Direct & Indirect speech.pdf

This useful table will help you to change sentences from direct speech into indirect speech (reported speech).

1. BACKSHIFTOFTENSES
SimplePresentIamacarpenter. Hesaidthathewasacarpenter. Simplepast
Present
continuous
I’mworkingatthe
moment.
Hesaidthathewasworkingat
thatmoment.
Past
continuous
SimplePast Iwastherelastyear.
Hesaidthathehadbeenthere
theyearbefore.
Pastperfect
simple
Pastcontinuous
Iwasworkingwhenyou
camein.
Hesaidthathehadbeenworking
whenIhadcomein.
Pastperfect
continuous
Pastperfect
simple
Ihadfinishedmy
homeworkwhenhecame
in.
Hesaidthathehadfinishedhis
homeworkwhenhehadcomein.
Pastperfect
simple
Pastperfect
continuous
Ihadbeenworkingfor
twohourswhenJohn
showedup.
Hesaidthathehadbeenworking
fortwohourswhenJohnhad
showedup.
Pastperfect
continuous
PresentperfectIhavealreadydoneit.
Hesaidthathehadalreadydone
it.
Pastperfect
simple
Presentperfect
continuous
Ihavebeenworkinghere
fortwoyears.
Hesaidthathehadbeenworking
therefortwoyears.
Pastperfect
continuous
Futuresimple Iwillfinishtomorrow.
Hesaidthathewouldfinishthe
nextday.
Would
Futureperfect
Bynextmonth,Iwillhave
finishedmybook.
Hesaidthatbythefollowing
monthhewouldhavefinishedhis
book.
Wouldhave
Presentpassive
Thebookiswrittenin
English.
Hesaidthatthatbookwas
writteninEnglish.
Pastpassive
Presentpassive
continuous
Manyshopsarebeing
openedinthecitycentre.
Hesaidthatmanyshopwere
beingopenedinthecitycentre.
Pastpassive
continuous
PRONOUNS
DIRECTSPEECH
I he,she
me him,her
my his,her,the
mine his,hers
we they
us them
our their,the
ours theirs
you they,them
you their,the
yours theirs
this that,the
these those,the
thisbook thatbook,
DIRECT&INDIRECT
TIME
DIRECTSPEECH
today thatday
tomorrow
thenextday/
thefollowingday
now atthatmoment/then
atthemoment atthatmoment/time
present,current existing,current
inonehour onehourlater
lastweek,last
night
theweek,thenight
before
nextyear,next
month,etc.
thefollowingyear,the
followingmonth,etc.
yesterday thedaybefore
thisevening thatevening
…daysago …daysbefore
tonight thatnight
intwoweek’stimetwoweekslater
ago before
REPORTEDQUESTIONS
DIRECTSPEECH
Doyoulike…?
HeaskedmeifI
liked…
Willyoucome…?
HeaskedmeifIwould
come…
Areyoufeeling…?
HeaskedmeifIwas
feeling…
Didyoudo…?
HeaskedmeifIhad
done…
Haveyou
finished…?
HeaskedmeifIhad
finished…
Wereyouthere
last…?
HeaskedmeifIhad
beentherelast…
Whatareyou
doing?
HeaskedmewhatI
wasdoing.
Whereareyou
going?
HeaskedmewhereI
wasgoing.
Whoareyouhere
with?
HeaskedmewhoI
wastherewith.
Whenareyou
leaving?
HeaskedmewhenI
wasleaving.
Howareyou
goingtodoit?
HeaskedmehowI
wasgoingtodoit.
MODALS
DIRECTSPEECH
can(ability,present) could
can(ability,future) wouldbeableto
may(possibility) might
may
(permission,present)
could
may
(permission,future)
wouldbeallowedto
must
(obligation,present)
must/hadto
must
(obligation,future)
must/
wouldhaveto
needn't
(necessity,present)
didn’thaveto/
didn’tneedto
needn't
(necessity,future)
wouldn’thaveto
shall(futuretime) would
shall
(offers,suggestions)
should
should
(advice/criticism)
should
will would
REPORTEDCOMMANDS
DIRECTSPEECH
Doyourhomework!Dadtoldmetodomyhomework,
Don’ttalkinclass!Myteachertoldmenottotalkinclass,
Bequiet! Hetoldustobequiet,
REPORTEDSUGGESTIONS
DIRECTSPEECH
Let’swatchafilm.
Hesuggestedwatchingafilm.
Hesuggestedthatwewatchafilm.
Whydon'tyougotothedoctor? HesuggestedthatIgotothedoctor.
Idon'tthinkyoushoulddoit
today.
HesuggestedthatInotdoitthatday.
PLACE
DIRECT
SPEECH
here there
there there
inthisroominthatroom