change a sentence to reported speech

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English Grammar
Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.
You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the definition of reported speech.

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

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Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )

The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )

He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

Reporting wh -questions

Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who , whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )

He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )

She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When , where , why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :

I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Questions: wh- questions

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )

We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )

He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )

The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors.

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .

Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?

Word of the Day

the nuts and bolts

the practical facts about a particular thing, rather than theories or ideas about it

Sitting on the fence (Newspaper idioms)

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Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2

Advanced Grammar Course

What is reported speech?

“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:

Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.

There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions Espresso English

So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.

In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called “backshift.”

Here are some examples in different verb tenses:

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

Exceptions to backshift in reported speech.

Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.

There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.

If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.

When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.

He said he HAS three children

But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.

Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”

If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.

Here’s an example:

On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
“She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.

Let’s look at a different situation:

On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
“She said she ‘d call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Quick review:

Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
when the situation is still true
when the situation is still in the future

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.

What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?

For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:

“Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)

For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”

“Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
“He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)

The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:

She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me make a copy of the report.
He told me to go to the bank. He told me go to the bank.

For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.

“Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
“Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)

The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.

Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:

She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.

For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):

“When was the company founded?” (direct)
She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
“What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)

Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:

“Where does he work?”
She wanted to know where does he work.
She wanted to know where he works.

Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:

“Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
He asked where was I born.

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Learn more about reported speech:

Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
Reported speech: BJYU’s

If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!

I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.

Master the details of English grammar:

More Espresso English Lessons:

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Transformation of Sentence: Direct & Indirect Speech

A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Let’s have an example first.

Tina said to me, “Are you busy now?” [direct speech]
Tina asked me whether I was busy then. [indirect speech]

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

Look, if the reporting verb in direct speech (said) is in past tense, the reporting verb in indirect speech (asked) would also be in past tense. ‘Whether’ is the linker added here as it is a ‘yes-no’ type question (Refer to list 1 below).
‘Are’ changes to ‘was’. As the reporting verb was in past tense, the verb in the reported speech will also be in past. (Refer to list 2 below)
‘Now’ has become ‘then’. Time and place expressions change if the reporting verb is in past tense. (Refer to list 3 below)
The question mark (?) has changed to a full stop(.).
Another important thing, the format of question (v + s + o) has changed to the format of a statement (s + v + o). In indirect speech the pattern always comes to subject + verb + object.

List of Reporting verbs and linkers (list 1)

Verbs of Reported speech (if the reporting verb is in past tense) (list 2) Direct speech → Indirect speech Am / is / are → was / were Was / were → had been Has / have → had Had → had had Shall / will → would Can → could May → might Must, should → must, should Verb1 → verb2 Verb2 → had + verb3

Change of time and place expressions in past tense (list 3) now → then ago → before today → that day yesterday → the previous day tomorrow → the next day last night → the previous night here → there this → that these → those

Narration change of Assertive sentence

Robin said, “I went to Delhi yesterday.” – Robin said that he had gone to Delhi the previous day .
She said to her husband, “I want to go with you.” – She told her husband that she wanted to go with him.

Narration change of Interrogative sentence

He said to me, “Do you know English?” – He asked me whether I knew English.
She said to me, “Did you go there?” – She wanted to know whether I had gone there.
I said to him, “What are you doing?” – I asked him what he was doing.
Rahul said to his mother, “How do you do all these things together?” – Rahul asked his mother how she did all those things together.

Narration change of Imperative sentence

He said to me, “Go there right now.” – He ordered me to go there right then.
My teacher said to me, “Obey your parents.” – My teacher asked me to obey my parents.
She said to me, “Please don’t go there.” – She requested me not to go there.
He said to her, “Let’s go home.” – He suggested her that they should go home.
His mother said, “Let him eat whatever he likes.” – His mother suggested that he might be allowed to eat whatever he liked.

Narration change of Optative sentence

He said to the boy, “May god bless you.” – He prayed that God might bless the boy.
The girl said, “Had I the wings of a dove.” – The girl wished that she had the wings of a dove.

Narration change of Exclamatory sentence

“How happy we are here!” said the children. – The children exclaimed in joy that they were very happy there.
The children said, “How happy we were there!” – The children exclaimed in sorrow that they had been very happy there.
He said to me, “Good bye!” – He bade me good bye.
She said to me, “Good evening!”—She wished me good evening.

Narration change of Vocatives

Teacher said, “ Robin , stand up.” – Teacher asked Robin to stand up.
The Bishop said to the convict, “Always remember, my son , that the poor body is the temple of the living God.” – The Bishop addressed the convict as his son and advised him to always remember that the poor body is the temple of the living God.

Narration change of question tag

He said to me, “You went to Kolkata, didn’t you?” – He asked me whether I had gone to Kolkata and assumed that I had.
I said to him, “Tina didn’t tell a lie, did she?” – I asked him if Tina had told a lie and assumed that she had not.

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100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of communicating what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. For example, if your friend said, “ I am going to the store ,” in reported speech, you might convey this as, “ My friend said he was going to the store. ” Reported speech is common in both spoken and written language, especially in storytelling, news reporting, and everyday conversations.

Reported speech can be quite challenging for English language learners because in order to change direct speech into reported speech, one must change the perspective and tense of what was said by the original speaker or writer. In this guide, we will explain in detail how to change direct speech into indirect speech and provide lots of examples of reported speech to help you understand. Here are the key aspects of converting direct speech into reported speech.

Reported Speech: Changing Pronouns

Pronouns are usually changed to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech. For example, “I” in direct speech may become “he” or “she” in reported speech, depending on the context. Here are some example sentences:

Direct : “I am going to the park.” Reported : He said he was going to the park .
Direct : “You should try the new restaurant.” Reported : She said that I should try the new restaurant.
Direct : “We will win the game.” Reported : They said that they would win the game.
Direct : “She loves her new job.” Reported : He said that she loves her new job.
Direct : “He can’t come to the party.” Reported : She said that he couldn’t come to the party.
Direct : “It belongs to me.” Reported : He said that it belonged to him .
Direct : “They are moving to a new city.” Reported : She said that they were moving to a new city.
Direct : “You are doing a great job.” Reported : He told me that I was doing a great job.
Direct : “I don’t like this movie.” Reported : She said that she didn’t like that movie.
Direct : “We have finished our work.” Reported : They said that they had finished their work.
Direct : “You will need to sign here.” Reported : He said that I would need to sign there.
Direct : “She can solve the problem.” Reported : He said that she could solve the problem.
Direct : “He was not at home yesterday.” Reported : She said that he had not been at home the day before.
Direct : “It is my responsibility.” Reported : He said that it was his responsibility.
Direct : “We are planning a surprise.” Reported : They said that they were planning a surprise.

Reported Speech: Reporting Verbs

In reported speech, various reporting verbs are used depending on the nature of the statement or the intention behind the communication. These verbs are essential for conveying the original tone, intent, or action of the speaker. Here are some examples demonstrating the use of different reporting verbs in reported speech:

Direct: “I will help you,” she promised . Reported: She promised that she would help me.
Direct: “You should study harder,” he advised . Reported: He advised that I should study harder.
Direct: “I didn’t take your book,” he denied . Reported: He denied taking my book .
Direct: “Let’s go to the cinema,” she suggested . Reported: She suggested going to the cinema .
Direct: “I love this song,” he confessed . Reported: He confessed that he loved that song.
Direct: “I haven’t seen her today,” she claimed . Reported: She claimed that she hadn’t seen her that day.
Direct: “I will finish the project,” he assured . Reported: He assured me that he would finish the project.
Direct: “I’m not feeling well,” she complained . Reported: She complained of not feeling well.
Direct: “This is how you do it,” he explained . Reported: He explained how to do it.
Direct: “I saw him yesterday,” she stated . Reported: She stated that she had seen him the day before.
Direct: “Please open the window,” he requested . Reported: He requested that I open the window.
Direct: “I can win this race,” he boasted . Reported: He boasted that he could win the race.
Direct: “I’m moving to London,” she announced . Reported: She announced that she was moving to London.
Direct: “I didn’t understand the instructions,” he admitted . Reported: He admitted that he didn’t understand the instructions.
Direct: “I’ll call you tonight,” she promised . Reported: She promised to call me that night.

Reported Speech: Tense Shifts

When converting direct speech into reported speech, the verb tense is often shifted back one step in time. This is known as the “backshift” of tenses. It’s essential to adjust the tense to reflect the time elapsed between the original speech and the reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how different tenses in direct speech are transformed in reported speech:

Direct: “I am eating.” Reported: He said he was eating.
Direct: “They will go to the park.” Reported: She mentioned they would go to the park.
Direct: “We have finished our homework.” Reported: They told me they had finished their homework.
Direct: “I do my exercises every morning.” Reported: He explained that he did his exercises every morning.
Direct: “She is going to start a new job.” Reported: He heard she was going to start a new job.
Direct: “I can solve this problem.” Reported: She said she could solve that problem.
Direct: “We are visiting Paris next week.” Reported: They said they were visiting Paris the following week.
Direct: “I will be waiting outside.” Reported: He stated he would be waiting outside.
Direct: “They have been studying for hours.” Reported: She mentioned they had been studying for hours.
Direct: “I can’t understand this chapter.” Reported: He complained that he couldn’t understand that chapter.
Direct: “We were planning a surprise.” Reported: They told me they had been planning a surprise.
Direct: “She has to complete her assignment.” Reported: He said she had to complete her assignment.
Direct: “I will have finished the project by Monday.” Reported: She stated she would have finished the project by Monday.
Direct: “They are going to hold a meeting.” Reported: She heard they were going to hold a meeting.
Direct: “I must leave.” Reported: He said he had to leave.

Reported Speech: Changing Time and Place References

When converting direct speech into reported speech, references to time and place often need to be adjusted to fit the context of the reported speech. This is because the time and place relative to the speaker may have changed from the original statement to the time of reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how time and place references change:

Direct: “I will see you tomorrow .” Reported: He said he would see me the next day .
Direct: “We went to the park yesterday .” Reported: They said they went to the park the day before .
Direct: “I have been working here since Monday .” Reported: She mentioned she had been working there since Monday .
Direct: “Let’s meet here at noon.” Reported: He suggested meeting there at noon.
Direct: “I bought this last week .” Reported: She said she had bought it the previous week .
Direct: “I will finish this by tomorrow .” Reported: He stated he would finish it by the next day .
Direct: “She will move to New York next month .” Reported: He heard she would move to New York the following month .
Direct: “They were at the festival this morning .” Reported: She said they were at the festival that morning .
Direct: “I saw him here yesterday.” Reported: She mentioned she saw him there the day before.
Direct: “We will return in a week .” Reported: They said they would return in a week .
Direct: “I have an appointment today .” Reported: He said he had an appointment that day .
Direct: “The event starts next Friday .” Reported: She mentioned the event starts the following Friday .
Direct: “I lived in Berlin two years ago .” Reported: He stated he had lived in Berlin two years before .
Direct: “I will call you tonight .” Reported: She said she would call me that night .
Direct: “I was at the office yesterday .” Reported: He mentioned he was at the office the day before .

