Grammar: Reported Speech

If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speakers exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. It is almost always used in spoken English. If the reporting verb (i.e. said) is in the past, the reported clause will be in a past form. This form is usually one step back into the past from the original. Backshift of tenses Quick reference from to Simple Present Simple Past Simple Past Past Perfect Present Perfect Past Perfect will would Progressive forms am/are/is was/were was/were has been had been had been

Backshift of tenses from Peter: "I work in the garden." Peter: "I worked in the garden." Peter: "I have worked in the garden." Peter: "I had worked in the garden." Peter: "I will work in the garden." Peter: "I can work in the garden." Peter: "I may work in the garden." Peter: "I would work in the garden." (could, might, should, ought to) Progressive forms Peter: "I'm working in the garden." Peter: "I was working in the garden." Peter: "I have been working in the garden." Peter: "I had been working in the garden." to Peter said that he worked in the garden.

Peter said that he had worked in the garden. Peter said that he would work in the garden. Peter said that he could work in the garden. Peter said that he might work in the garden. Peter said that he would work in the garden. (could, might, should, ought to) Peter said that he was working in the garden.

Peter said that he had been working in the garden.

Compilation by Lia Camacho Salas

Grammar: Reported Speech

Peter: "Mary, work in the garden" Orders Peter told Mary to work in the garden Peter ordered Mary to work in the garden Questions

When reporting questions, it is especially important to pay attention to sentence order. When reporting yes/ no questions connect the reported question using 'if'. When reporting questions using question words (why, where, when, etc.) use the question word. For example: She asked, "Do you want to come with me?" Dave asked, "Where did you go last weekend?" She asked me if I wanted to come with her. Dave asked me where I had gone the previous weekend.

He asked, "Why are you studying English?"

He asked me why I was studying English.

You also have to remember to change time expressions: Shifting of time expressions this (evening) today/this day these (days) now (a week) ago last weekend here next (week) tomorrow that (evening) that day those (days) then (a week) before the weekend before / the previous weekend there the following (week) the next/following day

Sources: http://esl.about.com/od/grammarintermediate/a/reported_speech.htm http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/reported.htm Compilation by Lia Camacho Salas