Reported Speech

Present Time
He`ll say/He says

(that) + the tense used in the original sentence.

I`ve heaved up the anchor.

He`ll say that he has heaved up the anchor.

He says

Past Time
He said (that) + one tense further back in the past than used in the original
Direct Speech
The ship stays at anchorage.
He said that
The ship is staying at anchorage.
The ship has stayed at anchorage.
The ship stayed at anchorage.
The ship had stayed at anchorage.
The ship will stay at anchorage.
The ship will have stayed at anchorage.
I may join you later.

Indirect Speech
the ship stayed at anchorage.
the ship was staying at anchorage
the ship had stayed at anchorage
the ship had stayed at anchorage
the ship had stayed at anchorage
the ship would stay at anchorage
the ship would have stayed at anchorage
he might join us later.

In indirect speech, references to people, places and times often changes, becuse the point of view
changes.
She said: This book is interesting.
She said (that) that book was interesting.
These books are interesting.
those books were interesting.
I`ll see you here tomorrow, said Sue.
Sue said she would see me there the next day.
I bought this book yesterday, said he.
He said he had bought the/that book the day
before.
INDIRECT IMPERATIVE
Go home!
(command)
Please wait
(request)

She told him to go home.

She asked her to wait.

QUESTIONS
She asked me: How old are you?
She asked me: Do you learn much?

She asked me how old I was. (Wh-questions)

She asked me if I learned much. (YES/NO
QUESTIONS - Subject comes before the Verb!!)
INDIRECT QUESTIONS (have an introductory question before them: Could you tell me? Do
you know? THERE IS NO CHANGE OF TENSES - BACKSHIFT)
Where is the post office?
Could you tell me where the post office is?
Is this the right street?
Do you know if this is the right street?
Verbs which can be used in reported speech with a that clause: promised, explained, admitted,
argued, complained, suggested, insisted etc. When the verb suggested and insisted are used to
report advise, they are normally followed by should. (e.g. He suggested that we should learn)
Common verbs which are used to introduce indirect commands, requests and advice are: tell,
advise, ask, remind, warn, invite, recommend, forbid.
e.g. Don`t make too much fuss. I told them not to make too much fuss about anything.