Introduction.
There two ways to convey a message of a person, or the words spoken by a person to other person.
- Direct speech
- Indirect speech
Direct speech: John said, “I will give you a pen”.
Indirect Speech: John said that he would give me a pen.
Indirect Speech: John said that he would give me a pen.
Table for change in tense of reported speech for all TENSES.
TENSE CHANGE - IN - INDIRECT SPEECH
Present simple tense into Past simple
Present Continuous tense into Past continuous
Present Perfect tense into Pas perfect
Present Perfect Continuous into Past perfect continuous
Past simple into Past Perfect
Past Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect into Past Perfect
Future simple, will into would
Future Continuous, will be into would be
Future Perfect, will have into would have
Present simple tense into Past simple
Present Continuous tense into Past continuous
Present Perfect tense into Pas perfect
Present Perfect Continuous into Past perfect continuous
Past simple into Past Perfect
Past Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect into Past Perfect
Future simple, will into would
Future Continuous, will be into would be
Future Perfect, will have into would have
xamples.
DIRECT SPEECH | INDIRECT SPEECH |
PRESENT TENSE | |
PRESENT SIMPLE changes into PAST SIMPLE | |
He said, “I write a letter”
She said, “he goes to school daily” They said, “we love our country” He said, “he does not like computer” |
He said that he wrote a letter.
He said that he did not like computer.He said that she went to school daily. They said that they loved their country |
PRESENT CONTINUOUS changes into PAST CONTINUOUS | |
He said, “he is listening to the music”
She said, “I am washing my clothes” They said, “we are enjoying the weather” I said, “it is raining” She said, “I am not laughing” |
He said that he was listening to the music.
She said that she was washing her clothes. They said that they were not enjoying the weather. She said that she was not laughing. |
PRESENT PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT | |
She said, “he has finished his work”
He said, “I have started a job” I said, “she have eaten the meal” They said, “we have not gone to New York. |
She said that he had finished his work.
They said that they had not gone to New York.He said that he had started a job. I said that she had eaten the meal. |
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS changes into PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
He said, “I have been studying since 3 O’clock”
She said, “It has been raining for three days.” I said, “She has been working in this office since 2007” |
He said that he had been studying since 3 O’clock.
She said that it been raining for three days. I said that she had been working in this office since 2007. |
PAST TENSE | |
PAST SIMPLE changes into PAST PERFECT | |
He said to me, “you answered correctly”
John said, “they went to cinema” He said, “I made a table” She said, “I didn’t buy a car” |
He said to me that I had answered correctly.
She said that she had not bought a car.John said that they had gone to cinema. He said that he had made a table. |
PAST CONTINUOUS changes into PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
They said, “we were enjoying the weather”
He said to me, “ I was waiting for you” I said, “It was raining” She said, “I was not laughing” |
They said that they had been enjoying.
He said to me that he had been waiting for me. I said that it had been raining. She said that she not been laughing. |
PAST PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT (tense does not change) | |
She said, “She had visited a doctor”
He said, “I had started a business” I said, “she had eaten the meal” They said, “we had not gone to New York. |
She said that she had visited a doctor.
He said that he had started a business. I said that she had eaten the meal. They said they had not gone to New York. |
FUTURE TENSE | |
FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE
| |
He said, “I will study the book”
She said, “I will buy a computer” They said to me, “we will send you gifts” I said, “I will not take the exam” |
He said that he would study the book.
I said that I would not take the exam.She said that she would buy a computer. They said to me that they would send you gifts. |
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
| |
I said to him, “ I will be waiting for him”
She said,” I will be shifting to new home” He said, “I will be working hard” He said, “he will not be flying kite” |
I said to him that I would be waiting for him.
She said that she would be shifting to anew home. He said that he would be working hard. She said that he would not be flying kites. |
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
| |
He said, “I will have finished the work”
She said, “they will have passed the examination” He said, “I will have gone” |
He said that he would have finished the work.
She said that they would have passed the examination. He said that he would have gone. |
