Reported speech means passing on someone else’s words in our own words instead of quoting them exactly. In English three things usually change: the tense (it moves one step back), the pronouns, and time and place words. In questions the word order changes as well. You need this topic for grammar questions, for following conversations in Listening, for referring to sources in Writing (The author claims that…) and for retelling other people’s views in Speaking.
§1. Direct and reported speech
Direct: She said, "I am tired." · Reported: She said (that) she was tired.
Direct speech repeats the exact words in quotation marks; reported speech has no quotation marks, and the words become a subordinate clause. The conjunction that is often left out.
say or tell?
say — no listener mentioned, or the listener with to: He said that he was busy.He said to me that…
tell — always with the listener, no preposition: He told me that he was busy. (✗ said me, ✗ told that)
say (to somebody) that… · tell somebody that…
§2. Backshift of tenses
When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), the tense of the original words moves one step back. The logic: we are reporting later, so what was said now belongs to the past.
Present Simple → Past Simple: "I like it" → he liked it
Present Continuous → Past Continuous: "I am working" → she was working
Present Perfect → Past Perfect: "I have finished" → he had finished
Past Simple → Past Perfect: "I saw him" → she had seen him
will → would, can → could, may → might, must → had to (or must)
would, could, should, might, ought to and the Past Perfect do not change.
When backshift is not needed:
The fact is still true: He said the Earth goes round the Sun.
The reporting verb is in the present: She says she is busy.
The situation has not changed, so backshift is optional: He said he lives in Tashkent. (he still does)
Worked example
"I will call you tomorrow," Anvar said to me.
said to me → told me (the listener is mentioned).
Pronouns: Anvar’s I → he; my you → me.
Tense: will → would.
Time word: tomorrow → the next day.
Answer: Anvar told me (that) he would call me the next day.
§3. Pronouns, time and place words
Pronouns change logically, depending on who spoke, who is reporting and who is being talked about: "My brother lives here" (said Dilnoza) → Dilnoza said her brother lived there.
Time and place words change too, because the words are reported at a different time and place:
now → then · today → that day · tonight → that night
tomorrow → the next day / the following day · yesterday → the day before / the previous day
next week → the following week · last year → the year before / the previous year
ago → before · here → there · this → that · →
If the words are reported on the same day and in the same place, these words may stay the same: a today said in the morning can still be today in the evening.
§4. Reported questions
A reported question is not a question, so:
The word order is like a statement: subject + verb.
The auxiliaries do/does/did disappear.
There is no question mark.
Reporting verbs: ask, want to know, wonder.
Wh- questions keep the question word: "Where do you live?" → He asked me where I lived. (✗ where did I live) Yes/no questions add if or whether: "Are you ready?" → She asked if I was ready.
asked + question word / if + subject + verb (statement order)
Worked example
"What time does the lesson start?" the student asked.
It is a wh- question, so what time stays.
does disappears and the order becomes a statement: the lesson started.
The tense moves back: starts (does start) → started.
No question mark.
Answer: The student asked what time the lesson started.
§5. Commands, requests and reporting verbs
Commands and requests:tell/ask + person + to + V.
"Close the door." → He told me to close the door.
"Please help me." → She asked me to help her.
Negative: not to + V: "Don’t be late." → She told us not to be late.
Instead of repeating said, use verbs that report the function of what was said. This earns higher marks in Writing:
advise / remind / warn / invite / encourage + person + to V
offer / promise / refuse / agree / threaten + to V
suggest + V-ing or suggest that + subject + (should) V
apologise for + V-ing · deny / admit + V-ing · insist on + V-ing
"Let’s go to the park." → He suggested going to the park.
"I didn’t take it." → She denied taking it.
"You should rest." → The doctor advised me to rest.
Worked example
"I’ll help you with the project," she said. — report it with offer.
The function is an offer of help, so use offer.
offer is followed by to + V.
you → me; will is not needed, as offer already expresses the intention.
Answer: She offered to help me with the project.
§6. A routine for reporting
What type of sentence is it: statement, question or command?
Choose the reporting verb: said/told, asked, told … to, or advised, offered, denied.
If the reporting verb is past, move the tense one step back.
Change the pronouns according to who spoke and who is reporting.
Change time and place words.
For questions: statement order, no do/did, and if/whether where needed.
Check yourself
"I am happy," she said. → She said that she ___ happy.
"I have lost my key," he told me. → He told me that he ___ his key.
"Do you speak English?" the officer asked me. → The officer asked me ___ I spoke English.
"Where did you buy it?" Sardor asked. → Sardor asked where I ___ it.
"Don’t touch the plate," the waiter said to us. → The waiter told us ___ touch the plate.
"I’ll help you," she said. → She ___ to help me.
"I can swim," he said. → He said he ___ swim.
He ___ me that he was busy. (said / told)
Common mistakes
✗ He said me → ✓ He told me or He said to me.
Keeping question order: ✗ He asked where did I live → ✓ He asked where I lived.
A question mark after a reported question: ✗ She asked if I was ready?
Not changing tomorrow, here, this when reporting on a different day.
Negative commands: ✗ told me don’t touch → ✓ told me not to touch.
An infinitive after suggest: ✗ He suggested to go → ✓ He suggested going.