Reported speech

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Reported Speech

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Tense Changes

Will/Shall

Simple present

Have to

Present continuous

Must

Simple past

Can

Present perfect

Past perfect

May

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When do we use them?

Simple present tense in direct speech refers to actions or states that are currently happening or are generally true.

Simple Present - Simple Past

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Structure

Simple Past

Simple Present

S + Verb in past + complement

S + Verb in present + Complement

Simple Present - Simple Past

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Examples

Direct speech: "I am busy right now," he informs us. Indirect speech: He informed us that he was busy right then.

Direct speech: "I play tennis every Sunday," she says. Indirect speech: She said that she played tennis every Sunday.

Direct speech: "I love chocolate," she admits. Indirect speech: She admitted that she loved chocolate.

Direct speech: "They eat lunch at noon," he said. Indirect speech: He said that they ate lunch at noon.

Simple Present - Simple Past

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When do we use them?

We use direct speech of present continuous to indirect speech past continuous when we are reporting something that was said in the present tense but needs to be transformed into past tense.

Present Continuous - Past Continuous

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Structure

Past Continuous

Present Continuous

S + Was/Were + Verb + complement

S + Am/Is/Are + Verb +Complement

Present Continuous - Past Continuous

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Examples

Direct speech: "I am studying for my exam." Indirect speech: I said I was studying for my exam.

Direct speech: "She is cooking dinner." Indirect speech: She said she was cooking dinner.

Direct speech: "We are watching a movie." Indirect speech: We said we were watching a movie.

Direct speech: "They are playing football in the park." Indirect speech: They said they were playing football in the park.

Present Continuous - Past Continuous

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When do we use them?

We often use direct speech and indirect speech in our daily lives when reporting what someone else has said or when recounting past events. Narrating past events, Reporting conversations and Giving instrucctions.

Simple Past - Past Perfect

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Structure

Past Perfect

Simple Past

S + Had + Third form of Verb + complement

S + Second Form of Verb +Complement

Simple Past - Past Perfect

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Examples

Direct speech: John said, "I finished my homework before dinner." Indirect speech: John said that he had finished his homework before dinner.

Direct speech: She said, "I ate lunch at 1 o'clock." Indirect speech: She said that she had eaten lunch at 1 o'clock.

Direct speech: They said, "We saw him at the party." Indirect speech: They said that they had seen him at the party.

irect speech: Sarah said, "We went to the movies last night." Indirect speech: Sarah said that they had gone to the movies the previous night.

Simple Past - Past Perfect

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When do we use them?

We often use direct speech when recounting or reporting recent events, actions, or experiences that have a direct relevance to the present moment. We use indirect speech when we are narrating or reporting those same events or experiences but from a past perspective, especially when discussing them after some time has passed.

Present Perfect - Past Perfect

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Structure

Past Perfect

Present Perfect

S + Have + Third form Verb +Complement

S + Had + Third form Verb + complement

Present Perfect - Past Perfect

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Examples

Direct: "We've already booked our flights," they announced. Indirect: They announced that they had already booked their flights.

Direct: "I have finished my homework," she said. Indirect: She said that she had finished her homework.

Direct: "I've lost my keys," she complained. Indirect: She complained that she had lost her keys.

Direct: "They have just arrived," he whispered. Indirect: He whispered that they had just arrived.

Present Perfect - Past Perfect

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When do we use them?

we often use direct speech of past perfect to indirect speech past perfect when reporting or narrating events that have already occurred. This is common in storytelling, recounting experiences, or summarizing conversations

Past Perfect - Past Perfect

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Structure

Past Perfect

Past Perfect

S + Had + Third form Verb +Complement

S + Had + Third form Verb +Complement

Past Perfect - Past Perfect

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Examples

Direct speech: The teacher said, "The students had completed the assignment before the due date." Indirect speech: The teacher said that the students had completed the assignment before the due date.

Direct speech: She said, "I had already finished my homework before he arrived." Indirect speech: She said that she had already finished her homework before he arrived.

Direct speech: He said, "She had already left when I got there." Indirect speech: He said that she had already left when he got there.

