DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED (INDIRECT) SPEECH Present Simple He said: “I want to watch a film” Past Simple He said (that) he wanted to watch a film Present Continuous He said: “Jane is sleeping” Past Continuous He said (that) Jane was sleeping Past Simple Alex said: “I finished my homework” Past Perfect Alex said (that) he had finished his homework Present Perfect She said: “I have bought a new dress” Past Perfect She said (that) she had bought a new dress Will She said: “I will always love Tom” Would She said (that) she would always love Tom Can Tom said: “I can carry 50 kg” Could Tom said (that) he could carry 50 kg May Ben said: “It may rain” Might Ben said (that) it might rain Must She said: “Everybody must obey the rules Had to She said (that) everybody had to obey the rules Have to He said: “I have to go home” Had to He said (that) he had to go home S + V : “…” S + V + (THAT) + S + V +CS DON’T FORGET!!!! 1.- CHANGE THE VERB TENSE SINCE YOU CAN’T FIND A PRESENT TENSE IN A REPORTED SENTENCE. Example: “I have to go to the doctor” He said RS: He said that he HAD to go to the doctor 2.- CHANGE THE PRONOUNS IN FIRST OR SECOND PERSON SINGULAR AND PLURAL. ALL THE PRONOUNS YOU ARE GOING TO CHANGE ARE: PERSONAL PRONOUNS, POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES, OBJECT PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS. Example: “My friend and I like playing videogames” She said. RS: She said that HER friend and SHE liked playing videogames. Example: “I will call you when I finish my homework” He told me. RS: He told me that he would call ME when he finished his homework. Example: “Is this yours?” The teacher asked RS: The teacher asked if that was HIS/HERS 3.- CHANGE TIME AND PLACE EXPRESSIONS QUESTIONS YES/NO QUESTIONS: we add IF + sentence in a normal order (Not subject-verb inversion needed) o Example: “Did you go to the library yesterday?” He asked me. He asked me IF I had gone to the library the previous day. WH- QUESTIONS: We add the Wh- question + sentence in a normal order (Not subject-verb inversion needed) o Example: “When have you arrived home?” She asked me. She asked me WHEN I had arrived home COMMANDS (IMPERATIVE FORM): We add TO + infinitive or NOT TO + infinitive when using commands as the reported sentence. Examples: “Go to the library” The teacher ordered us. RS: The teacher ordered us TO go to the library. “Don’t do drugs” the man told us. RS: The man told us NOT TO do drugs.
