REPORTED SPEECH (Indirect speech)

Direct speech  “I’m tired,” she said.

Reported speech  She said (that) she was tired.

Backshifting: go back one tense

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
Simple present Simple past
Present Continuous Past Continuous
Simple Past Past Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple
Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
will Would
can Could
may Might
Must (obligation) Had to
“You must wear a mask here” said the police The police officer said that we/I had to wear
officer. a mask there.
Must (deduction) Must
“The teacher must be sick” my classmate My classmate said that the teacher must be
said. sick.
Should Should
Would Would

Backshifting time expressions:

Now  then

Today/tonight  that day/that night

Yesterday  the day before/the previous day

Tomorrow  the next day/the following day

Last week (month, year, etc.)  The previous week / the week before

Next week (month, year, etc.)  the following week

Ago  before

Other changes:

This / these  that / those

Here  there

Pronouns / possessive adjectives  they change according to the context.

 1. She said, “I’ll call you tomorrow”
She said that she would call me the following day.

2. He said, “I missed the train”

He said that he had missed the train.

3. They said, “We had a great time last night”

They said that they had had a great time the previous night.

Reporting verbs:

 Said  said (that) + clause She said that she would call…
Said to + object + clause She said to me she would call…
 Tell  tell + object + clause She told me she would call…

Other reporting verbs (commands, requests, advice)

Ask, order, advise, warn, encourage, forbid, command + object + infinitive

Julio asked me to help him with his homework.

The teacher warned us not to copy on the test.

REPORTED QUESTIONS:

1. Yes/No questions:

Ask/wonder + if/whether + Subject + Verb

“Do you know how to cook?” Martha asked.

Martha asked if I knew how to cook.

“Have you ever been to New York?” my cousin asked.

My cousin asked if I had ever been to New York.

2. Information questions:

Ask/wonder + Question words + Subject + Verb

“Where did you live last year?” my teacher asked.

My teacher asked where I had lived the previous year.

“What time is the soccer match?” my dad wonder.

My dad wonder what time the soccer match was.

“What do you think is the best place to go on holidays?” my mom asked.

My mom asked me what the best place to go on holiday was.

“Where do you study?” she asked.

She asked me where I studied.