Reported speech is how you pass on what someone said without quoting their exact words. You use it all the time: "My manager said the meeting was moved," "The landlord asked if we had pets."
The pattern
She said (that) she was tired.
He told me (that) he would call.
She asked me where I lived.
01Said or told?
Say is followed by the words: She said (that) she was busy. Tell needs a person right after it: She told me (that) she was busy. You can say "said to me," but never "said me." In everyday speech, Americans usually drop that.
- Jake said he'd be a few minutes late.
- Jake told us he'd be a few minutes late.
- What did the doctor say to you?
02Backshift: when to change the tense
After a past reporting verb like said, the tense usually moves one step back. But in American English, backshift is optional when the information is still true. "He said he lives in Austin" is fine if he still lives there. If the reporting verb is present (She says...), don't change anything.
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
| "I work at Target." | She said she worked (or works) at Target. |
| "I'm packing." | She said she was packing. |
| "I've finished." | She said she had finished. |
| "I lost my keys." | She said she had lost (or lost) her keys. |
| "I'll call you." | She said she would call me. |
| "I can help." | She said she could help. |
03Reporting questions
Use normal statement word order (subject before verb), no do/does/did and no question mark. For yes/no questions, add if or whether. For wh- questions, keep the question word.
- "Where do you work?" She asked me where I worked.
- "Are you coming?" He asked if I was coming.
- "What time does it start?" I asked what time it started.
04Requests and orders
Use tell or ask + person + to + verb. For negatives, put not before to. Also check pronouns and time words: tomorrow can become the next day, and here can become there, when the time or place has changed.
- My boss told me to send the file.
- The nurse asked me not to eat after midnight.
05Common mistakes
She said me that she was busy.
She told me that she was busy.
Say is not followed directly by a person; use tell + person.
He asked me where did I live.
He asked me where I lived.
Reported questions use statement word order, with no did.
My boss told to call the client.
My boss told me to call the client.
Tell always needs a person after it.
She asked me do I want coffee.
She asked me if I wanted coffee.
Yes/no questions are reported with if or whether.