Mastering Passive Voice and Reported Speech in English

Passive Voice

• Present Simple:
  • (A) I write a letter.
  • (P) A letter is written by me.
• Past Simple:
  • (A) I wrote a letter.
  • (P) A letter was written by me.
• Present Continuous:
  • (A) I am writing a letter.
  • (P) A letter is being written by me.
• Past Continuous:
  • (A) I was writing a letter.
  • (P) A letter was being written by me.
• Present Perfect Simple:
  • (A) I have written a letter.
  • (P) A letter has been written by me.
• Past Perfect Simple:
  • (A) I had written a letter.
  • (P) A letter had been written by me.
• Future Simple (Will):
  • (A) I will write a letter.
  • (P) A letter will be written by me.
• Be Going To:
  • (A) I am going to write a letter.
  • (P) A letter is going to be written by me.

Reported Speech

When we refer to what one person has said to another:

• Affirmative or Negative Sentences:
  • Peter told me: "..."
  • Peter told me that...

We shift the tense back:

• Present Simple → Past Simple
• Present Continuous → Past Continuous
• Present Perfect Simple → Past Perfect Simple
• Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Simple → Past Perfect Simple
• Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Perfect Simple → Past Perfect Simple (No change)
• Past Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous (No change)
• Be Going To → Was/Were Going To
• Will → Would
• Can → Could
• Must/Have To → Had To
• May/Might → Might
• Would → Would (No change)
• Could → Could (No change)
• Should → Should (No change)
• Ought To → Ought To (No change)

Time and Place Expressions Change:

• This → That
• These → Those
• Here → There
• Today → That Day
• Now → At that moment
• Yesterday → The day before/The previous day
• Tomorrow → The next day/The following day
• Tonight → That night
• Ago → Before
• Next → The following
• Last → The previous/The ... before

Reported Questions

• Yes/No Questions: Peter asked me IF + subject + verb (with tense changes).
• Wh- Questions: Peter asked me WH- + subject + verb (with tense changes).

Reported Imperatives

Peter told me (NOT) TO + infinitive.

Say vs. Tell

• Say something.
• Tell someone something.

Alternatives to Ask, Tell, and Say

Advise, Beg, Deny, Hope, Insist, Invite, Promise, Remind, Refuse, Suggest, Threaten, Warn, Add, Admit, Apologize, Explain, Offer, Protest, Decide, Confess, Doubt.