English Reported Speech: Complete Guide with Examples
Reported speech lets you pass on what someone said without quoting them word for word. But it involves more than just removing the quotation marks — tenses shift, pronouns change, and time expressions transform. This guide covers every key area with real examples. Search or filter by category below.
48 items · 6 topics
"She said she was tired"
Direct: "I am tired." — present becomes past in reported speech
"She said she was tired after the long flight."
"He told me he had finished"
Direct: "I have finished." — present perfect shifts to past perfect
"He told me he had finished the report before the deadline."
"They said they would come"
Direct: "We will come." — will becomes would in reported speech
"They said they would come to the party on Friday."
"She explained that she didn't know"
Direct: "I don't know." — simple present shifts to simple past
"She explained that she didn't know the answer to the question."
"He mentioned he was leaving"
Direct: "I am leaving." — present continuous shifts to past continuous
"He mentioned he was leaving for Tokyo the next morning."
"She admitted she had been wrong"
Direct: "I have been wrong." — perfect shifts back to past perfect
"She admitted she had been wrong about the project timeline."
"He confirmed the meeting was cancelled"
Direct: "The meeting is cancelled." — is becomes was
"He confirmed the meeting was cancelled due to bad weather."
"They announced they were hiring"
Direct: "We are hiring." — present continuous shifts back in formal reported speech
"They announced they were hiring ten new engineers that quarter."
"She asked where I lived"
Direct: "Where do you live?" — wh-question becomes statement word order
"She asked where I lived before moving to London."
"He wondered if I had eaten"
Direct: "Have you eaten?" — yes/no question uses if/whether, no inversion
"He wondered if I had eaten anything since the morning."
"They asked whether she was coming"
Direct: "Is she coming?" — whether introduces the reported yes/no question
"They asked whether she was coming to the conference in Berlin."
"She inquired what time it was"
Direct: "What time is it?" — is shifts to was; no inversion after what
"She inquired what time it was when I arrived at the office."
"He asked why she had left early"
Direct: "Why did she leave early?" — did removed; past shifts to past perfect
"He asked why she had left early without saying goodbye."
"The teacher asked who had done the homework"
Direct: "Who has done the homework?" — subject question, no inversion needed
"The teacher asked who had done the homework over the weekend."
"She wanted to know how long I had been waiting"
Direct: "How long have you been waiting?" — perfect continuous shifts back
"She wanted to know how long I had been waiting in the queue."
"He asked whether I could help him"
Direct: "Can you help me?" — can becomes could in reported speech
"He asked whether I could help him with the translation."
"She told me to sit down"
Direct: "Sit down!" — imperative becomes told + infinitive
"She told me to sit down and wait for the interview to start."
"He asked me not to be late"
Direct: "Please don't be late." — negative command uses asked + not + infinitive
"He asked me not to be late for the morning briefing."
"The doctor advised her to rest"
Direct: "You should rest." — advice reported with advised + infinitive
"The doctor advised her to rest for at least a week after surgery."
"She warned him not to touch it"
Direct: "Don't touch it!" — warning reported with warned + not + infinitive
"She warned him not to touch the hot surface."
"He ordered the soldiers to advance"
Direct: "Advance!" — command reported with ordered + infinitive
"He ordered the soldiers to advance at dawn."
"She urged me to apply"
Direct: "You really should apply!" — strong encouragement uses urged + infinitive
"She urged me to apply for the scholarship before the deadline."
"He reminded me to lock the door"
Direct: "Don't forget to lock the door." — reminder uses reminded + infinitive
"He reminded me to lock the door before leaving the office."
"She begged him to stay"
Direct: "Please stay!" — pleading reported with begged + infinitive
"She begged him to stay for just one more day."
"present simple → past simple"
Direct: "I work here." → He said he worked there.
"She said she worked at the hospital. (Direct: "I work at the hospital.")"
"present continuous → past continuous"
Direct: "I am studying." → She said she was studying.
"He said he was studying for his exams. (Direct: "I am studying.")"
"present perfect → past perfect"
Direct: "I have seen it." → She said she had seen it.
"She said she had seen the film twice already. (Direct: "I have seen it twice.")"
"past simple → past perfect"
Direct: "I went there." → He said he had gone there.
