Tuesday! However, this could also just be a way of explaining that at the time she said this in the past, it was uncertain whether she really would stay inside for as long as she thought.

The second example, on the other hand, would only be used if next Tuesday hadn’t happened yet.

Let’s take a look at where you can find resources for practicing reporting speech in the real world.

One of the most common uses for reported speech is in fiction. You’ll find plenty of reported speech in novels and short stories . Look for books that have long sections of text with dialogue marked by quotation marks (“…”). Once you understand the different kinds of reported speech, you can look for it in your reading and use it in your own writing.

Writing your own stories is a great way to get even better at understanding reported speech.

One of the best ways to practice any aspect of English is to watch native English videos. By watching English speakers use the language, you can understand how reported speech is used in real world situations.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

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Celebrity profiles, which you can find in print magazines and online, can help you find and practice reported speech, too. Celebrity profiles are stories that focus on a famous person. They often include some kind of interview. The writer will usually spend some time describing the person and then mention things that they say; this is when they use reported speech.

Because many of these profiles are written in the present tense, they can help you get used to the basics of reported speech without having to worry too much about different verb tenses.

While the above may seem really complicated, it isn’t that difficult to start using reported speech.

Mastering it may be a little difficult, but the truth is that many, many people who speak English as a first language struggle with it, too!

Reported speech is flexible, and even if you make mistakes, there’s a good chance that no one will notice.

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• Reported Speech

Reported Speech: Whenever you are quoting someone else’s words , you use two kinds of speeches – Direct or Indirect speech . In this chapter, we will learn all about Direct and Indirect speech and how to convert one into another.

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Reported speech- how does it work.

Whenever you report a speech there’s a reporting verb used like “say” or “tell”. For example:

Direct speech: I love to play football .

Reported speech: She said that she loves to play football. (Note 1 : Assume a gender if not mentioned already. Note 2: Using “that” is optional. This sentence could also have been written as “She said she loves to play football.”)

The tense doesn’t have to be changed in this case of reported speech. But of the reporting verb is in the past tense , we do change the tense of the sentence.

Browse more Topics under Transformation Sentences

• Active and Passive Voice
• Parts of Speech
• Types of Sentences

Reported speech- Play of the tenses:

Learn more about  Parts of Speech here in detail

This is a summary table that will be crystal clear to you as you read further. Just come back to this table after this section and use this as a summary table:

Some word transitions from direct to reported speech that will come in handy:

• Will becomes would
• Can becomes could
• would stays would
• should stays should
• must stays must or had to(matter of choice)
• shall becomes should

Exception : A present tense in direct speech may not become a past tense in the reported speech if it’s a fact or something generic we are talking about in the sentence. For example-

Direct speech: The sun rises from the East.

Reported speech: She said that the sun rises/rose from the East.

Reported speech- Handling questions:

What happens when the sentence we are trying to report was actually a question? That’s something we are going to deal with in this section. Reported questions- It’s quite interesting. let’s get into it:

Well the good news is that the tense change you learnt above stays the same in reported speech for questions. The only difference is that when you report a question, you no more report it in the form of a question but in the form of a statement. For example:

Direct speech: Where do you want to eat?

Reported speech: She asked me where I wanted to eat.

Notice how the question mark is gone from the reported speech. The reported speech is a statement now. Keep that in mind as you read further.

Remember the tense change? Let’s apply that to a few questions now.

Now these are questions that have wordy answers to them. What about the questions that has yes/no answers to them? In these type of questions just add “if” before asking the question. For example:

• Direct speech: Would you like to eat some cupcakes?
• Reported speech: He asked me if i would like to eat some cupcakes.
• Direct speech: Have you ever seen the Van Gogh paintings?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I had ever seen the Van Gogh paintings.
• Direct speech: Are you eating your vegetables?
• Reported speech: She asked if I was eating my vegetables.

Reported speech- Reported requests:

Well not all questions require answers. Some questions are polite requests. Remember? Could you please try to remember? And then there are request statements. Let’s see how do we convert these into reported speech.

Reported request = ask me + to + verb or requested me + to +verb

Just add this rule to your reported speech and you have what is called a reported request.

Reported speech- Reported orders:

Well, not everyone is going to be polite. Sometimes, we get orders. Now how will you report them? Unlike the request, the reporting verb isn’t ask but told or tell. Also, when in orders, sometimes subjects are omitted but while reporting we have to revive the subjects. Let’s see a few examples:

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told  me to sit down.
• Direct speech: don’t worry!
• Reported speech: She told me not to worry.

Reported speech- Time transitions:

With that, you have everything it takes to understand reported speech. you are all se to change the direct to reported speech. Go ahead and try a few examples. All the best!

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Transformation of Sentences

• Active and Passive voice

37 responses to “Active and Passive voice”

Simple but very nice explanation and helpfull too.

What is the voice change of ” I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths.”

ENDEAVOUR HAS BEEN MADE BY ME TO UNDERSTAND THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH.

The fundamental truths have been endeavoured to be understood by me

The fundamental truths to understand had been endeavoured by him

The fundamental truths have endeavoured to be understood by me

The fundamental truths has been understood endeavoured to by me

How to change the voice for the following sentence – the books will be received by tomorrow

By whom? We need a subject. If the subject was for example “The library”, then the sentence in active voice would read “The library will receive the books by tomorrow”.

You will receive the books by tomorrow.

Tomorrow you will receive the book

You will receive the books (by) tomorrow.

Someone will receive the books by tomorrow

Tomorrow will be receive the books

HE WILL RECEIVE THE BOOKS BY TOMORROW.

By tomorrow the books will be received.

By tomorrow, you will receive the books

Tomorrow received the book

Change this “take right and turn left” into passive voice

Let the right be taken amd left be turned

‘amd’ is “and” 😅

You are advised to take right and turn left

Very helpful information thanks

Very well explained all basics that can lead to gain further knowledge very easily

What is in this box change into passive

what is the voice change of,” some people think nuclear is the best, because it doesnt add to global warming “….

Brilliant stuff!! – Rishabh

A kite was made by Ravi . What is the active form of this statement???

how to change into passive this sentence “when they were shifting the patient to the I.C.U.,he died

change into passive voice this sentence “when they were shifting the patient to I.C.U.,he died .

May you tell us tense conversion in voice.

Sentences without action like…. Jim is a doctor . Is it active or passive and if any how would you decide without having a main verb ?

It is named after the name of its principal tree ‘sundari'(passive)

how can ocean be object 🙄???

They made a bag

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Using Reported Speech: ESL Lesson Plan

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• TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London
• M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music
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Reported speech is also known as indirect speech and is commonly used in spoken conversations to report what others have said. A keen grasp of correct tense usage, as well as the ability to correctly shift pronouns and time expressions, is essential when using  reported speech .

The use of reported speech is especially important at higher English levels . Students are fine-tuning their communication skills to include expressing the ideas of others, as well as their own opinions. Students usually need to focus not only on the grammar involved but also on production skills. Reported speech includes some rather tricky transformations that need to be practiced repeatedly before students feel comfortable using reported speech in everyday conversations.

Finally, make sure to point out that reported speech is generally used with the verbs 'say' and 'tell' in the past. 

"He'll help him with the homework." -> She told me he would help me with my homework. 

However, if the reporting verb is conjugated in the present tense, no reported speech changes are necessary.

"I'm going to Seattle next week." -> Peter says he's going to Seattle next week. 

Lesson Outline

Aim: Developing reported speech grammar and productions skills

Activity: Introduction and written reporting activity, followed by spoken practice in the form of a questionnaire

Level: Upper-intermediate

• Introduce/review reported speech by making simple statements and asking students to report what you have said. Make sure to emphasize reporting in the past (i.e., "the teacher said ", NOT "the teacher says ")
• Provide review sheet of principle reported speech transitions (included in lesson printout pages)
• Have students get into pairs and convert the reported speech paragraph into the direct speech form.
• Correct worksheet as a class.
• Ask students to divide up into new pairs and ask each other questions from the questionnaire. Remind them to take notes on what their partners say.
• Have students divide into new pairs and ask them to report what they have learned about the other students to their new partner (i.e., John said he had lived in Breubach for two years).
• Follow-up with class conversation focusing on problematic tense transformations.

Reported Speech

Study the following chart carefully. Notice how reported speech is one step back into the past from direct speech.

Time Expression Changes

Time expressions such as 'at the moment' are also changed when using reported speech. Here are some of the most common changes:

at the moment / right now / now -> at that moment / at that time

"We're watching TV right now." -> She told me they were watching TV at that time.

yesterday -> the previous day / the day before

"I bought some groceries yesterday." -> He told me he had bought some groceries the previous day.

tomorrow -> the following day / the next day

"She'll be at the party tomorrow." -> She told me she would be at the party the next day.

Exercise 1: Put the following paragraph in the reported speech into the conversational form using direct speech  (quotes).

Peter introduced me to Jack who said he was pleased to meet me. I replied that it was my pleasure and that I hoped Jack was enjoying his stay in Seattle. He said he thought Seattle was a beautiful city, but that it rained too much. He said that he had been staying at the Bayview Hotel for three weeks and that it hadn't stopped raining since he had arrived. Of course, he said, this wouldn't have surprised him if it hadn't been July! Peter replied that he should have brought warmer clothes. He then continued by saying that he was going to fly to Hawaii the following week, and he that he couldn't wait to enjoy some sunny weather. Both Jack and I commented that Peter was a lucky person indeed.

Exercise 2: Ask your partner the following questions making sure to take good notes . After you have finished the questions, find a new partner and report what you have learned about your first partner using reported speech .

• What is your favorite sport and how long have you been playing/doing it?
• What are your plans for your next vacation?
• How long have you known your best friend? Can you give me a description of him/her?
• What kind of music do you like? Have you always listened to that kind of music?
• What did you use to do when you were younger that you don't do anymore?
• Do you have any predictions about the future?
• Can you tell me what you do on a typical Saturday afternoon?
• What were you doing yesterday at this time?
• Which two promises will you make concerning learning English?
• Reporting Verbs for English Language Learners
• Indirect Speech in the English Language
• English Verbs - Tense Resources
• English Tenses Timeline Reference
• The Basics of If Sentences
• English Tense Review for Advanced Level Learners
• Expressing the Future With 'Will' and 'Going to'
• Reported Speech Reading Comprehension Activity
• Reported Speech Quiz for English Learners
• Guide to Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous for ESL
• Guide to Expressions of Quantity
• How Many Verb Tenses Are There in English?
• Guide to Present Tenses
• Adverbs of Frequency Sentence Placement
• Parts of Speech: What Are Verbs?
• Practice Restaurant Dialogue for Ordering Food

Question and Answer forum for K12 Students

Reported Speech Dialogue Exercises for Class 10 CBSE With Answers

Reported speech is when we express or say things that have already been said by somebody else.

Basic  English Grammar  rules can be tricky. In this article, we’ll get you started with the basics of sentence structure, punctuation, parts of speech, and more.

We also providing Extra Questions for Class 10 English Chapter wise.

Reported Speech Dialogue Exercises For Class 10 Cbse With Answers PDF

Reporting of the words of a speaker in one’s own words is called Narration. There are two ways of reporting what people say: Direct Speech and Indirect Speech. Direct Speech. The actual words of the speaker using quotation marks are called Direct Speech. Indirect Speech. When we convey the speaker’s words in our own words it becomes Indirect Speech. It is the reporting of speakers’ words, using a saying or asking verbs. In indirect, verbs giving or asking for instructing are often used with a to-infinitive construction. Verbs expressing intention may also be followed by a to-infinitive.

There are basically four types of sentences in which we can convert direct speech into Indirect speech.

• Assertive Sentences (Statements)
• Interrogative Sentences (Questions)
• Imperative Sentences (Commands and Requests)
• Exclamatory Sentences (Strong Feelings)

To convert a Direct speech into an Indirect speech, we have to make some necessary changes. Change No.1. Remove the commas and inverted commas. Use any conjunction.

Change No.2. In Reported Speech, there are some words which show nearness, but they are always converted into words which show distance.

They are as follows:

Note. ‘Come’ is changed into ‘go’ only in that case when any word showing nearness is given with it. Change No. 3. Change of Person. There are three types of Person in English language which are as follows:

Change No. 4. If the reporting verb is in Present or in Future Tense, there is no change in the tense of the Reported Speech. If the reporting verb is in Past Tense, there is always a change in the tense of the Reported Speech, which is as follows:

• Present Indefinite is changed into Past Indefinite
• Present Continuous is changed into Past Continuous
• Present Perfect is changed into Past Perfect
• Present Perfect Continuous is changed into Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Indefinite is changed into Past Perfect
• Past Continuous is changed into Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous remain unchanged

In case of Future Tense, there are only four words which are changed, i.e.

Changes based on the types of sentences.

1. Assertive Sentences (Statements) Change No. 1. Remove the commas and inverted commas. Use conjunction ‘that’. Change No. 2. Change the reporting verb ‘say into tell’, ‘says into tell’, ‘said into told’, if the reporting object is given in the sentence. But do not change the reporting verb if the reporting object is not given in the sentence. Change No. 3. ‘Said to’ can be changed into told, replied, informed, stated, added, remarked, asserted, assured, reminded, complained, and reported, according to the meaning. Change No. 4. Always remove “to’ from the reporting speech, e.g.

• He said to me, “I cannot help you in this matter.” He told me that he could not help me in that matter.
• He said, “My sister’s marriage comes off next month.” He said that his sister’s marriage would come off the following month.

2. Interrogative Sentences (Questions)

Change No. 1. Change the reporting verb ‘said ‘or ‘said to’into‘ asked’ or ‘inquired of’. In case of a single question, change it into ‘asked’ but in case of more than one question, change it into “inquired of’. Change No. 2. Use conjunction ‘if’ or ‘whether’ if the reported speech starts with a helping verb. But do not use any conjunction if the reported speech starts with an interrogative word. Change No. 3. Change the Interrogative sense into an Assertive sense. Change No. 4. Remove ‘?’ question mark and use ‘ . ‘full stop, e.g.

• She said to her servant, “Is tea ready for me?” She asked her servant if tea was ready for her.
• She asked me, “Who teaches you English?” She asked me who taught me English.

3. Imperative Sentences (Commands and Requests)

Change No. 1. Change the reporting verb‘said’ or ‘said to’ into ordered, commanded, requested, advised, warned, forbade, suggested, encouraged, persuaded, begged, etc. according to the sense. Change No. 2. Remove the commas and inverted commas, use conjunction ‘to’. Change No. 3. Change the Imperative sense into Infinitive sense. Change No. 4. Remove ‘do not and use ‘not to’ in case of Negative Imperative sentences, e.g.

• The teacher said to me, “Stand up on the bench.”. The teacher ordered me to stand up on the bench.
• The General said to the soldiers, “March forward and attack the foe.” The General ordered the soldiers to march forward and attack the foe.
• The gardener said to the boys, “Do not pluck the flowers.” The gardener forbade the boys from plucking the flowers.

4. Exclamatory Sentences (Strong Feelings)

Change No. 1. Change the reporting verb ‘said’ or ‘said to’ into “exclaimed with joy’ or ‘exclaimed with sorrow’, ‘cry out, “pray’, etc., according to the sense, i.e.

