Changing tenses in reported speech

Kedu! My wonderful students, welcome to another exciting English lesson. Today, we're going to tackle something very important for your WASSCE, NECO, UTME, and NABTEB exams: Direct and Indirect Speech, specifically how tenses change when you report what someone said.

Understanding this topic will help you express yourself clearly and score good marks. So, grab your notebooks and let's dive in!

Direct Speech

Direct Speech is when we report the exact words someone used. It's like replaying an audio recording of what they said. We always put the exact words in quotation marks (" ").

Chidi said, "I am going to Lagos tomorrow."

Aisha told her mum, "I want to buy some fruits from the market."

The conductor shouted, "Enter with your change!"

Indirect Speech (Reported Speech)

Indirect Speech (or Reported Speech) is when we report what someone said without using their exact words. We don't use quotation marks here, and often, the tense of the verb changes.

This is where the 'shifting' of tenses comes in. Think of it like taking a step back in time with the verb.

Chidi said that he was going to Lagos the next day.

Aisha told her mum that she wanted to buy some fruits from the market.

The conductor shouted for them to enter with their change.

Key Tense Changes to Remember

When the reporting verb (like 'said', 'told', 'asked') is in the past tense, the tense inside the reported speech usually changes like this:

Present Simple (e.g., 'I go') changes to Past Simple (e.g., 'he went')

• Tunde said, "I eat pounded yam daily." → Tunde said that he ate pounded yam daily.

Present Continuous (e.g., 'I am playing') changes to Past Continuous (e.g., 'he was playing')

• My sister said, "I am cooking jollof rice." → My sister said that she was cooking jollof rice.

Present Perfect (e.g., 'I have finished') changes to Past Perfect (e.g., 'he had finished')

• Ngozi said, "I have visited Kano." → Ngozi said that she had visited Kano.

Past Simple (e.g., 'I went') changes to Past Perfect (e.g., 'he had gone')

• Kunle said, "I bought a new phone yesterday." → Kunle said that he had bought a new phone the previous day.

Future Simple (e.g., 'I will go') changes to Conditional Simple (e.g., 'he would go')

• My friend said, "I will attend the party." → My friend said that he would attend the party.

Also, remember that words indicating time and place often change too:

'today' becomes 'that day'

'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day' or 'the following day'

'yesterday' becomes 'the previous day' or 'the day before'

'here' becomes 'there'

'this' becomes 'that'

'these' becomes 'those'

When the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g., 'says'), the tense in the reported speech generally does NOT change.

Chidi says, "I am going to Lagos tomorrow." → Chidi says that he is going to Lagos tomorrow.

Practice makes perfect! Pay close attention to the original tense and apply the correct 'step-back' rule. You can do it!

I hope this lesson was clear and helpful. Keep studying and never give up. You are brilliant!