Reported speech (English Grammar)

Whenever we report speech, we usually change the verb ‘one step backwards’. Present continuous becomes past continuous:

Here’s a list of tense changes from direct to reported speech:

Present Simple → Past Simple 
Direct Speech: I eat a lot of fruit.
Reported Speech: Mary said that she ate a lot of fruit. / Mary told me that she atea lot of fruit.

Present Continuous → Past Continuous 
Direct Speech: Our English is improving.
Reported Speech: My students said that their English was improving. / My students told me that their English was improving.

Present Perfect → Past Perfect
Direct Speech: I have been to France many times.
Reported Speech: Gary said that he had been to France many times. / Gary told me that he had been to France many times.

Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
Direct Speech: I’ve been working out a lot lately.
Reported Speech: My sister said that she had been working out a lot lately. / My sister told me that she had been working out a lot lately.

Past Simple → Past Perfect 
Direct Speech: I bought a new car.
Reported Speech: Jessica said that she that she had bought a new car. / Jessica told me that she had bought a new car.

Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
Direct Speech: I was working as a chef.
Reported Speech: Max said that he had been working as a chef. / Max told methat he had been working as a chef.

Past Perfect → Past Perfect (It stays the same!)
Direct Speech: I had gone to work.
Reported Speech: Carla said that she had gone to work. / Carla told me that she had gone to work.

Past Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous (It stays the same!) 
Direct Speech: We had been agonizing over our mortgage for months.
Reported Speech: Our neighbours said that they had been agonizing over their mortgage for months. / My neighbours told us that they had been agonizingover their mortgage for months.

Future Simple (WILL) → Would 
Direct Speech: You will be famous one day.
Reported Speech: Rebecca said that I would be famous one day. / Rebecca told me that I would be famous one day.

Modal Verb Tense Change

Can → Could 
Direct Speech: I can help you later.
Reported Speech: My teacher said that she could help me later. / My teacher told me that she could help me later.

(Possibility) May → Might 
Direct Speech: I may go out later. I’m not sure.
Reported Speech: George said that he might go out later. / George told me that he might go out later.

(Possibility) Might → Might (It stays the same!) 
Direct Speech: I might watch a Star Wars film later.
Reported Speech: My flatmate said that she might watch a Star Wars film later. / My flatmate told me that she might watch a Star Wars film later.

(Obligation) Must → Had to
Direct Speech: Everyone must be here by 7 a.m. tomorrow.
Reported Speech: Our boss said that we had to be here by 7 a.m. tomorrow. / Our boss told us that we had to be here by 7 a.m. tomorrow.

Should → Should (It stays the same!)
Direct Speech: You look tired Ramiro. You should sleep.
Reported Speech: My girlfriend said that I should sleep. / My girlfriend told methat I should sleep.

Would → Would (It stays the same!)
Direct Speech: It would be nice to see you later.
Reported Speech: Sarah said that it would be nice to see me later. / Sarah told me that it would be nice to see me later.