Time and place references often have to change in reported speech:
- Now -> Then
For example:
Direct speech: The children are playing outside now.
Reported speech: He said that the children were playing outside then.
- Today -> That day
For example:
Direct speech: Ive got a piano lesson today.
Reported speech: She said that she had got a piano lesson that day.
- Here -> There
For example:
Direct speech: Put the box here.
Reported speech: He told us to put the box there.
- This -> That
For example:
Direct speech: I shall be very busy this week.
Reported speech: She said she would be very busy that week.
- Tomorrow -> The following day/ The next day/ The day after
For example:
Direct speech: I will leave for New York tomorrow.
Reported speech: She said that she would leave for New York the next day.
- Next week -> The following week/ The next week/ The week after
For example:
Direct speech: I have an appointment next week.
Reported speech: She said that she had an appointment the following week.
- Yesterday -> The previous day/ The day before
For example:
Direct speech: Our English teacher quizzed us yesterday.
Reported speech: They said their English teacher had quizzed them the day before.
- Last week -> The previous week/ The week before
For example:
Direct speech: We had an awful earthquake last week.
Reported speech: They told us that he had had an awful earthquake the previous week.
- Ago -> Previously/ Before
For example:
Direct speech: The letter came a few days ago.
Reported speech: He said the letter had come a few days before.
- Tonight -> That night
For example:
Direct speech: Im going for a beer with Karl tonight.
Reported speech: He said that he was going for a beer with Karl that night.
Changes in Time and Place in Reported Speech | Images
