Grammar

Statements
If we want to say what other people said, thought or felt, we can use the direct and indirect speech (reported speech). The **direct speech**: //"I like it," he said. "Irene is late," he thought. "I will pass the exam," she hoped.// The **reported speech**: //He said he liked it. He thought that Irene was late. She hoped she would pass the exam.//

The reported speech is typically introduced by verbs such as //say, tell, admit, complain, explain, remind, reply, think, hope, offer, refuse// etc. in the past tense. // He said (that) he didn't want it. // // She explained that she had been at the seaside. //

If these verbs are in the past tense, we change the following: a) verb tenses and verb forms, b) pronouns, c) the adverbs of time and place.

A) Verb tenses
We change the tenses in the following way:

1. Present - past // "I never understand you," she told me. - She told me she never understood me. // // "We are doing exercises," he explained. - He explained that they were doing exercises. //

2. Present perfect - past perfect // "I have broken the window," he admitted. - He admitted that he had broken the window. // // "I have been waiting since the morning," he complained. - He complained that he had been waiting since the morning. //

3. Past - past perfect // "She went to Rome," I thought. - I thought that she had gone to Rome. // // "He was thinking of buying a new car," she said. - She said he had been thinking of buying a new car. //

4. Will - conditional // Will // changes into the conditional. // "I will come on Sunday," he reminded me. - He reminded me that he would come on Sunday. //

Notes // I shall, we shall // usually become //would//. // "I shall appreciate it," he said. - He said he would appreciate it. //

//I should, we should// usually changes into //would//. // "We should be really glad," she told us. - She told us they would be really glad. //

// May // becomes //might//. // "I may write to him," she promised. - She promised that she might write to him. //

The verb forms remain the same the following cases.

1. If the reporting verb is in the present tense. // Bill: "I am enjoying my holiday." - Bill says he is enjoying his holiday. // // Sandy: "I will never go to work." - Sandy says she will never go to work. //

2. When we report something that is still true. // Dan: "Asia is the largest continent." - Dan said Asia is the largest continent. // // Emma: "People in Africa are starving." - Emma said people in Africa are starving. //

3. When a sentence is made and reported at the same time and the fact is still true. // Michael: "I am thirsty." - Michael said he is thirsty. //

4. With modal verbs //would, might, could, should, ought to, used to//. // George: "I would try it." - George said he would try it. // // Mimi: "I might come." - Mimi said she might come. // // Steve: "I could fail." - Steve said he could fail. // // Linda: "He should/ought to stay in bed." - Linda said he should/ought to stay in bed. // // Mel: "I used to have a car." - Mel said he used to have a car. //

5. After //wish, would rather, had better, it is time.// // Margo: "I wish they were in Greece." - Margo said she wished they were in Greece. // // Matt: "I would rather fly." - Matt said he would rather fly. // // Betty: "They had better go." - Betty said they had better go. // // Paul: "It is time I got up." - Paul said it was time he got up. //

6. In if-clauses. // Martha: "If I tidied my room, my dad would be happy." - Martha said that if she tidied her room, her dad would be happy. //

7. In time-clauses. // Joe: "When I was staying in Madrid I met my best friend." - He said that when he was staying in Madrid he met his best friend. //

8. We do not change the past tense in spoken English if it is clear from the situation when the action happened. // "She did it on Sunday," I said. - I said she did it on Sunday. // We must change it, however, in the following sentence, otherwise it will not be clear whether we are talking about the present or past feelings. // "I hated her," he said. - He said he had hated her. //

9. We do not usually change the modal verbs //must// and //needn't//. But //must// can become //had// //to// or //would////have// //to// and //needn't// can become //didn't have to// or //wouldn't have to// if we want to express an obligation. // Would/wouldn't have to // are used to talk about future obligations. // "I must wash up." - He said he must wash up/he had to wash up. // // "I needn't be at school today." - He said he needn't be/didn't have to be at school that day. // // "We must do it in June." - He said they would have to do it in June. // // If the modal verb must does not express obligation, we do not change it. // // "We must relax for a while." (suggestion) - He said they must relax for a while. // // "You must be tired after such a trip." (certainty) - He said we must be tired after such a trip. //