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When it comes to effective communication, you might stumble at certain moments. Speaking what you think or feel is one thing you might catch up easily with practice. But is it the same when you have to convey what someone else has said? This is something that needs a little more attention and effort to get on with. This skill of converting direct speech to reported speech demands you to learn certain rules which would in turn allow you to share information, relay messages and narrate events with clarity and precision.
Reported speech, otherwise known as indirect speech, is simply paraphrasing someone’s words without quoting them word for word. But it requires you to have a solid understanding of grammar rules, particularly those related to tense, pronouns and time expressions. Mastering reported speech enhances your speaking and writing skills undoubtedly ensuring that you can communicate whatever others speak as effectively as needed.
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From Direct Speech to Reported Speech
Basically, converting direct speech into reported speech involves several key changes. At the same time, you need to maintain grammatical consistency to accurately reflect the original message. To know how, look at the three main components.
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1. Tense Shifts
Firstly, when the reporting verb (said, told, etc) is in the past tense, the tense of the verb in the reported clause or sentence typically moves one step back in time. Let’s examine the basic rules.
| BASIC RULES | |
| Simple Present → Simple Past | |
| Present Continuous → Past Continuous | |
| Present Perfect → Past Perfect | |
| Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous | |
| Simple Past → Past Perfect |
-
Simple Present to Simple Past
Direct: “I go to the office at 9 am.”
Reported: She said that she went to the office at 9 am.
Clearly, this is the general rule. But wait, does the simple present always become past? Not really. Mostly, this is where most learners slip. There are two exceptions where you should not convert the verb in the present tense to the past tense at all.
- Universal Truths
When the quoted sentence refers to something that is always true, we leave it the same.
Direct: She said, “The sun rises in the east.”
Reported: She said that the sun rises in the east. (not ‘rose’)
- Habitual Actions
Evidently this refers to the context in which the sentence is used. When you are talking about someone’s usual ways of doing things or their habits, you need to keep it in the present tense while reporting. This must be true at the moment of reporting as well.
Direct: “I play football every evening.”
Reported: He said that he plays football every evening.
Quick Tip:
If the statement is still true at the time of reporting, do not force a change in the tense at all.
-
Present Continuous to Past Continuous
Direct: “He is going home.”
Reported: She said that he was going home.
-
Present Perfect to Past Perfect
Direct: “They have performed well.”
Reported: He said that they had performed well.
-
Present Perfect Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous
Direct: “She has been promoted.”
Reported: He said that she had been promoted.
-
Simple Past to Past Perfect
Direct: “She went to the park.”
Reported: He said that she had gone to the park.
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2. Pronoun Changes
As you have seen in the previous examples, the pronouns in the reported sentence needs to be adjusted to match the perspective of the speaker. Here’s a quick understanding of how the pronoun shifts .
| Pronoun Shifts | Reported Speech | Explanation |
| I – he/she | He said, “I am tired”
He said that he was tired. |
The speaker is reporting about himself. |
| You – I/he/she/they | “You look great,” she said to me.
She said that I looked great. |
It depends on who “you” refers to. |
| We – they | “We are late,” they said. They said that they were late. | “We” becomes “they” when quoted by a third party. |
| My – his/her | “My brother is coming,” she said.
She said that her brother was coming. |
“My” changes to match the subject’s gender. |
| Your – my/his/her/their | He told her, “Your book is with me,”
He told her that her book was with him. |
It depends on who is being addressed. |
| Our – their | “Our house is big,” they said.
They said that their house was big. |
“Our” becomes “their” when referred to by someone else. |
| Me – him/her | “She likes me,” he said.
He said that she liked him. |
Object pronoun shifts based on the speaker. |
| Us – them | “He saw us,” she said.
She said that he saw them. |
Object pronouns follow the same shift logic. |
3. Time and Place Expressions
Time and place references need to be modified according to the context and the nature of the shift. When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the time expressions in the reported clause or sentence needs to be converted into one step farther. Time expressions are thus changed accordingly.
- “today” → “that day”
- “tomorrow” → “the next day”
- “yesterday” → “the day before” or “the previous day”
- “next week/month” → “the following week/month”
- “here” → “there”
- “now” → “then”
- “come” → “go”
- “this” → “that”
- “these” → “those”
Want to Master Reported Speech? Watch This Now! | Reported speech and Tenses Explained
Types of Reported Speech
1: Which of the sentences below is grammatically correct?
Reported speech can be categorized into several types considering the different types of sentences that need to be reported. Furthermore, each of this type has its own structure and rules that need to be strictly followed. Let’s get to know them one by one.
1. Statements
This is the case when declarative sentences are being reported.
Consider the direct speech – Maya said, “I love the apartment.”
Reported speech – Maya said that she loved the apartment.
There is nothing much complicated here. But check the next ones.
