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Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2

Advanced Grammar Course

What is reported speech?

“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:

Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.

There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.

Use reported speech to talk about what someone said in the past

So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.

In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called “backshift.”

Here are some examples in different verb tenses:

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

Exceptions to backshift in reported speech.

Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.

There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.

If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.

When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.

But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.

Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”

If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.

Here’s an example:

On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
“She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.

Let’s look at a different situation:

On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
“She said she ‘d call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.

Backshift is not necessary when the event is still in the future

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Quick review:

Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
when the situation is still true
when the situation is still in the future

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.

What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?

For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:

“Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)

For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”

“Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
“He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)

The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:

She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me make a copy of the report.
He told me to go to the bank. He told me go to the bank.

For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.

“Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
“Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)

The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.

Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:

She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.

For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):

“When was the company founded?” (direct)
She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
“What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)

Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:

“Where does he work?”
She wanted to know where does he work.
She wanted to know where he works.

Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:

“Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
He asked where was I born.

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Learn more about reported speech:

Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
Reported speech: BJYU’s

If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!

I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.

Master the details of English grammar:

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Reported Speech: Rules, Examples and Exercises

Learning how to use reported speech (also called indirect speech) is essential for effective communication in English. It allows us to convey what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. This article will explain the rules, provide examples, and include exercises to help you master reported speech.

To master reported speech with a lot of examples, visit 100+ Reported Speech Examples .

What Is Reported Speech?

Reported speech is when you report or relay what someone else said, but you do not use their exact words. For example:

Direct speech: She said, “I am tired.”
Reported speech: She said that she was tired.

Rules for Reported Speech

When changing from direct to reported speech, there are some important rules to follow:

1. Change in Pronouns

Adjust the pronouns based on the speaker and listener.

Direct: He said, “I love my car.”
Reported: He said that he loved his car.

2. Change in Tense

The verb tense usually shifts back one step into the past, called backshifting .

Note: If the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g., He says ), backshifting is not necessary.

3. Changes in Time and Place References

Words related to time and place need to be adjusted to fit the context.

4. Reporting Verbs

Common reporting verbs include said, told, asked, explained, mentioned , etc.

Said is followed by that (optional): He said (that) he was coming.
Told requires an object: He told me that he was coming.

5. Reporting Questions

For yes/no questions, use if or whether . For wh- questions, maintain the question word but remove the question structure.

Yes/No Question: Direct: She asked, “Are you coming?” Reported: She asked if I was coming.
Wh- Question: Direct: He asked, “Where do you live?” Reported: He asked where I lived.

6. Reporting Commands and Requests

For commands and requests, use tell or ask with an infinitive ( to + verb ).

Command: Direct: She said, “Close the door.” Reported: She told me to close the door.
Request: Direct: He said, “Please help me.” Reported: He asked me to help him.

Examples of Reported Speech

Here are examples to illustrate various contexts:

Direct: “I am learning English,” she said. Reported: She said that she was learning English.
Direct: “What are you doing?” he asked. Reported: He asked what I was doing.
Direct: “Don’t touch that!” he said. Reported: He told me not to touch that.

Mixed Tenses

Direct: “I finished my homework yesterday,” she said. Reported: She said that she had finished her homework the previous day.

Exercises on Reported Speech

Test your understanding with the following exercises.

A. Change the sentences from direct to reported speech.

She said, “I enjoy reading.”
He asked, “Where do you live?”
They said, “We will help you tomorrow.”
She told me, “Close the window.”
He asked, “Can you speak French?”

B. Identify the errors in these sentences.

She said that she will come tomorrow.
He asked if I am okay.
They told me that they had finish their work.
He asked where was I going.
She said that she loves ice cream.

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Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples

Reported speech is a very common aspect of the English language. You use it nearly every day, both in conversations and in writing. This reference covers key sections about reported speech, including what it is, examples, rules, and verb tense changes. You’ll also learn about modal verbs, changes in time and place, and different reporting verbs.

