Reported Speech

Reported speech is used to tell someone what another person said, without using their exact words. Instead of quoting the speaker directly, you rewrite the sentence in your own words and shift the tense backwards.

What You'll Learn

How to change direct speech into reported speech by shifting the tense backwards (present to past)
How to change pronouns correctly when reporting what someone said
How to report statements using reported speech
How to report questions using reported speech with "if" or "whether" and question words

When to Use

Telling someone what another person said: "Amirah said that she was hungry." (Amirah's actual words: "I am hungry.")
Reporting a question someone asked: "Mr Tan asked whether the students were ready." (Mr Tan's actual words: "Are the students ready?")
Writing about what was said in a conversation: "My father told me that he would pick me up after school." (Father's actual words: "I will pick you up after school.")
Retelling events in a composition or summary: "The news reporter said that the MRT line was experiencing delays." (Reporter's actual words: "The MRT line is experiencing delays.")
Reporting information from a notice or announcement: "The principal announced that the school carnival would be held on Saturday." (Principal's actual words: "The school carnival will be held on Saturday.")

How to Form

Step-by-Step: Changing Direct Speech to Reported Speech

Step	What to Do	Direct Speech	Reported Speech
1	Remove the quotation marks	"I am tired."	---
2	Add a reporting verb + that	---	She said that...
3	Shift the tense backwards	"I am tired."	She said that she was tired.
4	Change pronouns to match	"I am tired."	She said that she was tired.

Tense Backshift Rules

Direct Speech (original tense)	Reported Speech (shifted tense)	Example
Simple present: is / am / are	Simple past: was / were	"I am happy." → He said that he was happy.
Simple present: eat / eats	Simple past: ate	"I eat rice." → She said that she ate rice.
Present continuous: is eating	Past continuous: was eating	"I am eating." → He said that he was eating.
will	would	"I will go." → She said that she would go.
can	could	"I can swim." → He said that he could swim.
may	might	"I may be late." → She said that she might be late.

Pronoun Changes

Direct Speech Pronoun	Reported Speech Pronoun	Example
I	he / she	"I like reading." → She said that she liked reading.
my	his / her	"My bag is heavy." → He said that his bag was heavy.
me	him / her	"He likes me." → She said that he liked her.
we	they	"We are ready." → They said that they were ready.
our	their	"Our team is winning." → They said that their team was winning.
you (the listener)	I / he / she / they	depends on who the listener is

Reporting Questions

Type of Question	How to Report It	Example
Yes/No question	Use if or whether + normal word order	"Are you coming?" → She asked if I was coming.
Wh- question (who, what, where, when, why, how)	Use the question word + normal word order	"Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived.

Important: In reported questions, use statement word order (subject before verb). Do NOT keep the question word order or add a question mark.

Wrong: He asked where did I live?

Right: He asked where I lived.

Key Rules

Always shift the tense backwards: When reporting what someone said, move the verb one step into the past. Present becomes past, and modals like will become would. "I am tired." → She said that she was tired.
Change the pronouns to match the reporter: The speaker's "I" usually becomes "he" or "she", and "my" becomes "his" or "her". Think about who is speaking and who is being spoken about. "I like my new school." → He said that he liked his new school.
Use "that" after reporting verbs for statements: The word that connects the reporting verb to the reported sentence. "She said that she was going home." You may leave out that in informal speech, but it is safer to include it in exams.
Use "if" or "whether" for yes/no questions: When reporting a question that can be answered with yes or no, use if or whether instead of "that". Do not keep the question mark. "Is it raining?" → He asked if it was raining.
Use the question word for wh-questions: Keep the original question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) but change to statement word order (subject before verb). "What is your name?" → She asked what my name was.
Do not use "do/does/did" in reported questions: In direct questions, we use "do/does/did" to form the question. In reported speech, remove them entirely. "Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived (not "where I did live").

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
She said that she is happy.	She said that she was happy.	The tense must shift backwards: "is" becomes "was"
He asked where did I live.	He asked where I lived.	Reported questions use statement word order; remove "did"
She said that I am tired.	She said that she was tired.	Change "I" to "she" (the speaker) and shift the tense
He asked that whether it was raining.	He asked whether it was raining.	Use "whether" or "if" for yes/no questions, not "that"
She asked me where do I study?	She asked me where I studied.	No question mark in reported speech; use statement word order and shift the tense
He said he will come.	He said he would come.	"Will" shifts to "would" in reported speech

Clue Words

Reporting verbs for statements

said, told, mentioned, explained, announced, replied, added

Reporting verbs for questions

asked, wanted to know, wondered, enquired

Words that signal reported speech in exam questions

"Report what he/she said", "Rewrite in reported speech", "Change to indirect speech"

Common connecting words in reported speech

that, if, whether, what, where, when, why, how, who

Tip: Think of reported speech as "rewinding" the tense by one step. If the speaker used the present tense, you rewind to the past. If the speaker used will, you rewind to would. The word that is your bridge between the reporting verb and the reported sentence.

Practice Tips

The rewind test: After converting a sentence, check every verb. Has each one moved one step backwards in tense? Present to past, will to would, can to could. If any verb stayed in its original tense, it probably needs to be shifted.
The pronoun swap check: Cover the original sentence and read only your reported version. Do the pronouns make sense from the reporter's point of view? If the original speaker said "I", your reported version should use "he" or "she" -- never keep "I" unless the reporter is the same person as the speaker.
The question order test: For reported questions, read your answer aloud. Does it sound like a statement or a question? It should sound like a statement. If you hear question word order (e.g., "where did I live"), rewrite it with the subject before the verb ("where I lived").
The two-sentence method: First, write down what the person actually said (the direct speech). Then, rewrite it step by step -- change the pronouns, shift the tense, add the reporting verb and "that" (or "if"/"whether" for questions). This prevents you from missing any changes.

Quick Reference

What to Check	Rule	Example
Statements	reporting verb + that + tense backshift	"I am happy." → She said that she was happy.
Yes/No questions	reporting verb + if/whether + statement order	"Are you coming?" → He asked if I was coming.
Wh- questions	reporting verb + question word + statement order	"Where do you live?" → She asked where I lived.
Present → Past	is/am/are → was/were; eat → ate	"I am here." → He said he was there.
will → would	will → would	"I will help." → He said he would help.
can → could	can → could	"I can swim." → She said she could swim.
Pronouns	I → he/she; my → his/her; we → they	"I like my school." → He said he liked his school.
Question order	Use statement order (subject before verb)	"Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived.
No question mark	Reported questions end with a full stop	He asked if she was coming.

Reported Speech (P5) (Primary 5)