Reported Speech

Direct speech		Indirect speech
Present simple She said, "It is cold."	›	Past simple She said it was cold.
Present continuous She said, "I'm teaching English online."	›	Past continuous She said she was teaching English online.
Present perfect simple She said, "I've been on the web since 1999."	›	Past perfect simple She said she had been on the web since 1999.
Present perfect continuous She said, "I've been teaching English for seven years."	›	Past perfect continuous She said she had been teaching English for seven years.
Past simple She said, "I taught online yesterday."	›	Past perfect She said she had taught online yesterday.
Past continuous She said, "I was teaching earlier."	›	Past perfect continuous She said she had been teaching earlier.
Past perfect She said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived."	›	Past perfect NO CHANGE - She said the lesson had already started when he arrived.
Past perfect continuous She said, "I'd already been teaching for five minutes."	›	Past perfect continuous NO CHANGE - She said she'd already been teaching for five minutes.

will She said, "I'll go to the zoo tomorrow."	›	would She said she would go to the zoo the following day.
can She said, "I can cook."	›	could She said she could cook.
must She said, "I must have a computer to teach English online."	›	had to She said she had to/must have a computer to teach English online.
shall She said, "What shall we learn today?"	›	should She asked what we should learn today.
may She said, "I may work in London."	›	might She said that she might work in London.

Note - There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.

Direct speech	Indirect speech
"I might go to the cinema", he said.	He said he might go to the cinema.

You can use the present tense in reported speech if you want to say that something is still true i.e. my name has always been and will always be Lynne so:-

Direct speech	Indirect speech
"My name is Lynne", she said.	She said her name was Lynne. or She said her name is Lynne.

You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event.

If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting.

Expressions of time if reported on a different day
this (evening)	›	that (evening)
today	›	that day ...
these (days)	›	those (days)
now	›	then
(a week) ago	›	(a week) before
last weekend	›	the weekend before last / the previous weekend
here	›	there
next (week)	›	the following (week)
tomorrow	›	the next/following day

Affirmative commands	Negative commands
Father: "Do your homework."	Teacher. "Don't talk to your neighbour."
Father told me to do my homework.	The teacher told me not to talk to my neighbour.

Reported Questions
 
These general rules for reported speech also apply.

1. When we report questions, the subject comes before the verb.
   • Direct speech: "Where are you going?"
     Reported speech: He asked me where I was going.
   • Direct speech: "Why is he shouting?"
     Reported speech: He asked me why he was shouting.
   • Direct speech: "What do you want?"
     Reported speech: She asked me what I wanted.
2. We report yes / no questions with if or whether.
   • Direct speech: "Do you want me to come?"
     Reported speech: I asked him if he wanted me to come.
   • Direct speech: "Have you fed the dog?"
     Reported speech: She asked me whether I had fed the dog.