<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We use reported\/indirect speech<\/strong> when someone said something and we need to tell it to others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We use common reporting verbs<\/strong> such as ‘say’<\/em> and ‘tell’<\/em> or ‘ask’<\/em> 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’<\/em>, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is optional<\/strong> to use the conjunction \u2018that\u2019<\/strong> in a reported speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In reported speech, we usually use a tense that is one tense back in time<\/strong> from the tense in direct speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n However, when Past Perfect<\/strong> is used in the direct speech, no verb change is needed. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If what was said is still true<\/strong>, it’s not always needed to change the tense.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[309],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-grammar"],"yoast_head":"\nPresent Simple<\/strong><\/td> Past Simple<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> “We like<\/em> dancing”, they said. <\/td> They said (that) they liked<\/em> dancing. <\/td><\/tr> “I travel<\/em> a lot”, Ana said<\/td> Ana said (that) she travelled<\/em> a lot. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Present Continuous<\/strong><\/td> Past Continuous<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> “I am drinking<\/em> wine”, he told them.<\/td> He told them (that) he was drinking<\/em> wine.<\/td><\/tr> “We are playing<\/em> outside”, John said.<\/td> John said (that) they were playing <\/em>outside.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Present Perfect<\/strong><\/td> Past Perfect<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> “We haven’t done<\/em> our homework”, they said.<\/td> They said (that) they hadn’t done<\/em> their homework. <\/td><\/tr> “I have been<\/em> to Barcelona”, she told me.<\/td> She told me (that) she had been<\/em> to Barcelona.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Simple Past<\/strong><\/td> Past Perfect<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> “Jane finished<\/em> her work on Monday”, they said. <\/td> They said (that) Jane had finished <\/em>her work on Monday. <\/td><\/tr> “I lived<\/em> in Catalonia for ten years”, he said. <\/td> He said he had lived<\/em> in Catalonia for ten years. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Past Perfect<\/strong><\/td> Past Perfect<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> We had taken<\/em> some lessons before”, they said.<\/td> They said (that) they had taken <\/em>some lessons before. <\/td><\/tr> “She had just returned<\/em> from school”, she explained.<\/td> She explained (that) she had just returned<\/em> from school. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Future Tense<\/strong><\/td> Present Conditional<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> He said, “I will be<\/em> in Los Angeles on Sunday”.<\/td> He said (that) he would be<\/em> in Los Angeles on Sunday.<\/td><\/tr> “We will sing<\/em> at the concert next month”, they said.<\/td> They said (that) they would sing<\/em> at the concert next month.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Future Continuous<\/strong><\/td> Conditional Continuous<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> They said, “We‘ll be staying<\/em> at home next weekend”.<\/td> They said (that) they would be staying<\/em> at home next weekend.<\/td><\/tr> “I won’t be attending<\/em> the party tomorrow”, she said. <\/td> She said (that) she would not be attending<\/em> the party tomorrow.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n “The sky is blue”, Ana said.<\/td> Ana said the sky is blue.<\/td><\/tr> “We go to the school near the church”, they said.<\/td> They said (that) they go to the school near the church.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"