Reported Speech: Question Format

When converting questions from direct speech into reported speech, the format changes significantly. Unlike statements, questions require rephrasing into a statement format and often involve the use of introductory verbs like ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’. Here are some examples to demonstrate how questions in direct speech are converted into statements in reported speech:

Direct: “Are you coming to the party?” Reported: She asked if I was coming to the party.
Direct: “What time is the meeting?” Reported: He inquired what time the meeting was.
Direct: “Why did you leave early?” Reported: They wanted to know why I had left early.
Direct: “Can you help me with this?” Reported: She asked if I could help her with that.
Direct: “Where did you buy this?” Reported: He wondered where I had bought that.
Direct: “Who is going to the concert?” Reported: They asked who was going to the concert.
Direct: “How do you solve this problem?” Reported: She questioned how to solve that problem.
Direct: “Is this the right way to the station?” Reported: He inquired whether it was the right way to the station.
Direct: “Do you know her name?” Reported: They asked if I knew her name.
Direct: “Why are they moving out?” Reported: She wondered why they were moving out.
Direct: “Have you seen my keys?” Reported: He asked if I had seen his keys.
Direct: “What were they talking about?” Reported: She wanted to know what they had been talking about.
Direct: “When will you return?” Reported: He asked when I would return.
Direct: “Can she drive a manual car?” Reported: They inquired if she could drive a manual car.
Direct: “How long have you been waiting?” Reported: She asked how long I had been waiting.

Reported Speech: Omitting Quotation Marks

In reported speech, quotation marks are not used, differentiating it from direct speech which requires them to enclose the spoken words. Reported speech summarizes or paraphrases what someone said without the need for exact wording. Here are examples showing how direct speech with quotation marks is transformed into reported speech without them:

Direct: “I am feeling tired,” she said. Reported: She said she was feeling tired.
Direct: “We will win the game,” he exclaimed. Reported: He exclaimed that they would win the game.
Direct: “I don’t like apples,” the boy declared. Reported: The boy declared that he didn’t like apples.
Direct: “You should visit Paris,” she suggested. Reported: She suggested that I should visit Paris.
Direct: “I will be late,” he warned. Reported: He warned that he would be late.
Direct: “I can’t believe you did that,” she expressed in surprise. Reported: She expressed her surprise that I had done that.
Direct: “I need help with this task,” he admitted. Reported: He admitted that he needed help with the task.
Direct: “I have never been to Italy,” she confessed. Reported: She confessed that she had never been to Italy.
Direct: “We saw a movie last night,” they mentioned. Reported: They mentioned that they saw a movie the night before.
Direct: “I am learning to play the piano,” he revealed. Reported: He revealed that he was learning to play the piano.
Direct: “You must finish your homework,” she instructed. Reported: She instructed that I must finish my homework.
Direct: “I will call you tomorrow,” he promised. Reported: He promised that he would call me the next day.
Direct: “I have finished my assignment,” she announced. Reported: She announced that she had finished her assignment.
Direct: “I cannot attend the meeting,” he apologized. Reported: He apologized for not being able to attend the meeting.
Direct: “I don’t remember where I put it,” she confessed. Reported: She confessed that she didn’t remember where she put it.

Reported Speech Quiz

Thanks for reading! I hope you found these reported speech examples useful. Before you go, why not try this Reported Speech Quiz and see if you can change indirect speech into reported speech?

Reported Speech

Reported Speech: Whenever you are quoting someone else’s words , you use two kinds of speeches – Direct or Indirect speech . In this chapter, we will learn all about Direct and Indirect speech and how to convert one into another.

Browse more Topics under Transformation Sentences

Active and Passive Voice
Parts of Speech
Types of Sentences

Reported speech- Play of the tenses:

Learn more about Parts of Speech here in detail

This is a summary table that will be crystal clear to you as you read further. Just come back to this table after this section and use this as a summary table:

Some word transitions from direct to reported speech that will come in handy:

Will becomes would
Can becomes could
would stays would
should stays should
must stays must or had to(matter of choice)
shall becomes should

Exception : A present tense in direct speech may not become a past tense in the reported speech if it’s a fact or something generic we are talking about in the sentence. For example-

Direct speech: The sun rises from the East.

Reported speech: She said that the sun rises/rose from the East.

Reported speech- Handling questions:

What happens when the sentence we are trying to report was actually a question? That’s something we are going to deal with in this section. Reported questions- It’s quite interesting. let’s get into it:

Well the good news is that the tense change you learnt above stays the same in reported speech for questions. The only difference is that when you report a question, you no more report it in the form of a question but in the form of a statement. For example:

Direct speech: Where do you want to eat?

Reported speech: She asked me where I wanted to eat.

Notice how the question mark is gone from the reported speech. The reported speech is a statement now. Keep that in mind as you read further.

Remember the tense change? Let’s apply that to a few questions now.

Now these are questions that have wordy answers to them. What about the questions that has yes/no answers to them? In these type of questions just add “if” before asking the question. For example:

Direct speech: Would you like to eat some cupcakes?
Reported speech: He asked me if i would like to eat some cupcakes.
Direct speech: Have you ever seen the Van Gogh paintings?
Reported speech: She asked me if I had ever seen the Van Gogh paintings.
Direct speech: Are you eating your vegetables?
Reported speech: She asked if I was eating my vegetables.

Reported speech- Reported requests:

Well not all questions require answers. Some questions are polite requests. Remember? Could you please try to remember? And then there are request statements. Let’s see how do we convert these into reported speech.

Reported request = ask me + to + verb or requested me + to +verb

Just add this rule to your reported speech and you have what is called a reported request.

Reported speech- Reported orders:

Well, not everyone is going to be polite. Sometimes, we get orders. Now how will you report them? Unlike the request, the reporting verb isn’t ask but told or tell. Also, when in orders, sometimes subjects are omitted but while reporting we have to revive the subjects. Let’s see a few examples:

Direct speech: Sit down!
Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Direct speech: don’t worry!
Reported speech: She told me not to worry.

Reported speech- Time transitions:

With that, you have everything it takes to understand reported speech. you are all se to change the direct to reported speech. Go ahead and try a few examples. All the best!

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Transformation of Sentences

Active and Passive voice

37 responses to “Active and Passive voice”

Simple but very nice explanation and helpfull too.

What is the voice change of ” I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths.”

ENDEAVOUR HAS BEEN MADE BY ME TO UNDERSTAND THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH.

The fundamental truths have been endeavoured to be understood by me

The fundamental truths to understand had been endeavoured by him

The fundamental truths have endeavoured to be understood by me

The fundamental truths has been understood endeavoured to by me

How to change the voice for the following sentence – the books will be received by tomorrow

By whom? We need a subject. If the subject was for example “The library”, then the sentence in active voice would read “The library will receive the books by tomorrow”.

You will receive the books by tomorrow.

Tomorrow you will receive the book

You will receive the books (by) tomorrow.

Someone will receive the books by tomorrow

Tomorrow will be receive the books

HE WILL RECEIVE THE BOOKS BY TOMORROW.

By tomorrow the books will be received.

By tomorrow, you will receive the books

Tomorrow received the book

Change this “take right and turn left” into passive voice

Let the right be taken amd left be turned

‘amd’ is “and” 😅

You are advised to take right and turn left

Very helpful information thanks

Very well explained all basics that can lead to gain further knowledge very easily

What is in this box change into passive

what is the voice change of,” some people think nuclear is the best, because it doesnt add to global warming “….

Brilliant stuff!! – Rishabh

A kite was made by Ravi . What is the active form of this statement???

how to change into passive this sentence “when they were shifting the patient to the I.C.U.,he died

change into passive voice this sentence “when they were shifting the patient to I.C.U.,he died .

May you tell us tense conversion in voice.

Sentences without action like…. Jim is a doctor . Is it active or passive and if any how would you decide without having a main verb ?

It is named after the name of its principal tree ‘sundari'(passive)

how can ocean be object 🙄???

They made a bag

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Time and Place in Reported Speech

When we report something, we may need to make changes to:

time (now, tomorrow)
place (here, this room)

If we report something around the same time, then we probably do not need to make any changes to time words . But if we report something at a different time, we need to change time words. Look at these example sentences:

He said: "It was hot yesterday ." → He said that it had been hot the day before .
He said: "We are going to swim tomorrow ." → He said they were going to swim the next day .

Here is a list of common time words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

Place words

If we are in the same place when we report something, then we do not need to make any changes to place words . But if we are in a different place when we report something, then we need to change the place words. Look at these example sentences:

He said: "It is cold in here ." → He said that it was cold in there .
He said: "How much is this book ?" → He asked how much the book was.

Here are some common place words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

Contributor: Josef Essberger

Reported speech

Tense changes in reported speech

Indirect speech (reported speech) focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired.

You do not need to change the tense if the reporting verb is in the present, or if the original statement was about something that is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense) , e.g.

He says he has missed the train but he'll catch the next one.
We explained that it is very difficult to find our house.
Direct speech: The sky is blue.
Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

These modal verbs do not change in reported speech: might, could, would, should, ought to :

We explained, "It could be difficult to find our house." = We explained that it could be difficult to find our house.
She said, "I might bring a friend to the party." = She said that she might bring a friend to the party.

Course Curriculum

Direct and indirect speech 15 mins
Tense changes in reported speech 20 mins
Changing time and place in reported speech 20 mins
Reported questions 20 mins
Reporting verbs 20 mins
Reporting orders and requests 15 mins
Reporting hopes, intentions and promises 20 mins

B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech: questions

Do you know how to report a question that somebody asked? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person asked.

direct speech: 'Do you work from home?' he said. indirect speech: He asked me if I worked from home. direct speech: 'Who did you see?' she asked. indirect speech: She asked me who I'd seen. direct speech: 'Could you write that down for me?' she asked. indirect speech: She asked me to write it down.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 2: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

A reported question is when we tell someone what another person asked. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

direct speech: 'Do you like working in sales?' he asked. indirect speech: He asked me if I liked working in sales.

In indirect speech, we change the question structure (e.g. Do you like ) to a statement structure (e.g. I like ).

We also often make changes to the tenses and other words in the same way as for reported statements (e.g. have done → had done , today → that day ). You can learn about these changes on the Reported speech 1 – statements page.

Yes / no questions

In yes / no questions, we use if or whether to report the question. If is more common.

'Are you going to the Helsinki conference?' He asked me if I was going to the Helsinki conference. 'Have you finished the project yet?' She asked us whether we'd finished the project yet.

Questions with a question word

In what , where , why , who , when or how questions, we use the question word to report the question.

'What time does the train leave?' He asked me what time the train left. 'Where did he go?' She asked where he went.

Reporting verbs

The most common reporting verb for questions is ask , but we can also use verbs like enquire , want to know or wonder .

'Did you bring your passports?' She wanted to know if they'd brought their passports. 'When could you get this done by?' He wondered when we could get it done by.

Offers, requests and suggestions

If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern instead, for example offer + infinitive, ask + infinitive or suggest + ing.

'Would you like me to help you?' He offered to help me. 'Can you hold this for me, please?' She asked me to hold it. 'Why don't we check with Joel?' She suggested checking with Joel.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 2: 2

Language level

Hello, dear teachers and team!

Could you please help me with the following:

She asked me "Does the Earth turn around the Sun?"

Does it have to be: "She asked me if the Earth TURNED around the Sun" ?

Do we have to change the question into the past form here as well?

2. She asked: "Was coffee originally green"?

Is "She asked me if the coffee HAD BEEN originally green" correct option? Can I leave WAS in an inderect speech here?

