Direct speech gives the exact words: Maria said, “I am tired.”

Reported speech tells the words later, in your own voice. The words were said in the past. So the verb steps back one tense.

Direct speech (exact words)	Reported speech (your report)
“I am tired.”	She said she was tired.
“I work here.”	He said he worked there.
“I have lost my keys.”	She said she had lost her keys.

Use this chart when the reporting verb is in the past (said, told).

Direct speech	Reported speech
Present Simple “I work here.”	Past Simple She said she worked there.
Present Continuous “I am working.”	Past Continuous She said she was working.
Past Simple “I worked there.”	Past Perfect She said she had worked there.
Present Perfect “I have worked there.”	Past Perfect She said she had worked there.
Present Perfect Continuous “I have been working.”	Past Perfect Continuous She said she had been working.
Past Perfect “I had worked there.”	Past Perfect (stays the same) She said she had worked there.

Past Perfect cannot go further back. So it stays the same. You know had been + verb-ing from lessons 51 to 53.

If the reporting verb is in the present (says, tells), nothing steps back. There is no gap in time.

Reported speech uses your point of view. So other words change, not only the verb.

Direct speech	Reported speech
Pronouns: I, we, my	he / she, they, his / her
now, today	then, that day
yesterday, last week	the day before, the week before
tomorrow	the next day
two days ago	two days before
here	there

Look at five examples. Each one changes the pronoun, the time word, or the place word.

Two verbs are very common: said and told.

You can drop the word that. She said that she was tired and She said she was tired are the same.

Read the exact words. Click the verb that completes the report.

• 1
  “I work at a bank.” → Maria said she at a bank.

  worked works

  ✓ Correct — Present Simple steps back to Past Simple.
• 2
  “I am studying English.” → Tom said he English.

  was studying is studying

  ✓ Correct — Present Continuous steps back to Past Continuous.
• 3
  “I lost my keys.” → Anna said she her keys.

  lost had lost

  ✓ Correct — Past Simple steps back to Past Perfect.
• 4
  “I have finished.” → Ben said he .

  has finished had finished

  ✓ Correct — Present Perfect steps back to Past Perfect.
• 5
  “I have been waiting for an hour.” → Sam said he for an hour.

  had been waiting has been waiting

  ✓ Correct — Present Perfect Continuous steps back to Past Perfect Continuous.
• 6
  “We had already eaten.” → They said they already.

  had eaten have eaten

  ✓ Correct — Past Perfect stays the same. It is already the furthest back.
• 7
  “I live in Paris.” → She said she in Paris.

  had lived lived

  ✓ Correct — Present Simple steps back only one tense: to Past Simple.
• 8
  “I am tired.” → He told me he tired.

  is was

  ✓ Correct — Present Simple steps back to Past Simple. Am and is become was.

Type the reported verb for the verb given.

• 1
  “I need help.” She said she help. (need)
• 2
  “I am cooking dinner.” He said he dinner. (cook)
• 3
  “I wrote the report.” She said she the report. (write)
• 4
  “I have lost my phone.” He said he his phone. (lose)
• 5
  “We have been working all day.” They said they all day. (work)
• 6
  “I know the answer.” He said he the answer. (know)
• 7
  “We are leaving soon.” They said they soon. (leave)
• 8
  “I called her last night.” He said he her the night before. (call)

Type the negative reported verb for the verb given.

• 1
  “I don’t like fish.” He said he fish. (not like)
• 2
  “I’m not working today.” She said she that day. (not work)
• 3
  “I didn’t see the email.” He said he the email. (not see)
• 4
  “I haven’t finished.” She said she yet. (not finish)
• 5
  “We don’t know.” They said they . (not know)
• 6
  “I haven’t been sleeping well.” He said he well. (not sleep)
• 7
  “I didn’t go to work.” She said she to work. (not go)
• 8
  “They aren’t coming.” He said they . (not come)

Type the missing verb in speaker A’s report, using the verb given.

• 1
  A: What did Lena say?
  B: “I lost my passport.”
  A: Oh no! She said she her passport. (lose)
• 2
  A: What did Carlos say?
  B: “I’m watching a movie.”
  A: He told me he a movie. (watch)
• 3
  A: What did the kids say?
  B: “We have finished our homework.”
  A: They said they their homework. (finish)
• 4
  A: What did Mr. Lee say?
  B: “I don’t have time.”
  A: He said he time. (not have)
• 5
  A: What did Ana say?
  B: “I have been studying all day.”
  A: She said she all day. (study)
• 6
  A: What did your boss say?
  B: “I need the report today.”
  A: He said he the report that day. (need)
• 7
  A: What did Joe say?
  B: “I called you yesterday.”
  A: He said he me the day before. (call)
• 8
  A: What did Emma say?
  B: “I live near the park.”
  A: She said she near the park. (live)

Think: said or told? Which time or person word? Click the word that fits.

• 1
  “I’m tired,” Mia said. → Mia she was tired.

  said told

  ✓ Correct — Said has no object. Told needs an object (told me).
• 2
  “I’m tired,” Mia said. → Mia me she was tired.

  said told

  ✓ Correct — Said has no object. Told needs an object (told me).
• 3
  “I called yesterday.” → He said he had called .

  the day before yesterday

  ✓ Correct — Yesterday becomes the day before.
• 4
  “I’m leaving now.” → She said she was leaving .

  then now

  ✓ Correct — Now becomes then.
• 5
  “I like your car.” → Tom told me that liked my car.

  I he

  ✓ Correct — The pronoun changes. I becomes he.
• 6
  “I saw it two days ago.” → She said she had seen it two days .

  ago before

  ✓ Correct — Ago becomes before.
• 7
  “I have a cold.” → Lisa said she a cold.

  had has

  ✓ Correct — Present Simple steps back to Past Simple. Have becomes had.
• 8
  “I’m busy today.” → He said he was busy .

  today that day

  ✓ Correct — Today becomes that day.

Read each question. Choose the sentence that matches.

• Steps: Present Simple → Past Simple. Present Continuous → Past Continuous.
• Past Simple and Present Perfect → Past Perfect. Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous.
• Past Perfect stays the same. It cannot go further back.
• Present reporting verb (says, tells): no step back.
• Other words change: I → he / she. Yesterday → the day before. Today → that day. Ago → before. Here → there.
• Said has no person. Told needs one (told me).

✓ Mark this lesson complete