Reported Speech: A Complete Guide to Indirect Speech in English
Complete guide to reported speech in English: rules, examples and exercises. Learn how to use indirect speech correctly and avoid the most common mistakes.
Table of contents
Reported speech, or indirect speech, is one of those grammatical structures that can be a bit confusing at first, but is absolutely essential for communicating fluently in English. Have you ever needed to relay what someone said without using their exact words? Well, that’s precisely what reported speech is for.
In this comprehensive guide, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about indirect speech in English: from the basic rules to the more intricate cases, including common mistakes and how to avoid them. Furthermore, as an expert in Cambridge exams, I’ll show you how this structure appears in these exams and how to master it to achieve the best possible score.
What is reported speech?
Reported speech (also known as indirect speech) is the grammatical structure we use when we want to convey what another person has said, without repeating their exact words. Instead of quoting verbatim, we adapt the message to our own discourse.
Difference between direct and indirect speech
The fundamental difference is quite easy to understand with an example:
Direct Speech:
Sarah said, «I’m going to the cinema tonight.»
Reported Speech:
Sarah said that she was going to the cinema that night.
As you can see, in direct speech we reproduce the exact words in quotation marks, whereas in reported speech we adapt the message by changing verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions.
When do we use reported speech?
We use reported speech constantly in everyday situations:
- To relay conversations: «My boss told me that I had to finish the report by Friday.»
- To share gossip or news: «Did you hear? Emma said she’s getting married!»
- In journalism: «The Prime Minister announced that taxes would increase.»
- In academic contexts: «The author argues that climate change is accelerating.»
- In Cambridge exams: Especially in the Use of English and Writing papers.
Fundamental rules of reported speech
Now that we know what reported speech is, let’s look at the basic rules you need to know to correctly transform a sentence from direct to indirect speech.
Changes in verb tenses (backshifting)
When the reporting verb (said, told, etc.) is in the past tense, we usually have to «shift back» one tense. This is what we call backshifting. Here is the table of transformations:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Present Simple «I work here» |
Past Simple He said he worked there |
| Present Continuous «I’m studying» |
Past Continuous She said she was studying |
| Present Perfect «I’ve finished» |
Past Perfect He said he had finished |
| Past Simple «I saw it» |
Past Perfect She said she had seen it |
| Will «I’ll call you» |
Would He said he would call me |
| Can «I can help» |
Could She said she could help |
| Must «I must go» |
Had to He said he had to go |
Let’s look at some examples in context:
Example 1:
Direct: «I love chocolate,» she said.
Reported: She said that she loved chocolate.
Example 2:
Direct: «We’re moving to London next month,» they told me.
Reported: They told me that they were moving to London the following month.
Example 3:
Direct: «I’ve already seen that film,» John said.
Reported: John said that he had already seen that film.
Changes in pronouns
Personal, possessive, and reflexive pronouns must be adapted according to who is speaking and who is being spoken about. This might seem complicated, but it’s actually quite logical:
General rule:
- First person (I, me, my, mine): Changes according to the subject of the original sentence.
- Second person (you, your, yours): Changes according to the listener.
- Third person (he, she, they, etc.): Usually does not change.
Practical examples:
Example 1:
Direct: Lucy said to me, «I’ll help you with your homework.»
Reported: Lucy told me that she would help me with my homework.
(I → she; you → me; your → my)
Example 2:
Direct: Tom said, «My sister is visiting me this weekend.»
Reported: Tom said that his sister was visiting him that weekend.
(My → his; me → him)
Changes in time and place expressions
Time and place expressions also need to be adapted when we switch to indirect speech. Here are the most common transformations:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| now | then / at that time |
| today | that day |
| tonight | that night |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| last week/month/year | the week/month/year before / the previous week/month/year |
| next week/month/year | the following week/month/year |
| ago | before |
| here | there |
| this/these | that/those |
Important: It’s not always necessary to change these expressions. If the temporal or spatial situation remains the same, you can keep the original expression:
Situation: It’s 10:00 am on Monday. At 9:00 am, Sarah said: «I’ll finish this today.»
