B2.29 - At the tailor shop

Indirect speech

Estilo indirecto

El estilo indirecto reproduce preguntas y frases con cambios de tiempo, persona y lugar.

(Reported speech reproduces questions and sentences with changes in tense, person, and place.)

When do you change tense in reported speech?

In Spanish reported speech (estilo indirecto), you often “shift” the tense because you are reporting from a different time viewpoint.

  • Direct speech = the original moment (“now” for the speaker).
  • Indirect speech = your reporting moment (often later).

Key idea: if the reporting verb is in the past (dijo, explicó, comentó…), you usually shift tenses and time/place words.

The most common shift here: Present → Imperfect

This is the workhorse change in conversations, customer service, and workplace reporting.

DirectIndirect (after “dijo que…”)Meaning
“El albornoz queda amplio.”Dijo que el albornoz quedaba amplio.Present becomes a past viewpoint.
“Trabajo aquí.”Dijo que trabajaba allí.Place is adjusted too.
  • queda → quedaba
  • prefiero → prefería
  • trabajo → trabajaba

Future in reported speech: two options (and why)

Spanish gives you a choice when the original sentence had future.

Indirect form What it communicates Example
Future (vendrá) Speaker stands behind it / feels reliable, still valid Dijo que vendrá al día siguiente.
Conditional (vendría) Neutral reporting (just passing on information) Dijo que vendría al día siguiente.
  • In everyday reporting, the conditional is extremely common: haría, vendría, recogería.
  • Use the future if you want to sound more confident/committed about what was said.

Time and place markers: adjust the “pointing words”

These words depend on who is speaking and when/where. In reported speech, you “re-point” them.

DirectIndirectExample
aquíallí“Trabajo aquí.” → Dijo que trabajaba allí.
ahoraentonces / en aquel momento“Ahora coso la bata.” → Dijo que entonces cosía la bata.
mañanaal día siguiente“Mañana lo recojo.” → Dijo que lo recogería al día siguiente.
este / eseaquel“Prefiero este conjunto.” → Dijo que prefería aquel conjunto.

Tip: think like a professional summary: “there / then / the next day / that one”.

Indirect questions: no “que” + accents stay

  • With indirect questions, Spanish normally uses the question word directly:

Correct: Preguntó cuándo estaría listo.

Incorrect: Preguntó que cuándo estaría listo.

  • Accents remain on interrogatives in indirect speech: cuándo, dónde, cuánto, cómo.
  • Word order looks like a statement (no question marks): cuándo estaría, not estaría cuándo.

Quick self-check before you write

  1. Reporting verb in past? (dijo, explicó, comentó…) → likely shifts.
  2. Verb tense: present → imperfect; future → conditional (neutral) or future (commitment).
  3. Deictics: aquí/ahora/mañana/este → allí/entonces/al día siguiente/aquel.
  4. If it’s a question: use cuándo/dónde/cuánto/cómo (with accent) and omit “que”.
FormaForma directaEstilo indirecto
Presenteimperfecto"El albornoz queda amplio." ("The bathrobe fits loose.")Él dijo que el albornoz quedaba amplio. (He said that the bathrobe fit loose.)

Futurofuturo (Responsabilidad por lo dicho)

Futurocondicional (neutro)

 

Dijo: «Iré mañana» (He said: “I will go tomorrow.”)

Dijo que vendrá al día siguiente. (He said that he will come the next day.)

Dijo que vendría al día siguiente. (He said that he would come the next day.)

Aquíallí

Este, eseaquel

"Trabajo aquí." ("I work here.")

"Prefiero este conjunto" ("I prefer this outfit.")

La modista dijo que trabajaba allí. (The dressmaker said that she worked there.)

La mujer dijo que prefería aquel conjunto. (The woman said that she preferred that outfit.)

Ahoraentonces/ en aquel momento/ en aquel entonces"Ahora coso la bata." ("Now I’m sewing the robe.")Ella dijo que entonces cosía la bata. (She said that then she was sewing the robe.)
Mañanaal día siguiente"Mañana lo recojo." ("Tomorrow I’ll pick it up.")Él dijo que lo recogería al día siguiente. (He said that he would pick it up the next day.)

Exceptions!

  1. Question words such as cuándo, dónde, cuánto, cómo keep the accent mark in reported speech as well.

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. La dependienta me explicó que el traje me ______ flojo de hombros.

The shop assistant explained to me that the suit ______ fit me loosely at the shoulders.

2. El sastre dijo que podría estrechar la cintura, pero que no lo ______ hoy.

The tailor said that he could tighten the waist, but that he ______ do it today.

3. En la tintorería me aseguraron que mi conjunto estaría listo ______.

At the dry cleaner's they assured me that my outfit would be ready ______.

4. La modista comentó que trabajaba ______ y que en aquel momento estaba cosiendo la cremallera.

The seamstress commented that she worked ______ and that at that moment she was sewing the zipper.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Convert the sentences from direct speech to reported speech, adapting verb tenses and place and time markers: aquí→allí, ahora→entonces, mañana→al día siguiente, este/ese→aquel. Keep question words with an accent.

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  1. La modista dijo: «Ahora ajusto el pantalón, porque queda ancho».
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    La modista dijo que entonces ajustaba el pantalón porque quedaba ancho.
    (The seamstress said that then she was taking in the trousers because they were too loose.)
  2. El encargado explicó: «Trabajo aquí, pero mañana estaré en otra tienda».
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    El encargado explicó que trabajaba allí, pero que al día siguiente estaría en otra tienda.
    (The manager explained that he worked there, but that the next day he would be in another store.)
  3. Ella comentó: «Prefiero este vestido; me queda mejor».
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Ella comentó que prefería aquel vestido y que le quedaba mejor.
    (She commented that she preferred that dress and that it fit her better.)
  4. El cliente preguntó: «¿Cuánto cuesta arreglar la cremallera y cuándo estará listo?».
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    El cliente preguntó cuánto costaba arreglar la cremallera y cuándo estaría listo.
    (The customer asked how much it cost to fix the zipper and when it would be ready.)

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct option in indirect speech.

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1.
Incorrect: it is not natural to say “preguntó que cuándo”; in indirect speech for questions, “que” is omitted before the interrogative.
2.
Incorrect: the change of tense and deictics is missing —in indirect speech “recogeré” should become “recogería” and “mañana” should become “the next day”.

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Alessia Amoroso

Master of Languages, Cultures, Communication

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Monday, 25/05/2026 13:16