Grammar · Verb patterns & moods · B1 · Intermediate
Reported speech
Last updated 21 July 2026
In short
Backshift: how tenses change in reported speech
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | → past simple | “I live alone.” → He said he lived alone. |
| Present continuous | → past continuous | “We are waiting.” → They said they were waiting. |
| Past simple / present perfect | → past perfect | “I lost my keys.” → She said she had lost her keys. |
| will | → would | “I'll call you.” → He said he would call me. |
| can / must | → could / had to | “You must sign here.” → The clerk said I had to sign there. |
| Yes/no question | → if/whether + statement order | “Are you ready?” → She asked if I was ready. |
| Command | → told + object + to-infinitive | “Wait outside.” → He told us to wait outside. |
What is backshift and when do you use it?
When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), the tenses in the reported clause normally move one step into the past: present simple becomes past simple, present perfect becomes past perfect, will becomes would. This shift is called backshift, and it reflects the fact that you are describing words from an earlier moment.
Backshift is optional when the statement is still true or a general fact, and it never happens when the reporting verb is present: 'She says she prefers the night shift.' Tenses that cannot move further back — past perfect, would, could, should, might — simply stay as they are.
- “The traffic is terrible.” → He said the traffic was terrible.(present simple → past simple)
- Amara says she needs one more day for the edits.(present reporting verb — no backshift)
- The guide said the museum opens at nine.(still true → backshift optional)
How do you report questions?
Reported wh-questions keep the question word but use statement word order — no inversion, no do/does/did, and no question mark: '“Where is the office?” → She asked where the office was.'
Yes/no questions need if or whether plus the same statement order. 'Whether' is slightly more formal and is required before 'or not'.
- She asked where the nearest pharmacy was.
- The officer asked whether I had anything to declare.
- He asked me where was the bus station.(statement order → where the bus station was)
How do you report commands and requests?
Commands and requests are reported with tell, ask, order, advise, remind or warn + object + to-infinitive: '“Close the valve.” → The engineer told us to close the valve.' The negative simply inserts 'not' before 'to'.
Choose the reporting verb by force: ask for polite requests, tell for instructions, order for authority, warn for danger.
- The doctor told him to cut down on salt.
- She asked me not to mention the surprise party.(negative command → not to + verb)
- My landlord told to pay the deposit by Friday.('tell' needs an object → told me to pay)
How do time, place and pronoun words change?
Because the reporter usually speaks at a different time and place, deictic words shift: today → that day, tomorrow → the following day, yesterday → the day before, next week → the following week, ago → before, here → there, this → that. Pronouns change to fit the new speaker's point of view.
These changes are logical, not mechanical — if you report something on the same day it was said, 'today' can stay exactly as it is.
- “I'll finish the design tomorrow.” → She promised she would finish the design the following day.
- “We moved here two years ago.” → They said they had moved there two years before.
- He said he was leaving today.(same-day report — no change needed)
Which reporting verbs can replace 'say' and 'tell'?
Richer reporting verbs carry the whole speech act in one word: admit, deny, promise, refuse, offer, suggest, warn, advise, complain, remind. They compress a quote into a precise summary — 'He denied breaking the photocopier' replaces an entire sentence of direct speech.
Each verb has its own pattern, and mixing them up is a common error: deny, admit and suggest take -ing or a that-clause; promise, refuse, offer and agree take a to-infinitive; warn, advise and remind take object + to-infinitive.
- He denied breaking the photocopier.(deny + -ing)
- The airline agreed to refund our tickets.(agree + to-infinitive)
- She reminded me to renew my visa.(remind + object + to-infinitive)
- They suggested to leave early.(suggest takes -ing or a that-clause → suggested leaving)
Common mistakes with reported speech
Real learner errors, corrected and explained — the fastest way to stop repeating them.
She said me the meeting was cancelled.
She told me the meeting was cancelled.
'Say' never takes a personal object — when you name the listener, use tell: told me, told the team.
He told that he was tired of commuting.
He said that he was tired of commuting.
'Tell' requires an object (told me, told us); with no listener mentioned, the verb must be 'say'.
I asked her where does she buy her spices.
I asked her where she bought her spices.
Reported questions use statement word order and backshift — the auxiliary 'does' disappears completely.
He said he will come to the interview the following day.
He said he would come to the interview the following day.
After a past reporting verb, 'will' backshifts to 'would' — keeping 'will' clashes with the shifted time word.
The teacher said us to open our books.
The teacher told us to open our books.
Reported commands use tell + object + to-infinitive; 'say' cannot take 'us' as its object.
She asked me that I could help her.
She asked me if I could help her.
Reported yes/no questions need if or whether — 'that' only introduces reported statements.
He suggested me to apply for the scholarship.
He suggested that I apply for the scholarship.
'Suggest' never takes object + to-infinitive; use suggest + -ing or suggest + that-clause instead.
Reported speech in IELTS
Grammatical Range and Accuracy is 25% of your Speaking and Writing scores — here is where this structure earns marks.
Speaking
- Part 2 stories about people — 'Describe a time someone gave you advice' — make reported speech almost unavoidable: 'My grandfather told me not to worry about money' packs a reporting verb and a negative infinitive into one natural sentence examiners credit as complex.
- Vary your reporting verbs in Part 3: 'Some people claim standards are falling, though teachers themselves admit the picture is mixed' sounds far more precise than repeating 'they say' — and feeds both the lexical and grammatical criteria at once.
Writing
- In Task 2, reported structures let you stage opposing views before rebutting them: 'Critics argue that automation destroys jobs, yet the evidence suggests otherwise.' That concession pattern is a Band 7 discourse move built on reporting verbs.
- Check sequence of tenses in every reported clause: 'The survey found that most respondents preferred cash' keeps the past frame consistent. Slipping into 'prefer' mid-sentence is the kind of error that separates Band 6 from Band 7 accuracy.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I always have to change the tense in reported speech?
What is the difference between say and tell?
How do you report a yes/no question?
What happens to 'must' in reported speech?
How does 'tomorrow' change in reported speech?
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