Reported Speech: Statements, Questions, Commands & Practice

Reported speech lets you pass on a message: what a colleague said, what a customer asked, what a teacher told the class to do. The challenge is not simply moving every verb one step into the past. You must rebuild the message from a new viewpoint: who is speaking now, when they are speaking and whether the original information is still true.

Direct speech and reported speech

Direct speech presents words as a quotation. Reported speech presents their content from another speaker’s point of view.

Direct words	Reported message	What changed?
“I need the key,” Ava said.	Ava said that she needed the key.	I → she; need → needed
“We finished early,” they said.	They said that they had finished early.	we → they; finished → had finished
“Do you have a booking?” he asked me.	He asked me if I had a booking.	yes/no question → if + statement order
“Wait outside,” the nurse told us.	The nurse told us to wait outside.	command → tell + person + to-infinitive

That is often optional after say and tell: “She said (that) she was busy.” Keeping it can make a long sentence easier to follow.

Backshift: how verb forms often move

When the reporting verb is in the past, the reported verb often moves further into the past. This is called backshift.

Original form	Common reported form	Example
present simple	past simple	“I work nights.” → He said he worked nights.
present continuous	past continuous	“I’m waiting.” → She said she was waiting.
present perfect	past perfect	“We’ve finished.” → They said they had finished.
past simple	past perfect	“I lost it.” → He said he had lost it.
will	would	“I’ll call.” → She said she would call.
can	could	“I can help.” → He said he could help.
may	might	“It may rain.” → She said it might rain.

The past perfect normally stays past perfect: “I had already eaten” can become “He said he had already eaten.” Modals such as would, could, should and might often stay the same.

When backshift is optional or unhelpful

Backshift is a viewpoint choice, not a mechanical punishment for using said. A present form may stay present when the information is still true and relevant.

• The teacher said water boils at 100°C at standard pressure. The general fact remains true.
• Sara said she works at the clinic. The speaker presents this as current information.
• Sara said she worked at the clinic. This reports the earlier statement without confirming that she still works there.

In exams, follow the context given. In real communication, choose the form that accurately shows whether the situation continues now.

Change the person, time and place only when needed

Do not replace words from a memorised list before checking the new situation.

Original viewpoint	A possible later viewpoint
I / my	he, she / his, her
we / our	they / their
this / these	that / those
here	there
now	then / at that time
today	that day
yesterday	the day before / the previous day
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
ago	before

If you report the message in the same place or on the same day, here, today or tomorrow may still be accurate. The situation decides the change.

Say, tell and ask

These three verbs do different jobs.

Say: focus on the message

• Lena said that the meeting was online.
• Lena said to me, “The meeting is online.”

Do not write “Lena said me”. If you name the listener after say, use to.

Tell: include the listener

• Lena told me that the meeting was online.
• The guide told us to follow the blue signs.

Tell normally needs a person: told me, told the class, told us. A few fixed expressions behave differently, such as tell the truth, tell a story and tell a joke.

Ask: report a question or request

• He asked whether the office was open.
• She asked me to send the file again.

Use ask, not say, to introduce a reported question.

Reported questions: use statement word order

The most common error is keeping the original question structure.

Yes/no questions

Use if or whether.

“Are you ready?” → She asked if I was ready.
“Did they receive it?” → He asked whether they had received it.

The reported clause does not use do, does or did, and it does not invert the subject and verb. Write “if I was”, not “if was I”.

Questions with who, what, where, when, why or how

Keep the question word, then use statement order.

“Where does Noor live?” → He asked where Noor lived.
“Why did the screen freeze?” → She asked why the screen had frozen.

A reported question is usually part of a statement, so it does not need a question mark unless the whole sentence is a direct question: “Can you remember what she asked?”

Commands, requests, offers and suggestions

Choose a pattern that reflects the purpose of the original words.

Purpose	Direct words	Natural report
command	“Close the gate.”	He told us to close the gate.
negative command	“Don’t share the code.”	She warned me not to share the code.
request	“Please wait here.”	He asked us to wait there.
offer	“Shall I carry that?”	She offered to carry it.
suggestion	“Why don’t we take a break?”	He suggested taking a break.

Do not use suggest to do for this meaning. Use suggest + -ing (“suggested checking”) or suggest that + clause (“suggested that we check”).

