Reported Speech Sequence of Basic Tenses
Reporting Verb in Present / Future | Direct Speech Statements | Reporting Verb in Past |
Present Simple | Present Simple | Past Simple |
I know (that) nothing grows in her garden. It never gets any sun. | “Nothing grows in my garden. It never gets any sun.” | I knew (that) nothing grew in her garden. It never got any sun. |
Present Continuous | Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
It is reported (that) the new underpass is being officially opened the day after tomorrow. | “The new underpass is being officially opened the day after tomorrow.” | It was reported (that) the new underpass was being officially opened two days later. |
Present Perfect | Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
He says (that) I haven`t given him quite enough. The bill is £14 and I have paid him only £13. | You haven`t given me quite enough. The bill is £14 and you`ve paid me only £13. | He pointed out (that) I hadn`t given him quite enough. The bill was £14 and I had paid him only £13. |
Present Perfect Continuous | Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
They complain (that) they have been fishing for two hours. | “We have been fishing for two hours.” | They complained (that) they had been fishing for two hours. |
Present Continuous | Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
He claims that he was intending to do it tomorrow. | “I was intending to do it tomorrow.” | He claimed that he had been intending to do it the next day. |
Past Simple | Past Simple | Past Perfect |
She boasts (that) her neighbour hung that picture for her. | “My neighbour hung that picture for me” | She boasted (that) her neighbour had hung that picture for her. |
Future Simple | Future Simple | Future Simple in the Past |
I hope (that) she will not come late. | “She will not come late.” | I hoped (that) she would not come late. |
Future Continuous | Future Continuous | Future Continuous in the Past |
She writes (that) they will be fishing with their mother this time tomorrow. | “They will be fishing with their mother this time tomorrow.” | She wrote (that) they would be fishing with their mother that time the next day. |
Future Perfect | Future Perfect | Future Perfect in the Past |
She promises (that) she will have finished this job in twenty minutes. | “I will have finished this job in twenty minutes.” | She promised (that) she would have finished that job twenty minutes later. |
Future Perfect Continuous | Future Perfect Continuous | Future Perfect Continuous in the Past |
They inform (that) she will have been training to be a cook for more than a year by her birthday. | “She will have been training to be a cook for more than a year by her birthday.” | They informed (that) she would have been training to be a cook for more than a year by her birthday. |