Reported speech (also called indirect speech) conveys what someone said without quoting them directly. Tenses typically shift back, pronouns change, and time/place expressions adjust. It is a fundamental skill for academic and professional writing.
4 subtopics — pick one to start practising
Tense Backshift
When reporting what someone said, tenses usually shift back one step: present simple → past simple; present continuous → past continuous; present perfect → past perfect; past simple → past perfect; will → would; can → could; may → might. If the reported situation is still true, the tense shift is optional in informal English.
Changing Pronouns & Time Expressions
In reported speech, pronouns change to match the new speaker's perspective: I → he/she, we → they, my → his/her. Time and place expressions also change: now → then, today → that day, yesterday → the day before/the previous day, tomorrow → the following day/the next day, here → there, this → that.
Reporting Questions
Reported questions use statement word order (not question order) and no question mark. Wh-questions keep their question word: "Where do you live?" → "He asked where I lived." Yes/no questions add "if" or "whether": "Are you ready?" → "She asked if I was ready." Remember: no auxiliary (do/does/did) and no question mark.
Reporting Commands & Requests
To report commands, requests, or instructions, use "tell/ask/order/warn/advise + object + to-infinitive". Positive command: "Close the door." → "She told me to close the door." Negative command: "Don't be late." → "He told us not to be late." The structure: reporting verb + object + (not) to + base verb.