Reported Speech With Backshift

Name: Tinajero  Ramos Geraldine  Eduardo

Group: 6IV03

Date:  12/02/14

REPORTED  SPEECH

1.-What is reported speech?

Reported speech is the form we use to speak about what others tell us. Think about your day with other friends, co-workers and family. It's quite common to tell others what someone else has told you. Here are a few examples:

Jane: Mary told me she was going to the mall this afternoon to buy some clothes. She said she wanted to get a new dress and a few other things.

Peter: Oh, maybe she'll see John. He told me he needed to stop in at computer store to get something fixed.

Tense	Direct Speech	Reported Speech
present simple	“I like ice cream”	She said (that) she liked ice cream.
present continuous	“I am living in London”	She said she was living in London.
past simple	“I bought a car”	She said she had bought a car OR She said she bought a car.
past continuous	“I was walking along the street”	She said she had been walking along the street.
present perfect	“I haven't seen Julie”	She said she hadn't seen Julie.
past perfect*	“I had taken English lessons before”	She said she had taken English lessons before.
will	“I'll see you later”	She said she would see me later.
would*	“I would help, but..”	She said she would help but...
can	“I can speak perfect English”	She said she could speak perfect English.
could*	“I could swim when I was four”	She said she could swim when she was four.
shall	“I shall come later”	She said she would come later.
should*	“I should call my mother”	She said she should call her mother
might*	"I might be late"	She said she might be late
must	"I must study at the weekend"	She said she must study at the weekend OR She said she had to study at the weekend

2.-When do people use Reported speech?

We use reported speech when we want to repeat what someone had previously said.Let's look at the difference between direct speech and reported speech:

Direct Tomie said = 'I am tired.'

Reported Speech = 'Tomie said (that) she was tired.'

In reported speech we need to use the past tense form of the verb. In direct speech the present tense is used. As you can see, in the above sentence 'am' changes to 'was' when we use reported speech.

Statements

If the introductory sentence starts in the present (Susan says), there is no backshift of tenses in Reported speech.

Example:
Direct speech: Susan: "I work in an office."
Reported speech: Susan says (that) she works in an office.

2) If the introductory sentence starts in the past (Susan said), there is often backshift of tenses in Reported speech. (see: Note)

Example:
Susan: "I work in an office."
Susan said (that) she worked in an office.

Backshift of tenses
from	to
Simple Present	Simple Past
Simple Past	Past Perfect
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
will	would
Progressive forms
am/are/is	was/were
was/were	had been
has been
had been

Backshift of tenses
from	to
Peter: "I work in the garden."	Peter said (that) he worked in the garden.
Peter: "I worked in the garden."	Peter said (that) he had worked in the garden.
Peter: "I have worked in the garden."
Peter: "I had worked in the garden."
Peter: "I will work in the garden."	Peter said (that) he would work in the garden.
Peter: "I can work in the garden."	Peter said (that) he could work in the garden.
Peter: "I may work in the garden."	Peter said (that) he might work in the garden.
Peter: "I would work in the garden." (could, might, should, ought to)	Peter said (that) he would work in the garden. (could, might, should, ought to)
Progressive forms
Peter: "I'm working in the garden."	Peter said (that) he was working in the garden.
Peter: "I was working in the garden."	Peter said (that) he had been working in the garden.
Peter: "I have been working in the garden."
Peter: "I had been working in the garden."

If the sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it as well.

Peter: "I worked in the garden yesterday."
Peter said that he had worked in the garden the day before.

Shifting/Conversion of expressions of time

this (evening)	that (evening)
today/this day	that day
these (days)	those (days)
now	then
(a week) ago	(a week) before
last weekend	the weekend before / the previous weekend
here	there
next (week)	the following (week)
tomorrow	the next/following day