Direct vs Reported Speech

Turn quotes into clear reported statements

Direct: "I am tired," she said.
Reported: She said she was tired.

In this lesson, you’ll learn the difference between direct and reported (indirect) speech, how to change tenses, pronouns, time/place words, and how to report statements, questions, and commands.

Lesson Objectives

Recognize Forms

Identify direct vs. reported speech and when to use each.

Backshift Tenses

Apply tense changes after past reporting verbs.

Change References

Adjust pronouns, time, and place expressions.

Report Types

Report statements, questions, and commands/requests.

What is Direct Speech?

Exact words inside quotation marks

  • Uses quotation marks: "..."
  • Keeps original tense, pronouns, and time/place words
  • Reporting verb + comma: She said, "+quote+"
DirectHe said, "I feel sick."
DirectAnna told me, "We are leaving now."

Direct Speech: Punctuation

Commas and Quotes

She said, "I’m ready."

"I’m ready," she said.

Capitalization

He asked, "What time is it?"

Note capital letter at the start of the quote.

Questions

She asked, "Where are you going?"

Question mark stays inside quotes.

What is Reported (Indirect) Speech?

Paraphrase without quotation marks

  • Often uses a that-clause for statements
  • Changes tenses after past reporting verbs (backshift)
  • Adjusts pronouns, time, and place words
ReportedHe said (that) he felt sick.
ReportedAnna told me (that) they were leaving then.

Backshift: Common Tense Changes

Direct Reported after past Example
Present Simple Past Simple "I like it" → He said he liked it.
Present Continuous Past Continuous "I am reading" → She said she was reading.
Present Perfect Past Perfect "I have finished" → He said he had finished.
Past Simple Past Perfect "I saw him" → She said she had seen him.
Will Would "I will go" → He said he would go.

Backshift is typical when the reporting verb is in the past (e.g., said, told, asked).

Time & Place Word Changes

now→then
today→that day
tomorrow→the next/following day
yesterday→the day before/previous day
here→there
  • this → that; these → those
  • last week → the previous week; next week → the following week
  • … ago → … before (e.g., "two days ago" → "two days before")
  • come → go (when the place is away from the reporter)

Why: Time/place words are relative to the original speaker. When reporting later or from a different place, we shift them to keep the meaning accurate.

Pronoun Changes

Keep Meaning

"I love my job," Tom said → Tom said he loved his job.

Match Perspective

"We are ready," they said → They said they were ready.

Object Changes

"I can help you" → She said she could help me.

  • I → he/she; we → they
  • you → I/we/they (depends on who "you" refers to)
  • my → his/her; our → their; your → my/our/their (context-based)
  • this → that; these → those (often with time/place shifts)

Tip: Always change pronouns to match the reporter’s point of view.

Reporting Verbs

say

He said (that) he was tired.

tell + object

She told me (that) she was tired.

ask

He asked me where I lived.

Common patterns

  • say (that) + clause
  • tell + object + (that) + clause (tell needs an object)
  • ask + if/whether + clause; ask + wh-word + clause
  • advise/warn/remind/encourage + object + to/not to + verb
  • suggest/recommend + -ing or (that) + clause
  • promise/refuse/offer/agree + to + verb

Reporting Statements

Form

Subjectsaid/told (object)(that) + clause

"that" is optional in most cases.

Example

  • "I’m busy." → She said (that) she was busy.
  • "We have finished." → They said (that) they had finished.
  • Use said (that) or told + object (that).
  • Backshift the tense if the reporting verb is in the past.
  • Remove quotes; keep normal statement word order.
  • tell must have an object: tell me/us/him…

Reporting Questions

Wh- Questions

Formask + wh-word + subject + verb
Direct"Where are you going?"
ReportedHe asked where I was going.
No question mark; no inversion in reported questions.

Yes/No Questions

Formask + if/whether + clause
Direct"Do you like tea?"
ReportedShe asked if I liked tea.
Use if or whether; keep normal word order.
  • Use ask (not say/tell) to report questions.
  • Drop do/does/did and keep statement order: subject + verb.
  • No question mark; it’s a statement now.
  • Backshift tenses if the reporting verb is in the past.

Reporting Commands & Requests

Imperatives → to + verb

"Sit down." → He told me to sit down.

Negative Imperatives

"Don’t be late." → She asked me not to be late.

Polite Requests

"Could you help me?" → He asked me to help him.

  • tell/ask/order/warn/advise + object + to/not to + base verb
  • Requests: ask (someone) to…; Commands: tell/order (someone) to…
  • Suggestions: suggest/recommend + -ing or (that) + clause (often with should)

Quoted Speech: Style Notes

  • Use commas before opening quotes in American English.
  • Place punctuation inside closing quotes in American English.
  • Use single or double quotes consistently.

When Backshift Is Not Needed

General Truths

  • "Water boils at 100°C." → He said that water boils at 100°C.

Reporting in Present

  • She says (that) she is tired. (No backshift)

Common Mistakes

Using question word order

WrongShe asked where was I.
RightShe asked where I was.
Keep normal subject–verb order in reported questions.

Forgetting objects after “tell”

WrongShe told that she was late.
RightShe told me that she was late.
Use an object after tell.

Guided Practice

You’ll convert direct speech to reported speech. Then continue with more items.

DirectHe said, "I will call you."
ReportedHe said he would call me.

Practice: Choose the Best Report

Convert the sentence:

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Speaking Activity

Role-play Reporting

Student A reads a direct quote. Student B reports it. Switch roles. Focus on backshift and pronouns.

Interview & Report

Interview a partner with 3 questions. Report their answers to the class.

Rewrite a Dialogue

Rewrite a short dialogue entirely in reported speech.

Writing Prompt

Rewrite this dialogue in reported speech.

DialogueAlice: "I can’t find my keys." Bob: "Did you check your bag?"
ReportedAlice said that she couldn’t find her keys. Bob asked if she had checked her bag.

Reading → Reported Speech

Passage→"The coach says, 'We are ready today.'"

Report it: The coach says (that) they are ready today. (No backshift: reporting in present)

Quick Check

DirectShe said, "We finished yesterday."
Your ReportShe said they had finished the day before.

Tip: yesterday → the day before; finished → had finished.

Practice Booster

Continue the interactive practice to boost accuracy.

Convert the sentence:

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Assessment

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Open Printable Worksheet

Summary & Key Takeaways

Direct = exact words with quotes; Reported = paraphrase without quotes.
Backshift tenses after past reporting verbs.
Adjust pronouns and time/place words.
Statements → that-clause; Questions → if/whether or wh-; Commands → to + verb.

Great Job!

You completed Direct vs Reported Speech

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Next Steps

  • Retake the assessment
  • Practice with more sentence transformations
  • Try reporting a news article