)Direct speech & Indirect speech (very importan

zaxrandr · 2012-06-04, 11:49

Direct speech Indirect speech Present simple
She said, "It's 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. Modal verb forms also sometimes change:
Direct speech Indirect speech will
She said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow." › would
She said she would teach English online tomorrow. can
She said, "I can teach English online."
› could
She said she could teach English online. must
She said, "I must have a computer to teach English online." › had to
She said she had to 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, "May I open a new browser?" › might
She asked if she might open a new browser.