Three changes, every time
- Tense backshift (when the reporting verb is past): present → past, past → past perfect, will → would, can → could, may → might.
- Pronouns change to match the reporter's point of view (I → he/she, we → they, my → his/her).
- Time & place words shift (see table).
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day |
| yesterday | the previous day |
| here | there |
| this / these | that / those |
| ago | before |
| last night | the previous night |
हिन्दी: reporting verb past है तो tense एक कदम पीछे जाता है; pronoun और time-word बदलते हैं; universal truth नहीं बदलती।