Advanced reported speech

Direct speech gives the original words: Luca said, “I am leaving tomorrow.” Reported speech tells us the message without repeating it exactly: Luca said he was leaving the next day. This change involves more than shifting a verb. The pronouns and time expressions must match the new speaker and viewpoint.

Tense changes depend on the viewpoint

When the reporting verb is in the past, English often shifts the tense one step back:

“I work from home.” → She said she worked from home.
“I have finished.” → She said she had finished.
“We will call.” → They said they would call.

This is called backshift. It is common when the report is made later or presents the information from a past viewpoint. Backshift is not compulsory if the statement is still true or relevant: The guide said the museum is open on Mondays can present an ongoing fact; was open reports it from the guide’s past viewpoint.

Past simple can remain past simple, especially when the event is still relevant or its time is clear: She said she saw him yesterday is possible. She said she had seen him the day before makes the earlier relationship more explicit. Choose the form that tells the reader when the event happened.

A map of common tense and modal changes

The following forms are common when you report later from a past viewpoint. They are a useful map, rather than an instruction to change every verb mechanically.

Original form	Common reported form	Example
Present simple	Past simple	“I need help.” → She said she needed help.
Present continuous	Past continuous	“I'm working.” → She said she was working.
Present perfect	Past perfect	“I've finished.” → She said she had finished.
Past simple	Past perfect	“I lost it.” → She said she had lost it.
Will	Would	“I'll come.” → She said she would come.
Can	Could	“I can help.” → She said she could help.
Past perfect	Past perfect	“I'd already left.” → She said she had already left.

Would, could, should and might commonly stay unchanged. Must expressing an obligation often becomes had to: “I must leave.” → She said she had to leave. Deduction must can remain must: “He must be tired.” → She said he must be tired. The meaning of the modal matters.

Backshift does not automatically mean the fact is now false

She said she lived in Madrid may describe someone who still lives there. The past form can simply reflect the earlier reporting viewpoint. To emphasise the continuing fact, She said she lives in Madrid is possible.

Conversely, if you know the information is outdated, keep that clear: She told me she lived in Madrid, but she has since moved to Valencia. The final clause resolves the current situation.

Update pronouns and time words

The words in a report depend on who is speaking and when:

“I can meet you here tomorrow,” Ava said to me.
Ava told me she could meet me there the next day.

Here may become there, today may become that day, and next week may become the following week. But these changes are not automatic. If the speaker reports the message on the same day or in the same place, today or here may still be correct.

Questions need statement word order

A reported question has no question-mark inversion inside the clause:

“Where is the exit?” → He asked where the exit was.
“Did you book a table?” → She asked if/whether I had booked a table.

Use a question word such as where, why, how when the original question contains one. Use if or whether for a yes/no question. Do not use do/did in the reported clause: ~~She asked where was the exit~~.

Orders, requests and suggestions

For instructions, use tell/ask + person + to-infinitive:

“Please wait outside.” → They asked us to wait outside.
“Don’t touch the screen.” → He told me not to touch the screen.

A suggestion can be reported with a gerund or a that-clause: She suggested taking a taxi; She suggested that we take a taxi. Do not say ~~suggested us to take a taxi~~ in standard English. The reporting verb you choose determines the pattern.

Say or tell?

Use say + words/message: He said that the train was delayed; He said goodbye to us. Use tell + person: He told us that the train was delayed. Do not put the person directly after say: ~~He said us that...~~

Cambridge’s guides to reported speech and indirect speech offer more examples of these shifts.

Follow one message through two reporting situations

On Monday in the library, Ana says to you: “I'll meet you here tomorrow.”

If you report immediately from the same place, you can say:

Ana says she'll meet me here tomorrow.

On Wednesday, from your office, you might say:

Ana said she would meet me at the library the next day.

I becomes she because Ana is the original speaker; you becomes me because you are the intended companion. Here becomes a named place because you are no longer there. Tomorrow becomes the next day, referring to Tuesday. A more explicit version is Ana said she would meet me at the library on Tuesday.

This shows why replacing words without checking context can create mistakes. If Ana spoke to your brother instead, you would refer to him, not you.

A reported question is still inside a statement

For “Why did you leave early?”, report She asked why I had left early. Remove the question auxiliary did, put I before the verb, and choose the appropriate past form.

Contrast a direct question to your listener: Did she ask why I had left early? Here Did she ask ...? is a real question, so the main clause has question order. The embedded clause why I had left still keeps statement order. Only the outer question gets the question mark.