Reported Speech — Complete Grammar Guide
What is Reported Speech?
Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) is the way we report what someone else said without using their exact words. We change the original sentence according to certain rules.
Direct Speech: She said, “I am tired.” Reported Speech: She said that she was tired.
Why Do We Use Reported Speech?
We use reported speech to tell others what someone said, asked or ordered. It is very common in daily conversation, news, stories and formal writing. In the SEE examination, reported speech is a major grammar topic. Students are asked to change direct speech into reported speech (and sometimes the opposite). Mastering the rules of tense, pronoun, time and place changes is essential for full marks.
- To report someone’s words without quoting them exactly
- To make writing and speaking more natural and connected
- It is one of the most frequently tested topics in SEE English grammar
Direct Speech vs Reported Speech
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Uses the exact words of the speaker | Reports the meaning in our own words |
| Uses quotation marks (“ ”) | No quotation marks |
| She said, “I am happy.” | She said that she was happy. |
Basic Rules for Changing into Reported Speech
- 1Remove the quotation marks.
- 2Use a suitable reporting verb (said, told, asked, ordered, requested, advised, suggested, etc.).
- 3Change the pronouns according to the speaker and listener.
- 4Change the tense of the verb (usually one step back in time) if the reporting verb is in the past.
- 5Change time and place words (now → then, today → that day, here → there, etc.).
- 6Change the sentence structure according to the type (statement, question, command, etc.).
Reporting Verbs
| Type of Sentence | Common Reporting Verbs |
|---|---|
| Statements | said, told, informed, replied, answered, complained, explained |
| Questions | asked, enquired, wanted to know, wondered |
| Commands / Orders | ordered, commanded, told |
| Requests | requested, asked, begged |
| Advice | advised, suggested, recommended |
| Suggestions | suggested, proposed, recommended |
Important: “Said to” usually changes to “told” when there is an object. She said to me, “I am busy.” → She told me that she was busy.
1. Reporting Statements
Structure: Reporting verb + that + subject + verb (changed) + ...
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| She said, “I am happy.” | She said that she was happy. |
| He said to me, “I will help you.” | He told me that he would help me. |
| They said, “We have finished the work.” | They said that they had finished the work. |
Tense Changes (Backshift)
When the reporting verb is in the past tense (said, told, asked, etc.), the tense of the reported speech usually moves one step back.
| Direct Speech Tense | Reported Speech Tense |
|---|---|
| Present Simple (V1 / V1+s/es) | Past Simple (V2) |
| Present Continuous (am/is/are + Ving) | Past Continuous (was/were + Ving) |
| Present Perfect (has/have + V3) | Past Perfect (had + V3) |
| Present Perfect Continuous (has/have been + Ving) | Past Perfect Continuous (had been + Ving) |
| Past Simple (V2) | Past Perfect (had + V3) |
| Past Continuous (was/were + Ving) | Past Perfect Continuous (had been + Ving) |
| Past Perfect (had + V3) | Past Perfect (no change) |
| Future Simple (will + V1) | would + V1 |
| Future Continuous (will be + Ving) | would be + Ving |
| Future Perfect (will have + V3) | would have + V3 |
Modal Verb Changes
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| can | could |
| may | might |
| shall | should / would |
| will | would |
| must | had to / must |
| could, would, might, should, ought to, used to | No change |
Pronoun Changes
Pronouns change according to the speaker (subject) and the listener (object).
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech (examples) |
|---|---|
| I / me / my | he / him / his or she / her / her (depending on the speaker) |
| we / us / our | they / them / their |
| you / your | I / me / my or he / him / his or she / her / her or they / them / their (depending on the listener) |
- He said, “I am busy.” → He said that he was busy.
- She said to me, “You are late.” → She told me that I was late.
- They said, “We will help you.” → They said that they would help me/him/her/us/them.
Time and Place Word Changes
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tonight | that night |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| last week / month / year | the previous week / month / year / the week before |
| next week / month / year | the following week / month / year |
| ago | before |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
2. Reporting Questions
When reporting questions, we do not use the question form. We use statement word order (subject + verb). We do not use the question mark.
Yes/No Questions
Structure: asked + if / whether + subject + verb ...