3. Is "She asked me if I knew if the Sun IS a star" or "She asked me if I knew if the Sun WAS / HAD BEEN a star" (if any) correct?

I'm very very grateful for your precious help and thank you very much for your answering this post in advance!!!

Hello howtosay_.

1. She asked me "Does the Earth turn around the Sun?" Does it have to be: "She asked me if the Earth TURNED around the Sun" ?

No, you can use the present here as well. The verb for this context would be 'go' rather than 'turn':

She asked me if the earth goes around the sun.

She asked me if the earth went around the sun.

Do we have to change the question into the past form here as well? 2. She asked: "Was coffee originally green"? Is "She asked me if the coffee HAD BEEN originally green" correct option? Can I leave WAS in an inderect speech here?

You can use either 'had been' or 'was' here. The adverb 'originally' removes any ambiguity.

3. Is "She asked me if I knew if the Sun IS a star" or "She asked me if I knew if the Sun WAS / HAD BEEN a star" (if any) correct?

You can use 'is' or 'was' here but not 'had been' as that would suggest the sun is not a star any more.

The LearnEnglish Team

She offered me to encourage studying English. She asked us if we could give her a hand.

He said, "I wished she had gone."

How to change this sentence into indirect speech?

Hello bhutuljee,

'He said that he wished she had gone.'

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

He said, "I wish she went."

How to change the above sentence into indirect speech?

Hi bhutuljee,

It would be: "He said that he wished she had gone."

LearnEnglish team

He said , "She wished John would succeed."

This is the third sentence you've asked us to transform in this way. While we try to offer as much help as we can, we are not a service for giving answers to questions which may be from tests or homework so we do limit these kinds of answers. Perhaps having read the information on the page above you can try to transform the sentence yourself and we will tell you if you have done it correctly or not.

Hi, I hope my comment finds you well and fine. 1- reported question of "where did he go?"

Isn't it: She asked where he had gone?

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/reported-…

2- how can I report poilte questions with( can I, May I) For example: She asked me" Can I borrow some money?"

Your reply will be highly appreciated.

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Grammar: Reported Speech in English

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357 comments.

Dear Madam I thank you very much for your efforts & hard work to help people like me. I loved above video abuot repported speech. i got it but what is reported speech when original sentence it a past perfect / past perfect continuous and future’s other 3 tenses.

Some more things i m not sure are . how would be negative sentence of this

1.she has a nice car.

she doesn’t have a nice car. or she doesn’t has a nice car.

Ravi Burlington, Canada

She doesn’t have a car

sorry has is wrong

She doesn’t have a car.

Hello Rebecca!!

i love ur lectures, infact im now in love with this website. all of u are doing great.

your lesson on reported speech is very clear n precised. it helped me a lot. but could u please, if possible, manage to record a lesson on “WH” words (like who, what, when, where, and how) reported speech with their affirmative, negative and interrogative also please try to cover the topic about “let” reported speech sentences.

hoping to hear from you soon. thanks.

she told me that he doesn’t have a car

Hey! i can help you with this sentences: 1. She has a nice car (Present Simple Tense) Angela said me that she had a nice car. 2. she doesn’t have a nice car(the same tense) Angela mentioned that she didn’t has a nice car. there is nothing hard. you must also take it in next tense (present simple to past simple; present continuous to past continuous and so on).

James, sorry but you have done a mistake. Use always said without me. You have to use me as told me. An example: She told me she had a car or She said she had a car. Tks.

she doesn’t have a nice car because you’re usind DOES. You can say : She hasn’t a nice car

According with Essential Grammar in use 2nd edition unit 7 section c pag 20 she hasn’t got a car indicates a possession (like she has got green eyes or she has green eyes) when you are using a negative sentence in present simple the auxiliary verb doesn’t indicates the third singular person and the negation so the main verb goes in its base form: she doesn’t have a car otherwise using has after doesn’t will be a grammatical error (she doesn’t has a car) because you will be making two negations in the same sentence. Good night!

hi hgnis 76; past perfect doesn’t change: She said, “The lesson had already started when he arrived.”= she said that she had already started when he arrived. past perfect continous doesn’t change: She said, “I’d already been teaching for five minutes.”=She said she’d already been teaching for five minutes.

-she dosn’t have a nice car

We thank her

Dear hgnis76,

my English has a poor level but I’m sure “she doesn’t has a nice car” is ungrammatical. Only one verb can give -s in one sentence (clause).

Dear Rebecca,

does exist a reporting speech? I mean for example: I tell you (not past tense!) that you’re very nice because of this cool online teaching.

Yes, reported speech exists but not in your sentence. Thanks for your feedback. All the best to you,Skalkaz.

hello english teacher. how are you doing? this is deepak. could u please tell me difference between, do, does, did, don’t, & has, have, had, &how to use them like, he don’t, or he doesn’t, he has, had. please help me with this, hoping for a very soon reply. T.K.G.B….

Thanks for helping and for the cool comments.

Thanks for the ideas for future lessons. We’ll try and help you in this way.

Please explain the followinng:

In indirect speech after writing reporting verb “THAT” is written while you did not use “that” in indirect speech please explain

The conjunction that is often dropped, especially after common reporting verbs (e.g. say, think) in informal speech. She said (that) she’d had enough. I think (that) you’re probably right.

That cannot be dropped after certain verbs, especially intransitive verbs – e.g. reply, email, shout. James replied that he was feeling better, (NOT James replied he was …) She shouted that she was busy, (NOT She shouted she was busy.)

(source: Practical English Usage)

Thanks for your question, Noor, and thanks for providing the answer, Shalkaz! Good work!

Hi Rebecca,

Just a thought… In the first set of examples: to change “He is a teacher” into “He told me he was a teacher” does kind of mean he wasn’t a teacher anymore. This might be mis-leading (although I know it doesn’t intend to).

Does this mean the listener to the report should also adjust himself to the english style of reporting?

When you say “He told me he was a teacher.” , you are using reported speech correctly. It means the person is still a teacher, even though it may sound like it’s not true right now.

If you say, ” He told me he used to be a teacher.” then it means he is not a teacher any more.

See the difference?

hi, mrs Rebecca u really r the best teacher of mine!!!!

Mrs. Rebecca, If the original sentence was “He USED to be a teacher”, would the reported speech be “He told me he HAD used to be a teacher” or “He told me he USED to be a teacher”? Thank you for the reply and the nice lesson.. :)

Thanks for this reply. It’s quite clear now.

Hello Rebecca .

Just stopped by to say Hi to you and James . I am an English teacher here in Brazil and always recomend your website to my students . I think it is a great tool for them . Thank YOU ! God bless you . tchau …

Thanks for help, I will have exam for 2 days and it it helped me to understand my problems. by love from Zagreb

Hope you got a really high score on your exam! Thanks for your feedback, Matej.

You are doing a great job with this site to teach English. Thank you very much. And I would like to tell, I felt that I was learned something about your “Reported Speech” lesson. I like to learn more in future.

Best Regards. Prabath – Sri lanka

Thanks Prabath. Glad I could help you understand Reported Speech a little better. Good luck with your English.

A lesson is really good, Madam!

first of all thanks for your help ,but i still have a doubt ,i read that when that If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in Reported speech. Example: Susan: “I work in an office.” Susan says that she works in an office. If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of tenses in Reported speech. (see: Note) Example: Susan: “I work in an office.” Susan said that she worked in an office.

as you can see both examples are in present. how to know if i have to change the sentence at past or not?——————————————————————————–

Thanks for your feedback, Elizabet. Please see my detailed comments to Jonathan below.

My best wishes to you.

thank you very very very very very much

i realy benfite from you thanks alot alot alot

You’re very, very, very welcome! So glad the lesson helped you.

thank you can you explan time perfect??

Okay, I will record a lesson on this just for you and the many others who are confused by the perfect tenses in English.

In the meantime, make sure to review the present and past simple, present and past continuous and the future tenses, because you can also express your thoughts quite adequately using just these tenses. So making sure you master these first will make your life easier.

Thanks again for your suggestion.

I enjoyed your lesson and I wanted to give you my thanks.

I would like if you could do a video with the explication to use the words “by” and “for”. They mean very similar in spanish. Also about “Although” and “despite”.

Have a nice day Raul

Thanks, Raul for the compliment and your suggestion. I will be recording some new lessons soon and will do the ones you’ve suggested. Thanks.

Thanks again your another useful video lesson. I have had 100.00 score. That’s cool. Tata very much.

Great stuff!

These lessons are so very important,I was need it.Now I feel better because day by day I´m improving faster than a few years ago.

Thank you Rebecca,God Blees you!

So glad the lesson helped you. Good for you!

Thank you for refreshing my memory teacher. :-)

My pleasure.

Dear Rebecca, thanks for the great things you have shared with the world. I do understand the reported Speech, but I am not sure with the qouted speech. What is the differences between the other two? when should I use reported Speech and when should I use the qouted speech. Please educate me here.

Thanks Dismas

Thanks for your feedback.

Well, usually, it’s difficult to quote someone when we’re speaking. We usually only refer to famous quotations in speech.

In writing, it’s possible to use the exact quotation because we can see the quotation marks and understand that it is a direct quote.

Also, while speaking we only use the exact words when there is a special reason to quote the person. Perhaps what he or she said was surprising or shocking or wonderful…something exceptional.

Otherwise, we just use reported speech. Hope this helps to clarify the issue a little.

Hi, Teacher !

I love yr lesson ! Tks for enlighten me ! I will keep updating lessons here, hope u dont mind..

Yes, please do come back as we add new lessons all the time. Happy I could help you.

I have some questions about reported specch. 1. Can we keep the tense in reported speech if it still true? For example: Jay said,” I like / love/ hate eating apples.” ( Jay said that he likes/ loves/ hates eating apples)

2. Can we use ‘say(s)’ as reporting verb in reported speech? Jane says, ” I like action film.” ( Jane says that she likes action film.)

3. Any rules in reported speech about stative verbs (like, love, see, seem, etc)?

Thanks for your questions, Itim.

1) Yes, it is possible.

3) The same rules apply as to other verbs.

frist to all, thank you very much for the lessons, they are very useful for me. I think that never had seen “she doesn’t have”… I thought that the correct form was: “she hasn´t” are both forms correct? Thanks!

thanks for teach. Good luck to you!!!

Thanks; the same to you!

wow.. it’s difficult.. but i must try to loved it.. thanks for the teach.. and good luck for your job

Good for you, for not giving up! My best to you, Karel.

Hi thank you very much . I have learnt a lot. However I have some questions about time indicators: for example: I am going to see my mother today. I think that this film is amazing. could you please change them to indirect speech, and explain.

Thanks a lot

He said he was going to see his mother today.

She said she thought this film was amazing.

All the best to you, Souri.

hi rebecca, thank you for your all help.best wishes for you.

And to you too, Noureen. Thanks for watching and for your feedback.

hi ! My name is anh . I come from vietnam. Ilike you very much when you teach english . I could ask you some questions if you agree I will ask you later. do you teach me english on internet ? which way I pay money to you

Thank you kindly for your offer, Anh. At this time, I don’t teach English over the Internet. There are many other excellent teachers who do. I wish you the best, Anh.

Thanks a lof …. The lesson was very useful.. I learnt a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So glad I could help, Nathy. All the best to you in the future.

thank you very much your lesson very useful Thank you very very very very much again I am very happy for your lossen

My pleasure, Ebrahim. Thank you for your kind comments. All the best to you, too.

Dear Rebicca, I thank you vey much for your effort to help people to learn the most great language in all over the world . I was so happy when i found your site because I think that the teaching directly by videos is most usefull and helpsull. Thanks again and may allah pless and help you .

Thank you for your kind feedback, Ali. I wish you all the best.

Dear Rebecca

Thanks a lot, this lesson was very useful for me.

So glad the lesson helped you. My best wishes to you, elhidrologo.

Dear Rebbecca Thank you very much for your excellent explanation english lessons that you corronspound to your worldwide students,and i hope you you will be the winner of english teachers all over the world THANK YOU AGAIN.

Thank you kindly, Ahmed. Everyone gains when we help each other. I learn from my students each day, too. There are so many lessons to learn in life, and luckily, learning keeps life interesting.

My best wishes to you, Ahmed.

Hi Rebecca, I have some questions to you about some special usage of the word get. Here is the pattern. get+noun+adjective. i saw it in the dictionary but i can’t understand the explanation it says here that the word get is being used to cause somebody or something to be or become. i hope you will answer my question as soon as possible. May the lord always blessed you. Thank you.

Thanks so much for your comments, Bg.

I am not sure exactly what you’re asking me so please give me an example so I can help you. Maybe you mean, “You got your mother worried by not calling for so long.’ This would mean that you made your mother become worried.

We use get in lots of different ways in English. I wish you all the best.

thank u mam.i really happy to watch your web site.my speaking power is week and i m so happy to see u.again thanks..

Keep practicing and you will improve each day. All the best to you, Anjali.

hi Rubecca,i am Dibad and i am from Somlia,i recently joined this wonderful sate which i realy found helpful, particularly report speech lessons so i strongly say to you, thank you very much for your effort that you have done for sake of us.

Welcome to engvid, Dibad. So glad you are enjoying the lessons and learning from them too. My best to you.

hi i am juhi i am in 7th std thank u for explaning so nicely

Thanks. I am sure you will do very well in your English studies, since you are taking the initiative to increase your knowledge at such a young age. Good for you, Juhi! My best wishes to you.

i am very thankful to you for your priceless advice here

.thnks ,thanks alot madam

You’re very welcome, Ashu. All the best to you.

Thanks mam. The way u teach us is awesome.

That’s very kind of you. Thanks!My best wishes to you, Jack.

Hello, dear Rebbeca. thanks for your help. I see that you are very generous and humble. you deserve all the best. just a questions. what is the difference between indirect quesiotns and reposted questions. indirect questions=embedded questions Do you know what time it is? REPORTED QUESTIONS He asked me what time it is.

thanks in advance from Peru Norma

Thanks for your comments, Norma.

In embedded questions, we change the order of the words, but we do not change the tense.

Example: Where is the supermarket? becomes Do you know where the supermarket is?

In reported speech questions, we usually change the tense.

Where is the supermarket/ becomes He asked me where the supermarket was.

My best wishes to you, Norma.

hello madam, first of all thank you for the effort you make to help us,may god bless you. second i’m a student from an arabic country,and my question is :some times we are given exersices in which we find indirect speeches and we are asked to write the direst ones, my problem is with the past perfect,for exemple:(mike said that he had finished writing his book), i don’t know whether i write :mike said:”i have finished/finished or had finished writing my book”. thank you in advance fifi

In this case, because you are adding a direct quote, you would write:

Mike said, : I have finished writing my book.”

All the best to you, Fifi.

i like your maner of teaching. you make your lessons understood easily and staying in mind of people.

I’m glad you found the lesson effective. Thank you kindly for your feedback. my best wishes to you, Clovis.

good lesson

Thanks, Samreen. All the best.

Hi Rebecca, I came across your videos because I was looking for reported speech in Spanish and was curious because I had just had a minor disagreement with my Venezuelan-born teacher over how English reported speech is constructed. Her position was the same as yours, that there is always a back-step in tense in reporting, however I do not believe that this is a universal truth. The back-step, if made, is almost always in the context of some other point that the speaker wants to stress. So for example, there is nothing at all that I can see that is wrong with the construction “the professor said that you are smart”. To use the past tense in this case would likely indicate some other issue within the sentence and likely a one-time situation, so for example “the professor said that you were smart to choose the MBA course ” for example, although in such a case it is likely that the original sentence would also have been in the past “Jane, you were smart to choose the MBA course”. Alternatively, the use of the past tense might indicate a true past event “the professor said that you were smart once but are not any more” but again in that case, the original sentence would also have been expressed in the past “you were smart once but not anymore”. Sorry therefore, but I cannot agree with your analysis that you always step back a tense in reporting speech and I believe that this is something that should be corrected with the people that are learning English through your programme.

Thanks for your question, Jonathan. I can understand your point of view.

In these video lessons, we explain the basic rules of English grammar, as applicable most of the time. There are always grammatically correct exceptions, and there are also grammatically incorrect expressions used commonly by native speakers of a language without too much regard to the rules. Reported speech certainly falls into this category. This is why your sample sentence, “The professor said you are smart.” seems quite acceptable and certainly understandable.

In terms of the grammatical rules, when we report what someone has said though, we are supposed to do the back step. The exceptions are as follows:

a) Sentences with should, ought to and might do not change b) Sometimes, if reporting something immediately after or soon after it was said, we need not do a back step in tense. c) If we’re talking about general truths, we need not make the change. d) If the reporting verb itself is simple present, present perfect or future, we do not change the tense. Example: She SAYS she jogs every day.

Hope this helps to clarify the issue.

I want lesson of concession please. thanks bye

you are smart and good job of ours lessons video thank you so much.

hı teacher I am from turkey everyday I watchıng your lesson very usefull for me..

Dear Rebecca, How can I change the following sentence into a reported speech? “It’s can’t be very nice having all these cars going by all the time” Thank you in advance!

thank you teacher rebbeca!^^ it will help me a lot for my study in english..

Everything is correct in this quiz.I was very excited,I know this very good.

hello again,let me try with your sentence ANH: first there is a mistake at the beginning,there shouldn’t be an auxiliary before the modal verb “can”, so you may say: it couldn’t be very nice having all those cars going all that time. I wish the teacher would agree with me.goodluck for all.

hi rebecca, i have a question for you …

when you were explaining the first part of the video you didn’t use the word “that” in the sentences , but when you asked to the audience some examples, you used “that”…. is “that” an optional word?

you are a great teacher!!! ^.^b greetings from Mexico

Thank you so much. I really learned a lot.I am going through more on your website.Thank you so much, I really found it helpful.

THIS IS A WONDERFULL PAGE TO PRECTICE MY ENGLISH I´M HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND IT! :)

i got 100 score))))…thanks Mrs.Rebecca.U r great teacher.

rebecca u r amazing teacher.i have problem that i understand all english but im scare to speak english and do some mistkes when i go to speak actually i know all the tenses but i do mistakes when i speak plz rebecca help me out thanks waithing for replay

thanks a lot it was really helpful

THANK YOU MS.REBECCA;*

“I used to smoke” he said He said he used to smoke /OR hE SAID HE HAD USED TO SMOKE. PLEASE WHICH ONE IS APPROPRIATE. mANY THANKS MRS REBECCA

heloo rebecca,,,, nice to see your video,,, thanks to teach us english

Hi Rebecca :) what are the different functions of reported speech?…actually me and my friends are going to report “Reported Speech” in our English class and because of your video we are somewhat enlightened to what is “Reported Speech”…thanks :)

I need ask you something when we write he toled me ….. it always like this and … when we can write said thnx:)

Thank you for your teaching. It’s very helpful. I couldn’t using grammar correctly before. but from now, I have a little bit increasing. Thank you again.

What a nice explination it’s my first time to understand this grammer clearly thanks alot.

Thanks a lot My Score in the Reported Speech was : 100.00 . I got 10 correct out of 10. you are the best I’m Arabic and I am English teacher. I will learn from you a lot about how to teach English because you are the best . :)

hi Rebecca. Could you please give me a lesson about the differences between MUST and HAVE TO.I sometimes make a mistake between them.

Thank you very much for your help

Dear Madam , I have a very important question. Is it possible to use present perfect tense,or past perfect tense in the main sentence? I have told you that….. I had told you that….. If yes, does the tenses changes after them or not like after the simple past tense? For example: I had told you that you would be happy. /instead of you will be happy/ I wait for your answer urgently Thank you in advance Teoleander

Hi rebaca, your lessons are excellent. I attended for many English classes but I never met a teacher like you.

In your profile by saying that “there is no bad student” you given me lot of confidence.

your accent is neutral.please suggest good books(novels,grammer) which will help in improving my English. I am from India.

Hi, rebaca Iam from Indonesia and your lesson are excellent but sorry my english is not good, Rebaca, Do you know Toeic ?

Rebecca, when we use told and said in reported speech. I don’t understand. Please help me!

“Cindy’s voice was music to my ears,” Roger told me. Was changes to what?

Dear Rebecca i am from Afghanistan i would like to thank you so much for vidio teaching i learned so much from it and i appreciate your hard work and your friendly teaching. best regards

hi. rebecca what do u mean for ‘one step back in tense’? is that i have understood below? simple present ——>simple past present conti.——->past conti. present perfect——>past perfect present perfect conti——> past perfect conti simple past———->past perfect past perfect———>past perfect past conti.———->past perfect conti. past perfect conti—–>past perfect conti simple future——->simple past future conti——>past conti future perfect——->past perfect future perfect conti——->past perfect conti.

am i right? please throw light. thanks.

Thank you Rebecca! It was a very useful lesson to me.

I can’t come to the party tonight.”

Why is it? couldn’t came… It is couldn’t come?

Thanks ma am You theach very very well!!!

thanks my angel

This is very, very useful lesson for all of us who have been practising English as foreign language. Just keep doing that, you are the best. . .

Hi Rebecca, I am confused.In spoken english people always use the tense in a diffrent way.Once I was talking with one English man.He used the following. ” Yeasterday I told Thomas to arrange a car for me.He told I will do it .But he did not do anything .I think these people are irresponsible.” later I called him he said sorry, I forgot ” .In this sentence as per correct grammer He should say 1) ” He told he would do it” and 2) he said he was sorry, he had forgotten”.Any comments from your side.

Very simple: people don’t always speak correctly.

what about “you should say that”? Would it be “he told me:”you could say that”? So, ‘should’ becomes ‘could’, ‘shall’ becomes ‘should’, is this correct? Lastly, what about ‘could’, ‘would’, and ‘must’?

Thank you Rebecca.You’re very nice to explain.Lily from Brasil

thank you.u’re very patient to explain a lot..thanks to ur brain…

Thanks Rebeca. could you please tech about third conditional or second. I really appreciate.

dear madam rebeca,ur’just fantastick!

What makes you perfect, that you are versed of what you say. Thanks.

thaaank you so much for the hard work that you are doing i have an exam tom and en sa2 allh i will bass it

I like your lessons so much, please do more lessons soon. Thanks.

Love u much teacher Rebecca for what you have done

Hello Madam . You explained the reported speech very well but what about the imperative and the question in the reported speech ?

Thank you so much. I did not understand “Future report speech”. Example on the test: Rachel: “Michael and I are getting married next summer.” Rachel announced that _____ next summer. May i use “were” or “are” ..

