What's Reported Speech?
We use Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) to tell someone what another person said. We do not use quotation marks (" "), and we usually change the tense of the verbs.
Reported Speech: Tom said (that) he liked ice cream.
1. The Backshift Rule (Shifting Tenses)
When we report speech, we usually move the verb tense further into the past. This is known as Backshifting.
| Direct Speech (Original) | Reported Speech (Result) |
|---|---|
| Present Simple "I am happy." |
Past Simple She said she was happy. |
| Present Continuous "I am working." |
Past Continuous He said he was working. |
| Past Simple "I bought a car." |
Past Perfect He said he had bought a car. |
| Past Continuous "I was sleeping." |
Past Perfect Continuous He said he had been sleeping. |
| Present Perfect "I have finished." |
Past Perfect She said she had finished. |
| Past Perfect "I had already eaten." |
Past Perfect (No Change) He said he had already eaten. |
| Will "I will call you." |
Would He said he would call me. |
| Can "I can swim." |
Could She said she could swim. |
| Must "I must go." |
Had to He said he had to go. |
| May "I may come." |
Might She said she might come. |
2. Changing Time and Place
If you report a sentence at a different time or place, you must change words like "now," "here," or "tomorrow."
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| now | then / at that moment |
| today | that day |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| here | there |
| this | that |
Reported: She said she was leaving the next day.
3. Exceptions: When Tenses Do Not Change
There are situations where we do not backshift (change) the tense. The verb remains the same as in the original sentence.
A. When the Reporting Verb is in the Present
If the main verb is "says" (Present) instead of "said" (Past), the tense does not change.
Reported: Tom says he likes pizza.
B. General Truths and Facts
If the statement is a permanent fact or scientific truth, we often keep the Present tense.
Reported: The teacher said the sun rises in the east.
C. The Situation is Still True
If the reported information is still true at the moment of speaking, you can keep the original tense.
Reported: She said her name is Sarah.
(Her name hasn't changed!)
4. Say vs. Tell
This is a very common mistake. The difference depends on the object (the person listening).
- TELL + Person (You must say who was told)
- SAY + (that) (You do not need to say who was listening)
He said that he was tired. (Correct)
He said me that... (Incorrect!)
He told that... (Incorrect!)
5. Reporting Questions
When reporting a question, the word order changes. It becomes a statement, not a question.
A. Yes/No Questions (Use "If" or "Whether")
Reported: He asked if I was hungry.
(Not: He asked was I hungry.)
B. Wh- Questions (Keep the question word)
Reported: She asked where I lived.
(Note: We remove "do" and use the past tense.)
Reported: He asked what time it was.
6. Orders and Requests
When reporting commands (imperatives), we use the Infinitive (to + verb). We do not worry about tense changes here.
Reported: The teacher told me to sit down.
Reported: She asked me to help her.
Reported: He told us not to wait for him.