Lesson 3 of 6
In Progress

How do we form it – Reported statements

We introduce reported statements with ‘a reporting verb’ (like say or tell). If the verb is in the present tense, we just put ‘a reporting verb’ followed by a sentence. We may need to change the pronouns and possessive adjectives.

For example:

I don’t like hot weather,’ he says. –> He says (that) he doesn’t like hot weather.

If the reporting verb is in the past tense, we change the tenses in the reported speech (with a few exceptions – see later).

Remember to change:

  1. The pronouns and possessive adjectives depending on the context
  2. The tense
  3. Adverbs of time and place

ad 2) We use a tense which is ‘more back’ in the past. This is called ‘backshift’.

  • Present Simple —> Past Simple
  • Present Continuous —> Past Continuous
  • Present Perfect Simple & Past Simple —> Past Perfect Simple
  • Present Perfect Continuous & Past Continuous —-> Past Perfect Continuous
  • Past Perfect —>Past Perfect
  • Will —> Would
  • Can—-> Could
  • May —>Might
  • Should/would/might/ought to —> should/would/might/ought to
  • Must —> Had to or mus

Notice! Would/could/should/ought to/might stay the same.

  • ‘My wife would love a holiday,’ he said.  –> He said (that) his wife would love a holiday.
  • I should learn French’, she said. –> She said (that) she should learn French.

ad 3) Other changes:

  • here —> there
  • this —> that/the
  • today —> that day
  • tomorrow —> the next day/the following day
  • yesterday—> the day before/ the previous day
  • next Monday —> the following Monday
  • two days ago —> two days before
  • come —> go

Test yourself!

‘I didn’t eat any sweets yesterday,’ she told me.
She told me she hadn’t eaten any sweets the day before/the previous day.
Previous slide
Next slide
‘He is married,’ she told me.
She told me he was married.
Previous slide
Next slide
‘I’m listening to you!' he said.
He said (that) he was listening to me.
Previous slide
Next slide
‘You must wash your hands before eating,’ she said.
She said that he must/had to wash his hands before eating.
Previous slide
Next slide
‘I have been working for this company for five years,’ he told us.
He told us (that) he had been working for five years for that company.
Previous slide
Next slide
‘I don’t eat meat,’ she told her parents.
She told her parents (that) she didn’t eat meat.
Previous slide
Next slide
‘We’ll travel to Paris next Saturday,’ they told us.
They told us that (they) would travel to Paris the following Saturday.
Previous slide
Next slide
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x