change into reported speech normal type

100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of communicating what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. For example, if your friend said, “ I am going to the store ,” in reported speech, you might convey this as, “ My friend said he was going to the store. ” Reported speech is common in both spoken and written language, especially in storytelling, news reporting, and everyday conversations.

Reported speech can be quite challenging for English language learners because in order to change direct speech into reported speech, one must change the perspective and tense of what was said by the original speaker or writer. In this guide, we will explain in detail how to change direct speech into indirect speech and provide lots of examples of reported speech to help you understand. Here are the key aspects of converting direct speech into reported speech.

Reported Speech: Changing Pronouns

Pronouns are usually changed to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech. For example, “I” in direct speech may become “he” or “she” in reported speech, depending on the context. Here are some example sentences:

Direct : “I am going to the park.” Reported : He said he was going to the park .
Direct : “You should try the new restaurant.” Reported : She said that I should try the new restaurant.
Direct : “We will win the game.” Reported : They said that they would win the game.
Direct : “She loves her new job.” Reported : He said that she loves her new job.
Direct : “He can’t come to the party.” Reported : She said that he couldn’t come to the party.
Direct : “It belongs to me.” Reported : He said that it belonged to him .
Direct : “They are moving to a new city.” Reported : She said that they were moving to a new city.
Direct : “You are doing a great job.” Reported : He told me that I was doing a great job.
Direct : “I don’t like this movie.” Reported : She said that she didn’t like that movie.
Direct : “We have finished our work.” Reported : They said that they had finished their work.
Direct : “You will need to sign here.” Reported : He said that I would need to sign there.
Direct : “She can solve the problem.” Reported : He said that she could solve the problem.
Direct : “He was not at home yesterday.” Reported : She said that he had not been at home the day before.
Direct : “It is my responsibility.” Reported : He said that it was his responsibility.
Direct : “We are planning a surprise.” Reported : They said that they were planning a surprise.

Reported Speech: Reporting Verbs

In reported speech, various reporting verbs are used depending on the nature of the statement or the intention behind the communication. These verbs are essential for conveying the original tone, intent, or action of the speaker. Here are some examples demonstrating the use of different reporting verbs in reported speech:

Direct: “I will help you,” she promised . Reported: She promised that she would help me.
Direct: “You should study harder,” he advised . Reported: He advised that I should study harder.
Direct: “I didn’t take your book,” he denied . Reported: He denied taking my book .
Direct: “Let’s go to the cinema,” she suggested . Reported: She suggested going to the cinema .
Direct: “I love this song,” he confessed . Reported: He confessed that he loved that song.
Direct: “I haven’t seen her today,” she claimed . Reported: She claimed that she hadn’t seen her that day.
Direct: “I will finish the project,” he assured . Reported: He assured me that he would finish the project.
Direct: “I’m not feeling well,” she complained . Reported: She complained of not feeling well.
Direct: “This is how you do it,” he explained . Reported: He explained how to do it.
Direct: “I saw him yesterday,” she stated . Reported: She stated that she had seen him the day before.
Direct: “Please open the window,” he requested . Reported: He requested that I open the window.
Direct: “I can win this race,” he boasted . Reported: He boasted that he could win the race.
Direct: “I’m moving to London,” she announced . Reported: She announced that she was moving to London.
Direct: “I didn’t understand the instructions,” he admitted . Reported: He admitted that he didn’t understand the instructions.
Direct: “I’ll call you tonight,” she promised . Reported: She promised to call me that night.

Reported Speech: Tense Shifts

When converting direct speech into reported speech, the verb tense is often shifted back one step in time. This is known as the “backshift” of tenses. It’s essential to adjust the tense to reflect the time elapsed between the original speech and the reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how different tenses in direct speech are transformed in reported speech:

Direct: “I am eating.” Reported: He said he was eating.
Direct: “They will go to the park.” Reported: She mentioned they would go to the park.
Direct: “We have finished our homework.” Reported: They told me they had finished their homework.
Direct: “I do my exercises every morning.” Reported: He explained that he did his exercises every morning.
Direct: “She is going to start a new job.” Reported: He heard she was going to start a new job.
Direct: “I can solve this problem.” Reported: She said she could solve that problem.
Direct: “We are visiting Paris next week.” Reported: They said they were visiting Paris the following week.
Direct: “I will be waiting outside.” Reported: He stated he would be waiting outside.
Direct: “They have been studying for hours.” Reported: She mentioned they had been studying for hours.
Direct: “I can’t understand this chapter.” Reported: He complained that he couldn’t understand that chapter.
Direct: “We were planning a surprise.” Reported: They told me they had been planning a surprise.
Direct: “She has to complete her assignment.” Reported: He said she had to complete her assignment.
Direct: “I will have finished the project by Monday.” Reported: She stated she would have finished the project by Monday.
Direct: “They are going to hold a meeting.” Reported: She heard they were going to hold a meeting.
Direct: “I must leave.” Reported: He said he had to leave.

Reported Speech: Changing Time and Place References

When converting direct speech into reported speech, references to time and place often need to be adjusted to fit the context of the reported speech. This is because the time and place relative to the speaker may have changed from the original statement to the time of reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how time and place references change:

Direct: “I will see you tomorrow .” Reported: He said he would see me the next day .
Direct: “We went to the park yesterday .” Reported: They said they went to the park the day before .
Direct: “I have been working here since Monday .” Reported: She mentioned she had been working there since Monday .
Direct: “Let’s meet here at noon.” Reported: He suggested meeting there at noon.
Direct: “I bought this last week .” Reported: She said she had bought it the previous week .
Direct: “I will finish this by tomorrow .” Reported: He stated he would finish it by the next day .
Direct: “She will move to New York next month .” Reported: He heard she would move to New York the following month .
Direct: “They were at the festival this morning .” Reported: She said they were at the festival that morning .
Direct: “I saw him here yesterday.” Reported: She mentioned she saw him there the day before.
Direct: “We will return in a week .” Reported: They said they would return in a week .
Direct: “I have an appointment today .” Reported: He said he had an appointment that day .
Direct: “The event starts next Friday .” Reported: She mentioned the event starts the following Friday .
Direct: “I lived in Berlin two years ago .” Reported: He stated he had lived in Berlin two years before .
Direct: “I will call you tonight .” Reported: She said she would call me that night .
Direct: “I was at the office yesterday .” Reported: He mentioned he was at the office the day before .

Reported Speech: Question Format

When converting questions from direct speech into reported speech, the format changes significantly. Unlike statements, questions require rephrasing into a statement format and often involve the use of introductory verbs like ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’. Here are some examples to demonstrate how questions in direct speech are converted into statements in reported speech:

Direct: “Are you coming to the party?” Reported: She asked if I was coming to the party.
Direct: “What time is the meeting?” Reported: He inquired what time the meeting was.
Direct: “Why did you leave early?” Reported: They wanted to know why I had left early.
Direct: “Can you help me with this?” Reported: She asked if I could help her with that.
Direct: “Where did you buy this?” Reported: He wondered where I had bought that.
Direct: “Who is going to the concert?” Reported: They asked who was going to the concert.
Direct: “How do you solve this problem?” Reported: She questioned how to solve that problem.
Direct: “Is this the right way to the station?” Reported: He inquired whether it was the right way to the station.
Direct: “Do you know her name?” Reported: They asked if I knew her name.
Direct: “Why are they moving out?” Reported: She wondered why they were moving out.
Direct: “Have you seen my keys?” Reported: He asked if I had seen his keys.
Direct: “What were they talking about?” Reported: She wanted to know what they had been talking about.
Direct: “When will you return?” Reported: He asked when I would return.
Direct: “Can she drive a manual car?” Reported: They inquired if she could drive a manual car.
Direct: “How long have you been waiting?” Reported: She asked how long I had been waiting.

Reported Speech: Omitting Quotation Marks

In reported speech, quotation marks are not used, differentiating it from direct speech which requires them to enclose the spoken words. Reported speech summarizes or paraphrases what someone said without the need for exact wording. Here are examples showing how direct speech with quotation marks is transformed into reported speech without them:

Direct: “I am feeling tired,” she said. Reported: She said she was feeling tired.
Direct: “We will win the game,” he exclaimed. Reported: He exclaimed that they would win the game.
Direct: “I don’t like apples,” the boy declared. Reported: The boy declared that he didn’t like apples.
Direct: “You should visit Paris,” she suggested. Reported: She suggested that I should visit Paris.
Direct: “I will be late,” he warned. Reported: He warned that he would be late.
Direct: “I can’t believe you did that,” she expressed in surprise. Reported: She expressed her surprise that I had done that.
Direct: “I need help with this task,” he admitted. Reported: He admitted that he needed help with the task.
Direct: “I have never been to Italy,” she confessed. Reported: She confessed that she had never been to Italy.
Direct: “We saw a movie last night,” they mentioned. Reported: They mentioned that they saw a movie the night before.
Direct: “I am learning to play the piano,” he revealed. Reported: He revealed that he was learning to play the piano.
Direct: “You must finish your homework,” she instructed. Reported: She instructed that I must finish my homework.
Direct: “I will call you tomorrow,” he promised. Reported: He promised that he would call me the next day.
Direct: “I have finished my assignment,” she announced. Reported: She announced that she had finished her assignment.
Direct: “I cannot attend the meeting,” he apologized. Reported: He apologized for not being able to attend the meeting.
Direct: “I don’t remember where I put it,” she confessed. Reported: She confessed that she didn’t remember where she put it.

