Reported Speech
By Sara Pérez Vega
Reported statements: we use verbs as "say" or "tell". We use reported speech when we want to tell someone else what the first person said.
Reported questions: It isn't too different, we have to make the exact tense changes. But, as it isn't a question any more, we must change the grammar to a normal positive sentence.
Reported orders: An order is when someone tells you directly to do something. We make this into reported speech as a request. We use " tell" instead of "ask".
Time expressions: Of course we have to change time expressions, although in some cases it is not necessary. I will be creating a list of the possible changes.
Time expressions II:
Now - then / at that time
yesterday - the day before
today- yesterday, that day
last week - the week before
tomorrow - today, next day
last night - the night before
Reported request: We use it if someone asks you to do something in a polite way. We simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive'
Tense changes
Present simple - past simple
Present perfect continuous- Past perfect continuous
We have to be aware that some times it won't be necessary to make this changes, but these are almost all of them.
Future - Conditional
Present continuous- Past continuous
Conditional- Conditional
Present perfect- Past perfect
Future Continuous - Conditional Continuous
Past simple - past perfect