At 10:00 am on the same Monday:
Sarah said she would finish it today. ✓
(It is still «today», so no change is needed.)
On Tuesday:
Sarah said she would finish it the day before. ✓
(It’s no longer «today», so we change it.)
Reporting verbs: say, tell, ask and others
Reporting verbs are those we use to introduce what someone said. The most common are say, tell, and ask, but it’s important to know when to use each one:
SAY
Structure: say + (that) + clause
DOES NOT take a direct object of person.
✓ She said that she was tired.
✗ She said me that she was tired.
TELL
Structure: tell + someone + (that) + clause
DOES take a direct object of person.
✓ She told me that she was tired.
✗ She told that she was tired.
ASK
Structure: ask + (someone) + if/whether + clause (for yes/no questions)
ask + (someone) + wh-word + clause (for wh-questions)
✓ He asked if I was ready.
✓ She asked me where I lived.
Later, we will look at other more specific reporting verbs that will allow you to express yourself with greater precision.
Types of reported speech
Not all sentences we want to report are the same. Depending on the type of original sentence (statement, question, command, request), the structure of reported speech varies slightly. Let’s look at each type in detail.
Reported statements
Statements are the simplest type of reported speech. We simply apply the rules we’ve covered above:
Structure: Subject + said/told + (that) + reported clause
Examples:
Direct: «I’m feeling much better now,» she said.
Reported: She said that she was feeling much better then.
Direct: «We’ve lived here for ten years,» they told us.
Reported: They told us that they had lived there for ten years.
Direct: Mark said, «I don’t like spicy food.»
Reported: Mark said that he didn’t like spicy food.
Tip: The use of «that» is optional in informal spoken English, but it is recommended in formal writing and Cambridge exams.
Reported questions
Questions in reported speech require special attention because they cease to be questions and become statements. Therefore, they do not take a question mark and the word order changes.
There are two types of questions:
1. Yes/No questions:
Structure: Subject + asked + (someone) + if/whether + reported clause
Important: The order is subject + verb (NO inversion).
Examples:
Direct: «Do you like coffee?» he asked me.
Reported: He asked me if I liked coffee.
✗ He asked me if did I like coffee. (INCORRECT)
Direct: «Have you finished your homework?» my mother asked.
Reported: My mother asked if I had finished my homework.
✗ My mother asked if had I finished my homework. (INCORRECT)
Direct: «Are you coming to the party?» Sarah asked Tom.
Reported: Sarah asked Tom whether he was coming to the party.
2. Wh-questions:
Structure: Subject + asked + (someone) + wh-word + reported clause
Important: The interrogative word (what, where, when, why, how, etc.) is kept, but the order is subject + verb.
Examples:
Direct: «Where do you live?» she asked me.
Reported: She asked me where I lived.
✗ She asked me where did I live. (INCORRECT)
Direct: «What time does the train leave?» he asked.
Reported: He asked what time the train left.
✗ He asked what time did the train leave. (INCORRECT)
Direct: «Why are you laughing?» Jenny asked.
Reported: Jenny asked why I was laughing.
Direct: «How long have you been waiting?» the doctor asked.
Reported: The doctor asked how long I had been waiting.
Reported commands
When we report direct commands or instructions, the structure changes completely. We don’t use «that», but an infinitive with «to»:
Structure: Subject + told + someone + (not) to + infinitive
Examples:
Direct: «Sit down!» the teacher said to the students.
Reported: The teacher told the students to sit down.
Direct: «Don’t touch that!» she said to the child.
Reported: She told the child not to touch that.
Direct: «Be quiet!» the librarian said to us.
Reported: The librarian told us to be quiet.
Direct: My boss said, «Finish the report by Friday.»
Reported: My boss told me to finish the report by Friday.
Important note: With commands, we always use «told», never «said».
Reported requests
Polite requests are reported similarly to commands, but we use «asked» instead of «told»:
Structure: Subject + asked + someone + (not) to + infinitive
Examples:
Direct: «Could you help me with this, please?» she asked.
