In direct speech, we quote the actual words of the speaker. We put the words of the speaker in inverted commas (…)
Example: He said “I am busy.”
In indirect speech or reported speech, we report the words of the speaker without quoting the actual words of the speaker.
Example: He said that he was busy.
If you want to mention to whom something is said, use told’. If you don’t want to mention to whom something is said, use ‘said that.
The tenses change in reported speech as follows:
- Simple present becomes simple past
- Present continuous becomes past continuous
- Present perfect becomes past perfect
- Present perfect continuous becomes past perfect continuous
- Simple past becomes past perfect
- Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous
- Past perfect does not change
- Past perfect continuous does not change
Remember
When the reported speech relates to some universal truth, the tense of the reported speech does not change even though the reporting verb is in the past tense.
Picture Credit : Google
