Reported Speech: Time and Place Changes
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Shift time and place words to match the reporter's perspective, moving from 'here and now' to 'there and then'.
- Change 'now' to 'then' or 'at that time' (e.g., 'I am busy now' becomes 'He said he was busy then').
- Change 'here' to 'there' to reflect the change in location (e.g., 'Come here' becomes 'He told me to go there').
- Shift relative dates like 'tomorrow' to 'the next day' (e.g., 'I'll call tomorrow' becomes 'She said she'd call the next day').
Overview
You tell what someone said. You must change some words. Change the time and place words too.
Their 'here' is not your 'here'. You must change the words. This makes the story clear.
Change the words so people understand. It helps you speak clearly.
How This Grammar Works
- Direct Speech: The manager said, "I need this report
now." - Reported Speech: The manager said he needed that report
then.
Formation Pattern
now | then, at that moment | "I'm busy now," she said. → She said she was busy then. |
today | that day | "I will call today," he promised. → He promised he would call that day. |
yesterday | the day before, the previous day | "I saw him yesterday," she claimed. → She claimed she had seen him the day before. |
tomorrow | the next day, the following day | "I'll finish it tomorrow," he stated. → He stated he would finish it the next day. |
last week/month/year | the week/month/year before, the previous week/month/year| "I moved here last year," he explained. → He explained he had moved there the year before. |
next week/month/year | the next week/month/year, the following week/month/year | "The meeting is next month," she reminded us. → She reminded us the meeting was the following month. |
ago | before, earlier | "I came here an hour ago," he mentioned. → He mentioned he had come there an hour before. |
this morning/afternoon/evening | that morning/afternoon/evening | "I'm leaving this morning," she declared. → She declared she was leaving that morning. |
here | there | "Please sit here," she invited. → She invited me to sit there. |
here and you are reporting it from the exact same location, here can remain here. For example, if you're standing in a shop and your friend says, "I often buy coffee here," and you immediately tell someone else in the same shop, "She said she often buys coffee here." The shared here makes the shift unnecessary.
When To Use It
- Recounting Past Conversations: When sharing news, gossip, or general information from a previous discussion, you will almost always need to adjust time and place markers. If a friend told you on Monday, "I'm meeting Sarah
tomorrow," and you're telling another friend on Wednesday,tomorrowmust change tothe day after(orWednesday) to accurately reflect when the meeting occurred. - Summarizing Meetings or Instructions: In professional settings, you often summarize decisions, tasks, or deadlines. For example, if your manager said in a meeting, "I need the draft by
this Friday," and you're sending a follow-up email on Tuesday,this Fridaymight becomeby Fridayorby the end of the weekifthis Fridayis still in the future for the email's recipient, orby that Fridayif it's already passed. - Narrating Events or Stories: When telling a story about something that happened, you often quote or paraphrase what people said. The time and place where those words were originally spoken are rarely the same as the time and place of your narration, making these shifts essential for the narrative's coherence.
- Reporting Formal Statements: News reports, legal documents, or academic citations often involve reporting speech. In these contexts, precise shifts are critical to avoid misrepresentation of facts or timelines.
Common Mistakes
- 1Forgetting to Shift Time Expressions After Tense Backshift: The most frequent error is applying tense backshift correctly but leaving time expressions unchanged, leading to logical inconsistencies.
- Incorrect: "She said she was coming
tomorrow." (If reported days later) - Why it's wrong: If the original
tomorrowreferred to Tuesday, and you're reporting on Thursday,tomorrownow refers to Friday, not Tuesday. The originaltomorrowhas passed. - Correct: "She said she was coming
the next day." (Orthe following day)
- 1Confusing
that daywithyesterday: Whentodayin direct speech refers to the day the original statement was made, it transforms tothat dayin reported speech, notyesterday.
