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Reported Speech: Statements and Questions
Reported speech (indirect speech) is used to tell someone what another person said, without quoting their exact words. When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), the tenses, pronouns, and time expressions typically change.
Tense changes (backshift)
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|
| Present Simple: "I like coffee." | Past Simple: She said she liked coffee. |
| Present Continuous: "I am working." | Past Continuous: He said he was working. |
| Past Simple: "I saw her." | Past Perfect: He said he had seen her. |
| Present Perfect: "I have finished." | Past Perfect: She said she had finished. |
| Will: "I will come." | Would: He said he would come. |
| Can: "I can swim." | Could: She said she could swim. |
| May: "I may leave." | Might: He said he might leave. |
| Must: "I must go." | Had to: She said she had to go. |
Changes in time and place expressions
- today --> that day
- tomorrow --> the next day / the following day
- yesterday --> the day before / the previous day
- now --> then / at that moment
- here --> there
- this --> that
- these --> those
- ago --> before / earlier
- next week --> the following week
- last year --> the previous year / the year before
Reported questions
Key rules: NO question mark, NO inversion (subject before verb), use "if/whether" for yes/no questions:
- "Where do you live?" --> She asked me where I lived.
- "Are you coming?" --> He asked me if/whether I was coming.
- "Have you ever been to Japan?" --> She asked me whether I had ever been to Japan.
Recuerda
If the reporting verb is in the present (says, tells), there is NO backshift: "He says he is tired." Also, no backshift is needed when reporting general truths: "The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun."
Ejercicios
1. Report the following statements:
a) "I am going to the cinema tonight." (She said...)
b) "We have already eaten." (They told me...)
c) "I will call you tomorrow." (He said...)
d) "I cannot come to the party." (She said...)
2. Report the following questions:
a) "Where did you buy that jacket?" (She asked me...)
b) "Do you like Italian food?" (He asked me...)
c) "Have you finished your homework?" (The teacher asked us...)