Thank you so much

hi what about the imperative and the question ?

Hi Rebecca that was excellent on reported speech. I would really like to know the difference between indirect and reported speech. Kamal

Would u like to give me some lectres on WH question.

very nice explanation,good teacher

Thanks a lot Rebecca!

It was a nice video. I’ve been watching these videos from past few months. They are very interesting.

sincerely, Vivek

i’m happy, i got full marks. thank you teacher

really useful

dear madam: i like your teaching way. i got 80 marks this lesson.

Hi Rebecca!

When I was high school,I got lowest grade on my English subject because I didn’t know how to use the grammar rules correctly.But when I was watching your video Ive learned a lot.My English skills are improving and I can’t thank you enough for the help… God Bless and more power!

What about the example of She said, “My name is Sally”. Do you change the tense in the reported speech and make it. She said her name was Sally?! I think it should be “her name is..”.. What do you think? Need to know your opinion about this one and about the change of tense when you report facts.

we must change “to be”,so its indirect speech must be (her name was),if reporting verb is in past simple,this rule is followed,am i rite Rebbeca?

oh! i need learn english

Hai rebecca , it was a nice video and i learnt a lot from your website. I dont have a strong foundation in english but still i am planning to give GRE and TOEFL in next four months. Could u please give some tips for english preparation. It will be helpful for me.

in the indirect speech we also change the pronouns as u did’nt change “you” into another pronoun.

Hi! And what’s the reported speech for this:”I would like to speak to you”?

this video site it’s really helpful for everyone including me,i’ve learnt English since i was young and i’m becoming an English Teacher now but i’m still learning and increasing my ability to explain some material to my students because i think the good explanation give the good impact and result,and you guys are the best tutor,espesially you Rebecca.say hi from Indonesia =)

Dear Teacher,

I would like to express my profound thanks to you for explaining clearly about report speed grammar and I think that your lesson and your explanation will really help me improve my English. Teacher could I ask you about English words outside the lesson? I have wondered so long already about one English word and that word is :the plant which produce cauliflower what is English called ? because I have ever seen the cauliflower only but never seen its plant’s name. I’m sorry teacher asking that word which is not related to the lesson above.

Respectfully,

SOM.SOPHEAK RITH FROM CAMBODIA

The plant is also called cauliflower.

Dear Teacher REBECCA,

Thank you very much for answering my question.

SOM.SOPHEAK RITH

Actually i don’t know how to thank you miss Rebecca. thank you so much

Dear Rebecca, in my test I made just one mistake, the 5th one. Could you tell me why the correct answer is “she couldn´t come” instead “she couldn´t came”, suposed to be the verb must be changed to past.

Thank you in advanced.

I was really excited to come across this site that provides comprehensive details in grammar. My question to you is how do we identify a habitual action? This in turn means that we don’t have to change the verb tense? I need some constructive examples.

I love study English!!! do and accecpt is wonderful…thanks very much Rebecca…

Hi Rebecca, I really got excited after I found this site that provides comprehensive details in grammar. My question to you is about the differences between “indirect Questions” and “Embedded Questions”. They seem to be the same to me. I need some constructive examples. Thanks

Hi Rebecca, What about indirect questions??

Sue said that she was very happy with her new job.into direct speech I am very happy with her new job,Sue said

thank vrey much for this fantastck lesoon <3

Hello madam Rebecca, Direct Speech And Indirect Speech…. is it same with reported speech??… Thanks

Dear Madam: Could you explain me the difference using “Must and Have to” in indirect speech?

I am waiting for answer!!

Past tomorrow I will have a exam and I´m really very happy watching your class about Report Speech. In a short time you explained the subject very clear. Actually I´m very glad to have found these excellent teachers spending the time for teaching us. I let to you my hug and Hello from Chile. I´m Brazilian but I’m living at Chile and I studying at Chilean College, Translation from English to Spanish. It’s no easy because both languages are not mine, but I can say to you that it’s very interesting challenge. My best regards from South America to everybody.

Bye, Marcio

Day after tomorrow I will have a exam and I´m really very happy watching your class about Report Speech. In a short time you explained the subject very clear. Actually I´m very glad to have found these excellent teachers spending the time for teaching us. Receive my hug and Hello from Chile. I´m Brazilian (Portuguese language)but I’m living in Chile and I’m studying at Chilean College, Translation from English to Spanish. It’s no easy because both languages are not mine, but I can say to you that it’s very interesting challenge. My best regards from South America to everybody. Bye, Màrcio

We like these hugs!

Dear Rebbeca,

In Brazil we have this greeting like normal to say goodbye. I think is too important to change our energies through the hugs. Let the physical distance to the Asiatics!

Many hugs to you.

Thank you… :)

Hello,teacher.I think i may be your young student. i want to know lesson Report Speech, if it is posible Can you explain me.

Thanks a lot!

hello madam, i would like to ask you how to speak direct and indirect speech.if anybody tell something ,the same word tell to the third person.most of the peoples are using said that,said,he was saying,told me.please explin me with example and send to my mail id

Thank you Rebicca you are awesome teacher and you will say in reported speach: he said : I was awesome.Thank you and “Merry Christmas”

thank you it was useful

I liked this lesson. It is easy to understand. Happy new year to all.

This lesson helps a lot! Thanks so much. This lesson will really improve grammatically and verbally my English skills.

Thanks! It is very useful for me. I was afraid to learn grammar before but I try to understand now……

Thank you. I was struggle in how to use Reported speech properly,now,I clarifies this concept.

Thank you so much!!!

Ma’am

In your 1st set of examples, “You are smart” isn’t it changed into “he said that I was smart” ?

thank you :D

thanx rebecca ..10/10 ı did. my friend told me rebecca was very good teacher. yes he is right..:)))

Hello Rebecca,

You are awesome teacher !!! I understand the whole lessen perfectly. Write down one fan to this website.

Thank you very much.

thank you Rebeca I listed this class several times with other teacher and you´re the best

hi you are a clever teacher.

Hello everybody. I’m Ole.

Hello! It of great help to me as I took that quiz just below the video.I did not see the video, but I could get all the answers correct except for the first one.I am very happy with my results.I whole-heartedly thank you.

Hmm.. do we use reported speech after: -He noticed….. -They suggested… -She proposed… etc. when it is clear that the person was saying something ?

{Jeevan said to his teacher ,” I cannot understand this lesson .Will you teach it to me once again?}

MAM THIS IS A QUESTION THAT REWRITE IN A REPORTED SPEECH….

I feel that oral questions more effective for me than written.

questions is more fix

Rebecca i want to say something for you: YOU ARE SWEET AND THE BEST ONE…love you! Bisous

what is the meaning of WOULD i really be mad :((( please help me my teacher i will wait your unswer it is so important for me

hello !!! i have a question : jean asked jeany “are you a student ?” – “yes, i am” can you transform this question to reported speech for me ? Thanks

hi mrs,it’s for the first time i get on this website,i really love this lesson,it is so useful for me,my name is Jeff,from haiti bye

Hi Rebecca, I have a question. What if the reporting person is first and second person who report about themselves. Does the pronoun remain the same in the reported speech? Eg: I said:’I am here’ and You said:’you are here’ Thanks in advance

Hi Rebecca. Thanks so much all of you teaching.

Hi Rebecca, Fantastic lesson…it will be useful for my students

it is really confusion bt i understood it well n thank u alot for making me understand it well

That is so wonderful. I will try to learn from you and I will ask you whenever I have the question. Please you good luck and please you keep your mission to help to many people around the world. Thanks from Pharin.

i have no words to express my feelings .because this site solve my big problems .but now i want to start from the start but how??

HI REBECCA, VERY GOOD LESSON. I GOT A QUESTION ABOUT EMBEDDED QUESTION. DO YOU CHANGE THE SENTENCE FROM PRESENT TO PAST IN THE EMBEDDED QUESTION?

Thanks teacher for your nice lesson I hope that you will bring new Technic for this subject. Thanks.

can you explain how i can Utter sounds

I hate to see you tell students that we use ‘reported speech’ because we use ‘reported speech’. I think you said we HAVE to use ‘reported speech. But only if you don’t care about accuracy. You say, ‘He told me he was a teacher’, but that’s not true. He told you he IS a teacher, if he is still a teacher. If he was a teacher from 1995 to 2006, then you would say, ‘He told me he was a teacher (from 1995 to 2006). The notion of ‘reported speech’ is a CONSTRUCT, it is not something that makes any sense. We should stop trying to teach it. It is NOT useful. Sorry, I’m not shouting but there is no way to underline. Contact me if you like .

br dot hadvines at yahoo dot com

Thanks a lot. it was helpful :)

Rebecca, could you explain the topic of: the direct and indirect questions with reported speech please? thank you =)

Rebecca, I just watched your VDO, It’s very good VDO !!! Now I’m studying english in USA ,I’m looking for writing learning on internet.

Could you please recommend me.

Regards,Kit

Hello Madam, could you please help me to identify whether the following sentence is in reported speech or not? “The death toll is expected to rise.”

thanks alot

Thank you so much Rebecca! You’re great :)

Hey Rebecca, nice videos you’re great! I have a question regarding reported speech. For example:

Mary: There’s a great movie on TV today.

In reported speech it could written in two ways right? First: “Mary told me there was a great movie on TV that day.” – Which implies the day she said it was before the day I was talking.

Second: “Mary told me there’s a great movie on TV today”. – It can stay the same because we are living the day the movie is going to be on right? Thanks in advance!

Hi miss…

ty for ur lesson…10/10—actually reported speeches are a bit confusing, yet we have to practice to gain more confidence… regards… carlos,lima..peru

Very useful! Thanks for your classes.

Thank you!! Finally I understood “reported speech”!!

Could you complete the list please:

Present simple becomes Past Simple Past Simple…..Past Perfect Past Perfect….? Past Continuos….Past Perfect Continuous Present Perfect…Past Perfect

And all verb tenses

Thank you again!!

sometimes it is a little difficult to understand that kind of thing, but thanks to you it is easier for me.

he tOLD me he would ( wrong) I WOULD TRUE 7 .00

hi Rebica thank you for all hose who stand in front of the cam to teach and gives there time to us, I have problem when i talk to the people who are poor in the english language i ll be confused and i can not understand from them at all not like the native one second pro. is when i talk i m posing or tattering any suggestion best regard Hassan

10 out of 10 thanks Rebeca

Hi,thanks for a very nice lesson about reported speech. But would you like give us a lesson about REPORTING VERBS?

OK I got 10 out of 10 corect, so I can’t explain why I can’t pass an exam that I’m doing online about reported speech. By the way I saw you didn’t talk about “asked” form of reported speech, so if you can do it in future lessons that will be great. Thank so much for your help.

thanks I got from 10 -10 grade

Hi Rebecca Thank u very much for ur great lessons on reported speech. Please explain to me when do we use “that” in reported speech. I noticed u have used in some sentences and left in others. What is the right set of rule to follow.? Waiting for ur reply, thanks

THANK YOU SO MUCH !REBECCA .YOU ARE MY IDOL !

it helped me a lot and thank you because it was an assignment in my school thanks a lot.

good job teacher i really love ur explaination

Thanks dear Rebecca it was easy and understanduable Thanks again

please explain for students how to make question in reported speach ! i heard that it is a bit difficult

Dear rebecca madam, tomorrow is my eng. Exam n ur dis video wz vry helpful to me n u made it vry clr..now i feel i don need to open the book..thnxx.. U r even better den mah english teacher..:)

thank you very much for the lessons

9 out of 10

Thank you very much for clear lesson :-)

hi every one I want to know if some one told me “you ate dinner” the reported speech will be “he said that I had eaten dinner” or as the teacher said it will be “he said that you had eaten dinner”?

