Page 92 - Grammar Glow - 6

Present Perfect changes into Past Perfect

Direct : She said, “They have always been very friendly to me.”
Reported : She said they had always been very friendly to her.

Present perfect continuous changes into past perfect continuous

Direct : Deepa said to me, “I have been waiting for you since 5 o’clock.”
Reported : Deepa told me that she had been waiting for me since 5 o’clock.
Simple past changes into Past Perfect

Direct : She said to me, “We stayed on hills throughout summers.”
Reported : She told me they had stayed on hills throughout summers.

Past continuous changes into past perfect continuous
Direct : Neha said to Pankaj, “I was waiting for your call.”

Reported : Neta told Pankaj that she had been waiting for his call.
The past perfect tense does not change in reported speech.

Direct : He said, “They had already eaten when I arrived.”
Reported : He said they had already eaten when he arrived.

Remember
If the reported action still holds true, the tense need not change.
Direct : She said to me, “I teach in this school.”

Reported : She told me that she teaches in that school.

The words of nearness change into the words of distance.

Words showing Words showing Words showing Words showing
nearness distance nearness distance

this that today that day
these those tonight that night
now then (generally tomorrow the next day/ the
omitted) following day
ago before yesterday the previous day/the
day before

come go last night the previous night
here there last week the previous week

If the reported verb is in present tense or future tense, the tense of the reported speech does not
change.
He says, “I will go to Agra today. (direct speech)

He said that he will go to Agra that day. (indirect speech)
They will say, “We have come.” (direct speech)

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