When you repeat what someone said, you can quote their exact words (direct speech) or give the meaning in your own sentence (reported speech, also called indirect speech). Direct speech uses quotation marks; reported speech does not, and it often changes the pronouns, the tense and words like here, now and tomorrow.
These changes are logical, not random. You are speaking at a different time and place from the original speaker, so you adjust the words to your own point of view. If the information is still true, or the reporting verb is in the present, many of the changes are not needed.
How tenses change in reported speech
When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), the verb in the reported clause usually moves one step back in time. This is called backshift.
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | present simple → past simple | "I live in Lima." → He said he lived in Lima. |
| Present continuous | present continuous → past continuous | "We're watching a movie." → They said they were watching a movie. |
| Past simple | past simple → past perfect (or no change) | "I lost my wallet." → She said she had lost her wallet. |
| Present perfect | present perfect → past perfect | "I've finished." → He said he had finished. |
| will | will → would | "I'll call you." → She said she would call me. |
| can | can → could | "I can swim." → He said he could swim. |
| must | must → had to (or must) | "You must wear a seatbelt." → She said I had to wear a seatbelt. |
| be going to | am/is/are going to → was/were going to | "We're going to move." → They said they were going to move. |
- Pronouns and possessives change to match the new speaker: "I love my job" → Ana said she loved her job.
- The past perfect and the modals could, would, should and might don't change: "I might be late" → He said he might be late.
- That after say and tell is optional, especially in speech: She said (that) she was busy.
- Reported questions use if or whether (yes/no questions) or the question word (wh-questions), then statement word order, with no do, does or did and no question mark.
- Reported commands and requests use tell/ask + person + (not) to + base verb: He told me to wait. She asked us not to shout.
When to use reported speech
1. Say or tell?
Both verbs introduce reported statements, but tell needs a person as its object (except in fixed phrases like tell the truth or tell a story) and say does not. If you want to mention the listener after say, use say to + person.
- She said (that) she was hungry.
- She told me (that) she was hungry.
- What did the doctor say to you?
2. Backshift: moving the tense back
After a past reporting verb, the verb usually moves one step into the past, because the words were spoken at an earlier time.
- "I'm working late." → Sam said he was working late.
- "We've never been to Spain." → They told me they had never been to Spain.
- "I'll help you." → Mia said she would help me.
3. When backshift is optional
If what the person said is still true, or is still in the future, you can keep the original tense. After a present reporting verb (says, has said), the tense doesn't change at all.
- The forecast says it will rain tomorrow. (present reporting verb)
- He told me he lives in Chicago. (he still lives there)
- Our teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. (always true)
4. Changing time and place words
Words like today, tomorrow and here often change because the time and place of reporting are different. If you report on the same day or in the same place, you can keep them.
- "I'll see you tomorrow." → He said he would see me the next day.
- "I bought this bag yesterday." → She said she had bought the bag the day before.
- "We'll meet here." → They said they would meet there.
5. Reported questions
Turn the question into a statement: use if or whether for yes/no questions and keep the question word for wh-questions. Don't use do, does or did, and don't use a question mark.
- "Are you coming?" → She asked if I was coming.
- "Where do you live?" → He asked me where I lived.
- "Did you see the match?" → They asked whether I had seen the match.
6. Reported commands and requests
Use tell + person + to + base verb for orders and instructions, and ask + person + to + base verb for requests. For negative commands, put not before to.
- "Sit down." → The teacher told us to sit down.
- "Could you close the window, please?" → She asked me to close the window.
- "Don't touch it!" → He told the children not to touch it.
Reporting verbs and time-word changes
- say
- tell
- ask
- explain
- reply
- promise
- warn
- admit
- now → then
- today → that day
- tonight → that night
- tomorrow → the next day
- yesterday → the day before
- next week → the following week
- last week → the week before
- ago → before
- here → there
- this → that
Only change these words when the time or place has really changed. If a friend said "I'll call you tomorrow" this morning, you can still report it as: She said she would call me tomorrow.
Examples
Positive
- She said that she was tired.
- Tom told me he had already eaten.
- They said they would arrive at eight.
- My boss told me to take the day off.
Negative
- He said he didn't like horror movies.
- She told me she hadn't seen the email.
- They said they wouldn't be able to come.
- The doctor told me not to lift anything heavy.
Questions
- She asked me if I was hungry.
- He wanted to know where I had bought my shoes.
- I asked her what time the train left.
- Did he say when he would be back?
Direct speech or reported speech?
Direct speech repeats the exact words inside quotation marks. Reported speech gives the meaning from your own point of view, so the tense, the pronouns and some time and place words may change.
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
| "I'm leaving," she said. | She said (that) she was leaving. |
| "We have finished the project," they told us. | They told us (that) they had finished the project. |
| "Will you be here tomorrow?" he asked me. | He asked me if I would be there the next day. |
| "Where is the station?" she asked. | She asked where the station was. |
| "Please don't be late," Mom said. | Mom asked me not to be late. |
Common mistakes
- WrongShe said me that she was busy.RightShe told me that she was busy.
Say is not followed directly by a person, so use tell + person (or say to + person).
- WrongHe asked where was the station.RightHe asked where the station was.
Reported questions use statement word order: subject + verb.
- WrongShe asked me what did I want.RightShe asked me what I wanted.
Don't use did in a reported question; use statement word order and move the verb back (wanted).
- WrongHe asked me that I was ready.RightHe asked me if I was ready.
Report a yes/no question with if or whether, not that.
- WrongThe teacher told us don't talk.RightThe teacher told us not to talk.
Report a negative command with not to + base verb, not with don't.
- WrongShe told that she would be late.RightShe said that she would be late.
Tell needs a person after it (She told me...), so without a person, use say.
A call with Grandma
Examples of reported speech are highlighted.
When I called my grandmother last Sunday, she said she had some news. She told me that she had joined a dance class and that she was enjoying it more than she had expected. I asked her if it was difficult. She laughed and said that the steps were easy but the music was very fast. Then she asked me whether I wanted to come with her the next week. I told her I would think about it. She said I was too young to be so lazy! Before she hung up, she asked me to call her more often and told me not to worry about her. Honestly, I think she has a busier social life than I do.
Reported Speech quiz
8 questions. Choose an answer to see if it is right and why.
Read texts that use reported speech
Grammar sticks when you meet it again in real reading. These graded texts use this structure; each one has key words, audio and questions.
Reported Speech: questions and answers
What is reported speech?
Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is a way of telling someone what another person said without using their exact words or quotation marks: "I'm busy" becomes He said he was busy.
Do I always have to change the tense in reported speech?
No. Backshift is usual after a past reporting verb, but you can keep the original tense when the information is still true or still in the future: She said she lives in Rome. After a present reporting verb such as says, the tense does not change.
What is the difference between say and tell?
Tell is followed by the person you speak to: She told me the news. Say is not followed directly by a person; use say something or say something to someone: She said hello to me.
How do you report a question?
Use ask or want to know, then if/whether for yes/no questions or the original question word for wh-questions. Use statement word order and no do, does or did: "Where do you work?" → He asked where I worked.
How do you report an order or a request?
Use tell or ask + person + to + base verb: She told me to wait. He asked us to help. For a negative, put not before to: They told us not to park there.