Thanks ma’am this lesson’s realy work!!!

Thnahs Rebecca…very very helpful lesson

Dear Rebecca, I am a form two student from Hong Kong.It is my first time to ask questions here.Thanks your help first. I want to ask you three questions. First, do we need to change the tense in reported speech if it is a fact or it is a opinion in direct speech. I asked many people before but someone answered “Yes” and someone answered “No”. So,I really feel confused about it. For example,Mary said”It is a fantastic place.” A.Mary said that it was a fantastic place. or B. Mary said that it is a fantastic place. Which answer is correct? Second, I want to ask a question about pronoun in reported speech. For example,”You needn’t wait for me” said Mary. We need to answer [Mary said that I needn’t wait for her.] or [Mary said that he/she need’t wait for her.]This means if the direct speech doesn’t mention which person it is talking to but there is “you”, we need to change “you” to “I” or”he” or”she”? For example, [“She will take you all to Stanley Market.” said Mary] We need to answer [Mary said that she would take us all to Stanley Market] or {Mary said that she would take them all to Stanley Market] Lastly, I want to ask what is the different about “said” and”told” For example, [Mary said to us”We got married six months ago.” We should say[Mary told us they had got married six months before.” or [Maru said to us they had got married six months before.]? Please answer the questions as soon as possible because I had a test on Monday about reported speech. Thanks you so much! Best wishes, Alice

tnx reBecca Very HelpFul lessOn

Hello Rebecca! Thanks for the videos. In fact I had a test on the 3rd of march and my grammer class work was with one of my classmates.It was just then that i came across the website of eduvid and got a practice on reported speech. Thanks a million, Regard, prashant,banglore,india

Excellent! It’s easier than I thought! Thanks for your explanations :)

I used to be panic about reported speech–too complicated . I had to change the tense , paid attention to pronoun and felt slight boring to say told told told… From your given quiz , I got D too, I learned more useful words , such as comment , admit , announce,confide. I am so excited. Thank you.

i’m going to cry :( this is the first time in my life… it did not happened to me before i got many full marks in the same day realy i don’t know how can i thank you rebecca

hi rebacca i’m amine in morrocco i love the way how you explain thank you

Great lesson !

Hi Rebacca, Can we use this concept in writing as well? Or it’s only in speech

hi mam if there is an universal sentence how we could change it , into reported speech ? for example. sun rises from east i am waiting for your answer .I hope u will be replay me an answer

Thanks Rebecca, it’s so useful lesson.

i got 7/10 ;(

Rebacca, you are An amazing Teacher … You make The English More Easier to Me :)

i have a question about it, is it correct?

john: What did you do? mary : John asked what i did

why could it be correct? if past switched to past perfert.

thank a lot for this lesson video!

Hello,teacher Rebecca.Thanks you so much for your teaching you are perfect teacher.

A little difficult to catch it immediately but I’m pleased for the lesson, thanks!

I had a little problem with this subject. But not any more. I got the lesson. :) I got 10 correct out of 10. :) Thanks Rebecca. Whatever a lesson is difficult, you make it very simple. And I like your teaching because you are very patient, and you give us many examples. :)

thank you so much .i have a question i don’t know when to say in reported speech she told and she said…i really get confused when it comes to said and told.do they have the same meaning or not if not when to use them correctly. thank you

hi rebecca can you explain to us about active and passive voice because these days i will be an exam and you will have helped me by the and of this month

I loved this explanation. Thank you so much for all the effort that you guys do for teaching us in wherever places we are. I’m so grateful. However in my case it could’ve been more useful if instead of the original sentences that were writing on the board we had the report speech examples.

Hello Rebeca, Thank you very much for your lesson. I learned Reported Speech in high school as well as in ESL classes and here watched your lesson, the rules are same, but I find native speakers often don’t follow the rules. It’s very confusing. Finally I found this site that explains the why. I wanted to run by you and see if what it says is right, http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/rules/repspee.htm “The main problem for the learner of English is to decide which tense is needed for the verb(s) in what is reported. Generally, English speakers do not change the tense if what is said is still true or has not happened yet, and they believe the speaker.” it has examples, which are exactly what I often hear how native speakers talk. I look forward to hearing your reply. Thank you very much.

In the video you had this example: “you ate dinner.” and you reported it as “he said that you had eaten dinner.” Shouldn’t we report you as I in this sentence and report it like this: “He said that I had eaten dinner.” ?

great lesson

Thank you very much

Simply excelent

Thanks Rebbeca.

I’m deeply grateful for your lesson!It’s was very interesting!)

Thank you Ms Rebbeca

super ı have 100 points

Hi, Rebecca thank you for your teaching, you are great. I got 100 %. Was very usefull.I appreciate

Thank you very much, got 90%.

Thank you dear Rebecca, you are a saviour ;)

I GOT 100% ON THE TEST!!! IT WAS EASY THANKS TO YOUR LESSON DEAR REBECCA, xoxoxoxo

i got 10 correct out of 10…..thanks rebecca.

Rebecca, thank you very much for your interesting lesson! I like it very much!

I’ve got 100! thanks,Rebecca

Thank you sir.

I got 100, thanks for your help Rebecca!

Thank you ,Rebecca.

i got 100 score :) thank you :*

Hi MS REBECCA! WHAT WOULD BE THE REPORTED SPEECH OF “HE IS MY BROTHER”. THANK YOU!

thank a lot of mam . God bless…

Thank you Rebecca

merci madam

Hello Rebecca! I got 100%, but I have a doubt if I had to pass PRESENT SIMPLE or WILL from REPORTED SPEECH to DIRECT SPEECH, how would be it? Do I have to change the tense or not? for example:

Reported speech: He refuses to sell the movie rights

Direct speech: I refuse to sell the movie rights

Is it right?

Thanks, Rebecca!

Thamks millions

Thanks, Nice.

thank you for the help it was amazing

I want to ask the question of whether I can put [ told me that ]

9 of 9 thank you very much

Thanks for this useful video. This help me to understand clearly about this grammar. Thank you very much.

Dear Rebecca, I convey you a great thank you for this lesson. Yours sincerely.

my quiz 100 You got 10 correct out of 10. :D

hi, teacher your lessons are good, but I noticed that you don’t explain every example on blackboard, you always face to the camera and give us examples, whereas using the board is effective for students! thanks teacher

hi rebecca how will you tell someone in a polite way that he’s/she’s using a wrong grammar.

thank you so much Rebeecca

i am just ask when say He/She Said and when i say He/She Told me ?

Thank you Rebecca.

why you don’t use (that)

He told me that he was a teacher ????

help plz!!!

Thank you teacher , I got 100 :) I like this lesson very easy to understand .

I like this part of the grammer very much. I got 10. thanks.

Hello Rebecca, In the question, “John: “I love chocolate cake.” John told me _____ chocolate cake.”

Is it “he loved” or “that he loved”?

Kindly clarify the difference.

Thank you in advance,

Hi,teacher,hope,you’ll be fine.I’m a student of O levels,Teacher please will you help me with the english,I go through from many mistakes.

I really admire the way,you teach,I did 8 idioms yesterday from your given lecture,really adoring,thank you loads

Yessss. I got 10 correct out of 10. :D

This grammar was new for me, thanks a lot Rebbeca.

Thank you, dear Rebecca!

what is the difference between they live in Russia and They are living in Russia…?

I scored 100% in the quiz. thank you! :)

I wish to understand correctly this lesson, but I can’t. It is so confussing to learn the English tenses. How you can help me the different way or What technique I should to use for that?

Thanks Rebecca Nice lesson :)

Hi Rebecca I’d like to ask you a question…. I watched a video of yours in which you were teaching the reported speech….you mentioned an example in direct speech “he is a teacher.” Then you wrote the corresponding indirect form of it…like ( he told me he was a teacher ) … My question is that doesn’t it have to be like ( he told me he were a teacher) because I read in the English grammar digest by Trudy Aronson it is to be always “were” form of be instead of “was”

Hi I myself found the answer….I was confusing it with the conditional forms….but I didn’t know how to remove the comment…

Thank you so much, very useful.

My friend told me that she had eaten rice and kimchi for lunch today.:D Thank you Rebecca.

thank you ma’am i got 90

You are the only teacher that I could understand every lesson very well without getting confused or tired

thank you teacher I got 100 % you’re a vary good teacher thanks allot.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy

10/10 …. very good lesson thanks for your help ?

Thanks Rebecca! You made it so simple to understand.

nice speech regarding narrations moreover I have passed the test by giving correct answers 10 / 10

Thanks Rebecca!

You got 10 correct out of 10.

I was watching the following video https://www.engvid.com/english-grammar-if-will-would-were/ and tried to practice reported speech with something that James said.

James: If I were to pay atention what I was doing I would be better at the board.

So James commented on the fact that if he had been paying atention what he had been doing he would be better at the board.

Well I kindly ask you to advice whether the reported speech was applied correctly.

Thanks in advance. Best regards,

This lesson was very hard. Could you please make more videos about reported speech? thanks

Hi Mrs.Rebecca.

My name is Ilgar.I am 32 years old and from Azerbaijan. I would like to improve my english skill and get IELTS certificate.I have watched yours videos on YouTube and enjoy your tutoring. I am looking for English tutor and I think if you will be agree,I would be glad to improve my english to the high level by your support. How can it be possible to be your student?Do you conduct lessons on SKYPE? I will look forward to hearing about the ways how I can be your student.

Thanks for attention

Hi Rebecca Do you have any personal website? If you have, please send me it’s URL address. My email: [email protected] My websites: http://www.sheshjavan.ir http://www.venuscomputer.ir

it’s the first time to understand his lesson. thank you very much.

thank you. You said that we had to use the reported speech when we had to say something that someone else had said.

i am happy i got 10/10

Thank you …

9/10. Thank you! Rebecca, could you please to explain, why in the 4th question the right answer is she “couldn’t come”? Thank you for all your help to us!!

i think can not-could not.therefore come no past tense.

thank you Rebecca. you are really helping for my study processing.

THANKS A LOT

‘do you have exams this Friday?’ mum asked me. can you please tell me how to write this sentence in reported speech.

10/10 tanks again

I watched this video twice on July 30, 2021, and took the quiz after watching it once. I got ten out of 10.

Hello….I’d like to brush my speaking up. Is there anyone else who is interested in speaking to me on a regular basis? My whatsapp number is +88 01812788727. Thank you. Rasho.

10/10 thanks Rebecca <3

10/10 thanks Rebecca

Regarding the 5th question. Angela: “I can’t come to the party tonight.” Angela explained she couldn’t come to the party tonight. Aren’t we supposed to change the word ‘tonight’ into ‘that night’ as well?

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2-Intermediate

Reported Speech – Free Exercise

Write the following sentences in indirect speech. Pay attention to backshift and the changes to pronouns, time, and place.

