REPORTED SPEECH

1. Statements:
Verbs in the direct speech have to be changed into a corresponding past tense in the indirect speech.
Some of the changes are shown in the following table:

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

Present simple Past simple
Present continuous Past continuous
Present perfect Past perfect
Past simple Past perfect
Will Would
Can Could
May Might
Must Had to

Examples:

1. She said: “I go to school every day:” She said that she went to school every day.
2. He said: “I’m waiting for Ann.” He said that he was waiting for Ann.
3. Mary said: “I have found my keys.” Mary said that she had found her keys.
4. He said: “Ann will be in Paris on Monday.” He said that Ann would be in Paris on Monday.

Other changes:

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

I he/she
me him/her
my his/her
mine his/hers
we they
us them
our their
ours theirs

this/these that/those
here there
now then
ago before
today that day
tonight that night
tomorrow The next/following day
yesterday the day before
2. Questions:
Yes/no questions:
They are introduced by the verb ASK + IF or WHETHER.
He asked: “Have they arrived?”
He asked if (whether) they had arrived.

Wh-questions:

He asked: “What are they doing?”

He asked what they were doing.

3. Commands, requests
Indirect commands, requests, are usually expressed by a verb of command/request/ + object + infinitive.

a. Commands:

He said: “Stand up, Tom!”  He told Tom to stand up.

I said: “Don’t swim too far, boys.”  I told the boys not to swim too far.

b. Requests:

He said: “Write to me soon, please.”

He asked me/him… to write to him soon.

4. Suggestions
Suggestions are introduced by expressions like:
“Let’s...”
“Why don’t we...?”

“Let’s go to the cinema” Sara said

Sara suggested going to the cinema
Sara suggested that we go to the cinema