Reported   speech: statements

In reported  speech, the verb moves back a tense, e.g. present simple > past simple,   present continuous > past continuous, etc.

‘I   like heavy metal music’ He said   that he liked heavy metal music.

‘I’m studying French and Spanish.’ She said that she was studying French and Spanish.

The past   perfect tense and modal verbs  should, could, might and ought to   don’t change in reported speech.

‘You should ask him out.’ She said that   I should ask him out.

The two most   common reporting verbs are say and tell.

We use say + that + clause.

He said that he was going out with   Jane

that   night.

We use tell + object pronoun + that + clause.

He told me that he was going out with   Jane

that night.