Reported Speech Quiz

Thanks for reading! I hope you found these reported speech examples useful. Before you go, why not try this Reported Speech Quiz and see if you can change indirect speech into reported speech?

What is Reported Speech and how to use it? with Examples

Published by

Olivia Drake

Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said.

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Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker’s exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions.

1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually “said.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, “I am going to the store,” becomes “He said that he was going to the store.”

2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually “asked.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, “What time is it?” becomes “She asked what time it was.”

It’s important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples:

Direct speech: “I will call you later.”Reported speech: He said that he would call me later.
Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.
Direct speech: “I love pizza.”Reported speech: They said that they loved pizza.

When do we use reported speech?

Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly.

Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include:

News reports: Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference.

Business and professional communication: In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer.

Conversational English: In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, “She told me that she was running late.”

Narration: In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.

How to make reported speech?

1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the store now,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then.

In this example, the pronoun “I” is changed to “she” and the adverb “now” is changed to “then.”

2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day.

In this example, the present tense “will” is changed to the past tense “would.”

3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” or “inquire” depending on the context of the speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.

In this example, the reporting verb “asked” is changed to “said” and “did” is changed to “had.”

Overall, when making reported speech, it’s important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker’s message accurately.

How do I change the pronouns and adverbs in reported speech?

1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I love chocolate.” Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate.

Direct speech: “You should study harder.” Reported speech: He advised me to study harder.

Direct speech: “She is reading a book.” Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book.

2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night.

Direct speech: “He is here.” Reported speech: She said he was there.

Note that the adverb “now” usually changes to “then” or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context.

It’s important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.

How do I change the tense in reported speech?

In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech:

Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I like pizza.” Reported speech: She said she liked pizza.

Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I am studying for my exam.” Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam.

Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I have finished my work.” Reported speech: She said she had finished her work.

Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I visited my grandparents last weekend.” Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend.

Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I will help you with your project.” Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project.

Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I can speak French.” Reported speech: She said she could speak French.

Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker’s perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.

Do I always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech?

No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech.

In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as “I heard that” or “It seems that” without using a reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she’s going to the cinema tonight.

However, it’s important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it’s generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible.

Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example:

Direct speech: “I think we should invest in renewable energy.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy.

Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate

How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?

1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is the meeting?” Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was.

Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech.

2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “ordered” or “told” followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Clean your room!” Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room.

Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech.

In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples:

Direct speech: “Will you go to the party with me?”Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: “Please bring me a glass of water.”Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water.

Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

How to make questions in reported speech?

To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech:

Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include “asked,” “inquired,” “wondered,” and “wanted to know.”

Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker.

Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use “if” or “whether” to introduce the reported question.

Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word.

Here are some examples of reported questions:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: “Where are you going?”Reported speech: She wondered where I was going.

Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions

What is the difference between reported speech an indirect speech?

In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, “I am going to the store,” in reported speech you would say, “He/she said that he/she was going to the store.”

The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.

Examples of direct speech to reported

Direct speech: “I am hungry,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was hungry.
Direct speech: “Can you pass the salt, please?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked her to pass the salt.
Direct speech: “I will meet you at the cinema,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet her at the cinema.
Direct speech: “I have been working on this project for hours,” she said. Reported speech: She said she had been working on the project for hours.
Direct speech: “What time does the train leave?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked what time the train left.
Direct speech: “I love playing the piano,” she said. Reported speech: She said she loved playing the piano.
Direct speech: “I am going to the grocery store,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to the grocery store.
Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” the teacher asked. Reported speech: The teacher asked if he had finished his homework.
Direct speech: “I want to go to the beach,” she said. Reported speech: She said she wanted to go to the beach.
Direct speech: “Do you need help with that?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked if she needed help with that.
Direct speech: “I can’t come to the party,” he said. Reported speech: He said he couldn’t come to the party.
Direct speech: “Please don’t leave me,” she said. Reported speech: She begged him not to leave her.
Direct speech: “I have never been to London before,” he said. Reported speech: He said he had never been to London before.
Direct speech: “Where did you put my phone?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked where she had put her phone.
Direct speech: “I’m sorry for being late,” he said. Reported speech: He apologized for being late.
Direct speech: “I need some help with this math problem,” she said. Reported speech: She said she needed some help with the math problem.
Direct speech: “I am going to study abroad next year,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to study abroad the following year.
Direct speech: “Can you give me a ride to the airport?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked him to give her a ride to the airport.
Direct speech: “I don’t know how to fix this,” he said. Reported speech: He said he didn’t know how to fix it.
Direct speech: “I hate it when it rains,” she said. Reported speech: She said she hated it when it rained.

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