Grammar Rules Reported Speech

Grammar Rules
Reported Speech





When we use reported speech, we are usually talking about the past. So all the verbs usually change into a past form.

Present Simple Past Simple

“I work hard”, he said. He said (that) he worked hard.


Present Continuous Past Continuous

“I am working hard”, he said. He said (that) he was working hard.


Present Perfect Past Perfect

“I have worked hard”, he said. He said (that) he had worked hard.


Past Simple Past Perfect or can stay the same

“I saw Jane at a party a week ago”, he said. He said (that) he saw (had seen) Jane at a party a week before.


Note: Past Perfect and Past Continuous usually remain the same in the reported speech.

We don’t always need to change the tense of the verb if you say something that is believed to be true.
Jane said “New York is bigger than London”. Jane said (that) New York is (or was) bigger
than London.

We leave modals must, might, could, would, should, ought to unchanged in reported speech.
· But we normally change may to might in reported speech.
“You must work harder”, she said. She said (that) I must work harder.
“You may explain it better”, he said. He said (that) I might explain it better.

We change time words and certain words in the following way:

Direct Speech
Reported Speech

tonight, today,
this week/month/year
that night, that day,
that week/month/year

now
at that time, at once, immediately

now that
since

yesterday,
last night/week/month/year
the day before,
the previous night/week/month/year

tomorrow,
next week/month/year
the following day/the day after,
the following/next week/month/year

two days/months/years etc. ago
two days/months/years etc. before

this/these
that/ those

here
there

come
go



Direct speech - “I am working hard”, he said.
Reported speech - He said (that) he was working hard.



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