We use reported speech to tell someone what another person said. We can use direct speech or indirect speech.
Direct speech requires speech marks: Mark said, ‘I have a dog.’
Indirect speech does not use speech marks: Mark said that he had a dog.
In indirect speech, the tense is often changed one level back in the past (have > had). Pronouns and some other words may also need to be changed (I > me, here > there, today > yesterday).
Present simple, present continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous
The present simple changes to the past simple, the present continuous to the past continuous and the present perfect to the past perfect.
‘I often visit friends in Tokyo.’
Jamila said (that) she often visited friends in Tokyo.
‘Tom is studying.’
He told me (that) Tom was studying.
‘I’ve lost my phone.’
She said (that) she’d lost her phone.
Past simple and past continuous
The past simple usually moves to the past perfect simple, and the past continuous usually becomes the past perfect continuous.
‘We stayed in a nice hotel in Paris.’
She told me (that) they had stayed in a nice hotel in Paris.
‘She was sleeping.’
He told me (that) she had been sleeping.
Past perfect
The past perfect doesn’t change tense.
‘I’d been to Paris twice before I became 16.’
He said he’d been to Paris twice before he had become 16.
Will, Can and other modal verbs
Modal verbs usually do the following:
will, would > would / can, could > could / must, have to > had to [must (speculation) > must] / shall, should > should / may, might > might [may (permission) > could]/ ought to > ought to
‘You must get a visa. May I help you?’
He said I had to get a visa and asked if he could help me.
‘She could swim when she was four. Now she can swim over 3000m.’
She said her friend could swim when she was four and that now she could swim over 3000m.
‘She must be out. She may still be at work.’
He said she must be out and that she might still be at work.
Commands
Use a commanding verb followed by to + infinitive.
‘Sit down and be quiet!’
He told me to sit down and be quiet.
‘Don’t do that!’
He ordered her not to do that.
Times we do not need to change tense
If what the speaker originally said is definitely still true or relevant at the time of reporting, it’s not always necessary to change the tense. Facts (science, history etc.) do not need the tense changed as they are always true.
‘I live in Kyoto.’
She told me that she lives in Kyoto. [I know she is still there]
‘I’m studying English at university.’
He said he’s studying English at university. [I know it hasn’t changed]
‘I’ve been to Hawaii twice.’
She said she’s been to Hawaii twice. [I’m sure she hasn’t been again since we spoke]
‘I stayed in New York for a week last year. I saw a musical.’
He said he stayed in New York for a week last year and he saw a musical. [It is still last year]
‘Earth orbits the Sun.’
The teacher said that Earth orbits the Sun. [fact]
BUT:
If it is a long time between speaking and reporting, the information may no longer be true. In that case, it is better to change tense.
‘I’m happy.’
Immediate reporting this is still true: He said he is happy.
3 hours later this may not still be true: He said he was happy.
‘I went to Tokyo last week.’
The same day reporting: She said she went to Tokyo last week.
Two weeks later this is no longer true: She said she had been to Tokyo a few weeks ago.
Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time and place
These may need to change in indirect speech.
‘It’s my car,‘ said Emiko.
Emiko said (that) it was her car.
We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place if they are not accurate at the time of reporting.
‘This is Kinkakuji.’
He said (that) this is Kinkakuji. [Reporting in front of Kinkakuji.]
He said (that) that was Kinkakuji. [Reporting from another place.]
‘We live here.’
She said (that) they live here. [Reporting from the same place.]
She told me (that) they live there. [Reporting from another place.]
‘I will do it tonight.’
She told me she will do it tonight. [Reporting the same day before ‘tonight’.]
She told me she would do it tonight. [Reporting ‘tonight’. I don’t know if she has already done it or not.]
She told me she would do it last night. [Reporting the next day. I don’t know if she did it or not.]
‘I went to Paris last year’
He said he went to Paris last year. [It is still ‘last year’]
He said he (had gone/went) to Paris two years ago/in 2023/a long time ago. [Change according to how long ago it was.]
Say, tell, is saying, is telling, was saying, was telling, was like etc.:
When reporting directly after the person speaks, such as when translating, we can use present tenses for the reporting verb. In this case, the reported speech that follows does not need to change tense:
He says that he lives in Kyoto and he says that he’s working at a supermarket.
So, he’s telling me that he can’t swim, but he wants to try diving.
When reporting an earlier conversation, we can also use ‘says,’ ‘tell,’ ‘he’s like,’ or ‘she was like,’ with direct speech for a more exciting way to report:
So, she says, “Hey!” and I say, “What?” and she tells me, “You hit my car!”
And he’s like, “Who ate my cake?” and I’m like, “You did!”
Indirect reported questions:
When reporting questions we usually use the verb ‘ask’, or more informally, ‘want to know’.
Tense shifting works in a similar way to indirect reported statements.
The word order matches that of a statement.
With yes/no questions, we add ‘if’ (or ‘whether’)
Do you live in Japan? > He asked me if I lived in Japan.
Can you lend me 1000 yen? > She wanted to know if I could lend her 1000 yen.
Is there a free seat? > I asked if there was a free seat in the café.
With ‘wh..’ questions, the word order also matches that of a statement.
Where do you live? > He asked me where I lived.
What’s your hobby? > She asked him what his hobby was.
When did you wake up? > He wanted to know when I woke up.
How will you go home? > She asked him how he would go home.
Who has been to America? > She asked who had been to America.
Who do you love? > He asked who she loved.
How do you make it? > He wants to know how (you/to) make it.
Other reporting verbs:
There are many other reporting verbs apart from ‘say’, ‘tell’ and ‘ask’, but many use different grammar structures:
The following use the same ‘tense change’ ideas as say and tell:
Verb + that + clause – say, explain, mention, add, answer, agree, admit, complain etc.
I complained that I hadn’t been served for over 30 minutes. The waiter answered that he was rushed off his feet.
Verb + object + that + clause – tell, warn, remind, persuade, assure etc.
I reminded her that she had to go to the meeting.
These reporting verbs use different grammar structures: (Note: some verbs can work with different structures)
Verb + infinitive + clause (no ‘that’) – agree, claim, offer, demand, refuse, promise, threaten etc.
They demanded to know who was in the room.
He promised not to tell anyone.
Verb + object + infinitive + clause – advise, ask, encourage, invite, remind, tell, warn etc.
He encouraged her to go so she invited her friend to join her.
Verb + ing + clause – admit, deny, mention, recommend, suggest etc.
He suggested getting a taxi but she admitted having no money.
Verb + (object) + preposition + ing + clause – apologise for, complain about, insist on, accuse him of, blame her for etc.
He blamed his boss for making the mistake but she accused him of lying.
Verb + (that) + subjunctive – suggest, ask, command, demand, order, recommend etc.
She suggested that he go home but he demanded that he stay.