Is reported speech confusing for you? Are the changes hard to understand? I’ll explain everything you need to know about reported speech in the easiest way possible!
Direct speech uses a speaker’s exact words and is enclosed in quotation marks.
Reported speech uses a noun clause to express what someone has said without quotation marks.
Direct speech is also called “quoted speech,” while reported speech is also known as “indirect speech.”
Here is one example:
Direct speech: Sue said, “I will be home at 7 p.m.”
Reported speech: Sue said (that) she would be home at 7 p.m.
The word that in reported speech is optional, but there are some cases where we must use it.
In this blog post, I will explain everything you need to know about direct and reported speech. If you find that the explanation in this post is not suitable for your level but still need to know how to make a reported speech, don’t worry.
You can focus on the tables or pictures I’ve provided. Just follow the form shown, and you’ll be just fine.
Contents
What is direct speech?
What is reported speech?
Reported speech structure
Say or tell in reported speech
Changes in the reported speech
Modal verbs in reported speech
Reporting verbs in reported speech
Negative reported speech
Reported questions
Common mistakes in reported speech
Conclusion
Grammar book reference
What is direct speech?
We use direct speech when we want to describe what someone has said word for word. It can be found in various types of writing, such as newspaper articles, stories, novels, and academic papers.
For example:
| Speakers’ exact words | Direct speech |
|---|---|
| Diane: Dogs are adorable. Paul: Yes, they are. Do you have a dog? | Diane said, “Dogs are adorable.” Paul said, “Yes, they are. Do you have a dog?” |
What is reported speech?
We use reported speech (or indirect speech) to report what someone has said at a later time. In reported speech, not all of the exact words are used, pronouns may change, and quotation marks are not used.
Additionally, the tenses used by the original speaker are often changed.
Reported speech structure
To understand better the further rules of reported speech, we need to understand the structure first.
Reported speech consists of two clauses: the reporting clause and the reported clause. Now, let’s examine each of them.
Reporting clause
The reporting clause consists of a subject and a reporting verb.
A reporting verb is a verb that we use to report what someone has said.
The most common reporting verbs are say, tell, and ask. Since we typically report at a later time, the reporting verbs are often in the past tense, such as said, told, and asked.
For example, take a look at the reporting clause in bold:
- Dana said, “I am not guilty.”
Dana said (that) she was not guilty.
Dana told me that she was not guilty.
- John said, “Dana, where were you?”
John asked Dana where she had been.
- His father said, “Kim, open the door.”
Kim’s father told her to open the door.
Reported clause
The reported clause contains the information from the original speaker in a noun clause form. It can be in that-clause, wh-clause, or to-infinitive clause.
Again, when we report at a later time, the tense in the reported clause is changed.
For example, look at the reported clause in bold:
- Dana said, “I am not guilty.”
Dana said that she was not guilty. (that-clause)
- John said, “Dana, where were you?”
John asked Dana where she had been. (wh-clause)
- His father said, “Kim, open the door.”
Kim’s father told her to open the door. (to-infinitive clause)
Below is the structure of reported speech:
Say or tell in reported speech
Tell is followed by a noun or pronoun as an object to show who the person is talking to.
For example:
- John told Diana that he would pick her up. (Diana=noun)
John told her that he would be here soon. (her=pronoun)
He told that he would be here soon. (wrong)
On the other hand, say doesn’t need to be followed immediately by a noun or pronoun.
- John said he would hurry.
He said to me he would hurry. (not common but correct)
In reported speech, we use tell as the reporting verb for imperative sentences.
For example:
- Kim said, “Leave.” (imperative)
Kim told me to leave.
In other words, the basic rule is:
Say + something (to someone)
Tell + someone (about something)
Changes in the reported speech
There are some changes we need to make when converting direct speech to reported speech. Let’s go through them one by one.
1. Changing tenses in reported speech
To change tenses in indirect speech, we need to first pay attention to the reporting verb.
Take a look a this example :
- John said, “I want you to finish the task before 9 p.m.”
He said he wanted us to finish the task before 9 p.m.
Reporting verb : said
When the reporting verb (in this case: said) is simple past, the verb in the reported clause changes into a past form (in this case: wanted)
This is often used when reporting what someone said after some time has passed. It’s also common in formal English.
Now, let’s compare these examples based on when the reported speech is spoken.
Example 1
Yesterday, Sue got home late.
Sue: I failed the test. (spoken words from Sue, the verb is in the past)
She said, “I failed the test.” (I quoted what Sue said in a written text.)
Now, two people are talking about what Sue said last night. Look at the reported speech about Sue in bold.
A: What did Sue say when she got home last night?
B: Oh, she said that she had failed the test. (reported speech, the verb tense changes from past simple to past perfect)
However, if you report something immediately, or in an informal setting, the verb tense doesn’t change.
Example 2
Sue just got home late. She said, “I failed the test.”
A few seconds later, two people discuss what Sue said.
A: What did Sue just say? I didn’t hear her.
B: She said she failed the test. (reported speech, the verb doesn’t change)
Look at this table to easily understand the change from direct speech to reported speech when reporting at a later time:
And, here are the changes when you report something immediately:
2. Reported speech without tense change
Sometimes, you might find reporting verbs in the present simple, present perfect, or future simple tense. In these cases, the tense in the reported clause doesn’t change.
Direct speech: Dana says, “I am not guilty.”
Reported speech:
- She says she is not guilty. (present simple, for immediate report)
- She has said that she is not guilty. (present perfect, for an event in the past that still relevant now)
- She will say that she is not guilty. (future simple, for prediction)
3. Changing time and place references
We often change time and place references when reporting what someone has said.
Take a look at the changes in this table:
Let’s put some examples:
- Dana said, “I went shopping yesterday.”
Dana said she had gone shopping the day before.
- Dana said, “I woke up late today.”
Dana said she had woken up late that day.
- Dana said, “I will leave the town tomorrow.”
Dana said she would leave the town the next day.
Mind you, changing “here” to “there” in reported speech is not always necessary.
Change “here” to “there” only if the location where you are reporting the speech differs from the location where the original speaker was.
For example:
You and Ann were at a restaurant. Ann said, “Wait here.”
You report it at the restaurant: Ann told me to wait here.
But, if you report it somewhere else: Ann told me to wait there.
Sometimes, you might need to change ‘there’ to ‘here.’
If the place you’re talking about is where you are currently when reporting the speech, change “there” to “here.”
For example:
A friend called you and said, “Wait at the restaurant. I’ll be there soon.”
If you report it while at the restaurant, you would say: He told me that he would be here soon.
The same goes with “this” and “these.“
Take a look at these examples:
- Sue said, “Move these boxes to the corner.”
Sue told me to move those boxes to the corner.
- Sue asked, “Is this box empty?”
Sue asked me if that box was empty.
Again, check the distance when changing “these” to “those” and “this” to “that.”
If the item is in your hands or close to you, don’t make any changes.
Sue asked, “Is this box empty?”
If the box is out of your range: Sue asked me if that box was empty.
If the box is in your hands or right in front of you: Sue asked me if this box was empty.
4. Changing pronouns in reported speech
Another change we may need to make is with pronouns. It’s important to use the correct pronouns to refer to the right person or thing. So, make sure you know who you are referring to.
Subject pronoun
If you are reporting something you said yourself, no change to the subject pronoun is needed.
For example:
- I said, “I will visit you tomorrow.”
I said that I would visit him/her the next day.
Take a look at the subject pronoun changes here:
When someone says something to you, the change is: you → I.
- Anna said, “You look tired.”
Anna said that I looked tired.
However, if Anna is talking to another person while you are present, the change is: you → he or she.
- Anna said, “Diana, you look tired.”
Anna said that she looked tired.
And, if Anna is talking to more than one person (plural) while you are present, the change is: you → they.
- Anna said, “Guys, you look tired.”
Anna said that they looked tired.
Meanwhile, he/she and they remain the same.
- Anna said, “He looks tired.”
Anna said that he looked tired.
Object pronoun
In changing an object pronoun, you need to understand who the object is/are.
When someone says something to you, and you are the object, then the change is: you → me.
- Anna said, “I’ll lend you some money.”
Anna said that she would lend me some money.
If Anna is talking to another person while you are present, and the object is that person, the change is: you → him or her.
- Anna said, “Diana, I’ll lend you some money.”
Anna said that she would lend her some money.
And, if Anna is talking to more than one person (plural) while you are present, and they are the object the change is: you → them.
- Anna said, “Guys, I’ll lend you some money.”
Anna said that she would lend them some money.
Check out the changes in object pronoun below:
Possessive adjective
First, we need to understand the context before changing the possessive adjective.
When someone is talking to you and referring to something that belongs to both of you, there is no change needed.
- Anna asked, “Where is our new car?”
Anna asked me where our new car was.
However, when it doesn’t belong to you, the change is: our → their.
- Anna asked, “Where is our new car?”
Anna asked me where their new car was.
Another case is when someone is talking to you and another person or people, and referring to something that belongs to both you and them. In this case, the change is: your → our.
- Anna asked, “Where is your new car?”
Anna asked us where our new car was.
Here is the changes:
Possessive pronoun
Changing the possessive pronoun in reported speech follows the same rules as changing possessive adjectives. Look at the table below.
I won’t explain it here, but try to identify the similar pattern yourself. This way, you’ll practice recognizing patterns in grammar. Let me know if you need help!
Here are some examples:
- Anna asked, “Is this new car ours?”
Anna asked me if that new car was ours.
- Anna asked, “Is this new car ours?”
Anna asked me if that new car was theirs.
(Psst… Can you tell the difference between those two examples?)
Reflexive pronoun
If you can figure out the pattern for changing possessive pronouns, then changing reflexive pronouns will be easy for you.
Modal verbs in reported speech
In reported speech, we may also need to change the tense of modal verbs. Take a look at the changes below.
“Had to” is more common in reported speech than “must.” However, we use “must” when reporting a negative statement or making a deduction.
For example:
Sue: You must not leave the house.
Sue said we must not leave the house. (a negative)
Sue: The police must be here at any minute.
Sue said the police must be there at any minute. (a deduction)
If you need more explanation about modal verbs, here are some posts that might help you:
Modal Verbs: How to Ask for Permission and Make Requests
Modal Verbs : How to Express the Ability
Modal Verbs : How to Give Order and Advice
Reporting verbs in reported speech
As I explained above, reporting verbs are the verbs we use to report what someone has said. These verbs can be in either the present or past tense.
Use present tense reporting verbs for general truths, ongoing situations, or when discussing literature or current research.
Use past tense reporting verbs for completed actions or events that happened in the past.
Reporting verbs in present tense
We usually use reporting verbs in past tense in reported speech speech. However, there are occasions where we use present tense.
Use present tense in reported speech for:
Reporting ongoing or current statements:
Use the present tense for the reporting verb if the action or statement being reported is still relevant or ongoing.
Example: She says that she is enjoying the course.
Timeless Statements:
For general truths or statements that are always valid, use the present tense for the reporting verb.
Example: The scientist claims that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Direct quotes and immediate reporting:
When quoting or reporting something immediately or in real-time, the present tense is often used.
Example: He says that he will be here soon.
We usually use “say” or “tell” for reported speech. But they do not give us any information about the speaker’s mood or reason for speaking.
Let’s look for other reporting verbs we can use.
Reporting verbs with that
Some verbs that go with “that” are : admit, explain, add, and agree.
Check out these examples:
- Bob said, “I’m not very good at math.”
Bob admitted that he wasn’t very good at math.
