Indirect Speech

Indirect speech is a way of relating what person has said without necessarily using his words
There is no coma after say. That can be omitted after say & tell + object. But it should be kept after other verbs:
complain, explain, object, point out, protest
Statements in indirect speech
Indirect speech can be introduced by a verb in the present tense: He says that … This is usual when we are:
 Reporting a conversation that is still going on
 Reading a letter & reporting what it says
 Reading instructions & reporting them
 Reporting the statement that someone makes very often
Verbs in the direct speech have to be changed one tense back
Simple Present – I never eat meat, he explained. Simple Past – He explained that he never ate meat
Present Cont. – I am waiting for Ann, he said. Past Cont. – He said that he was waiting for Ann.
Present Perfect – I have found a flat, he said. Past Perfect – He said that he had found a flat.
Present Perf.Cont. – He said, I have been waiting for Past Perf.Cont. – He said he had been waiting …
ages.
Simple Past – I took it home with me, she said. Past Perfect – She said that she had taken it home…
Future – He said, I will be in Paris on Monday. Conditional – He said he would be in Paris on …
th
Future Continuous -I’ll be using the car on the 24 , he Conditional Continuous –He said he’d be using…
said
Conditional – I said, I would like to see it. Conditional – I said I would like to see it.
Past tenses sometimes remain unchanged
In spoken English the past tense is left unchanged, He said, I loved her. – He said he had loved her.
provided this can be done without causing confusion He said, Ann arrived on Monday. – He said that Ann
about the relative times of the actions arrived / had arrived on Monday.
The past continuous tense in practice usually remains She said, We were thinking of selling the house but we
unchanged except when it refers to a completed action have decided not to.= She said that they had been
thinking of selling the house but had decided not to.
BUT: He said, When I saw them they were playing
tennis.=He said that when he saw them they were
playing tennis.
In written English past tenses usually do change to past perfect but there are the following exceptions
Past / Past Continuous tenses in time clauses do not He said, When we were living in Paris…=He said that
normally change when they were living in Paris…
The main verb of such sentences can remain unchanged He said, When we were living/lived in Paris…= He
or become Present Perfect said that when they were living/lived in Paris…
A past tense used to describe a state of affairs which She said, I decided not to buy the house because it was
still exists when the speech is reported remains on a main road. = She said that she had decided not to
unchanged buy the house because it was on a main road.
Unreal past tenses in indirect speech
Unreal past tenses after wish, would rather/ sooner & We wish we did not have to take exams, - said the
it is time do not change children.=The children said they wished they did not
have to take exams.
I/he/she/we/they had better remains unchanged. You The children had better go to bed early, said Tom. =
had better can remain unchanged or be reported by Tom said that the children had better go to bed early.
advise + obj. + infinitive
Conditional sentences types 2 & 3 remain unchanged If my children were older I would emigrate, he said. =
He said that if his children were older he would
emigrate.
Might/ought to/should/would/used to in indirect statements
Might remains unchanged except when used as a He said, Ann might ring today. = He said that Ann
request form might ring that day.
Ought to/should for obligation or assumption remains They ought to/should widen the road, I said. = I said
unchanged that they ought to/should widen the road.