Reported: She asked me to help her with that.
Direct: «Would you mind closing the window?» he asked.
Reported: He asked me to close the window.
Direct: «Please don’t tell anyone,» Sarah said to me.
Reported: Sarah asked me not to tell anyone.
Direct: «Can you pass me the salt?» my father asked.
Reported: My father asked me to pass him the salt.
Detailed verb tense transformations
Now let’s delve deeper into verb tense transformations, which is where many students encounter difficulties.
From present to past
The general rule is that each verb tense «shifts back» one step when the reporting verb is in the past tense. Let’s look at each transformation with detailed examples:
Present Simple → Past Simple
Direct: «I work in a bank,» she said.
Reported: She said that she worked in a bank.
Direct: «They don’t eat meat,» he told me.
Reported: He told me that they didn’t eat meat.
Present Continuous → Past Continuous
Direct: «I’m watching a great series,» Tom said.
Reported: Tom said that he was watching a great series.
Direct: «The children are playing in the garden,» she said.
Reported: She said that the children were playing in the garden.
Present Perfect → Past Perfect
Direct: «I’ve never been to Japan,» he said.
Reported: He said that he had never been to Japan.
Direct: «We’ve just arrived,» they told us.
Reported: They told us that they had just arrived.
Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
Direct: «I’ve been learning English for three years,» she said.
Reported: She said that she had been learning English for three years.
Past Simple → Past Perfect
Direct: «I saw that film last week,» John said.
Reported: John said that he had seen that film the week before.
Note: Sometimes the Past Simple can remain if the temporal context is clear:
«I met her in 2015,» he said.
He said that he met/had met her in 2015. (both are correct)
Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
Direct: «I was sleeping when you called,» she said.
Reported: She said that she had been sleeping when I called.
Modal verbs in reported speech
Modal verbs have their own transformation rules. Some change and others do not:
Modals that CHANGE:
Will → Would
Direct: «I’ll call you tomorrow,» he said.
Reported: He said that he would call me the next day.
Can → Could
Direct: «I can speak three languages,» she said.
Reported: She said that she could speak three languages.
May → Might
Direct: «I may be late,» Tom said.
Reported: Tom said that he might be late.
Must → Had to
Direct: «I must finish this today,» she said.
Reported: She said that she had to finish that that day.
Note: Must can also remain when expressing a deduction:
«He must be very rich,» she said.
She said that he must be very rich.
Modals that DO NOT CHANGE:
Would
Direct: «I would never do that,» he said.
Reported: He said that he would never do that.
Could
Direct: «I could swim when I was five,» she said.
Reported: She said that she could swim when she was five.
Might
Direct: «It might rain tomorrow,» they said.
Reported: They said that it might rain the next day.
Should
Direct: «You should see a doctor,» she told me.
Reported: She told me that I should see a doctor.
Ought to
Direct: «We ought to leave now,» he said.
Reported: He said that they ought to leave then.
Past perfect: when the tense doesn’t change
The past perfect is the «most past» verb tense in English, so when a sentence is already in the past perfect in direct speech, it cannot shift back further and remains the same:
Direct: «I had already left when you arrived,» she said.
Reported: She said that she had already left when I arrived.
Direct: «They had been waiting for two hours,» he told me.
Reported: He told me that they had been waiting for two hours.
Direct: «I had never seen anything like that before,» John said.
Reported: John said that he had never seen anything like that before.
Special cases and exceptions
As with almost everything in English, there are exceptions to the general rules of reported speech. Let’s look at the most important cases.
Universal truths and permanent facts
When we report something that is always true (a universal truth, a scientific fact, or something that is still true at the time of speaking), we can keep the present tense:
Universal truths:
Direct: The teacher said, «The Earth orbits the Sun.»
Reported: The teacher said that the Earth orbits the Sun. ✓
(It would also be correct: «…that the Earth orbited the Sun», but it is less natural.)
Direct: «Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius,» she explained.