• Exclaimed with joy–in case of Aha! Ha! Hurrah!
• Exclaimed with sorrow–in case of Ah! Alas!
• Exclaimed with surprise–in case of Oh! What! How!
• Exclaimed with regret–in case of Sorry!
• Exclaimed with contempt–in case of Pooh! Pshaw!
• Applauded with saying–in case of Bravo! Hear!

Change No. 2. Use very or great by removing what or how. Change No. 3. Use conjunction ‘that. Change No. 4. Remove exclamatory word and exclamation sign ‘!’ The student must select the verb best suited to the sense or context, e.g.

• They said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.” They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
• She said, “Alas! I have lost my bridal ring.” She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her bridal ring.
• She said, “How charming the scenery is!” She exclaimed with surprise that it was a very charming scenery.

Reported Speech Exercises Solved Example With Answers for Class 10 CBSE

Diagnostic Test – 29

Mother: Why are you looking so worried? Daughter: My exams are approaching. Mother: When will they start? Daughter: Next month, Mother.

Mother asked her daughter (a) …………………… The daughter replied that (b) …………………… Mother further asked (c) …………………… The daughter told her mother that they would start in the following month.

Answer: (a) why she was looking very worried (b) her exams were approaching. (c) when they would start.

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5 Tasks for Practicing Reported Speech

Tara Benwell June 12, 2017

Do your students struggle with reported (indirect) speech? One of our subscribers recently said that reported speech is one of the most difficult targets for language students to learn. We agree! Our editor says that reported speech is tricky to learn (and teach) because of the verb tense changes that are sometimes required.

ESL Library's Dialogue-Based Sections

ESL Library has many lessons that are based on dialogues. These are ideal for practicing reported speech because they come with ready-made audio that you can download or stream:

• Everyday Dialogues
• English at Work
• Detective Series 1
• Detective Series 2
• Everyday Idioms 1
• Everyday Idioms 2
• Everyday Idioms 3

Practice Tasks

Below are five practice tasks to try with any of the lessons from the sections above. These tasks can also be used with authentic dialogues and transcripts.

1. Listen & Report

Have your students listen to the dialogue. Pause the audio after each line (or after a tricky line) and ask this question:

What did he/she say?

At first, you might want your students to have the transcript handy. As your students become more familiar with this target, use the audio on its own.

2. Ask Ss for Clarification

This task can be done with the audio or the transcript. Ask your students to paraphrase what was said about a certain subject in the dialogue.

What did Jim say about the employment papers ? Did Jim say to drop off the employment papers  now ? Jim said to drop off the employment papers in the staff room, right ?

3. Practice a Specific Tense or Form

Some tenses are trickier than others when it comes to reported speech. Which ones do your students need to work on? Spot examples of it in the dialogues and ask your students to report on what was said.

What did the detective say the teacher was doing ?

Your students may also need to practice other types of indirect speech, such as questions and requests. When you see or hear an example in a dialogue, ask your students to practice.

What did he ask first? Then what request did he make?

4. Spot the Reported Speech

In some cases, reported speech will be used by the characters in the dialogue. Ask your students to spot instances of reported speech used by the speakers.

Where does one of the characters use reported speech?

5. Summarize the Conversation

When summarizing a conversation, it is natural to use reported speech. After listening to and reading a dialogue, ask students to practice summarizing it. This type of task can be done orally or in writing.

Summarize how Clarissa broke the ice with the detective.

Teaching Reported Speech

If your students are unfamiliar with reported (indirect) speech, you will need to teach them the rules and do some practice work before you can try the tasks above. Here are some useful materials to use:

1. Grammar Practice Worksheets: Direct & Reported Speech

In this lesson, students review the verb tense and punctuation rules used in direct and reported speech. They practice changing sentences from direct to reported speech and vice versa.

2. Grammar & Usage: Reported Speech

This handy chart and tips will help students remember common verb tense and modal changes in reported speech. We also encourage you to read our editor's tips for teaching Reported Speech .

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In your opinion, what is the most difficult language target for English learners? What is the most difficult thing to teach?

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• Prepositions
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• REPORTED SPEECH
• General Rules in Speech
• Reported Speech Examples
• Reported Speech Exercises
• My Vote For Reported Speech
• Good Average

Dialogue Reporting Examples

Read the following examples and find out how the utterance of the speaker is reported.

30+ Examples.

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• What is a Pronoun?
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Learning Competency

What are phrasal verbs? Phrasal verbs are verbs that consist of two or three words. The first word is a verb and it is followed by an adverb or a prepositions or both.

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Vocabulary Exercises A1

English Vocabulary Exercises for A1 with Answers.

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English Vocabulary Exercises for A2 with Answers.

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English Vocabulary Exercises for B1 with Answers.

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Listening Practice Through Dictation with Transcripts

English Grammar Exercises for B1- Reported speech

• English Grammar Exercises for B1

1. Complete 1-5 with the tenses below. Then complete 6-9 with the correct verb forms.

past continuous      past perfect      past perfect

past perfect      past simple

1 past simple  2 past continuous   3 past perfect

4 past perfect   5 past perfect   6 could / couldn’t

7 would / wouldn’t   8 might   9 should

2. Circle the correct words.

Last weekend

1   John said he ……… ill.

      a   is              b    was

2   Maisie said that she ……… buy a new phone.

      a   would      b   will

3   Nathan said he ……… looking forward to summer.

4   Harry said that Kay ……… gone to Italy.

      a   has            b    had

5   Emma told me that she ……… find her phone.

      a   couldn’t    b    can’t

6   Pete told me he ……… go to the party.

     a   had to      b   might have

1 b   2 a   3 b   4 b   5 a   6 a

3. How do these references to time and place change in reported speech?

1 that day   2 a week earlier   3 the day before

4 the year before   5 the next day

6 the following month   7 there

4. Complete the text with said or told.

Dan 1 …………………….. Bev that he had bought her a new phone. She looked at it and 2 …………………….. him that it was too big. He 3 …………………….. her that they were all that big nowadays. She 4 …………………….. she wanted him to change it. He 5 …………………….. that he couldn’t change it and 6 …………………….. her that it had cost a lot of money. She 7 …………………….. she didn’t care and 8 …………………….. him she wouldn’t use it.

1 told   2 told   3 told   4 said   5 said   6 told

7 said   8 told

5. Rewrite the sentences as reported speech. If necessary, change the pronouns, possessive adjectives and references to time and place.

1   John to Sue: ‘I left a message for you yesterday.’

     John told ……………………………………..

2   Mark: ‘I’ll top up my phone this evening.’

      …………………………………………..

3   Jenny to Dave: ‘I can’t hear you.’

4   Ann: ‘I’ve checked my balance three times this week.’

5   Jo to Si: ‘You should turn off data roaming.’

6   Kate: ‘I had already texted Harry at the weekend.’

7   Fran to Fred: ‘I called Tom two days ago.’

      …………………………………………..

1    John told Sue (that) he had left a message for her the day before.

2   Mark said (that) he would top up his phone that evening.

3    Jenny told Dave (that) she couldn’t hear him.

4    Ann said (that) she had checked her balance three times that week.

 5   Jo told Si (that) he should turn off data roaming.

6    Kate said (that) she had already texted Harry the weekend before.

7    Fran told Fred (that) she had called Tom two days earlier.

6. Read the reported conversation between two identical twins. Write the direct speech below.

Imo was walking down the road when she slipped and fell. Her twin sister Zoe phoned just afterwards. Zoe told Imo that she has fallen over a few moments before. Imo told her that was an amazing coincidence because she had just done the same! Zoe said her leg was hurting so much that she couldn’t walk. Imo told Zoe that her own leg was OK and that she could easily walk home. But Imo told Zoe that if she couldn’t walk, she should call an ambulance. Zoe said that wouldn’t be necessary and that she could phone their parents.

1   Zoe: ………………………………………….

2   Imo: ………………………………………….

     Because ………………………………………….

3   Zoe: ………………………………………….

4   Imo: ………………………………………….

5   Imo: But ………………………………………….

6   Zoe: ………………………………………….

1    I fell over a few moments ago.

2    That’s an amazing coincidence; I’ve just done the same.

3    My leg’s hurting so much that I can’t walk.

4    My leg is OK and I can easily walk home.

5    if you can’t walk, you should call an ambulance.

6    That won’t be necessary. I can phone our parents.

7. Complete the reported speech.

1   ‘I think my battery has run out.’

      Andy said ………………………………………

2   ‘We don’t want to go home now.’

      We said ………………………………………

3   ‘Beth texted me an hour ago.’

       Julia told us ………………………………………

4   ‘I can’t hear what you’re saying.’

       My brother said ………………………………………

5   ‘I won’t be going to school tomorrow.’

      Peter said ………………………………………

6   ‘I didn’t have time to call you.’

      My dad said ………………………………………

7   ‘I was angry because you’d forgotten my birthday.’

       She told him ………………………………………

8   ‘I’d like to get a new phone.’

       Sue told her parents ………………………………………

1    (that) he thought (that) his battery had run out

2    (that) we didn’t want to go home then/at that moment

3    (that) Beth had texted her an hour earlier

4   (that) he couldn’t hear what I was saying

5   (that) he wouldn’t be going to school the following day

6    (that) he hadn’t had time to call me

7    (that) she’d been angry because he had forgotten her birthday.

8    (that) she would like to get a new phone.

8. Complete the reported speech with said or told .

1   I …………………………… you I’d be late.

2   She …………………………… it didn’t matter.

3   They …………………………… us they were moving abroad.

4   He …………………………… to me he wasn’t sure.

5   We …………………………… we were very sorry.

6   You …………………………… me we didn’t have an exam.

1 told   2 said   3 told   4 said   5 said   6 told

Related Posts

• English Grammar Exercises for B1- Reported speech (questions)
• English Grammar Exercises for B1- Reported speech (statements)
• Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Time out
• English Grammar Exercises for B2 – Reported speech
• English Grammar Exercises for B1- Determiners: all, each, every, few, little, etc.
• English Grammar Exercises for B1- Participle clauses

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• English for Daily Conversations
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• English Listening Exercises for B1
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• English Listening Exercises for Beginner
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Verbs and tenses

• 1 Verbs and tenses
• 2 Lesson Share: Reported speech 1 – article
• 3 Past perfect aspect – article
• 4 Past perfect aspect – tips and activities
• 5 Present perfect aspect – article
• 6 Present perfect aspect – tips and activities
• 7 Reported speech – tips and activities
• 8 Reported speech 2 – article
• 9 The passive in English – article
• 10 The passive in English – tips and activities
• 11 Modal verbs 1 – article
• 12 Modal verbs 1 – tips and activities
• 13 Modal verbs 2 – article
• 14 Modal verbs 2 – tips and activities

Reported speech – tips and activities

By Kerry G. Maxwell and Lindsay Clandfield

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Tips and ideas from Kerry Maxwell and Lindsay Clandfield on teaching reported speech.

Introduction

Reported speech is a very rich grammar area to teach because:

• It can involve considerable manipulation of form.
• It’s a very easy piece of grammar to locate and exploit with texts.

The activities here are divided into different kinds of drill, ways of exploiting texts and analysis.

Activity: Basic substitution

At it’s most basic, you can simply read out a sentence and ask the students to rephrase it beginning with He said …/She said…  For example:

• T: I don’t like it.
• Ss: He said he didn’t like it.
• T: I hate it.
• Ss: He said he hated it.

This can be made a little more interesting in the following ways:

Activity: Chain reports

Version 1 The following activity is a variation of the well-known 'broken telephone'. Whisper a sentence in English to a student. That student then whispers it to another and so on until the last student has to say aloud what was said originally.

Version 2 If the above seems too easy, ask students to alternate reported speech/direct speech. If they hear it in reported speech they put it back to direct speech and vice versa. For example:

• T: I like it.
• S1: He said he liked it.
• S2: I like it.

Activity: I didn't get that. What did she say?

This is a quick question drill. Ask a student a question. After they answer, ask another student what was said. For example:

• T: Tomas, how did you get to class today?
• S1: I came by car.
• T: Sorry, I didn’t get that. Yvonne, what did Tomas say?
• S2: He said he had come by car.

Activity: Mingle

Prepare a series of cards/slips of paper, each with a different sentence. Here are some examples:

Remember me? We met at last year’s party.

Create enough cards so that each student has one. You can repeat the same sentences on other cards.

Explain that you want the students to role-play the following situation. They are all at a very formal cocktail party. Everybody must circulate and talk to each other. The trick is they must say what is on their card and as little else as possible. If you have a CD player or cassette player in the classroom, you could play some quiet music in the background during the mingle.

After five minutes (or however long it takes for most students to have spoken to each other) tell everyone to sit down again. Ask people to report back on what other people told them, using reported speech.

Activity: Text clarifications

This is another teacher-led activity that also focuses on listening skills. It uses an oral text generated by the teacher. For this activity you need to prepare the following:

• a short anecdote (2 minutes long) related to the topic that you are already doing in class (e.g. if you are doing holidays, make it about holidays);
• four or five sentences that contradict things in your anecdote.

Write the sentences on the board. Read them out to the students. Now explain that you are going to tell a story, but that some of the facts in the story are different. The students must listen carefully. When they hear a fact that is different from those on the board, someone must interrupt you and seek clarification, using the following structure:

Excuse me, but didn’t you say that …? (include what you had said earlier, the facts that are on the board).

Here is an example: T writes on the board:

• I live in a big house.
• I’m married.
• I don’t have any children.

The teacher reads out the sentences and then she gives the instructions for the activity. She begins the story:

• T: Well, the other day I was in my flat. It’s a small flat in the city centre …
• S: Excuse me, didn’t you say you lived in a big house?
• T: Ah yes, I did say that. So, it was in my big house. My boyfriend was at work …
• S: Excuse me, didn’t you say you were married?
• T: Of course. I’m married, I meant to say my husband was at work and the baby was crying …
• S: Excuse me, didn’t you say you didn’t have any children?
• T: That’s right. It isn’t my baby, it’s my sister’s baby.

Activity: Reported interviews

For this activity, search around the internet for an interview. This kind of activity works best if the interviewee is someone that your class is interested in, or at least someone they have heard about.

• Select some of the interview from the webpage and paste into a word document. Make copies for every two students in the class. In class, divide the students into pairs.
• Distribute the interview and ask them to work together and make a reported version it.
• Give them a word limit (150 words). When they have finished their draft report, have them swap reports with another pair. Ask them to reduce the report now to 100 words. Circulate and help.

Activity: Reporting back – famous interviews

In this activity, students create the interview themselves. Divide students into groups. Tell the groups that they must do the following:

• Decide on a famous person (living or dead) who they would like to interview.
• Nominate ONE person in that group to be the famous person.
• Once groups have nominated their famous people ask those people to come up to the front and form a new group.
• Explain that the famous people are all on a panel to be interviewed by the class, who are journalists.
• Give the journalists some time to think of questions. During this time the famous people can talk about what they are going to say.
• When the journalists are ready, begin moderating the interview by asking for questions.
• Once all the famous people have answered the questions send them back to their original seats.
• Now ask everybody to write a report with at least two things they remember from the interview. They should include examples of reported speech in their report. Ask students to compare their reports in pairs.
• Circulate and help. At the end, ask different pairs to read out their reports.

Activity: The news

Prepare for this activity by going to a news website and looking around for short news stories with examples of reported speech. Don’t worry about not finding any, there are usually lots.

• Select examples of these texts and create a small worksheet. First, ask students to read the excerpts and tick the stories they already know about.
• Then ask them to speculate as what the direct speech was. Tell them to write in direct speech the reported speech. They can add more detail if they like.
• At the end, have different students read their quotes and ask the others if they can see what story it came from.

Activity: Shades of meaning 1

The choice of whether or not to 'backshift' the tenses in reported speech often has to do with the reporter’s interpretation. You can ask students to compare the meanings between two examples of reported speech (minimal pair sentences).

For example:

See the section on tense choices in reported and reporting clauses for further examples that you could use and explanation of the differences in meaning.

Activity: Shades of meaning 2

You can also do the above exercise with examples from the news stories. Give the example and ask students to speculate why the tense was chosen. For example:

Why not … that Madonna owed them …?

Activity: What I think and don't think

This activity is a dictation activity. Prepare some sentences that are opinions on a certain topic that you’ve covered recently in class. There should be a mixture of affirmative and negative sentences. Here are some examples on the topic of ART for an intermediate class (some of these are stronger opinions – you may want to change them to reflect your own opinion).

• A lot of modern art isn’t very good.
• Art galleries are great places for conversation.
• There aren’t many famous painters from my country.
• Graffiti isn’t art.
• Art shouldn’t be only for rich people.
• Some art is worth far too much money.

Explain that you are going to dictate these sentences, but that the students must write down a report of each one beginning with The teacher thinks  … or The teacher doesn’t think … (see grammar explanation on negatives in reporting for when to use which stem). The above sentences would give the following:

The teacher thinks art galleries are great places for conversation.

Ask students to compare their answers in pairs, and then decide if they agree or disagree with you. Ask different groups to report back and have a short open class discussion.

Activity: Reacting to the news

Prepare a series of slips of paper each with a sentence beginning You’ve been asked to… or You’ve been told to… Prepare a mixture of good and bad things. For example:

• You’ve been asked to work next Saturday morning.
• You’ve been told to not drink any more wine.
• You’ve been asked to present an award at a film festival.
• You’ve been told to go the principal’s office.
• You’ve been asked to participate in a television show.
• You’ve been told to stay in bed for three weeks.

Pre-teach common social expressions for reacting to good or bad news, for example:

• That’s great!
• Congratulations!
• That’s good news
• That’s too bad.
• Oh dear. Oh no.
• That’s terrible!

Distribute the slips of paper to the students and ask them to read them silently. Then tell them to move around the class and 1) tell other students what they’ve been asked or told to do. 2) react to what other students tell them.

As a follow-up, you could ask them to work in groups and transcribe what they think was probably originally said.

Activity: Conspiracy theories

Prepare a small handout with the following 'claims' on it.

Elvis lives? It’s claimed that the singer Elvis is still alive today.

Think of four or five other conspiracy claims that you could add (you can add local ones too). Include one or two which are more 'believable' than the others (maybe even true ones). Write them in a similar style (i.e. headline, then the sentence stem It is claimed/said/believed that … ). Make one copy of this handout for every three or four students in the class.

Divide students into groups and give each group a card. They must read the card and then assign a score (0 to 5) to each theory 0 = we don’t believe this at all to 5 = we believe this is true . Do some feedback at the end, then collect the handouts. Ask students to try and rewrite from memory what the theories were, paying attention to the reporting structure.

Activity: Drill sergeant

This is another simple drill for reporting orders. Explain that you are going to be a drill sergeant: you are going to give four different students orders and then ask someone to report back what was said. Give short simple orders to different students in a brisk, sergeant-like voice. For example:

• Put down your pen!
• Listen to me!
• Pick up your bag!
• Answer your mobile phone!

The students must carry out the orders. Once you’ve given orders to four students, ask a fifth: What did I just say? The fifth student must report the orders (e.g. You told Maria to put down her pen, you told Giovanni to listen to you. ). If they can do it correctly, they become the drill sergeant.

This is a drill but with a role play element (that of being the sergeant) – to make the role even more effective you could use a prop, like a ruler or some kind of stick to wave around. You then give the prop to the next drill sergeant. Make sure nobody gets hit with the prop though!

Activity: things I was asked/told to do

To provide more practice in reporting structures with ask/tell, ask students to make a list of things they were asked or told to do in different situations. For example:

• when they were a child
• when they first started learning English
• in their first job
• on their first day at school/university

Tell students to compare with each other once they have written their lists. Then ask different students to report back.

Activity: Survivors mingle

This is a group role play, where students imagine that they have survived a plane accident and are stranded on a desert island. Prepare a series of cards/slips of paper, each with a different suggestion for the situation. Here are some examples:

• We should just wait for someone to come and find us.
• Why don’t we explore the island?
• Let’s get wood for a fire.
• We should all stay together. There are dangerous animals around here.
• I think you and I should try to escape together.
• Let’s build a boat.
• We should try and fix the plane.

(you can make your own. Begin with Why don’t we… Let’s …. We should…) Create enough cards so that each student has one. You can repeat the same sentences on other cards.

Explain that you want the students to role play the situation described above (to make it more 'real' you could elaborate on the story of how they got there). Everybody must circulate and talk to each other. They must say what is on their card and as little else as possible.

After five minutes (or however long it takes for most students to have spoken to each other) tell everyone to sit down again. Ask people to report back on what other people told them, using one of the following reporting verbs: suggest, advise or recommend .

Here is a variation which lets the students choose more of the language. Set up the scene, then give the students the sentence stems: Why don’t we … Let’s …. We should … and ask them to write a suggestion. Give them one of the above as an example. Then continue the activity.

Activity: Election pledges

To practise the structures following verbs like promise and offer , you can ask students to imagine they are speechwriters for a candidate for President or Prime Minister of their country. They must prepare a very short speech. You could give them the following outline to help:

• I know that …
• So I promise to … and to …
• If we are elected, my government pledges* to …
• My opponent has promised to …
• But we all know that …
• Together we can …

* pre-teach pledge – it has the same reporting structure as promise, or offer

Students can write this in groups. Then have different students read out their election speeches. Who is the most convincing?

• British English
• Reference Material
• Reported speech

Lesson Share: Reported speech 1 – article

Past perfect aspect – article

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Present perfect aspect – article, present perfect aspect – tips and activities.

Reported speech 2 – article

The passive in english – article, the passive in english – tips and activities, modal verbs 1 – article, modal verbs 1 – tips and activities, modal verbs 2 – article, modal verbs 2 – tips and activities, related articles.

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Reported speech provides a challenge for most learners of English. The shifting tenses and changes to both pronouns and modal verbs take time to learn and practice to use effectively. This practice is key because reported speech requires accuracy on the part of the speaker. Even minor errors can make it difficult for the listener to understand when the action in the reported speech occurred.

When working with reported speech, it is helpful to have the students work through the sentence by identifying the following grammar aspects of the direct speech that is to be converted to reported speech.

1.     Identify the type of sentence. Is it a statement, a command, or a question?

• This will determine the reporting verb used, such as said , told , or asked .

2.     Identify the verb tense used in the direct speech as the verb tenses will backshift when being changed to reported speech.

• Note: Although it is not standard, some native speakers may not change present tense into past tense for facts. For example “Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world” can change to “She said Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.”

3.     Identify the pronoun and change it accordingly. For example, “I like soccer” requires a change of pronoun to he or she “She said she likes soccer”.

4.     Identify any times and/or places. These will need to be changed when converting to reported speech. For example, “I will come there after class” changes to “She told me she would come here after class.”

In this month’s Teacher’s Corner, we will showcase four activities that can be used to practice reported speech. These activities are designed to give students practice using reported speech in a variety of ways. The activities create opportunities for students to practice reported speech in both spoken and written form.

Week 1 – Reported Speech Overview

Week 2 – Gossip and Rumors

Week 3 – Trace Effects

Week 4 – World News Report

The goal in each of these activities is to provide students opportunities to work through the steps above to convert direct speech to reported speech. Week 1 works with the mechanics of reported speech and centers on an interview activity. Week 2 encourages students to get to know each other better by using a variation of the game “two truths and a lie.” Week 3 provides a variety of reported speech activities that utilize the game Trace Effects . Week 4 gives students the chance to work with reported speech to deliver news reports in the classroom.

Table of Contents

Low-Intermediate to Advanced

Language Focus

Speaking, listening (primary focus); writing (secondary focus)

Students will increase their understanding of reported speech through a matching and interview activity.

• Teacher: whiteboard/chalkboard, markers or chalk, a timing device, a world map for reference, match-up cards (Appendix 1), reported speech interviews worksheet (Appendix 2).
• Students: pencils or pens, notebooks or writing paper.

Preparation

This week’s Teacher’s Corner introduces students to the grammatical structures in reported speech. Students will practice matching direct speech to reported speech and then practice changing direct speech to reported speech via interviews with fellow students.

1.     Read through all the materials carefully.

2.     Print one copy of the reported speech match-up cards found in Appendix 1 for the class activity. For larger classes, multiple copies may be needed.

• There are 39 cards in total. For smaller classes, the match-up activity can be completed in rounds – first the verb tenses and then the modals.

3.     Once the match-up cards have been printed, cut them into individual cards. These cards are in three categories: verb tense (x13 cards), direct speech (x13 cards), and reported speech (x13 cards).

4.     For the interview activity, print enough of the reported speech interviews worksheets in Appendix 2 so that each student has a copy. These print outs do not need to be cut into individual cards.

Part 1 – Reported Speech Match Up

1.     Begin the class activity by having the students stand up and mix themselves around.

2.     Next, give each student one of the 39 cards found in Appendix 1.

• Students should keep their card hidden at the start and not show it to their classmates.
• Instruct the students that when you say “Go!” they should move around the room and match their card with the correct cards held by other students.
• Once they find the students with the matching cards, they should stand in a group.

Note : Students will end up forming groups of three – one student with the verb tense card, one with the direct speech card, and one with the reported speech card. For example:

        Student #1                            Student #2                                                Student #3

3.     Yell “Go!” and have the students mingle and find the students with the correct cards.

4.     Once all of the groups of students have been formed, have them read their card aloud to the rest of class. Have them begin with the verb tense, then the direct speech, and then the reported speech.

5.     Once finished, have the students turn in their cards, mix them up and then play again. Play as many rounds as time permits.

Part 2 – Interviews

1.     Have the students sit down. The first portion of this activity is individual work, so they do not need to sit with a partner or group.

2.     Give each student a copy of the reported speech interviews worksheets found in Appendix 2.

3.     Have the students read through the sheet. Ask them if they have any questions before beginning the writing portion of the activity.

4.     Next, instruct the students to choose 10 out of the 13 possible verb tenses or modals. The students then write 10 questions using the verb tenses or modals that they selected.

• Students should write their questions in the left column under Verb Tenses . For example:

5.     After the students have written their questions, have them find a partner.

6.     Once the students are in pairs, organize each pair into student A or student B.

7.     Student A begins by asking their questions to student B. When student B answers, student A should write down the answer under the column Direct Speech .

8.     Once student A is finished asking questions, have the pair switch roles: Student B asks questions and student A answers the questions. Student B should write down student A’s answers in the Direct Speech column as well.

9.     After the interviews have been completed, have the students return to their seats. Now, each student should take the answers provided by their partner and convert them to reported speech. Instruct them to write down the reported speech in the column on their worksheet labeled Reported Speech .

Part 3 – Information Sharing

1.     Once students have converted their partner’s direct speech to reported speech, have them stand up and find a new partner.

2.     With their new partner, have the students share the answers provided by their previous partner. Circulate around the room to ensure that students are using reported speech.

• For more advanced classes, have them also use reported speech to report the questions they asked as well. For example:  Susan: “I asked Robert if he likes to read. Roberto said he enjoys reading  mystery stories.”

3.     Once each student has reported on the answers of their previous partner, bring the class back together. If time permits, have the students share the answers with the rest of the class.

Appendix 1: Reported Speech Match-Up

Verb Tenses

Appendix 2: Reported Speech Interviews

Students will practice using reported speech through discussing gossip and rumors.

• Teacher: whiteboard/chalkboard, markers or chalk, “Two Truths” Appendix 1.

This week’s Teacher’s Corner is using a variation on the game “Two Truths and a Lie”. The game is simple; each player tells two facts that are true and one that is a lie. The other players must correctly guess which one of the three statements is a lie. In this variation of the game, students will write their statements down on a sheet of paper, trade them with other students, and then use reported speech to share these statements with the class.

• Read through all the materials carefully.
• Print out the “Two Truths and a Lie” cards in Appendix 1. Make enough copies so that each student in class has a statement card. Note : If playing multiple rounds, print enough copies so each student has one card per game.
• Each game will have five rounds. In the first round, student A will talk to his/her partner, reporting on the statements. Their partner (student B) will choose the statement they believe is a lie. Student A will then note on their card student B’s choice in the “Vote for a Lie” table at the bottom of their card. The pair of students will repeat this process for student B’s card. Once both students have noted their partner’s vote, they will find new partners and repeat the process. Once each student has talked to five other students and registered the votes, the game is over.
• After students have played two rounds and have become familiar with the game, encourage them to expand the game to include statements about their favorite celebrities and/or sports stars. For example a student may write:

Lionel Messi has won eight La Liga titles.

Lionel Messi plays for Real Madrid.

Lionel Messi has won three European Golden Shoes.

Part 1 – Two Truths and a Lie Statements Cards

• Tell the students to think about two facts and one untrue fact about themselves. Encourage the students to think carefully so that the lie is difficult to detect!
• Next, pass out the “Two Truths and a Lie” statement card to the students.
• Have the students write down their name at the top of the card and their three statements in the numbered spaces provided. Note : Remind students to mix up their statements. If each student writes the lie as the third statement, the game will become predictable!

Part 2 – “Did you know that…?”

• Next, have each student switch their card with a classmate so that each student now has another student’s card.
• Instruct the students to read the card and convert the statements to reported speech.  For example : Susan writes, “I went to America”, so John should change it to, “Susan said that she has gone to America.  Note : When gossiping in English, the beginning of a sentence is typically altered to make the news more exciting. For example, instead of “Susan said that…” the sentence may begin with a phrase such as, “Did you hear that…”or “Do you think that…” or “I heard that…” While lower level classes may need to practice the more formal structures, more advanced students can use these more informal phrases.
• Next, have the students stand up and find a partner. They can choose any partner except the person who has their original card (and whose card they now have).
• Each student should report the information on the card to their partner. After hearing the three statements, their partner should guess which one is the lie. Each student should mark down their partner’s guess at the bottom of their card.
• Have the students switch and find a new partner and repeat the process.
• After five rounds, have the students find the classmate whose card they have. Have the students share the results with their partner. Note : If time permits, have students volunteer to share their results with the class. Which student had the most believable lie?

Optional Activity

If time permits, have the students play another round. This time, have them create statements about each other or their favorite celebrities or sports stars.