Seven common mistakes to correct

Incorrect	Better	Reason
She said me she was tired.	She told me she was tired.	Tell takes the listener directly; say does not.
He told that the shop was closed.	He said that the shop was closed.	Tell normally needs a person.
She asked where did I live.	She asked where I lived.	Reported questions use statement order.
He asked did I need help.	He asked if I needed help.	Add if/whether for a yes/no question.
They told us don’t wait.	They told us not to wait.	Use not to for a negative command.
Maya suggested to leave early.	Maya suggested leaving early.	Suggest commonly takes an -ing form.
He said he would call me tomorrow, a week later.	He said he would call me the next day.	Update the time reference when the reporting time changes.

Practice quiz

Choose the report that preserves the original meaning and fits the new viewpoint. Read every explanation: more than one form can be possible in real life, but each question supplies a context that makes one answer the clearest.

Reported speech: meaning, form and viewpoint

Question 1 of 10

Maya said, “I work from home.” Report this later.

A.Maya said that she worked from home.B.Maya told that she works from home.C.Maya said me that she worked from home.D.Maya asked if she worked from home.

Printable reported speech worksheet

This worksheet works without JavaScript. Rewrite or choose your answers first, then open the key. Use Print lesson at the top of the page to create a classroom copy.

Part A: report the message

1. Nina said, “I am checking the figures now.” Report this the following morning.
2. The receptionist asked, “Do you have an appointment?”
3. Omar asked, “Why did the delivery arrive late?”
4. The instructor told us, “Do not switch on the machine yet.”
5. Ravi said, “Let’s compare the two plans.” Report this with suggest.

Part B: find and repair the error

6. She said me that she had sent the form.
7. He asked where was the nearest station.
8. The manager told that the office would close early.
9. They asked did we need more chairs.
10. The guide told us don’t take photographs.

Show worksheet answers and teaching notes

1. Nina said that she was checking the figures then. Now changes because the reporting time is different.
2. The receptionist asked if/whether I had an appointment. Accept pronouns that fit a clearly explained situation.
3. Omar asked why the delivery had arrived late. Statement order is essential; past simple may backshift.
4. The instructor told us not to switch on the machine yet.
5. Ravi suggested comparing the two plans. Also accept “Ravi suggested that we compare the two plans.”
6. She told me that she had sent the form. Also possible: “She said that …”
7. He asked where the nearest station was.
8. The manager said that the office would close early. If a listener is supplied, told us/me also works.
9. They asked if/whether we needed more chairs.
10. The guide told us not to take photographs.

A 20-minute classroom activity: the message chain

Goal: learners preserve meaning while changing speaker, time and sentence type.

1. Set the scene, 3 minutes. Write a direct statement, question and command on the board. Ask learners what must change if they report each message tomorrow.
2. Build the chain, 7 minutes. In groups of three, Student A reads a private message card. Student B listens and reports it to Student C. Student C writes the report. Rotate roles twice.
3. Audit the viewpoint, 5 minutes. Groups underline the reporting verb, pronouns, verb form and time/place reference in different colours. They must justify every change they made.
4. Repair, 3 minutes. Exchange written reports between groups. The receiving group corrects one form error and one meaning error.
5. Exit check, 2 minutes. Each learner reports “Can you send me this file tomorrow?” from the viewpoint of the following week. Accept a question report or a request report if the meaning is explained.

For assessment, score four items separately: reporting verb, word order or infinitive pattern, viewpoint changes, and preserved meaning. This prevents one tense error from hiding otherwise strong communication.

Key decisions to remember

• Report the meaning from the new speaker’s time, place and identity.
• Backshift is common after a past reporting verb, but current facts can stay present.
• Use say + clause, tell + person + clause, and ask + if/question word.
• Reported questions use statement word order.
• Commands and requests often use person + to-infinitive; negative commands use not to.
• Change today, tomorrow, here and similar words only when the new viewpoint requires it.

Continue with present perfect vs past simple to control time viewpoint, review past simple forms, or practise broader verb choices in the 12 English tenses guide.

Grammar references

The explanations, examples, questions and classroom materials on this page were written for EnglishDart. Language facts were checked against British Council: reported statements, British Council: reported questions and Cambridge Grammar: reported speech and reporting verbs.