Reported speech

Direct speech
Present simple
Anna said: Im happy

Reported speech
Past simple
Anna said (that) she
was happy.
Present continuous
Past continuous
Jorge said: They are Jorge said (that) they
listening to music.
were listening to music.
Past simple
Past perfect simple
Angela said: I saw Angela said (that) she
Peter.
had seen Peter.
Past continuous
Past perfect continuous
Luisa said: I was Luisa said (that) she
working.
had been working.
Present perfect simple
Past perfect simple
They said: we have They said (that) they
gone to Bogot.
had gone to Bogot.
Present
perfect Past perfect continuous
continuous
Laura said (that) she
Laura said: I have had been listening to
been listening to music music for hours.
for hours.
Past
perfect No change
simple/continuous
Diana said (that) she
Diana said: I didnt go hadnt gone to the
to the cinema because I cinema because she
had already seen the had already seen the
film.
film.
Carlos said: I felt tired Carlos said (that) she
because I had been had felt tired because
working all day.
she had been working
all day.
am/is/are going to
was/were going to
Paula said: Im going Paula said (that) she
to work harder.
was going to work
harder.
Will
Would
Elena said: I will buy a Elena said (that) she
laptop.
would buy a laptop.
Can/ could
Could
Camilo said: I can do Camilo said (that) he
it.
could do it.
May
Might
Lalo said: I may go to Lalo said (that) he
the cinema with you.
might go to the cinema
with us.
Must/have to
Had to
She said: I must train He said (that) he had to
every day.
train every day.
Should / could / might / No change
ought to / would
Robert said (that) he
Robert said: I should should eat more fruit.
eat more fruit.
We also change some expressions of time and
place.
direct
reported
direct
reported
now
then
Today,
That day,
tonight
that night
tomorrow
The next yesterday
The
day
day
before
Last week, The
Next week, The
month,
previous
month,
following
year
day,
year
day, month
month
year
year

tonight
this

That night
that

here
these

There
those

Reported speech
Direct speech
Present simple
Anna said: Im happy

Reported speech
Past simple
Anna said (that) she
was happy.
Present continuous
Past continuous
Jorge said: They are Jorge said (that) they
listening to music.
were listening to music.
Past simple
Past perfect simple
Angela said: I saw Angela said (that) she
Peter.
had seen Peter.
Past continuous
Past perfect continuous
Luisa said: I was Luisa said (that) she
working.
had been working.
Present perfect simple
Past perfect simple
They said: we have They said (that) they
gone to Bogot.
had gone to Bogot.
Present
perfect Past perfect continuous
continuous
Laura said (that) she
Laura said: I have had been listening to
been listening to music music for hours.
for hours.
Past
perfect No change
simple/continuous
Diana said (that) she
Diana said: I didnt go hadnt gone to the
to the cinema because I cinema because she
had already seen the had already seen the
film.
film.
Carlos said: I felt tired Carlos said (that) she
because I had been had felt tired because
working all day.
she had been working
all day.
am/is/are going to
was/were going to
Paula said: Im going Paula said (that) she
to work harder.
was going to work

Will
Elena said: I will buy a
laptop.
Can/ could
Camilo said: I can do
it.
May
Lalo said: I may go to
the cinema with you.

harder.
Would
Elena said (that) she
would buy a laptop.
Could
Camilo said (that) he
could do it.
Might
Lalo said (that) he
might go to the cinema
with us.
Had to
He said (that) he had to
train every day.
No change
Robert said (that) he
should eat more fruit.

Must/have to
She said: I must train
every day.
Should / could / might /
ought to / would
Robert said: I should
eat more fruit.
We also change some expressions of time and
place.
direct
reported
direct
reported
now
then
Today,
That day,
tonight
that night
tomorrow
The next yesterday
The
day
day
before
Last week, The
Next week, The
month,
previous
month,
following
year
day,
year
day, month
month
year
year
tonight
That night here
There
this
that
these
those