We use a ‘reporting verb’ such as ‘say’ or ‘tell’ to create the reported speech.
If the reporting verb is in the present tense, following verb uses the same tense. Here’s an example:
- Direct speech: I go to the gym every week.
- Reported speech: She says (that) she goes to the gym every week.
If the ‘reporting verb’ is in the past tense, we change the tenses in the reported speech. Here’s an example:
- Direct speech: I go to the gym every week.
- Reported speech: She said (that) she went to the gym every week.
| Tense | Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
| present simple | I like ice cream | She said (that) she liked ice cream. |
| present continuous | I’m looking for my keys. | She said that he was looking for his keys |
| past simple | I bought a new book. | She said (that) she had bought a new book. OR She said (that) she bought a new book. |
| past continuous | I was reading in the park. | She said (that) she had been reading in the park. |
| present perfect | I haven’t seen my brother since Monday. | She said (that) she hadn’t seen her brother since Monday. |
| past perfect | I had taken English lessons before | She said (that) she had taken English lessons before. |
| will | I’ll open your present later. | She said (that) she would open her present later. |
| can | I can speak drive. | She said (that) she could drive. |
| could | I could drive when I was younger. | She said (that) she could drive when she was younger. |
| should | I should call my brother. | She said (that) she should call her brother. |
| must | I must study for the exam. | She said she had to study for the exam. |
We don’t need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech is still true. Here’s an example:
- Direct speech: The food is cold.
- Reported speech: She said (that) the food is/was cold.
