This document discusses how to report speech in the past tense versus present tense. It explains that if the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the noun clause is also often changed to the past tense. However, the verb can depend on the real situation and time the sentence was spoken. It provides examples of how the verb would change or stay the same depending on whether you are reporting what was said in the past or what is still true now.

1. 14-9VerbFormsinReported
Speech
Page 388

2. Ifthereportingverbisin
thepast,theverbinthe
nounclauseisalsooften
inthepasttense.
QUOTED REPORTED
Joe said, ”I feel
good.”
Joe said (that) he
felt good.
Ken said, “I am
happy.”
Ken said (that) he
was happy.

3. Theverbinthenoun
clausecandependon
therealsituationandthe
timethesentenceis
spoken.
REPORTED
SENTENCE
MEANING
Ann said that she is
hungry.
Ann is still hungry,
right now when I am
speaking.
Ann said that she
was hungry.
Ann was hungry at
the time she spoke.
She may not be
hungry any more.

4. Ifthereportingverb
isinthepresent
tense,don’tchange
theverbinthenoun
clause.
Quoted Speech Reported Speech
Ann says, “I’m
hungry.”
Ann says that she is
hungry.

5. COMPARE:
Quoted
Speech
Reported
Speech
(later)
Reported
Speech
(immediate
or now)
He said, “I
work hard.”
He said that
he worked
hard. (in the
past)
He said that
he works
hard. (He
still works
hard now.
He said, “I
am working
hard.”
He said that
he was
working
hard. (in the
past)
He said that
he is working
hard. (He is
still working
hard now, as
I speak.

6. COMPARE:
Quoted Speech Reported
Speech
(later)
Reported
Speech
(immediate or
now)
He said, “I
worked hard.”
He said that he
had worked
hard. (before
the time he
spoke)
He said he
worked hard.
(at the time he
spoke)
He said, “I have
worked hard.”
He said that he
had worked
hard (before the
time he spoke)
He said that he
is has worked
hard all day.
(He has just
finished
working at the
time I am
telling you
this.)

7. COMPARE:
Quoted Speech Reported
Speech
(later)
Reported
Speech
(immediate or
now)
He said, “I am
going to work
hard.”
He said that he
was going to
work hard. (He
intended to
work hard at
the time he
spoke)
He said that he
is going to work
hard. (He
intends to work
hard at the
time I am
speaking.)
He said, “I will
work hard.”
He said that he
would work
hard. (He
intended to
work hard at
the time he
spoke)
He said that he
will work hard.
(He intends to
work hard at
the time I am
speaking.)

8. COMPARE:
Quoted Speech Reported
Speech
(later)
Reported
Speech
(immediate or
now)
He said, “I can
work hard.”
He said that he
could work
hard.
(He was able to
work hard at
the time he
spoke.)
He said that he
can work hard.
(He is able to
work hard now,
at the time I am
speaking.)