REPORTED SPEECH

Se il tempo del verbo nel discorso diretto è al presente non ci sono cambiamenti di
tempo:

es) Mary asks Tom: "Do you like world-music?"

Mary asks Tom if/whether he likes world-music.

Invece se il tempo del discorso diretto è al passato c’è uno spostamento all’indietro:

Present simple = Past simple

es. She said: “I live in a flat” = She said (that) she lived in a flat

Present continuos = Past continuos

es. He said:” I am leaving on Sunday ==> He said (that) he was leaving on
Sunday

Past simple/present perfect = Past perfect

es. (Past Simple) He said: "I ate a lot" = He said (that) he had eaten a lot
es. (Present Perfect) He said: "Mr Bob has left" = He said (that) Mr Bob had left

Will = would
es. She said: "I will help you" = She said (that) I would help me

To be going to = Was/Were going to

es. You said:” I am going to leave” = You said (that) you were going to leave

Can = Could
es. She said: "I can swim" = She said (that) she could swim

Must/have to = Had to
Es. They said: “We must leave before 8.00” = They said they had to leave before
8.00

Would / could /had to / might= No change

Would/Could
Ordini

Mary told Tom: "Put your books on the table."

Mary told Tom to put his books on the table.
Mary told Tom: "Don't smoke at home."
Mary told Tom not to smoke at home.
Variazioni di alter parti del discorso

Now - Then
This – That
Here – There
Tomorrow – the following day/ next day
last week/month/year - the previous week/month/year
a week/month/year ago - a week/month/year before

Verbi usati nel Reported Speech

• admit • emphasize • say

• answer • find • show
• argue • hope • state
• ask (if) • inquire (if) • stress
• believe • insist • suggest
• claim • mention • tell*
• confirm • point out • think
• consider • question (if) • understand
• demonstrate • recall • warn
• deny • recommend • wonder (if)
• discuss* • report • write
• doubt • respond

NOTE: Most of these are followed by a noun clause (eg. He states that Americans
are afraid of non-existent risks). However, some CANNOT BE. Those that cannot
are followed by an asterisk. These must be followed by a noun or noun phrase (He
discusses the problems of youth today; He tells the reader that we are too afraid.)
"Ask," "question," "inquire," and "wonder" must be followed by "whether or not" or
"if" (He wonders if Americans understand statistical probability.)