Reported Speech: Saying What Someone Said
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Reported speech lets you repeat what someone else said by shifting the verb tense back into the past.
- Use 'said' or 'told' to introduce the speech: He said that he was tired.
- Move the verb one step back into the past: 'I am' becomes 'He was'.
- Change pronouns to match the new speaker: 'I' becomes 'he' or 'she'.
Overview
- She said,
I am tired.
- She said that she was tired.
I love coffee.→ She said she loved coffee.We are ready.→ They said they were ready.
I can help you.→ He said he could help me.
We will be late.→ They said they would be late.
I am studying. → She said she was studying.- said (no object needed): She said she was busy.
- told (needs an object): She told me she was busy.
Tense Backshifting Table
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
Past Simple
|
|
Present Continuous
|
Past Continuous
|
|
Past Simple
|
Past Perfect
|
|
Present Perfect
|
Past Perfect
|
|
Will
|
Would
|
|
Can
|
Could
|
Common Reporting Verbs
| Verb | Usage |
|---|---|
|
Say
|
No object needed
|
|
Tell
|
Requires object
|
|
Ask
|
For questions
|
|
Claim
|
For opinions
|
|
Insist
|
For emphasis
|
Meanings
Reported speech is used to convey what someone else has said without using their exact words (direct speech). It is essential for storytelling and relaying information.
Reporting Statements
Relaying information or opinions shared by others.
“He said he was hungry.”
“She told me she loved the song.”
Reporting Commands
Relaying instructions or requests using an infinitive.
“He told me to sit down.”
“She asked me to help her.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + said + (that) + clause
|
He said he was tired.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + said + (that) + negative clause
|
She said she wasn't hungry.
|
|
Question
|
Subject + asked + if/wh-word + clause
|
He asked if I was ready.
|
|
Command
|
Subject + told + object + to + verb
|
She told me to wait.
|
|
Negative Command
|
Subject + told + object + not to + verb
|
He told me not to run.
|
|
Future
|
Subject + said + would + verb
|
They said they would come.
|
Espectro de formalidad
He stated that he was unavailable. (Work/Professional)
He said he was busy. (Work/Professional)
He said he was tied up. (Work/Professional)
He said he was swamped. (Work/Professional)
The Reported Speech Shift
Tense
- Present Past
Pronouns
- I He/She
Time
- Today That day
Direct vs. Indirect
Ejemplos por nivel
He said he was tired.
Él dijo que estaba cansado.
She said she liked cats.
Ella dijo que le gustaban los gatos.
They said they were hungry.
Ellos dijeron que tenían hambre.
He told me he was happy.
Él me dijo que estaba feliz.
She said that she was going to the store.
Ella dijo que iba a la tienda.
He told me he didn't want to go.
Él me dijo que no quería ir.
They said they had finished the work.
Dijeron que habían terminado el trabajo.
She asked where I was going.
Ella preguntó a dónde iba.
He claimed he had never been there before.
Él afirmó que nunca había estado allí antes.
She mentioned that she would be late.
Ella mencionó que llegaría tarde.
They insisted that they were innocent.
Ellos insistieron en que eran inocentes.
He asked if I could help him.
Él preguntó si podía ayudarlo.
The report stated that the results might change.
El informe declaró que los resultados podrían cambiar.
She suggested that we should leave early.
Ella sugirió que deberíamos irnos temprano.
He denied that he had seen the document.
Él negó haber visto el documento.
They promised they would call the next day.
Prometieron que llamarían al día siguiente.
He argued that the policy was fundamentally flawed.
Él argumentó que la política era fundamentalmente defectuosa.
She speculated that the outcome would be positive.
Ella especuló que el resultado sería positivo.
They asserted that the evidence was conclusive.
Ellos afirmaron que la evidencia era concluyente.
He implied that he knew the truth.
Él dio a entender que sabía la verdad.
She maintained that, had she known, she would have acted differently.
Ella mantuvo que, de haberlo sabido, habría actuado de manera diferente.
He posited that the theory was obsolete.
Él postuló que la teoría estaba obsoleta.
They contended that the decision was unjust.
Ellos sostuvieron que la decisión era injusta.
