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This table shows how tenses are usually replaced in Reported Speech

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

Present Simple He said: “The text is difficult”. Past Simple She said: “Last week I went to Melbourne”. Future Simple He said: “I will call you”. Present Continuous She said: “I am doing my homework”. Past Continuous He said; “I was watching TV at 8”. Future Continuous She said: “This time tomorrow I will be flying to Moscow”. Present Perfect He said: “I have finished the book”.

Past Simple He said the test was difficult. Past Perfect She said that she had gone to Melbourne the week before”. Future-in-the-Past He said that he would call me. Past Continuous She said she was doing her homework. Past Perfect Continuous He said that he had been watching TV at 8. She said that this time the next day she would be flying to Moscow. Past Perfect He said that he had finished the book.

*** We leave modals must, might, could, would, should, ought to unchanged

in reported speech. But we normally change may to might in reported speech.

“You must work harder”, she said.  → She said (that) I must work harder.

“You may explain it better”, he said. → He said (that) I might explain it better.

Some words and word combinations which change in Reported Speech

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
tonight, today, this week/month/year	that night, that day, that week/month/year
now	at that time, at once, immediately
now that	since
yesterday, last night/week/month/year	the day before, the previous night/week/month/year
tomorrow, next week/month/year	the following day/the day after, the following/next week/month/year
two days/months/years etc. ago	two days/months/years etc. before
this/these	that/ those
here	there
come	go