Appendix 1: Two Truths and a Lie

1. 2. 3. #1 #2 #3 #4 #5           1. 2. 3. #1 #2 #3 #4 #5           Intermediate to Advanced Speaking, listening (primary focus); reading (secondary focus) Students will increase their reported speech skills through role play activities centered on the game Trace Effects . Teacher: whiteboard/chalkboard, markers or chalk, computer and projector, computer lab if possible, copies of Trace Effects (online or DVD version). Copies of the Trace Effects Chapter 1 comics, which can be found in the downloads section of this webpage. This week’s Teacher’s Corner uses the video game Trace Effects to practice reported speech. Trace Effects , like other video games, requires players to solve problems using the information provided. Gathering information in Trace Effects requires asking questions and listening to the answers. This question and answer format makes it an effective way for students to practice reported speech. This week’s Teacher’s Corner provides a series of activities centered on Trace Effects to help students practice reported speech. If you have never played Trace Effects, you can find it here . These activities are best used in a computer lab, if possible. Have students work on the computers in pairs or small groups. The fourth activity is an information gap using Chapter 1 of the Trace Effects Comic book. When students are paired for the activity, one student will have the regular version of the comic and his/her partner will have a special version of the same comic. This special version will have some of the text missing. Both are included in the “Downloads” section of this week’s Teacher’s Corner web page. Trace Telephone – Pairs or Small Groups 1.     Before class, ensure that each computer has a set of headphones. 2.     Have the students form pairs or small groups. Each pair or small group should have a computer on which to work. 3.     Next, have the students go to the webpage Trace Effects . If your school has DVD copies of Trace Effects , or the game is installed on school computers, have the students use that version. 4.     Provide each student a role during gameplay: one student (the controller) should control the mouse and keyboard, while a second student (the reporter) listens to the audio in the headphones. a.     If playing in small groups, the third student can be the “grammar checker.” Their job is to listen to what they reporter tells the controller and check the reported speech that the reporter uses. 5.     Let the groups begin a game of Trace Effects . The player with the headphones must communicate the responses of the other characters to their partner or group. a.     If playing as a whole class, have one student come to the front of the class to be the reporter. The remainder of the class can shout out/vote for what should be selected next in the dialogue chain. Trace Telephone – Class Version 1.     If a computer lab is not available, a similar activity to the one above can be conducted as a whole class. 2.     In this version of the activity, one student works as the controller of the game while another student uses the headphones to listen to the audio. 3.     Taking turns, students come to the front of the class and put on the headphones. The student must listen to the dialogue from the NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) and change the speech they hear to reported speech. Using reported speech, they must tell the class what they heard. 4.     If the student uses reported speech successfully, they continue to be the class reporter. If the student does not use the correct reported speech, the reporter must sit down and a new student comes to the front of the class to assume the role. a.     Optional: When a student reports the dialogue incorrectly, they can take over controlling the game. 5.     The student who correctly reports the dialogue the most number of times in a row wins! Trace Summary – Chapter 2 Reported speech is regularly used when summarizing an event or telling a story. In this activity, students will report on the events of Trace Effects Chapter 2. 1.     Place students into pairs or small groups. These pairs/small groups will work together to complete Trace Effects Chapter 2. 2.     Have the students play Chapter 2 of the game. a.     While students play the chapter, have them take notes about the events in the game. Encourage them to take notes on who Trace talks to and what the characters say to Trace. b.     If students are playing in pairs or small groups, have them take turns at the controls. This chapter of Trace Effects has two scenes: the farmers’ market and a high school. Students can switch turns on the controls when the scene changes. 3.     Once students have completed the chapter, have them provide a summary of the chapter in the form of a story. For example: Trace asked the woman at the tomato booth if she was Emma Fields. The woman said no and told Trace to ask the people at the corn booth. 4.     Depending on the level of the students, the summary can be presented in class as a spoken activity, or students can take their notes home and write a summary to be presented in class the following day. Trace Effects – Comic Book This activity is best completed after students have played Trace Effects Chapter 1. This activity can also benefit from being conducted in a computer lab if possible. 1.     Have the students form pairs of A and B. 2.     Give half the students (student A) copies of the Trace Effects Chapter 1 – Blanks comic book included with this activity. 3.     Give the other half of the class (student B) a copy of the Trace Effects Chapter 1 comic. 4.     Instruct student A to fill in the blanks in their comic by asking student B what was said by the characters with the missing text. Student B should give the missing lines using reported speech. Student A should listen to the reported speech and convert it to direct speech and fill in the words missing in the speech bubbles. Note: to extend the activity and give both students in the pair the opportunity to work with reported speech, hand out only half of the comic (pages 3-5) to the students. Then, once the pairs have completed those pages, have them switch roles and to complete the second half of the comic (pages 6-8). High-Intermediate to Advanced Speaking, reading (primary focus); writing, listening (secondary focus) Students will practice using reported speech by giving news reports. Teacher: whiteboard/chalkboard, markers or chalk, copies of the article “ Scott Kelly Reflects On His Year Off The Planet ”. This week’s Teacher’s Corner practices reported speech through reporting on news stories. Reporting on events, such as news stories, allow students to practice a larger variety of verbs when using reported speech. Read through all the materials carefully before starting the activity. Read the article “ Scott Kelly Reflects On His Year Off The Planet ” before class to identify vocabulary that may be new or challenging to students. Identify the quotes made by astronaut Scott Kelly in the article; students will convert these quotes to reported speech. Print a copy of the article for each student to read or, if possible, complete part one of the activity in a computer lab. Part 1 – In-Class Practice 1.     Pass out copies of the article “ Scott Kelly Reflects On His Year Off The Planet ”, or provide students a link to the article if working in a computer lab. 2.     Have the students read the article. 3.     Once the students have finished reading, have the students underline or highlight the quotes made by astronaut Scott Kelly in the article. If students are reading the article online, have them write the quotes on a sheet of paper. 4.     Next, have the students write a short summary of the article. Instruct them to use at least two quotes from astronaut Kelly. These quotes must be changed to reported speech. a.     For lower level classes, students can do the summary in pairs or small groups. b.     Advance classes can use this opportunity not only to practice reported speech but to cite sources as well. For example, with Scott Kelly’s quote, "I have taken a lot of pictures because I've been up here for a long time," can be changed to: Kelly told reporters that he had taken a lot of pictures because he had been up there a long time . More advanced classes can also use reported speech to summarize what the author of the article wrote, such as: Brumfiel states that when Kelly had returned to Earth he had spent 340 days aboard the International Space Station . 5.     Have students switch summaries with another student. The students read their partner’s summary and analyze how closely it matches the information in the article. Instruct the students to make corrections to any errors they see in the reported speech contained in the summary. a.     Optional: The summaries can be collected and corrections made to the reported speech. Part 2 – Homework 1.     Now that students have practice with the in-class article, assign them homework to find a new article on which to report. 2.     Encourage students to find an article on a topic they enjoy. A resource for articles designed for learners of English is Voice of America . 3.     Have the students summarize their article and, as in the class example, include at least two instances of reported speech. Part 3 – In-Class Report 1.     In the next class, have the students present their article summary to the class. Give each student two minutes to present their summary to the class. 2.     Encourage students not to rely on their writing but to try giving the summary from memory. Optional variations 1.     Make this a regular activity in your class by requiring students to present a news report each week. Each class period, a set number of students can provide a report, such as two students at the start of each class. 2.     If class time is limited, have the students record their summaries and submit them as audio journals. For ideas on student recordings, see the September 2015 Teacher’s Corner on using Audacity recording software. For more ways to incorporate global affairs and news into your classroom check out the Teacher’s Corner for March 2016 . Privacy Notice Copyright Info Accessibility Statement Get Adobe Reader For English Language Teachers Around the World The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, manages this site. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Reported speech Reported speech is how we represent the speech of other people or what we ourselves say. There are two main types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech repeats the exact words the person used, or how we remember their words: Barbara said, “I didn’t realise it was midnight.” In indirect speech, the original speaker’s words are changed. Barbara said she hadn’t realised it was midnight . In this example, I becomes she and the verb tense reflects the fact that time has passed since the words were spoken: didn’t realise becomes hadn’t realised . Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words: “I’m sorry,” said Mark. (direct) Mark apologised . (indirect: report of a speech act) In a similar way, we can report what people wrote or thought: ‘I will love you forever,’ he wrote, and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (direct report of what someone wrote) He wrote that he would love her forever , and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (indirect report of what someone wrote) I need a new direction in life , she thought. (direct report of someone’s thoughts) She thought that she needed a new direction in life . (indirect report of someone’s thoughts) Reported speech: direct speech Reported speech: indirect speech Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses Speech reports consist of two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. The reporting clause includes a verb such as say, tell, ask, reply, shout , usually in the past simple, and the reported clause includes what the original speaker said. reporting clause reported clause , , me Reported speech: punctuation Direct speech. In direct speech we usually put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. The words of the original speaker are enclosed in inverted commas, either single (‘…’) or double (“…”). If the reported clause comes first, we put the comma inside the inverted commas: “ I couldn’t sleep last night, ” he said. Rita said, ‘ I don’t need you any more. ’ If the direct speech is a question or exclamation, we use a question mark or exclamation mark, not a comma: ‘Is there a reason for this ? ’ she asked. “I hate you ! ” he shouted. We sometimes use a colon (:) between the reporting clause and the reported clause when the reporting clause is first: The officer replied: ‘It is not possible to see the General. He’s busy.’ Punctuation Indirect speech In indirect speech it is more common for the reporting clause to come first. When the reporting clause is first, we don’t put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. When the reporting clause comes after the reported clause, we use a comma to separate the two parts: She told me they had left her without any money. Not: She told me, they had left her without any money . Nobody had gone in or out during the previous hour, he informed us. We don’t use question marks or exclamation marks in indirect reports of questions and exclamations: He asked me why I was so upset. Not: He asked me why I was so upset? Reported speech: reporting verbs Say and tell. We can use say and tell to report statements in direct speech, but say is more common. We don’t always mention the person being spoken to with say , but if we do mention them, we use a prepositional phrase with to ( to me, to Lorna ): ‘I’ll give you a ring tomorrow,’ she said . ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said to us in a low voice. Not: ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said us in a low voice . With tell , we always mention the person being spoken to; we use an indirect object (underlined): ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told them . Not: ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told . In indirect speech, say and tell are both common as reporting verbs. We don’t use an indirect object with say , but we always use an indirect object (underlined) with tell : He said he was moving to New Zealand. Not: He said me he was moving to New Zealand . He told me he was moving to New Zealand. Not: He told he was moving to New Zealand . We use say , but not tell , to report questions: ‘Are you going now?’ she said . Not: ‘Are you going now?’ she told me . We use say , not tell , to report greetings, congratulations and other wishes: ‘Happy birthday!’ she said . Not: Happy birthday!’ she told me . Everyone said good luck to me as I went into the interview. Not: Everyone told me good luck … Say or tell ? Other reporting verbs (= ) The reporting verbs in this list are more common in indirect reports, in both speaking and writing: Simon admitted that he had forgotten to email Andrea. Louis always maintains that there is royal blood in his family. The builder pointed out that the roof was in very poor condition. Most of the verbs in the list are used in direct speech reports in written texts such as novels and newspaper reports. In ordinary conversation, we don’t use them in direct speech. The reporting clause usually comes second, but can sometimes come first: ‘Who is that person?’ she asked . ‘It was my fault,’ he confessed . ‘There is no cause for alarm,’ the Minister insisted . Verb patterns: verb + that -clause Word of the Day food remaining after a meal Simply the best! 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Esl reported speech activity - grammar and speaking: asking and answering questions, forming sentences, true or false, guessing - group work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 40 minutes. Double Trouble Esl direct and indirect speech game - grammar and speaking: pelmanism, reforming sentences, controlled practice - group work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 20 minutes. ESL Reported Speech Game - Grammar and Speaking: Reading and Responding to Statements, Forming Sentences, Controlled Practice - Pre-intermediate (A2) - 35 minutes You said... Esl reported speech game - grammar and speaking: miming, guessing, forming sentences - group and pair work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 25 minutes. Report This Esl reported speech activity - grammar and speaking: asking and answering questions, forming sentences - pair work - intermediate (b1) - 25 minutes. Reporting Modal Verbs Esl reporting modal verbs worksheet - grammar exercises: identifying, matching, gap-fill, rewriting sentences, writing a paragraph - intermediate (b1) - 30 minutes. Run and Report Esl reported speech activity - reading, speaking and grammar: running dictation, rewriting sentences - pair work - intermediate (b1) - 25 minutes. Somebody told me that... Esl reported speech activities - speaking activity: asking and answering questions - grammar game: forming sentences, guessing - group work - intermediate (b1) - 40 minutes. Telephone Messages Esl reported speech game - grammar and speaking: asking and answering questions from prompts, freer practice - group work - intermediate (b1) - 25 minutes. Trip Around the World Esl reported speech activity - grammar, speaking and writing: writing questions and answers, role-play, interview, writing a short article - group and pair work - intermediate (b1) - 45 minutes. What did they say? Esl reported speech game - grammar and speaking: asking and answering questions from prompts, writing sentences, controlled and freer practice - group work - intermediate (b1) - 45 minutes. What did you ask me? Esl reported speech activity - grammar, speaking and writing: asking and answering questions, writing sentences - pair work - intermediate (b1) - 40 minutes. I asked you not to... Esl reported speech game - grammar: forming sentences from prompts - group work - upper-intermediate (b2) - 45 minutes. Infinitive Clauses Practice Esl infinitive clauses worksheet - grammar exercises: binary choice, gap-fill, matching, unscrambling, rewriting sentences - upper-intermediate (b2) - 25 minutes. Listening In Esl reported speech game - grammar: sentence completion, guessing - group and pair work - upper-intermediate (b2) - 25 minutes. Sign up for our monthly newsletter and keep up-to-date with our latest resources, news and website features. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Latest Free Resources Elementary (A1-A2) Upper-intermediate (B2) Latest Member Resources Future perfect. Intermediate (B1) Talking About Companies Here's what our members are saying.... There are a lot of resources that are useful for teaching English. I downloaded the games which are handy and use them in my classes. With the games, my students never skip class or feel tired to learn English. The resources for teaching English helped my students progress in grammar, vocabulary, writing and comprehension. They also helped me a lot to guide my students to learn in a practical way. I am an ESOL teacher, and the resources have helped my classes enormously. In particular, the speaking activities were a great help for my intermediate students before their exam. The website is user-friendly, and I will continue to utilise the resources - next term is reading and comprehension, so I will be looking for more resources from you. 