- Direct: "I'll finish this
today," he promised on Monday. - Incorrect (on Tuesday): "He promised he would finish it
yesterday." - Why it's wrong:
Yesterdayfrom your Tuesday perspective is Monday. While the action happened on Monday,yesterdayinaccurately implies thatyesterdaywas the originaltoday.That daypoints to the specific day the promise was made, which was Monday. - Correct (on Tuesday): "He promised he would finish it
that day."
- 1Incorrectly Using
agovs.before:Agorelates to the present moment of speaking (e.g.,two days agomeans two days before now).Before(orearlier) relates to a point in the past that has already been established (e.g.,two days beforemeans two days before then).
- Direct: "I started my job three months
ago," she said last week. - Incorrect (reported today): "She said she had started her job three months
ago." - Why it's wrong:
Three months agofrom your currentnowis different fromthree months agorelative to when she spoke last week. - Correct: "She said she had started her job three months
before." (Referring to three months before last week)
- 1Over-Shifting When Not Necessary: While shifting is generally safer, sometimes the context makes it redundant or unnatural. This is common when the reported situation is still active or valid at the time of reporting.
- Direct: (You are in Paris) "I love
here," she exclaimed. - Incorrect (still in Paris): "She exclaimed that she loved
there." - Why it's wrong: Since you are still in Paris, the
hereremains relevant. Shifting totheresuggests a distance that doesn't exist from your current perspective. - Correct: "She exclaimed that she loved
here." (Tense backshift is usually still applied).
- 1Forgetting
this/thesechanges: Learners often remember to change adverbs likenowbut overlook demonstratives used as adjectives or pronouns.
- Direct: "
Thisproject is challenging," he admitted. - Incorrect: "He admitted that
thisproject was challenging." - Why it's wrong: If
thiswas referring to a specific project close to him at the time, reporting it later should shift tothatto maintain consistency. - Correct: "He admitted that
thatproject was challenging."
Real Conversations
Understanding the rules is one thing; observing their application in authentic communication is another. These examples demonstrate how native English speakers naturally adjust time and place expressions across various modern communication contexts, from casual texts to formal summaries.
1. Casual Text Message Exchange (Recounting an Event)
- Original Direct Speech (Friend A to you, Tuesday evening): "I saw the new movie tonight. It was amazing!"
- Reported Speech (You to Friend B, Wednesday morning via text): "OMG, Sarah texted me. She said she'd seen the new movie that night and it was amazing! You have to watch it!"
- Explanation: Tonight shifts to that night because the time of reporting (Wednesday morning) is after the original tonight (Tuesday evening). This ensures Friend B understands the movie was seen on Tuesday.
2. Work Email (Summarizing a Task)
- Original Direct Speech (Manager in a Monday meeting): "Please submit your quarterly reports by the end of the day tomorrow."
- Reported Speech (You to a colleague, Tuesday morning via email): "Just a reminder from the meeting yesterday: The manager asked us to submit our quarterly reports by the end of the following day."
- Explanation: Tomorrow (from Monday's perspective) shifts to the following day (from Tuesday's perspective) to accurately reflect the deadline. The original tomorrow is now the today of the email, so the following day correctly refers to Wednesday.
3. Social Media Post (Sharing a Past Experience)
- Original Direct Speech (Traveler's thought/journal entry from a trip to Japan): "I'm finally here in Tokyo! I've dreamed of this moment for years."
- Reported Speech (Traveler's Instagram post, back home a week later): "Remember when I posted about being there in Tokyo a week ago? I had dreamed of that moment for years."
- Explanation: Here becomes there as the traveler is no longer in Tokyo. This moment becomes that moment to reflect the passage of time and the shift in deictic centre. The informal a week ago here indicates the reporting time, but if another past reporting verb were used, ago would typically become before.
4. Personal Storytelling (Explaining a Previous Conversation)
- Original Direct Speech (My sister to me, last Friday): "I got engaged three weeks ago! I'll tell mom next week."
- Reported Speech (Me to a friend, this Monday): "My sister told me on Friday that she'd gotten engaged three weeks before, and she said she would tell mom the following week."
