REPORTED SPEECH

REPORTED SPEECH consists in telling somebody else what you or a person said before When reporting speech, a few changes occur: First.... Choose an appropriate reporting (= introductory) verb - depending on the type of discourse N.B.: The verb is usually conjugated in the simple past Then Change the tenses to their past form, unless what is said is still true Don't forget to Change personal pronouns, possessive adjectives or pronouns - depending on the speaker(s) and to Change time and place adverbs. Remember to Change the punctuation - depending on the type of discourse TENSES  Tense in "Direct speech" Tense to use in Reported Speech SIMPLE PRESENT SIMPLE PAST .Cindy asked: "Do you like watching TV?" .Giles said: "I don't mind watching TV, but there are things I like better .Cindy asked Giles if he liked watching tV .Giles answered he didn't mind watching TV, but there were things he liked better. PRESENT CONTINUOUS PAST CONTINUOUS .Frank declared: " I am thinking about moving" .Frank declared he was thinking about moving PRESENT PERFECT PAST PERFECT She said: " I have just seen an old friend of mine" She said she had just seen an old friend of hers. FUTURE (WILL) CONDITIONAL (WOULD) I asked: " Where will you spend your holiday ?" I asked where they would spend their holiday. PAST SIMPLE He said " I study in Oxford university" PAST PERFECT He said he studied in Oxford university ADVERBS OF TIME AND PLACE, DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS Direct speech Reported Speech NOW THEN LAST (year, month, week...) THE (year, month , week...) BEFORE THE PREVIOUS (year, month, week...) YESTERDAY THE DAY BEFORE THE PREVIOUS DAY TOMORROW THE NEXT DAY THE FOLLOWING DAY NEXT (week, month, year...) THE (week, month, year...) AFTER THE FOLLOWING (week, month, year...) THIS THAT THAT THAT THESE THOSE THOSE THOSE HERE THERE THERE THERE  Try these links:

http://englishgrammarhelp.no.sapo.pt/reported_speech.htm

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-speech

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_reported1.htm