Grammar-Reported speech
In English, there are two ways of telling someone what someone else has said. Often we may choose to repeat their actual words using a quote structure or quotation, e.g:
1. ‘I try to write a novel’ He said excitedly
2. Are you going to tell your father?’ Harry asked
However, when the information that someone conveys is more important than their actual words, we may want to explain what they have said using our own words
Reported speech
Statements
1) If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in Reported speech.
Example: Susan: “I work in an office.” Susan says that she works in an office.
2) If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of tenses in Reported speech. (see: Note)
Example: Susan: “I work in an office.” Susan said that she worked in an office.
| Backshift of tenses | |
|---|---|
| from | to |
| Simple Present | Simple Past |
| Simple Past | Past Perfect |
| Present Perfect | |
| Past Perfect | |
| will | would |
| Progressive forms | |
| am/are/is | was/were |
| was/were | had been |
| has been | |
| had been | |
| Backshift of tenses | |
|---|---|
| from | to |
| Peter: “I work in the garden.” | Peter said that he worked in the garden. |
| Peter: “I worked in the garden.” | Peter said that he had worked in the garden. |
| Peter: “I have worked in the garden.” | |
| Peter: “I had worked in the garden.” | |
| Peter: “I will work in the garden.” | Peter said that he would work in the garden. |
| Peter: “I can work in the garden.” | Peter said that he could work in the garden. |
| Peter: “I may work in the garden.” | Peter said that he might work in the garden. |
| Peter: “I would work in the garden.” (could, might, should, ought to) |
Peter said that he would work in the garden. (could, might, should, ought to) |
| Progressive forms | |
| Peter: “I‘m working in the garden.” | Peter said that he was working in the garden. |
| Peter: “I was working in the garden.” | Peter said that he had been working in the garden. |
| Peter: “I have been working in the garden.” | |
| Peter: “I had been working in the garden.” | |
If the sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it as well.
Peter: “I worked in the garden yesterday.”
Peter said that he had worked in the garden the day before.
Shifting of expressions of time
| this (evening) | that (evening) |
| today/this day | that day |
| these (days) | those (days) |
| now | then |
| (a week) ago | (a week) before |
| last weekend | the weekend before / the previous weekend |
| here | there |
| next (week) | the following (week) |
| tomorrow | the next/following day |
Note:
In some cases the backshift of tenses is not necessary, e.g. when statements are still true.
John: “My brother is at Leipzig university.”
John said that his brother was at Leipzig university. or
John said that his brother is at Leipzig university.
or
Mandy: “The sun rises in the East.”
Mandy said that the sun rose in the East. or
Mandy said that the sun rises in the East.