2. Questions
Unlike the regular statements, when reporting questions the sentence structure changes as the question gets converted into a statement.
For example, look at the following direct speech:
Hari said, “Where is my watch?”
Report this as, Hari asked where his watch was.
Did you notice all the changes?
The reporting verb changed, the question word became the joining word, and the sentence shifts the position of the auxiliary verb as well.
You need to keep note that this does not go the same way for the two types of questions namely, Wh-questions and Yes or No questions. Let’s see how it is done.
- Wh- Questions:
While converting Wh-questions to reporting, use the question word (what, where, when, etc.) and change the sentence structure to a statement accordingly.
Direct: “Where are you going?”
Reported: She asked where I was going.
- Yes or No Questions:
While converting Yes/No questions, you should use “if” or “whether” as joining words and change the sentence structure to a statement.
Direct: “Do you like pizza?”
Reported: He asked if I liked pizza.
3. Commands/Orders and Requests
Consider the sentence, Father said to her, “Go to your room.”
Report this as – Father ordered her to go to her room.
To put it simply, Use “to” + base verb for affirmative commands
How about this one? He said, “Don’t forget your keys.”
Report this as – He asked her not to forget her keys.
Which means, you should use “not to” + base verb is for negative commands.
4. Exclamations
When you report exclamatory sentences, convert the sentence simply into an assertive sentence.
Direct: Rita said, “Wow! I am impressed.”
Reported: Rita exclaimed that she was (very) impressed.
5. Suggestions
While reporting suggestions like “Let’s go for a walk.” use verbs like suggested, proposed or recommended followed by the clause. Therefore, the reported sentence would be:
She suggested going for a walk.
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Join Now!Everyday Usage of Reported Speech
It’s important to realize that reported speech isn’t just a classroom exercise. It’s how we retell stories, share updates, or pass on messages accurately. Significantly, understanding the usage of reported speech can be made easier with the help of real-life examples. Let’s see how reported speech can come handy in different scenarios.
- At the Office
Imagine your colleague promises to finish the report over the weekend. Later, you update your manager:
Direct: “I will finish the report by Monday.”
Reported: She said she would finish the report by Monday.
- In a Classroom
A curious student raises a hand and asks: “Can you explain this concept?”
Reported: The student asked if I could explain the concept.
- During a Meeting
Suppose your manager sets an ambitious tone in the weekly assessment:
Direct: “You need to increase the sales targets.”
Reported: The manager pointed out that I needed to increase the sales targets.
- In Daily Casual Conversations
For instance , consider your friend grabs his gym bag and announces his evening plans: “I’m going to the gym.”
Reported: He said he was going to the gym.
WARNING: Reported Speech Mistake That’s Costing You Confidence! | Master REPORTED SPEECH in Minutes
Master Reported Speech and Speak with Confidence
No matter how fluent in English you think you are, you need to master reported speech to make your communication completely efficient. When it comes to academic, professional and social contexts – where your purpose of communication and conveying messages is far more crucial – you do not have any alternative.
Don’t let reporting someone’s message stand in your way of smooth communication. Keep practicing with these points in mind and in time you will master efficient English speaking once and for all.
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Join Now!Frequently Asked Questions
When is reported speech used?
We use reported speech to report information, share conversations, or statements, questions, and commands made by others, especially when the exact words are not necessary or when summarizing.
Do we always need to change the tense in reported speech?
Not always. Tense changes typically occur when the reporting verb is in the past tense. However, if the reporting verb is in the present or future tense (he says/ he will say instead of he said), the original tense may remain unchanged.
Why do we backshift tenses in reported speech?
This is done to indicate that the speech happened in the past and to maintain grammatical agreement and clarity in time reference.
Is it wrong to use 'said that' in every sentence?
No, it’s grammatically right, but using various words like “told,” “asked,” or “explained” makes your writing smoother and more precise according to the context.
What happens to modal verbs in reported speech?
Some of them are changed – “can” to “could”, “will” to “would”, “may” to “might”. Others like “should” or “must” often stay the same, depending on the context.
How can I get better at using reported speech?
Language learning and fluency always require practice. For this you should practise converting real-life conversations, read examples aloud, and use short dialogues to test your understanding regularly.
Is reported speech used in writing or just in conversation?
It is used in both. It is common in storytelling, journalism, academic writing, and everyday conversations.
Can we use 'that' in reported speech every time?
You can, but it’s often optional – especially in informal speech. For example, “He said he was tired” is just as correct as “He said that he was tired”.
Is punctuation used differently in reported speech?
Yes. You don’t use quotation marks in reported speech, and question marks are usually dropped, unless you’re quoting directly.
Can reported speech include feelings and tone?
Yes. But they are usually implied rather than directly quoted. You can use verbs like “complained,” “shouted,” or “whispered” for clarity.