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Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption There were a host of false things that Donald Trump said during his hour-long news conference Thursday that have gotten attention. A glaring example is his helicopter emergency landing story, which has not stood up to scrutiny . But there was so much more. A team of NPR reporters and editors reviewed the transcript of his news conference and found at least 162 misstatements, exaggerations and outright lies in 64 minutes. That’s more than two a minute. It’s a stunning number for anyone – and even more problematic for a person running to lead the free world. Politicians spin. They fib. They misspeak. They make honest mistakes like the rest of us. And, yes, they even sometimes exaggerate their biographies . The expectation, though, is that they will treat the truth as something important and correct any errors. But what former President Trump did this past Thursday went well beyond the bounds of what most politicians would do. Here’s what we found, going chronologically from the beginning of Trump’s remarks to the end: 1. “I think our country right now is in the most dangerous position it’s ever been in from an economic standpoint…”  The U.S. economy has rebounded from the pandemic downturn more rapidly than most other countries around the world. Growth has slowed in recent months, but gross domestic product still grew at a relatively healthy annual clip of 2.8% in April, May and June – which is faster than the pace in three of the four years when Trump was president. — Scott Horsley, NPR chief economics correspondent 2. “…from a safety standpoint, both gangs on the street…” We don’t have great, up-to-date data on gang activity in the U.S., but violent crime trends offer a good glimpse into safety in the country. Nationally, violent crime – that includes murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault – has been trending way down after a surge in 2020, according to the most recent data from the FBI . That data is preliminary and incomplete, covering around three-quarters of the country, but other crime analysts have found similar trends. Crime levels, of course, vary locally : murders are down in Philadelphia, for instance, but up in Charlotte, N.C. — Meg Anderson, NPR National Desk reporter covering criminal justice 3. “...and frankly, gangs outside of our country in the form of other countries that are, frankly, very powerful. They’re very powerful countries.” The U.S. is not in the “most dangerous position” from a foreign-policy standpoint than ever before. Biden pulled troops out of Afghanistan in his first year in office — though the withdrawal itself was chaotic and a target of much criticism — and since then, U.S. troops have not been actively engaged in a war for the first time in 20 years. The U.S. is supporting Ukraine and Israel, of course, and has troops in Iraq and Syria, but they’re not fighting on any regular basis. What’s more, however, FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the greatest threat to the country is domestic extremism . And beyond organized groups the very definition of extremism is changing, as fringe ideologies move into the mainstream, and radicalization takes hold amongst parts of the populace. Consider: the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and the assassination attempt on Trump’s life, even with a motive that remains murky at best. Regardless, the call is coming from inside the house, domestic extremism experts warn. Many polls show a sobering degree of support for political violence to drive change. — Andrew Sussman, NPR supervising editor for national security 4-5. “ We have a lot of bad things coming up. You could end up in a Depression of the 1929 variety, which would be a devastating thing, took many years– took many decades to recover from it, and we’re very close to that.” There is nothing to suggest that a 1930s style Depression is on the horizon for the United States. And the Depression did not take “many decades to recover from.” It ended during World War Two , in 1941. — Scott Horsley 6. “And we’re very close to a world war. In my opinion, we’re very close to a world war.” No serious person thinks that the U.S., Russia and China are about to start a world war. Right now, Russia appears to be having a hard time defending Russia, given Ukraine’s recent incursions. While there are concerns about things like the potential for regional conflagrations in the Middle East, only Trump is talking about world war. — Andrew Sussman 7. “ Kamala's record is horrible. She's a radical left person at a level that nobody's seen.”  It’s debatable how liberal Harris is. Some in California didn’t like her record on criminal justice and thought she was not progressive enough. She’s clearly liked by progressives and her voting scores as a senator are on the liberal end of the spectrum, but is she “radical left” and “at a level that nobody’s seen”? There are plenty of people alive and in history who would be considered far more liberal and more radical. 8. “She picked a radical left man.” Few, if any, reasonable people would say Walz is a “radical left man.” He had a progressive record as governor with a Democratic legislature, but the things passed are hardly radical – free school lunch, protecting abortion rights, legalizing marijuana, restricting access to certain types of guns. All of these things have majority support from voters. What’s more, that “progressive” record ignores Walz’s first term as governor when he worked with Republicans because Democrats didn’t control the legislature. And it ignores Walz’s time as a congressman when he was considered a more moderate member given that he was from a district that had been previously held by a Republican. 9. “He's going for things that nobody's ever even heard of. Heavy into the transgender world.”  Last year, Walz championed and signed a bill that prevented state courts of officials from complying with child-removal requests, extraditions, arrests or subpoenas related to gender-affirming health care that a person receives or provides in Minnesota. “Heavy into the transgender world” is vague and misleading. 10. “He doesn't want to have borders. He doesn't want to have walls.” Walz has never called for having no borders. He has voiced opposition to a wall because he doesn't think it will stop illegal immigration. He told Anderson Cooper on CNN , for example, that a wall "is not how you stop" illegal immigration He called for more border-control agents, electronics and more legal ways to immigrate. 11. “He doesn't want to have any form of safety for our country.” Trump himself praised Walz’s handling of the aftermath of the George Floyd murder at the hands of a police officer. And it’s certainly hyperbole to say he “doesn’t want any form of safety for our country.” Walz served in the U.S. National Guard for 24 years, so clearly, he’s interested in the country having national security. And domestically, he’s never been a “defund the police” advocate. Walz opposed a ballot measure that would have gotten rid of minimum police staffing levels, for example. That angered advocates. He signed police reforms into law , but that does not prove wanting no safety. 12. “He doesn't mind people coming in from prisons.” Walz has not said he wants people coming in from prisons. Trump is trying to tie his claim that other countries are sending prisoners to the United States to Democrats’ immigration policies. 13. “And neither does she, I guess. Because she's not, she couldn't care less.” Harris has said a lot to the contrary of not caring about the levels of migrants coming across the border, let alone people coming in from prisons. In fact, when in Guatemala, she said her message for people thinking of immigrating to the United States was: " Do not come. Do not come ." 14. “She's the border czar. By the way, she was the border czar, 100%. And all of a sudden, for the last few weeks, she's not the border czar anymore, like nobody ever said it.” Harris was never appointed “border czar.” That’s a phrase that was used incorrectly by some media outlets. Biden tasked Harris with leading the “ diplomatic effort ” with leaders in Central American countries, where many migrants are coming from. Biden said he wants Harris “to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that help — are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border.” He added that Harris “agreed to lead our diplomatic effort and work with those nations to accept — the returnees, and enhance migration enforcement at their borders — at their borders.” Harris herself that day spoke of “the need to address root causes for the migration that we’ve been seeing.” 15. “We have a very, very sick country right now. You saw the other day with the stock market crashing. That was just the beginning. That was just the beginning.” The stock market did not “crash.” The stock market fell sharply at the end of last week as investors fretted about a softening job market. This was amplified on Monday when Japan’s stock market tumbled 12%, sparking a selloff around the world. Stocks in Japan and elsewhere have since regained much of this ground, however. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 683 points on the day of Trump’s news conference. — Scott Horsley 16. “Fortunately, we've had some very good polls over the last fairly short period of time.” Most good polls have shown Harris gaining not just nationally, but also in the swing states, though these same polls show a very close race. 17. “Rasmussen came out today. We're substantially leading.”  Trump is not substantially leading, and Rasmussen is viewed as one of the least credible pollsters in the country. 18. “And others came out today that we're leading, and in some cases, substantially, I guess, MSNBC came out, or CNBC came out also, with a poll that was, you know, has us leading.”  Polls have not shown substantial leads. CNBC had Trump leading by 2, unchanged from his 2-point lead in July. 19. “And leading fairly big in swing states. In some polls, I'm leading very big in swing states… .” Again, polls in swing states have shown a tightened race. 20. “But as a border czar, she's been the worst border czar in history, in the world history.” Vice President Harris was never asked to lead immigration policy. That’s the job of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Again, the term “border czar” was used inaccurately by some media outlets, and it’s a term conservatives have been using to attack her, in part, because she has only visited the Southern U.S. border a few times since 2021. But in reality, Harris was tapped by President Biden to address the root causes of migration . Her approach has focused on deterrence. She’s told migrants to not come to the U.S., and she has been able to secure more than $5 billion in commitments from private companies to help boost the economy in Central American countries. — Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR immigration correspondent based in Texas  21. “I think the number is 20 million, but whether it's 15 or 20, it's numbers that nobody's ever heard before. 20 million people came over the border in the last– during the Biden-Harris administration. Twenty-million people. And it could be very much higher than that. Nobody really knows what the number is.” It’s unclear where Trump is getting this number from. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection , since 2021 agents have had more than 7.3 million encounters nationwide with migrants trying to cross into the country illegally. Under Biden, unlawful crossings hit an all-time high last year, but that number has decreased significantly, in part, due to Biden’s asylum restrictions at the Southern U.S. border. An April report from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics found there’s nearly 11 million unauthorized migrants in the country. — Sergio Martínez-Beltrán 22. “Just like far more people were killed in the Ukraine-Russia war than you have reported.” Neither Russia nor Ukraine is revealing its own casualty figures, so there are only very broad estimates. — Andrew Sussman  23. “A lot of great things would have happened, but now you have millions and millions of dead people. And you have people dying financially, because they can't buy bacon; they can't buy food; they can't buy groceries; they can't do anything. And they're living horribly in our country right now.” Grocery prices actually jumped sharply during Trump’s last year in office, as pandemic lockdowns disrupted the food supply chain and Americans were suddenly forced to eat more of their meals at home. Grocery inflation in June 2020 hit 5.6%. This was masked, however, by a plunge in other prices, as the global economy fell into pandemic recession. As the economy rebounded, prices did, too. Inflation began to rise in 2021, and spiked in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent food and energy prices soaring. Inflation has since moderated, falling from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3% in June 2024 . (July’s inflation figures will be released next week.) Grocery prices have largely leveled off in the last year, although they remain higher than they were before the pandemic – a potent reminder of the rising cost of living. Economists have warned that Trump’s proposed import tariffs and immigration restrictions could result in higher inflation in the years to come. Researchers from the Peterson Institute for International Economics estimate the tariffs alone would cost the typical family about $1,700 a year . — Scott Horsley 24. “We've agreed with NBC, fairly full agreement, subject to them, on Sept. 10th.” This is ABC, not NBC. 25. “She can't do an interview. She's barely competent and she can't do an interview.”  Harris hasn’t done interviews since getting into the campaign, but she has done them in the past, so saying “she can’t do” one or that she is “barely competent” are just insults. Trump tends to revert to questioning the intelligence of Black women who challenge him. In fact, Trump did it nine times in this news conference, saying either Harris is not that “smart” (five times) "incompetent” (three times) or “barely competent,” as he did here. 26-27. “Why is it that millions of people were allowed to come into our country from prisons, from jails, from mental institutions, insane asylums, even insane asylums, that's a– it's a mental institution on steroids. That's what it is.” Immigration experts have said they have not been able to find any evidence of this. Adam Isacson, director for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, told FactCheck.org : “It’s hard to prove a negative — nobody’s writing a report saying, ‘Ecuador is not opening its mental institutions’ — but what I can say is that I work full-time on migration, am on many coalition mailing lists, correspond constantly with partners in the region, and scan 300+ RSS feeds and Twitter lists of press outlets and activists region wide, and I have not seen a single report indicating that this is happening. … As far as I can tell, it’s a total fabrication.” Notably, a version of this did happen in 1980 during the Mariel boatlift from Cuba . The Washington Post noted three years later: “Back in 1980, it seemed to be a humanitarian and patriotic gesture to accept provisionally, without papers or visas, all those fleeing from the port of Mariel. More than 125,000 came. Most were true refugees, many had families here, and the great majority has settled into American communities without mishap. But the Cuban dictator played a cruel joke. He opened his jails and mental hospitals and put their inmates on the boats too.” Without a question, some migrants who have come into the U.S. have committed crimes, but the data show the vast majority do not. According to Northwestern University , immigrants are less likely to commit a crime than U.S.-born people and certainly at no higher rates that the population writ large. (Trump goes on to repeat this claim minutes later in the news conference as well, so it is included in our count here.) 28. “We have a president that's the worst president in the history of our country.” Trump may have this opinion, but he says it as if it’s fact, and a 2022 survey of historians ranked Biden in the top half of presidents. Trump, on the other hand, was No. 43. The two below Trump were James Buchanan, who did little to stop the impending U.S. Civil War, and the impeached and nearly convicted Andrew Johnson. 29. “We have a vice president who is the least admired, least respected, and the worst vice president in the history of our country.”  A recent rating of vice presidents did not show this. Harris was in the bottom half of vice presidents, but Spiro Agnew, Dan Quayle, Henry A. Wallace and were toward the bottom of the list. 30. “The most unpopular vice president.” This might have been true about a year ago or so, but not anymore. An NBC poll then showed Harris had the lowest favorability rating of any modern VP they’d tested. But her numbers have turned around. The NPR poll had Harris with a 46%/48% favorable to unfavorable rating, which was higher than Trump’s and his running mate, JD Vance, who is among the least popular running mates in recent history . 31. “Don't forget, she was the first one defeated. As I remember it, because I watched it very closely, but she was the first one.” Harris was not “defeated,” because she dropped out of the Democratic presidential race before Iowa. But even if one considers her dropping out on Dec. 3, 2019, a defeat, she was not the first of the Democratic candidates in that primary campaign to do so. At least 10 others dropped out sooner . 32-34. “And I'm no Biden fan, but I'll tell you what, from a constitutional standpoint, from any standpoint you're looking at, they took the presidency away. … And they took it away.”  There’s nothing in the U.S. Constitution about picking presidential candidates. This is a party process, and everything has been done within party rules. And, again, the presidency wasn’t taken away: Biden is still president. 35. “They said they're going to use the 25th Amendment.” This was never floated as a possibility to get Biden to withdraw from the race. Biden’s Cabinet members are all people he appointed and who are loyal to him. In addition, the 25th Amendment outlines a procedure for removing a sitting president from office, not from running for a second term. 36-39. "They're going to hit you hard. ‘Either we can do it the nice way. I heard, I know exactly, because I know a lot of people on the other side, believe it or not. And, they said, ‘We'll do it the nice way, or we'll do it the hard way.’ And he said, ‘All right.” This was not said; he did not hear; no Democrats in the know are talking to Trump; and this dialogue is made up. 40. “We're leading, we're leading.” The race is statistically tied in national polls and in the states. In some national polls, Harris leads. In some, Trump does. 41-42. “I'm saying it's a–, for a country with a Constitution that we cherish, we cherish this Constitution to have done it this way is pretty severe, pretty horrible. … But to just take it away from him, like he was a child.” Again, this is Trump talking about how Biden stepped aside, and there’s nothing in the Constitution about how the political parties should pick candidates. And nothing was taken away. 43-46. “And he's a very angry man right now, I can tell you that. He's not happy with Obama, and he's not happy with Nancy Pelosi. Crazy Nancy, she is crazy, too. She's not happy with any of the people that told him that you've gotta leave. He's very unhappy, very angry, and I think he, He also blames her. He's trying to put up a good face, but it's a very bad thing in terms of a country when you do that. I'm not a fan of his, as you probably have noticed, and he had a rough debate, but that doesn't mean that you just take it away like that.”  Trump can’t speak to Biden’s state of mind; all evidence is that Nancy Pelosi is perfectly sane – see her recent multiple rounds of interviews about her book, including with NPR ; again, Trump doesn’t know Biden’s state of mind; and again, nobody took it away. 47-51. “She's trying to say she had nothing to do with the border. She had everything. She was appointed to head the border. And then they said border czar. Oh, she loved that name. She loved that name. But she never went there. She went to a location once along the border, but that was a location that you would love to go and have dinner with your husband or whoever. That was a location that was not part of the problem. That was not really going to the border. So I– essentially she never went to the border.” (1) As previously noted, she was not put in charge of the border and certainly did not have “everything” to do with it; (2) she was not appointed to head the border; (3) if “they” is the White House, then “they” did not call her “border czar”; (4) Trump doesn’t know what Harris might have thought about the term; (5) Harris did not go to a place at the border “you would love to go and have dinner with your husband or whoever.” In 2021, Harris toured border patrol facilities in El Paso, Texas, visited an area where asylum seekers were screened, and met with migrants. Republicans criticized her at the time for not going to the Rio Grande Valley. 