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| Type of sentence | Example of direct speech | Example of reported speech | Pay attention to: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statement | Peter: "I'll be busy tomorrow." | Peter told me he would be busy the next day. | - change of pronouns - change of time expressions - backshift |
| Question | Kate: "What are you studying?" Edgar: "Are there any problems?" |
Kate asked me what I was studying. Edgar wanted to know if there were any problems. |
- direct word order - change of nouns - change of time expressions - backshift |
| Request or demand | Anne: "Don't drink too much coffee!" Gerald: "Can you open the window, please?" |
Anne told me not to drink too much coffee. Gerald asked me to open the window. |
| tense | changes to | direct speech | he said... |
|---|---|---|---|
| present simple → | past simple | I don't have a pen | He said he didn't have a pen |
| present continuous → | past continuous | I am having a shower | He said he was having a shower |
| present perfect → | past perfect | I haven't finished yet | He said he hadn't finished yet |
| past simple → | past perfect OR doesn't change |
I didn't like the film | He said he hadn't liked the film OR He said he didn't like the film |
| past continuous → | past perfect continuous | I was reading a book | He said he had been reading a book |
| will → | would | I will help you | He said he would help me |
| can → | could | I can ride a horse | He said he could ride a horse |