Rule 1: Indirect speech can be introduced by a verb in a present tense:
Father says that it is cold weather
Here,
- Reporting a conversation that is still going on
- Reading a letter and reporting what it says
- Reading instructions and reporting them
- Reporting a statement that someone makes a very often
e.g. Tom says that he’ll never get married.
Rule 2: But indirect speech is usually introduced by a verb in the past tense.
Verbs in the direct speech have than to be changed into a corresponding past tense.
The changes are shown in the following:
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Present Indefinite Tense Past Indefinite Tense
‘I never eat meat’ he explained He explained that the never ate meat.
Present Continuous Tense Past Continuous Tense
He said to me, ”I am writing a letter” He told me that he was writing a letter.
You said to me, “You are doing the work” You told me that I was doing the work.
Present Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense
I said to me, “I have done the work” I told him that I had done the work.
You said to me, “You have told me about this” You told me that I had told me about this.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense
He said to me, “ We have been working there” He told me that we had been working there.
I said to me, “I have been waiting for you” I told him that I had been waiting for him.
Past Indefinite Tense Past Perfect Tense
He said to me, “Father called you.” He told me that father had called me.
I said to her, “Mother gave you a pan.” I told her that mother had given her a pen
Past Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense
He said to me, “I was writing a report.” He told me that he had been writing a report.
They said to me, “We were sowing seeds” They told me that they had been sowing seeds.
Rule 3: Note on I/we shall/should:
‘I/we shall’ normally becomes he/she/they would in indirect speech:
Direct – Bill said, “I shall be 21 tomorrow.”Indirect – Bill said he would be 21 the following day.
But if the sentence is reported is reported by the original speaker, ‘I/we shall’ can become either I/we should or I/we would. Would is the more common.
Similarly ‘I/we should’ usually becomes he/she/they would in Indirect speech:
Direct – Bill said, “If I had the instruction manual I should/would know what to do.”Indirect – Bill said that if he had the instructions he would know what to do.
But if the sentence is reported by the original speaker ‘I/we should’ can either remain unchanged or be reported by would.
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