She intimated that the project might be cancelled.
Ella insinuó que el proyecto podría ser cancelado.
Fácil de confundir
Learners often use 'told' without an object.
Mixing quotation marks with backshifting.
Using question word order in indirect questions.
Errores comunes
He said I am tired.
He said he was tired.
He told that he is happy.
He said that he was happy.
She said me she is busy.
She told me she was busy.
He say he was tired.
He said he was tired.
He asked me where was I.
He asked me where I was.
She said she will go.
She said she would go.
He told he was tired.
He told me he was tired.
He said he has been there.
He said he had been there.
She said she can help.
She said she could help.
He said he went yesterday.
He said he had gone the day before.
He insisted that he is innocent.
He insisted that he was innocent.
She claimed she didn't saw it.
She claimed she hadn't seen it.
They said they will have finished.
They said they would have finished.
He said he would have went.
He said he would have gone.
Patrones de oraciones
He said that he ___ (be) tired.
She told me ___ (go) home.
They said they ___ (will) come.
He asked me ___ I was doing.
Real World Usage
She said she'd be there in 5.
The manager said that I was a great fit.
The guide said the train would arrive at 10.
He said he was quitting his job.
The driver said he was outside.
The author argued that the theory was flawed.
The 'That' Trap
Don't Forget Pronouns
Use 'Told' for People
Reporting Verbs
Smart Tips
Use the infinitive 'to' instead of a full clause.
Always remove the auxiliary 'do/does/did'.
Shift time words to match the new perspective.
Use 'told' if you mention the listener.
Pronunciación
Linking
In 'said that', the 'd' and 'th' often blend.
Intonation
Keep the reporting clause flat and the reported clause clear.
Reporting Clause
He SAID that... ↘
Signals the start of the reported information.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
Backshift the verb, change the 'I' to 'he' or 'she', and you're done!
Asociación visual
Imagine a mirror. Direct speech is you looking at yourself. Reported speech is you looking at a friend standing behind you in the mirror.
Rhyme
When you report what someone said, shift the tense back in your head.
Story
Sarah said, 'I am tired.' I told my friend, 'Sarah said she was tired.' My friend told Sarah, 'I heard you were tired.'
Word Web
Desafío
Find a news headline, rewrite it as a sentence starting with 'The article said that...', and check your tense shift.
Notas culturales
Often uses 'said' more frequently than 'told' in formal settings.
More frequent use of 'told' in casual conversation.
Uses specific reporting verbs like 'argued', 'posited', 'contended'.
Derived from Old English reporting structures, evolving into the modern backshifting system during the Middle English period.
Inicios de conversación
What did your friend say about the movie?
What did the teacher tell you to do?
What did your boss say about the project?
What did the expert claim about the economy?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
He said he ___ (be) happy.
Find and fix the mistake:
She told that she was tired.
He asked where ___.
Direct: 'I will go.'
A: 'I'm busy.' B: 'He said he ___ busy.'
said / he / that / was / tired / he
He ___ me he was coming.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesHe said he ___ (be) happy.
Find and fix the mistake:
She told that she was tired.
He asked where ___.
Direct: 'I will go.'
A: 'I'm busy.' B: 'He said he ___ busy.'
said / he / that / was / tired / he
He ___ me he was coming.
Match: 'I am' -> ?
Score: /8
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
If the information is still true (e.g., 'He said he is a doctor'), you don't have to. But backshifting is always safe.
No, use 'told' instead. 'He told me' is correct; 'He said me' is not.
Change it to 'the next day' or 'the following day' to keep the timeline clear.
No, it is optional in most cases.
Use 'asked' and change the word order to statement form.
Change it to 'could'.
It is the primary way we share information and tell stories in English.
Yes, verbs like 'asserted', 'claimed', and 'insisted' are great for formal writing.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Estilo indirecto
Spanish uses the subjunctive for commands; English uses the infinitive.
Discours indirect
French requires more complex tense sequences than English.
Indirekte Rede
German changes the mood of the verb; English changes the tense.
引用 (Inyou)
Japanese lacks the tense-shifting mechanism of English.
الكلام المنقول
Arabic does not require backshifting.
间接引语
Chinese has no tense to shift.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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