The indirect speech and the modal auxiliary

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1. The indirect speech and the modal auxiliary
The sequence of tense is occurred in the indirect speech, and the modal auxiliary is also changed into the past tense. The usages are usually different between the present tense and the past tense, but they are treated as the same in it. See the following examples.

(1)
a. I said I would do that.
(volition)
b. I said I would be twenty next spring.
(prediction)
c. He said he would go fishing every Sunday when he was a child.
(habitualness)

"Must", "ought to" and "need", which do not have the past tense, are used in it as it is.

(2)
a. She said she must meet him.
b. She said she ought to meet him.
c. She said she needn't meet him.

Now, in British English, it tends to use "shall" and "will" properly in the indirect speech. "Shall" is co-occurred with the first person, and "will" is co-occurred with the second and third person. See the next examples. Each (a) is the direct speech and each (b) is the indirect speech.

(3)
a. You will come to my office tomorrow.
b. He said I should come to my office the next day.

(4)
a. I shall come to your office tomorrow.
b. He said he would come to my office the next day.

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