| Former-Teacher | Date: Saturday, 25.12.2010, 11:05 | Message # 1 |
 Dean
Group: Admins
Messages: 504
Status: Offline
| To report statements we use a reporting verb (say, tell, explain, shout etc.) followed by a that clause.
In spoken English 'that' can be omitted. E.g.: He said, "I feel dizzy". He said (that) he felt dizzy.
The basic rule is - When the reporting verb is in the past, the verb tenses change as follows:
Present Simple into Past Simple: 'He likes walking', she said. - She said he liked walking
Present Continuous into Past Continuous: "He is listening to music", she said. - She said he was listening to music.
Present Perfect into Past Perfect: "He has just finished", she said. - She said he had just finished.
Past Simple into Past Perfect: "He arrived an hour ago", she said. - She said he had arrived an hour before.
Future Tense into Future-in-the-Past: "He will give her a call", she said. - She said he would give her a call.
Present Perfect Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous: "I've been reading since morning", she said. - She said she had been reading since morning.
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