"He said he had gone to Paris the summer before. (Direct: "I went to Paris.")"
"will → would"
Direct: "I will call you." → She said she would call me.
"She said she would call me the following morning. (Direct: "I will call you.")"
"can → could"
Direct: "I can help." → He said he could help.
"He said he could help with the move on Saturday. (Direct: "I can help.")"
"may → might"
Direct: "It may rain." → She said it might rain.
"She said it might rain later that afternoon. (Direct: "It may rain.")"
"must → had to"
Direct: "I must leave." → He said he had to leave.
"He said he had to leave immediately after the meeting. (Direct: "I must leave.")"
"say / tell"
Neutral verbs for passing on information; say takes no object, tell requires one
"She said the train was delayed. He told me the train was delayed."
"explain / clarify"
Used when giving a reason or making something clearer
"She explained that the delay was caused by engineering works."
"claim / insist"
Suggest the speaker asserts something strongly, often with implied doubt
"He claimed he had never seen the document before."
"admit / confess"
Used when reporting something the speaker acknowledged reluctantly
"She admitted she had made a mistake in the figures."
"deny / refuse"
Deny reports a negative claim; refuse reports unwillingness to act
"He denied knowing anything about the missing files."
"suggest / recommend"
Report advice or proposals; followed by -ing or a that-clause
"She suggested taking the earlier train to avoid traffic."
"promise / threaten"
Report a commitment or a warning of negative action
"He promised he would return the money by Friday."
"announce / declare"
Used for formal or public statements made to a group
"The CEO announced that the company had exceeded its targets."
"now → then / at that moment"
Direct: "I am busy now." → She said she was busy then.
"She said she was busy then and couldn't take any calls."
"today → that day"
Direct: "I am leaving today." → He said he was leaving that day.
"He said he was leaving that day on the evening flight."
"yesterday → the day before / the previous day"
Direct: "It happened yesterday." → She said it had happened the day before.
"She said it had happened the day before during the afternoon shift."
"tomorrow → the next day / the following day"
Direct: "I'll call tomorrow." → He said he would call the next day.
"He said he would call the following day with an update."
"last week → the week before / the previous week"
Direct: "We met last week." → She said they had met the week before.
"She said they had met the previous week to discuss the proposal."
"next year → the following year"
Direct: "We will expand next year." → They said they would expand the following year.
"They said they would open a new branch the following year."
"here → there"
Direct: "Come here!" → She told him to go there.
"She told him to go there and wait by the main entrance."
"this → that / these → those"
Direct: "Take this form." → He told me to take that form.
"He told me to take that form and fill it in carefully."
Frequently Asked Questions
What is reported speech in English?
Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is a way of describing what someone said without quoting their exact words. It typically involves changing pronouns, shifting tenses one step back (backshift), and updating time and place expressions. For example, "I am tired" (direct) becomes "She said she was tired" (reported).
Do you always have to backshift tenses in reported speech?
Not always. Backshift is required when the reporting verb is in the past and the situation described has changed or is no longer current. However, if the statement is still true or refers to a general fact, you can keep the original tense: "He said the Earth orbits the Sun" (not "orbited"). Backshift is most important in formal writing and exams.
What is the difference between "say" and "tell" in reported speech?
"Say" does not require a personal object — you say something, or you say that... "Tell" always requires a personal object — you tell someone something. Wrong: "She told that she was ready." Correct: "She said she was ready" or "She told me she was ready." This is one of the most common reported speech mistakes.
How do you report questions in English?
Reported questions use statement word order (no inversion) and no question mark. Wh-questions use the question word as a connector: "Where do you work?" → "She asked where I worked." Yes/no questions use if or whether: "Are you ready?" → "He asked if I was ready." Remember to shift tenses and remove do/does/did from the reported version.
How do you report commands and requests?
Commands and requests in reported speech use a reporting verb + object + infinitive. Positive commands use verbs like tell, order, ask, urge, advise, warn: "Go home!" → "He told me to go home." Negative commands add not before the infinitive: "Don't be late!" → "She told him not to be late." The imperative form disappears entirely.
Hearing reported speech used naturally in conversations and podcasts is the fastest route to making it automatic.
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