Grammar
Reported Speech📖 Reported Speech
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "I am tired," she said. | She said that she was tired. |
| "I will help," he said. | He said that he would help. |
| "I can do it," she said. | She said that she could do it. |
| "I have finished," he said. | He said that he had finished. |
| "I went to school," she said. | She said that she had gone to school. |
📌 Rules
- Present → Past
- Past → Past Perfect
- Will → Would
- Can → Could
- May → Might
- Must → Had to
- Pronouns and time expressions change
Transform to Reported Speech
Reported speech: track speaker, time and intention
Original practice material · explained answers · no official-exam attribution
Understand the rule
Reported speech expresses a message from a new viewpoint. With a present reporting verb, backshift is not automatic: She says, “I am ready” → She says that she is ready. With a past reporting verb, present commonly becomes past, past becomes past perfect and will becomes would. A statement still true may keep its tense. Pronouns depend on their referents; time and place expressions change only when the viewpoint changes. Reported questions use statement word order, not auxiliary inversion.
Follow a method
Identify the speaker and addressee. Choose a reporting verb that matches the act: say, tell someone, ask or advise. For yes/no questions use if or whether; for wh-questions keep the question word. Use ask/tell + object + to-infinitive for requests or orders. Check reference, tense and word order separately.