Reported Speech
Level B2–C2 · backshifting; statements, questions & commands
◎What you'll master
- Apply the backshift — move the verb one tense back when the reporting verb is past.
- Change pronouns and time/place words (now→then, today→that day, here→there).
- Report statements and choose correctly between say and tell (tell needs an object).
- Report questions with statement word order — no do/does/did, using if/whether or a wh- word.
- Report commands and requests with told/asked + object + (not) to + base.
1What reported speech does
Direct speech quotes the exact words: "I'm tired," he said. Reported (indirect) speech retells them without quotation marks. When the reporting verb is in the past(said, told, asked), the words spoken usually shift one tense back — this is the backshift — and pronouns, times and places change to fit the new speaker and moment.
2The backshift: one tense back
With a past reporting verb, move the tense back one step. The word that is optional after say / tell.
| Direct speech | Reported speech | Shift |
|---|---|---|
| "I work here." | She said she worked there. | present simple → past simple |
| "I'm working." | He said he was working. | present continuous → past continuous |
| "I've finished." | She said she had finished. | present perfect → past perfect |
| "I saw her." | He said he had seen her. | past simple → past perfect |
| "I will call." | She said she would call. | will → would |
| "I can swim." | He said he could swim. | can → could |
| "I may come." | She said she might come. | may → might |
| "You must wait." | He said I had to wait. | must → had to |
3Pronouns, time and place
Because someone else is now retelling the words, at a different time and place, the pronouns and time/place references also change.
Pronouns
Time and place words
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| yesterday | the day before |
| here | there |
| this / these | that / those |
4Reported statements: say vs tell
Both introduce statements, but tell needs a person object (tell someone); say does not take one (or uses say to someone).
| say (no object) | tell (+ object) |
|---|---|
| He said (that) he was tired. | He told me (that) he was tired. |
| She said she would help. | She told us she would help. |
5Reported questions
A reported question uses statement word order (subject before verb) and drops do/does/did. There is no question mark. Use if or whether for yes/no questions and keep the wh- word for wh- questions.
| Direct question | Reported question |
|---|---|
| "Are you ready?" | She asked if I was ready. |
| "Do you live here?" | He asked whether I lived there. |
| "Where do you live?" | He asked where I lived. |
| "What did she say?" | They asked what she had said. |
6Reported commands & when NOT to backshift
Report a command or request with told / asked + object + to + base verb. For a negative, use not to + base.
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| "Wait here." | She told me to wait there. |
| "Please help me." | He asked me to help him. |
| "Don't touch it!" | She told him not to touch it. |
When NOT to backshift
If the reported words are still a general truth now, backshift is optional — you can keep the present.
He ______ me that he was busy.
She ______ that she would help.
"I can swim." → She said she ______ swim.
"You must wait." → He said I ______ wait.
He asked where ______ .
"I'll do it tomorrow," she said on Monday. → She said she would do it ______ .
The teacher said that water ______ at 100°C, a fact that is still true.
✎Fix the Error
Each sentence has one mistake in the underlined word. Type the correction and check.
1.He said me that he was tired.
2.She asked where do I live .
3.He told that he was tired.
4.She said she will come.
5.He asked me was I ready .