This document discusses tense changes that occur when changing direct speech to reported speech. It provides examples of how the tense shifts for simple present, past, continuous, and perfect tenses. It also covers shifts for modal verbs like can, may, must, will, and how they change to could, might, had to, and would respectively in reported speech.

1. Simple present
I play tennis.
Simple past
He said (that) he played tennis.
Present continuous
I am cutting a tree.
Past continuous
He said (that) he was cutting a tree.
Simple past
I drove the car.
Past perfect
He said (that) he had driven the car.
Past continuous
I was swimming.
Past Perfect Continuous
He said (that) he had been swimming.
TENSE CHANGES IN REPORTED SPEECH
Direct Speech Reported Speech

2. Present Perfect
I have eaten some fruits.
Past Perfect
He said (that) he had eaten some fruits.
Past perfect
I had come.
Past perfect
He said (that) he had come.
Present Perfect continuous
It has been raining all day.
Past perfect continuous
He said (that) it had been raining all day.
Future perfect
Tom will have arrived at the restaurant by 7:00
PM.
Would have
He said (that) Tom would have arrived by 7:00 PM.
TENSE CHANGES IN REPORTED SPEECH
Direct Speech Reported Speech

3. Can
I can sing beautifully.
Could
He said (that) he could sing beautifully.
May
I may stay.
Might
He told me (that) he might stay.
Must
I must go.
Had to
He told me (that) he had to go.
Will
I will go to the mall.
Would
He told me (that) he would go to the mall.
TENSE CHANGES IN REPORTED SPEECH
Direct Speech Reported Speech