Reported Speech

REPORTING PAST EVENTS

Changing of Tenses:

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

present => past
present perfect => past perfect
past => past perfect
past perfect=> past perfect

modal => conditional I
will => would
can => could
shall => should
must => had to

a) may => might
b)is/are => was/were allowed to

conditional I
a) in if-clauses => conditional II
would => would have + p.p.
should => should have +p.p.
might => might have + p.p.
could => could have + p.p.
b) others
would => would
should => should
could => could
could =>was/were able to

conditional II => conditional II

Changing of Indicators:

here there
this that
these those
now then
today that day
tonightthat night
yesterday the day before
tomorrow the next/following day
next (week, ...) the next (week, ...)
last (week, ...) the (week, ...) before
a (week, ...) ago a(week, ...) before
Note: These changes only refer to the reporting of past events. In the present tense there are no changes.
There are also no changes if the reporting event has a present orfuture reference:
Kenver told me that Rose will attend the meeting next Thursday.
[Today is Monday]

Reported Statements:

* Lucy: "I am going to the theater tonight."
Lucy announced (that) shewas going to the theater that night.

* William: "I had a wonderful holiday last summer."
William told us (that) he had had a wonderful holiday the summer before."

Reported Questions:* Where are you going? with
He asked where I was going. question word

* Are you ill? without
She wanted to know if / whether I was ill. question word

ATTENTION:

*...