Two weeks ago, he said, “I visited this museum last week.” → Two weeks ago, he said that . I → he|simple past → past perfect|this → that|last …→ the … before
She claimed, “I am the best for this job.” → She claimed that . I → she|simple present→ simple past|this→ that
Last year, the minister said, “The crisis will be overcome next year.” → Last year, the minister said that . will → would|next …→ the following …
My riding teacher said, “Nobody has ever fallen off a horse here.” → My riding teacher said that . present perfect → past perfect|here→ there
Last month, the boss explained, “None of my co-workers has to work overtime now.” → Last month, the boss explained that . my → his/her|simple present→ simple past|now→ then

Rewrite the question sentences in indirect speech.

She asked, “What did he say?” → She asked . The subject comes directly after the question word.|simple past → past perfect
He asked her, “Do you want to dance?” → He asked her . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you → she|simple present → simple past
I asked him, “How old are you?” → I asked him . The subject comes directly after the question word + the corresponding adjective (how old)|you→ he|simple present → simple past
The tourists asked me, “Can you show us the way?” → The tourists asked me . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you→ I|us→ them
The shop assistant asked the woman, “Which jacket have you already tried on?” → The shop assistant asked the woman . The subject comes directly after the question word|you→ she|present perfect → past perfect

Rewrite the demands/requests in indirect speech.

The passenger requested the taxi driver, “Stop the car.” → The passenger requested the taxi driver . to + same wording as in direct speech
The mother told her son, “Don’t be so loud.” → The mother told her son . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
The policeman told us, “Please keep moving.” → The policeman told us . to + same wording as in direct speech ( please can be left off)
She told me, “Don’t worry.” → She told me . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
The zookeeper told the children, “Don’t feed the animals.” → The zookeeper told the children . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t

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Reported Speech /

How to Change Sentences into Indirect Speech

Updated on
Dec 19, 2023

Change sentences into indirect speech: Indirect Speech often known as reported speech is a linguistic tool . It helps to quote someone else words that are not the actual words of the speaker. In this blog article, we learn about the meaning of indirect speech , examples of indirect speech, and practice exercises to master the art of changing sentences to indirect speech.

This Blog Includes:

Understanding indirect speech, examples of indirect speech, exercise to change sentences from direct to indirect speech.

MUST READ! Reported Speech: Definition, Rules, Usage with Examples, Tips, Exercises for Students

Indirect Speech includes paraphrasing speakers’ words instead of defining the actual words of the speaker. This linguistic device is used to maintain politeness of tone and social dynamics. It is an important concept that allows a speaker to convey information tactfully while maintaining the meaning of the words spoken by the speaker.

Let us comprehend the few examples of Indirect Speech for the proper understanding of the concept.

Rules for Changing Sentences To Indirect Speech

Here are the key rules for converting sentences from direct speech to indirect speech. These rules include changes in verb tense, pronouns, and other elements to maintain the meaning of the original statement.

Changes in Tenses

Simple Present Changes to Simple Past

For example, He said,” I like chocolates”.

He said that he liked chocolates.

Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous

For example, He said,” We are studying”.

He said that they were studying.

Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect

For example, He said,” They have finished”

He said that they had finished.

Present Perfect Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous,

For example, She said, “ They have been living in Canada since 1970.”

She said that they had been living in Canada since 1970.

Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect

For example, He said, “ They played in the garden”.

He said that they had played in the garden.

Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous

For example, He said,” They had grown vegetables.”

He said that they had been growing vegetables.

Future Indefinite Changes will and shall and should accordingly

For example, He said,” He will go to the market.”

He said that he would go to the market.

Changes in the Pronouns

Pronouns in the direct speech change according to the perspective of the speaker.

First-person changes according to subject
Second-person changes according to the object
Third-person pronoun there is no change.
Follows the SON rule that is easy to remember

For Example She said, ” I love her job .” (direct speech)

She said that she loved her job . (indirect speech)

Also Read Tenses Rules: Charts, Examples, Types [PDF Available]

Changes in the Adverbs of Time and Place

Adverbs change according to the context

Now to then,
Here to there,
Today to the same day,
Yesterday to the last day, etc.

For example: He said,” I will go to school tomorrow .” (Direct Speech)

He said that he would go to the school the next day. (Indirect Speech)

Must Read: Subject-Verb Agreement: Definition, 12 Rules & Examples

Let’s check your understanding of the sentences that have been changed from direct to indirect speech:

“I can’t believe you did that!” exclaimed Sonali.
“What time is the meeting?” asked the teacher.
“I love this song!” shouted Mohit
“Where did you find that book?” inquired the teacher
“I’ll be there by 3 PM,” promised Alia
“Stop right there!” commanded the officer
“Would you like some coffee?” offered James
“Let’s go to the beach this weekend,” suggested Rohit
“I don’t want to go to the dentist,” complained Tina.
“Congratulations on your promotion!” cheered Mary.

Answers

Match your answers with the solved exercises to analyze the understanding of the concept.

Sonali exclaimed with surprise that she couldn’t believe he had done that.
The teacher asked about the time of the meeting.
Mohit enthusiastically shouted that he loved that song.
The teacher inquired where the book had been found.
Alia promised that she would be there by 3 PM.
The officer commanded me to stop right there.
James offered coffee.
Rohit suggested going to the beach that weekend.
Tina complained that she didn’t want to go to the dentist.
Mary cheered and congratulated on the promotion.

Must Read: Figures of Speech: Types, Usage & Examples [Download PDF]

Direct speech is the actual words spoken by a person and is written in quotation marks, while indirect speech defines the meaning of the original statement without quoting the actual words of the speaker. Indirect speech involves various changes in verb tense, pronouns, and other elements.

Pronouns change according to the SON Rule where SON stands for: First-person changes according to (S-Subject) Second-person changes according to(O- Object) A third-person there is (N- No Change)

A few reporting verbs used in indirect speech are “said,” “told,” “asked,” “explained,” inquired, commanded, requested, exclaimed with joy, etc.” The choice of reporting verb reflects the tone and meaning of the reported speech.

Direct Speech: It’s been raining since this afternoon. Indirect Speech: He said it’d been raining since that afternoon.

To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu .

Amanpreet Kaur

📚✨ From Classroom Chats Entered Into The Wordy World ….. Yes , If you all Remember that teacher who kept you on your toes with pop quizzes and endless homework? YEP! THAT WAS Me ! 🌟 But with the blessings of almighty and the key motivation of my husband who came across the spark of writing in me has insisted me to pave my way away from chalk dust to creative burst!💫 Being in this new world of writing I can compose pun-tastic content, poetry full of emotions and humorous articles that can even make Shakespeare envious of me 📝🎭.Yippee! from teaching young minds to educating worldwide readers it's an epic career switch. From teaching grammar lessons to grammatically flawless copy, I'm todays' wordsmith on a mission! Let me spin literary magic all around and conquer my exact destination of proving myself as The Best Writer in The World.🚀🏆 My promise is to provide you with valuable insights, solutions to your questions, and a momentary escape from the routine. I believe in the power of words to create connections, provoke thought, and foster growth. Woods are lovely dark and deep But I have promises to keep and Miles to go before I sleep ……..🌳✨🌌

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Conditionals and Reported Speech

Have you started learning conditionals ? You probably fear you’ll make a lot of mistakes with all those complicated rules, right? And to make things even more complicated, there’s the reported speech. How can you report conditional sentences?

There are numerous English language schools and programs in California that can help you with all the doubts you may have. But to truly master the conditionals and other aspects of the English language, you should rely on as many reliable resources as possible. So, keep reading this article as we explain how if-clauses are changed in reported speech.

Can we use "if" in reported speech?

“If” is a conjunction we use in indirect speech when we report yes/no questions.

Direct speech: Do you want to go to the cinema?

Indirect speech: He asked if I wanted to go to the cinema.

Also, if we want to report a conditional sentence, we’ll keep “if” in the reported speech too.

Direct speech: If it doesn’t rain, I’ll go for a walk.

Indirect speech: She said that if it didn’t rain, she’d go for a walk.

How do you change the if-clause in reported speech?

To see what tense and modal changes occur, let’s examine each type of conditional sentence separately.

Zero conditional in reported speech

The tense shift will occur only in instances when the condition is no longer valid. Otherwise, the tenses remain the same.

Mom: If dad gets angry, he always reads a newspaper in the living room and ignores everybody else.

Mom said that if dad gets angry, he always reads a newspaper in the living room and ignores everybody else. (Dad still does this.)

Mom said that if dad got angry, he always read a newspaper in the living room and ignored everybody else. (Dad doesn’t do this anymore. Mom just described his past habit.)

First conditional in reported speech

If we need to report a first conditional sentence, the following changes might take place.

Luke: If we hurry up, we’ll catch the bus .

Luke said that if we hurry up, we’ll catch the bus. (This information is still relevant. Luke and his interlocutor still have time to catch the bus.)

Luke said that if we hurried up, we’d catch the bus. (These reported words aren’t relevant anymore. The bus has already left. Note the tense and modal shift: the present simple becomes the past simple , and will becomes would .)

Second conditional in reported speech

The above tense and modal shifting rules apply to the second conditional too. If the condition is still relevant, no changes occur. However, if it’s outdated, the past simple becomes the past perfect , and would becomes would + have + past participle.

Sofia: If I had more money, I would buy a new car.

Sofia said that if she had more money, she would buy a new car. (Sofia still doesn’t have money, and consequently, she can’t buy a new car.)

Sofia said that if she had had more money, she would have bought a new car. (The speaker remembers Sofia’s words and wishes from the past. Maybe Sofia doesn’t have any money issues now.)

Third conditional in reported speech

When reporting third conditionals, there is no change in the verb form:

Tania: If I had seen him, I would have told him about the accident.

Tania said that if she had seen him, she would have told him about the accident .

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Biden Proclaimed Easter Sunday as Transgender Day of Visibility?

It is possible for two things to happen on one day., nur ibrahim, published april 1, 2024.

About this rating

Biden issued a proclamation naming March 31, 2024, the Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). He issued the same proclamation on the same date, March 31, every year since 2021. In 2024, the date happened to coincide with Easter Sunday, a moveable holiday that shifts dates annually based on the spring equinox.

On March 29, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a proclamation declaring March 31, 2024, the Transgender Day of Visibility — that is, he formally recognized the day as one to dedicated to celebrating the transgender community. The day also happened to be Easter Sunday.

Numerous anti-Biden media outlets , internet commentators and pundits claimed Biden committed " blasphemy " by issuing the Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation on Easter Sunday. For instance, former U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign said in a statement , "It is appalling and insulting that Joe Biden's White House […] formally proclaimed Easter Sunday as 'Trans Day of Visibility."

Donald Trump Jr. also tweeted : "They want people worshipping the trans flag instead of god."

The above statements were misleading. While they referenced a genuine document from the White House, people started recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility annually on March 31 since at least 2010 — including Biden, who has been issuing such proclamations as president since 2021 . The date for Easter Sunday, however, shifts each year. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the spring equinox, according to long-standing Christian tradition.

In addition to the Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation, Biden is a devout Catholic and has frequently spoken publicly about his faith. On Easter Sunday 2024, he issued this statement : "Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ's Resurrection."

The overlap of Easter and the Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) in 2024 was entirely coincidental. There was no evidence of a Biden-led effort to make sure Easter fell on the same day as TDOV so he could recognize the latter over the former. We reached out to the White House asking for its response to that claim, and we will update this report when, or if, it answers us.

