Reported statements: tense changes

• We use reported speech to report what someone said earlier. After a past tense reporting verb (e.g. said, told), the original verb forms usually move one tense into the past, and the pronouns and possessive adjectives change: 7 like pizza,’ Tim said, (direct speech) – Tim said (that) he liked pizza, (reported speech)

‘You look great,’ I told Anna. – I told Anna (that) she looked great.

Direct speech (actual worlds)	Reported speech
present simple	past simple
present continuous	past continuous
present perfect/past simple	past perfect
past continuous / present perfect continuous	past perfect continuous
past perfect	past perfect
will	would
am/is/are going to	was/were going to
can	could
may	might
must	must/had to

• Could, would and might don’t change in reported speech: I might come with you, ’ she said. - She said (that) she might come with us.

• Say and tell are the most common reporting verbs for statements. Notice how they are used:

– He said (to me) (that) he was tired. (Not He said me that he was tired)

– He told me (that) he was tired. (Not He told that he was tired.)

Report the statements.

0 ‘I’ve got an awful headache.’ Kim said...... (that) she had an awfulheadache.......

1 ‘I haven’t been feeling well all day.’ She............................

2 ‘I’ve found some great trainers.’ Tom............................

3 ‘I wasn’t looking for them.’ He............................

4 ‘I’m going to wear them to college.’ He............................

5 ‘I didn’t see David.’ Lisa............................

6 ‘I called him.’ She............................

7 ‘I’m staying at home.’ Ben............................

8 ‘I don’t feel like going out.’ He............................

9 ‘I’m late.’ Amy............................

10 ‘I have to be there at eight.’ She............................

Report the conversation.

0 ‘I’m going to the park with my brother,’ Paul said

Paul said (that) he was going to the park with his brother.

1 ‘We’re going to have a game of football,’ he said.

.................................................................................

2 ‘I might come too, ’Stephen said.

.................................................................................

3 ‘We’ll be in our usual place,’ Paul said.

.................................................................................

4 ‘I can’t stay long because my friends are coming at six,’ Stephen said.

.................................................................................

5 ‘They’re taking me to the skate park in Burnley,’ he said.

.................................................................................

6 ‘I’ve never been there before,’ he said.

.................................................................................

7 ‘I’d like to go to the skate park in Manchester,’ Paul said.

.................................................................................

8 ‘We could go together,’ Stephen said.

.................................................................................

Read the conversation. Then complete the diary entry. Use one word in each gap.

Emma: I’m really stressed! Someone at college is being horrible to me.

Becky: Someone did the same thing to me once. I spoke to her and she stopped criticising me.

Emma: Speaking to her will make things worse!

Becky: YOU must do something. You can’t ignore it.

Emma (0)...... told...... me that (1)........................... really stressed. She (2)........................... that someone at college was being horrible to (3)............................ I said that someone (4)........................... done the same thing to me once. I (5)........................... her that I’d spoken to the girl and that she (6)........................... stopped critivising me. Emma said that speaking to her (7)........................... make things worse. I told (8)........................... that she (9)........................... to do something and that she (10)........................... n’t ignore it.