52. “Now we have the worst border in the history of the world.”  World history is filled with cases where one country has crossed a border and invaded a neighboring country. 53. “She destroyed San Francisco. She destroyed California as the A.G. But as the D.A. She destroyed it. She– San Francisco. … She destroyed– no cash bail, weak on crime, uh, she's terrible.” As San Francisco’s district attorney from 2004 to 2011, and then California’s attorney general until 2017, it’s true that Kamala Harris was deeply connected to how crime was prosecuted during that particular period. However, no single person is responsible for destroying any city or state, not to mention that both are not destroyed. There are just too many factors that contribute to why crime rises and falls. What’s more, according to the FBI , both violent and property crime rates in California more or less mirrored national trends during her tenures. As a prosecutor, Harris was largely seen as aligning more with law-and-order tendencies, though she has supported some progressive reforms, like offering certain criminal defendants drug treatment instead of going to trial. She also tweeted support for a Minnesota bail fund after the 2020 protests of George Floyd’s murder. — Meg Anderson During her campaign for the 2020 nomination, she rolled out a plan that would have phased out cash bail , and she pledged to eliminate it as president because “no one should have to sit in jail for days or even years because they don’t have the money to pay bail.” But in the same campaign, during a debate, former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard criticized Harris for keeping cash bail in place as district attorney. 54. “And yet they weaponized the system against me.”  The justice system was not weaponized against Trump. Biden went through pains to not show any interference with the Justice Department. And Trump was found guilty by a jury of his peers in New York in a state case. 55-58. “I won the big case in Florida. I won the big case. … Nobody even wrote about it. The big case.”  (1) Trump did not “win” the classified documents case against him in Florida; (2) this was not “the big case” against him; (3) there was plenty of coverage of it; and (4) he goes on to repeat that he won the case later. For context: the judge in the case controversially dismissed it, claiming the special counsel was unconstitutionally appointed despite Supreme Court decisions upholding independent counsels. The Justice Department has signaled it will appeal by the end of August but by the time the decision comes back, the election will be over. Trump had four criminal cases against him including the classified documents case – the fraudulent business practices case in New York, for which he was convicted on 34 felony counts; an election interference case in Georgia; and the other federal case dealing with Jan. 6. If there was a biggest case, it was the last one. 59. “The judge was a brilliant judge, and all they do is they play the ref with the judges. But this judge was a fair but brilliant judge.” There has been lots of criticism of the judge in the case, Aileen Cannon, who Trump appointed. She had very little experience as a trial judge, made several decisions that were questioned by legal experts and early in this case, had a ruling, in which she called for a special master to review classified documents first, overturned by the 11th Circuit. 60. “Now Biden lost it because he didn't have presidential immunity. He didn't have the Presidential Records Act. He lost it.” This was not “Biden’s case.” It was to be tried by special counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland. The Biden White House has made efforts to keep an arms-length distance from the investigation. Biden often declined to comment on the Justice Department’s and state investigations into Trump when it would likely have been politically advantageous for him to talk about it on the campaign trail. 61. “But the– I call it prosecutors, special counsel, special prosecutor to me. He–, appointed by him and appointed by Garland. He said the man's incompetent. He can't stand trial, but he can run for president.”  This appears to be a misrepresentation of what special counsel Robert Hur said of Biden in a report he released investigating the president’s handling of classified documents. Hur said he wouldn’t be charging Biden, called the president “an elderly man with a poor memory" and said a jury might find sympathy with him because of it. He did not say Biden was incompetent and could not stand trial. 62. “She couldn't pass her bar exam.” This is false. Harris passed her bar exam on the second try . She failed on first attempt, which is not unusual for California’s bar exam given its difficulty. 63. “I was doing very well with Black voters, and I still am. I seem to be doing very well with Black males. This is according to polls, as you know.  Trump was not doing “very well” with Black voters. Biden was not doing as well with Black voters as he did in 2020, according to most surveys, but that didn’t mean Black voters were moving heavily toward Trump. Many seemed more likely not to vote. There were signs that Trump was doing better with Black men, but there wasn’t much good evidence to support this in polling, considering most national polls have such high margins of error with voter groups. A typical national survey might have 1,000 voters and 100 or so Black voters, give or take. That’s typically a margin of error upward of +/- 10 percentage points, meaning results could be a whopping 10 points higher or lower. 64. “Extremely well with Hispanic.” Like with Black voters, it’s difficult to tell in most national surveys exactly how well a candidate is doing with Latino voters because of high margins of error. “Extremely well” depends on how it’s defined, but this is an exaggeration. 65. “Jewish voters, way up.” Jewish voters traditionally vote roughly 2-to-1 for Democrats in presidential elections, so this seems more like a hope than reality. 66. “White males, way up. White males have gone through the roof. White males, way up.”  It’s just not the case that Trump is “way up.” NPR polling finds that while Trump is doing as well as ever with white men without college degrees, Harris – and Biden before her – is actually leading with white men with college degrees, a group Trump won in 2020, according to exit polls . 67. “It could be that I'll be affected somewhat with Black females. Well, we're doing pretty well. And I think ultimately they'll like me better, because I'm gonna give them security, safety and jobs.” Trump is not doing well with Black females. Black women are a key pillar Democratic voting group, and Black voters have moved more in Harris’ favor since she’s gotten in. 69. “We have a very bad economy right now. We could, we could literally be on the throes of a depression. Not recession, a Depression. And they can't have that. They can't have that.” This is not the case. See earlier fact check. (He repeats this again later in the press conference, so it is included here in the count.) 70. “I know Josh Shapiro. He's a terrible guy. And he's not very popular with anybody.”  A Fox News poll last month showed Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a finalist to be Harris’ running mate, had a 61% approval rating in the state. Other polls also found him with a net-positive rating, though, not quite as high. 71. “Listen, I had 107,000 people in New Jersey. You didn't report it.” It was reported that the numbers come from faulty information about the size of a crowd at Trump’s rally. More accurate estimates appear to be anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000 . Still, a very large crowd, but Trump is exaggerating here. 72-77. “What did she have yesterday? 2,000 people? If I ever had 2,000 people, you'd say my campaign is finished. It's so dishonest, the press. … When she gets 1,500 people, and I saw it yesterday on ABC, which they said, ‘Oh, the crowd was so big.’ … I have 10 times, 20 times, 30 times the crowd size. And no, they never say the crowd was big. … I think it's so terrible when you say, ‘Well she has 1,500 people, 1,000 people,’ and they talk about, oh, the enthusiasm.”  (1-3) Trump gave at least three incorrect estimates here, downplaying Harris’ crowd sizes (2,000, 1,500 and 1,000); (4) He also far overestimated how big his crowd sizes are compared to Harris’; (5-6) He twice said the press is dishonest about her crowd size and about his. For context, the Harris campaign’s estimate was 10,000 or more at each rally. What the exact number is might be unclear — as is often the case with crowd-size estimates — but they were bigger than 2,000 and 1,500. Reporters have often commented on the size of Trump’s crowds. Frequently, they are very large, certainly larger than ones that Hillary Clinton drew in 2016 or Joe Biden this year, but Trump also regularly exaggerates their sizes. 78. “If I were president, you wouldn't have Russia and Ukraine, where it never happened. Zero chance. You wouldn't have had Oct. 7th of Israel.” This is speculation, and that there is simply no way to know what would have happened in either case if he'd been reelected. 79. “You wouldn't have had inflation. You wouldn't have had any inflation because inflation was caused by their bad energy problems.”  Again, this is speculative. Energy and food prices jumped sharply around the world following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions on Russian energy. Gasoline prices in the U.S. hit a record high topping $5 a gallon. But domestic energy production has not suffered during the Biden administration. In fact, U.S. oil and natural gas production hit record highs last year. AAA reports the average price of gasoline today is $3.45/gallon. — Scott Horsley 80. "I don't know if you know, they're drilling now because they had to go back because gasoline was going up to $7, $8, $9 a barrel." Oil and gas production has largely been determined by energy companies. They were disciplined about not expanding production when prices were low but have become more aggressive as prices climbed. While Kamala Harris opposed “fracking” for oil and gas during her 2019 presidential campaign, she now says she would not try to outlaw the practice – which is important in battleground states such as Pennsylvania. — Scott Horsley 81. “Everybody's going to be forced to buy an electric car, which they're not going to do because they don't want that. It's got a great market. It's got a market. It's really a sub market.” The Biden administration has set a goal of having 50% of new vehicle sales be electric by 2030 . It has primarily tried to achieve this through carrots rather than sticks, offering incentives to make electric cars more affordable, encouraging the development of electric charging stations and using the federal government’s own purchasing power to create demand. — Scott Horsley 82. “We don't have enough electricity. We couldn't make enough electricity for that.” A shift to electric vehicles will require a rapid updating and expansion of the U.S. power grid, according to the Electric Power Research Institute . However, as EVs become more efficient, the increased demand could be reduced by as much as 50% per mile traveled over the next three decades. — Scott Horsley 83. “The weight of a car, the weight of a truck, they want all trucks to be electric. Little things that a lot of people don't talk about. The weight of a truck is two-and-a-half times, two-and-a- half times heavier.”  Electric vehicles are typically heavier than gasoline-powered vehicles, because of the batteries. But the weight difference is about 30% , not 250% as Trump said. What’s more, American vehicles have been getting heavier for decades, long before the move to EVs, thanks to the popularity of pickup trucks and SUVs. 84. “You would have to rebuild every bridge in this country, if you were going to do this ridiculous policy.” While many bridges and other transportation infrastructure need improvement , the additional weight of EVs is just one of many factors that will need to be considered. Another challenge is that bridges and highways are typically funded through gasoline taxes. The shift to EVs, which don’t use gasoline, will require an alternate source of highway funding. 85-90. “So, but on crowd size in history, for any country, nobody's had crowds like I have, and you know that. And when she gets 1,000 people and everybody starts jumping, you know that if I had a thousand people would say, people would say, that's the end of his campaign. I have hundreds of thousands of people in, uh, South Carolina. I had 88,000 people in Alabama. I had 68,000 people. Nobody says about crowd size with me, but she has 1,000 people or 1,500 people, and they say, oh, the enthusiasm's back.” There were at least six different misstatements here – (1) Trump has had large crowds, but “in history,” there certainly there have been people with larger crowds, from Barack Obama and others; (2, 3) her crowds have been larger than 1,000, which he repeats twice; (4) no serious analysts have said this is the end of Trump’s campaign. This race is very close; (5) there’s no evidence for crowds of the size Trump notes in South Carolina and Alabama; (6) people do talk about Trump’s crowd sizes. 91. “They wanna stop people from pouring into our country, from places unknown and from countries unknown from countries that nobody ever heard of.” Someone has likely heard of whatever the unnamed country is. 92-93. “We're leading in Georgia by a lot. We're leading in Pennsylvania by a lot.” The races in Georgia and Pennsylvania are within the margin of error, according to an average of the polls. 94. “So I won Alabama by a record. Nobody's ever gotten that many votes. I won South Carolina by a record. You don't win Alabama and South Carolina by records and lose Georgia. It doesn't happen.” It does, and here’s why. Demographically, Georgia has become very different from South Carolina and Alabama. Georgia’s population is now majority-minority, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Alabama and South Carolina are 64% and 63% white, respectively. Georgia’s Black population is also significant politically — 33% of the state’s population is Black. By comparison, Alabama is 27% Black, South Carolina 26%. Latinos also make up 11% of Georgia’s population and Asian Americans are 5%, both of which are higher than Alabama and South Carolina. And Georgia’s population is marginally younger — 15% of Georgia’s population is older than 65% compared to 18% in Alabama and 19% in South Carolina. 95. “If we have honest elections in Georgia, if we have honest elections in Pennsylvania, We're gonna win them by a lot.” Winning them by a lot is highly unlikely, considering how close the states have been in recent elections, but perhaps more pressing is Trump’s insinuation that there were voting problems in the two states, which there were not. That’s why Trump is upset with Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, for example, because he upheld the valid 2020 election results even in the face of pressure from Trump. 96. “Of course there'll be a peaceful transfer. And there was last time.” This wholly ignores the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol, which took place because of Trump’s election lies. 97. “Because I'm leading by a lot.” Again, this is a very close race. 98. “We have commercials that are at a level I don't think that anybody's ever done before.” This is false. Since Super Tuesday, Democrats have outspent Trump’s campaign and outside groups supporting him by more than double, according to data provided by AdImpact and analyzed by NPR — $373.5 million to $150.6 million. 99. “She's not smart enough to do a news conference.” There is plenty of evidence that Harris is “smart enough to do a news conference,” as she has done in the past. 100. "We're in great danger of being in World War III. That could happen."  Again, no serious analyst believes this. 101. “I think those people were treated very harshly, when you compare them to other things that took place in this country where a lot of people were killed.” The Justice Department investigation into the events of Jan. 6, 2021, is the largest and most complex federal criminal probe in U.S. history, the attorney general has said. More than 140 law enforcement officers were injured that day, in what U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves has described as the biggest mass casualty event involving police. It’s hard to find any comparable event in recent American history. As of Aug. 6, 2024, according to Graves’s office, prosecutors have charged more than 160 people with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. Prosecutors have also secured convictions on the rarely-deployed charge of seditious conspiracy, or attempting to overthrow the government by use of force, against top leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. Even so, only a small number of Jan. 6 defendants have been held in federal custody while they await trial. Mostly, these are the rioters who allegedly used the most violence on that day more than three years ago. Republican members of Congress have toured the jail facilities and decried conditions there, expressions of support that defendants facing ordinary charges in D.C. have not received. — Carrie Johnson, NPR national justice correspondent 102. “Nobody was killed on Jan. 6th.”  Conservatives were upset at the time that one of the rioters, Ashli Babbitt, was killed when she was shot by police, as she was trying to force her way into the Speaker’s Lobby of the Capitol, which leads to the House chamber, with a crowd of others. Many officers were injured that day; one died of a stroke as a result of Jan. 6; and others later died by suicide that their families say was also a result of Jan. 6. 103-105. “And, you know, it's very interesting, the biggest crowd I've ever spoken to. … The biggest crowd I've ever spoken before was that day. … The biggest crowd I've ever spoken. … I've spoken to the biggest crowds. Nobody's spoken to crowds bigger than me.”  It was not the biggest crowd he’s ever spoken to. His inauguration would have topped that. And others have had bigger crowds, as noted earlier. 106. “I said peacefully and patriotically.” While Trump did utter those words, it is misleading. Trump also said the word “fight” multiple times , and he told the already angry crowd because of the election lies he fed them: “We fight like Hell and if you don’t fight like Hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Trump aides testified that he “refused” to tweet the word “peaceful” in the days leading up to the rally because he thought it might discourage people from being there, and he was concerned about his crowd size. 107-108. “If you look at Martin Luther King, when he did his speech, his great speech, and you look at ours, same real estate, same, everything, same number of people. If not, we had more. …You look at the picture of his crowd, my crowd, uh, we actually had more people.” First, the speeches did not take place at the “same real estate.” Trump spoke from a position just south of the Ellipse. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial Second, the crowds were not the same size and Trump’s was certainly not larger. It is an extraordinary claim and shows just how much Trump cares about crowd size. 109. “We have a Constitution. It's a very important document, and we live by it. She has no votes.”  