B1 Reported SpeechB1 Reported Speech
Learn how to report statements, questions, requests and commands using said, told and asked — with essential tense changes, pronoun changes, time expressions and Cambridge-style practice.Impara a riferire affermazioni, domande, richieste e ordini usando said, told e asked — con i principali cambiamenti dei tempi verbali, dei pronomi, delle espressioni di tempo e pratica in stile Cambridge.
Student detailsDati studente
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1. See it in context1. Guarda il reported speech nel contesto
Meaning in simple ItalianSpiegazione semplice in italiano
Direct speech riporta le parole esatte tra virgolette.
Reported speech riferisce il contenuto senza ripetere necessariamente le parole esatte.
said that si usa senza oggetto personale obbligatorio.
told + person + that richiede una persona: told me, told us, told Sarah.
asked if / whether introduce domande sì/no; asked where/why/when… introduce domande con question word.
2. The B1 reported speech map2. La mappa del reported speech B1
Reported speech tells another person what someone said. At B1, focus on statements with said/told, questions with asked, and requests or commands with to + infinitive.Il reported speech serve a riferire ciò che qualcuno ha detto. A livello B1, concentrati sulle affermazioni con said/told, sulle domande con asked e sulle richieste o sugli ordini con to + infinito.
Statements: said and toldAffermazioni: said e told
said (that) + clausetold + person + (that) + clauseAnna said that she was busy.
Anna told me that she was busy.
Yes/No questionsDomande sì/no
asked + if / whether + subject + verb“Are you ready?” → She asked if I was ready.
“Do you like it?” → He asked whether I liked it.
Wh- questionsDomande con question word
asked + where/why/when/what + subject + verb“Where do you live?” → She asked where I lived.
“Why are you late?” → He asked why I was late.
Requests and commandsRichieste e ordini
told / asked + person + to + verbtold / asked + person + not to + verb“Sit down.” → She told me to sit down.
“Please don’t leave.” → He asked us not to leave.
- Present Simple → Past Simple: “I work” → He said he worked.
- Present Continuous → Past Continuous: “I am studying” → She said she was studying.
- Past Simple → Past Perfect: “I saw him” → She said she had seen him.
- will → would: “I will call” → He said he would call.
- can → could: “I can help” → She said she could help.
- must → had to: “I must leave” → He said he had to leave.
3. Italian brain vs English brain3. Cervello italiano vs cervello inglese
Italian students often translate word by word and keep question order or forget the person after told. English reported speech follows fixed patterns.Gli studenti italiani spesso traducono parola per parola, mantengono l’ordine interrogativo o dimenticano la persona dopo told. Il reported speech inglese segue schemi precisi.
| Direct speech | Common mistake | Natural reported speech |
|---|---|---|
| “I am tired.” | She told me that she was tired. | |
| “Do you like coffee?” | He asked me if I liked coffee. | |
| “Where do you work?” | She asked where I worked. | |
| “Please wait here.” | He asked me to wait there. | |
| “Don’t touch it.” | She told me not to touch it. |
4. How to use reported speech in real context4. Come usare il reported speech nel contesto reale
Reported speech is useful when telling stories, reporting conversations, explaining instructions and summarising information.Il reported speech è utile per raccontare storie, riferire conversazioni, spiegare istruzioni e riassumere informazioni.
She said that she had missed the bus.
The manager told us to finish the report.
He asked me whether I could help.
My teacher told us that the test would be on Friday. She asked if we had completed the exercises and reminded us to bring a pen. She also told us not to arrive late.
5. Common mistakes5. Errori comuni
Say is not normally followed directly by a person.Say normalmente non è seguito direttamente da una persona.
Reported questions use statement word order.Le domande riferite usano l’ordine della frase affermativa.
Commands use object + to + infinitive.Gli ordini usano oggetto + to + infinito.
The natural order is not to + verb.L’ordine naturale è not to + verbo.
6. Concept Check Questions6. Domande di controllo del concetto
These questions check meaning before controlled practice.Queste domande controllano il significato prima della pratica guidata.
7. Quick Check — choose the correct form7. Quick Check — scegli la forma corretta
8. Challenge Check — grammar and naturalness8. Challenge Check — grammatica e naturalezza
9. Write it in English9. Scrivi in inglese
Translate the Italian sentence into natural English using reported speech.Traduci la frase in inglese naturale usando il reported speech.
10. Cambridge-style transformations and correction10. Trasformazioni stile Cambridge e correzione
Rewrite each sentence in reported speech.Riscrivi ogni frase usando il reported speech.
“I am hungry,” Paul said.
“I will arrive later,” Maria said.
“Do you know the answer?” the teacher asked me.
“Where are you going?” Mum asked me.
“Please don’t be late,” he said to us.
11. Mini dialogue practice11. Mini dialogo pratico
Choose the most natural reply.Scegli la risposta più naturale.
12. Guided writing task12. Writing guidato
Write a short paragraph reporting a conversation with a teacher, friend, colleague or family member. Include at least five reported speech structures.Scrivi un breve paragrafo in cui riferisci una conversazione con un insegnante, un amico, un collega o un familiare. Includi almeno cinque strutture di reported speech.
Yesterday my teacher said that the class test would be on Friday. She told us that we needed to revise Units 4 and 5 and asked if we had completed the online exercises. One student asked when the test would finish, and the teacher explained that it would take about forty minutes. She also told us to bring a pen and asked us not to arrive late. Finally, she said that we could contact her if we had any questions.
13. How to use this grammar in real life13. Come usare questa grammatica nella vita reale
Reported speech helps you explain conversations clearly without repeating every exact word.Il reported speech ti aiuta a riferire conversazioni in modo chiaro senza ripetere ogni parola esatta.
Use it in speakingUsalo nello speaking
Use it when telling someone what another person said, asked or requested.Usalo quando racconti ciò che un’altra persona ha detto, chiesto o richiesto.
My manager said that the meeting had been moved and asked me to inform the team.
Use it in writingUsalo nel writing
Use it in stories, emails, reports and summaries of conversations.Usalo in storie, email, report e riassunti di conversazioni.
The customer explained that the product had arrived late and asked whether a refund was possible.
Book a consultation with us and we will help you understand the best path for your level, objectives and timetable.Prenota un colloquio con noi: ti aiuteremo a capire il percorso più adatto al tuo livello, ai tuoi obiettivi e ai tuoi tempi.
14. Final score and report14. Punteggio finale e report
Check the score, identify weak areas and download or save the result.Controlla il punteggio, identifica le aree deboli e scarica o salva il risultato.