The word “admit” shows unwillingness on the part of Bob. He’s not proud of his statement yet he admitted it.
- Tania said, “I’m sorry about the delay. There was unexpected traffic.”
Tania explained that the delay was due to unexpected traffic.
The word “explain” indicates that she provided a detailed reason for the delay, clarifying the situation.
- Mr. Clark said, “This project is well done. You have good teamwork, too.”
Mr. Clark praised our project, and added that we had good teamwork.
The use of “added” here shows that Mr. Clark is providing more information to complement his praise for the project.
- Sue said, “This movie is great!”
Phil said, “Yes, it is.”
Phil agreed with her that the movie was great.
The verb “agree” is followed by “with” and an object.
You may encounter another verbs, such as: mention, point out, complain, and some more.
Reporting verbs with object and to-infinitive
To report orders, advice, and requests, we use reporting verbs followed by an object and a to-infinitive. We usually use “tell” for an order and “ask” for a request. But there are more reporting verbs.
For example:
- The doctor said, “Take a deep breath.”
The doctor told me to take a deep breath.
- Leslie said, “Could you please pick up the children from school?”
Leslie asked me to pick up the children from school.
- My mother said, “Remember to come home earlier.”
My mother reminded me to come home earlier.
- Alan’s father said, “You are not allowed to hear this conversation. Go to your room.”
Alan’s father ordered him to go to his room.
- Diana said, “Just apply for that job. You’ll get it.”
She encouraged me to apply for that job.
- Mr. Dean said, “You should sign the contract.”
Mr. Dean advised me to sign the contract.
Reporting verbs with to-infinitive
Some reporting verbs are not followed immediately by an object, but only by to-infinitive.
For example:
- She offered to help me with that project.
- They promised to be there on time.
- He agreed to assist me in that exposition.
Negative reported speech
To report a negative direct speech, we need to look at the verbs.
Negative reported speech with auxiliary verbs
If the negative direct speech uses the auxiliary verbs such as be, do, and have, the change is on the auxiliary verbs in the negative reported speech.
Don’t change the main verbs. Just change the auxiliary verbs into negative.
For example:
- John said, “I don’t work at night.”
John said he didn’t work at night.
- Diana said, “My computer isn’t working.
Diana told me that her computer wasn’t working.
- Susan said, “My parents haven’t sent me the address because there is no internet.
Susan explained that her parents hadn’t sent her the address because there was no internet.
Negative reported speech with not to
If you are reporting negative orders, advice, and requests, put “not to” between the object and the main verb to make a negative reported speech.
For example:
- Mr. Dean said, “You shouldn’t sign the contract.”
Mr. Dean advised me not to sign the contract.
- Paul said, “Don’t enter that room. It’s full of dust.”
Paul warned me not to enter that room because it was full of dust.
- My mother said, “You must not leave the house before I return.”
My mother told me not to leave the house before she returned.
Reported questions
I’ve mentioned that reported speech is another term for indirect speech. However, reported question is different from the indirect question.
reported speech = indirect speech
reported question ≠ indirect question
An indirect question makes a question sound more polite, while a reported question reports what someone else has asked.
We use “ask” or “want to know” as reporting verbs.
In this section, I’ll show you how to make reported questions (or reporting questions) from direct questions.
Reported open questions
An open question uses question words such as what/who/where/when/why or how. We call them the Wh-words.
To make a reported question we use a reporting verb and a Wh-word. The subject comes before the auxiliary verbs (is/am/are) or the modal verbs.
And the tense change applies to those verbs.
For example:
- Dana said,” What is the problem?”
Dana asked me what the problem was.
Dana asked me what was the problem. (wrong)
- Paul said, “Where are my keys?”
Paul asked me where his keys were.
- Nina said, “Why can’t you stay for dinner?”
Nina asked me why I couldn’t stay for dinner.
Nina asked me why couldn’t I stay for dinner.(wrong)
- Sue said, “When will I see you again?”
