What are the rules for changing tenses in reported speech?

Reported Speech Questions



74 Short 67 Medium 44 Long Answer Questions Question Index

What are the rules for changing tenses in reported speech?

The rules for changing tenses in reported speech are as follows:

1. Present simple tense in direct speech changes to past simple tense in reported speech.
Example:
He said, "I like ice cream." → He said that he liked ice cream.

2. Present continuous tense in direct speech changes to past continuous tense in reported speech.
Example:
She said, "I am studying for my exams." → She said that she was studying for her exams.

3. Present perfect tense in direct speech changes to past perfect tense in reported speech.
Example:
They said, "We have already finished our work." → They said that they had already finished their work.

4. Past simple tense in direct speech changes to past perfect tense in reported speech.
Example:
He said, "I went to the park yesterday." → He said that he had gone to the park the day before.

5. Past continuous tense in direct speech changes to past perfect continuous tense in reported speech.
Example:
She said, "I was watching TV all evening." → She said that she had been watching TV all evening.

6. Future tenses in direct speech change to corresponding past tenses in reported speech.
Example:
They said, "We will go on a vacation next week." → They said that they would go on a vacation the following week.

7. Modals in direct speech change to corresponding past modals in reported speech.
Example:
He said, "I can swim." → He said that he could swim.

It is important to note that the reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked) and the pronouns may also need to be changed according to the context of the reported speech.