Reported Speech

Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this,
we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past
(e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called
'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for
example pronouns.

 Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema
tonight". Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said.

present
I like ice cream She said (that) she liked ice cream.
simple
present I am living in
She said (that) she was living in London.
continuous London
She said (that) she had bought a car OR
past simple I bought a car
She said (that) she bought a car.
past I was walking She said (that) she had been walking
continuous along the street along the street.
present I haven't seen
She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie.
perfect Julie
I had taken
She said (that) she had taken English
past perfect* English lessons
lessons before.
before
will I'll see you later She said (that) she would see me later.
would* I would help, but..” She said (that) she would help but...
I can speak perfect She said (that) she could speak perfect
can
English English.
I could swim when She said (that) she could swim when she
could*
I was four was four.
shall I shall come later She said (that) she would come later.
I should call my
should* She said (that) she should call her mother
mother
might* I might be late She said (that) she might be late
She said (that) she must study at the
I must study at the
must weekend OR She said she had to study at
weekend
the weekend