Reported Speech
Master the art of converting direct speech to indirect speech with tense backshifting, pronoun changes, and time expression shifts.
Introduction: Direct vs. Reported Speech
Every day we repeat what other people have said. When we do this, we have two choices: we can quote their exact words (direct speech), or we can rephrase what they said in our own words (reported speech, also called indirect speech).
The Messenger Analogy
Imagine you are a messenger carrying someone's words to another person. You can either deliver the message word-for-word (like reading a letter aloud), or you can explain what the letter says in your own words. Both methods deliver the same information, but the grammar changes when you retell the message.
Direct Speech
Uses the speaker's exact words inside quotation marks.
- She said, "I am happy."
- Tom said, "I will call you tomorrow."
- "Where do you live?" he asked.
Reported Speech
Rephrases the words without quotation marks. Tenses, pronouns, and time words often change.
- She said she was happy.
- Tom said he would call me the next day.
- He asked where I lived.
Why Do We Use Reported Speech?
- Retelling conversations: Sharing what someone told you with a third person
- News and journalism: Reporters paraphrase what people have said
- Academic writing: Citing what researchers or authors have stated
- Professional settings: Summarizing meetings, emails, and instructions
- Storytelling: Narrating dialogue without quoting every word
You do not need to backshift the tense when:
- The reporting verb is in the present tense: He says he is tired.
- The statement is a general truth or fact: She said the Earth revolves around the Sun.
- You are reporting something said very recently and it is still true.
Reporting Statements
When reporting statements, use said or told as the reporting verb. Remember: said does not need an object, but told always needs one. Then apply tense backshifting — each tense moves one step into the past.
The Backshifting Rules
| Direct Speech Tense | Reported Speech Tense |
|---|---|
| Present Simple (I work) | Past Simple (he worked) |
| Present Continuous (I am working) | Past Continuous (he was working) |
| Present Perfect (I have worked) | Past Perfect (he had worked) |
| Past Simple (I worked) | Past Perfect (he had worked) |
| will | would |
| can | could |
| may | might |
| must | had to |
Memory Trick: "One Step Back"
Think of tenses as steps on a staircase. When you report speech, every tense takes one step back (further into the past). Present goes to past. Past goes to past perfect. Future (will) goes to conditional (would).
Examples in Action
Statement Transformations
- Direct: "I am happy." → Reported: He said he was happy.
- Direct: "I like pizza." → Reported: She said she liked pizza.
- Direct: "I am reading a book." → Reported: He said he was reading a book.
- Direct: "I have finished my work." → Reported: She said she had finished her work.
- Direct: "I bought a car." → Reported: He said he had bought a car.
- Direct: "I will call you." → Reported: She said she would call me.
- Direct: "I can swim." → Reported: He said he could swim.
"Said" (no object needed)
- He said he was tired.
- She said she would come.
- He said to me that he was leaving. (optional "to me")
"Told" (object required)
- He told me he was tired.
- She told her friend she would come.
- WRONG: He told that he was leaving.
Reporting Questions
Reporting questions requires two important changes: the word order changes from question order to statement order, and tenses backshift just as with statements. There are no question marks in reported questions.
Yes/No Questions → Use if or whether
When there is no question word (who, what, where, etc.), use if or whether to introduce the reported question.
- Direct: "Do you like coffee?"
Reported: She asked if I liked coffee. - Direct: "Are you coming?"
Reported: He asked whether I was coming. - Direct: "Can you help me?"
Reported: She asked if I could help her. - Direct: "Will it rain?"
Reported: He asked if it would rain.
Wh-Questions → Keep the question word
When there is a question word (what, where, when, why, who, how), keep it but change to statement word order.
- Direct: "Where do you live?"
Reported: He asked where I lived. - Direct: "What are you doing?"
Reported: She asked what I was doing. - Direct: "Why did you leave?"
Reported: He asked why I had left. - Direct: "How will you get there?"
Reported: She asked how I would get there.
Critical Rule: Word Order Changes!
In reported questions, the word order changes from question order (verb before subject) to statement order (subject before verb). Do NOT use do/does/did as an auxiliary in reported questions.
- CORRECT: He asked where I lived.
- WRONG: He asked where did I live.
- CORRECT: She asked what I was doing.
- WRONG: She asked what was I doing.
Memory Trick: "No Question Mark, No Question Order"
If there is no question mark at the end, there is no question word order inside. Reported questions end with a full stop, not a question mark — so the words inside follow statement order (subject + verb).
The main reporting verb for questions is ask. You can use it with or without an object:
- She asked if I was ready. (no object)
- She asked me if I was ready. (with object)
- Other verbs: wanted to know, wondered, inquired
He wanted to know where I lived. / She wondered whether it would rain.
Reporting Commands & Requests
Commands and requests are reported using tell/ask + object + to + infinitive. There is no tense backshifting for the main verb — instead, the imperative transforms into a to-infinitive structure.
The Pattern
Positive: tell/ask + person + to + verb
Negative: tell/ask + person + not to + verb
Positive Commands & Requests
- Direct: "Close the door."
Reported: She told me to close the door. - Direct: "Please sit down."
Reported: He asked me to sit down. - Direct: "Study harder!"
Reported: The teacher told us to study harder. - Direct: "Please help me."
Reported: She asked me to help her.
Negative Commands & Requests
- Direct: "Don't touch that!"
Reported: She told me not to touch that. - Direct: "Don't be late."
Reported: He told me not to be late. - Direct: "Please don't shout."
Reported: She asked me not to shout. - Direct: "Don't forget your keys."
Reported: He told me not to forget my keys.
Memory Trick: "Polite = Ask, Firm = Tell"
If the original used "please" or was a polite request, use asked. If it was a firm instruction or order, use told (or ordered/commanded for very strong ones).
- ordered — "Stand up!" → The sergeant ordered them to stand up.
- commanded — "Attack!" → The general commanded the troops to attack.
- begged — "Please forgive me!" → He begged her to forgive him.
- warned — "Don't go near the river!" → She warned us not to go near the river.
- advised — "You should see a doctor." → He advised me to see a doctor.
- encouraged — "Try again!" → She encouraged me to try again.
- invited — "Come to my party." → She invited me to come to her party.
- reminded — "Don't forget to lock the door." → He reminded me to lock the door.
Time & Place Changes
When you report speech at a different time or place from when it was originally spoken, time and place references must shift to reflect the new perspective.
Complete Reference Table
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| today | that day |
| tonight | that night |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| last week/month/year | the previous week/month/year |
| next week/month/year | the following week/month/year |
| now | then / at that time |
| ago | before / earlier |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
Full Transformation Examples
- Direct: "I will see you tomorrow." → Reported: He said he would see me the next day.
- Direct: "I saw her yesterday." → Reported: She said she had seen her the day before.
- Direct: "I am busy now." → Reported: He said he was busy then.
- Direct: "I bought this book here." → Reported: She said she had bought that book there.
- Direct: "We arrived two days ago." → Reported: They said they had arrived two days before.
- Direct: "I went to Paris last month." → Reported: He said he had gone to Paris the previous month.
The "Zoom Out" Analogy
Think of it as zooming out on a camera. When the speaker said "here" and "now", they were zoomed in on their moment. When you report it later, you zoom out — "here" becomes "there" (a different place from your perspective), "now" becomes "then" (a different time), and "today" becomes "that day."
Common Mistakes & Practice
Reported speech has several tricky areas where learners often make mistakes. Study these carefully and practise avoiding them.
Mistake 1: Forgetting to Backshift Tenses
- WRONG: He said he is tired.
- CORRECT: He said he was tired.
- WRONG: She said she will come.
- CORRECT: She said she would come.
Mistake 2: Using Question Word Order in Reported Questions
- WRONG: He asked where did I live.
- CORRECT: He asked where I lived.
- WRONG: She asked do I like music.
- CORRECT: She asked if I liked music.
Mistake 3: "Say me" Instead of "Tell me"
- WRONG: He said me that he was leaving.
- CORRECT: He told me that he was leaving.
- ALSO CORRECT: He said that he was leaving.
Remember: say never takes a direct personal object. Use tell + person or say + (that).
Mistake 4: Forgetting Pronoun Changes
- WRONG: She said, "I am tired." → She said I was tired.
- CORRECT: She said, "I am tired." → She said she was tired.
- WRONG: He said, "You are late." → He told me you were late.
- CORRECT: He said, "You are late." → He told me I was late.
Mistake 5: Adding Question Marks to Reported Questions
- WRONG: He asked where I lived?
- CORRECT: He asked where I lived.
Practice: Convert These Sentences
Convert each direct speech sentence into reported speech. Click to check your answer.
She said she was studying for her exam.
My mother asked where I had been.
The teacher asked me to open the window.
He said he would meet me there the next day.
She asked if I knew the answer.
The teacher told us not to run in the corridor.
He said he had bought that car the previous year.
She asked if I could lend her my pen.
Knowledge Check
Quiz Time
Test your understanding with these practice questions:
When converting direct speech to reported speech, what typically happens to the verb tense?
Direct: "I am working on the project," she said. What is the correct reported form?
How do you report the question: "Where do you live?"
Convert to reported speech: "I have finished my homework," Tom said.
What reporting verb is appropriate for: "Please close the door," she said?
Direct: "Will you help me?" she asked. What is the reported form?
Which time expression changes in reported speech: "I'll see you tomorrow," he said yesterday?
Convert the command: "Don't touch that!" she said.
Direct: "I saw the movie last week," he said. Reported speech?
Which reporting verb correctly completes: "It's a beautiful day," he ____.