UNIT 1

Tense changes

Usamos el reported speech (estilo indirecto) para expresar lo que otra persona ha dicho sin utilizar sus palabras
exactas. En lenguaje formal usamos that para comenzar la frase en estilo indirecto, pero a menudo lo omitimos en
lenguaje informal.

I have a headache, said the woman.

The woman said (that) she had a headache.

Cuando cambiamos de estilo directo (direct speech) a estilo indirecto (reported speech), cambiamos el tiempo del
verbo principal ponindolo un paso ms atrs en el pasado.

Direct speech Reported Speech

Present simple Past simple
I walk I walked
Present continuous Past continuous
I am walking I was walking
Present perfect simple Past perfect simple
I have walked I had walked
Past simple Past perfect simple
I walked I had walked
Past perfect simple Past perfect simple
I had walked I had walked
am/ is/ are going to was/ were going to
Im going to walk I was going to walk

No cambiamos el past perfect simple en estilo indirecto.

They had visited. He said that they had visited.
La mayora de los modales y semi-modales (como should, could, would, might) no cambian en estilo indirecto.
You could help him. She said that I could help him.
Sin embargo, will, can y must SI cambian en estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Will Would
I will walk I would walk
Can Could
I can walk I could walk
Must Had to
I must walk I had to walk

I will buy it. She said that she would buy it.

Pronouns and possessive adjectives

Cuando cambiamos de estilo directo a estilo indirecto, debemos cambiar palabras que se refieren a la persona sobre la
que habla el hablante. Esto incluye tanto pronombres como adjetivos posesivos.
We have already eaten, he said. He said that they had already eaten.
Our house is quite big, she said. She said that their house was quite big.
Time and place expressions
Cuando cambiamos de estilo directo a indirecto, debemos cambiar palabras o expresiones que se relacionan con el
dnde est el hablante o cuando est el o ella hablando.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Time expressions
now then, at that time
today that day
tonight that night
this (morning/ week/ month/ year) that (morning/ week/ month/ year)
yesterday the day before
last (week/ month/ year) the (week/ month/ year) before
(two days/ a year) ago (two days/ a year) earlier
tomorrow the next/ following day
next (week/ month/ year) the next/ following (week/ month/ year)
Place expressions
this that
these those
here there

Reporting verbs and structures

Los reporting verbs toman una variedad de diferentes estructuras y algunos verbos pueden usar ms de una estructura.
Para tell (+ objeto) (= decir, contar) , promise (+ objeto) (= prometer) , say (= decir), announce (= anunciar) , deny (=
negar, denegar, rechazar) y admit (= admitir), usamos el verbo + that

Ill call you. She told me that she would call me.
Well come. They promised me that they would come.
I like it. He said that he liked it.
Im pregnant. She announced that she was pregnant.
I didnt eat it. He denied that he had eaten it.
OK, I did it. He admitted that he had done it.

Para offer (= ofrecer, ofrecerse a), promise(= prometer), agree (= estar/ ponerse de acuerdo, acordar), tell (+ objeto) (=
decir, contar), ask (+ objeto) (= preguntar, pedir a alguien que haga algo), advise (+ objeto) (= aconsejar), order(+
objeto) (= pedir, ordenar), warn (+ objeto) (= avisar, advertir) y remind (+ objeto) (= recordar), usamos el verbo + to +
infinitivo. Para frases negativas, usamos verbo + not + to + infinitivo.

Shall I drive you? He offered to drive us.

Ill text you. He promised to text me.
Yes, Ill come. She agreed to come.
Stand up. She told me to stand up.
Stay for dinner. She asked me to stay for dinner.
I wouldnt drive if I were you. He advised me not to drive.
Dont do it. He ordered me not to do it.
Dont drive down that road. He warned me not to drive down that road.
Dont forget to take your bag. She reminded me to take my bag.

Para apologize for (= disculparse por), accuse (+ objeto) of (= acusar de), suggest (= sugerir, recomendar), admit (=
admitir) y congratulate (+ objeto) on (= felicitar) , usamos el verbo + -ing

Im sorry i broke it. He apologized for breaking it.

You stole it. He accused me of stealing it.
Shall we go out sometime? He suggested going out sometime.
Yes, I took it. She admitted taking it.
Well done for passing your exams. She congratulated me on passing my exams.
Reported questions
Las preguntas en estilo indirecto tienen un orden de palabras diferente a las del estilo directo (el mismo que las frases
afirmativas). Tambin cambiamos los tiempos utilizados de la misma manera en la que no hacemos con las frases en
estilo indirecto.

Verbo + sujeto (pregunta en estilo directo)

Where are you from? she asked.

Sujeto + verbo (pregunta en estilo indirecto)

She asked me where I was from.

Si una pregunta en estilo directo utiliza pronombres interrogativos como who, why, when, how o what, repetimos el
pronombre interrogativo en la pregunta en estilo indirecto.
Whats the time? She asked me what the time was.

Si una pregunta en estilo directo no utiliza pronombres interrogativos, usamos if o whether en la pregunta de estilo
indirecto.
Are you happy? he asked her. He asked her if/ whether she was happy.