Reported: She explained that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Facts that are still true:
Direct: «I live in Madrid,» he said.
Reported: He said that he lives in Madrid. ✓ (if he still lives there)
He said that he lived in Madrid. ✓ (also correct, more formal)
Direct: «My sister is a doctor,» Tom told me.
Reported: Tom told me that his sister is a doctor. ✓ (if she is still a doctor)
When the present tense remains
There are other situations where the present tense can be maintained:
1. When something is still relevant now:
Direct: «I’m not feeling well,» she said (5 minutes ago).
Reported: She said she’s not feeling well. ✓ (if she is still unwell)
She said she wasn’t feeling well. ✓ (also correct)
2. When we report something immediately:
Direct: «I’m hungry,» Tom said.
Reported (immediately): Tom says he’s hungry. ✓
Reported (later): Tom said he was hungry. ✓
3. With permanent likes and preferences:
Direct: «I love chocolate,» she said.
Reported: She said she loves chocolate. ✓
She said she loved chocolate. ✓
Reported speech with the reporting verb in the present tense
When the reporting verb is in the present tense (says, tells, asks), there’s no need to change the verb tenses:
Direct: «I’m tired,» she says.
Reported: She says that she’s tired. ✓
✗ She says that she was tired. (INCORRECT)
Direct: «I’ve finished my homework,» Tom tells his mother.
Reported: Tom tells his mother that he’s finished his homework. ✓
Direct: «Where do you live?» she asks me.
Reported: She asks me where I live. ✓
Note: This also applies when the reporting verb is in the present perfect:
«I’m leaving,» he has said.
He has said that he’s leaving. ✓
Reporting verbs: beyond say, tell, and ask
Although say, tell, and ask are the most common verbs for reporting, there are many other reporting verbs that allow us to express the original speaker’s intention with greater precision.
These verbs are particularly important at advanced levels and in Cambridge exams (C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency). Some examples include:
- Suggest
- Advise
- Warn
- Promise
- Threaten
- Offer
- Refuse
- Admit
- Deny
- Apologise
For a complete explanation on how to use these verbs with their specific structures, I recommend reading our detailed article on reporting verbs.
Common mistakes in reported speech
Throughout my years as a teacher and Cambridge examiner, I’ve seen the same mistakes made time and again. Let’s review them so you can avoid them:
Confusing say and tell
This is probably the most frequent error:
❌ INCORRECT:
✗ She said me that she was tired.
✗ He told that he was leaving.
✅ CORRECT:
✓ She told me that she was tired.
✓ She said that she was tired.
✓ He told us that he was leaving.
✓ He said that he was leaving.
Remember:
• SAY + (that) + clause (no object of person)
• TELL + someone + (that) + clause (requires an object of person)
Retaining subject-verb inversion in questions
When we report questions, many students retain the interrogative word order, but this is incorrect because the reported sentence is no longer a question:
❌ INCORRECT:
✗ He asked where was the station.
✗ She asked if did I like coffee.
✗ They asked what time does the train leave.
✅ CORRECT:
✓ He asked where the station was.
✓ She asked if I liked coffee.
✓ They asked what time the train left.
Golden Rule: In reported questions, the order is always subject + verb, as in a normal statement.
Forgetting to change pronouns and time expressions
Another very common mistake is correctly changing the verb tense but forgetting to adapt pronouns and time expressions:
❌ INCORRECT:
Direct: Sarah said to me, «I’ll call you tomorrow.»
✗ Sarah said that I would call you tomorrow.
✅ CORRECT:
✓ Sarah told me that she would call me the next day.
❌ INCORRECT:
Direct: «I saw you here yesterday,» Tom said.
✗ Tom said that I saw you here yesterday.
✅ CORRECT:
✓ Tom said that he had seen me there the day before.
Other frequent errors:
- Keeping quotation marks in reported speech.
- Using question marks in reported questions.
- Not changing this to that or these to those.
- Forgetting to change here to there.
- Not adapting come to go when appropriate.
