Reported Speech

• Distinguish direct speech (exact words in quotes) from reported/indirect speech (retelling without quotes).
• Change pronouns, tenses, and time/place words correctly when converting direct to reported speech.

1. Direct speech uses quotation marks: She said, "I am happy."
2. Reported speech removes quotes and often shifts the tense back: She said (that) she was happy.
3. Common shifts: am/is/are → was/were; will → would; can → could; now → then; today → that day.
4. Pronouns change to match the reporter's perspective (I → she/he, my → her/his).

Convert to reported speech: He said, "I am going to the market."

He said (that) he was going to the market.
(am -> was, I -> he)

• Forgetting to shift the tense backward in reported speech.
• Leaving quotation marks in reported speech (they should be removed).
• Not changing time/place words like "here"/"now" appropriately.

• Convert: She said, "I will call you tomorrow."
• Convert: They said, "We are playing here."

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Reported Speech.