UNIT 31: Grammar: Reported speech

REPORTED SPEECH

Use

Example

To report what someone else said

My dad said that he’d written a song.

Form

Direct speech

Reported speech

present simple

‘I want to build a new house,’ said Jill

past simple

Jill said she wanted to build a new house.

present continuous

‘We are making a dress,’ they said.

past continuous

They said they were making a dress.

present perfect continuous

‘I

have

been

drawing

all day,’ said

Debbie.

past perfect continuous

Debbie said she had been drawing all day.

past simple

‘Jim made a card for me yesterday,’ Amy

said.

past perfect simple

Amy said Jim had made a card for her the

day before.

past continuous

‘I was writing a poem,’ said Tina.

past perfect continuous

Tina said she had been writing a poem.

will

‘I will make you a scarf,’ my grandma said

would

My grandma said she would make me a

scarf.

am/is/are going to

‘They are going to make a new one,’ said

Joe.

was/were going to

Joe said they were going to make a new

one.

can

‘I can draw quite well,’ Emma said.

could

Emma said she could draw quite well.

must/ have to

‘You have to visit the fashion show,’ she

said

had to

She said we had to visit the fashion show.

may

might