ENGLISH GRAMMAR

TENSE CHANGES DIRECTINDIRECT Present simple He said, “ I type letters” Present continous He said, “I’m typing letters” Present perfect simple He said, “ I have typed letters” Present perfect continous He said, “ I have been typing letters” Past simple He said that he typed letters. Past continous He said that he was typing letters. Present perfect simple He said that he had typed letters. Past perfect Continous He said that he had been typing letters. The chart below reviews tense changes from direct to indirect speech

DIRECTINDIRECT Past simple He said, “ I typed letters.” Past continous He said, “I was typing letters.” Future simple He said, “I will type letters.” Future continous He said, “I will be typing letters.” Imperative I said, “type letters!” Modals He said, “I can type letters.” He asked, “shall I type letters?” He said, “ I may type letters.? He said, “I have to / must type letters.” Past perfect simple He said he had typed letters. Past perfect Continous He said that he had been typing letters. Future past simple He said that he would type letters. Futur past continous He said that he would be typing letters. To + root of verb I told him to type letters. He said that he could type letters. He asked if he should type letters. He said that he might type letters. He said that he had to type letters.

REMEMBER! NOTE: I. The past perfect simple and past simple continous do not change in indirect speech. II. The modals should, could, would, might and ought to do not change. III. When we report questions, we also change the word order to that of a regular sentences. “ Why are you late?” She asked why I was late.

Other changes in indirect speech include: time expressions, demostratives and pronouns DIRECTINDIRECT Time expresions Now Today Yestarday Next week / month Last week / month A week ago Then That day The day before, the previous day The next / following, the day after The next/ following week/ month The previous week/ month, the week/ month before the week before. Demostratives This These Here That Those There Pronouns The Change in pronouns will depend on the person being referred to in the indirect speech. “I gave you my notebook,” Sally said to Peter Sally told Peter that she had given him her notebook.

EXERCISES Put the following sentences into indirect speech. 1. Ian said he had been playing been tennis before. 2. Anna wanted to know whether she could take the car that night. 3. Dan added that he hadn’t seen his cousins for over a year. 4. Sally asked me where I did my shopping. 5. Angela enquired whether John would be at the wedding the folowing day. 6. My mother told me not to shout at her. 7. Paul said he was trying to do his homework thyen. 8. The teacher pointed out that pupils had to attempt all questions in the exam. 9. Simon asked me if I took advise from my parents. 10. Oscar asked me how much I paid for CDs.

EXERCISES Finish each sentence so that it means the same as the one before it. 1.What is the price of this perfume? 1. How much ………………………………… 2.I will meet Paul at the cinema tonight. 2. I am ……………………………………. 3.During our dinner one of the guest arrived late. 3. while we ……………………………… 4.Whose car is it? 4. who ………………………………………. 5.I moved to Madrid ten years ago. 5. I have …………………………………… 6.The dog was tired after his long run. 6. the dog was tired because ………………….. 7.Thay give me a pair of snakers for my birthday. 7. I …………………………………………………….. 8.You must exercise a dog once a day. 8. A dog ………………………………………….. 9.I am sorry I didn’t pas on the message 9. I should …………………………………….. 10.“Did the man attempt to steal your Walkman?” he asked me. 10. He asked me…………………………………