What Is Reported Speech?
Reported speech — also known as indirect speech — is the grammar we use when we tell someone what another person said, thought, or asked, without quoting their exact words. Instead of repeating the original sentence word for word inside quotation marks, we restructure the sentence, shift the tense one step back into the past (a process called backshift), and adjust pronouns, time expressions, and place references to fit the new perspective. Mastering reported speech is essential for retelling conversations, writing narratives, and passing information between people in everyday English.
In direct speech, we use the speaker's exact words with quotation marks: "I am tired," she said. In reported speech, we remove the quotation marks, change the pronoun and shift the tense: She said (that) she was tired. The word "that" is optional in most cases — it can be included for clarity or omitted for a more natural flow.
Direct: "I love coffee," he said.
Reported: He said (that) he loved coffee.
Three things change: 1) Quotation marks are removed. 2) The tense shifts back (love → loved). 3) Pronouns adjust to the new speaker's perspective (I → he).
When the reporting verb (said, told, asked) is in the past tense, the tenses inside the reported clause shift one step further into the past. This is called backshift because every tense moves backward in time. Think of it as looking at the original statement through a rearview mirror — everything shifts one position back.
Tense Changes — The Backshift Table
This is the most critical part of reported speech. When the reporting verb is in the past tense (said, told, asked), the tense of the original statement shifts back by one step. The table below shows every tense transformation you need to know, with clear examples of direct and reported forms:
| Direct Speech Tense | Reported Speech Tense | Direct Example | Reported Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | Past Simple | "I work in London." | He said he worked in London. |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous | "I am studying now." | She said she was studying then. |
| Past Simple | Past Perfect | "I visited Paris." | He said he had visited Paris. |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect | "I have finished my work." | She said she had finished her work. |
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous | "I was waiting for you." | He said he had been waiting for me. |
| Will | Would | "I will help you." | She said she would help me. |
| Can | Could | "I can swim." | He said he could swim. |
| May | Might | "I may be late." | She said she might be late. |
| Must | Had to | "I must leave now." | He said he had to leave then. |
| Shall | Should / Would | "Shall I open the window?" | He asked if he should open the window. |
Would, could, should, might, ought to, and had to do not change in reported speech because they are already "past" forms. If the original sentence uses one of these modals, keep it the same:
"I could play the piano." → She said she could play the piano. (no change)
Reporting Statements
Reporting statements is the most common use of reported speech. We use reporting verbs like said and told followed by an optional "that" and a clause with the backshifted tense. The structure is straightforward once you understand the tense changes from the previous section:
Subject + said / told (someone) + (that) + clause
The word "that" is optional in spoken English but often included in writing for clarity. Remember: said is used without an object, while told always needs an object (the person being told).
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "I am tired," she said. | She said (that) she was tired. |
| "We are leaving tomorrow," they said. | They said (that) they were leaving the next day. |
| "I bought a new car," he told me. | He told me (that) he had bought a new car. |
| "I have never been to Japan," she said. | She said (that) she had never been to Japan. |
| "I will call you later," he told her. | He told her (that) he would call her later. |
| "I can speak three languages," she said. | She said (that) she could speak three languages. |
Said is used without a personal object: He said he was tired.
Told always requires a personal object: He told me he was tired.
✘ He told he was tired. (WRONG — missing object!)
✘ He said me he was tired. (WRONG — "said" does not take an object!)
Reporting Questions
Reporting questions requires two important changes beyond the tense shift: 1) the word order changes from question order to statement order (no auxiliary inversion), and 2) there is no question mark at the end. There are two types of reported questions — yes/no questions and wh-questions:
Yes/No: Subject + asked + if / whether + subject + verb
Wh-: Subject + asked + wh-word + subject + verb
For yes/no questions, use if or whether to introduce the reported clause. For wh-questions, keep the question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) but change to statement word order.
| Direct Question | Reported Question |
|---|---|
| "Are you coming?" he asked. | He asked if I was coming. |
| "Do you like coffee?" she asked me. | She asked me whether I liked coffee. |
| "Have you finished?" the teacher asked. | The teacher asked if I had finished. |
| "Where do you live?" he asked. | He asked where I lived. |
| "What time does the train leave?" she asked. | She asked what time the train left. |
| "Why did you miss the meeting?" the boss asked. | The boss asked why I had missed the meeting. |
| "When will you arrive?" they asked us. | They asked us when we would arrive. |
In reported questions, the word order changes to statement order (subject + verb). Do NOT keep the question inversion:
✘ He asked where did I live.
✔ He asked where I lived.
✘ She asked if was I coming.
✔ She asked if I was coming.
Also, reported questions end with a full stop (period), not a question mark.
Reporting Commands & Requests
When we report commands, orders, requests, and instructions, we use told or asked followed by an object and a to-infinitive. For negative commands, we add not before to. This structure is simpler than reporting statements because there is no tense backshift — we use the infinitive form directly:
Affirmative: Subject + told / asked + object + to + infinitive
Negative: Subject + told / asked + object + not to + infinitive
Told is used for commands and orders (stronger). Asked is used for requests and polite instructions (softer).
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "Close the door!" she said. | She told me to close the door. |
| "Please help me," he said. | He asked me to help him. |
| "Don't touch that!" the teacher said. | The teacher told us not to touch that. |
| "Sit down, please," the dentist said. | The dentist asked me to sit down. |
| "Don't be late!" my mum said. | My mum told me not to be late. |
| "Could you pass the salt?" she said. | She asked me to pass the salt. |
Tell implies authority or directness: a boss telling an employee, a parent telling a child.
