What Is Reported Speech?
When you repeat exactly what someone said, using their own words inside quotation marks, that is direct speech. When you report what they said — in your own words, without quotation marks — that is reported speech (also called indirect speech).
Direct: She said, "I am tired." Reported: She said (that) she was tired. Direct: He told me, "I have finished the report." Reported: He told me (that) he had finished the report.
Notice three things that changed in those examples: the pronoun (I → she), the verb tense (am → was), and the disappearance of the quotation marks. These changes are the heart of reported speech, and this guide walks you through each one step by step.
The word that after the reporting verb is optional in spoken English. Both She said she was tired and She said that she was tired are perfectly correct.
Reported speech is everywhere: in news articles (The minister said the decision would be announced soon), in everyday conversation (My friend told me you were looking for a job), and in academic writing. Learning it well will dramatically improve your fluency.
Statement Backshift Rules
When the reporting verb (said, told, explained, etc.) is in the past, English usually shifts the verb tense one step further into the past. This is called backshift. Think of it as the verb taking one step backwards in time.
- Present simple → Past simple
"I work in a hospital." → She said she worked in a hospital. - Present continuous → Past continuous
"We are waiting for the bus." → They said they were waiting for the bus. - Present perfect → Past perfect
"I have never been to Paris." → He said he had never been to Paris. - Past simple → Past perfect
"She left early." → He said she had left early. - Will → Would
"I will call you later." → She said she would call me later. - Can → Could
"I can help you." → He said he could help me. - May → Might
"It may rain." → She said it might rain. - Must → Had to (for obligation)
"You must finish this." → He said I had to finish it.
"I am studying for my exam." → She said she was studying for her exam. "We have already eaten." → They said they had already eaten. "He lost his keys." → She said he had lost his keys. "I will be there at eight." → He said he would be there at eight.
Modal verbs would, could, should, might, and ought to do not change in reported speech — they are already past in form. "You should rest." → She said I should rest.
Reported Questions
Reported questions follow two important rules that many learners find tricky at first:
- The word order changes from question order (Are you ready?) to statement order (subject before verb).
- The auxiliary verb do / does / did disappears.
There are two types of reported question: yes/no questions and wh- questions.
Yes/No questions use whether or if to introduce the reported question:
"Are you coming to the party?" → She asked me whether I was coming to the party. → She asked me if I was coming to the party. "Do you like spicy food?" → He asked her if she liked spicy food. "Have you finished your homework?" → The teacher asked whether we had finished our homework.
Wh- questions keep the question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) and then use statement word order:
"Where do you live?" → He asked me where I lived. "What time does the film start?" → She asked what time the film started. "Why are you crying?" → He asked her why she was crying. "How long have you been waiting?" → She asked how long we had been waiting.
There is no question mark at the end of a reported question, because it is no longer a real question — it is now a statement inside another sentence.
Reported Commands and Requests
Commands and requests are wonderfully simple in reported speech. You use a reporting verb followed by an object and a to-infinitive. The most common reporting verbs for this pattern are:
- tell (for commands and instructions)
- ask (for polite requests)
- order (for strong commands)
- warn (for warnings)
- advise (for advice)
- encourage (for positive suggestions)
- remind (for reminders)
- forbid or warn ... not to (for prohibitions)
For negative commands, simply add not before the infinitive.
"Sit down!" (teacher to class) → The teacher told the students to sit down. "Please open the window." → She asked me to open the window. "Don't touch that!" → He told me not to touch it. "You should see a doctor." → She advised me to see a doctor. "Don't forget to bring your passport." → He reminded me not to forget my passport. "You mustn't park here." → The sign warned drivers not to park there.
Notice that the tense of the original verb does not matter here — only the to-infinitive form is used. This makes reported commands one of the easier parts of reported speech to master.
Choose your reporting verb carefully — it carries meaning. Saying He ordered me to leave sounds much stronger than He asked me to leave. Good verb choice makes your reported speech more precise and natural.
Time and Place Changes
When the situation has changed — for example, you are reporting something said yesterday, in a different place — certain time and place expressions need to change so that they make sense from the new perspective.
Here are the most important changes:
- now → then / at that moment
- today → that day
- yesterday → the day before / the previous day
- tomorrow → the next day / the following day
- last week → the week before / the previous week
- next week → the following week
- ago → before / previously
- here → there
- this → that
- these → those
"I will call you tomorrow." → She said she would call me the next day. "I saw him here yesterday." → He said he had seen him there the day before. "I started this job two years ago." → She said she had started that job two years before. "We are meeting next week." → They said they were meeting the following week. "I spoke to her today." → He said he had spoken to her that day.
