Reported Speech

In English grammar, reported speech is a crucial topic that students frequently use in speaking and writing. Reported speech is also known as indirect speech and is used when we want to tell someone what another person said without using their exact words. In this guide, you will learn what reported speech is, how it is used in English, the rules and, transformations involved, and examples. 

Table of Contents

• What Is Reported Speech?
• Reported Speech Rules
• Transforming Direct Speech to Reported Speech
• Tips to Practice Reported Speech
• Examples of Reported Speech

What Is Reported Speech?

Reported speech is used to tell what someone has said without repeating their exact words. It shows the third-person view of what someone said, by changing direct statements into indirect form by keeping the meaning the same. Reported speech is used in everyday conversations, academic writing, journalism, and storytelling.  

For example:
Direct speech: He said, “I will come tomorrow.”

Reported speech: He said that he would come the next day. 

 

Reported Speech Rules

When converting a direct speech to indirect speech, there are some rules to be followed. Here are the rules to follow when using reported speech. 

• Do not use any quotation marks when converting a direct speech to indirect speech, as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
  Example: Direct speech: She said, “I am tired.”
  Reported speech: She said that she was tired.  

• Remember the simple formula to construct a sentence in reported speech: subject + reporting verb + that + reported sentence.
  Example:
  Direct speech: He said, “I like coffee.”
  Reported speech: He said that he liked coffee.

• Use the appropriate reporting verbs based on the types of sentences: 

• For declarative sentences, use said or told and end with a full stop.
  Example: She said, “I am happy.”
  She said that she was happy.

• For interrogative sentences, use asked, enquired, or inquired, and remove the question mark.
  Example: He asked, “Where are you going?”
  He asked where I was going.

• For imperative sentences, use requested, ordered, commanded, pleaded, etc. 
  Example: The teacher said, “Open your books.”
  The teacher ordered the students to open their books.

• For exclamatory sentences, use exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark. 
  Example: She said, “What a beautiful day!”
  She exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.

• When changing the direct speech into reported speech, change the tense, pronouns, modal verbs, adverbs of time, and adverbs of place.
  Example: He said, “I will meet you here tomorrow.”
  He said that he would meet me there the next day. 

Transforming Direct Speech to Reported Speech

When transforming direct speech to reported speech, certain words in the sentence change. The pronouns, adverbs of time and place, tense, and modal verbs undergo these changes. Now, let’s learn how to transform direct speech to reported speech.  

1. Change of Pronouns
   When converting direct speech to indirect speech, pronouns change depending on the speaker and who is being spoken about in the reported sentence. 

2. Change of Adverbs of Time and Place
   When reporting speech, words that show time and place usually change.
   
   

3. Change of Tense
   When changing the reported speech, the tense of the verb changes when the reporting verb is in the past. 

4. Change of Modal Verbs

Modal verbs also change when converting a direct sentence to an indirect sentence.

 

Tips to Practice Reported Speech

You can master reported speech by regularly practising both speaking and writing. Here are some tips to practice reported speech. 

• Learners can practice changing direct speech into reported speech when reading a play, drama, or short story. 

• Write about an incident or describe a day in your life using reported speech. 

• Memorise the table of tense changes to make transformations easier. 

• Try solving worksheets and practising exercises to test your understanding. 

• Write about an incident or describe a day in your life using reported speech. 
  
  

Examples of Reported Speech

1. She said, “I am tired.”

2. He said, “I like apples.”

3. The teacher said, “Open your books.”

4. She said, “I am doing my homework.”

5. Mom said, “Clean your room.”

6. The boy said, “I have finished my work.”

7. He said, “I cooked dinner.”

8. She said, “I may go to the party.”

9. The teacher said, “Complete the test.”

10. The boy said, “I found my pencil here.”

11. He said, “They are leaving.” 

12. The teacher said, “Please listen carefully.”

13. He said, “I shall help you.”

14. Dad said, “We are going to the park tomorrow.”

15. Tom said, “I like ice cream.”

Answer: 

1. She said that she was tired. 

2. He said that he liked apples.

3. The teacher told the students to open their books. 

4. She said that she was doing her homework. 

5. Mom told me to clean my room.

6. The boy said that he had finished his work.

7. He said that he had cooked dinner.

8. She said that she might go to the party.

9. The teacher told the students to complete the test. 

10. The boy said that he had found his pencil there. 

11. He said that they were leaving. 

12. The teacher requested the students to listen carefully. 

13. He said that he should help me.

14. Dad said that we were going to the park the next day.

15. Tom said that he liked ice cream.