Reported speech (statements, questions, backshift)
Reported (indirect) speech tells what someone said or asked without quoting their exact words, usually shifting tenses one step back, changing pronouns and time expressions, and turning questions into statement word order.
Reporting statements and backshift
When you report a statement, you usually introduce it with a reporting verb such as 'say' or 'tell', often followed by 'that' (which can be left out). Because the words were spoken in the past, the verb tense typically moves one step back: present simple becomes past simple, present continuous becomes past continuous, and present perfect or past simple both become past perfect. Pronouns and possessives also change to fit the new speaker's point of view.
- •Direct: "I work in Berlin." → She said that she worked in Berlin.
- •Direct: "We are leaving now." → He told me they were leaving then.
- •Direct: "I have finished the report." → She said she had finished the report.
- •Direct: "They saw the film." → He said they had seen the film.
Modal verbs, time and place changes
Some modal verbs shift back as well: 'will' becomes 'would', 'can' becomes 'could', and 'may' becomes 'might', while 'must', 'should', 'could', 'would' and 'might' usually stay the same. Words that point to time and place change to match the moment of reporting, so 'now' becomes 'then', 'today' becomes 'that day', 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day', and 'here' becomes 'there'. Note that if the statement is still true or a general fact, the backshift is optional.
- •Direct: "I will call you tomorrow." → She said she would call me the next day.
- •Direct: "You can leave early today." → He said we could leave early that day.
- •Direct: "Water boils at 100°C." → She said (that) water boils / boiled at 100°C.
- •Direct: "I must go now." → He said he had to go then.
Reporting yes/no questions
To report a yes/no question, use a reporting verb like 'ask' and join the question with 'if' or 'whether'. Crucially, the reported question uses normal statement word order, so the subject comes before the verb and you do not use the auxiliary 'do/does/did' or a question mark. The same backshift of tenses, pronouns and time words applies as with statements.
- •Direct: "Do you live here?" → She asked if I lived there.
- •Direct: "Are you coming to the party?" → He asked whether I was coming to the party.
- •Direct: "Have you seen my keys?" → She asked if I had seen her keys.
- •Direct: "Will it rain tomorrow?" → He asked whether it would rain the next day.
Reporting wh- questions
For questions starting with a wh- word (what, where, when, why, who, how), keep that wh- word and follow it with statement word order. Again, there is no auxiliary 'do/does/did' and no question mark, and the usual backshift takes place. This makes the reported question look and sound like a smooth, indirect statement.
- •Direct: "Where do you work?" → She asked where I worked.
- •Direct: "Why is he late?" → They asked why he was late.
- •Direct: "What time did the meeting start?" → He asked what time the meeting had started.
- •Direct: "How will you get home?" → She asked how I would get home.