Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is how we report what someone said without using their exact words or quotation marks. It usually involves shifting the tense back one step, and changing pronouns and time expressions to fit the new context: "I am tired" becomes "She said she was tired."
What Is Reported Speech?
Direct speech quotes a person's exact words: She said, "I am tired." Reported (indirect) speech rephrases what was said, without quotation marks, usually introduced by a reporting verb like said or told: She said (that) she was tired.
The main rule of reported speech is the tense backshift: when the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense in the reported clause usually moves one step back. Present simple becomes past simple ("I like tea" → "She said she liked tea"), present continuous becomes past continuous, present perfect becomes past perfect, and past simple often becomes past perfect. Modal verbs shift too: will → would, can → could, must → had to.
Pronouns and time/place expressions also change to match the new speaker and context: "I" may become "she" or "he"; "today" becomes "that day"; "here" becomes "there"; "tomorrow" becomes "the next day". Reported questions and commands follow their own patterns, using reporting verbs like asked, wondered, told, and ordered, and dropping question word order and question marks. Reference grammars such as the Cambridge Grammar guide document reported speech usage in detail.
Examples
| Example | Notes |
|---|---|
| Direct: "I am hungry." → Reported: She said (that) she was hungry. | Present simple → past simple |
| Direct: "I have finished." → Reported: He said he had finished. | Present perfect → past perfect |
| Direct: "I will call you." → Reported: She said she would call me. | will → would |
| Direct: "Where do you live?" → Reported: He asked where I lived. | Reported question — no question mark |
| Direct: "Close the door." → Reported: She told him to close the door. | Reported command — infinitive |
Related Grammar Terms
Practise Reported Speech
Frequently Asked Questions
What is reported speech?
Reported speech (indirect speech) reports what someone said without quoting their exact words or using quotation marks: "I am tired" becomes "She said she was tired."
What is the tense backshift rule?
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense in the reported clause usually shifts one step back: present simple becomes past simple, present perfect becomes past perfect, and so on.
How do modal verbs change in reported speech?
Common shifts include will → would, can → could, may → might, and must → had to. Some modals like "would", "could", and "should" do not change.
How do you report a question?
Use a reporting verb like "asked" or "wondered", keep the word order of a statement (not a question), remove the question mark, and use "if"/"whether" for yes/no questions: "Are you coming?" → "She asked if I was coming."
How do you report a command or request?
Use told/asked + object + infinitive: "Close the door" becomes "She told him to close the door." Negative commands use "not to": "Don't be late" becomes "He told her not to be late."
Do pronouns change in reported speech?
Yes. Pronouns shift to match the new speaker's perspective: "I" often becomes "she" or "he", and "my" becomes "her" or "his", depending on who is reporting and who is being reported.
Do time and place words change in reported speech?
Yes, when the reporting happens at a different time or place: "today" becomes "that day", "tomorrow" becomes "the next day", "here" becomes "there", and "this" becomes "that".
When does the tense NOT need to shift back?
If the reporting verb is in the present tense ("She says she is tired") or if the reported statement is still true/a general fact ("She said the Earth orbits the Sun"), the tense often stays the same.
What is the difference between say and tell?
"Say" is not usually followed directly by an object ("She said that..."), while "tell" is followed by a personal object ("She told me that...").
How can I practise reported speech?
Try LexFizz's reported speech exercises, which cover tense backshift, reporting verbs, and time-expression changes with interactive practice.