Understanding Reported Speech

Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is used to tell someone what another person said without repeating the exact words. It is common in conversations, news reports, and everyday writing.

What Is Reported Speech?

In reported speech, quotation marks are usually removed and pronouns, verb tenses, and time expressions may change.

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

Basic Structure

Type	Pattern	Example
Statement	said (that) + clause	He said that he was busy.
Question	asked + if/whether or question word	She asked if I was ready.
Command	told/asked + object + to + verb	The teacher told us to sit down.

Common Tense Changes

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
Present Simple	Past Simple
Present Continuous	Past Continuous
Present Perfect	Past Perfect
will	would

Changes in Time Expressions

Direct	Reported
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day
yesterday	the day before
now	then

Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct
She said that she is happy.	She said that she was happy.
He told that he was late.	He said that he was late.

Reported Speech Exercises

Change to reported speech: “I can swim,” Tom said.
Report the question: “Where do you live?” she asked.
Report the command: “Please close the window,” the teacher said.

Summary

Reported speech expresses another person's words indirectly.
Tenses, pronouns, and time expressions often change.
Use said, told, and asked correctly according to the sentence type.
Mastering reported speech makes conversations and writing more natural.