REPORTED STATEMENTS

Simple present
"I always drink coffee",
she said

Simple past
She said that she always
drank coffee.

Present continuous

Past continuous

"I am reading a book", he

explained.

He explained that he was

reading a book

Simple past

Past perfect

I broke the glass", he

admitted

He admitted (that) he had

broken the glass.

Present perfect

Past perfect

"I have been to Spain", he

told me.

He told me that he had

been to Spain

Past perfect
"I had just turned out the
light," he explained.

Past perfect
He explained that he had
just turned out the light.

Present perfect
continuous

Past perfect continuous

They complained, "We

have been waiting for
hours".

They complained that they

had been waiting for
hours.

Past continuous
"We were living in Paris",
they told me.

Past perfect continuous

They told me that they
had been living in Paris.

Future
"I will always love you",
he promised

Present conditional
He promised that he would
always love her.

Future continuous
She said, "I'll be using the
car next Friday".

Conditional continuous
She said that she would be
using the car next Friday.

Can
We can solve the
problem", they insisted

Could
They insisted (that) they
could solve the problem.

May
"I may be late He
warned us.

Might
He warned us (that) he
might be late.

Must
Had to
We must leave now" he
He explained that he had to
explained.
leave then .
We dont need to change the verb form :
if the reporting verb is in the present, or if the original
statement was about something that is still true, e.g.
The currency in Argentina is the peso
The teacher tols us that the currency in Argentina is
the peso
When the sentences we are reporting contains the
modals:
Would, could, might, ought to, should or must when it
used for deduction:
I could come tomorrow she said
He said that he could come the next day

TIME EXPRESIONS
Direct
Speech
Here
Now
This /that
Today
This morning

Indirect Speech

Ago
Yesterday
Last week

Before
The day before /the previous
day
The week before/ the previous
week
The following week /The week
after

Next week
Next month

There
Then
These/those
That day
That morning

QUESTIONS
Use the same word order as in statements
Change the tenses as in statements
There is no questions mark unless the introductory
phrase is a question:
Use the Wh-word in Wh-questions
Present
Past
When does the film
He asked me When the film
start?
started.
He wanted to know when the
film started
Use if / whether for Yes/ no questions
Present perfect
Past perfect
Have you done your
The teacher asked if /whether

Must use whether (not if) when we are asking

someone to make a choice:
Present
Do you want tea or
coffee?

Past
He asked me whether I
wanted tea or coffee.

May use polite introductory phrases like:

I wonder if you, could you tell me
Dont change the tense
Present
Whats the time?

I wonder if you could tell me

What the time is?.

REQUESTS AND ORDERS

We often use verbs like: ask, tell+object+toinfinitive:
We dont chance tenses
Will you be quiet,
please?

The teacher asked me to

be quiet.
The teacher told me to be
quiet.
We use not before the to-infinitive to report negative
requests or orders:
Please dont
The manager asked /told
interrupt the
me not to interrupt the
meeting"
meeting

Verb+gerund

deny
recommend
suggest

Verb+object
preposition+
gerund
accuse
blame
congratulate

verb
+preposition+
gerund
apologize
insist

Examples: He
Examples: They
Examples: He
denied having
accused the boys of apologized for being
anything to do with
cheating on the
late.
her.
exam.
She insisted on
Ken suggested
She blamed her
doing the washing
studying early in the husband for missing
up.
morning.
the train.

verb +object
+infinitive
advise
encourage
invite
remind
warn

Verb+infinitive

verb (that)

agree
decide
offer
promise
refuse
threaten

Examples: Jack
encouraged me to
look for a new job.

Examples: She
offered to give him a
lift to work.

admit
agree
decide
deny
explain
insist
promise
recommend
suggest
Examples: Tom
admitted (that) he
had tried to leave
early.

They invited all their My brother refused to

friends to attend the
take no for an
She agreed (that) we
presentation.
answer.
needed to reconsider
our plans.

HOPES INTENTIONS
ANDPROMISES

ORDERS OR COMMANDS,
REQUESTS AND
SUGGESTIONS
Promise, hope, propose Tell, command, order, warn,
threaten, guarantee
ask, advise, invite, beg, teach,
swear.
forbid, remind, urge, warn

SUGGESTIONS
insist, recommend,
demand, request,
propose.

QUESTIONS

Ask, advise, beg, encourage,

invite, persuade, recommend,
request , remind
STATEMENTS
add, admit, agree, announce,
answer,
claim,
complain,
declare, explain, insist, imply,
mention, point out, promise,
recognise, state,

SUMMARY OF REPORTING VERBS

1. Verbs followed by 'if' or 'whether' + clause:

ask
know
remember

say
see

2. Verbs followed by a that-clause:

add
admit
agree
announce
answer
argue
boast
claim
comment
complain
confirm
consider
deny

doubt
estimate
explain
fear
feel
insist
mention
observe
persuade
propose
remark
remember
repeat

reply
report
reveal
say
state
suggest
suppose
tell
think
understand
warn

3. Verbs followed by either a that-clause

or a to-infinitive:
decide
promise
expect
swear
guarantee
threaten
hope
4. Verbs followed by a that-clause containing
should
(but note that it may be omitted, leaving a
subject + zero-infinitive):
advise
beg
demand

insist
prefer
propose

recommend
request
suggest

5. Verbs followed by a clause starting with a

question word:
decide
imagine
see
describe
know
suggest
discover
learn
teach
discuss
realise
tell
explain
remember
think
forget
reveal
understand
guess
say
wonder
6. Verbs followed by object + to-infinitive
advise
ask
beg
command

forbid
instruct
invite

teach
tell
warn