Reported speech: statements

Do you know how to report what somebody else said? Enhance your knowledge with a lesson given below and the grammar explanation to guide you better.

Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person said.

• Direct speech: 'I enjoy hiking in the mountains,' she said.

Indirect speech: She said she enjoyed hiking in the mountains.

• Direct speech: 'I graduated from university last year,' he said.

Indirect speech: He said he'd graduated from university the previous year.

• Direct speech: 'I'll join you for lunch,' she said.

Indirect speech: She said she'd join me for lunch.

Grammar explanation - Reported speech: statements Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

• direct speech: 'I teach at a university,' said Sarah.

• indirect speech: Sarah said that she taught at a university.

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g., taught) than the tense originally used (e.g., teach). This is called 'backshift.' We also may need to change other words that were used, for example, pronouns.

1. Present simple, present continuous, and present perfect

When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous, and present perfect changes to past perfect.

• 'I go hiking every weekend.'

Mark said that he went hiking every weekend.

• 'The kids are playing outside!'

She told me the kids were playing outside.

• 'I've finished my project.'

He said he had finished his project.

2. Past simple and past continuous

When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect simple, and past continuous usually changes to past perfect continuous.

• 'They visited Spain last summer.'

She told me they had visited Spain last summer.

• 'I was studying all night.'

He said he had been studying all night.

3. Past perfect

The past perfect doesn't change.

• 'I had seen that movie before, but I enjoyed it again.'

He said he had seen that movie before, but he enjoyed it again.

4. No backshift

If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. This might happen when the speaker has used a present tense.

• 'I work in the office downtown.'

Jenny told me that she works in the office downtown. I'm thinking of visiting her!

• 'I'm studying for my exams this week.'

He told me he's studying for his exams this week. Maybe I should call him!

• 'I've just eaten lunch!'

She said she's just eaten lunch, so she's not hungry.

5. Pronouns, demonstratives, and adverbs of time and place

Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech.

• 'I love painting,' said Tom.

Tom said that he loved painting.

• 'We competed in the tournament last year,' said Lisa.

Lisa told me they had competed in the tournament last year.

However, if you are the person or one of the people who spoke, then the pronouns don't change.

• 'I'm excited about the trip,' I said.

I told her that I was excited about the trip.

• 'We want our old uniforms back!' we said.

We said that we wanted our old uniforms back.

We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place if they are no longer accurate.

• 'That is my favorite book.'

He said that was his favorite book. [You are not currently near the book.]

• 'We enjoy living here.'

She told me they enjoyed living here. [You are currently in the place they enjoy.]

• 'I'm planning to go shopping today.'

She told me she's planning to go shopping today. [It is currently still the same day.] She told me she was planning to go shopping that day. [It is not the same day anymore.]

In the same way, these changes to those, now changes to then, yesterday changes to the day before, tomorrow changes to the next/following day, and ago changes to before.

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