She says she wants to see you this afternoon.
My doctor says it’s nothing to worry about.
If you are predicting what people will say or think, you use a future form of the reporting verb.
No doubt he will claim that his car broke down.
They will think we are making a fuss.
tense of verb in reported clause
7.52 Whatever the tense of your reporting verb, you put the verb in the reported clause into a tense that is appropriate at the time that you are speaking.
If the event or situation described in the reported clause is in the past at the time that you are speaking, you generally use the past simple, the past progressive, or the present perfect: She said she enjoyed the course, She said she was enjoying the course, or She said she has enjoyed the course. See Chapter 4 for information on when to use these forms.
Dad explained that he had no money.
She added that she was working too much.
He says he has never seen a live shark in his life.
When the reporting verb is in a past tense, a past tense is also usually used for the verb in the reported clause even if the reported situation still exists. For example, you could say I told him I was eighteen even if you are still eighteen. You are concentrating on the situation at the past time that you are talking about.
He said he was English.
A present form is sometimes used instead, to emphasize that the situation still exists.
I told him that I don’t eat more than anyone else.
If the event or situation was in the past at the time that the reported statement was made, or had existed up to that time, you use the past perfect: She said she had enjoyed the course.
He knew he had behaved badly.
Mr Benn said that he had been in hospital at the time.
If the event or situation is still going on, you use a present form if you are using a present form of the reporting verb: She says she’s enjoying the course.
Don’t assume l’m a complete fool.
He knows he’s being watched.
If the event or situation was in the future at the time of the statement or is still in the future, you use a modal. See paragraphs 7.53 to 7.56, below.
modals in reported clauses
7.53 The basic rules for using modals in reported clauses are as follows.
If the verb in the reporting clause is in a past form or has could or would as an auxiliary, you usually use could, might, or would in the reported clause.
If, as is less common, the verb in the reporting clause is in the present or has can or will as an auxiliary, you usually use can, may, or will in the reported clause.
7.54 When you want to report a statement or question about someone’s ability to do something, you normally use could.
They believed that war could be avoided.
Nell would not admit that she could not cope.
If you want to report a statement about possibility, you normally use might.
They told me it might flood here.
He said you might need money.
If the possibility is a strong one, you use must.
I told her she must be out of her mind.
When you want to report a statement giving permission or a request for permission, you normally use could. Might is used in more formal English.
I told him he couldn’t have it.
Madeleine asked if she might borrow a pen and some paper.
When you want to report a prediction, promise, or expectation, or a question about the future, you normally use would.
She said they would all miss us.
He insisted that reforms would save the system, not destroy it.
7.55 If the reported event or situation still exists or is still in the future, and you are using a present tense of the reporting verb, you use can instead of could, may instead of might, and will or shall instead of would.
Helen says I can share her apartment.
I think the weather may change soon.
I don’t believe he will come.
Note that you cannot use can have instead of could have, or will have instead of would have. You cannot use may have instead of might have if you are using it like could have to talk about something that did not happen.
You can also use can, may, will, and shall when you are using a past tense of the reporting verb, if you want to emphasize that the situation still exists or is still in the future.
He claimed that the child’s early experiences may cause psychological distress in later life.
If you are using a present reporting verb and want to indicate that the reported event or situation is hypothetical or very unlikely, you can use the modals could, might, or would.
I believe that I could live very comfortably here.
7.56 When you want to report a statement about obligation, it is possible to use must, but the expression had to (see paragraph 5.242) is more common.
He said he really had to go back inside.
Sita told him that he must be especially kind to the little girl.
You use have to, has to, or must if the reported situation still exists or is in the future.
When you want to report a statement prohibiting something, you normally use mustn’t.
He said they mustn’t get us into trouble.
When you want to report a strong recommendation, you can use ought to. You can also use should.
He knew he ought to be helping Harold.
I felt I should consult my family.