Reported speech practice exercises
Reported speech in real-life contexts
Understanding the theory is all well and good, but the really important thing is knowing how to use reported speech in real situations. Let’s look at some contexts where this structure is fundamental.
In everyday conversations
In daily life, we use reported speech constantly, often without realising it. Here are some examples of real situations:
Situation 1: Relaying a message
«I saw Sarah this morning. She said she couldn’t come to the party tonight because she has to work late.»
Situation 2: Recounting a conversation
«I spoke to the landlord yesterday. He told me that the rent would increase next month, but he also said he would fix the heating before winter.»
Situation 3: Explaining instructions
«The doctor told me to take these tablets three times a day and to avoid dairy products for a week. She also said I should come back if the symptoms don’t improve.»
In Cambridge exams
As an expert in Cambridge exams, I can tell you that reported speech regularly appears in various components of these exams:
B2 First (FCE):
- Use of English – Part 3 (Word Formation): Sometimes requires transforming sentences into indirect speech.
- Use of English – Part 4 (Key Word Transformations): Very common to find direct to indirect speech transformations.
- Writing – Part 2 (Report/Article): Useful for reporting opinions or survey results.
Typical Key Word Transformation example:
«I’ll help you with your homework,» Tom said to me.
OFFERED
Tom _________________ with my homework.
Answer: Tom offered to help me with my homework.
C1 Advanced (CAE):
- Use of English – Part 4: More complex transformations involving advanced reporting verbs.
- Writing: Sophisticated use of different reporting verbs is expected.
- Speaking – Part 3: Useful for reporting your partner’s opinions.
C2 Proficiency (CPE):
- Full mastery of all reported speech structures is expected.
- Natural use of sophisticated reporting verbs.
- Ability to report complex ideas with precision.
In formal writing and journalism
Reported speech is fundamental in journalism and formal writing, where we need to cite sources without constantly using quotation marks:
Journalistic example:
«The Prime Minister announced yesterday that the government would introduce new measures to tackle climate change. She explained that the measures would include a carbon tax and increased investment in renewable energy. When asked about the potential economic impact, she insisted that the long-term benefits would outweigh any short-term costs.»
Academic example:
«Smith (2020) argues that social media has fundamentally changed how we communicate. He suggests that these changes are not entirely positive and warns that we may be losing important face-to-face communication skills. However, Jones (2021) disagrees, claiming that social media has actually enhanced our ability to maintain relationships across distances.»
Summary table of transformations
To make studying easier for you, here is a summary table with all the main reported speech transformations:
VERB TENSES
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Present Simple | Past Simple |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
| Past Simple | Past Perfect |
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| Past Perfect | Past Perfect (no change) |
MODALS
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| will | would |
| can | could |
| may | might |
| must | had to |
| would | would (no change) |
| could | could (no change) |
| might | might (no change) |
| should | should (no change) |
TIME EXPRESSIONS
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| now | then / at that time |
| today | that day |
| tonight | that night |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| last week/month/year | the week/month/year before |
| next week/month/year | the following week/month/year |
| ago | before |
OTHER CHANGES
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| this / these | that / those |
| here | there |
| come | go |
Downloadable PDF: reported speech rules
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Conclusion
Reported speech can seem complicated at first, but with practice and attention to detail, it will soon become natural. Remember the key points:
- Backshifting: Verb tenses usually shift back one step when the reporting verb is in the past.
- Pronouns: Adapt pronouns according to the context.
- Time expressions: Change time and place references when necessary.
- Say vs Tell: Say does not take an object of person; tell does.
- Questions: The order is subject + verb (no inversion).
- Commands/Requests: Use told/asked + someone + to + infinitive.
The best way to master reported speech is to practise regularly. Try transforming sentences you hear in your daily life, in films, or in conversations. With time, these transformations will become automatic.
If you’re preparing for a Cambridge exam, pay special attention to advanced reporting verbs, as demonstrating variety in your use of language will help you achieve a better score.
And until the next article, don’t forget to keep smiling!