- Explanation: Three weeks ago (relative to last Friday) becomes three weeks before (relative to last Friday's conversation). Next week (relative to last Friday) becomes the following week (relative to last Friday's conversation), correctly pointing to the upcoming week from that past point.
These examples showcase the dynamic nature of reported speech and how speakers intuitively adjust temporal and spatial markers to maintain clarity and contextual accuracy. Mastering these changes makes your English sound more natural and precise.
Quick FAQ
- Q: Do I always have to change time and place expressions in reported speech?
- A: Not always. If the time or place reference is still valid or current at the moment of reporting, the change is optional or unnecessary. For example, if someone says "I live
here" and you are reporting from the same location,herecan remainhere. However, if there's any ambiguity or distance in time/space, applying the shift is the safer and more standard grammatical choice.
- Q: What if the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g.,
says,tells)? - A: If the reporting verb is in the present tense, it indicates that the original statement is still relevant, immediately present, or being repeated as a current fact. In such cases, neither tense backshift nor changes to time and place expressions are typically required.
- Direct: She says, "I'm busy
now." - Reported: She says she's busy
now.
- Q: Can I use more specific time phrases like
two days laterorthe day after tomorrow? - A: Yes, absolutely. While
the next dayis common fortomorrow, you can use more precise expressions liketwo days later,three weeks before, orthe day after tomorrow(referring to the day afterthe next dayin reported speech) if they accurately convey the timeline. The goal is always clarity.
- Q: What happens if the original statement did not contain a specific time or place adverb?
- A: If the original direct speech does not include words like
now,here,today,this, orago, then there are no corresponding time or place expressions to change in reported speech. You only make these adjustments when the specific deictic markers are present in the original utterance.
- Q: Are these rules strict for
thisandthatwhen they act as pronouns or adjectives? - A: Yes, the rules for
this(singular, proximity) becomingthat(singular, distance) andthese(plural, proximity) becomingthose(plural, distance) are generally quite strict, especially when referring to specific items or situations identified at the time of the original utterance. This ensures the reported speech maintains the correct spatial or conceptual distance.
- Q: Does it matter if the reported speech is written or spoken?
- A: The rules apply equally to both written and spoken reported speech. However, in very informal spoken contexts, native speakers might occasionally omit certain shifts if the context is perfectly clear to all participants. For learners, it's best to consistently apply the rules to develop accurate habits.
Common Time and Place Transformations
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech | Example (Direct) | Example (Reported) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Now
|
Then / At that time
|
I am ready now.
|
He said he was ready then.
|
|
Today
|
That day
|
I'll do it today.
|
She said she'd do it that day.
|
|
Tomorrow
|
The next/following day
|
See you tomorrow.
|
He said he'd see me the next day.
|
|
Yesterday
|
The day before / previous day
|
I went yesterday.
|
She said she had gone the day before.
|
|
Here
|
There
|
Put it here.
|
He told me to put it there.
|
|
This / These
|
That / Those
|
I like this car.
|
He said he liked that car.
|
|
Ago
|
Before
|
A week ago.
|
A week before.
|
|
Next week
|
The following week
|
I'm busy next week.
|
He said he was busy the following week.
|
Meanings
The process of adjusting adverbs of time and place when converting direct speech into indirect speech to maintain logical consistency from the reporter's perspective.
Temporal Shift
Changing time-related words (now, yesterday, tomorrow) to reflect the passage of time since the original statement.
“She said she had finished the report the day before.”
“They mentioned they would arrive the following week.”
Spatial Shift
Changing place-related words (here, this room) to reflect the reporter's current location relative to the original speaker.
“He told me to meet him there.”
“She said she liked that house.”
Demonstrative Shift
Changing 'this' and 'these' to 'that' and 'those' when they refer to specific objects or time periods.
“He said he wanted those shoes.”