Ask implies politeness or a request: asking a favour, making a polite request.
The original phrasing gives you the clue: "Please..." or "Could you..." → asked. A direct order → told.
Pronoun & Time / Place Changes
When converting direct speech to reported speech, pronouns, possessive adjectives, and time/place expressions must change to reflect the perspective of the reporter. These changes happen alongside the tense shift and are just as important for producing accurate reported speech:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech | Type |
|---|---|---|
| I | he / she | Pronoun |
| we | they | Pronoun |
| you (object) | me / us / him / her / them | Pronoun |
| my | his / her | Possessive |
| our | their | Possessive |
| this | that | Demonstrative |
| these | those | Demonstrative |
| now | then / at that time | Time |
| today | that day | Time |
| tonight | that night | Time |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day | Time |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day | Time |
| last week / month / year | the week / month / year before | Time |
| next week / month / year | the following week / month / year | Time |
| ... ago | ... before / earlier | Time |
| here | there | Place |
Pronoun changes depend on who is reporting and to whom. If John says "I love my job" and you report it to Mary, it becomes: John said he loved his job. But if John tells Mary directly, "I love your cooking," and Mary reports it, she might say: John told me he loved my cooking. Always think about the context when changing pronouns.
To report what someone said is to become the narrator of their words. Change the lens, shift the tense, and let the story unfold in your own voice.
— The Grammar GazetteExample Sentences
Reporting Verbs — Beyond "Said" and "Told"
While said and told are the most common reporting verbs, English has many other verbs that add precision and nuance to reported speech. Different reporting verbs follow different grammar patterns. Learning these verbs and their patterns will make your reported speech richer, more accurate, and more natural-sounding:
| Reporting Verb | Pattern | Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|---|---|
| promise | + to infinitive | "I will help you." | He promised to help me. |
| offer | + to infinitive | "Shall I carry your bag?" | She offered to carry my bag. |
| refuse | + to infinitive | "No, I won't do it." | He refused to do it. |
| agree | + to infinitive | "OK, I'll come." | She agreed to come. |
| threaten | + to infinitive | "I'll call the police!" | He threatened to call the police. |
| suggest | + gerund / that clause | "Let's go to the park." | She suggested going to the park. |
| deny | + gerund / that clause | "I didn't break the vase." | He denied breaking the vase. |
| admit | + gerund / that clause | "Yes, I took the money." | She admitted taking the money. |
| warn | + obj. + (not) to inf. | "Don't go near the river!" | He warned me not to go near the river. |
| advise | + obj. + to infinitive | "You should see a doctor." | She advised me to see a doctor. |
| remind | + obj. + to infinitive | "Don't forget to lock the door." | He reminded me to lock the door. |
| explain | + that clause | "The bus leaves at 9." | She explained that the bus left at 9. |
| complain | + that clause | "This food is cold!" | He complained that the food was cold. |
The key to choosing the right reporting verb is to identify the function of the original statement. Was the speaker making a promise, giving advice, refusing something, or making a suggestion? The function determines the verb. For example, "Let's..." almost always becomes suggested, and "I won't..." often becomes refused.
Common Mistakes
✘ She said she is happy.
✔ She said she was happy.
When the reporting verb is in the past (said), the tense inside the clause must shift back.
✘ He asked where did I work.
✔ He asked where I worked.
Reported questions use statement word order (subject + verb), not question order.
✘ He said me that he was tired.
✔ He told me that he was tired.
✔ He said that he was tired.
Said is never followed by a personal object. Use told when you need to specify the listener.
✘ She said she would come tomorrow.
✔ She said she would come the next day.
Time and place expressions must be adjusted along with tenses and pronouns.
✘ He said that "he was leaving."
✔ He said that he was leaving.
Reported speech does not use quotation marks. The whole point is that you are not quoting the speaker's exact words.
✘ He asked if I was coming?
✔ He asked if I was coming.
Reported questions are statements, not questions. They end with a full stop (period).
When NOT to Shift Tenses
While the backshift rule is the standard, there are several important situations where you do not need to shift the tense. Understanding these exceptions will make your reported speech more natural and prevent unnecessary changes:
| Situation | Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|---|
| General truths & facts | "The Earth goes around the Sun." | He said the Earth goes around the Sun. |
| Scientific facts | "Water boils at 100°C." | She said water boils at 100°C. |
| Reporting verb in present tense | "I need help." | He says he needs help. (no shift) |
| Recent reporting | "I am hungry." (said just now) | She just said she is hungry. |
| Still true at reporting time | "I live in Istanbul." | He said he lives in Istanbul. (still true) |
| Conditionals (Type 2 & 3) | "If I were you, I would go." | She said if she were me, she would go. |
| Wish / If only | "I wish I had more time." | He said he wished he had more time. |
When the reporting verb is in the present tense (says, tells, asks), there is no backshift at all. This is common in news reporting, summaries, and when passing on recent information:
"I need a break." → She says she needs a break. (present → present, no shift)
Compare with: She said she needed a break. (past → backshifted)
Even when the information is still true, you can still apply the backshift — it is never wrong to shift. The "still true" exception simply means that both forms are acceptable:
✔ He said he lives in London. (still true, no shift — acceptable)
✔ He said he lived in London. (backshifted — also acceptable)
In exams and formal writing, the backshifted form is usually the safer choice.
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