Reported Speech

I. Change the tense

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

1. Simple present Simple Past

‘I am hungry,’ said Sam. Sam said (that) he was hungry.

2. Present continuous Past continuous

‘I am drawing ,’ said Sam Sam said (that) he was drawing .

3. Past continuous Past perfect continuous

‘I was reading a book,’ said Sam

Sam said (that) he had been reading a book.

4. Simple past Past perfect

‘I ate an apple yesterday,’ said Sam.

Sam said (that) he had eaten an apple the previous day.

5. Present perfect Past perfect

‘I has lost a key,’ said Sam. Sam said (that) he had lost a key.

6. Past perfect Past perfect

I had been to China before,’ said Sam.

Sam said (that)he had been to China before.

II. Changes some modal verbs

can could may might

must had to will would

*need need

III. Change the time words

Now, At present Then / At that time

Today/ Tonight That day / That night

Last… The … before / The previous …

ago (two days ago) two days before / earlier

Yesterday The day before / The previous day

Next… The next… / The following …

Tomorrow The next day / The following day

This That

These Those

Here There

IV. Other changes

‘What time is it?’ asked Sam. Sam asked what time it was.

‘Have you seen my key?’ Sam asked Ann.

Sam asked if / whether Ann had seen his key.