Reported speech is used to tell someone what another person said without using their exact words. We usually change the tense, pronouns, and time words. It is also called Indirect Speech.
Example
Direct Speech:
She said, “I am tired.”
Reported Speech:
She said that she was tired.
HOW REPORTED SPEECH WORKS
- No quotation marks
- The tense usually changes
- Pronouns may change
- Time words may change
EXAMPLES OF REPORTED SPEECH
Statements
- Direct: He said, “I like coffee.”
Reported: He said that he liked coffee. - Direct: She said, “I am happy.”
Reported: She said that she was happy.
Questions
- Direct: He asked, “Where are you going?”
Reported: He asked where I was going. - Direct: She asked, “Do you like music?”
Reported: She asked if I liked music.
Commands / Requests
- Direct: The teacher said, “Sit down.”
Reported: The teacher told us to sit down. - Direct: Mother said, “Please help me.”
Reported: Mother asked me to help her.
COMMON TENSE CHANGES
- am / is → was
- are → were
- do / does → did
- will → would
- can → could
Example:
Direct: He said, “I will call you.”
Reported: He said that he would call me.
COMMON TIME WORD CHANGES
- today → that day
- now → then
- yesterday → the previous day
- tomorrow → the next day
Example :
Direct: She said, “I am leaving today.”
Reported: She said that she was leaving that day.
WORKS CITED
Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 2016.
EF Education First. Direct and Indirect Speech. EF Global, https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-resources/english-grammar/direct-and-indirect-speech/
Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan is a teacher, bilingual writer and artist with over two decades of experience in teaching English language and literature. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of English at NSS College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Her blog, ashlit.in brings together academic resources, creative writing in Malayalam and English, and visual art. The platform features lecture notes, study materials, poems, reflections, short prose, and a curated collection of her paintings. Through this space, she seeks to foster learning, creativity, and meaningful engagement with literature and the arts.
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