Mastering Reported Speech and Relative Clauses

Reported Speech Grammar and Tense Changes

• Present Simple: "I like ice cream." — She said (that) she liked ice cream.
• Present Continuous: "I am living in London." — She said she was living in London.
• Past Simple: "I bought a car." — She said that she had bought a car / She said she bought a car.
• Past Continuous: "I was walking along the street." — She said she had been walking along the street.
• Present Perfect: "I haven't seen Julie." — She said she hadn't seen Julie.
• Past Perfect: "I had taken English lessons before." — She said she had taken English lessons before.
• Will: "I will see you later." — She said she would see me later.
• Would: "I would help, but..." — She said she would help but...
• Can: "I can speak perfect English." — She said that she could speak perfect English.
• Could: "I could swim when I was four." — She said she could swim when she was four.
• Shall: "I shall come later." — She said she would come later.
• Should: "I should call my mother." — She said she should call her mother.
• Might: "I might be late." — She said she might be late.
• Must: "I must study at the weekend." — She said she must study at the weekend / She said she had to study at the weekend.

Direct and Reported Questions

• Direct: "Where is the post office, please?" — Reported: She asked me where the post office was.
• Direct: "What are you doing?" — Reported: She asked me what I was doing.
• Direct: "Who was the fantastic man?" — Reported: She asked me who that fantastic man had been.

Direct and Reported Requests

• Direct: "Please help me." — Reported: She asked me to help her.
• Direct: "Please don't smoke." — Reported: She asked me not to smoke.
• Direct: "Could you bring my book tonight?" — Reported: She asked me to bring her book that night.

Time Expressions in Reported Speech

• Now: Then, at that time.
• Today: That day.
• Yesterday: The day before yesterday, the day before, the 5th of December.
• Last night: The night before, Tuesday night.
• Last week: The week before / the previous week.
• Tomorrow: Today, the next day, the following day.

Relative Clauses and Pronouns

• Which: Used for things (cual).
• Who: Used for people (quien).
• When: Used for time (cuando).
• Whose: Used for possession (cuyo).
• Where: Used for places (donde).