slug: reported-speech title: Reported Speech group: structures order: 2 summary: Report what someone said by backshifting the tense one step into the past. formula: S + said (that) + S + V (backshifted one tense)
When to use it
Reported (indirect) speech tells us what someone said without quoting their exact words. The reporting verb — usually said, told, or asked — sits in the past, so the tense inside the reported clause shifts one step further back.
Direct: "I am tired." Reported: She said (that) she was tired.
The word that is optional and is often dropped in casual speech. Time expressions and pronouns also shift to match the new perspective.
Form
| Direct speech tense | Reported speech tense |
|---|---|
| Present simple ("I eat…") | Past simple (she said she ate…) |
| Present continuous ("I am eating…") | Past continuous (she said she was eating…) |
| Past simple ("I ate…") | Past perfect (she said she had eaten…) |
| Present perfect ("I have eaten…") | Past perfect (she said she had eaten…) |
| Will ("I will eat…") | Would (she said she would eat…) |
| Can ("I can eat…") | Could (she said she could eat…) |
No backshift is needed when the reporting verb is present tense ("She says she is tired") or when the situation is still true at the time of reporting.
Examples
- He said he had never visited Vietnam before.
- She told me she would call in the morning.
- They asked whether I could help them with the project.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to backshift: "He said he is hungry" → He said he was hungry.
- Mixing
saidwith a direct object: "She said me that…" → She told me that… (telltakes an object;saydoes not). - Leaving pronouns unchanged: "He said 'I am ready'" → He said he was ready (not "He said I was ready").