Reported Speech

 Reported Speech

Introduction

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. At a B2 level, learners are expected to handle tense changes, pronoun shifts, and different reporting verbs with greater accuracy and flexibility.

Direct vs. Reported Speech

• Direct Speech → exact words
  She said, “I am tired.”
• Reported Speech → paraphrased version
  She said (that) she was tired.

Backshift of Tenses

When the reporting verb is in the past (e.g., said, told), the verb tense usually moves one step back.

Present Simple → Past Simple

• “I work a lot.” → He said he worked a lot.

Present Continuous → Past Continuous

• “I am studying.” → She said she was studying.

Past Simple → Past Perfect

• “I finished.” → He said he had finished.

Will → Would

• “I will call you.” → She said she would call me.

No Backshift 

Sometimes the tense does NOT change:

When the information is still true

• “The sun rises in the east.” -- He said the sun rises in the east.

When reporting something very recent

• She just said she is tired.

Changes in Pronouns and Time Expressions

Pronouns

• “I love this place.” -- She said she loved that place.

Time Expressions

• now -- then
• today -- that day
• tomorrow -- the next day
• yesterday -- the day before

“I will go tomorrow.” -- He said he would go the next day.

Reporting Commands and Requests

Use: tell / ask + object + (not) to + verb

• “Close the door.” → He told me to close the door.
• “Don’t be late.” → She told him not to be late.
• “Can you help me?” → She asked me to help her.

Practice Activity

Reported speech might feel tricky at first, especially with all the changes in tenses and structure but don’t worry, it gets easier with practice. The key is to focus on understanding the idea behind what someone said, not just the exact words.

Try using reported speech in real life: tell a friend what someone told you, summarize conversations, or even report what you hear in movies or videos. These small habits can make a big difference.

Mistakes are part of the process, so don’t be afraid to try. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel and soon, you’ll be using reported speech with confidence and ease