Reported Speech

REPORTED SPEECH
Statements
1) If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in Reported speech.
Example: Susan: "I work in an office." Susan says that she works in anoffice.

2) If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of tenses in Reported speech. (see: Note)
Example: Susan: "I work in an office." Susan said that she worked in an office.Backshift of tenses |
from | to |
Simple Present | Simple Past |
Simple Past | Past Perfect |
Present Perfect | |
Past Perfect | |
will | would |
Progressive forms |
am/are/is |was/were |
was/were | had been |
has been | |
had been | |

Backshift of tenses |
from | to |
Peter: "I work in the garden." | Peter said that he worked in the garden. |
Peter: "I worked inthe garden." | Peter said that he had worked in the garden. |
Peter: "I have worked in the garden." | |
Peter: "I had worked in the garden." | |
Peter: "I will work in the garden." | Petersaid that he would work in the garden. |
Peter: "I can work in the garden." | Peter said that he could work in the garden. |
Peter: "I may work in the garden." | Peter said that he might work in thegarden. |
Peter: "I would work in the garden."
(could, might, should, ought to) | Peter said that he would work in the garden.
(could, might, should, ought to) |
Progressive forms |
Peter:"I'm working in the garden." | Peter said that he was working in the garden. |
Peter: "I was working in the garden." | Peter said that he had been working in the garden. |
Peter: "I have beenworking in the garden." | |
Peter: "I had been working in the garden." | |

If the sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it as well.
Peter: "I worked in the garden yesterday."Peter said that he had worked in the garden the day before.
Shifting of expressions of time
this (evening) | that (evening) |
today/this day | that day |
these (days) | those (days) |
now |...