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Unit 02
Reported Speech (Advanced)
tense shifts & reporting verbs
What is Reported Speech?
Reported (indirect) speech reports what someone said without quoting their exact words. It requires changes in tense, pronouns, and time expressions and is common in formal writing, journalism, and storytelling.
Direct: She said, "I am tired." → Reported: She said she was tired.
Backshift — Basic Tense Changes
When the reporting verb (said, told, explained) is in the past, the reported verb usually moves one step back in tense.
| Direct | Reported | Example |
|---|---|---|
| am / is / are | was / were | "I am happy." → He said he was happy. |
| do / does (present) | did (past) | "I like pizza." → She said she liked pizza. |
| have / has | had | "I have finished." → He said he had finished. |
| will | would | "I will call." → She said she would call. |
| can | could | "I can swim." → He said he could swim. |
| may | might | "I may come." → She said she might come. |
| must | had to | "I must leave." → He said he had to leave. |
When NOT to Backshift
- Reporting verb in present/future: She says she is tired.
- Statement still true or universal: The teacher said water boils at 100°C.
- After infinitive or unchanged modal: She asked me to help. / He told me I should study.
Pronoun & Time / Place Changes
- "I'll call you tomorrow." → She said she'd call me the next day.
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| yesterday | the previous day / the day before |
| now | then |
| here | there |
| this / these | that / those |
Reporting Statements, Questions & Commands
- ⚠ told + object, but said + to + object: He told me the truth. ✅ / He said to me...
- ⚠ No question word order in reported questions — subject + verb, no inversion.
| Type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | said / told + (that) + clause | He told me (that) he loved pizza. |
| Yes/No question | asked + if/whether + clause | She asked if I liked tea. |
| Wh- question | asked + wh-word + clause | He asked where I lived. |
| Command | told/asked + object + (not) to + verb | She told me not to be late. |
Advanced Reporting Verbs
| Function | Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Say/tell alternatives | explain, inform, assure | She explained that it was necessary. |
| Questioning | inquire, wonder | He inquired whether it was true. |
| Suggesting/advising | advise, recommend, suggest, urge | They recommended taking the early train. |
| Promising/offering | promise, offer, agree | He promised to call later. |
| Blaming/admitting | blame, accuse, admit, deny | She admitted lying about the report. |
| Insisting | insist, emphasize, point out | He insisted that he was right. |
Academic Reporting Verbs (Stance)
In essays, the reporting verb shows your attitude to the source:
| Stance | Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral | state, note, report, observe, describe | Smith notes that prices rose. |
| Strong / confident | argue, maintain, contend, assert, insist | Jones argues that the policy failed. |
| Tentative | suggest, imply, propose, speculate | The data suggest that ... |
| Agreeing / conceding | acknowledge, concede, admit, accept | She concedes that the sample was small. |
| Doubting (writer's view) | claim, allege | He claims to have proof. (the writer is not convinced) |
Reporting Modal Perfects & Conditionals
- Modal perfects don't change: "He must have forgotten." → She said he must have forgotten.
- Third conditionals don't change: "If I'd known, I'd have come." → He said if he had known, he would have come.
- Must for deduction stays must: "It must be late." → She said it must be late. (not
had to be)
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectSheverbsaidsubjectsheverbhad finishedobjecther work.
↳ Backshift: have finished → had finished.
subjectHeverbaskedwheresubjectIverblived.
↳ Reported wh-question — no inversion, backshift live → lived.
subjectSheverbtoldobjectmeverbnot to beadjectivelate.
↳ Reported negative command: not + to + verb.
Common Mistakes
He said me he was tired.
→
He told me he was tired. / He said he was tired.
"Said" does not take a direct object; use "told me" or "said".
She asked where did I live.
→
She asked where I lived.
No question inversion in reported speech.
He told to me the truth.
→
He told me the truth.
"Told" is followed directly by the object — no "to".
She told me don't be late.
→
She told me not to be late.
Negative command → not + to + verb.
He said he will call me.
→
He said he would call me.
Standard backshift → would. ("Will" is possible only if the call is still in the future.)
"It must be a mistake." → She said it had to be a mistake.
→
She said it must be a mistake.
Deduction "must" doesn't change to "had to".