What is Reported Speech?

When we talk about what someone said, we can use two main forms: direct speech or reported speech.

• Direct speech uses the speaker’s exact words, usually with quotation marks. For example: He said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’
• Reported speech (also called indirect speech) tells us what was said without using the exact words. For example: He said he didn’t want to talk to me.

We often use reporting verbs like say, tell, or ask to introduce reported speech.

How Do Tenses Change in Reported Speech? (Backshift)

When the reporting verb (e.g., said) is in the past, we usually "backshift" the tense of the original statement. This means moving the tense one step further into the past.

• Present Simple becomes Past Simple.
  Example: ‘I don’t want to talk.’ → He said he didn’t want to talk.
• Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous.
  Example: ‘I’m planning to resign.’ → She said she was planning to resign.
• Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect.
  Example: ‘I’ve already told you.’ → He said he had already told me.
• Past Simple becomes Past Perfect.
  Example: ‘I saw you break it.’ → I told him I had seen him break it.
• ‘Be going to’ becomes ‘was/were going to’.
  Example: ‘I’m going to cook tonight.’ → You said you were going to cook that night.
• Will becomes Would.
  Example: ‘I’ll see you soon.’ → He said he would see me soon.
• Can becomes Could.
  Example: ‘I can’t hear you.’ → She said she couldn’t hear me.
• May becomes Might.
  Example: ‘You may be right.’ → He said I might be right.

Do All Modal Verbs Change?

No, some modal verbs do not change in reported speech. These modals already express a degree of possibility or condition.

• The modal verbs would, could, should, and might usually stay the same.

For example:

• Direct: ‘I’d like to go.’ → Reported: He said he’d like to go.
• Direct: ‘It might be difficult.’ → Reported: She said it might be difficult.

Reporting Questions: Wh- and Yes/No

When reporting questions, the word order changes from question form to statement form. We also do not use question marks.

Wh- Questions

• Keep the question word (where, why, what, when, how).
• Put the subject before the verb.
• Do not use the auxiliary verbs do, does, or did.

Examples:

• Direct: ‘Where are you from?’ → Reported: She asked me where I was from.
• Direct: ‘Why did she say that?’ → Reported: He asked me why she had said that.

Yes/No Questions

• Use if or whether after the reporting verb.
• Whether is generally more formal than if.
• Again, put the subject before the verb.

Examples:

• Direct: ‘Are you going to help?’ → Reported: We asked them if they were going to help.
• Direct: ‘Did you visit the London Eye?’ → Reported: She asked us whether we had visited the London Eye.

Other Important Changes: Pronouns, Time, and Place

Besides tenses, you usually need to change pronouns and possessive adjectives. This depends on who is speaking and who is being spoken to.

• Direct: ‘I want you to give this message to your boss tonight.’
• Reported: She said she wanted me to give that message to my boss that night.

Common changes for time and place words:

• now → then
• today → that day
• tonight → that night
• yesterday → the day before / the previous day
• tomorrow → the next day / the following day
• last week → the week before / the previous week
• next year → the following year
• here → there
• this → that
• these → those

When Don't We Change the Tense?

Sometimes, we don't need to backshift the tense in reported speech. This happens in specific situations:

• When the original statement is still true or relevant at the time of reporting. For example, if someone said ‘I don’t want to talk to you’ yesterday, and it's still true today: I told you yesterday that I don’t want to talk to you.
• If the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g., He says...), we also don't change the tense of the reported clause. For example: He says he is happy.
• For general truths or scientific facts: She said the Earth is round.

Say vs. Tell: What's the Difference?

These two verbs are often confused, but they have different grammar patterns. Understanding them is crucial for correct reported speech.

• Say: Use say when you don't mention the person you are speaking to. You can use say (that) + clause. For example: He said (that) he had a new car. You can also use say to someone, but tell is more common when an object is present.
• Tell: Always use tell with an object (the person you are speaking to). The pattern is tell + object + (that) + clause. For example: He told me (that) he had a new car.

Remember: It is incorrect to say He said me he had a new car.

Examples

• He said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’
• He said he didn’t want to talk to me.
• She said she was planning to resign.
• He said he had already told me.
• I told him I had seen him break it.
• You said you were going to cook that night.
• He said he would see me soon.
• She said she couldn’t hear me.
• He said I might be right.
• He said he’d like to go.
• She said it might be difficult.
• She asked me where I was from.
• He asked me why she had said that.
• We asked them if they were going to help.
• She asked us whether we had visited the London Eye.
• She said she wanted me to give that message to my boss that night.
• I told you yesterday that I don’t want to talk to you.
• Tom said he had a new car.
• Tom told me he had a new car.

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Many Spanish speakers often make these mistakes when using reported speech:

• Confusing say and tell: Direct translation of "decir a alguien" can lead to errors.
  • Incorrect: She said me she was busy.
  • Correct: She told me she was busy. (Use tell with an object)
  • Correct: She said she was busy. (Use say without an object)
• Forgetting to backshift tenses: Especially from Past Simple to Past Perfect when the reporting verb is in the past.
  • Incorrect: He said he went to the party yesterday.
  • Correct: He said he had gone to the party the day before.
• Not changing the word order in reported questions: Remember to use statement word order (subject + verb).
  • Incorrect: She asked me where was I from.
  • Correct: She asked me where I was from.

Frequently asked questions

Why do we change tenses in reported speech?

We change tenses (called "backshift") because the original words were spoken at an earlier time. The reported speech reflects that past moment. For example, ‘I am hungry’ becomes He said he was hungry, because at the time of reporting, he *was* hungry.

Is it always necessary to backshift tenses?

No, not always. If the reported statement is still true or relevant at the moment of reporting, or if the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g., He says...), you don't need to backshift. For example, She said the Earth is round is correct because it's a universal truth.

Can I use 'that' after 'say' or 'tell'?

Yes, that is optional after say or tell in reported statements. For example, He said he was tired and He said that he was tired are both correct. It's often omitted in informal speech.

What's the main difference between reporting statements and reporting questions?

The main difference is word order and the use of conjunctions. For statements, we use subject + verb. For questions, we also use subject + verb (not question word order), and we add if/whether for yes/no questions, or keep the question word for Wh- questions.

Related lessons

• Reported speech