REPORTED SPEECH: Verb Tense Changes | Direct and Indirect Speech in English

Reported speech is often also called indirect speech in English.

When changing from direct to indirect speech, you need to change the grammar in certain ways.
Verb tense forms usually need to change.
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[saritaranwa]

Ago–before
Today – that day
Tonight – that night
Yesterday –the last day
Tomorrow – the next day

[AnimeNetworkSrilanka]

1. What is Reported Speech?
Reported speech (or indirect speech) is when you tell someone what someone else said, without using their exact words. Instead of quoting them directly, you change the structure to fit the context of the new conversation.

Example:
Direct Speech: She said, “I am happy.”
Reported Speech: She said that she was happy.
2. How to Form Reported Speech:
When turning direct speech into reported speech, you usually:

Change the pronouns.
Shift the verb tense back (known as backshifting).
Adjust time expressions and other words if needed.
A. Basic Rules of Tense Backshifting
When moving from direct to reported speech, we often shift the verb one step back in time:

Present Simple → Past Simple

Direct: "I like ice cream." → Reported: She said that she liked ice cream.
Present Continuous → Past Continuous

Direct: "I am eating." → Reported: He said that he was eating.
Present Perfect → Past Perfect

Direct: "I have finished." → Reported: She said that she had finished.
Past Simple → Past Perfect

Direct: "I saw it." → Reported: He said that he had seen it.
If the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g., says, asks), then you don’t need to change the verb tense.

B. Pronoun Changes
Change pronouns according to the context of the reported sentence:

Direct: "I am coming to your party."
Reported: She said that she was coming to my party.
C. Time and Place Changes
Words that reference time or place often change as well:

Today → That day
Tomorrow → The next day / The following day
Yesterday → The day before
Here → There
Now → Then
Example:

Direct: "I’ll call you tomorrow."
Reported: He said that he would call me the next day.
D. Reporting Questions
In reported questions, the word order changes to a statement structure, and you don’t use question marks.

Yes/No Questions: Add "if" or "whether."

Direct: "Are you coming?" → Reported: He asked if I was coming.
WH-Questions: Keep the question word (who, what, where, etc.).

Direct: "Where are you going?" → Reported: She asked where I was going.
E. Reporting Commands and Requests
To report commands or requests, use "tell" or "ask" followed by the infinitive form of the verb.

Direct: "Please sit down."

Reported: He asked me to sit down.

Direct: "Don’t touch that!"

Reported: She told me not to touch that.

F. Reporting Suggestions
For suggestions, use "suggest" + gerund or "that" + subject.

Direct: "Let’s go to the park."

Reported: She suggested going to the park.

Direct: "You should see a doctor."

Reported: He suggested that I should see a doctor.

[dnivrumvrum]

anyone else studying the day before the exam?

[txtfeellikesummer]

3:21 I think in this sentence 'She said that they might invite them to the dinner ' Should be ' She said that she might invite them to the dinner '. (Actually I'm still high school student. If my correction is wrong please tell me. )
I started to watch your channel recently. You are a good teacher.

[dilo]

Yesterday-The previous day

Tomorrow-The next day

Today-That day..

Thank you..

[saritaranwa]

This–that
Here–there
These–those
Now –then

[lucyvidal]

This video is very useful, it explains everything about the topic, what the times are and how the times change when the sentence is reported.

[wegahtateklay]

I am very interested to speak English fluently, so i really need ur help so tenx bro well done

[yaena]

„I may invite them to dinner.“ „She said (that) SHE might invite them to dinner.“ It isn‘t they might invite... she might invite.. would be the correct answer.

[ivandejesusvazquezlopez]

The examples were very easy and simple and this helped me to understand how to pass an hour in the present and pass it to the past, but it has to take the auxiliary said that to be reported speech. Thank you very much for the examples.

[Ideas-by-Zahra]

I am teaching English Grammar in army public school MARALA GARRISON and I will solve it on board and students do classwork after that they were able to know about direct and indirect

[luismanuelg.b]

Thanks a million professor, God bless you in abundance.

[minu]

Really understanding video, i have watched this on day before my ordinary level english exam and well understood

[ramindercaur]

Tomorrow will change to 'the next day'

[bettyhernandezg]

A short video but very interesting because you have explained and given examples with each of the times that is what I was looking for, thank you very much, the table has helped me a lot to understand it better, now I am ready to practice, greetings :)

[dhruvsikri]

Last sentence...

She Said That she had to submit *that* assignment by 3PM *the next day*

[usmanarif]

Thank you for this an fantastic and imformative video.now I understood direct speech and repoted speech.God bless you my teacher

[emanalqisi]

Thank you very very very much for your fantastical work I wish if you can teach us French language thanks again God bless you 🌺🌸🌼🌻👏🏻👍🏻👌🏻❤💛💚💙

[Farah-zp]

Thank you :) ! this helped me understand the reported speech more !

[alexng]

This is a very good channel where it explaining the various english language sentences used in details. Thanks.