TRANSFORMATION OF THE VERB IN INDIRECT SPEECH

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In the transformation from direct speech to indirect speech the verb can have many changes.

Examples:
" Marco ieri ha detto: «Domani verrņ a Roma.» "
" Marco ieri ha detto che il giorno dopo sarebbe venuto a Roma. "
In this example are changed: the person, the time and the mood of the verb.

The most important change of the verb concerns the time.
If the time that supports the indirect speech is present or future, in the indirect speech there aren't time changes, but only changes of the person or the mood.
If the time that supports the indirect speech is past, the time of the verb changes.

These are the three changes of the verb in the indirect speech:

• present becomes imperfect

  Example:
  "Marco diceva: «Vado in ufficio.» ---> Marco diceva che andava in ufficio."

• past times become past perfect

  Example:
  "Marco diceva: «Sono andato in ufficio.» ---> Marco diceva che era andato in ufficio."

• future becomes past conditional

  Example:
  "Marco diceva: «Andrņ in ufficio.» ---> Marco diceva che sarebbe andato in ufficio."

These are the other main changes of the verb:

• the person  (in the indirect speech the form of the verb transforms in the third person)

  Example:
  "Marco dice: «Io compro un libro». ---> Marco dice che lui compra un libro."

• the imperative mood  (in the indirect speech it becomes che + subjunctive or di + infinitive)

  Example:
  "Marco dice: «Andiamo a Firenze!» ---> Marco dice di andare a Firenze."

• the mood of questions  (the direct questions in the indirect speech are expressed with the subjunctive.)

  Example:
  "Marco domanda a Anna: «Come ti chiami?» ---> Marco domanda a Anna come si chiami."

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