* = Verbs can be used with that-clause
REPORTED SPEECH
+to-inf. agree, offer, refuse, *claim, *promise, *threaten, demand +-ing. apo-
logise for, complain to sb of, deny, sugg- est, insist on, admit (to), boast
about/ of, etc. +that clause explain, inform sb., exclaim/remark sb +to-inf.
warn, 
TENSES
TENSES
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Present Perfect Contnuous
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Past Perfect
past perfect continous
Future Simple
MODALS/MD. PERFECT…
will
can
can/will be able to
shall
may
must
modal perfect tenses
CONDITIONALS…… ……
type 1 Conditional tense
type 2 & 3 Conditionals
______________
DIRECT SPEECH = the
exact words someone
used: ‘I am exhaus-
ed,’ Tim said.
REPORTED SPEECH= the
exact meaning of what
someone said but not
the exact words: Tim
said (that) he was
exhausted/tired.
that can be omitted.
NOTE
tell is always followed
by a personal object: He
told me (that) he was
tired.
Say is used with(out) a
personal object but wh-
en used with a personal
object, it is always
followed by the preposi-
tion to:
He said that/he said to
me that he was tired.
Change of Pronouns
I  s(he), we  they, you
 I/we, they  they,
s(he)  s(he), it  it ,
neutral statement  I
• There is no need to worry
• I said that there was no
need to worry.
_____________________
would, could, might,
should ought to, had
better, used to, musn’t.
remain the same
Note the reported verbs below:
TENSE
CHANGE
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Past Perfect
Past Perfect Continuous
Past Simple/Past Perfect
Past Cont./Perfect Cont.
Past Perfect
Past perfect continuous
Conditional (would)
MODALS/MD. PERFECT
Would
could, also could/would
be able to (for future ref.)
should (for advice/offers)
might
must/had to (obligation)
remain the same
CONDITIONALS…………
Change in Rep. Speech
do not change
Time Expressions:
remain or change accor-
ding to the meaning of
the sentence
now  then, at that time
immediately today, to-
night  that day, that
night yesterday  the
previous day, the day be-
fore tomorrow  the fol-
lowing day, the next day
this week  that week
last week the previous
week, the week before
next week  the follow-
ing week three days ago
 three days before here
 there come  go
Change of tenses..
1 Should the state-
ment reported on the
same day, in the same
place, one would say:
Samantha said, “ I will
come here tomorrow”
X She said she would
go there the next day.
√ She said that she
would come here to-
morrow.
(No change necessary)
2 if we no longer be-
lieve the direct state-
ment we would say:
√ She said she was
going to come but I
don’t think so.
DIRECT
SPEECH
Tina said,
“I want to study hard this week”
“I’m cleaning the room today.”
“Tim has broken your vase.”
“I have been working all day”
“I tried to phone you”
“He was cleaning the room.”
“Gabi had left before I came.”
“I’d been working till yesterday”
“I will talk to him about it.”
MODALS/MD. PERFECT……--…
“I will buy a house one day”
“I can get a job in London”
“He’ll be able to come next week”
“When shall I give you a call?”
“That man may help you”
“I must feed my dog first”
“you could have visit me first”
CONDITIONALS…………--……--
“If you try it, you will/can learn it”
No change in tenses when:
1 an introductory /reported
verb is in present simple,
present Perfect or future.
■ Sara says, “Papa is here”
X Sara says papa was here.
√ Sara says papa is here.
2 Reported verb is in the
present tense when:
a reporting/reading the con-
tent of the letter, report,
article, etc.
b conveying/passing on any
messages
c reporting something some-
one says very often.
a The letter says that I must…
b He says he has to leave now.
c Papa often says that I am
too naïve for this world.
3 Tenses either change or
remain the same in indirect
speech when reporting:
a up-to-date affairs/states
b General truths/law of nature
The teacher said that water
boils/boiled at 100 degree C.
4 the tenses in reported
speech is not usually changed
when:
warn, forbid, *remind, ask, invite,
order, advise, allow, beg +how ex
-plain to sb. in reported questions:
ask, inquire, want to know wonder
_____________________________
INDIRECT (REPORTED)
SPEECH
Tina said (to me)/told me (that)…
…she wanted to study hard that week.
…She was cleaning the room.
…Tim had broken my vase.
…she had been working all day.
…she (had) tried to phone me.
…he was cleaning/had been cleaning the
…Gabi had already left before I came.
…she’d been working till the day before.
…she would talk to him about that.
MODALS/MD.PERFECT……………………
…she would buy a house one day.
…She could get a job in London.
…he’d be able to come the week after.
…She should she give me a call.
…that man might help me..
…She must/had to feed her dog first.
…I could have visit her first.
CONDITIONALS……………………………
…If you tried it, you would/could learn it.
a indirect speech astion is still happ-
ening or going to take place.
b after time conjunctions, e.g. after,
before, when, etc.
a Linda said she is working on…(still
working on…)
b he said he had got a job after he
(had) finished his degree.
Reported Questions
■ Introduced with the verbs: ask,
want to know (very common), won-
der, inquire ■ Verbs are written in
affirmative ■ expressions such as,
oh, well.., please, you know, etc.
are omitted ■ Wh-questions (what,
why, where, who, what, how long,
when, etc.) in direct speech remain
the same in reported questions ■
should the question begins with
auxiliary verbs (is, do, have, etc.) or
a modal ( can, will, may, etc.) we
use if/whether in Rep. ques.
Reported request, suggestions,
commands
■ Introduced with the verbs ask,
beg, suggest, tell, request, plead,
etc. + to-infinitive, -ing form or that-
clause ■ She told me to do all the
housework ■ john asked her not to
leave ■ She suggested going for a
drink