Reported Speech

We use reported speech when we want to repeat what someone had previously said. Here are some of the important verb changes we use when making reported speech:

VERB TENSES	REPORTED SPEECH
1-   PRESENT	1- PAST
2-   PAST	2- PAST / PAST PERFECT (HAD + P.P.)
3-   PRESENT PERFECT (HAVE / HAS + P.P.)	3- PAST PERFECT (HAD + P.P.)
4-   FUTURE (WILL)	4- CONDITIONAL (WOULD)
5-   CAN	5- COULD

                                                                                

1-   Present	1-  Past
I’m happy.	She said she was happy.
I work on Saturdays.	She said she worked on Saturdays.

                                                                                

Negative forms
I don’t like eggs.	She said she didn’t like eggs.

                                                                                

2- Past	2- Past/Past Perfect
I was happy.	She said she was happy.
I worked last Saturday.	She said she had worked last Saturday.

                                                                                

3- Present Perfect	3- Past Perfect
I have met Regina Duarte.	She said she had met Regina Duarte.

                                                                                

4- Future (will)	4- Conditional (would)
I will start working on Monday.	She said she would start working on Monday.

                                                                                

5-   Can	5- Could
I can dance the tango very well.	She said she could dance the tango very well.

                                                                                

6- Imperative Sentences – Affirmative Forms	6- Imperative (to)
Call me tomorrow.	She said to call her the next day.

                                                                                

7- Imperative Sentences – Negative Forms	7- Not to
Don’t smoke.	She said/asked/requested not to smoke.
Don’t open the door.	She said/asked/requested not to open the door.

OBSERVATIONS:

a) Some auxiliary verbs change in reported speech:
WILL = WOULD                                              MAY   = MIGHT
CAN   = COULD                                               MUST = HAD TO
b) Others stay the same in both direct and indirect speech:
     WOULD / SHOULD / COULD / MIGHT
c) Pronouns and adverbs also change in reported speech:

I  = he / she           My  = his / her This   = that Here   = there Now   = then

Today          = that day Tomorrow   = the next/ following day Yesterday    = the previous day / the day before Last night    = the previous night / the night before Ago             = before

d) When the affirmation made in direct speech is still valid at the moment it is reported, the verb tense doesn’t need to be changed.
- “Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide”, the doctor said.

- The doctor said that cigarette smoke contains (or contained) carbon monoxide.

           PRACTICE