Modal verbs in Reported speech

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Active

Passive

Simple / Indefinite

(to) do

(to) be done

Progressive / Continuous

(to) be doing

 ---------------

Perfect

(to) have done

(to) have been done

Perfect Progressive

(to) have been doing

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1. Simple (Active and Passive) Infinitive can

1.1. denote a repeated action or state:

I’ve seen this girl many times. She may be our neighbour.

I know her. She can’t do such things.

1.2. denote a future action:

He may be offered a promotion soon. (Perhaps he’ll be offered a promotion soon.)

Note 1.

Must is not used with the reference to the future. Someone’ll probably/ evidently do; someone is sure / bound to do can be used instead:

He’ll probably come tomorrow.

He’s bound to come soon.

1.3.be used with verbs which are not used in progressive tenses:

She can’t know anything about it.

2. Progressive (Active) Infinitive denotes a simultaneousaction in progress:

Can/could she be still sleeping? (It is doubtful that she is still sleeping.)

3. Perfect (Active and Passive) can

3.1.denote a prior action:

She must have already heard the news. She’s smiling (I’m sure she has heard the news).

3.1. denote a possible or desirable action which did not happen:

She could have failed the exam. (It was possible because she wasn’t prepared enough, but it didn’t happen).

or undesirable action which happened:

You shouldn’t have gone so early. (It’s a pity you went so early.

3.2. occasionally denotes a future action which will have happened by some future moment:

You may have left by the time I’m back (Perhaps, you’ll have left by the time I’m back).

4. Perfect Progressive (Active) can

4.1. denote an action of certain duration:

She can’t have been sleeping for over 12 hours. (It seems improbable that she has been sleeping for over 12 hours).

4.2. denote a prior action of certain duration which has/had visible results:

She’s so tired. She must have been working hard. (I’m sure she was working hard the whole week. That’s why she looks so tired)

4.3. denote a past process:

She must have been sleeping when I phoned and didn’t hear the ring. (I’m sure she was sleeping when I phoned.)

5. Passive (Simple and Perfect) has a passive meaning. It can denote an action which is received

5.1. by the subject:

She must have been kidnapped. (I’m sure she was kidnapped)

5.3. by people in general:

It can’t be pleasant to be scolded. (People don’t like to be scolded)

SECTION 4

When there is a modal verb in the original statement, suggestion, etc., this sometimes changes when we report what was said. It depends on the meaning it expresses. So one modal is changed in one context and not changed in another. The changes are summarized in the table:

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