Essential English Grammar Transformations: Reported Speech, Causative, Passive

Reported Speech: Functions and Tense Changes

1. Reporting Verbs and Functions

The choice of reporting verb depends on the function of the original statement:

• Orders: ordered (followed by infinitive).
• Requests (Peticiones): asked (often used for 'could' or 'please').
• Advice (Consejo): advised (often used for 'should' or 'in my opinion').
• Offers (Ofertas): offered (often used for 'would you like').
• Suggestions (Sugerencias): Use the structure Subject + suggested + V-ing (Used for phrases like 'let's', 'what about', 'why don't we', or 'how about').

2. Tense and Modal Shifts

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, tenses and modals typically shift backward:

Tense Shifts (Direct → Indirect)

• Present Simple (PR.S.) → Past Simple (PS.S.)
• Present Continuous (PR.C.) → Past Continuous (PS.C.)
• Past Simple (PS.Simp) → Past Perfect (had + V3)
• Past Continuous (PS.C.) → Past Perfect Continuous (had been + V-ing)
• Present Perfect (PRE.PERF) → Past Perfect (had + V3)

Modal Shifts

• WILL → WOULD
• CAN → COULD
• MAY → MIGHT
• MUST → HAD TO + V (Base Verb)
• HAVE (Auxiliary) → HAD
• HAS (Auxiliary) → HAD BEEN (Used in specific contexts, often simplified to HAD)
• SHOULD → SHOULD (No change)

Adverbial and Time Expressions Changes

Time and place references must be adjusted in reported speech:

• Tomorrow → the following day
• Today → that day
• Yesterday → the day before / the previous day
• Next → the following
• Tonight → that night
• Last night → the previous night
• These → those
• Ago → before
• This → that
• Now → then
• Here → there

Causative Have and Passive Voice Structures

3. Causative Have (C. HAVE.)

The causative structure Have something done is used when you arrange for someone else to perform a service. The verb 'have' conjugates according to the tense:

• Present Simple: Have / Has
• Present Continuous: Am / Is / Are having
• Past Simple: Had
• Past Continuous: Was / Were having
• Future Simple: Will have
• Future (Going To): Am / Is / Are going to have
• Present Perfect: Have / Has had
• Modals: Should / Must have

Example:

(Original, slightly incorrect active form: I asked Tom repair my house)

Passive Causative: I had my house repaired by Tom.

4. Passive Voice (PASIVAS) Formulas

The Passive Voice is formed using To Be + Past Participle (V3). The 'To Be' verb conjugates according to the tense: