Master Reported Speech: The Ultimate Guide to Indirect Communication

Reported Speech, often referred to as Indirect Speech, is an essential skill for fluency in English. It allows us to convey what someone else said without quoting them directly. Mastering this topic is critical for academic writing, professional communication, and everyday conversations.

This comprehensive guide will break down the rules of reported speech, from the basic necessary shifts (known as backshifting) to advanced techniques using varied reporting verbs, ensuring you can accurately and fluently convey information every time.

1. Direct vs. Reported Speech: The Core Difference

Before diving into the rules, let's establish the fundamental difference:

I. Direct Speech: Repeats the original speaker’s exact words. It is always enclosed in quotation marks (" ").

Example: She said, "I am busy now.

II. Reported Speech (Indirect Speech): Conveys the meaning of the original statement, but the grammar is adjusted (often backshifted in tense). Quotation marks are removed, and a reporting verb (like said, told, or claimed) is used, usually followed by that (though that is often optional).

Example: She said (that) she was busy then.

The main challenge in reported speech is knowing what to change and how to change it.

2. The Golden Rule: Backshifting of Tenses

When the reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked) is in the past tense, the tense of the reported clause almost always shifts back one step into the past. This is known as backshifting.

The following table illustrates the most common and crucial tense shifts for high-ranking content accuracy:

Direct Speech Tense	Reported Speech Tense	Beginner Example	Advanced Example
Present Simple	Past Simple	Direct: “I like tea.”	Reported: He said he liked tea.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	Direct: “We are moving.”	Reported: They announced they were moving.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect	Direct: “She has finished.”	Reported: He told me she had finished.
Past Simple	Past Perfect	Direct: “I saw the film.”	Reported: She mentioned she had seen the film.
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous	Direct: “They were waiting.”	Reported: He explained they had been waiting.
Past Perfect	Past Perfect	Direct: “I had slept.”	Reported: She confirmed she had slept. (No Change)

Modal Verbs Shifts:

Direct Modal	Reported Modal	Example
Will	Would	“I will go.” $\rightarrow$ He said he would go.
Can	Could	“I can help.” $\rightarrow$ She said she could help.
May	Might	“It may rain.” $\rightarrow$ They thought it might rain.
Must	Had to	“I must leave.” $\rightarrow$ He insisted he had to leave.

External Resource Recommendation: For further practice on modal verbs, it’s recommended to consult the Cambridge Dictionary on the usage of modal verbs in reported speech.

3. The Mandatory Contextual Shifts: Pronouns, Time, and Place

Tense shifts are only part of the process. Because the context (the speaker, the listener, the time, and the location) has changed, you must also adjust pronouns and adverbs of time and place.

A. Pronoun Changes (The Perspective Shift)

Pronouns shift to match the perspective of the new reporter.

Direct: "I need to talk to you about my project."

Reported: He said that he needed to talk to me/her/them about his project.

B. Time and Place Adverbials

Words referring to the immediate present or proximity must shift to reflect distance in time and space.

Direct Speech Adverbial	Reported Speech Adverbial
Now	Then / At that moment
Today	That day
Tomorrow	The next day / The following day
Yesterday	The day before / The previous day
Here	There
This / These	That / Those
Ago	Before

Example: She whispered, "I will travel to this city tomorrow."

Reported: She whispered that she would travel to that city the next day.

4. Reporting Different Sentence Types: Questions and Commands

Reported speech is not just for statements. You must adjust the structure when reporting questions or commands.

A. Reporting Questions (Interrogative Sentences)

Questions in reported speech become statements and do not use a question mark. The word order changes from auxiliary-subject to subject-auxiliary.

1. Yes/No Questions: Use if or whether.

Direct: "Are you ready?"

Reported: He asked if she was ready.

2. Wh- Questions: Use the Wh- word (who, what, where, why) as the connector.

Direct: "Where did they go?"

Reported: She inquired where they had gone.

B. Reporting Commands and Requests (Imperative Sentences)

Commands, instructions, and requests are reported using the reporting verb followed by an infinitive (to + verb).

Direct: The teacher said, "Open your books."

Reported: The teacher told us to open our books.

Direct: He pleaded, "Please don't tell anyone."

Reported: He begged me not to tell anyone.

5. Mastering Reporting Verbs for Advanced Fluency

To elevate your language from a beginner to an advanced level, move beyond using just said and told. Varied reporting verbs allow you to express the speaker's tone, intention, or emotion with greater precision.

Verb Category	Reporting Verb	Example
Suggestion/Proposal	suggested, proposed, advised	He advised that she study harder.
Agreement/Disagreement	agreed, denied, claimed	They denied having seen the document.
Emotion/Intention	promised, threatened, complained	She complained about the long wait.
Explanation/Clarity	explained, remarked, stated	The CEO stated the company would expand.

Technique: Many advanced reporting verbs do not use that + clause, but instead use a gerund, an object, or an infinitive.

Direct: "I didn't steal the car."

Reported (Advanced): He denied stealing the car. (Verb + Gerund)

Direct: "I'll definitely call you soon."

Reported (Advanced): She promised to call me soon. (Verb + Infinitive)

Check out our articles about "If clauses 'Conditionals ' in English" here

6. Advanced Techniques and Exceptions

For users moving toward full mastery, knowing the exceptions to backshifting is vital for accurate, natural-sounding speech.

A. Avoiding Back shifting (No Tense Change)

You do not need to backshift the tense if:

1. The statement is a permanent truth or general fact (e.g., scientific fact, proverb).

Direct: The historian said, "The Earth is round."

Reported: The historian said that the Earth is round. (The tense remains Present Simple).

2. The reporting verb is in the Present, Present Perfect, or Future Tense.

Reporting Verb Present: He says, "I am tired." $\rightarrow$ He says he is tired.

3. The reported action is still true or relevant in the present moment.

Direct: She said, "I live in New York." (And she still lives there.)

Reported (Optional): She said she lives in New York. (You can still backshift to lived, but the present tense is acceptable and more accurate here.)

B. Reporting Modal Verbs with No Change

The modal verbs would, could, might, should, and ought to do not change in reported speech.

Direct: He said, "I should prepare the report."

Reported: He said he should prepare the report. (No change to should).