Indirect Speech / Reported Speech Direct speech Indirect speech "I'm going to the cinema", he said.

He said he was going to the cinema.

Direct speech Present simple She said, "It's cold." Present continuous She said, "I'm teaching English online." Present perfect simple She said, "I've been on the web since 1999." Present perfect continuous She said, "I've been teaching English for seven years." Past simple She said, "I taught online yesterday." Past continuous She said, "I was teaching earlier." Past perfect She said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived." Past perfect continuous She said, "I'd already been teaching for five minutes."

Indirect speech simple Pastsaid it was cold. She continuous Pastsaid she was teaching English online. She Past perfect simple She said she had been on the web since 1999. Past perfect continuous She said she had been teaching English for seven years. perfect Pastsaid she had taught online yesterday. She perfect Pastsaid she continuous She had been teaching earlier. Past perfect NO CHANGE - She said the lesson had already started when he arrived. Past perfect continuous NO CHANGE - She said she'd already been teaching for five minutes.

Modal verb forms also sometimes change: Direct speech will She said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow." Indirect speech

would She said she would teach English online tomorrow. could can She said she could teach English She said, "I can teach English online." online. must had to She said, "I must have a computer to She said she had to have a computer to teach English online." teach English online.

shall She said, "What shall we learn today?" may She said, "May I open a new browser?"

should what we should learn today. She asked

might She asked if she might open a new browser.

!Note - There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to. Direct speech Indirect speech "I might go to the cinema", he said. He said he might go to the cinema. You can use the present tense in reported speech if you want to say that something is still true i.e. my name has always been and will always be Lynne so:Direct speech "My name is Lynne", she said. Indirect speech She said her name was Lynne. Or She said her name is Lynne.

You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event. Direct speech (exact quote) Indirect speech (not exact) "Next week's lesson is on reported She said next week's lesson is on reported speech ", she said. speech.

Time change + 24 hours - Indirect speech She said yesterday's lesson was on "Today's lesson is on presentations." presentations. Expressions of time if reported on a different day this (evening) that (evening) today these (days) now (a week) ago last weekend here next (week) Today

yesterday ... those (days) then (a week) before the weekend before last / the previous weekend there the following (week)

tomorrow

the next/following day

In addition if you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard it you must change the place (here) to the place (there). At work "How long have you worked here?" At home She asked me how long I'd worked there.

Me "I teach English online." Reporting Verbs

You She said she teaches English online.

Said, told and asked are the most common verbs used in indirect speech. We use asked to report questions:For example: I asked Lynne what time the lesson started. We use told with an object. For example: Lynne told me she felt tired. !Note - Here me is the object. We usually use said without an object. For example: Lynne said she was going to teach online. If said is used with an object we must include to ; For example: Lynne said to me that she'd never been to China. !Note - We usually use told. For example: Lynne told me that she'd never been to China. There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked. These include:accused, admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised, begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised,

replied, suggested and thought. Using them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative. For example: He asked me to come to the party:He invited me to the party. He begged me to come to the party. He ordered me to come to the party. He advised me to come to the party. He suggested I should come to the party.

Use of 'That' in reported speech In reported speech, the word that is often used. For example: He told me that he lived in. However, that is optional. For example: He told me he lived in Greenwich. ! Note - That is never used in questions, instead we often use if. ex: He asked me if I would come to the party.

Direct Speech simple present He said, I go to school every day. simple past He said, I went to school every day.

Indirect Speech simple past He said (that) he went to school every day. past perfect He said (that) he had gone to school every day.

present perfect He said, I have gone to school every day. present progressive He said, I am going to school every day. past progressive He said, I was going to school every day. future (will) He said, I will go to school every day. future (going to) He said, I am going to school every day.

past perfect He said (that) he had gone to school every day. past progressive He said (that) he was going to school every day. perfect progressive He said (that) he had been going to school every day, would + verb name He said (that) he would go to school every day. present progressive He said (that) he is going to school every day. past progressive He said (that) he was going to school every day

Direct Speech auxiliary + verb name He said, Do you go to school every day? He said, Where do you go to school? imperative He said, Go to school every day.

Indirect Speech simple past He asked me if I went to school every day.* He asked me where I went to school. infinitive He said to go to school every day.

*Note than when a Yes/No question is being asked in direct speech, then a construction with if or whether is used. If a WH question is being asked, then use the WH to introduce the clause. The situation changes if instead of the common said another part of the very to say is used. In that case the verb tenses usually remain the same. Some examples of this situation are given below.

Direct Speech simple present + simple present He says, I go to school every day. present perfect + simple present He has said, I go to school every day. past progressive + simple past He was saying, I went to school

Indirect Speech simple present + simple present He says (that) he goes to school every day. present perfect + simple present He has said (that) he goes to school every day. past progressive + simple past He was saying (that) he went to school every

every day.

day. past progressive + past perfect He was saying (that) he had gone to school every day.

future + simple present He will say, I go to school every day.

future + simple present He will say (that) he goes to school every day.

Another situation is the one in which modal constructions are used. If the verb said is used, then the form of the modal, or another modal that has a past meaning is used.

Direct Speech can He said, I can go to school every day. may He said, I may go to school every day. might He said, I might go to school every day. must He said, I must go to school every day. have to He said, I have to go to school every day. should He said, I should go to school every day. ought to He said, I ought to go to school every day.

Indirect Speech could He said (that) he could go to school every day. might He said (that) he might go to school every day.

had to He said (that) he had to go to school every day.

should He said (that) he should go to school every day. ought to He said (that) he ought to go to school every day.

He said, "I live in Paris." He said he lived in Paris. He said, "I am cooking dinner." He said he was cooking dinner. He said, "I have visted London twice." He said he had visited London twice. He said, "I went to New York last

week." He said he had gone to New York the week before. He said, "I had already eaten." He said he had already eaten. He said, "I am going to find a new job." He said he was going to find a new job. He said, "I will give Jack a call." He said he would give Jack a call.