Grammar Supplement Reported Speech

The reported speech is used:

In statements:

'I will not come to the College tomorrow. She said (that) she would not come to the College the next day.

'This is the first bad letter we've had this month. He said (that) that was the first bad letter they had that month.

In requests:

Can we send you these documents today? She asked whether she could send us those documents the same day.

'Will you for this year, please? They asked whether we would count our good/high grades for that year.

In questions:

Are you seeing my mates next week? She wanted to know if they were seeing her mates the week after.

Which of the two grammar Tests is this year's?' They wanted to know which of the two grammar Tests of accounts was that year's.

Observe the Sequence of Tenses:

	Simple	Perfect	Continuous	Perfect Continuous
Past	→		(→)
Present	↑	↑	↑	↑
Future	↓	↓	↓	↓
Future-in-the-Past

(a) She said," I make a deal every week".	She said (that) she made a deal every day.
(b) She said," I am making a deal today". (c) She said," I have made a good deal". (d) She said," I made a deal last week". (e) She said," I will make a deal soon". (f) She said," I am going to make a deal in May".	She said she was making a deal that day. She said she had made a good deal. She said she had made a deal the previous week. She said she would make a deal soon. She said she was going to make a deal in May.
(g) She said," I can make a deal with the firm". (h) She said," I may make a deal myself'. (i) She said," I have to make a deal". (j) She said," I must make a deal right now". (k) She said," I should make a deal with them". (l) She said," I ought to make a deal". (m) She said, "Mr. Waterman, make a deal". (n) She said," Do you often make deals?" (o) She said," I might make a deal".	She said she could make a deal with the firm. She said she might make a deal herself. She said she had to make a deal. She said she had to make a deal right then. She said she should make a deal with them. She said she ought to make a deal. She told (asked) him to make a deal. She asked me (she wondered) if I often made deals. She said she might make a deal.

When the reporting verb is simple present, present perfect, or future, the verb in the clause is not changed.

He says, ‘I listen to the music every day.’ ? He says he listens to the music every day.

He has said, ‘I listen to the music every day.’ He has said (that) he listens to the music every day.

He will say, ‘I listen to the music every day.’ He will say (that) he listens to the music every day.

some pronouns, adverbs and words that indicate the time of acting are changed as follows:

Quoted (or Direct) Speech → Reported Speech

this, these → that, those (time expressions)	the day after tomorrow → two days later	the day before yesterday → two days before
today → that day tonight → that night this week → that week	here → there come → go	last → the previous / before last week – the week before, the previous week
tomorrow → the next day/the following day following day	in (a week) → (a week) later	yesterday → the day before
next → the following	now → then	ago → before

• When this/these are used in time expressions, they change to that/those. E.g. this week – that week; these days – those days

• When this/these are not used in time expressions, they change as follows:

1. They change to the when used as adjectives, that is, when they are followed by a noun. E.g. ‘This film is boring,’ Clare told me. – Clare told me that the film was boring.

2. They change to it or they/them when used as pronouns, that is, when they are not followed by a noun. E.g. ‘This is an unusual situation,’ Dad said – Dad said (that) it was an unusual situation.

Would, could, might, should, ought to, had better, used to and mustn’t do not change. Must does not change when it expresses a logical assumption. E.g. a) ‘I might talk to her,’ she said. - She said (that) she might talk to her. b) ‘You must be tired,’ Paul told Susan. - Paul told Susan (that) she must be tired.