Teacher's Notes
Gap FillReported Speech
Activity Type
Gap Fill
Focus
Tense changes in reported speech
Aim
Students rewrite direct speech quotations from an interview into reported speech.
Level
B1–B2
Time
15–20 minutes
Preparation
Print one worksheet per student.
Procedure
Review the key tense shifts on the board: present→past, past→past perfect, will→would, can→could.
Read the scenario: a journalist interviewed a famous chef. Students must report what was said.
Students rewrite each sentence in reported speech.
In pairs, compare versions. Are there differences? Are both correct?
Check as a class, paying attention to pronoun and time reference changes.
Extension: students interview a partner and write a short reported speech paragraph about them.
Casa ESL — Reported Speech — B1–B2
Gap Fill
Student Materials
These materials are formatted for printing. Click the Print button above to print only the student materials.
Rewrite each sentence in reported speech. Start with "He said..." or "She said..."Rewrite each sentence in reported speech. Start with "He said..." or "She said..."
"I love cooking Italian food."
"I started learning to cook when I was twelve."
"My restaurant will open next month."
"I am working on a new cookbook."
"I have travelled to over thirty countries."
"I can make pasta from scratch in ten minutes."
"I don't eat fast food."
"My mother taught me her secret recipes."
"I want to open a cooking school one day."
"I am going to hire twenty new staff."
"We must use fresh ingredients every day."
"I may write a children's cookbook too."
Answer Key — For Teacher Use
1. He said that he loved cooking Italian food. · 2. He said that he had started learning to cook when he was twelve. · 3. He said that his restaurant would open the following month. · 4. He said that he was working on a new cookbook. · 5. He said that he had travelled to over thirty countries. · 6. He said that he could make pasta from scratch in ten minutes. · 7. He said that he didn't eat fast food. · 8. He said that his mother had taught him her secret recipes. · 9. He said that he wanted to open a cooking school one day. · 10. He said that he was going to hire twenty new staff. · 11. He said that they had to use fresh ingredients every day. · 12. He said that he might write a children's cookbook too.