concordancia de tiempos en estilo indirecto grammar in Spanish

Language: Spanish
Level: B2
Unit: Estilo indirecto y concordancia de tiempos
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

In Spanish, 'concordancia de tiempos en estilo indirecto' means that when you report what someone else said (indirect speech), you often need to change the verb tense to match the past tense of the reporting verb.

When to use it

Use this grammar when you are telling what someone else said, especially when the reporting verb is in the past (like 'dijo', 'preguntó').

Key forms

Presente → Imperfecto: "dice: tengo" → "dijo que tenía"
Pretérito perfecto → Pluscuamperfecto: "ha dicho: he comido" → "dijo que había comido"
Futuro → Condicional: "dirá: irá" → "dijo que iría"

Examples

María dijo que estaba cansada.

English: Maria said that she was tired.

Él comentó que había terminado el trabajo.

English: He commented that he had finished the work.

Nos dijeron que vendrían mañana.

English: They told us that they would come tomorrow.

Pedro preguntó si podía ayudar.

English: Pedro asked if he could help.

Ana explicó que no sabía la respuesta.

English: Ana explained that she did not know the answer.

Tips

Remember to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech when the reporting verb is in the past.
If the original statement is still true, sometimes you can use the original tense.
Pay attention to pronouns and time expressions; they may also need to change.

Exceptions and edge cases

If the reporting verb is in the present, you usually do not change the tense.
If the information is still true or a general fact, you can keep the original tense.