Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

Direct speech Reported speech
related to Present

Reported speech related

to Past

Present: «Comemos a
mediodía».

Present/present:Dicen

quecomen a

mediodía.

Imperfect/imperfect:
Decían que comían a
‘We eat at midday’. mediodía.
They say that they eat
at midday.

They were saying that

they ate at midday.

Perfect: «¿Han terminado?»
‘Have they finished?’

Present/perfect:

Preguntamos si han

terminado.

Pluperfect/pluperfect:

Habíamos preguntado si

habían terminado.

We ask if they’ve

finished.

We had asked if they had

finished.

Present subjunctive
(imperative): «Vuelvausted
el lunes por la tarde» (see
33.4)
‘Come back on Monday
afternoon’.

Present/present

subjunctive

(imperative):Ledices

quevuelva el lunes

por la tarde.

You ask him/her to

come back on Monday

afternoon.

Preterite/past subjunctive:

Ledijistequevolviera/

volviese el lunes por la

tarde.

You asked him/her to come

back on Monday

afternoon.

But sometimes the sense may clearly require the breaking of such sequences:

Preterite: «Lohicimosayer».
‘We did it yesterday.’

Present/preterite:

Dicenque lo hicieron

ayer.

Preterite/preterite:Dijeron

que lo hicieron el día

anterior.

They say they did it

yesterday.

They said they did it the

day before.

Future: «¿Iránmañana?»
‘Will they go tomorrow?’

Present/future:

Preguntosiirán

mañana.

I ask if they will go

tomorrow.

Preterite/future:Pregunté

siirán mañana.

I asked if they will go

tomorrow.

Contrast: Preterite/

conditional:Pregunté si

irían al día siguiente.

I asked if they would

go the following day

(not necessarily

‘tomorrow’)

SEQUENCE OF TENSE 19.1