Direct speech: John said, "They had never seen such a beautiful sunset before." Indirect speech: John said that they had never seen such a beautiful sunset before.

Past Perfect - Past Perfect

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When do we use them?

We often use direct speech and indirect speech in various situations, particularly when reporting or paraphrasing what someone else has said.

Will/Shall - Would/Should

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Structure

Would/Should

Will/Shall

S + Would/Should + Verb +Complement

S + Will/Shall + Verb +Complement

Will/Shall - Would/Should

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Examples

Direct speech: "I shall never forget this moment." Indirect speech: He promised that he should never forget that moment.

Direct speech: "I will finish the project by tomorrow." Indirect speech: He said that he would finish the project by the next day.

Direct speech: "He will come to the party." Indirect speech: They said that he would come to the party.

Direct speech: "We shall overcome this challenge." Indirect speech: She said that they should overcome that challenge.

Will/Shall - Would/Should

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When do we use them?

We use direct speech ("have to") and indirect speech ("had to") in our daily lives to report statements, commands, requests, or questions made by others. "have to" changes to "had to" in indirect speech because it reflects the past tense of the obligation from the perspective of the speaker reporting it.

Have to - Had tot

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Structure

Had to

Have to

S + Had to + Verb +Complement

S + Have to + Verb +Complement

Have to - Had to

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Examples

Direct speech: "We have to submit the report by the end of the week." Indirect speech: They informed us that we had to submit the report by the end of the week.

Direct speech: "I have to finish this report by tomorrow." Indirect speech: He said that he had to finish the report by the following day.

Direct speech: "You have to be there on time." Indirect speech: He reminded me that I had to be there on time.

Direct speech: "She has to attend the meeting at 9 a.m." Indirect speech: He mentioned that she had to attend the meeting at 9 a.m.

Have to - Had to

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When do we use them?

You would use "must" in indirect speech when reporting present obligations or necessities, and "had to" when reporting past obligations or necessities.

Must - Must/Had to

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Structure

Must/Had to

Must

S + Must/Had to + Verb +Complement

S + Must + Verb +Complement

Must - Had/to

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Examples

Direct speech: "We had to leave early because of the traffic," he explained. Indirect speech: He explained that they had to leave early due to the traffic.

Direct speech: "You must finish your homework before dinner," said the teacher. Indirect speech: The teacher told the students that they must finish their homework before dinner.

Direct speech: "I must finish this project by tomorrow," she said. Indirect speech: She said that she must finish that project by the following day.

Direct speech: "I had to wake up early for the meeting," she said. Indirect speech: She said that she had to wake up early for the meeting.

Must - Must/Had to

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When do we use them?

The shift from direct speech to indirect speech often occurs when reporting what someone said in the past or when talking about past possibilities or conditions. This shift is common for expressing politeness, respect, or conveying information accurately.

Can - Could

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Structure

Could

Can

S + Could + Verb +Complement

S + Can + Verb +Complement

Can - could

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Examples

Direct speech: They said, "We could play outside when we were kids." Indirect speech: They mentioned that they could play outside when they were kids.

Direct speech: She said, "Can I borrow your book?" Indirect speech: She asked if she could borrow my book.

Direct speech: "Can you repeat that, please?" she asked. Indirect speech: She asked if I could repeat that.

Direct speech: He said, "I can swim very well." Indirect speech: He mentioned that he could swim very well.

Can - Could

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When do we use them?

Indirect speech (using "might") is often used in more formal or polite contexts, or when the speaker wants to report what someone else said without quoting them directly. It can also be used when there's a slight uncertainty or politeness involved in the original statement. However, in casual conversation or direct quotations, "may" is commonly used.

May -Might

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Structure

Might

May

S + Might + Verb +Complement

S + May + Verb +Complement

May - Might

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Examples

Direct speech: "You may want to consider studying abroad." Indirect speech: She suggested that I might want to consider studying abroad.

Direct speech: She said, "I may attend the party tonight." Indirect speech: She said that she might attend the party tonight.

Direct speech: "If he arrives on time, he may join us for dinner." Indirect speech: She said that if he arrived on time, he might join us for dinner.

Direct speech: "It may rain later." Indirect speech: He said it might rain later.

May -might