Jenny enquired, “Had you read the instructions before you started writing?”

Jenny enquired if Bill had read the instructions before he had started writing.

Bill confessed, “I didn’t pay attention.”

Bill confessed (that) he hadn’t paid attention.

The teacher asked, “Who do you get on best with in your family?”

The teacher asked who the student got on best with in his/her family.

The student answered, “I can talk about everything with my mother.”

The student answered (that) he/she could talk about everything with his/her mother.

My friend asked, “Why have the customs men searched you?”

My friend asked why the customs men had searched me.

I said, “Because I was nervous after the flight.”

I said because I had been nervous after the flight.

Andy asked, “Where will we do the shopping?”

Andy asked where they would do the shopping.

Sarah replied, “We will go to a department store.”

Sarah replied that they would go to a department store.

The police asked, “What was the neighbour doing when the robbery happened?”

The police asked what the neighbour had been doing when the robbery had happened.

The witness said, “He was opening the door.”

The witness said that he had been opening the door.

My boss asked, “Have you sent the report?”

My boss asked if I had sent the report.

I answered, “No, because I was too busy.”

I answered that I hadn’t because I had been too busy.

He wanted to know, “Can you talk to her?”

He wanted to know if I could talk to her.

I promised, “I will give her your message if we meet.”

I promised (that) I would give her his message if we met.

My friends asked me, “Do you want to watch DVD tonight?”

My friends asked me if I wanted to watch DVD that night.

I told them, “I’m afraid I have to learn.”

I told them (that) I was afraid I had to learn.

Janice asked Frank, “When will you marry me?”

Janice asked Frank when he would marry him.

Frank answered, “We should discuss it first.”

Frank answered that they should discuss it first.