Tenses in reported speech

Предложение с косвенной речью образуется с помощью вводных глаголов (introductory verbs) say, tell, reply, ask, inform, remark, explain по следующей схеме:

introductory verb + (that) + reported speech.

Если вводный глагол в главном предложении употребляется в настоящем времени, то видовременная форма глагола в косвенной речи не изменяется.

Пример:

‘I don’t like apples’ (present simple). — Peter says (that) he doesn’t like apples (present simple).
‘My family moved to Paris in 2017’ (past simple). — Sam says  (that) his family moved to Paris in 2017 (past simple).

Если вводный глагол в главном предложении употребляется в прошедшем времени, то видовременная форма глагола в косвенной речи меняется на одно из прошедших времён:
 

present simple — past simple.

Пример:

‘I need a new coat,’ Mary said. — Mary said (that) she needed a new coat;

present continuous — past continuous.

Пример:

‘The baby is crying,’ she said. — She said (that) the baby was crying;

present perfect — past perfect.

Пример:

‘I have already read this book,’ he said. — He said (that) he had already read the book;

past simple — past perfect.

Пример:

‘I sold my car,’ John said. — John said (that) he had sold his car;

past continuous — past perfect continuous.

Пример:

‘I was watching TV at 5 pm,’ she said. She said (that) she had been watching TV at 5 pm;

past perfect — не изменяется;
 

future (will) — future-in-the-past (would).

Пример:

‘I will call you tomorrow,’ Paul said. — Paul said (that) he would call me the next day.