Tense Changes When Using Reported Speech
Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech:
She said, "I am tired." 
She said that she was tired.
She said that she was tired.
The changes are shown below:
| Simple present | | Simple past |
"I always drink coffee", she said
|
She said that she always drankcoffee.
| |
| Present continuous | | Past continuous |
"I am reading a book", he explained.
|
He explained that he was reading a book
| |
| Simple past | | Past perfect |
"Bill arrived on Saturday", he said.
|
He said that Bill had arrived on Saturday
| |
| Present perfect | | Past perfect |
"I have been to Spain", he told me.
|
He told me that he had been to Spain
| |
| Past perfect | | Past perfect |
"I had just turned out the light," he explained.
|
He explained that he had just turned out the light.
| |
| Present perfect continuous | | Past perfect continuous |
They complained, "We have beenwaiting for hours".
|
They complained that they had been waiting for hours.
| |
| Past continuous | | Past perfect continuous |
"We were living in Paris", they told me.
|
They told me that they had been living in Paris.
| |
| Future | | Present conditional |
"I will be in Geneva on Monday", he said
|
He said that he would be in Geneva on Monday.
| |
| Future continuous | | Conditional continuous |
She said, "I'll be using the car next Friday".
|
She said that she would be using the car next Friday.
|
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech-exercise-1.html
We use reporting verbs to report what someone said more accurately than using say and tell.
Verb + infinitive
agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse, threaten
- They agreed to meet on Friday.
- He refused to take his coat off.
Verb + noun + infinitive
advise, encourage, invite, remind, warn
- Tom advised me to go home early.
- She reminded me to telephone my mother.
Verb + gerund
deny, recommend, suggest
- They recommended taking the bus.
- She suggested meeting a little earlier.
Verb + noun + preposition (+ gerund)
accuse, blame, congratulate
- He accused me of taking the money.
- They congratulated me on passing all my exams.
Verb + preposition + gerund
apologise, insist
- They apologised for not coming.
- He insisted on having dinner.
Verb + (that) + subject + verb
admit, agree, decide, deny, explain, insist, promise, recommend, suggest
- Sarah decided (that) the house needed cleaning.
- They recommended (that) we take the bus.
Exercises:
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