Adverb Conversion Table-
Direct
Speech
|
Indirect
Speech
|
now
|
then
|
here
|
there
|
here
after
|
there
after
|
this
|
that
|
these
|
those
|
ago
|
before
|
thus
|
so
|
to-day
|
that
day
|
to-night
|
that
night
|
last
night
|
the
previous night
|
yesterday
|
the
day before (or)
the previous day |
tomorrow
|
the
next day (or)
the following day |
last
week
|
the
week before (or)
the previous week |
next
week
|
the
week after (or)
the following week |
last
month
|
the
month before (or)
the previous month |
next
month
|
a
month after
|
hither
|
thither
|
hence
|
thence
|
Tenses Conversion Table-
Direct Speech
|
Reported/ Indirect Speech
|
Simple Present
He said: "I am happy" |
Simple
Past
He said that he was happy |
Present Progressive
He said: "I'm looking for my keys" |
Past Progressive
He said that he was looking for his keys |
Simple Past
He said: "I visited New York last year" |
Past Perfect Simple
He said that he had visited New York the previous year. |
Present Perfect
He said: " I've lived here for a long time " |
Past Perfect
He said that he had lived there for a long time |
Past Perfect
He said: "They had finished the work when I arrived" |
Past Perfect
He said that they had finished the work when he had arrived" |
Past Progressive
He said: "I was playing cricket when the accident occurred" |
Past Perfect Progressive
He said that he had been playing cricket when the accident had occurred |
Present Perfect Progressive
He said:"I have been playing cricket for two hours." |
Past Perfect Progressive
He said that he had been playing cricket for two hours |
Past Perfect Progressive
He said: "I had been reading a newspaper when the light went off" |
Past Perfect Progressive
He said that he had been reading a newspaper when the light had gone off |
Future Simple (will + verb)
He said: "I will open the door." |
Conditional (would + verb)
He said that he would open the door. |
Conditional (would + verb)
He said: "I would buy Mercedes if I were rich" |
Conditional (would +verb)
He said that he would buy Mercedes if he had been rich" |
Note: The tense of reported speech may not change if reported speech is a universal truth though its reporting verb belongs to past tense.
The
modal verbs could, should, would, might, needn't, ought to, used to do
not normally change.
Example-
He said, "She might be right." – He said that she might be right.
Example-
He said, "She might be right." – He said that she might be right.
Other modal verbs may change as follows
Direct Speech
|
Indirect Speech
|
Would
|
|
1.
They said, “we would apply for a visa”
2.
He said, “I would start a business.
3.
She said, “I would appear in exam”
|
1.
They said that they would apply for visa.
2.
He said that he would start a business.
3.
She said that she would appear in the exam.
|
Could
|
|
1.
She said, “she could play a piano”
2.
They said, “we couldn’t learn the lesson”
3.
He said, “I could run faster”
|
1.
She said that she could play a violin.
2.
They said they couldn’t learn the lesson.
3.
He said that he could run faster.
|
Might
|
|
1.
He said, “guests might come”
2.
She said, “it might rain”
3.
John said, “I might meet him”
|
1.
He said that guest might come.
2.
She said that it might rain.
3.
John said that he might meet him.
|
Should
|
|
1.
He said, “I should avail the opportunity”
2.
She said, “I should help a him”
3.
They said, “we should take the exam”
|
1.
He said that he should avail the opportunity.
2.
She said that she should help him.
3.
They said that they should take the exam.
|
|
|
Ought
to
|
|
1.
He said to me, “you ought to wait for him”
2.
She said, “I ought to learn method of study”
3.
They said, we ought to attend our classes”
|
1.
He said to me that I ought to wait for him.
2.
She said that she ought to learn method of study.
3.
They said that they ought to attend their classes.
|