Sue asked me when I would see her again.
Reporting open questions with do
In reporting open questions with do/does, we leave out that auxiliary verb and change the tense of the main verb.
For example:
- Dana asked, “What do you want?”
Dana asked me what I wanted.
- Paul asked, “Why did you leave?”
Paul asked me why I had left.
- Sue asked me, “What does a nurse do?”
Sue asked me what a nurse does.
(The tense doesn’t always change, depending on the context. In this case, it’s a question about general knowledge.)
Reported closed questions
Closed questions are those that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.”
If the direct question is a closed question, use “if” or “whether” to report the question. “Whether” is more formal than “if”.
If the question use “do” or “does”, leave them out of the reported question and change the tense of the main verb.
For example:
- My manager asked, “Are you ready for the meeting?”
My manager asked me if I was ready for the meeting.
- Dana asked, “Does Diana work on Saturdays?”
Dana wanted to know if Diana worked on Saturdays.
- Paul asked, “Have you finished the report yet?”
Paul asked whether I had finished the report.
(The object after “asked” can be left out if it’s clear from the context and you don’t need to emphasize who the object was.)
- Sue asked, “Will you stay for dinner?”
Sue wanted to know if I would stay for dinner.
Reporting questions with or
If the direct question presents a choice using the word “or,” use “if” or “whether” to report that question. Omit “do/does” and change the tense of the main verb.
For example:
- Sue asked John, “Do you want soda or mineral water?”
Sue asked him if he wanted soda or mineral water.
- Sue asked, “Do you prefer sandwich or hamburger?”
Sue asked me if I preferred sandwich or hamburger.
Common mistakes in reported speech
As far as I can tell from my own study and from working with other learners, these are some common mistakes in making reported speech:
1. Incorrect tense changes
Failing to change the tense properly when reporting what someone said.
2. Forgetting or misusing reporting verbs
Either leaving out the reporting verb or using one that doesn’t fit the context.
3. Not changing modal verbs appropriately
Forgetting to adjust modal verbs like “can” to “could” or “will” to “would.”
4. Omitting “that” when needed
Leaving out “that” after certain reporting verbs, making the sentence unclear or awkward.
5. Not changing pronouns and references when necessary
Failing to adjust pronouns to reflect who is speaking and who is being spoken about. Also the reference of place and time.
6. Not swapping the order of the subject and verb in reported questions
Keeping the original word order of a question instead of changing it to the correct order in reported speech.
Conclusion
Wow… This turned out to be quite a long post!
Basically, the main things to focus on in reported speech are changing tenses and pronouns. You need to understand the situation to know what needs to change.
So, how can you learn everything about reported speech all at once?
My advice: Take it step by step.
Start by learning how to write affirmative reported speech by changing the tenses.
Next, practice changing pronouns and using modals in reported speech.
Then, try working on negative reported speech and reported questions.
Once you’re comfortable with those, start practicing by actually speaking. You can do this by recounting past conversations to a friend or even by talking to yourself. The more you practice, the easier it will become.
Remember, don’t rush it. Learning reported speech takes time, but by breaking it down into smaller steps, you’ll build a solid understanding that will help you in both writing and speaking.
Grammar book reference
Azar, Betty, and Stacy Hagen. Understanding and Using English Grammar. Pearson Education, Hoboken, NJ, 2017.
DK. English for Everyone: English Grammar Guide: A Comprehensive Visual Reference. DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley), 2016.
Thomas, Barbara, et al. Grammar and Vocabulary for First and First for Schools Book with Answers and Audio. Cambridge University Press, 2015.
What can I do for you?
Although I consider this post a complete guide to reported speech, I always leave room for improvement.
You may come across other types of reported speech that I haven’t encountered before.
Do you mind sharing your thoughts about it? It would be a huge help for me!
Even better, connect with me here and throw me your questions. I occasionally update this article, so subscribe here to receive more updates.
If you have any doubts, just let me know!