Indirect Statements with the Reporting Verb in the Present
If the reporting verb is in the present, the tenses that follow are usually the same as those used in the original spoken statement. This is often the case when we report words that have just been spoken. That is optional after say and tell:
Someone says 'I've eaten,' and we report it as: He says (that) he has eaten.
Someone says 'I enjoyed it,' and we report it as: He says (that) he enjoyed it.
The reporting verb is often in the present when:
We are passing on messages: 'What does mother say?' 'She says you must come in now.'
Reading aloud and reporting: 'The instructions say that you connect this plug to the set.'
Reporting what someone often says: 'She's always telling me how rich she is.'
Write: Report what these people are saying with the reporting verbs provided.
1. 'She's going to America for six months.' They say
.
2. 'They went to Rhodes last year.' Peter tells me
.
3. A: 'I'm not feeling well.' B: 'Pardon?' C: 'She's not feeling well.' She says
.
4. A: 'I'll look at your work in a minute.' B: 'Pardon?' C: 'She'll look at your work in a minute.' She says
.
5. A: 'I've typed those letters.' B: 'What does she say?' C: 'She's typed those letters.' She says
.
6. 'We must investigate this case.' The writer of this report says
.
7. 'The last strike did no one any good.' The writer of this article says
.
8. 'Turn off the electricity at the mains.' It says here
.
9. 'You have to rub down the walls.' The instructions say
.
10. 'I'm good at flower arranging.' She's always telling people
.