Direct and InDirect speech …

Rules For The Change Of

Tenses….
YA.Sami Waseer
Rule;01 If the Reporting Verb is
the present or Future tense, the
tense of the verb in the
Reported speech is not
changed.
 Examples.
Direct: Salim says, “The teacher is not at home”.

Indirect: Salim says that the teacher is not at home.

Direct: I say, “I am reading.”

Indirect: I say that i am reading.

Direcet: He will say, “ I did not know it.”

Indirect: He will say that he did not know it.

Direcet: He will say, “I am not at home”.
Indirect: He will say that he is not at home.
Rule 02.After a reporting verb in the Past
tense, a verb in the present Indefinite tense
in Reported Speech is changed into the past
indefinite tense.
Example.
Rustam said, “I want peace”.
Rustam said that i wanted peace.
He said, “The doctor does not Come”.
He said that the doctor did not come.
Rule 3. A verb in the present continuous tense
in the Reported Speech is changed into past
continuous tense.
Rustam said, “I am riding a horse.”
Rustam said that i was riding a horse.
He said, “ The king is not coming now”.
He said that he was not coming now.
Show where you are in the process and what’s left to tackle
Rule 4. A verb in the present perfect
tense in the reported speech is
changed into past perfect tense.
Rustam said, “I have ridden a
horse”.
Rustam said, “ he had ridden a
horse.
Rule 05. A verb in present perfect
Continuous tense in the reported speech is
changed into past perfect continous tense.
Ali said, “ I have been riding a horse.”
Ali said that He had been riding a horse.
Alow it works
Rule 6. A verb in the past indefinite tense
in the Reported speech is changed into
the past perfect tense.
Ali said, “I spoke the truth”
Ali said that he had spoken a truth.
Ali said, “ He did not come at dinner
time.”
Ali said that he had not come at dinner
Rule 7. A verb in the past continuous tense in the
Reported Speech is changed into Past perfect
continuous tense.
Ali said, “ I was speaking the truth”.
Ali said that he had been speaking truth.
Rule 8. A verb in the past perfect tense in the
Reported Speech remains unchanged.
Rustam said, “I had spoken the truth.”
Rustam said that he had spoken the truth.
He said, “ I had not written a letter.”
He said that he had not written a letter.
Rule 9. A verb in the past perfect
continuous tense in the reported
speech remain unchanged.
Johan said, “The man had been
working”.
Johan said that the man had been
working.
Rule 10. After a reporting verb in the past tense shall, will,
may and can in the Reported Speech are changed
respectively into should, would, might and could. This is
practically the application of the rule according into its
corresponding Past form.
He said , “ The man shall come”.
He said that the man should come.
He said, “The man will come”.
He said that the man would come.
He said, “ The man may come”.
He said that the man might come..
He said , “ The man can come”.
He said that the man could come.
Note:
If the reported speech relates to some UNIVERSAL or
HABITUAL FACT, then the Present Indefinite in the reported
speech is not changed into the corresponding Past, but
remains exactly as it was;
He said, “The earth moves round the sun”.
He said that the earth moves round the sun.
He said, “God rules and governs all things”.
He said that God rules and governs all things.
He reminded me, “ When the cat is away, the mice play”.
He reminded me that when the cat is away, the mice play.
Teacher said, “ Son moves round the earth”.
Teacher said that son moves round the earth.