Indirect Speech for all Tenses – Rules

DIRECT SPEECH CHANGES – INTO INDIRECT SPEECH

Present Simple Tense into Past Simple Tense
Present Progressive Tense into Past Progressive Tense
Present Perfect Tense into Past Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Progressive Tense into Past Perfect Tense
Past Simple Tense into Past Perfect Tense
Past Progressive Tense into Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense (The tense remains unchanged)
Past Perfect Progressive Tense (The tense remains unchanged)
Future Simple Tense (e.g. will) into “would”
Future Progressive Tense (e.g. will be) into “would be”
Future Perfect Tense (e.g. will have) into “would have”
Future Perfect Progressive Tense (e.g. will have been) into “would have been”

Examples:

DIRECT SPEECH		INDIRECT SPEECH
PRESENT TENSE
PRESENT SIMPLE changes into PAST SIMPLE
She said, “I work in a hospital”.		She said that she worked in a hospital.
They said, “We play Football”.		They said that they played Football.
He said, “I love my parents”.		He said that he loved his parents.
She said, “I don’t waste time”.		She said that she didn’t waste time.
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST PROGRESSIVE
He said, “I am waiting for someone”.		He said that he was waiting for someone.
I said, “She is driving a car”.		I said that she was driving a car.
She said, “They are enjoying the music”.		She said that they were enjoying the music.
David said, “I am not going to College”.		David said that he was not going to College.
PRESENT PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT
She said, “ I have completed the work”		She said that she had completed the work.
John said, “I have won a prize”.		John said that he had won a prize.
He said, “She has washed the shirts”		He said that she had washed the shirts.
David said, “I have not met her”.		David said that he had not met her.
PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
She said, “I have been working in a factory for two years.		She said that she had been working in a factory for two years.
David said, “he has been waiting for his brother for three hours”		David said that he had been waiting for his brother for three hours.
They said, “We have been living in America since 2013”.		They said that they had been living in America since 2013.
PAST TENSE
PAST SIMPLE changes into PAST PERFECT
He said, “I started a Job”.		He said that he had started a job.
She said, “I bought a new car”.		She said that she had bought a new car.
They said, “We went to a market”		They that they had gone to a market.
He said to me, “You didn’t help me”		He said to me that I had not helped him.
PAST PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
He said, “I was writing a poem”		He said that he had been writing a poem.
The kids said, “We were playing a game”.		The kids said they had been playing a game.
They said, “We were watching a movie”.		They said they had been watching a movie.
She said, “I was not making a noise”.		She said that she had not been making a noise.
PAST PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT (No change in tense)
They said, “We had won the game”		They said that they had won the game.
He said, “I had gone to home”.		He said that he had gone to home.
David said, “I had passed the exam”.		David said that he had passed the exam.
She said, “I had not received the letter”.		She said that she had not received the letter.

FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE WILL changes into WOULD
FUTURE TENSE
She said, “I will go to London”.		She said that she would go to London.
He said, “I will start a new job”.		He said that he would start a new job.
They said to me, “We will help you”.		They said to me that they would help me.
She said, “I will not waste time”.		She said that she would not waste time.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE WILL BE changes into WOULD BE
He said to me, “I will be waiting for you”.		He said to me that he would be waiting for me.
David said, “I will be making tea”.		David said that he would be making tea.
She said, “I will be feeding my kids”.		She said that she would be feeding her kids.
They said, “We will not be driving a car.		They said that they would not be driving a car.
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE WILL HAVE changes into WOULD HAVE
She said, “I will have cooked the food”.	She said that she would have cooked the food.
He said, “I will have cleaned the room”.	He said that he would have cleaned the room.
David said, “I will have called a Doctor”.	David said that he would have called a Doctor.