Reported Speech

What Is Reported Speech?

Reported speech is simply when you tell somebody what someone else said. You can do this in your writing, or in speech. Reported speech is very different from direct speech , which is when you show what somebody said in the exact way that they said it . In reported speech though, you do not need to quote somebody directly.

Instead, you use a reporting verb, such as ‘say’ or ‘ask’. These reporting verbs are used to report the speech to someone else. There are many different reporting verbs that can be used.

In short, reported speech is the linguistic technique that you use to tell somebody what someone else’s direct speech was. In reported speech though, you may need to make certain changes to the grammar to make the sentence make sense. Some examples below highlight what needs to be changed.

Reported Speech Examples

When using reported speech, you are usually talking about the past. The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too.

For example :

Direct speech: I’ve lost my umbrella .
Reported speech: He said (that) he had lost his umbrella.

Another example :

Direct speech: She is doing her homework .
Reported speech: He said (that) she was doing her homework.

Table of Changes :

Reported Speech Rules

Verb tense changes in reported speech.

When the reporting verb is in the present tense, only small changes are needed.

Direct speech: I like dogs.
Reported speech: She says she likes dogs.

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, you need to change the tense of both the reporting verb and the main verb.

Reported speech: She said she liked dogs.

The tenses generally move backward as follows:

For sentences about the future, you also need to change the future verbs.

Direct speech: I shall leave in a moment.
Reported speech: She said that she would leave in a moment.

Here are the changes for future tenses:

Modal Verbs and Reported Speech

Modal verbs also change when used in reported speech.

Direct speech: Will I see you later?
Reported speech: He asked if he would see me later.

Some modal verbs do not need to change tense because they fit naturally.

Direct speech: I should go to the park.
Reported speech: He told me he should go to the park.

Here are both correct and incorrect examples of reported speech for clarity:

Reported speech: He told me he should go to the park.
Reported speech: He said he should go to the park.
Incorrect reported speech: He told he should go to the park.
Incorrect reported speech: He said me he should go to the park.

To correct these:

Add ‘me’: He told me he should go to the park.
Remove ‘me’ or add ‘to’: He said he should go to the park or He said to me he should go to the park.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Changes in time and place in reported speech.

References to time and place often need to change when you use indirect speech. Here is a useful guide to these changes:

No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

In some cases, verb tenses do not change when you report speech indirectly. Here are the key instances:

When the introductory verb is in the present , present perfect , or future .
When the reported sentence deals with a fact or general truth .
When the reported sentence contains a time clause .
If the verb of the sentence is in the unreal past (the second or the third conditional ).
The subjunctive stays unchanged in the subordinate clause .
Had better , could , would , used to , should , might , ought to , and mustn’t remain unchanged.
If the speaker reports something immediately or soon after it was said .

Reporting Verbs in Indirect Speech

Reporting verbs are crucial in indirect speech. Here is a list categorized by their usage:

Basic Verbs : Tell, say, ask
Verb + that + clause : Complain, deny, explain, exclaim, remark, promise, boast, inform somebody, claim, agree, suggest
Verb + to + infinitive : Agree, offer, refuse, demand, threaten, promise, claim
Verb + indirect object + to + infinitive : Advise, allow, beg, command, encourage, forbid, invite, want, instruct, permit, urge, order, remind, warn
Verb + “ing” form : Admit (to), accuse somebody of, apologize for, boast about/of, complain to somebody of, deny, insist on, suggest
Verb + how : Explain to somebody

Reported Questions

When converting questions from direct to indirect speech, you follow rules similar to those for statements. Verbs used include inquire, wonder, want to know, ask.

Reported Commands and Requests

Commands and requests in Indirect Speech are formed using the to-infinitive and not to-infinitive . Common reporting verbs include order, shout, demand, warn, beg, command, tell, insist, beseech , threaten, implore, ask, propose, forbid.

Pronoun and tense changes are needed when shifting from direct to indirect speech.

Reported Speech Video

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