< TESOL 
TESOL/Reported speech
What are they saying?
Key sentences
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What did she say? | She said she was (adjective). He said (that) he (past progressive). |
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What does she say? | She says (that) they (verb in the present tense). She says (that) they (present progressive). |
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What did she think? | She was like, (phrase) |
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What did you tell them? | I told them I (verb in past tense). I told them (noun). |
Drills
Say these sentences without looking.
| adjective | sentence |
|---|---|
| excited | She said she was excited. |
| busy | She said she was busy. |
| tired | She said she was tired. |
| relaxed | She said she was relaxed. |
| verb in the present tense | sentence |
|---|---|
| like it | She says (that) they like it. |
| meet every day | She says (that) they meet every day. |
| are delicious | She says (that) they are delicious. |
| can come | She says (that) they can come. |
| phrase | sentence |
|---|---|
| "whatever." | She was like, "whatever." |
| "I think so." | She was like, "I think so." |
| "I'm so tired." | She was like, "I'm so tired." |
| "whoa." | She was like, "whoa." |
| verb in past tense | sentence |
|---|---|
| couldn't come | I told them I couldn't come. |
| was interested | I told them I was interested. |
| wanted to buy it | I told them I wanted to buy it. |
| needed one | I told them I needed one. |
Example
Practice this conversation.
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What did she say? | She said she was (excited). |
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What does she say? | She says (that) they (like it). |
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What did she think? | She was like, ("whatever.") |
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What did you tell them? | I told them I (couldn't come). |
Change partners. Use your imagination and change the sentences.
Exercise
Use your imagination. Make your own conversation.
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
|
What did she say? |
She said she was ... . |
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What does she say? | She says (that) they .... |
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What did she think? | She was like, ... |
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| What did you tell them? | I told them I .... |
Change partners. Use your imagination and make another conversation.
Practice
| Asking about a conversation | Telling about a conversation |
|---|---|
| Your partner talked with someone. Ask about their conversation. | Imagine you talked with someone. Tell your partner the conversation. |
Further study
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Resource type: this resource is a lesson in English as a second language. |
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