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| She said, “Are you ready?” | She asked if / whether I was ready. |
| He said to me, “Do you know him?” | He asked me if / whether I knew him. |
| They said, “Have you finished?” | They asked if / whether we had finished. |
WH Questions
Structure: asked + WH word + subject + verb ...
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| She said, “Where do you live?” | She asked where I lived. |
| He said, “What is your name?” | He asked what my name was. |
| They said, “Why did you come late?” | They asked why I had come late. |
3. Reporting Commands and Orders
Structure: ordered / told / commanded + object + to + base verb For negative: ordered / told + object + not to + base verb
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| The teacher said, “Open your books.” | The teacher told us to open our books. |
| He said to me, “Sit down.” | He ordered me to sit down. |
| She said, “Don’t make noise.” | She told us not to make noise. |
4. Reporting Requests
Structure: requested / asked / begged + object + to + base verb
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| She said, “Please help me.” | She requested me to help her. |
| He said to me, “Could you open the door?” | He asked me to open the door. |
| They said, “Please don’t leave us.” | They requested us not to leave them. |
5. Reporting Advice
Structure: advised + object + to + base verb
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| The doctor said, “You should take rest.” | The doctor advised me to take rest. |
| She said to him, “Don’t smoke.” | She advised him not to smoke. |
6. Reporting Suggestions
Structure: suggested + -ing form or suggested that + subject + should + base verb
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| He said, “Let’s go for a walk.” | He suggested going for a walk. / He suggested that we should go for a walk. |
| She said, “Why don’t you study harder?” | She suggested that I should study harder. |
When Tense Does Not Change
- When the reporting verb is in the present or future tense: She says, “I am busy.” → She says that she is busy.
- When the statement is a universal truth or still true: He said, “The earth is round.” → He said that the earth is round.
- When the statement is a habitual fact that is still true.
Important Rules
- 1“Said to” + object usually becomes “told” + object.
- 2In questions, use if/whether for Yes/No questions and the WH-word for WH questions. Use statement word order.
- 3Commands and requests use to + base verb (or not to + base verb).
- 4Pronouns, time words and place words must be changed carefully according to the context.
- 5If the reporting verb is in the present, do not change the tense.
- 6Universal truths and facts that are still true usually do not change tense.
Common Mistakes
- 1Wrong: She said that she is tired. Correct: She said that she was tired. Reason: Backshift is needed when reporting verb is past.
- 2Wrong: He asked where did I live. Correct: He asked where I lived. Reason: Use statement word order in reported questions.
- 3Wrong: She said me that she was busy. Correct: She told me that she was busy. Reason: Use “told” when there is an object.
- 4Wrong: He ordered to open the door. Correct: He ordered me to open the door. Reason: Commands need an object before “to”.
- 5Wrong: She asked that if I was ready. Correct: She asked if I was ready. Reason: Do not use “that” with if/whether.
- 6Wrong: He said, “I will come tomorrow.” → He said that he will come the next day. Correct: He said that he would come the next day. Reason: will → would.
Remember (Memory Tricks)
- Reporting verb in past → usually shift tense one step back
- said to + object → told + object
- Yes/No question → asked if / whether + statement order
- WH question → asked + WH word + statement order
- Command / Request → told / asked / ordered + object + to + V1
- now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, here → there
- I / we change according to the speaker; you changes according to the listener
SEE Exam Tips
- 1Identify the type of sentence first (statement, question, command, request, advice).
- 2Choose the correct reporting verb.
- 3Change pronouns carefully according to who is speaking and who is listening.
- 4Apply tense backshift if the reporting verb is past.
- 5Change time and place words.
- 6For questions, remember statement word order (no auxiliary before subject).
- 7For commands and requests, use “to + base verb”.
- 8Practise transformation of all types regularly — this is the main SEE question format.
How Reported Speech Appears in SEE
- Change the following sentences into reported (indirect) speech
- Change the following sentences into direct speech
- Choose the correct reported speech form
- Complete the sentences with the correct reported form
Quick Revision
- Statements: said / told + that + changed tense and pronouns
- Yes/No Questions: asked if / whether + statement order
- WH Questions: asked + WH word + statement order
- Commands: ordered / told + object + to + V1
- Requests: requested / asked + object + to + V1
- Advice: advised + object + to + V1
- Suggestions: suggested + -ing / suggested that + should
- Always check tense, pronoun, time and place changes