Reported speech, also called indirect speech, is how we tell someone what another person said without using their exact words. Instead of quoting directly — She said, "I am tired" — we report the message: She said that she was tired. This is one of the most practical grammar topics in English because we report what others have said in almost every conversation. Understanding the rules for changing tenses, pronouns, and time expressions is essential for accurate reported speech.
In everyday English, you will use reported speech when telling a friend what your boss said, summarizing a news story, or explaining what someone asked you. The rules may seem complex at first, but they follow a logical pattern.
How to Form / Structure
When you change direct speech to reported speech, three things typically change: the verb tense, the pronouns, and the time and place references.
Tense Changes (Backshift)
When the reporting verb is in the past tense (said, told, asked), the tenses in the reported clause shift one step back:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Present simple: "I work here." | Past simple: She said she worked there. |
| Present continuous: "I am working." | Past continuous: She said she was working. |
| Past simple: "I worked late." | Past perfect: She said she had worked late. |
| Present perfect: "I have finished." | Past perfect: She said she had finished. |
| Will: "I will call you." | Would: She said she would call me. |
| Can: "I can help." | Could: She said she could help. |
| May: "I may be late." | Might: She said she might be late. |
Note: Past perfect, "would," "could," "might," and "should" do not change further in reported speech.
Pronoun Changes
Pronouns change to match the perspective of the person reporting:
- "I am happy." → She said she was happy.
- "We will go." → They said they would go.
- "You can do it." → He told me I could do it.
Time and Place Changes
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| now | then / at that time |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
| ago | before / earlier |
When to Use
Reporting Statements
Use "said" or "told" to report statements. Remember: "told" always needs an object (a person), but "said" does not.
- He said that he was feeling better. (correct)
- He told me that he was feeling better. (correct)
- He told that he was feeling better. (incorrect — "told" needs an object)
The word "that" is optional and often omitted in informal speech: She said she would come later.
Reporting Questions
For yes/no questions, use "if" or "whether." For wh-questions, keep the question word but change to statement word order (no inversion, no "do/does/did").
- "Do you like coffee?" → She asked me if I liked coffee.
- "Where do you live?" → He asked me where I lived.
- "Have you finished?" → She asked whether I had finished.
Important: Reported questions do not use question marks and do not use auxiliary inversion.
Reporting Commands and Requests
Use "told" or "asked" followed by the object and the infinitive (to + verb).
- "Close the door." → She told me to close the door.
- "Please help me." → He asked me to help him.
- "Do not touch that." → She told me not to touch that.
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| She said me that she was tired. | She told me that she was tired. / She said that she was tired. | "Said" does not take a personal object directly. Use "told" + person or "said" alone. |
| He asked where do I live. | He asked where I lived. | In reported questions, use statement word order, not question word order. |
| She asked me did I like it. | She asked me if I liked it. | Do not use "did" in reported yes/no questions. Use "if" or "whether." |
| He said he will come tomorrow. | He said he would come the next day. | Shift "will" to "would" and "tomorrow" to "the next day." |
| She told to close the door. | She told me to close the door. | "Told" requires an object (a person). |
Practice Examples
Convert the following direct speech into reported speech:
- "I love this restaurant," she said. — She said that she loved that restaurant.
- "We are moving to London," they told me. — They told me that they were moving to London.
- "I have never been to Japan," he said. — He said that he had never been to Japan.
- "Will you help me?" she asked. — She asked me if I would help her.
- "Where did you buy that jacket?" he asked. — He asked me where I had bought that jacket.
- "Do not open the window," the teacher said. — The teacher told us not to open the window.
- "I can speak three languages," she said. — She said that she could speak three languages.
Quick Reference
- Reported speech retells what someone said without quoting their exact words.
- When the reporting verb is past tense, shift the reported tenses one step back (backshift).
- Change pronouns and time/place references to fit the new perspective.
- Use said (no object) or told (+ person) for statements.
- Use asked + if/whether for yes/no questions and asked + question word for wh-questions. Always use statement word order.
- Use told/asked + person + to + verb for commands and requests.
- The word "that" is optional in reported statements.
- Reported questions never end with a question mark.
Reported speech is a skill you will use constantly in English. Practice by summarizing conversations you have during the day, and you will quickly feel comfortable with the tense shifts and structural changes.
