We use reported/indirect speech when someone said something and we need to tell it to others.
We use common reporting verbs such as ‘say’ and ‘tell’ or ‘ask’ if the direct speech is in a form of a question. Since we are talking about something that happened in the past, we use the past tense of the reporting verbs such as ‘said’, ‘told’, ‘asked’, etc.
It is optional to use the conjunction ‘that’ in a reported speech.
In reported speech, we usually use a tense that is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech.
Examples:
Present Simple
Past Simple
“We like dancing”, they said.
They said (that) they liked dancing.
“I travel a lot”, Ana said
Ana said (that) she travelled a lot.
Present Continuous
Past Continuous
“I am drinking wine”, he told them.
He told them (that) he was drinking wine.
“We are playing outside”, John said.
John said (that) they were playing outside.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
“We haven’t done our homework”, they said.
They said (that) they hadn’t done their homework.
“I have been to Barcelona”, she told me.
She told me (that) she had been to Barcelona.
Simple Past
Past Perfect
“Jane finished her work on Monday”, they said.
They said (that) Jane had finished her work on Monday.
“I lived in Catalonia for ten years”, he said.
He said he had lived in Catalonia for ten years.
However, when Past Perfect is used in the direct speech, no verb change is needed.
Past Perfect
Past Perfect
We had taken some lessons before”, they said.
They said (that) they had taken some lessons before.
“She had just returned from school”, she explained.
She explained (that) she had just returned from school.
Future Tense
Present Conditional
He said, “I will be in Los Angeles on Sunday”.
He said (that) he would be in Los Angeles on Sunday.
“We will sing at the concert next month”, they said.
They said (that) they would sing at the concert next month.
Future Continuous
Conditional Continuous
They said, “We‘ll be staying at home next weekend”.
They said (that) they would be staying at home next weekend.
“I won’t be attending the party tomorrow”, she said.
She said (that) she would not be attending the party tomorrow.
If what was said is still true, it’s not always needed to change the tense.
“The sky is blue”, Ana said.
Ana said the sky is blue.
“We go to the school near the church”, they said.
They said (that) they go to the school near the church.
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