Indirect speech


             Things you may have to change when you go from direct speech to indirect:


1)       verb tense if the “reporting verb” was in the past tense

a.  future -  would

b.  present – past simple

c.   any past tense – past perfect

2)       pronouns

3)       time expressions

a.   use the following day / the previous day

4)        in addition, for indirect questions, you have to worry about word order


Word order for indirect speech and indirect questions:

Bob played the main role.

S          V            O

Bob     is        the best.

The body is   2 m long.


Questions:              Did Bob play the main role?

                                   Is Bob the best?

                                   How long is the body?


Indirect Questions:

I don’t know if Bob played the main role.

I don’t know if Bob is the best.

I don’t know how long the body is.


After the reporting verb, you have 3 possible tenses for the next verb:


1) WOULD + INFINITIVE:


“I will be there.”

“I am going to be there.”


She said that she WOULD (should/could) be there.


2) PAST SIMPLE (PAST CONTINUOUS):


“It is snowing now.”

                        “Bob hates me!”


She said that                       it WAS snowing then.

                                               Bob HATED her.


3) PŘEDMINULÝ ČAS = had + 3. tvar


“When I was young, I was a star.”


She said that                       she HAD BEEN a star.

She said that                       she HADN’T EATEN a spider.