Reported Speech
1. What is Reported Speech?
Reported speech (also known as indirect speech) is a way of conveying what someone has said
without quoting them directly. Instead of using the exact words spoken (direct speech), reported
speech paraphrases the original statement, often making grammatical changes.
Example:
Direct speech: She said, "I am tired."
Reported speech: She said that she was tired.
2. Changes in Reported Speech
When converting direct speech into reported speech, several changes typically occur:
a) Pronoun Changes
Pronouns must be adjusted to fit the perspective of the reporter.
Direct: He said, "I love my job."
Reported: He said that he loved his job.
b) Tense and Modal Verb Changes (Backshifting)
Tenses and modal verbs usually shift one step back in reported speech (unless the reporting verb
is in the present tense).
Tense Changes
Direct Speech Reported Speech
Simple Present → Simple Past
"I like coffee." He said he liked coffee.
"She is happy." She said she was happy.
Present Continuous → Past Continuous
"I am watching TV." He said he was watching TV.
"They are working late." He said they were working late.
Simple Past → Past Perfect
"I went to London." He said he had gone to London.
Direct Speech Reported Speech
"She was tired." He said she had been tired.
Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
"I was reading a book." He said he had been reading a book.
He said they had been playing
"They were playing football."
football.
Present Perfect → Past Perfect
He said he had finished his
"I have finished my homework."
homework.
"She has seen the movie." He said she had seen the movie.
Past Perfect → (No change)
"I had lost my keys." He said he had lost his keys.
Will → Would
"I will call you." He said he would call me.
Can → Could
"She can swim." He said she could swim.
May → Might
"It may rain." He said it might rain.
Must → Had to (obligation) / Must (no change for
deduction)
"I must go now." He said he had to go then.
He said she must be at home. (No
"She must be at home."
change)
Shall → Should (for suggestions) / Would (for future
intent)
"I shall do it." He said he would do it.
"You shall not pass!" He said that I should not pass.
Could, Might, Should, Ought to, Had better → (No
change)
"You should sleep early." He said I should sleep early.
"She might come." He said she might come.
c) Changes in Time and Place Expressions
Time and place expressions are often modified to reflect the new perspective.
Direct Speech Reported Speech
today that day
tomorrow the next day / the following day
Direct Speech Reported Speech
yesterday the previous day / the day before
now then
this (morning) that (morning)
here there
Example:
Direct: "I will meet you here tomorrow."
Reported: He said that he would meet me there the next day.
3. Reporting Verbs
Instead of just "say" or "tell," various reporting verbs can be used depending on the context.
Verb Example
say He said that he was late.
tell (+ object) She told me that she was coming.
ask He asked if I had seen his book.
advise She advised me to take an umbrella.
promise He promised that he would help.
suggest She suggested going to the cinema.
deny He denied stealing the money.
4. Reported Questions
When reporting questions, the sentence structure changes, and auxiliary verbs (do/does/did) are
removed.
Yes/No Questions:
Direct: "Do you like coffee?"
Reported: He asked if I liked coffee.
Wh- Questions:
Direct: "Where do you live?"
Reported: He asked where I lived.
5. Reported Commands and Requests
For commands, the verb changes to the infinitive form.
Direct: "Close the door!"
Reported: He told me to close the door.
For negative commands, use "not" before the infinitive.
Direct: "Don't touch that!"
Reported: He told me not to touch that.
For polite requests, use ask/request/beg + infinitive.
Direct: "Could you help me, please?"
Reported: She asked me to help her.
6. Exceptions to Tense Changes
Tense shifting is not required when:
1. The reporting verb is in the present tense.
o Direct: "I like tea."
o Reported: He says that he likes tea. (No backshift)
2. The statement is a universal truth.
o Direct: "The sun rises in the east."
o Reported: He said that the sun rises in the east.
Verb Patterns in English
In English, different verbs follow different structures, meaning they require either an -ing form,
an infinitive (to + verb), or an infinitive with an object (to + object + verb). Below is a
comprehensive breakdown of these patterns.
1. Verb + -ing (Gerund)
Some verbs are followed by a gerund (verb + -ing). These verbs often express likes/dislikes,
activities, minding, avoiding, or discussing something.
a) Verbs Always Followed by -ing
Verb Example
enjoy I enjoy reading books.
mind Do you mind helping me?
avoid He avoided talking about it.
consider She considered moving to London.
suggest He suggested going to the cinema.
deny She denied stealing the money.
risk He risked losing everything.
b) Verbs + Preposition + -ing
Some verbs are followed by a preposition, then the gerund.
Verb + Preposition Example
insist on He insisted on paying the bill.
think of She thought of quitting her job.
succeed in They succeeded in finding a solution.
apologize for He apologized for being late.
worry about She worries about failing the test.
2. Verb + Infinitive (to + verb)
Some verbs are always followed by an infinitive (to + base verb). These often indicate
decisions, intentions, promises, and future actions.
a) Verbs Always Followed by To + Infinitive
Verb Example
want I want to travel to Japan.
decide She decided to study medicine.
plan They plan to buy a house.
promise He promised to call me.
hope She hopes to win the competition.
refuse He refused to help us.
learn She is learning to drive.
agree They agreed to meet later.
fail He failed to complete the task.
b) Verbs + Object + To + Infinitive
Some verbs require an object before the infinitive (to + object + verb). These verbs often relate
to causing or instructing someone to do something.
Verb Example
tell She told me to wait outside.
ask He asked her to help him.
advise The teacher advised us to study more.
allow They allowed me to enter the room.
encourage She encouraged him to try again.
force They forced him to confess.
remind Please remind me to call my mom.
3. Verb + -ing OR To + Infinitive (With a Change in
Meaning)
Some verbs can be followed by both -ing and to + infinitive, but the meaning changes.
Verb + -ing (General Action /
Verb Verb + To + Infinitive (Specific / Future)
Past)
I remember closing the door. (I Remember to close the door. (Don’t forget a
remember
recall a past action.) future action.)
He forgot paying the bill. (He Don’t forget to pay the bill. (Reminder for the
forget
doesn’t remember doing it.) future.)
He stopped smoking. (He quit He stopped to smoke. (He stopped what he was
stop
smoking.) doing to smoke.)
Verb + -ing (General Action /
Verb Verb + To + Infinitive (Specific / Future)
Past)
She tried painting. (Experimented She tried to paint a portrait. (Attempted but
try
with painting.) maybe failed.)
I regret telling you the truth. (I feel We regret to inform you that your application
regret
bad about it.) was rejected. (Polite phrase for bad news.)
4. Verb + Object + Bare Infinitive (Without 'To')
Some verbs take an object + base verb (bare infinitive, without ‘to’). These verbs are mainly
related to perception (see, hear, watch, feel) or causative structures (make, let, help).
Verb Example
see I saw him leave the building.
hear She heard them talk in the hallway.
watch We watched them play football.
make His joke made everyone laugh.
let My parents let me stay out late.
help (sometimes takes 'to') She helped me (to) finish my work.