Grammar Learning Centre

Changes in Reported Speech

Quoted Speech Reported Speech

(Direct Speech) (Indirect Speech)
(the actual words a person says (telling what a person said
inside quotation marks) no quotation marks)

Simple Present Simple Past

Present Continuous Past Continuous
Present Perfect Past Perfect
Simple Past Past Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
shall should
will would
may might
can could
must had to

Note: Would
Should These do not change
Ought to in reported speech.
Had better
Might
Used to
Could

Other changes in reported speech

This That
These Those
Today That day
Yesterday The day before
Now Then
Tomorrow The next day, the following day
The day before yesterday Two days before
The day after tomorrow Two days later, in two days time
Next week The following week
Last week The previous week

2013 Vancouver Community College Learning Centre. Authored by the

byLearning Centre
Emily Simpson
Student review only. May not be reproduced for classes.