A
He said: "I feel sad."
He said that he ______ sad.
He said that he felt sad.
simple present→ simple past
She said, "I'll call you tomorrow."
She said she _______ call me the next day.
She said she would call me the next day.
(will → would)
Alice said, “I can hold my breath for two minutes.”
Alice said that she _______ hold her breath for two minutes.
Alice said that she could hold her breath for two minutes.
can → could (Ability)
The kidnapper phoned me and said: "You must come here now."
The kidnapper phoned me and said I ______ go there then.
(Please change the modal verb here)
The kidnapper phoned me and said I had to go there then.
must → had to
She said, "Moo is living here with us."
She said Moo __________ there with them.
She said Moo was living there with them.
present progressive→ past progressive
John said, "We bought a house last week."
John said they ___________ a house the week before.
John said they had bought a house the week before.
simple past → past perfect
Ram said, "I haven't seen Avatar."
Ram said he ________ seen Avatar.
Ram said he hadn't seen Avatar.
present perfect→ past perfect
He said, "Could you swim when you were three?"
He asked me if I _______ swim when I was three.
He asked me if I could swim when I was three.
could → no shifts
She said: "I may be late."
She said she ＿＿＿＿ be late. (and she was late)
She said she might be late.
may → might (Possibility)
“You may not abstain from voting,” the director said.
The director said that we _______ abstain from voting.
The director said that we couldn’t abstain from voting.
may → could (Permission)
The sportsman said, “I have been training for 6 hours daily.”
The sportsman said that he _______________ for 6 hours daily.
The sportsman said that he had been training for 6 hours daily.
present perfect progressive → past perfect progressive
Mark said, “Honesty is the best policy.”
Mark said that honesty is the best policy.
Mark said that honesty is the best policy.
(General truth → no shifts)
Susan said, “Jason’s report has been published.”
Susan said Jason’s report _________________.
Susan said Jason’s report had been published.
verbs in passive sentence → past perfect
Sue: I want to end this relationship.
Eason: Sorry, I wasn’t listening. What did you say?
Sue: I said I ______ to end this relationship.
Sue: I said I want to end this relationship.
The speaker repeats something that was just said.→ no shifts
Ati said, "I had never lived in Thailand before."
Ati told us that he __________ in Thailand before.
Ati told us that he had never lived in Thailand before.
past perfect → no shifts
Tara says, "I have to do my homework."
Tara says she ___________ her homework.
Tara says she has to do her homework.
present reporting verbs → no shifts in tenses/modals
(have → has because the "I" becomes "she")
She said, "I shall need more money next week."
She said that she ________ need more money next week.
She said that she would need more money next week.
shall → would (future time)
Bill told me, "I have a house in New York."
Bill told me that he has a house in New York. (and I believe that he still owns it)
Bill told me that he has a house in New York.
The speaker believes that the statement is still true in the present. → no shifts in tenses
The forecast a couple of days ago said, "we will be having rain all weekend."
The forecast a couple of days ago said we ______ be having rain all weekend. (but there's no rain at all)
The forecast a couple of days ago said we would be having rain all weekend.
(The speaker knows that the statement about the future isn't true.)
He said: "Shall I open the door?"
He asked if he ________ open the door.
He asked if he should open the door.
shall → should (Suggestion)