Again, there’s nothing in the Constitution about how parties should pick their presidents. 110-111. “They said, ‘You're not going to win, you can't win, you're out.’ And at first they said it nicely, and he wasn't leaving, and then you, you know, the, you know it better than anybody. … At first, they were going to go out to another vote, they were going to go through a primary system, a quick primary system, which it would have to be. And then it all disappeared, and they just picked a person.” As explained earlier, this is not how Biden wound up stepping aside. The story is yet another Trump invention. He also lies here in saying that “they were going to go through a primary system” and “it would have to be” a quick primary system.” There’s no requirement that a primary is held. In fact, for many years, candidates’ selection as party nominees had nothing to do with primaries, and they were not as prevalent as today. 112-113. “That was the first out. She was the first loser, OK? So, we call her the first loser. She was the first loser when– during the primary system, during the Democrat primary system, she was the first one to quit. And she quit.” As explained earlier, Harris was not the first one out in the 2020 Democratic primary race. And “first loser” appears to be a name Trump made up at this news conference, as Harris has not been referred to that way as a result of her run for the 2020 nomination. 114. “She did, obviously, a bad job. She never made it to Iowa. Then for some reason, and I'm, I know he regrets it, you do too, uh, he picked her, and she turned on him too. She was working with the people that wanted him out." Once again, this is a false conspiracy invented by Trump. 115. “She was the first one out.”  Trump repeats this false line again. 116. “I think the abortion issue is written very much tempered down, and I've answered I think very well in the debate, and it seems to be much less of an issue, especially for those where they have the exceptions.” Abortion rights as a political and social issue has certainly not “tempered down.” There are millions of women, especially across the South, who do not have access to abortion and women who have experienced pregnancy losses with the inability to access medications for those necessary procedures. 117. “As you know, and I think it's when I look for 52 years, they wanted to bring abortion back to the states. They wanted to get rid of Roe v. Wade and that's Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, and everybody. Liberals, conservatives, everybody wanted it back in the states. And I did that.” Everybody absolutely did not want that. It was actually quite unpopular for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe . And he again repeats that it has become less of an issue. 118-119. “I think that abortion has become much less of an issue. It's a very small.”  “I think it's actually going to be a very small issue. What I've done is I've done what every Democrat and every Every Republican wanted to have done.”  “I think the abortion issue has been taken down many notches. I don't think it's of– I don't think it's a big factor anymore, really.” Minutes apart from each other, he repeats these three false claims. Abortion rights is not a “very small” issue for millions of voters. Democrats are organizing around it, and it has been seminal to Biden and Harris’ campaigns. 120. “Previous to [Virginia Gov.] Glenn [Youngkin], the governor, he said the baby will be born, we will put the baby aside, and we will decide with the mother what we're going to do. In other words, whether or not we're going to kill the baby.” This is a distortion Republicans continue to push about what former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said. This has been fact-checked by others multiple times . 121-122. “I think the abortion issue has been, uh, taken down many notches. I don't think it's of, uh, I don't think it's a big factor anymore, really.” “Everybody wanted it in the states.” “But that issue has is very much subdued.” He once again returns to the issue of abortions, which remains a “factor,” not everybody wanted it in the states, the issue is not “very much subdued.” 123-124. “ She wants to take away everyone's gun.”  Harris has not proposed taking away all guns. She has proposed banning assault-style weapons, something that was in place for a decade. Some surveys had shown majority support for this. Others show a split. (Trump makes this case later, as well, so that is also included in the count.) 125. “Some countries have actually gone the opposite way. They had very strong gun laws and now they have gone the opposite way, where they allowed people to have guns, where in one case they encouraged people to go out and get guns, and crime is down 29%.” It’s difficult to compare gun violence and gun laws in the United States to other countries, simply because of the staggering amount of guns we have here. Although the U.S. has less than 5% of the world’s population, it holds almost 40% or more of the world’s civilian-owned guns. And it has “the highest homicide-by-firearm rate of the world’s most developed nations,” per the Council on Foreign Relations . Norway, Canada and Australia all tightened their gun restrictions after shootings. — Meg Anderson 126. “On July 4th, 117 people were shot and 17 died. The toughest gun laws in the United States are in the city of Chicago. You know that. They had 117 people shot. Afghanistan does not have that.”  Though Trump didn’t get the numbers exactly right, Chicago did have an incredibly violent July 4th holiday weekend this year. According to Mayor Brandon Johnson, more than 100 people were shot and 19 of those people died. Chicago does have strict gun laws, in part because its state does: Everytown For Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, ranks Illinois third in the nation for the strength of its gun-control laws. However, no state or city exists within a bubble, and Illinois is surrounded by states with much weaker laws, including Indiana, which is just a short drive from Chicago. — Meg Anderson 127. “For 18 months, not one American soldier was shot at or killed, but not even shot at.”  This is, to put it charitably, misleading. It appears that he’s actually referencing the period when the Trump administration signed the deal with the Taliban, in advance of U.S. troops leaving. The deal said the U.S. would be out in 14 months, and in exchange the Taliban wouldn’t harbor terrorists and would stop attacking U.S. service members. Needless to say, the deal didn’t hold. But as the AP notes , “There was an 18-month stretch that saw no combat, or ‘hostile,’ deaths in Afghanistan: from early February 2020 to August 2021.” – Andrew Sussman 128. “Kamala is in favor of not giving Israel weapons. That's what I hear.” Harris does not support an Israel weapons embargo. A Biden administration official posted on social media that Harris "has been clear: she will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups.” A leader of the uncommitted movement said Harris “expressed an openness” to a meeting about an embargo, but the Biden administration official said Harris "will continue to work to protect civilians in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law,” not that she would support an embargo. 129. “She's been very, very bad to Israel, and she's been very bad and disrespectful to Jewish people.” Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish. The couple has hosted Passover Seders. 130. “Well, I know Willie Brown very well. In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought maybe this is the end. We were in a helicopter going to a certain location together and there was an emergency landing.” This claim has not held up to scrutiny. Politico reported that Trump did have to make an emergency landing in a helicopter with a Black California politician decades ago, but it wasn’t Willie Brown, the former San Francisco mayor and state assembly speaker. It was Nate Holden, a former Los Angeles city councilman and state senator. 131-132. “This was not a pleasant landing, and Willie was— he was a little concerned. So I know him. I know him pretty well. I mean, I haven't seen him in years. But he told me terrible things about her.” “He was not a fan of hers very much at that point.” This is something Trump repeated twice, minutes apart from each other. Brown strongly denies having been on a helicopter with Trump or telling Trump negative things about Harris, whom he dated in the mid-1990s and supports now for president. The relationship ended in 1995. 133. “Our tax cuts, which are the biggest in history… .” The 2017 tax cuts were not the biggest in history. As a share of the economy, they barely make the top 10 . They were big enough, however, to blow a big hole in the federal budget, which is why Trump was overseeing a nearly $1 trillion dollar annual deficit before the pandemic. — Scott Horsley 134. “It'll destroy the economy.” This is what Trump said will happen if his tax cuts are not renewed. But The 2017 tax cut did not deliver the economic boom that its supporters promised, and there’s no reason to think reversing a portion of the cut would cause economic destruction. — Scott Horsley 135. “I've never seen people get elected by saying, 'We're going to give you a tax increase.'” Vice President Harris has echoed President Biden’s pledge not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000. However, Biden has called for raising taxes on wealthy individuals and raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% – halfway back to where it was before the 2017 cut. — Scott Horsley 136. “These guys get up, think of it. ‘We're going to give you no security.’ …” No Democratic presidential candidate has advocated “no security.” 137. “We're going to give you a weak military… .’ ” An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, showed a “review of historical defense budget trends shows there is more at play in determining overall investments in defense than just which party is in the White House.” Indeed, since the year 2000, U.S.-led wars overseas have resulted in a surge of spending by both Democratic and Republican administrations. 138-139. “…We're going to give you no walls, no borders, no anything.” Harris, Walz and the Democratic Party have never said they want “no borders.” They certainly oppose Trump’s wall/fence along the entire U.S.-Mexico border, citing the exorbitant cost and its relative ineffectiveness, they say, compared to using other methods. (Trump later says that Harris wants “open borders,” so that’s included in the count here.) 140. “...We're going to give you a tax increase.” Again, this is misleading and suggests Harris wants to increase taxes across the board when they have consistently talked about increasing taxes only on the wealthy. In Harris’ view, those making more than $400,000 a year . 141. “They're gonna destroy Social Security.” Democrats have consistently advocated for keeping Social Security and making it solvent. 142. “They've weaponized government against me. Look at the Florida case. It was a totally weaponized case. All of these cases, by the way, the New York cases are totally controlled out of the Department of Justice. They sent their top person to the various places. They went to the A.G.'s office, got that one going, then he went to the D.A.'s office, got that one going, ran through it. No, no, this is all politics, and it's a disgrace.” In congressional testimony this year, Attorney General Merrick Garland told lawmakers that President Biden had never called him to discuss any of the cases against Trump. Garland also had aides review Justice Department leaders’ email for any correspondence with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. In a letter to Congress in June 2024, the Justice Department said it had found no such contacts. In that same letter, Justice Department legislative affairs chief Carlos Uriarte said the department did not “dispatch” former acting Associate Attorney General Matthew Colangelo to New York to join Bragg’s team prosecuting Trump. “Department leadership was unaware of his work on the investigation and prosecution involving the former president until it was reported in the news,” Uriarte wrote. — Carrie Johnson 143. “Any time you have mail-in ballots, you're gonna have problems. ... We should have one-day voting; we should have paper ballots; we should have voter ID; and we should have proof of citizenship.”  Trump continues to spread baseless claims about mail ballots. There’s no proof of widespread fraud with the voting method. When it comes to paper ballots, they're standard. One estimate found that in the 2024 general election, "nearly 99% of all registered voters will live in jurisdictions where they can cast a ballot with a paper record of the vote." The proof of citizenship comment echoes a Republican push on the issue , though studies have shown voting by non-U.S. citizens in federal elections to be exceedingly rare. The GOP-led House has passed a bill to require such documentary proof, but it’s likely to go no further in a Senate led by Democrats who are opposed to adding new voting restrictions. — Ben Swasey, voting editor 144. “The polls have suggested, there are some polls that say we're going to win in a landslide.”  There are no polls that suggest Trump will win in a landslide. By all accounts, this is a very close race. 145. “...they're paying 50, 60, 70 percent more for food than they did just a couple of years ago.” The rise in grocery prices is a common complaint , but Trump exaggerates the scale of the increase. According to the Consumer Price Index, grocery prices have risen 25% since before the pandemic and 21% since President Biden took office. (At the same time, average wages have risen 23% since before the pandemic and 17% since President Biden took office.) 146-149. The Strategic National Reserve is “virtually empty now. We've never had it this low.” “He's sucked all of the oil out.” “Essentially the gasoline to keep the, to keep the price down a little bit. … But you know what? We have no strategic national reserves now. He's emptied it. It's almost empty. It's never been this low.” “They've just, for the sake of getting some votes, for the sake of having gasoline–. You know, that's meant for wars. It's meant for, like, tragedy. It's not meant to keep a gasoline price down, so that somebody can vote for Biden or, in this case, Kamala.”  The strategic oil reserve is actually up in the past year . Biden has since repurchased about 32 million barrels of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. As of this month, the reserve held about 376 million barrels of oil. The reserve was lower when Trump left office than when he got in. 150. “I see it right now, I see her going way down on the polls now.” The opposite is true. Harris has continued her momentum since getting into the race. 151-152. “...now that people are finding out that she destroyed San Francisco, she destroyed the state of California.”  As addressed earlier, Harris is not entirely responsible for San Francisco or the state of California. Crime trends there were similar to national crime trends during her time as district attorney in San Francisco and as the state’s attorney general. What’s more, preliminary data for this year indicates that many cities in California, including San Francisco, are seeing murder rates falling. (Trump repeats the claim one more time later in the news conference, so it is included in the count here.) — Meg Anderson 153. “She was early, I mean, she was the first of the prosecutors, really, you know, now you see Philadelphia, you see Los Angeles, you see New York, you see various people that are very bad, but she was the first of the bad prosecutors, she was early.” Although Harris did refer to herself in her 2019 memoir as a “progressive prosecutor,” her legacy has largely been seen as tougher on crime. She has supported some progressive reforms, such as pretrial diversion, which offers certain criminal defendants things like drug treatment instead of going to trial. — Meg Anderson 154. “You know, with Hillary Clinton, I could have done things to her that would have made your head spin. I thought it was a very bad thing – take the wife of a president of the United States, and put her in jail. And then I see the way they treat me. That's the way it goes. But I was very protective of her. Nobody would understand that. But I was. I think my people understand it. They used to say, lock her up, lock her up. And I'd say, just relax, please.” Trump called for Clinton’s imprisonment multiple times , including going along with crowd chants of “lock her up.” 155. “Don't forget, she got a subpoena from the United States Congress, and then after getting the subpoena, she destroyed everything that she was supposed to get.  Clinton aides requested emails be deleted months before the subpoena, and the FBI said there’s no evidence the messages were deleted with a subpoena in mind. — Carrie Johnson 156. “I thought it was so bad to take her, and put her in jail, the wife of a president of the United States. And then, when it's my turn, nobody thinks that way.” The Justice Department closed an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server to conduct some State Department business in 2016. Then-FBI Director Jim Comey gave a press conference to explain his reasoning in July of that election year. Comey said, “We did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information,” but he criticized Clinton and her aides for being “extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information” that flowed through the server. By contrast, prosecutors in the Florida case against former President Donald Trump said Trump had flouted requests from the FBI and a subpoena for highly classified materials he stored in unsecure spaces like a ballroom and a bathroom at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The indictment in that case accuses Trump of unlawfully retaining government secrets and of intentionally obstructing justice with the help of an aide who moved boxes of materials and otherwise allegedly thwarted the FBI probe. Trump and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty. The Justice Department says it is appealing the district court’s decision to toss the case on constitutional grounds. — Carrie Johnson 157. “A lot of the MAGA, as they call them, but the base. And I think the base is, I think the base is 75% of the country, far beyond the Republican Party.” Rounding up, Trump won 46% of the vote in 2016 and 47% of the vote in 2020. He has a high floor, but a low ceiling politically. Majorities continue to say they have an unfavorable rating of Trump, which has been consistent for years. No American presidential candidate has ever gotten 75% of the vote in this country, dating back to 1824 since data was kept for popular votes. Lyndon B. Johnson got 61% in 1964, Richard Nixon slightly less than 61% in 1972, Ronald Reagan 59% in 1984. Since then, Barack Obama got nearly 53% in 2008 and 51% in 2012, the first candidate since Eisenhower to win at least 51% of the vote twice. 158. “My sons are members, and I guess indirectly I'm a member, too.” Trump here is talking about membership in the National Rifle Association. Another family member being an NRA member does not make someone else an NRA member “indirectly.” 159. “She served 24 years for being on a phone call having to do with drugs. You know who I'm talking about. She was great. And she had another 24 years to go. And it was largely about marijuana, which in many cases is now legalized, OK?” Presumably, Trump is talking about Alice Marie Johnson, who had been convicted on cocaine conspiracy and money laundering charges . Kim Kardashian advocated for Johnson and won a pardon for her from Trump. 160. “They're either really stupid, and I don't believe they're stupid, because anybody that can cheat in elections like they cheat is not stupid.” More than 60 court cases proved there was not widespread fraud or cheating that would have made any difference in any state. 