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REPORTED SPEECH
When we communicate that someone else said something, we seldom repeat exactly the words
they used. Instead, we use phrases like "He said (that) …" followed by the
message.
However, the
tense of the
verb in the message changes from the tense of the original verb.
In general, the rules
are:
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the present
tense becomes the past:
the past tense becomes the
past perfect:
the present perfect becomes
the past perfect:
the past perfect is
unchanged:
will becomes would:
can becomes could:
must becomes had to: have to
becomes had to:
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work becomes
worked
worked becomes
had worked
have worked becomes
had worked
had worked is unchanged
will work becomes
would work
can
work
becomes could work
must work becomes
had to work
have to work becomes
had to work
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EXAMPLES:
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"I
work
hard."
"I worked hard."
"I have worked hard."
"I will work hard."
"I am going to work hard."
"I am working hard."
"I was working hard."
"I have been working hard."
"I had worked hard."
"I will be working hard."
"I can work hard."
"I must work hard."
"I have to work hard."
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He
said
he
worked hard.
He said he
had worked hard.
He said he
had worked hard.
He said he
would work hard.
He said he
was going to work hard.
He said he
was working hard.
He said he
had been working hard.
He said he
had been working hard.
He said he
had worked hard.
He said he
would be working hard.
He said he
could work hard.
He said he
had to work hard.
He said he
had to
work hard.
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QUESTIONS
When a person asks a question, we report it using the verb "to
ask".
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"Do you
work
hard?"
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He
asked me
if
I
worked
hard.
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COMMANDS
When a person gives a command, we report it using the verb "to tell".
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"Work
harder!"
|
He
told me
to work
harder.
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RECENT STATEMENTS
When we report something that
is still true, we don't have to shift the verb:
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"We
are
hungry."
|
They
said
they
are
hungry.
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GENERAL STATEMENTS
When someone often says something, we can make a general report of it using the
present tense of the verb to
say. The verb does not shift.
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"I
play
tennis very well."
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He
says
he
plays tennis very well.
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"I
will
win the tourney." |
He
says
he
will
win the tourney.
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GENERAL TRUTH
When reporting a general truth, we don't have to shift the verb:
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"Water
freezes
at 0° Centigrade."
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He said water
freezes
at 0° Centigrade.
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