This document provides a summary of reported speech and sequence of tenses rules in English grammar. It explains that if the introductory verb is in the past tense, the tenses in the reported speech must change according to sequence of tenses rules. For example, present simple becomes past simple, past simple becomes past perfect, and future will/going to becomes future in the past would/was going to. It also notes other changes like demonstrative and time expressions. Examples are given to illustrate applying these rules when changing direct to indirect speech.

1. English, Second Grade
Teaching Unit 6 – Lesson 11 LOVE 54
GRAMMAR
Reported Speech Review
Sequence of Tenses
 We have reviewed reported speech. Those were the cases when the introductory verb was in
Present.
E.g. “Sit down!”
He tells me to sit down.
“I met a man.”
Delia says that she met a man.
“Where did you get it from?”
Delia asks him where he got it from. (Question word + Subject + Verb)
“Are you enjoying the party?”
She asks me if (whether) I am enjoying the party. (If/whether + Subject + Verb)
 But, if the introductory verb is in the past tense, we also have to abide by the sequence of tenses
rules, which means the following:
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Present becomes Past
Past Past Perfect
Present Perfect Past Perfect
Future (will) Future in the Past (would)
 Except for usual changes in personal pronouns and possessive adjectives, there are also changes
in demonstrative pronouns and time expressions:
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
this becomes that
these those
today that day
now then
yesterday the day before, the previous day
last week the week before, the previous week
two days ago two days before
tomorrow the day after, the following day
next week the week after, the following week
 Let us do now the above examples, but this time with sequence of tenses:
E.g. “Sit down!”
He told me to sit down. (no changes)
“I met a man.”
Delia said that she had met a man.
“Where did you get it from?”
Delia asked him where he had got it from.
“Are you enjoying the party?”
She asked me if (whether) I was enjoying the party.
HOMEWORK: Do exercises 2 a, 2 c and 2 f on page 83.