Understanding Reported Speech
Learn what reported speech is, what typically changes when someone’s words are retold, and why those changes happen in the first place.
Retelling, not quoting
Reported speech retells an idea, rather than repeating exact words.
Reported speech describes what someone said without quoting their exact words. Instead of repeating the original sentence, it retells the same idea from a new point of view, at a new moment in time.
In “I am tired,” she said., her exact words are given directly, inside quotation marks. In She said (that) she was tired., the same idea is retold: the quotation marks disappear, am becomes was, and I becomes she.
This lesson focuses on recognising reported speech and understanding why these changes happen. The mechanics of each specific change are covered in later lessons.
Before you begin
This is one of ten topics on reported speech.
This lesson focuses on understanding reported speech specifically. Reported speech as a whole includes nine other topics, each covered in its own lesson.
If you would like an overview of reported speech in general, begin with the Reported Speech page.
The central idea
The same idea can be quoted directly, or retold.
Compare the original words with how they are retold later.
01
Direct speech
“I am tired,” she said.
02
Reported speech
She said (that) she was tired.
The useful question is: whose perspective is the sentence speaking from now?
The original sentence spoke from her perspective, in the moment she said it. The reported version speaks from the perspective of whoever is retelling it, at a later moment, and the words shift to match.
What changes when speech is reported
Four kinds of change appear again and again.
The verb tense often shifts
“I am tired.” → she was tired
Pronouns shift to match the new speaker
“I am tired.” → she was tired
Time and place words shift to match the new moment
“I’ll call tomorrow.” → she would call the next day
Quotation marks, and sometimes question marks, disappear
Reported speech is woven into the sentence, rather than set apart as an exact quotation.
Why these changes happen
Words like now, I and here only make sense from one point of view.
When she said “I am tired,”, the word I meant her, and am described her state at that exact moment. Once someone else retells this later, I no longer refers to the person speaking now, and the original moment is already in the past. The changes in reported speech exist to keep the sentence accurate from this new point of view, rather than confusing about who is being described and when.
Direct and reported speech on the page
The two forms are also punctuated differently.
Direct speech uses quotation marks
She said, “I am tired.”
A comma often introduces the quotation, which keeps its own punctuation inside the quotation marks.
Reported speech uses no quotation marks
She said that she was tired.
The reported clause becomes part of the sentence itself, often introduced by that, which can also be left out.
A useful decision guide
Ask whose words these are, and from what point of view.
01
Are the exact words quoted, or retold?
Quotation marks signal direct speech; their absence usually signals reported speech.
02
Who is I referring to in the original sentence?
Pronouns need to shift to reflect that person from the new point of view.
03
When was the original sentence spoken?
The verb tense and any time expressions may need to shift accordingly.
04
Was the original sentence a statement, a question, or a command?
Each type is retold using a different structure.
Common mistakes
Reported speech is easy to recognise once you know what to expect.
Quotation marks do not belong in reported speech.
Not: She said “she was tired.”
Correct: She said she was tired.
Once the sentence is retold rather than quoted, the quotation marks are removed entirely.
Pronouns need to reflect the new point of view.
Not: She said I was tired. (when she is not the speaker retelling this)
Correct: She said she was tired.
Not every reported sentence shifts its tense.
While tense often moves into the past, some situations do not require this shift at all. This exception is covered in detail in the When Backshifting Isn’t Needed lesson.
Check your understanding
Is each sentence direct speech or reported speech?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence.
He said that he had finished the report.
✅ Exactly! There are no quotation marks, and the sentence retells his words.
❎ Not quite. Are there quotation marks anywhere in this sentence?
Look for quotation marks.
“I have finished the report,” he said.
✅ Exactly! His exact words are quoted directly.
❎ Not quite. This sentence includes quotation marks around his exact words.
Is this sentence in quotation marks?
“I am tired,” Maria said. What does “I” become when this is reported?
✅ Exactly! The pronoun shifts to match Maria’s identity from the new point of view.
❎ Not quite. Who is “I” referring to in the original sentence?
Who said this sentence?
Choose the best explanation
Select the sentence that explains the change correctly.
Why does “I” become “she” when Maria’s words are reported by someone else?
✅ Exactly! Pronouns shift to stay accurate once the sentence is spoken from a new point of view.
❎ Not quite. Think about who “I” would refer to if left unchanged.
Why are quotation marks removed in reported speech?
✅ Exactly! Quotation marks signal an exact quotation, which reported speech is not.
❎ Not quite. Think about what quotation marks signal to the reader.
Quick review
Reported speech retells an idea from a new point of view.
Reported speech retells what someone said without quoting their exact words.
Common changes include a shift in verb tense, pronouns, and time or place expressions, along with the removal of quotation marks.
These changes exist because words like I, now and here only make sense from the original speaker’s point of view, at the original moment.
Not every reported sentence shifts its tense; some exceptions are covered in a later lesson.
Remember
Ask whose words these are, and from when.
Reported speech exists to keep a sentence accurate once it is spoken from a new point of view. Identifying the original speaker and moment is the first step to retelling their words correctly.