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Reported Speech Statements
Reported speech is commonly used in speaking and writing. It is important to note that most verb tenses will change from direct to reported speech.
|
Usually the tense change from direct to reported speech involves a backwards move into the past. |
| Direct Speech Tense | Reported Speech Tense | Examples |
| Simple Present | Simple Past | ‘I love you.’
– She said that she loved me. |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous | ‘I am going to the party.’
– He said that he was going to the party. |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect | ‘I have already eaten.’
– She said that she had already eaten. |
| Simple Past | Past Perfect | ‘I arrived on time.’
– He said that he had arrived on time. |
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous | ‘I was sleeping.’
– She said that she had been sleeping. |
| Simple Future | Conditional | ‘You will have a test on Thursday.’
– The professor said that we would have a test on Thursday. |
| Future Continuous | Conditional Continuous | ‘I will be travelling to Spain.’
– She said that she would be travelling to Spain |
Modal Verbs
| Can
(modal of ability) |
Could
|
‘You can eat whatever you want.’
– The doctor said that I could eat whatever I wanted. |
| Could
(modal of possibility) |
Could
(no change) |
‘It could rain on the day of the big game.’
– She said that it could rain on the day of the big game. |
| May
(modal of possibility) |
Might | ‘She may travel abroad in summer.’
– He said that she might travel abroad in summer. |
| Might
(modal of possibility) |
Might
(no change) |
‘We might go skiing on the weekend.’
– They said that they might go skiing on the weekend. |
| Should
(modal of advice) |
Should
(no change) |
‘You should eat more vegetables.’
– My mother said that I should eat more vegetables. |
| Must
(modal of obligation) |
Had To | ‘You must complete the report by 5:00.’
– My boss said that I had to complete the report by 5:00. |
| Have To
(modal of obligation) |
Had To | ‘She has to finish the report by 5:00.’
– She said that she had to finish the report by 5:00 |
Changes in time and place words
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
| now | then, at that time |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the following day, the next day, a day later |
| yesterday | the previous day, the day before |
| next month | the following month, the next month, a month later |
| next year | the following year, the next, year, a year later |
| last month | the month before, the previous month, the preceding month |
| last year | the year before, the previous year, the preceding year |
| in two days, in two weeks | two days from then, two weeks from then |
| five days ago | five days before, five days earlier |
| five weeks ago | five weeks before, five weeks earlier |
| here | there |
| this place | that place |
