Simple Present / Present Perfect
Simple Past / Past Perfect
Will future / Present Progressive
can / must / will future / going to-future
Mixed
100

John said: "I live in China."

John said that he lived in China.

100

They said: “We went out last night”

They said that they had gone out the night before.

100

She said: “I won’t be able to see you next week.”

She said that she wouldn't be able to see me the following week.

100

[Mrs. A to Mrs. B]

She said: “I can help you tomorrow.”

[Mrs. B to Mrs. A]

She said that she could help me the following day.

100

She said: "I was waiting for the bus when he arrived."

She said that she had been waiting for the bus when he (had) arrived.

200

Betty said: "I bring some flowers every time I see him."

Betty said that she often bit her nails every time she saw him. 

200

He said: “ I’d never been to this place before”

He said that he had never been to that place before.

200

He said: “She’s living in Paris right now.”

He said that she was living in Paris for a few months.

200

[Mrs. A to B]

She said: “You must go to bed early this afternoon.”

[-> B to C]

She said that I should go to bed early that afternoon.

200

He said: "No. I don't mind waiting here. I'll be fine."

He said that he didn't mind waiting there and that he would be fine. 

300

Sandra said: “He hasn’t eaten his breakfast.”

Sandra said that he hadn’t eaten his breakfast.

300

She said: “I didn’t go to the party yesterday.”

She said that she hadn’t gone to the party the day before.

300

He said: “The weather will be fine tomorrow.”

He said that he had visited his parents two days before.

300

He said : “They will help if they can.”

He said that they would help if they could.

300

Mike said: "I must arrange a couple of things. But I am free tonight."

Mike said that he had to arrange a couple of things but that he was free that night.

400

They said, "We have never been here before."

He said that a lot had been changed in his town since he was born.

400

They said, "We were in London last week."

He said that he hadn’t travelled by underground before he came to London.

400

He said: "These drivers are talking on the phone while they are driving."

He said that those drivers were talking on the phone while driving. 

400

She said: “I'm going to buy a new book this week.”

She said that she had been sleeping right there when Julie called.

400

He said: "I got the message while I was waiting at the bus stop."

He said that he had got the message while he had been waiting at the bus stop.

500

He said: "A lot has been changed in our town since last year."

They said that they had never been there before.

500

[in London]

He said: “I hadn’t travelled by underground before I came here.”

[-> in Germany]

They said that they had been in London the week before.

500

[Mr. A to Mr. B]

He said, "I will help you tomorrow tomorrow."

[-> Mr. B to Mr. C]

He said that he would have finished that paper (by) the following day. 

500

[Mrs. A to Mr. B]

She said: "Nothing more can be done tonight, but I will contact you tomorrow."

[-> Mr. C to Mr. B]

 She said that nothing more could be done that night, and that she would certainly contact him the following Monday.

500

[in 2018]

He said: "My was interviewes on TV last year. I've never seen her since then."

[-> in 2018]

He said that his sister got married the year before and that he had never seen her ever since.

M
e
n
u