161. “Lately I've seen where they're trying to sign these people up to vote. And they have to stop. They cannot let illegal immigrants vote in this upcoming election.” This is a conspiracy not based in fact. Immigrants in the country illegally cannot vote in presidential elections, and there’s no evidence there is an intentional effort to sign them up in mass numbers to sway elections. 162. “If you go to California, and you ask the people of California, do they like the idea of sanctuary cities? They don't like it.” The subject of sanctuary cities actually mostly splits Californians. Slim majorities have actually said that they favor the sanctuary-state law and are against their cities opting out of the law. Of course, this breaks down along party lines, and since California is heavily Democratic, those results might not be surprising. But it’s more divided than Trump suggests. 2024 presidential election From a pig as political candidate to a breakout speech for Obama − Democratic National Convention often leaves its mark on history Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin Disclosure statement Shannon Bow O'Brien does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. View all partners If the Yippies – a group of young activists known for political dissent – had their way, Americans would have elected a 145-pound pig named Pigasus as president in 1968. The Yippies were famous for their unconventional tactics and were at the heart of the 1960s counterculture movement in the U.S. They demanded that Pigasus be treated as a legitimate candidate with Secret Service protection and foreign policy briefings. Police arrested several Yippies for disorderly conduct after they paraded Pigasus outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Pigasus was taken into “protective custody” by police and eventually wound up at a farm. Since the first Democratic National Convention in 1832 , the event has had a long and storied history with headline-grabbing moments – some of which have left a mark in politics. The Democratic Party will next converge at its convention in Chicago , Aug. 19-22, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will officially accept their party’s nomination as the Democratic candidates for president and vice president. As a scholar of the presidency , I think it is useful to remember that national political conventions often function like pep rallies, leading up to the big game of the general presidential election. These conventions can be places where new faces are launched, or they can be so dull that the country is functionally put to sleep. Here are a few of the more memorable moments to emerge from a Democratic National Convention. A first lady steps into the spotlight In 1940, Eleanor Roosevelt became the first first lady to ever address the Democratic National Convention. Democrats at the convention were divided over both the U.S.’s participation in World War II and the prospect of nominating Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or FDR, as he was known, to a third term. No president had served more than two terms at this point. It was about a decade before the 22nd Amendment was ratified and became part of the Constitution, restricting presidents to two terms in office. FDR was trying to break a two-term presidency tradition that started with George Washington . Eleanor Roosevelt got up in front of the contentious and squabbling convention and said, “ This is no ordinary time . No time for weighing anything except what we can do best for the country as a whole, and that responsibility rests on each and every one of us as individuals.” Eleanor Roosevelt’s influential speech helped reframe the first lady as a powerful advocate for the president, without being simply a mouthpiece for him. Her depiction of 1940 as “no ordinary time” helped people accept that the country was facing an extraordinary moment in history that needed consistent leadership. Roosevelt won another two terms and went on to serve as president until his death in 1945 during his fourth term . A fresh vision Years later, when John F. Kennedy accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in 1960, he said that voters needed to choose “ between national greatness and national decline .” Kennedy’s speech, known as the “New Frontier,” helped show voters that a Kennedy presidency could overcome problems with a forward-looking vision. “ Today our concern must be with that future . For the world is changing. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do,” Kennedy said. Kennedy also called for a new America that was not weighed down by nostalgia. Texas politician Ann Richards also supercharged her career with a Democratic National Convention keynote address in 1988. Her speech, funny and sharp, was also a commentary on the growing role of women in politics – and what an achievement it represented. In her opening words, Richards talked about Fred Astaire, one of the most famous Hollywood movie stars in the 1930s, as well as Ginger Rogers, his co-star and dance partner. “Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels,” Richards said . Richards skewered the perception that Astaire was the bigger star by pointing out Rogers was every bit as capable and talented – and even did it in uncomfortable shoes. At the time, Richards was the treasurer of Texas. But her witty speech propelled her into the national spotlight and helped her become governor of Texas in 1991 . The introduction of hope In 2004, Barack Obama, then a 43-year-old Illinois state senator, launched himself on the national scene with his speech at the Democratic National Convention . Obama gave a passionate speech paying tribute to his background, stating, “I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.” And he offered a self-deprecating observation, saying the country embodied “the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. The audacity of hope !” These ideas of hope and unity later became key hallmarks of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Obama’s speech outshone the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, and helped position him as the party’s rising star. News commentator Chris Matthews noted after Obama’s speech , “We’ve just seen the first black president.” A political blunder Some speeches are so memorable, they are even recycled. Michelle Obama, the wife of then-Sen. Barack Obama, memorably stressed the importance of dignity and hard work in her speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention – the convention at which her husband was formally nominated for president. Obama said that she and Barack were raised with the same values: “That you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect even if you don’t know them, and even if you don’t agree with them.” Melania Trump heavily paraphrased this speech in her 2016 Republican National Committee speech . She, too, said that her parents raised her with values – “that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect.” Trump’s speechwriter, Meredith McIver, took responsibility for the blunder, since she thought the draft speech shared with her contained Melania’s words. But in reality, Trump had given her Obama’s speech as an idea for what she wanted incorporated in her own speech. Potential for magic I believe that national party conventions matter only for moments of mistake or magic. While these events are supposed to motivate voters and help reach out to the undecided, modern conventions more often are uninspired echo chambers of blather. They do little to sway swing voters and only offer confirmation to voters already committed to their choice. Everyone in the audience is there to cheer and be energized by their home team. Moments of greatness are far and few between at national conventions. But when lightning strikes, it can turn a phrase into an iconic moment that encapsulates an entire era. Barack Obama US politics US presidents Michelle Obama Franklin Delano Roosevelt Kamala Harris Melania Trump Presidential elections John F. Kennedy Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic national convention 2024 presidential election Associate Professor, Psychology Service Delivery Fleet Coordinator Manager, Centre Policy and Translation Newsletter and Deputy Social Media Producer College Director and Principal | Curtin College Advertisement Supported by Kamala Harris Isn’t Giving Interviews. Any Questions? Critics say the vice president has been too cautious with the press. Her supporters think it’s the right strategy at the right time. Share full article By Michael M. Grynbaum Michael Grynbaum has covered the interactions between presidential candidates and the news media since 2016. Follow live updates on the 2024 election . The press has questions for Vice President Kamala Harris. She isn’t giving a whole lot of answers. In the nearly three weeks since President Biden withdrew his candidacy, catapulting Ms. Harris to the top of the Democratic ticket, the vice president has shown little eagerness to meet journalists in unscripted settings. She has not granted an interview or held a news conference. On Thursday, after a rally in Michigan, she held her first “gaggle” — an impromptu Q.-and-A. session — with reporters covering her campaign. It lasted 70 seconds. Ms. Harris replaced a Democratic nominee who has hosted fewer White House news conferences than any president since Ronald Reagan. Now she is taking a similarly cautious approach, relying on televised rallies and prepared statements amid a tightly controlled rollout of her candidacy. Asked on Thursday if she might sit for an interview anytime soon, Ms. Harris suggested that she would get through the convention first. “I want us to get an interview scheduled before the end of the month,” she said, as aides signaled to the scrum of journalists that question time was over. Ms. Harris’s lack of engagement with the media has become a constant rallying cry on the political right, with Republican critics and Fox News stars accusing the vice president of ducking scrutiny. The Harris campaign says it is being thoughtful about how best to deploy its message, and to introduce a new candidate to crucial voters in battleground states. David Axelrod, the architect of former President Barack Obama’s winning campaigns, believes that Ms. Harris — who on Thursday said she had agreed to a prime-time debate on Sept. 10 with her opponent, former President Donald J. Trump — was trying to strike a balance. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber?  Log in . Want all of The Times?  Subscribe . 381 IMAGES Reported Speech Reported Speech Reported Speech Table REPORTED SPEECH: English ESL worksheets pdf & doc how write a reported speech Reported Speech: How to Use Reported Speech VIDEO Learn English Grammar: INDIRECT SPEECH (REPORTED SPEECH) Reported Speech (say and tell) REPORTED SPEECH: Verb Tense Changes Can you use REPORTED SPEECH? Grammar Lesson + Examples Reported Speech in English Reported Speech COMMENTS Reported Speech: Dialogue Writing Practice Questions CBSE Class 10 Dialogue Reporting Practice Questions. Q. Read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the passage that follows. (CBSE Set 2, 2022) Neha: I'm really looking forward to the class picnic tomorrow. Namita: Yes, after a long time we will be meeting our friends and teachers. Report the dialogue: reported speech conversation Reported speech exercises with answers and grammar rules. How to report a dialogue. If we report a conversation, we use a reporting verb ('say' and 'tell' are the most common, but there are a lot of other verbs like 'claim', 'admit', 'explain'...). If the reporting verb is in the past tense (I said that... He told us that... Reported Speech We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do something. For example: Direct speech: Sit down! In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask': Reported speech: She told me to sit down. Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL Reported speech: He asked if he would see me later. In the direct speech example you can see the modal verb 'will' being used to ask a question. Notice how in reported speech the modal verb 'will' and the reporting verb 'ask' are both written in the past tense. So, 'will' becomes 'would' and 'ask' becomes 'asked'. Reported Speech Worksheet Sandhya replied (b) _________ . Rita then asked her (c) _________. Sandhy a thanked her and told her that it would really help her. Q19. Read the following dialogue and then complete the paragraph by transforming the sentences into reported speech. Write your answer in your answer sheet with correct blank number. What is Reported Speech and How to Use It? with Examples 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 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. Q2. Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called "backshift.". Here are some examples in different verb tenses: "I want to go home.". She said she wanted to go home. "I 'm reading a good book.". She said she was reading a good book. "I ate pasta for dinner last night.". Reported speech: indirect speech Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary Reported speech Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb. He said he wanted to know about reported speech. I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted. Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could; will changes ... Reported Speech Exercises with Answers for Class 10 Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 with Answers. Here is an exercise on the transformation of direct speech to indirect speech. Go through the following sentences, work them out and then check your answers to assess how far you have understood their usage. Change as directed . Read the following sentences and change them into reported speech. Reported Speech in English Direct speech: Elisabeth said, "I like coffee.". As indirect reported speech, it looks like this: Indirect speech: Elisabeth said she liked coffee. You can see that the subject ("I") has been changed to "she," to show who is being spoken about. If I'm reporting the direct speech of someone else, and this person says "I," I'd ... Reported Speech: Direct and Indirect speech Whenever you report a speech there's a reporting verb used like "say" or "tell". For example: Direct speech: I love to play football. Reported speech: She said that she loves to play football. (Note 1 : Assume a gender if not mentioned already. Note 2: Using "that" is optional. Reported Speech: Definitions, Rules, and Dialogue Writing in English Definition : In order to report a dialogue, one should be well-versed in changing sentences from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech. Of course, we need not reproduce the actual words of the speaker exactly. We are more concerned with the sense of the utterance than in the literal repetition of the words. The following guidelines will help you to ... English Grammar Exercises for B1- Reported speech (statements) Listening Practice Through Dictation with Transcripts. English Grammar Exercises for B1- Reported speech (statements) English Grammar Exercises for B1. Advertisements. 1. Choose the correct answer. 1 My brother said that he was / is mending the chair leg. 2 They told us they have / had chosen the new wallpaper. PDF Grammar videos: Reported speech exercises Grammar videos: Reported speech exercisesGramm. r videos: Reported speech - exercises Watch the video on our website and read. he conversation between Sophie and David. Then do these exercises to ch. ck. your understanding of reported. speech.1. Check your grammar: matching Draw a line to match the di. Direct speech. Conversation Using Reported Speech Lesson Plans tomorrow -> the following day / the next day. "She'll be at the party tomorrow." -> She told me she would be at the party the next day. Exercise 1: Put the following paragraph in the reported speech into the conversational form using direct speech (quotes). Peter introduced me to Jack who said he was pleased to meet me. Reported Speech Dialogue Exercises for Class 10 CBSE With Answers Change No. 1. Change the reporting verb 'said 'or 'said to'into' asked' or 'inquired of'. In case of a single question, change it into 'asked' but in case of more than one question, change it into "inquired of'. Change No. 2. Use conjunction 'if' or 'whether' if the reported speech starts with a helping verb. 5 Tasks for Practicing Reported Speech Where does one of the characters use reported speech? 5. Summarize the Conversation. When summarizing a conversation, it is natural to use reported speech. After listening to and reading a dialogue, ask students to practice summarizing it. This type of task can be done orally or in writing. Summarize how Clarissa broke the ice with the ... Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, and Dialogue Report Writing Policeman. "I hope your friend comes around all right" "Are you going to wait for sometime.". Daniel. "I'll give him half an hour". Policeman. "Goodnight Sir" said the policeman passing on along is beat, examining doors as he went. Ans: The policeman told Daniel that he hoped his friend would come around all right. English Grammar Exercises for B1- Reported speech Read the reported conversation between two identical twins. Write the direct speech below. Imo was walking down the road when she slipped and fell. Her twin sister Zoe phoned just afterwards. Zoe told Imo that she has fallen over a few moments before. Imo told her that was an amazing coincidence because she had just done the same! Reported speech Distribute the interview and ask them to work together and make a reported version it. Give them a word limit (150 words). When they have finished their draft report, have them swap reports with another pair. Ask them to reduce the report now to 100 words. Circulate and help. Americans love free speech, survey finds − until they realize everyone Americans agree that democracy requires freedom of speech. But a large minority also thinks it's acceptable to bar certain subjects or speakers from public debate. Teacher's Corner: Reported Speech Using reported speech, they must tell the class what they heard. 4. If the student uses reported speech successfully, they continue to be the class reporter. If the student does not use the correct reported speech, the reporter must sit down and a new student comes to the front of the class to assume the role. a. Reported speech Reported speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary Reported Speech ESL Games Activities Worksheets In this entertaining reported speech speaking activity, students interview each other giving true or false answers and then use reported speech to compare what the interviewees said. First, students read ten questions on the worksheet and write one true answer and two false answers for each question. Next, students use the questions to ... Despite Donald Trump's claims, his gag order holds ... The First Amendment protects speech, but Americans don't have a right to speech that may cause harm. That's why former President Donald Trump is still not allowed to speak about prosecutors ... We fact-checked Trump's recent news conference : NPR "Just like far more people were killed in the Ukraine-Russia war than you have reported." ... 107-108. "If you look at Martin Luther King, when he did his speech, his great speech, and you ... From a pig as political candidate to a breakout speech for Obama − Eleanor Roosevelt's influential speech helped reframe the first lady as a powerful advocate for the president, without being simply a mouthpiece for him. Her depiction of 1940 as "no ordinary ... Why Isn't Kamala Harris Giving Interviews or Holding News Conferences Critics say the vice president has been too cautious with the press. Her supporters think it's the right strategy at the right time. By Michael M. Grynbaum Michael Grynbaum has covered the ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis