/Reported Speech
B1Reported Speech

Reported Speech (overview)

1

What is it?

Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is used to report what someone said without quoting them word for word. We usually change the tense (backshift), pronouns, and time expressions. Example: Direct: "I am tired." → Reported: "She said she was tired." The reporting verb (said, told, asked) stays in the past for past reporting.

2

How to form it

SubjectPositiveNegativeQuestion
Present Simple → Past Simple"I work here." → He said he worked there."I don't know." → She said she didn't know."Do you live here?" → He asked if I lived there.
Present Continuous → Past Continuous"I am leaving." → He said he was leaving."I'm not staying." → She said she wasn't staying."Are you coming?" → She asked if I was coming.
Past Simple → Past Perfect"I saw her." → He said he had seen her."I didn't go." → She said she hadn't gone."Did you call?" → She asked if I had called.
Will → Would"I will help." → She said she would help."I won't be late." → He said he wouldn't be late."Will you come?" → She asked if I would come.
Can → Could"I can drive." → She said she could drive."I can't swim." → He said he couldn't swim."Can you help?" → He asked if I could help.
  • • Backshift: tenses move one step back into the past.
  • • Modals: will → would, can → could, may → might, must → had to, shall → should.
  • • Pronouns change: "I" → he/she, "you" → I/he/she, "we" → they.
  • • Time expressions: now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, here → there.
  • • No backshift needed when the reporting verb is present tense ("He says he is tired.") or the fact is still true.
  • • For questions, use "if/whether" for yes/no questions and the question word for wh-questions.
3

When to use it

  1. 1

    Reporting statements

    "I love coffee." → She said she loved coffee.

  2. 2

    Reporting yes/no questions

    "Are you ready?" → He asked if I was ready.

  3. 3

    Reporting wh-questions

    "Where do you live?" → She asked where I lived.

  4. 4

    Reporting commands

    "Sit down!" → He told me to sit down.

  5. 5

    Reporting requests

    "Please help me." → She asked me to help her.

4

Common mistakes

She said me she was tired.

She told me she was tired. / She said she was tired.

"Say" does not take an indirect object. Use "tell + person" or "say + (that) + clause".

He asked where did I live.

He asked where I lived.

In reported questions, use statement word order (subject before verb), not question word order.

She said that she will come.

She said that she would come.

Backshift "will" to "would" when the reporting verb is past tense.

5

Quick reference

  • Reported speech reports what someone said without quoting directly.
  • Tenses backshift one step into the past.
  • Pronouns and time expressions must also change.
  • Use "say" without an object; use "tell" with a person.
  • Yes/no questions: use "if/whether". Wh-questions: use the question word.
  • Commands/requests use: tell/ask + person + to + infinitive.
6

Natural conversation example

Two friends talk about a conversation one of them had.

K

Kim

What did your boss say at the meeting?
L

Leo

He said the project was going well.
K

Kim

Did he say when it would be finished?
L

Leo

He told us it would be ready by the end of the month.
K

Kim

Did he ask about the budget?
L

Leo

Yes, he asked if we had stayed within budget.
K

Kim

And what about the deadline? Did he mention that?
L

Leo

He told everyone not to worry and said he would handle it.

Practice Exercises

Rewrite the direct speech as reported speech. Fill in the blank.

  1. 1.
    "I am hungry." → She said she __ hungry.
  2. 2.
    "We will be there." → They said they __ be there.
  3. 3.
    "I don't understand." → He said he __ understand.
  4. 4.
    "She can swim." → He said she __ swim.
  5. 5.
    "I saw him yesterday." → She said she __ him the day before.
  6. 6.
    "We are leaving now." → They said they __ leaving then.
  7. 7.
    "I will call you tomorrow." → He said he __ call me the next day.
  8. 8.
    "I must finish this today." → She said she __ finish it that day.
  9. 9.
    "They have arrived." → He said they __ arrived.
  10. 10.
    "I may be late." → She said she __ be late.
All TopicsReporting Verbs

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