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Grammar
B2Upper-intermediateTopic: Reported speech

Reported speech

Tell someone what another person said, asked or told you to do.

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We use reported speech to tell someone what another person said, without quoting their exact words. When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), the tense usually moves one step back: "I'm really busy" becomes He said he was really busy.

Say and tell

Tell always needs a person: told me, told her, told the class. Say doesn't, and if we mention the person we use to. That is often left out in speech.

Verb
Pattern
Example
say
say (that) + sentence
She said (that) she was busy.
say
say something to someone
He said goodbye to us.
tell
tell + person + (that)
She told me (that) she was busy.
  • They told me they'd moved to a new flat.
  • She said she would be late.
  • Incorrect: He said me that he was busy.
  • Correct: He told me that he was busy.
    If you say who heard it, use tell.
  • Incorrect: He told that he would come.
  • Correct: He said that he would come.

Tense changes

Each tense moves one step into the past. Would, could, should, might and had done don't change. In speech, the past simple often stays the same: He said he saw it is fine.

Direct speech
Reported speech
"I work here."
He said he worked there.
"I'm leaving."
She said she was leaving.
"I saw it."
He said he had seen it.
"We've finished."
They said they had finished.
"I'll call."
He said he would call.
"I can swim."
She said she could swim.
"You must go."
He said I must go / had to go.
  • "I'll send it tomorrow." She said she would send it the next day.
  • "I can't come." He said he couldn't come.
  • Incorrect: Last week he said he will call me tomorrow.
  • Correct: Last week he said he would call me the next day.
    Said is past, so will usually becomes would. And that "tomorrow" is now in the past.

When the tense doesn't change

Keep the tense when the reporting verb is in the present, or when the information is still true now.

  • She says she's tired.
  • Our teacher said the Earth goes round the Sun.
    (It is still true.)
  • He said the museum opens at ten.

Time, place and pronouns

If we report on another day or in another place, words about time and place change too. Pronouns change to fit the speaker.

Direct speech
Reported speech
today
that day
tomorrow
the next day, the following day
yesterday
the day before, the previous day
next week
the following week
two days ago
two days before
here, this
there, that
  • "I like your flat." She said she liked my flat.
  • "I saw him yesterday." She said she had seen him the day before.

Reported questions

A reported question has normal sentence word order (subject + verb), no do, does, did and no question mark. Keep the question word; if there isn't one, use if or whether.

  • "Where do you live?" She asked me where I lived.
  • "What time does the shop close?" I asked what time the shop closed.
  • "Do you eat meat?" The waiter asked if I ate meat.
  • Incorrect: She asked me where do I live.
  • Correct: She asked me where I lived.
  • Incorrect: She asked me did I like jazz.
  • Correct: She asked me if I liked jazz.
    Yes/no questions are reported with if or whether.

Orders, requests and advice

Use tell (orders) or ask (requests) + person + to + verb. For a negative, use not to.

  • "Please sit down." She asked us to sit down.
  • "Turn off your phones." The teacher told everyone to turn off their phones.
  • "Please don't park here." The guard asked us not to park there.
  • Incorrect: He told me don't worry.
  • Correct: He told me not to worry.

Reporting verbs

Instead of say and tell, we often use a verb that shows what the speaker did. Each verb has its own pattern.

Pattern
Verbs
Example
verb + to do
offer, promise, refuse, agree, threaten
He offered to drive me home.
verb + person + to do
advise, remind, warn, invite, persuade
She warned us not to swim there.
verb + -ing
deny, admit, suggest, recommend
He admitted making a mistake.
verb + preposition + -ing
apologise for, insist on, thank (someone) for
She thanked me for helping.
  • "I'll pay for dinner." She offered to pay for dinner.
  • "I didn't take your charger." He denied taking my charger.
  • "Sorry I'm late." She apologised for being late.
  • "Why don't we take a taxi?" He suggested taking a taxi.
  • Incorrect: He suggested me to take a taxi.
  • Correct: He suggested taking a taxi.
    Suggest is never followed by person + to do. You can also say he suggested (that) we take a taxi.

Practise this rule

Related rules

Where this rule sits

All B1 rulesReported speech: all rules

Syllabus topics on this page

  • B1IntermediateReported speech: statements
  • B1IntermediateReported questions
  • B2Upper-intermediateReported commands and requests
  • B2Upper-intermediateReporting verbs

Read first

  1. Past PerfectB1Intermediate
  2. Verb patterns: -ing vs to-infinitiveB1Intermediate
  3. Indirect questionsB1Intermediate