Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of conveying what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. It involves changing the original speaker’s words into a different grammatical structure. Here are the key aspects of reported speech:
In reported speech, the structure typically follows this pattern:
When converting direct speech to reported speech, the following tense changes generally occur:
Present Simple → Past Simple
Present Continuous → Past Continuous
Present Perfect → Past Perfect
Past Simple → Past Perfect
Future Simple → Conditional
Pronouns must be adjusted to match the perspective of the reporting speaker:
Time and place expressions may also change:
Questions: When reporting questions, the structure changes to a statement form, and the question word is retained.
Commands: For commands, the verb “tell” or “ask” is often used, and the structure changes to an infinitive form.
In some cases, backshifting may not occur, especially if the reporting verb is in the present tense or if the information is still true: