Rules for Tenses in Reporting Speech | Grammar Guruji

Reporting Speech

Reporting Speech

Here are precise guidelines for changing tenses while reporting speech in order to preserve accurate and understandable communication. The guidelines for tenses in reporting speech are as follows:

Table of content:

• Guidelines for Reporting Speech Tenses:
• 1) Direct Speech vs. Reported Speech: 
• 2) Pronoun and Time Shift: 
• 3) Present Simple in Direct Speech: 
• 4) Past Simple in Direct Speech: 
• 5) The present continuous tense in direct speech:
• 6)  The present continuous tense in direct speech:
• 7) Present Perfect in Straightforward Speech: 
• 8) Past Perfect in Direct Speech: 
• 9) Present Simple for General Truths: 
• 10) Modals and Reporting Verbs: 
• 11) Reporting Questions: 
• 12) Imperatives in Reported Speech: 
• 13) Changes in Time and Place phrases: 

Guidelines for Reporting Speech Tenses:

1) Direct Speech vs. Reported Speech: 

When speaking directly, you frequently use quotation marks to highlight the actual words that are said. The same information is communicated in reported speech, but the speaker's words are not directly quoted.

2) Pronoun and Time Shift: 

When moving from direct to reported speech, pronouns frequently alter. "I" turns into "he" or "she," and "now" turns into "then" or "that day."

3) Present Simple in Direct Speech: 

The tense typically shifts to the past when reporting a claim or a broad truth in the present. For instance, "She stated, 'I enjoy chocolate,'" becomes "She expressed her preference for chocolate."

4) Past Simple in Direct Speech: 

The past simple tense is typically used when discussing a past event. For instance, "He said, 'I visited Paris last year'" turns into "He said that he visited Paris last year."

5) The present continuous tense in direct speech:

The present continuous tense in direct speech usually transitions to the past continuous. For instance, "She said, 'I am working on a project'" turns into "She said that she was working on a project."

6)  The present continuous tense in direct speech:

Maintaining the past continuous tense is important when reporting past continuous acts in direct speech. For instance, "They said, 'We were watching TV at 8 PM'" becomes into "They said that they were watching TV at 8 PM."

7) Present Perfect in Straightforward Speech: 

Convert to the past perfect tense. For instance, "He said, 'I have finished my homework'" becomes into "He said that he had finished his homework."

8) Past Perfect in Direct Speech: 

When reporting, use the past perfect tense. For instance, "She said, 'I had already eaten when you called'" changes to "She said that she had already eaten when I called."

9) Present Simple for General Truths: 

General truths or facts do not change in tense; for instance, "She said, 'The Earth revolves around the sun'" stays the same in reported speech.

10) Modals and Reporting Verbs: 

Modal verbs (can, must, will) and reporting verbs (say, tell, ask) are used to indicate the speaker's attitude; in reported speech, they may change. For instance, "She said, 'I can do it now'" could become "She said that she could do it then."

11) Reporting Questions: 

When reporting a question, use the reporting verb followed by 'if' or 'whether.' For instance, "She asked, 'Are you coming tomorrow?'" becomes "She asked if/whether I was coming the next day."

12) Imperatives in Reported Speech: 

Report imperative statements using the verb's root form. "A boy  said, please close the window" becomes, for instance, "A boy requested to close the door."

13) Changes in Time and Place phrases: 

Make the appropriate adjustments to the time and place phrases. For instance, 'They'll meet me here at 3 PM tomorrow,' she said." becomes "She said that they  would meet her there at 3 PM the next day."

Keep in mind that context might affect how much a tense or pronoun is changed, and that reported speech should be accurate and clear.