Lesson 3 of 4 · Form 3 English
Reported (indirect) speech
15 min
Back-shifting tenses
When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), move tenses one step back:
- present simple → past simple: "I am tired." → She said that she was tired.
- present continuous → past continuous
- past simple / present perfect → past perfect: "I have finished." → He said he had finished.
- will → would; can → could; may → might
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