Reported Speech
Reported (indirect) speech tells what someone said without quoting the exact words. Converting direct speech to reported speech requires changes in the reporting verb, pronouns, tenses, and words of time and place. In the CBSE paper this is one of the most frequently tested grammar items.
General Changes
1. Pronoun Changes
Pronouns change according to the speaker and listener: first person follows the subject of the reporting verb, second person follows the object, third person does not change. He said to me, "I like your idea." → He told me that he liked my idea.
2. Tense Changes (when reporting verb is in past)
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | Simple Past | "I work hard." → …that he worked hard. |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous | "I am reading." → …that she was reading. |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect | "I have finished." → …that he had finished. |
| Simple Past | Past Perfect | "I saw him." → …that she had seen him. |
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous | "I was waiting." → …that he had been waiting. |
| will / shall | would / should | "I will come." → …that he would come. |
| can / may | could / might | "I can swim." → …that she could swim. |
| must | had to | "I must go." → …that he had to go. |
No tense change when: (a) the reporting verb is in the present/future (He says that he is busy), or (b) the statement is a universal truth (The teacher said that the earth revolves round the sun).
3. Changes in Words of Time and Place
| Direct | Reported | Direct | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| now | then | today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day | yesterday | the previous day |
| tonight | that night | last week | the previous week |
| here | there | this/these | that/those |
| ago | before | come | go |
Reporting Different Sentence Types
A. Statements
Reporting verb: said / told + object; connector: that.
Direct: She said to me, "I am learning French these days."
Reported: She told me that she was learning French those days.
B. Questions
Reporting verb: asked / enquired / wanted to know. The question becomes a statement (subject before verb), the question mark is dropped, and do/does/did disappears.
- Wh-questions — the wh-word itself is the connector:
He said to me, "Where do you live?" → He asked me where I lived. - Yes/No questions — connector is if / whether:
She said to him, "Are you coming to the party?" → She asked him if he was coming to the party.
C. Commands and Requests
Reporting verb shows the tone: ordered, commanded, told (command); requested, begged (request); advised, suggested (advice); forbade (negative command). The verb changes to to + V1; negatives become not to + V1.
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| The teacher said, "Stand up, boys." | The teacher ordered the boys to stand up. |
| She said to me, "Please help me with this bag." | She requested me to help her with that bag. |
| The doctor said, "Do not skip your medicines." | The doctor advised him not to skip his medicines. / The doctor forbade him to skip his medicines. |
D. Exclamations and Wishes
Use exclaimed with joy/sorrow/surprise, wished, or prayed: He said, "Hurrah! We have won." → He exclaimed with joy that they had won.
Common Errors
- He asked me where did I live. → He asked me where I lived. (No question order in reported speech.)
- She told that she was ill. → She said that she was ill. (Told needs an object: told me.)
- He asked that whether I was ready. → He asked whether I was ready. (Never that + if/whether.)
- The teacher said that honesty was the best policy. → …honesty is the best policy. (Universal truth keeps present tense.)
- He requested me help him. → He requested me to help him.