“She mentioned she was busy that morning.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + said + (that) + shifted time/place
|
He said he was there that day.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + said + (that) + not + shifted time/place
|
She said she wasn't there then.
|
|
Question
|
Subject + asked + if/wh- + shifted time/place
|
He asked if I would be there the next day.
|
|
Command
|
Subject + told + object + to + verb + there
|
She told him to go there immediately.
|
|
Past Reference
|
Subject + said + had + verb3 + before
|
They said they had finished two days before.
|
|
Future Reference
|
Subject + said + would + verb + the following...
|
I said I would call the following week.
|
Formality Spectrum
The director stated that the meeting would commence there the following day. (Workplace communication)
He said the meeting would start there the next day. (Workplace communication)
He said the meeting was there tomorrow. (Workplace communication)
He was like, 'meeting's there tomorrow'. (Workplace communication)
The Distance Shift
Time
- Now -> Then Time shift
- Today -> That day Date shift
Place
- Here -> There Location shift
- This -> That Object shift
Direct vs. Indirect Perspective
Should I shift the word?
Are you in the same place as the speaker?
Is it still the same day?
Examples by Level
He said he was there.
She said she was happy then.
They said they liked that.
He told me to go there.
He said he would call that day.
She said she had seen him the day before.
They said they were leaving the next day.
He mentioned he lived in that house.
She told me she had finished it two hours before.
He said he would be busy the following week.
They asked if I had been there the previous month.
She said she couldn't talk at that moment.
The witness claimed he had seen the suspect there that night.
She explained that those documents were ready for review.
He promised he would have the results by the following morning.
They noted that the weather had been terrible the week before.
The CEO remarked that the company had faced similar challenges the previous decade.
He argued that the events of that day had changed everything.
She suggested that we meet there the following fortnight.
They wondered why he hadn't arrived by that time.
The author reflects on how those fleeting moments defined his youth.
It was stipulated that the funds be transferred by the following business day.
He recounted the tale, noting that he had stood there exactly fifty years before.
The diplomat stated that the treaty would be signed there the subsequent month.
Easily Confused
Learners often remember to change the verb (is -> was) but forget the time word (now -> then).
'Ago' is used for time measured from the present moment. 'Before' is used for time measured from a point in the past.
In direct speech, 'come' implies movement toward the speaker. In reported speech, the reporter is often elsewhere, so 'come' becomes 'go'.
Common Mistakes
He said I am here now.
He said he was there then.
She said she likes this.
She said she liked that.
They said they will come tomorrow.
They said they would come the next day.
He said he arrived two days ago.
He said he had arrived two days before.
She asked if I was coming here.
She asked if I was going there.
He said he would do it next week.
He said he would do it the following week.
He said he is here today (when reported a week later).
He said he was there that day.
Sentence Patterns
He said he would be ___ the following ___.
She mentioned that she had seen ___ the day ___.
They told us to put ___ ___.
It was reported that the event had taken place ___ ___ before.
Real World Usage
He said he was going there tonight.
The client mentioned they would review it the following week.
I saw him standing there two hours before.
She told me she had seen them that day.
The Prime Minister stated that day that taxes would not rise.
The agent said the flight would depart at that time.
The 'Still There' Rule
Avoid 'Ago'
Tomorrow's Trouble
Formal vs Informal
Smart Tips
Immediately think 'before'. It's the most common mistake in B1 exams.
Check if you are still there. If you are, don't change 'here' to 'there'.
You can almost always use 'the' instead of 'that' to sound more natural.
If you are reporting it on Saturday, you can just say 'today'!
Pronunciation
Stress on the Shift
When reporting, we often put a slight stress on the shifted word (there, then, that) to emphasize the change in context.
Falling intonation on time markers
He said he'd arrive the next ↘day.
Conveys a completed piece of information.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the 'T' rule: Time and Territory (Place) always move Toward the past/distance (Then, There, That).