These changes are not always necessary. If you are reporting something almost immediately — for example, seconds or minutes after it was said — the time expressions often stay the same, because the situation has not changed. Use your judgment based on context.
Say vs. Tell
Students frequently confuse say and tell. The rule is straightforward:
- Say is used without an object (you do not name the listener). If you do mention the listener, use to.
- Tell is used with a direct object (you must name the listener).
She said she was tired. ✓ She said me she was tired. ✗ She said to me she was tired. ✓ She told me she was tired. ✓ She told she was tired. ✗
Several common fixed phrases use tell and always need an object:
- tell someone the truth
- tell someone a story / a joke
- tell someone the time
- tell someone the way
- tell someone your name
He told us the truth about what had happened. She told the children a bedtime story. Can you tell me the way to the station? He told her his name and sat down.
Other useful reporting verbs that follow the same pattern as tell (object required) include inform, remind, warn, convince, assure, and persuade. Verbs that follow the say pattern (no direct object required) include explain, mention, announce, admit, and claim.
A quick memory trick: Tell needs a target — someone to receive the information. If there is no clear target in your sentence, use say.
Common Mistakes
Even advanced learners make certain errors with reported speech. Here are the most frequent ones — and how to fix them.
1. Keeping question word order in reported questions
✗ She asked me where was I going. ✓ She asked me where I was going. ✗ He wanted to know what did I eat. ✓ He wanted to know what I had eaten.
After the wh- word in a reported question, use statement word order (subject + verb), not question order.
2. Adding a question mark to reported questions
✗ He asked me if I was ready? ✓ He asked me if I was ready.
3. Forgetting backshift
✗ She said she is tired. ✓ She said she was tired.
4. Using say with a direct object
✗ He said me the answer. ✓ He told me the answer. ✓ He said the answer to me.
5. Forgetting the no-backshift cases
Backshift is not required when the situation or fact reported is still true or current. In these cases, both tenses are acceptable, though keeping the original tense emphasises that the information is still valid:
"Water boils at one hundred degrees Celsius." → She said water boils / boiled at one hundred degrees Celsius. "I love reading." → He said he loves / loved reading. (He still does.) "The meeting is on Friday." → She told us the meeting is on Friday. (Friday has not yet passed.)
6. Confusing whether and if with embedded questions
Both whether and if introduce reported yes/no questions and are interchangeable in most contexts. However, whether is preferred in formal writing and is the only option directly before or not:
✓ She asked whether I was coming or not. ✗ She asked if I was coming or not. (grammatically possible but awkward) ✓ She asked whether or not I was coming.
When checking your own reported speech, ask yourself three questions: Did I backshift the verb? Did I change the pronouns? Did I adjust time and place expressions? Running through this checklist will catch the majority of errors before they become habits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between direct speech and reported speech?
Direct speech quotes someone's exact words inside quotation marks, for example: He said, "I am hungry." Reported speech tells us what someone said without quoting them directly, adjusting pronouns, tenses, and sometimes time expressions: He said he was hungry.
Do I always have to use backshift in reported speech?
Not always. Backshift is required when the reporting verb is in the past and the information may no longer be current. However, if the fact is still true or the situation has not changed, you can keep the original tense. For example, if someone told you today that the shop opens at nine and it still does, you can say: She told me the shop opens at nine.
How do I report a yes/no question?
Use ask followed by whether or if, and then use statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order. For example: 'Are you ready?' becomes He asked me whether I was ready OR He asked me if I was ready. There is no question mark at the end.
What is the difference between say and tell in reported speech?
Tell requires a direct object — you must say who you told: She told me the news. Say does not take a direct object directly; if you mention the listener, use to: She said the news to me, or simply She said the news. Using say with a direct object (She said me) is a common error to avoid.
How do I report commands and requests?
Use a reporting verb such as tell, ask, order, or advise, followed by the person and a to-infinitive. For example: 'Sit down!' becomes The teacher told the students to sit down. For negative commands, add not before the infinitive: 'Don't be late' becomes She told him not to be late.
Which time expressions change in reported speech?
Common changes include: now → then, today → that day, yesterday → the day before, tomorrow → the next day, here → there, this → that. These changes are needed when time has passed or the location has changed. If you are reporting something said moments ago in the same place, the expressions may stay the same.