Khi các động từ tường thuật (say, tell, ask…) ở thì quá khứ, động từ trong câu gián tiếp phải lùi về quá khứ một thì so với câu trực tiếp.
Câu trực tiếp
Câu gián tiếp
Simple Present: “I don’t know this man”
Present Continuous: “I’m working for a foreign company”
Present Perfect: “I’ve read a good book”
Present Perfect Continuous: “I have been writing my report”.
Simple Past: “I finished my assignment”
Simple Future: “I will do it later”
Modal Verbs:
“I can work late today”
“I may see her tonight”
“I must/have to go now”
Simple Past: He said he didn’t know that man
Past Continuous: He said he was working for a foreign company
Past Perfect: He said he had read a good book
Past Perfect Continuous: He said he had been writing his report
Past Perfect: He said he had finished his assignment
Future in the past: He said he would do it later.
Past forms of modals: He said he could work late that day
He said he might see her that night
He said he had to go then
Các trường hợp không thay đổi thì:
a. Khi động từ tường thuật (say, tell, ask…) ở thì hiện tại đơn, tương lai đơn hay hiện tại hoàn thành: Eg: He says, “I don’t know the answer to your question”
He says to me that he doesn’t know the answer to my question
They’ll say, “We’ll buy a new house” They’ll say (that) they will buy a new house