Visual Association
Imagine a person standing in a spotlight labeled 'NOW/HERE'. When they speak, they are in the light. When you report it, you are standing outside the light, looking at them from a distance. The light is 'THAT' place and 'THEN' time.
Rhyme
If they said 'here', you say 'there'. If they said 'now', you say 'then' with care.
Story
A spy is listening to a secret meeting. The villain says, 'We meet here tomorrow!' The spy runs to his boss and says, 'He said they would meet there the next day.' If the spy said 'here tomorrow', the boss would go to the wrong place at the wrong time!
Word Web
Challenge
Look at your last 3 sent text messages. Try to report them out loud to an imaginary person, changing all time and place words correctly.
Cultural Notes
British speakers are more likely to use 'the following fortnight' instead of 'two weeks later' in formal reported speech.
Americans often use 'that' as a filler or to add distance even when not strictly required by grammar rules.
In news reporting, 'yesterday' is often kept if the newspaper is published the very next morning, but changed to 'Tuesday' or 'that day' in weekly magazines.
The concept of 'deixis' (pointing with words) comes from Ancient Greek. English developed specific adverbial shifts to maintain narrative clarity as the language moved from Old English to Middle English.
Conversation Starters
What did your boss say in the meeting yesterday?
Tell me about a promise someone made to you last year.
What was the last thing your best friend told you on the phone?
If you could report a famous historical speech, what would you say?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
He said he was ___ ___.
She said she would see me...
Find and fix the mistake:
He said he had finished the work two days ago.
She said she liked ___ ___.
You must always change 'here' to 'there' even if you are still in the same room.
B: 'What did he say?' C: 'He said he had gone to London ___ ___.'
Direct: 'Today' -> Reported: ?
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesHe said he was ___ ___.
She said she would see me...
Find and fix the mistake:
He said he had finished the work two days ago.
She said she liked ___ ___.
You must always change 'here' to 'there' even if you are still in the same room.
B: 'What did he say?' C: 'He said he had gone to London ___ ___.'
Direct: 'Today' -> Reported: ?
1. Now, 2. Here, 3. Ago
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesThe news reported that the event would happen ___.
My mom told me to clean my room now.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Él dijo que había estado allí la semana anterior.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the direct speech expressions with their reported speech forms:
She promised to send the documents ___.
He told us he will be here today.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Nos dijo que se mudarían el año siguiente.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the direct speech expressions with their reported speech forms:
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
Not if you are reporting the speech on the same day it was spoken. If someone says 'I'll call tomorrow' at 10 AM and you tell a friend at 2 PM, you can still say `tomorrow`.
It changes to `before` or `earlier`. For example, 'three days ago' becomes `three days before`.
Yes! Often `this` becomes `the` if the specific 'that-ness' isn't important. 'I like this book' -> 'He said he liked the book'.
Because 'come' implies moving toward the speaker. If the reporter is in a different place, the movement is now 'away' from the original spot, which requires `go`.
Both are correct. `The following day` is slightly more formal and common in writing, while `the next day` is common in speech.
It follows the same rule as 'today' and becomes `that night`.
Yes, especially in formal business emails where you are summarizing past conversations for a third party.
Usually, people will still understand you, but it might sound like the event is happening `now` or `here`, which can be factually confusing.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Cambios de tiempo y lugar
English is stricter about backshifting the verb along with the time word.
Le discours indirect
French often uses 'le lendemain' for 'the next day', which is a very fixed phrase compared to English variations.
Indirekte Rede
German relies on verb mood (subjunctive) more than adverbial shifts to signal reported speech.
引用 (In'yō)
Japanese does not require backshifting of tenses or time words as frequently as English.
الكلام المنقول (Al-kalam al-manqul)
Arabic often maintains the original time word if the meaning is clear from context.
间接引语 (Jiànjiē yǐnyǔ)
The lack of tense shifts in Chinese makes the adverbial shifts the *only* way to show time, yet they are often omitted if the context is clear.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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