Reported Speech
Look at this sample situation:
A conversation between two classmates:
Liam: I’m studying for the English test tomorrow.
Ella: Really? I thought you had already finished studying.
Liam: No, I haven’t! And I didn’t understand the listening part in the last test.
Later, Ella tells another friend about her chat with Liam:
Liam said (that) he was studying for the English test the next day. He added (that) he hadn’t understood the listening part in the previous test.
You can see from these examples that:
When we report what someone said earlier, the verb tenses usually move one step back in time. This is called backshift of tenses.
I’m studying.
becomes
He was studying.
I didn’t understand.
becomes
He hadn’t understood.
We also change pronouns: I becomes he and time expressions: tomorrow becomes the next day and last test becomes the previous test.
Meaning & structure
Reported Statements
Reported speech is used to tell someone what another person said, thought or asked earlier.
Direct speech:
“I’m tired,” she said.
Reported speech:
She told me/said (that) she was tired.
We usually introduce reported speech with the verbs tell + object and say + that clause. That is optional.
Backshift of Tenses
Direct Speech | Reported Speech | Example (Direct → Reported) |
Present Simple | Past Simple | “I like pizza.” → He said he liked pizza. |
Present Continuous | Past Continuous | “I’m studying.” → She said she was studying. |
Present Perfect | Past Perfect | “I’ve seen it.” → He said he had seen it. |
Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous | “I’ve been studying.” → He said he had been studying. |
Past Simple | Past Perfect | “I bought a new phone.” → She said she had bought a new phone. |
Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous | “I was sleeping.” → He said he had been sleeping. |
Will | Would | “I’ll call you later.” → He said he would call me later. |
Can | Could | “I can swim.” → She said she could swim. |
Must / Have to (obligation) | Had to | “I must go.” → He said he had to go. |
May | Might | “I may see her later.” → He said he might see her later. |
Notes: The modals would, could, might, should and ought to do not change in Reported Speech.
In addition, no changes are made in the following cases:
When the reporting verb is in the present tense:
He says, ''I'll be a lawyer when I grow up."
remains the same when reported:
He says (that) he will be a lawyer when he grows up.
When the sentence expresses a general truth or something that is unlikely to change:
She said, "The days are longer in the summer."
remains the same:
She said (that) the days are longer in the summer.
The Past Perfect Simple and Continuous do not change in reported speech either:
She said, "I had prepared dinner in advance."
remains the same when reported:
She said (that) she had prepared dinner in advance.
The Past Continuous does not usually change; past tenses in time clauses do not change either:
"I was speaking on the phone when the doorbell rang," she said.
when reported does not change:
She said (that) she was speaking on the phone when the doorbell rang.
When something is reported immediately after it is said:
"This dress looks awful," Mary said.
Mary said (that) this dress looks awful.
When something, although said earlier, will take place in the future:
John said, "I'm flying to Rome tomorrow."
remains the same if it is still today/the same day when reported:
John said (that) he is flying to Rome tomorrow.
When there is a Conditional Type 2 or 3 or a sentence with wish/Ifonly:
Peter said, "If I were rich, I would travel a lot."
is a conditional type 2:
Peter said (that) if he were rich, he would traveI a lot.
Karen said, "If I hadn't woken up late, I wouldn't have missed the bus."
is a conditional type 3:
Karen said (that) if she hadn't woken up late, she wouldn't have missed the bus.
Susan said, "I wish I knew his name."
Wish backshifts to wished but knew remains the same:
Susan said (that) she wished she knew his name.
Other Changes
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
today | that day |
tomorrow | the next/following day |
yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
now | then / at that time |
next week, month, etc | the following week, month, etc |
last week, month, etc | the previous week, month, etc |
here | there |
this | that |
these | those |
Note: Pronouns and possessive adjectives change according to the context.
Reporting Questions
Reported Questions are introduced with the verbs ask, inquire, wonder, want to know, etc. The auxiliaries do, does, did and question marks are not used. The word order is the same as in statements and the tenses change according to the rules as for statements.
Wh- questions:
“Where do you live?”
She asked where I lived.
Yes/No questions:
“Do you like coffee?”
He asked if I liked coffee.
Notes:
When reporting yes/no questions, the word if is used.
Question Tags are omitted in Reported Speech:
"They haven't arrived yet, have they?" he said.
becomes:
He asked if they had arrived yet.
Reporting Commands and Requests:
To report commands, we use tell + object + (not) to + infinitive.
“Close the window!”
becomes
She told me to close the window.
“Don’t be late!”
becomes
He told me not to be late.
To report requests, we use ask + object + (not) to + infinitive.
“Please help me.”
becomes
She asked me to help her.
“Please don't do that.”
becomes
She asked me not to do that.
In the FCE exam
Reading and Use of English
Although it is more common to find special verbs of reporting (which we are going to deal with separately), you might find reported speech in part 4, key word transformations.
“I don’t like studying in the morning,” she said.
LIKE
She said she ____________________ in the morning.
Answer: didn’t like studying
"How much does it cost to go to Rome by plane?" he asked himself.
WONDERED
He ____________________ to go to Rome by plane.
Answer: wondered how much it cost
Writing
In essays or reports reported speech is very useful in more formal writing because it makes your tone objective and impersonal. Instead of simply giving your own opinion, you can refer to research, experts, or other people’s views. This helps you support your arguments and sound more academic. Again, reporting verbs are much more common here. Let's see some examples:
Experts have suggested that students should take regular breaks to improve concentration.
It has been discovered in a recent study that young people are spending more time online than ever before.
Notice how the verbs have suggested and has been discovered make the information sound factual and formal. This style works especially well in essays or reports when presenting background information or supporting evidence.
In less formal pieces like reviews or articles, reported speech helps you include opinions, reactions and experiences naturally. You might report what others thought about a film, book, or experience:
The director admitted that filming had been difficult because of the weather.
Some viewers said the ending was disappointing, but I completely disagree.
The staff told me that the restaurant had recently changed its menu.
In those examples, reported speech lets you include other people’s voices without using direct quotes. It also shows your ability to rephrase and summarise which is a key writing skill.
Speaking
In parts 3 and 4, you can use reported speech to make your language richer and more interactive. It shows you can refer back to what has been said, express agreement or contrast and add opinions naturally.
In part 3 you can comment on what your partner has just said to keep the conversation flowing:
As my partner said, we should probably focus on recycling first.
I agree with what you mentioned about public transport; it really needs improvement.
Like you said, using renewable energy could be a good long-term solution.
This shows good collaborative communication, which examiners look for.
In part 4 reported speech can help you refer to ideas from the discussion or things you’ve learned before:
My teacher told us that climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face.
I read somewhere that people are becoming more interested in eco-friendly travel.
Experts have said that young people today are more aware of environmental issues than in the past.
This demonstrates the ability to use complex grammar structures naturally, which helps you achieve a higher score in the assessment criteria.