Estilo indirecto - Reported Speech

El Estilo indirecto o Reported speech es una estructura que se emplea cuando queremos
decir o hacer mención sobre algo que alguien ha dicho previamente.

Direct speech Reported speech

(estilo directo) (estilo indirecto)
"I always drink coffee". She She said that she always
said. drank coffee.
"Yo siempre bebo café." Ella dijo. Ella dijo que ella siempre bebía café.

Para hacer mención sobre lo que alguien ha dicho usamos verbos como explain,
promise, say, tell, suggest... Aunque los más utilizados son say y tell.

No es necesario cambiar el tiempo del verbo si el verbo de la oración principal está en

presente. En el ejemplo anterior podríamos decir: She said that she always drink coffee.

Para introducir lo que ha dicho, usamos that aunque muchas veces se puede omitir esta
palabra.

Al convertir una oración de "Direct Speech" a "Reported Speech" tenemos en cuenta que el
verbo principal retrocede un tiempo verbal.

Tabla de cambios que sufre el verbo:

Direct speech Reported speech

present simple past simple
I am happy He said he was happy
I sleep He said he slept
past continuos
present continuos
He said he was feeling
I am feeling happy
happy
I am sleeping
He said he was sleeping
past perfect
past simple
He said he had been
I was happy
happy
I slept
He said he had slept
past perfect
present perfect
He said he had been
I have been happy
happy
I have slept
He said he had slept
past perfect continuos
present perfect continuos He said he had been
I have been feeling happy feeling happy
I have been sleeping He said he had been
sleeping
 simple conditional
future
He said he would be
I will be happy
happy
I will sleep
He said he would sleep
simple conditional
perfect
future perfect
He said he would have
I will have been happy
been happy
I will have sleep
He said he would have
slept

Verbos modales

Direct speech Reported speech

CAN COULD
I can sleep He said he could sleep
MAY MIGHT
I may sleep He said he might sleep
WILL WOULD
I will sleep He said he would sleep
MUST HAD TO
I must sleep He said he had to sleep

Cambios que pueden sufrir algunas partículas de lugar y tiempo:

now at that moment, then

tonight that night
today that day
last night the night before
this morning that morning
this week that week
next week the following week
next year the year after
here there

Reported Speech: questions

En las oraciones interrogativas usamos el mismo orden gramatical: el sujeto va después del
verbo pero no es necesario usar el auxiliar "do" o "did".
 Direct speech Reported speech
"Where do Susan and Ann He asked me where Susan
work? " and Ann worked.
Él me preguntó dónde trabajaban Mary y
"¿Dónde trabajan Susan y Ann?"
Tom.