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Reported Speech in English: Rules and Examples

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When you tell someone what another person said, you can quote them exactly (direct speech) or report their words in your own (reported speech, also called indirect speech). Reported speech is what you use most in real conversation.

This guide is for B1 to C1 learners. It shows the three things that change when you move from direct to reported speech, the reporting verbs say, tell and ask, and the mistakes learners make most. Three exercises are linked at the bottom so you can practice straight away.

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What reported speech is

In direct speech you repeat the exact words a person used, usually inside quotation marks: She said, “I am tired.” In reported speech you tell what they said without quoting: She said she was tired.

Because the conversation happened at an earlier time, three things usually change: the tense moves back, the pronouns and possessives change, and some time expressions change too.

1. The tense backshift

The tense usually moves one step back into the past to show the words were said earlier. This is called the backshift.

Direct speech Reported speech
Present simple Past simple
Present continuous Past continuous
Present perfect Past perfect
Past simple Past perfect
will would
can could
If what was said is still true or is a general fact, the backshift is optional: “She said the earth is round” is fine. Modals also shift: can becomes could, may becomes might, must becomes had to.

Reported speech is easy to read and hard to use. The only way it becomes natural is to use it in conversation. Book a free trial lesson and practice reported speech with an experienced native teacher, no credit card needed.

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2. Pronouns and possessives

The pronouns and possessive adjectives change to match the new speaker’s point of view.

Direct: “I am going to decorate my bathroom.” Reported: She told me that she was going to decorate her bathroom.

3. Time expressions

Words that point to “now” change to point to the time the words were spoken.

Direct speech Reported speech
now then
today that day
yesterday the day before
tomorrow the next day
last week the week before
next week the following week

Say, tell and ask

When you report what someone said, you use a reporting verb. The three most common are say, tell and ask, and they behave differently.

Verb How it is used Example
say No person object needed. Add to before a person; often used with hello, goodbye, congratulations. He said hello. / He said hello to his colleagues.
tell Needs a person as its object; used to give information, instructions, stories or jokes. She told me she was leaving.
ask Reports questions and requests; can be used with or without a person object. She asked me what time it was.
Ask reports questions and requests. In a reported question the word order goes back to normal (subject before verb) and there is no question mark: She asked where I lived, not She asked where did I live.

Common mistakes with reported speech

  1. Forgetting the backshift. After a past reporting verb, move the tense back: “He said he was tired,” not “He said he is tired.”
  2. Confusing say and tell. Tell needs a person object (tell me); say does not (he said that…). Say takes to before a person: “say to him.”
  3. Keeping question word order. In a reported question use normal order: “She asked what time it was,” not “what time was it.”
  4. Not changing time words. “Yesterday” becomes “the day before,” “tomorrow” becomes “the next day,” and so on.

Practice exercises on reported speech

Try these three exercises, then check your answers.

Exercise 1: choose the reporting verb
Exercise 2: match direct and reported
Exercise 3: change to reported speech

How did that feel? Recognising reported speech in an exercise is one thing. Producing it while you speak is the goal. In a free trial lesson, an experienced native teacher will have you reporting real conversations within minutes.

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Frequently asked questions

What is reported speech?
Reported speech, or indirect speech, is when you tell what someone said without quoting their exact words. Instead of “She said, I am tired,” you say “She said she was tired.” The tense, pronouns and time words usually change.
What is the backshift?
The backshift is the way the tense moves one step back into the past after a past reporting verb. Present simple becomes past simple, present perfect becomes past perfect, will becomes would, and so on, because the words were said at an earlier time.
What is the difference between say and tell?
Tell needs a person as its object (“she told me”); say does not (“she said that…”). If you want a person after say, you add to: “she said to me.” Tell is used to give information or instructions.
Do I always have to change the tense?
Not always. If what was said is still true or is a general fact, you can keep the present tense: “He said the train leaves at six” is fine. When in doubt, the backshift is always safe after a past reporting verb.
How do I report a question?
Use a reporting verb like ask, put the words in normal statement order (subject before verb), and drop the question mark: “She asked where I lived,” not “She asked where did I live.” For yes/no questions use if or whether.

Key takeaways

  • Reported speech tells what someone said without quoting the exact words.
  • Three things change: the tense (backshift), the pronouns, and time expressions.
  • Say has no person object; tell needs one; ask reports questions and requests.
  • In a reported question, use normal word order and no question mark.
  • The backshift is optional when the statement is still true or a general fact.

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Written and reviewed by the experienced native English teachers at Live English, online since 2007.