It is usual for the verb in the reported clause to move 'one tense back' if the reporting verb is in the past tense.
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
| Present → | Past |
| Present Perfect → | Past Perfect |
| Past → | Past Perfect |
| will → | would |
| 'I'm going.' He said… | he was going. |
| 'She's passed her test.' He told me… | she had passed her test. |
| 'I'll see you later.' She said… | she'd see me later. |
Some modals change: can → could, will → would, may → might. Other modals don't change: should, might, ought to.
We rarely use say with an indirect object.
She said she was going. NOTTell is always used with an indirect object in reported speech.
She told me / the doctor / us / her husband the news.We can use that after say and tell.
Many verbs are more descriptive than say and tell, for example:
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| verb + sb + to-infinitive | He told me to go away. She asked me to leave. |
| verb + to-infinitive | She promised to help. They offered to lend me money. |
| verb + that + clause | He explained that he would be home late. She admitted that sales were down. |
The word order in reported questions is different. There is no inversion of subject and auxiliary verb and no do/does/did.
| Direct question | Reported question |
|---|---|
| 'Why have you come here?' | She asked me why she had come there. |
| 'What time is it?' | He wants to know what time it is. |
| 'Where do you live?' | She asked me where I lived. |
If there is no question word (What, Who, Why, Where…), use if or whether.
She wants to know if / whether she should wear a dress.