Easy Word | Luyện ngữ pháp

Luyện ngữ pháp - Destination B1 (Unit 31: Grammar - Reported speech)

Form - Reported speech

Reported speech

Use	Example
To report what someone else said	My dad said that he’d written a song.
Form
Direct speech	Reported speech
present simple 'I want* to build a new house', said Jill*	past simple Jill said she wanted* to build a new house*
present continuous We are making* a dress,’ they said.*	past continuous They said they were making* a dress.*
present perfect continuous 'I have been drawing* all day', said Debbie.*	past perfect continuous Debbie said she had been drawing* all day*.
past simple 'Jim made a card for me yesterday', Amy said.	past perfect simple Amy said Jim had made* a card for her the day before.*
past continuous 'I was writing a poem', said Tina.	past perfect continuous Tina said she had been writing* a poem.*
will 'I will make you a scarf', my grandma said.	would My grandma said she would make me a scarf.
am /is/are going to ‘They are going to* make a new one,’ said Joe.*	was/were going to Joe said they were going to* make a new one.*
can 'I can draw quite well', Emma said.	could Emma said she could* draw quite well.*
must/have to ‘You have to* visit the fashion show / she said.*	had to She said we had to* visit the fashion show*
may 'I may* visit the White House next week', said Polly.*	might Polly said she might* visit the White House the following week*

Helpful hints

We often have to change other words apart from the verb form.

pronouns
I	➔	he/she
you	➔	I/me/they/them
we	➔	they
us	➔	them
my	➔	his/her
your	➔	my/their

time and place
here	➔	there
now	➔	then/at that moment
tomorrow	➔	the next day
tonight	➔	that night
next week	➔	the following week
yesterday	➔	the day before
last week	➔	the week before
ago	➔	before

Watch out!
We only make tense changes when the reporting verb (say, etc) is in the past. ✓ Tony says he is going to study architecture. ✓ ~~Tony says he was going to study architecture.~~ We don't change the past perfect simple and the past perfect continuous. ✓ 'I had seen the picture before.’ ➔ He said he had seen the picture before. We also don’t change would, should, could and might ✓ 'I might take up painting.’ ➔ She said she might take up painting. We can use verbs like apologise, deny, promise, refuse and suggest in reported speech. ✓ Jan apologised for losing the picture. ✓ Charlotte refused to let me see her painting. ✓ He denied breaking the statue. ✓ My dad suggested going to an art gallery. ✓ Terence promised to help me decorate the house.

Watch out!

We only make tense changes when the reporting verb (say, etc) is in the past.
✓ Tony says he is going to study architecture.
✓ ~~Tony says he was going to study architecture.~~

We don't change the past perfect simple and the past perfect continuous.
✓ 'I had seen the picture before.’
➔ He said he had seen the picture before.

We also don’t change would, should, could and might
✓ 'I might take up painting.’
➔ She said she might take up painting.

We can use verbs like apologise, deny, promise, refuse and suggest in reported speech.
✓ Jan apologised for losing the picture.
✓ Charlotte refused to let me see her painting.
✓ He denied breaking the statue.
✓ My dad suggested going to an art gallery.
✓ Terence promised to help me decorate the house.

Reported speech

Form

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