When you report what someone said using a past-tense verb like dijo que, the tense of the original statement usually shifts one step into the past — a "backshift."
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
| Present | Imperfect |
| Preterite / Present Perfect | Pluperfect |
| Future | Conditional |
| Present Subjunctive | Imperfect Subjunctive |
| Imperative | Subjunctive (indirect command) |
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| hoy | ese día |
| mañana | al día siguiente |
| aquí | allí |
| este / esta | ese / esa |
Register matters: in careful or formal writing, the full backshift is expected. In casual speech, Spanish speakers often keep the present tense if the statement is still true — Dijo que está cansado is common when he's still tired right now.
1.Direct: "Tengo mucho trabajo." Reported: Dijo que ___ (tener) mucho trabajo.
2.Direct: "Llegaré a las ocho." Reported: Dijo que ___ (llegar) a las ocho.
3.Direct: "He visto esa película." Reported: Dijo que ___ (ver) esa película.
4.Direct: "Espero que te mejores." Reported: Dijo que esperaba que yo ___ (mejorarse).
5.Direct: "¡Cierra la puerta!" Reported: Me pidió que ___ (cerrar) la puerta.
6.Choose the correct shift: "mañana" in reported speech usually becomes:
7.Choose the correct shift: "aquí" in reported speech usually becomes:
8.Direct: "Nunca he estado en Chile." Reported: Comentó que nunca ___ (estar) en Chile.
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