Reported Speech

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Reported speech is used to tell what someone else said, without quoting their exact words.

1. Tense Changes

When reporting speech, tenses usually move one step back in time.

✓
Direct: "I am tired." → Reported: She said she was tired.
Present → Past
✓
Direct: "I have finished." → Reported: He said he had finished.
Present perfect → Past perfect

2. Reporting Questions & Commands

Use "asked" + if/whether for yes/no questions, "asked" + question word for wh-questions, "told/asked" + to infinitive for commands.

✓
"Are you coming?" → She asked if I was coming.
Yes/no question
✓
"Close the door!" → He told me to close the door.
Command

3. Time and Place Changes

Time and place expressions change when reporting speech from a different time or location.

✓
"I'll see you tomorrow." → He said he would see me the next day.
tomorrow → the next day
✓
"I met her here yesterday." → She said she had met her there the day before.
here → there, yesterday → the day before

4. Modal Verbs in Reported Speech

Some modal verbs change in reported speech, while others remain the same.

✓
"I can help you." → He said he could help me.
can → could
✓
"You must go now." → She said I had to go then.
must → had to

Practice: Change to Reported Speech

1. Direct: "I will call you."

2. Direct: "Where do you live?"

3. Direct: "Don't be late!"

4. Direct: "I have finished my homework."

5. Direct: "Can you help me?"

Quick Reference: Common Changes

Direct Speech Reported Speech
now then, at that time
today that day
tomorrow the next day, the following day
yesterday the day before, the previous day
this that
here there
next week the following week