Reported Speech
Learn how to retell someone’s words without quoting them directly—and discover the ten topics you can explore to build the pattern from the basics through to fluent, natural use.
Start with the main idea
Reported speech retells what someone said, without quoting it directly.
Reported speech describes how someone’s words are retold, rather than quoted directly. It usually involves dropping the quotation marks and shifting the tense, pronouns and time expressions of the original words to fit the new situation.
In “I am tired,” she said., her exact words are quoted directly. In She said (that) she was tired., the same idea is retold: am becomes was, and I becomes she.
This page begins with the broad idea of what reported speech is. Once that foundation is clear, you can explore each of the ten topics below in more detail.
The core shift
Direct and reported speech describe the same words from different distances.
Every reported sentence has a direct counterpart it is based on.
Direct speech: the exact words, in quotation marks.
“I am tired,” she said.
Reported speech: the same idea, retold.
She said (that) she was tired.
The quotation marks disappear, and the verb, the pronoun, and sometimes the time and place all shift to match the new speaker and moment.
A common thread
Many changes in reported speech follow from one idea: backshifting.
For now, focus on noticing that something moves further into the past, rather than memorising every rule.
The verb tense often moves one step into the past.
“I am tired.” → She said she was tired.
Pronouns shift to match the new speaker.
“I am tired.” → She said she was tired.
Time and place expressions shift to match the new moment.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” → She said she would call the next day.
Recognition clues
A few questions help identify how a sentence is being reported.
Use several clues together, and always consider what kind of original sentence is being retold.
01
Was the original sentence a statement, a question, or a command?
Each type is reported using its own pattern.
02
Are quotation marks present?
Their absence is one of the clearest signs that speech is being reported rather than quoted.
03
Is the reporting verb in the past tense?
This usually triggers backshifting in the words being reported.
04
Do any pronouns, times or places need to change?
These often shift to match the new speaker and moment.
Where do you go next?
Explore each part of reported speech in detail.
Everything you’ve learned so far explains the core idea behind reported speech. The topics below build on that foundation, moving from the basics through to more advanced patterns. Choose any lesson that matches what you want to learn next.
Understanding Reported Speech
Learn what reported speech is, how it differs from direct speech, and why the changes it makes exist.
Example: “I am tired,” she said. → She said she was tired.
Reported Statements
See how a statement is retold, including the role of the word that and the choice of reporting verb.
Example: “I like tea,” he said. → He said (that) he liked tea.
Reported Questions
Discover how a question loses its inversion and question mark once it is reported.
Example: “Where do you live?” → She asked where I lived.
Reported Commands & Requests
Learn how a command or request is reported using an infinitive, rather than the original imperative form.
Example: “Close the door,” she said. → She told him to close the door.
Reporting Verbs
Explore the range of verbs used to introduce reported speech, beyond the everyday said and told.
Example: She admitted that she had forgotten.
Backshifting Tenses
See exactly how each verb tense moves one step into the past when speech is reported.
Example: “I am working.” → She said she was working.
Pronoun Changes
Learn how pronouns shift to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech.
Example: “I lost my keys.” → He said he had lost his keys.
Time & Place Expression Changes
Discover how words like today, tomorrow and here shift to match the new moment and location.
Example: “I’ll see you here tomorrow.” → She said she would see me there the next day.
When Backshifting Isn’t Needed
Learn the situations where the tense stays exactly as it was originally spoken.
Example: “The sun rises in the east.” → She said the sun rises in the east.
Common Reported Speech Mistakes
Review the most frequent errors learners make when reporting statements, questions and commands.
Example: She asked where did I live. (incorrect)
Building your understanding
A single conversation can bring every pattern together.
The ten topics above are not always separate boxes. Retelling a real conversation often means moving between statements, questions and commands within the space of just a few sentences.
The original conversation
“I am running late,” Maria said. “Can you start the meeting without me? Please tell everyone I’ll join in ten minutes.”
Retold as reported speech
Maria said (that) she was running late. She asked if they could start the meeting without her, and she asked me to tell everyone she would join in ten minutes.
Remember
As you work through the individual lessons, you’ll discover that each topic highlights one part of retelling speech accurately. The individual lessons explain how to handle each pattern correctly, and how they combine in natural conversation.
Before you continue
You’re ready to explore reported speech in more detail.
You now understand what reported speech is, how backshifting connects many of its patterns, and how to recognise the type of sentence being reported. From here, choose whichever topic is most useful for your own learning.
Continue your learning
Every lesson in this section focuses on one part of reported speech. Complete them in any order and return here whenever you need a refresher on the big picture.