Reported speech / Indirect speech

Grammar / A2 Grammar lessons and exercises \ Reported speech / Indirect speech

✏️ Exercises

Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

📣 What is Reported Speech?

When we tell someone what another person said or thought, we use reported speech (also called indirect speech). We often need to change:

  • Verb tenses (present → past, etc.)
  • Pronouns (I → he/she, you → me/him, etc.)
  • Time and place expressions (now → then, here → there, etc.)

Direct: Sally: “I don’t have time.”

Reported: Sally said that she didn’t have time.

Direct: Peter: “I am tired.”

Reported: He said that he was tired.

Illustration showing the concept of reported speech: a person speaking directly vs someone reporting what was said, with arrows indicating changes in pronouns and tenses.

➖ Omission of “that”

We often leave out that after reporting verbs like say, think, believe, know, etc. It’s optional and more natural in spoken English.

  • ✅ She said (that) she was late.
  • ✅ I thought (that) I would get the job.
  • ✅ He knew (that) they were lying.

🗣️ Say or Tell?

The most common reporting verbs are say and tell. But they’re used differently:

  • Tell requires an object (tell someone something):

    ❌ They said me they would help.

    ✅ They told me they would help.

  • Say does NOT take an indirect object directly — use say something (to someone):

    ❌ He told that he didn’t have a car.

    ✅ He said (that) he didn’t have a car.

    → You can add recipient: He said to me that he didn’t have a car. (less common)

Grammar chart comparing 'say' and 'tell' in reported speech: 'say something' vs 'tell someone something', with correct and incorrect examples.

🔄 Tense Changes in Reported Speech

When the original statement was in the past, we usually “backshift” the tense:

Direct SpeechReported Speech
I am tired.He said he was tired.
I have seen that movie.She said she had seen that movie.
I will call you.He said he would call me.
I can help.She said she could help.
I must go.He said he had to go.

⚠️ No backshift if the statement is still true or refers to general facts:
“The Earth orbits the Sun.” → She said the Earth orbits the Sun.

Visual grammar chart showing tense changes in reported speech: present simple to past simple, present perfect to past perfect, will to would, etc., with arrows and examples.

👤 Pronoun Changes

Pronouns change depending on who originally spoke and who is reporting it:

  • Speaker → 3rd person (I → he/she, we → they)
    “I will help you.” → He said he would help me.
  • Listener → 1st person (you → I/me)
    “That’s my pen.” → She said it was her pen.
  • Object reference
    “I need your help.” → She said she needed my help.
Diagram showing pronoun changes in reported speech: first person (I, we) becomes third person (he, she, they), second person (you) becomes first person (me, us) depending on context.

❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ She said me she was busy.

✅ She told me she was busy.

❌ He told that he is coming tomorrow.

✅ He said (that) he was coming the next day.

❌ They said us they had finished.

✅ They told us they had finished.