Indirect Speech

Verbs often undergo tense changes in indirect speech. This commonly occurs in content clauses (typically that-clauses and indirect questions, when governed by a predicate of saying (thinking, knowing, etc.) which is in the past tense or conditional mood.

In this situation the following tense and aspect changes occur relative to the original words.

Changes to past:

• "I like apples." → He said that he liked apples.
• "We are riding." → They claimed that they were riding.
• "You have sinned." → I was told that I had sinned.

Changes to past perfect (and sometimes past progressive to past perfect progressive):

• "They finished all the wine earlier." → He thought they had finished all the wine earlier.

This change does not normally apply, however, when the past tense is used to denote an unreal rather than a past circumstance (e.g., expressions of wish, conditional sentences and dependent clauses):

• "I would do anything you asked." → He said he would do anything she asked.

Changes to conditional, also referred to as future-in-the-past (i.e. will/shall changes to would/should):

• "The match will end in a draw." → He predicted that the match would end in a draw.

The modals can and may change to their preterite forms could and might :

• "We may attend." → She told us that they might attend.

Verb forms not covered by any of the above rules (verbs already in the past perfect, or formed with would or other modals not having a preterite equivalent) do not change. Note that application of the above rules is not compulsory; sometimes the original verb tense is retained, particularly when the statement (with the original tense) remains equally valid at the moment of reporting:

• "The earth orbits the sun." → Copernicus stated that the earth orbits the sun.

Note also that the above tense changes do not apply when the verb of saying (etc.) is not past or conditional in form; in particular there are no such changes when that verb is in the present perfect: He has said that he likes apples.

Simple Future

The term simple future, future simple or future indefinite, as applied to English, generally refers to the combination of the modal auxiliary verb will with the bare infinitive of the main verb.

Sometimes (particularly in more formal or old-fashioned English) shall is preferred to will when the subject is first person (I or we).

The auxiliary is often contracted to 'll.

This construction can be used to indicate what the speaker views as facts about the future, including confident predictions:

• The sun will rise tomorrow at 6:14.
• It will rain later this week.

It may be used to describe future circumstances that are subject to some condition:

• He will go there if he can.

However English also has other ways of referring to future circumstances. For planned or scheduled actions the present progressive or simple present may be used. There is also a going-to future, common in colloquial English, which is often used to express intentions or predictions (I am going to write a book some day; I think that it is going to rain). Use of the will/shall construction when expressing intention often indicates a spontaneous decision:

• I know! I'll use this book as a door stop.

Compare I'm going to use..., which implies that the intention to do so has existed for some time.

Use of present tense rather than future constructions in condition clauses and certain other dependent clauses is described below under and. The modal verbs will and shall also have other uses besides indicating future time reference. For example:

• I will pass this exam. (often expresses determination in addition to futurity)
• You will obey me! (insistence)
• I will not do it! (negative insistence, refusal)
• At this moment I will tolerate no dissent. (strong volition)
• He hasn't eaten all day; he will be hungry now. (confident speculation about the present)
• One of his faults is that he will make trouble unnecessarily. (habit)
• Shall we get to work? (suggestion)

Future Progressive

The future progressive or future continuous combines progressive aspect with future time reference; it is formed with the auxiliary will (or shall in the first person, the bare infinitive be, and the present participle of the main verb.

It is used mainly to indicate that an event will be in progress at a particular point in the future:

• This time tomorrow I will be taking my driving test.
• I imagine we will already be eating when you arrive.

The usual restrictions apply, on the use both of the future and of the progressive: simple rather than progressive aspect is used with some stative verbs, and present rather than future constructions are used in many dependent clauses. The same construction may occur when will or shall is given one of its other uses, for example:

• He will be sitting in his study at this time. (confident speculation about the present)

Future Perfect

The future perfect combines aspect with future time reference.

It consists of the auxiliary will (or sometimes shall in the first person, as above), the bare infinitive have, and the past participle of the main verb.

It indicates an action that is to be completed sometime prior to a future time of perspective, or an ongoing action continuing up to a future time of perspective (compare uses of the present perfect above).

• I shall have finished my essay by Thursday.
• When I finally search him he will have disposed of the evidence.
• By next year we will have lived in this house for half a century.

For the use of the present tense rather than future constructions in certain dependent clauses.

The same construction may occur when will or shall is given one of its other meanings; for example:

• He will have had his tea by now. (confident speculation about the present)
• You will have completed this task by the time I return, is that understood? (giving instruction)

Future Perfect Progressive

The future perfect progressive or future perfect continuous combines perfect progressive aspect with future time reference.

It is formed by combining the auxiliary will (or sometimes shall, as above), the bare infinitive have, the past participle been, and the present participle of the main verb.

Uses of the future perfect progressive are analogous to those of the present perfect progressive, except that the point of reference is in the future. For example:

• He will be very tired because he will have been working all morning.
• By 6 o'clock we will have been drinking for ten hours.

For the use of present tense in place of future constructions in certain dependent clauses.

The same construction may occur when the auxiliary (usually will) has one of its other meanings, particularly expressing a confident assumption about the present:

• No chance of finding him sober now; he'll have been drinking all day.

Simple

"Simple" forms of verbs are those appearing in constructions not marked for either progressive or perfect aspect (I go, I don't go, I went, I will go, etc., but not I'm going or I have gone).

Simple constructions normally denote a single action (perfective aspect), as in Brutus killed Caesar, a repeated action (habitual aspect), as in I go to school, or a relatively permanent state, as in We live in Dallas. They may also denote a temporary state (imperfective aspect), in the case of stative verbs that do not use progressive forms.

A1 / Elementary / Beginners

A CEFR A1 level English language user is considered a beginner. At this level, an individual is expected to have a basic understanding of the English language, including basic vocabulary and grammar. They should be able to understand and use simple phrases and sentences in order to meet basic needs and engage in simple, everyday conversations. They should also be able to understand simple instructions and signs in English.

At A1 level, they are able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. They can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. They can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

A1 | Elementary | Beginners.

Difficulty: Easy

Easy difficulty. Difficulty levels represent author's opinion about how hard a question or challenge is.