The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

Changes in place, time and person in indirect speech

No changes are made to words referring to place, time or person if we report something at the same place, around the same time, or involving the same people:

Dimitrios: I'll meet you

here

.

Dimitrios said he would meet me

here

.

(reported at the same place)

Cara: My train leaves

at 9.30 tomorrow

.

Cara says her train leaves

at 9.30 tomorrow

.

(reported on the same day)

Richard:

I

can help

you

, Stephanie.

I told you

I

could help

you

.

(reported by Richard to Stephanie)

I told Stephanie

I

could help her.

(reported by Richard to a third person)

Changes are made if there are changes in place, time or people:

Dimitrios: I'll meet you

here

.

Dimitrios said he would meet me

at the café

.

(reported at a different place)

Cara: My train leaves

at 9.30 tomorrow

.

Cara said her train leaves

at 9.30 today

.

(reported on the next day)

Richard:

I

can help

you

, Stephanie.

Richard told me

he

could help

me

.

(reported by Stephanie)

Richard told Stephanie

he

could help

her

.

(reported by a third person)

I told Stephanie I could help

her

.

(reported by Richard to a third person)

The following list shows some typical changes of time expressions in indirect speech. Bear in mind that the changes are not automatic; they depend on the context:

Direct speech » Indirect speech

now

»

then / at that time

tonight

»

last night, that night, on Monday night

today

»

yesterday, that day, on Monday

yesterday

»

the day before / the previous day, on Sunday

last night

»

the previous night / the night before, on Sunday night

tomorrow

»

today, the following day, on Tuesday

this week

»

last week, that week

last month

»

the previous month / the month before, in June

next year

»

this year, the following year / the year after, in 1996

five minutes ago

»

five minutes before

in two hours' time

»

two hours later