Reported speech II: commands, questions and time shifts

What it is

When you report what someone said, the original words adapt to the new moment. With a past reporting verb, tenses move one step back, commands become que + subjunctive, questions are introduced by si or a question word, and words like mañana or aquí change to fit the new point of view. Reported speech I covered statements (Dijo que estaba cansada). This topic adds promises and plans, requests and orders, questions, and the reporting verbs that make a story precise.

How it works

With a past reporting verb (dijo, contó, explicó, preguntó, pidió), the original words shift like this:

The imperfect, the pluperfect, the conditional and the imperfect subjunctive don't change: «Antes vivía en Lima» → Dijo que antes vivía en Lima.

The future in the past. A future becomes the conditional: «Te llamaré» → Me dijo que me llamaría. In Latin American speech, iba a + infinitive is just as common: Me dijo que me iba a llamar.

Commands and requests. An imperative becomes que + subjunctive, and after a past reporting verb that means the imperfect subjunctive: «Cierra la puerta» → Me pidió que cerrara la puerta. «No toquen nada» → Nos dijo que no tocáramos nada. With pedir and decir, the person asked is an indirect object and the action goes into a que clause, never ✗ Me pidió cerrar la puerta. A few verbs (recomendar, aconsejar, prohibir, permitir) also accept an infinitive: Me recomendó descansar.

Questions. Yes/no questions take si: «¿Tienes hambre?» → Me preguntó si tenía hambre. Questions with a question word keep it, accent included: «¿Dónde trabajas?» → Me preguntó dónde trabajaba.

When to use it

Choose a precise reporting verb. Verbs that pass on information take the indicative: contar, explicar, comentar, asegurar, prometer, advertir (Me aseguró que no pasaría nada). Verbs of influence take the subjunctive: pedir, recomendar, sugerir, aconsejar, exigir, rogar (Nos sugirió que saliéramos temprano). Decir and advertir can do both, and the mood changes the meaning:

• Me dijo que venía.She told me she was coming.information → indicative
• Me dijo que viniera.She told me to come.order → subjunctive
• Nos advirtió que el examen sería difícil.He warned us the exam would be hard.warning about a fact
• Nos advirtió que no llegáramos tarde.He warned us not to be late.warning as an order

Shift time and place. If the moment or the place has changed, adapt the words:

Pronouns and possessives change with the speaker too: «Mi carro no arranca» → Dijo que su carro no arrancaba.

Contrasts and traps

• Still true, or still ahead? If the fact is still true or the event still lies ahead, you may keep the original tense: Dijo que viene el sábado (and Saturday hasn't come yet). Latin Americans do the same with requests: Me pidió que lo llame mañana. The shifted forms are always correct, so use them by default.
• Repeating an order. To repeat an order that still stands, use que + present subjunctive: —¿Qué dijo? —Que te vayas. ¡Te dije que te calles!
• No future after si. ✗ Me preguntó si vendré → Me preguntó si vendría.
• Keep the accent. dónde, cuándo, qué, cómo, quién keep their accent in indirect questions: Le pregunté dónde vivía.

If you speak Portuguese

The tense shifts are the same as in Portuguese: disse que viria, pediu que eu ligasse, perguntou se eu queria. Watch out for three transfers: se is si in Spanish (Me preguntó si quería), colloquial pediu para eu ligar is me pidió que lo llamara, and falou que is dijo que, because hablar doesn't introduce reported words.