Памятка Таблица согласования времен глагола в косвенной речи

This table shows how tenses are usually replaced in Reported Speech

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

Present Simple

He said: "The text is difficult".

Past Simple

She said: "Last week I went to Melbourne".

Future Simple

He said: "I will call you".

Present Continuous

She said: "I am doing my homework".

Past Continuous

He said; "I was watching TV at 8".

Future Continuous

She said: "This time tomorrow I will be flying to Moscow".

Present Perfect

He said: "I have finished the book".

Past Simple

He said the test was difficult.

Past Perfect

She said that she had gone to Melbourne the week before".

Future-in-the-Past

He said that he would call me.

Past Continuous

She said she was doing her homework.

Past Perfect Continuous

He said that he had been watching TV at 8.

She said that this time the next day she would be flying to Moscow.

Past Perfect

He said that he had finished the book.

*** We leave modals must, might, could, would, should, ought to unchanged

in reported speech. But we normally change may to might in reported speech.

"You must work harder", she said. → She said (that) I must work harder.

"You may explain it better", he said. → He said (that) I might explain it better.

Some words and word combinations which change in Reported Speech

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

tonight, today,

this week/month/year

that night, that day,

that week/month/year

now

at that time, at once, immediately

now that

since

yesterday,

last night/week/month/year

the day before,

the previous night/week/month/year

tomorrow,

next week/month/year

the following day/the day after,

the following/next week/month/year

two days/months/years etc. ago

two days/months/years etc. before

this/these

that/ those

here

there

come

go