Indirect Speech

(Reported Speech)

direct speech

indirect speech

Present Simple Present Continuous Past Simple

Past Simple Past Continuous

Present Perfect Simple

Past Perfect Simple Past Continuous Present Perfect

Past Perfect Simple

Past Perfect Continuous

Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

direct speech

indirect speech

Will Would Shall

Should
Can Could May Might Must

=> => => => => => => => =>

Would Would Should Should Could Could Might Might Must

Direct speech
Here Now Today

indirect speech
There Then That day

Yesterday
2 days/ 3 years (etc.)ago Last month/ year etc.

The day before/ the previous day

2 months/ 3 years (etc.) before A (the) month/ year (etc.) before; The previous month/ year The next day/ the following day The next year/summer etc.

Tomorrow
Next year/summer etc.

exemple

Present Simple I dont want this book., he

Past Simple He said he didnt want that

said (dont want => (this

Present Continuous Shes working hard for this

book didnt want) that) Past Continuous

I told my manager (that) she

=>

presentation, I told my manager. (is working => (this =>

was working hard for that presentation was working) That)

example

Past Simple Tom gave up his job yesterday, my brother informed me.
(gave up (yesterday => =>

Past Perfect Simple My brother informed me (that) Tom had given up his job the previous day.
had given up) the previous day)

Present Perfect Simple I have written a poem, she exclaimed.

(have written =>

Past Perfect Simple She exclaimed (that) she had written a poem.

had written)

Past Perfect Simple I had forgotten my wallet, he explained.

(had forgotten => (my =>

Past Perfect Simple He explained he had forgotten his wallet.

had forgotten) his)

example

Past Continuous I was reading the book at this time yesterday,she said.
(was reading => (this =>

Past Perfect Continuous She said she had been reading the newspaper at that time yesterday.

had been reading) that)

Present Perfect Continuous My mum has been calling you since lunch time, he told me.
(my => (has been calling => (you =>

Past Perfect Continuous He told me his mum had been calling me since lunch time.

his) had been calling) me)

Past Perfect Continuous I had been repairing the car for one hour before your arrival, he claimed.
(I => (had been repairing => (your =>

Past Perfect Continuous He claimed he had been repairing the car for one hour before my arrival.

he) had been repairing) my)

example

Will She will do it, I exclaimed. Will

Would I exclaimed that she would do it. Would He said he would have finished

I will have finished by then, he

by then.
Would

said.
Would I would like a piece of cake, he He said (that) he would like a

piece of cake.
Should

said.
Should You should take care, he told He told me (that) I should take

care.

me.

example

Can My brother can swim, she

Could She boasted her brother could

boasted.

swim.
Might
I told my boy he might go there. Might I said it might rain that night. Must He told her she mustnt eat that.

May
You may go there, I told my

boy.
Might It might rain tonight, I said. Must You musnt eat that, he told

her.

Interogative

Affirmative

Why are you going

He asked why I was

there?, he asked. Where do you live?, she asked. Has she been there?, my mum wondered. Who are you?, she asked him.

going there. She asked where I lived. My mum wondered if she had been there. She asked him who he was.

Infinitive, exclamations
Type these letters, the boss The boss told his secretary to

told his secretary.

Dont go there!, I told my

type those letters.

I told my boy not to go there. She exclaimed that the

boy. What a nice morning!, she exclaimed. Congratulations!, he told his wife. Taxi!, he shouted. Merry Christmas!, she told us.

morning was nice.

He congratulated his wife. He called a taxi. She wished us Merry

Christmas.