Reported Speech
Learn how to report what someone said without using their exact words. Master tense changes, pronoun changes, and time expressions in indirect speech.
What is Reported Speech?
There are two ways to tell what someone said: Direct Speech (quoting exact words) and Reported Speech (Indirect Speech) (reporting the meaning without using exact words). In reported speech, we often change the tense, pronouns, and time expressions.
📘 Direct Speech
She said, "I am tired."
Exact words in quotation marks.
📘 Reported Speech
She said (that) she was tired.
No quotation marks, tense changes.
Key idea: Reported Speech = reporting what someone said without using their exact words.
Common Reporting Verbs
Note: "Say" is followed by "to + person" or no object. "Tell" is always followed by an object (tell me, tell him).
She said (to me) that... | She told me that...
Tense Changes (Backshift)
When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), the tense usually moves back:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Present Simple: "I work" | Past Simple: said (that) she worked |
| Present Continuous: "I am working" | Past Continuous: said (that) she was working |
| Past Simple: "I worked" | Past Perfect: said (that) she had worked |
| Present Perfect: "I have worked" | Past Perfect: said (that) she had worked |
| Past Continuous: "I was working" | Past Perfect Continuous: said (that) she had been working |
| will: "I will work" | would: said (that) she would work |
| can: "I can work" | could: said (that) she could work |
| may: "I may work" | might: said (that) she might work |
| must: "I must work" | had to: said (that) she had to work |
No change: Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous, would, could, might, should, ought to stay the same.
Pronoun Changes
Pronouns change according to the context of the reporting sentence.
Direct: He said, "I love my job."
Reported: He said (that) he loved his job.
Direct: She said, "We are happy."
Reported: She said (that) they were happy.
Direct: They said, "You should come."
Reported: They said (that) I/he/she should come.
Direct: She said, "This is mine."
Reported: She said (that) that was hers.
Time and Place Changes
now → then
today → that day
tonight → that night
yesterday → the day before / the previous day
tomorrow → the next day / the following day
this week → that week
last week → the week before / the previous week
next week → the next week / the following week
here → there
ago → before
Reporting Statements
Structure: say/tell + (that) + clause
- Direct: "I am happy," she said.
- Reported: She said (that) she was happy.
- Direct: "We have finished," they told us.
- Reported: They told us (that) they had finished.
Reporting Questions
Wh- Questions
Direct: "Where do you live?" she asked.
Reported: She asked where I lived.
Direct: "What time does the train leave?" he asked.
Reported: He asked what time the train left.
Yes/No Questions (if/whether)
Direct: "Do you like coffee?" she asked.
Reported: She asked if/whether I liked coffee.
Direct: "Is it raining?" he asked.
Reported: He asked if it was raining.
Note: Reported questions use statement word order (subject + verb), not question order. No question mark.
Reporting Commands & Requests
Commands (tell + to + infinitive)
Direct: "Close the door," he said.
Reported: He told me to close the door.
Direct: "Don't smoke," she said.
Reported: She told me not to smoke.
Requests (ask + to + infinitive)
Direct: "Please help me," she said.
Reported: She asked me to help her.
Direct: "Please don't be late," he said.
Reported: He asked me not to be late.
More Examples
📖 Statements:
- Direct: "I am going to London," she said. → She said she was going to London.
- Direct: "We have never been to Paris," they said. → They said they had never been to Paris.
- Direct: "I will call you tomorrow," he said. → He said he would call me the next day.
❓ Questions:
- Direct: "Where do you live?" she asked. → She asked where I lived.
- Direct: "Are you coming?" he asked. → He asked if I was coming.
- Direct: "What time does the movie start?" they asked. → They asked what time the movie started.
📢 Commands & Requests:
- Direct: "Sit down," the teacher said. → The teacher told us to sit down.
- Direct: "Please wait here," she said. → She asked me to wait there.
- Direct: "Don't touch that," he said. → He told me not to touch that.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Incorrect:
"She said me that she was tired."
✅ Correct:
"She told me that she was tired." or "She said that she was tired."
❌ Incorrect:
"He asked where did I live."
✅ Correct:
"He asked where I lived."
❌ Incorrect:
"She said she is tired." (with past reporting verb)
✅ Correct:
"She said she was tired."
❌ Incorrect:
"He told to me to wait."
✅ Correct:
"He told me to wait."
Interactive Exercises
Practice what you've learned. Choose the correct reported speech form.
Quick Summary
Present → Past
will → would, can → could
Change according to context
I → he/she, we → they
now → then, here → there
today → that day, yesterday → the day before
💡 Remember: When reporting, change the tense, pronouns, and time expressions. Use "if/whether" for yes/no questions and statement word order for all questions!