Reported Speech Rules: Tense Changes, Reporting Verbs & Examples

Reported speech (indirect speech) is used to report what someone has said without repeating their exact words. When converting from direct speech, we often need to adjust verb tenses, pronouns, and expressions of time and place so that the sentence fits the speaker’s perspective and context.

Reported Speech

Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is used to report what another person said without repeating the exact words. To do this, we often adjust verb tenses, pronouns, demonstratives, and expressions of place or time.

Reported speech is usually introduced by a reporting verb such as say, tell, ask, explain, warn, or suggest, often followed by the conjunction that, if, or whether.

Common reporting verbs include: say, affirm, explain, ask, warn, suggest, order, and advise.

Direct Speech vs. Reported Speech

These are the two main ways to communicate what someone has said.

• Direct speech repeats the speaker’s exact words, using quotation marks and often a colon.
• Reported speech conveys the meaning of what was said in our own words, without quotation marks, and usually uses that or if.

Example:

• Direct: “I am tired,” she said.
• Reported: She said that she was tired.

Different Types of Reported Sentences

Reported Statements

Use that (optional in informal English) after the reporting verb said or told.

• Direct: “I live in Paris.”
• Reported: He said that he lived in Paris.

Reported Questions

Reported questions do not use a question mark, and the word order changes to statement order. Yes–no questions use if or whether.

• Direct: “Where is the station?” he asked.
• Reported: He asked where the station was.

Reported Requests or Commands

Use to or not to with reporting verbs such as asked, told, ordered, or advised.

• Direct: “Please sit down.”
• Reported: She asked me to sit down.

Changes When Using Reported Speech

Tense Changes in Reported Speech

When the reporting verb is in the past, verb tenses in direct speech usually move one step back in time.

Direct Speech	Reported Speech	Example
Simple Present	Simple Past	“I work here.” → He said he worked there.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	“I am studying.” → She said she was studying.
Simple Past	Past Perfect	“I finished.” → He said he had finished.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect	“I have eaten.” → She said she had eaten.
Will	Would	“I will help.” → He said he would help.
Can	Could	“I can swim.” → She said she could swim.
May	Might	“I may go.” → He said he might go.
Must	Had to	“I must leave.” → She said she had to leave.

When NOT to Change the Tense

The tense does not change in reported speech in these situations:

• When the reporting verb is in the present tense.
• When the statement expresses a general truth or fact that is still true.

• Direct: “Water boils at 100°C.”
• Reported: He says that water boils at 100°C.

Changes in Time and Place Expressions

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
today	that day
now	then / at that moment
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
yesterday	the day before
ago	before
here	there
in two weeks’ time	two weeks later

Pronouns and Demonstratives

Changes in pronouns and demonstratives depend on the context—who is speaking and who is being addressed. There is no fixed one-to-one rule.

• Direct: “I like my job.”
• Reported: She said she liked her job.

Say vs. Tell in Reported Speech

One common mistake learners make is confusing say and tell in reported speech.

• Say + (to someone) + that
  He said to me that he was tired.
• Tell + someone + that
  He told me that he was tired.

Last Updated on February 4, 2026