Time Markers and Pronouns
Change of Pronouns
If you want to transform direct speech into reported speech, you have to change all pronouns. Pronouns are words like I, you, he, she, it, my, your, their and so on.
Lisa: "Can I borrow your pen? I left my pen at home." 
Lisa asked Tim whether she could borrow his pencil. She said she had left her pen at home.
Lisa asked Tim whether she could borrow his pencil. She said she had left her pen at home.Change of Time Markers
If the direct speech contains a time marker you have to be careful. If it is a concrete point in time, for example a date or a year ("October 11th" or "In 1999") nothing changes. But if it is a time marker that depends on the speaker's point of view, you have to change it. Such time markers are for example: today, tomorrow, last week, next Sunday.
- now then, at that time
- today that day
- yesterday the day before
- (a week) ago (a week) before
- tomorrow the following/next day
Anne: "I met my uncle on the street yesterday." Anne told me she had met her uncle on the street the day before.
Anne told me she had met her uncle on the street the day before.Jason: "I am going on a trip to Egypt next month." Jason said he was going on a trip to Egypt the following month.
Jason said he was going on a trip to Egypt the following month.Now try out the exercise and choose the correct answer!
