Adverbial S 2

Reported Speech
Tenses
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Present simple
“I study French.” He said he studied French.
Present continuous
“I am studying French.” He said he was studying French.
Present perfect
“I have studied French.” He said he had studied French.
Present perfect continuous
“I have been studying French.” He said he had been studying French.
Past simple
“I lived in Denmark.” She said she had lived in Denmark.
Past continuous
“I was living in Denmark.” She said she had been living in Denmark.
Past perfect
“I had lived in Denmark.” She said she had lived in Denmark.
Past perfect continuous
“I had been living in Denmark.” She said she had been living in Denmark.
Future simple
“We will fly home tomorrow.” He said they would fly home the next day.
Future continuous
“We will be flying home then.” He said they would be flying home at that time.
Future perfect
“We will have flown home by then.” He said they would have flown home by that time.
Future perfect continuous
“By this time next year, we will have He said that by that time next year, they would have
been living in Spain for ten years.” been living in Spain for ten years.
Modal Verbs
Can
“We can swim.” She said they could swim.
Could
“We could swim.” She said they could swim.
May (possibility)
“It may rain.” She said they might swim.
May (permission)
“You may leave.” She said I could leave.
Might
“We might swim.” She said they might swim.
Should
“We should go.” She said they should go.
Must (obligation)
“We must pay by tomorrow.” She said they had to pay by the following day.
Must (speculation)
“That car must be at least thirty-years- She said the car must be at least ten-years-old.
old. It’s covered in rust.”
Shall
“We shall go home shortly.” She said they would go home shortly.
Will (ability or willingness)
‘I will do the dishes.’ He said he would do the dishes.
Modal Verbs
Reported Speech
Adverbials of time and place
When used in speech, adverbials of place and time are usually relative to the time and place of the speaker. For this
reason, there may be ambiguity about these details when the speech is converted to indirect speech at a different time or
place.
For example:
Jake said, ‘I’m going Mexico next week.” – direct speech
Here, it is obvious to the listener that Jake is visiting Mexico the week subsequent to his time of speaking.
But when his statement is converted to indirect speech in any week later than the one in which he delivered the
statement, it is unclear to a listener whether Jake went to Mexico the week after he delivered this statement or Jake will
go there in the week after his statement was reported:
Jake said he is going to Mexico next week(?) – indirect speech
To avoid this kind of ambiguity, adverbials of time and place used in direct speech are usually altered when reported as
indirect speech.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Now then/at that time/moment
“I’m busy now.” Joe said she was busy at that time.
Today that day
“We went shopping today.” Jess said they had gone shopping that day.
Yesterday the day before
“I was unwell yesterday.” Kam stated she had been unwell the day before.
Tomorrow the following day
“I’m staying home tomorrow.” Nao said she was staying home the following day.
(number of) minutes/hours/days/months/years ago (three days) earlier/previously
“The bus departed fifteen minutes ago. The assistant informed me the bus had departed fifteen
minutes earlier.
Last week/month/year the week/month/year before
“I bought a new laptop last week.” Andrew said he had bought a new laptop the week
before.
Next week/month/year the following week/month/year
“The class will visit the zoo next month.” The teacher announced the class would visit the zoo the
following month.
This days/week/month/year This days/week/month/year
“I started learning Italian this year.” Mr. Yamazaki said he had started learning Italian that
year.

Adverbial S 2

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Adverbial S 2

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Reported Speech

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

“I lived in Denmark.” She said she had lived in Denmark.

Future perfect continuous

“You may leave.” She said I could leave.

Will (ability or willingness)

‘I will do the dishes.’ He said he would do the dishes.

Adverbials of time and place

Jake said, ‘I’m going Mexico next week.” – direct speech

Jake said he is going to Mexico next week(?) – indirect speech

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Today that day

Yesterday the day before

Tomorrow the following day

(number of) minutes/hours/days/months/years ago (three days) earlier/previously

Last week/month/year the week/month/year before

Next week/month/year the following week/month/year

This days/week/month/year This days/week/month/year

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