Biden's official White House statement with the proclamation, released on March 29, 2024, said:

Today, we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong. You are America, and my entire Administration and I have your back. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility. I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity.

The statement did not claim to replace Easter Sunday with TDOV, nor serve as a proclamation combining the two occasions to take place on the same date in the future.

According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a media-monitoring organization, Rachel Crandall, a trans activist, established the first International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2010 to celebrate the lives of transgender people when most media stories focused on violence against them.

Biden's March 29 announcement was not unusual. His administration acknowledged the same day in prior years, as seen in a March 30, 2023, White House document.

As for the date of Easter, the BBC noted, the day is designated based on the ecclesiastical (meaning "of the Church") full moon — that is, it's not calculated in the way astronomers would do it. When picking the date, the church considers the spring equinox always to occur on March 21, according to the BBC.

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops , Easter Sunday will be on April 20 in 2025.

We also reported on a false rumor that Biden banned "religious symbols" and "overtly religious themes" from an Easter egg art contest connected to the White House.

"A Proclamation on Transgender Day of Visibility." The White House, 30 March 2023, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/03/30/a-proclamation-on-transgender-day-of-visibility/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

"A Proclamation on Transgender Day of Visibility, 2024." The White House, 29 March 2024, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/03/29/a-proclamation-on-transgender-day-of-visibility-2024/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

"A Proclamation on Transgender Day Of Visibility, 2021." The White House , 31 March 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/03/31/a-proclamation-on-transgender-day-of-visibility-2021/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

Knudsen, Hannah. "'Gross and Evil': Biden White House Disrespects Easter." Breitbart, 30 March 2024, https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/03/30/gross-evil-biden-white-house-disrespects-easter/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

"Liturgical Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America 2025." United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, https://www.usccb.org/resources/2025cal.pdf. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

"Statement from President Joe Biden on Easter." The White House, 31 March 2024, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/31/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-easter-2/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

Waldenberg, Samantha. "Republicans Slam Biden for Proclaiming Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter, Though It's Yearly Observed on March 31 | CNN Politics." CNN, 30 March 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/30/politics/easter-trans-day-visibility-trump-biden-johnson/index.html. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

Wang, Amy B. "Trump Falsely Attacks Biden over Easter Coinciding with Transgender Day of Visibility." Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/31/trump-biden-easter-transgender-day/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

"Why Does the Date of Easter Move Around?" BBC Bitesize, https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zn2njhv. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

By Nur Ibrahim

Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a reporter with experience working in television, international news coverage, fact checking, and creative writing.

Article Tags

Ohio mother who left toddler alone when she went on vacation is sentenced in child’s murder

An Ohio woman whose toddler died after she left her alone for more than a week while she went on vacation was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor said.

Kristel Candelario, 32, pleaded guilty last month t o aggravated murder and endangering children in connection with the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn, last year.

Candelario left for vacation June 6 and left Jailyn alone. She visited Detroit and Puerto Rico, the prosecutor’s office said.

When she returned on June 16, she found Jailyn dead and called police, authorities said.

Jailyn Calendario mom mother sentencing court legal law child death

Jailyn died of starvation and severe dehydration due to pediatric neglect, Dr. Elizabeth Mooney, the deputy Cuyahoga County medical examiner, said in court Monday. The manner was ruled homicide.

The child was extremely dehydrated and emaciated, weighing 13 pounds, 7 pounds less than in her last doctor's visit less than two months before, Mooney said.

Mooney, who conducted the autopsy, called Jailyn's death "one of the most tragic and unfortunate cases I’ve had in my career thus far." She said the child could have suffered for possibly a week.

In a statement Monday, prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley called Jailyn “a beautiful baby girl who was taken from this world due to her mother’s unimaginable selfishness.”

Candelario told the court Monday that “every day I ask forgiveness from God and from my daughter Jailyn.”

She also asked forgiveness from her other daughter and from her parents.

Candelario’s attorney, Derek Smith, said that no one was trying to excuse her behavior but that Candelario was struggling emotionally and was overwhelmed as a single mother of two children.

Candelario had tried to harm herself earlier in 2023 and she had been placed on antidepressants, which she stopped taking without tapering down in dosage as required, which can cause side effects, Smith told the court. Candelario was "not thinking clearly," he said.

“I am not trying to justify my actions, but nobody knew how much I was suffering and what I was going through,” Candelario said through an interpreter.

Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Anna Faraglia told the court Monday that Candelario had left Jailyn alone for two days immediately before she left on vacation.

"The thought of this child dying every day while she's having fun — humanity can't stomach that," Faraglia said. "And those are the actions that need to be punished. She abandoned her daughter and left her for dead."

In sentencing Candelario, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Brendan Sheehan noted that the police and the medical professionals involved called it one of the most horrific cases they’d ever seen.

“It stunned people across this world, because it defies one of the basic human responsibilities,” Sheehan said. He called it “the ultimate act of betrayal.”

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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Taiwan earthquake

Israel-Hamas war

Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison

Sbf's parents: "we are heartbroken".

From CNN's Kara Scannell

Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman, parents of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, exit the Manhattan Federal Court today in New York.

Bankman-Fried's parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried, issued a statement after leaving the Manhattan courtroom Thursday, saying: “We are heartbroken and will continue to fight for our son.”

Some in crypto community contrast SBF's sentence with that of shuttered dark market site's founder

From CNN's Elisabeth Buchwald

Several prominent voices in the crypto community took issue with Sam Bankman Fried's 25-year sentence, given Ross Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015.

Ulbricht created Silk Road — a website that let users anonymously buy and sell anything, including drugs and hacking tutorials. Transactions on the site took place using bitcoin, making it much harder to trace.

Bitcoin Magazine, a crypto publication with more than 3 million followers, posted on X shortly after SBF was sentenced on Thursday:

Roger Ver, an early bitcoin investor often referred to as "bitcoin Jesus," posted on X Thursday morning ahead of Bankman-Fried's sentencing trial that Ulbricht's "'crime' was building a website where people could trade freely without government permission." Since Bankman-Fried's sentence was announced, his post has been shared by many popular crypto-linked accounts.

US Attorney Williams: SBF's sentence is a warning to others

Damian Williams, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that Bankman-Fried's 25-year sentence "will prevent the defendant from ever again committing fraud and is an important message to others who might be tempted to engage in financial crimes that justice will be swift, and the consequences will be severe."

How long will SBF actually serve?

From CNN's Allison Morrow

In this courtroom sketch, Sam Bankman-Fried, second from right, stands while making a statement during his sentencing in Manhattan federal court, Thursday, March. 28, 2024, in New York. Crypto entrepreneur Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unraveled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.

There is no possibility of parole in federal criminal cases, but Bankman-Fried can still shave time off his 25-year sentence with good behavior.

"SBF may serve as little as 12.5 years, if he gets all of the jailhouse credit available to him," Mitchell Epner, a former federal prosecutor, told CNN.

Federal prisoners generally can earn up to 54 days of time credit a year for good behavior, which could result in an approximately 15% reduction.

Since 2018, however, nonviolent federal inmates can reduce their sentence by as much as 50% under prison reform legislation known as the First Step Act.

Epner says the First Step Act was billed as a civil rights measure, to help minority offenders who committed non-violent drug-trafficking offenses.

"It has turned out to be an enormous boon for white-collar criminal defendants, who are already given much lower sentences ... than drug-traffickers," Epner added.

There is also a provision that allows a court to reduce a person’s sentence for extraordinary and compelling reasons, which are often medical, according to Jordan Estes, a former federal prosecutor who is now a partner at Kramer Levin.

"Since the pandemic, courts have been more willing to grant early release under this provision if the defendant has served a substantial portion of his or her sentence,” Estes said.

Kaplan recommends medium-security federal prison

From CNN's Lauren del Valle and Allison Morrow

Sam Bankman-Fried on March 30, 2023 after leaving the Manhattan federal court in New York City.

Judge Lewis Kaplan said he would recommend to the Bureau of Prisons that Bankman-Fried be placed in a medium-security facility or any lower-security facility the bureau finds appropriate.

Medium-security federal prisons have strengthened perimeters — often double fences with electronic detection systems — and mostly cell housing, according to the Bureau of Prisons. They also have a "wide variety of work and treatment programs."

Kaplan orders $11.02 billion forfeiture

From CNN's Lauren del Valle

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried attends his sentencing hearing at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., March 28, 2024 in this courtroom sketch.

Judge Kaplan also ordered a forfeiture of $11.02 billion.

He ruled Bankman-Fried's forfeited assets can be used to help fund the repayment of victims of the FTX collapse.

Correction: A previous version of this post misstated the forfeiture amount. It is $11.02 billion.

Judge Kaplan: "Not a trivial risk" that SBF could commit crimes again

Judge Lewis Kaplan, just before announcing Bankman-Fried's 25-year sentence, said there was a risk "that this man will be in a position to do something very bad in the future, and it's not a trivial risk."

Bankman-Fried acknowledged his mistakes and said he was sorry for what happened to customers but "never a word of remorse for the commission of terrible crimes," Judge Kaplan said.

"He knew it was wrong," he added.

Bankman-Fried is sentenced to 25 years in prison

Sam Bankman-Fried has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for defrauding customers and investors in crypto exchange FTX.

Judge Kaplan: SBF wanted to be a 'hugely, hugely politically influential person'

Sam Bankman-Fried after a court appearance on June 15, 2023 at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City.

Kaplan says many facts are not disputed, including that SBF had "an exceptionally privileged background."

"He is extremely smart. And he suffers from autism," Kaplan said, noting his understanding of the condition. Kaplan said SBF "is capable of huge accomplishments" while noting he has "a way of interacting with people that’s unusual and sometimes off-putting."

Kaplan agreed with prosecutors' claim that Bankman-Fried "wanted to be a hugely, hugely politically influential person in this country," and that that propelled his financial crimes.

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Republican-passed bill removes role of Democratic governor if Senate vacancy occurs in Kentucky

FILE - Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers presides over a session at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Kentucky lawmakers on Thursday, March 28, gave final approval to a bill stripping the state’s Democratic governor of any role in picking someone to occupy a U.S. Senate seat if a vacancy occurred in the home state of 82-year-old Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.(AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)

FILE - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left, speaks with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear during a ceremony in the Rotunda at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., Jan. 2, 2024. Kentucky lawmakers on Thursday, March 28 gave final approval to a bill stripping the state’s Democratic governor of any role in picking someone to occupy a U.S. Senate seat if a vacancy occurred in the home state of McConnell.(AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)

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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to a bill stripping the state’s Democratic governor of any role in picking someone to occupy a U.S. Senate seat if a vacancy occurred in the home state of 82-year-old Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

The legislation calls for a special election to fill any Senate vacancy from the Bluegrass State. The special election winner would hold the seat for the remainder of the unexpired term.

“So it would be a direct voice of the people determining how the vacancy is filled,” Republican Senate President Robert Stivers said while presenting the bill to his colleagues.

The state Senate voted 34-3 after a brief discussion to send the bill to Gov. Andy Beshear. The governor has denounced the measure as driven by partisanship, but the GOP supermajority legislature could override a veto when lawmakers reconvene for the final two days of this year’s session in mid-April.

The bill’s lead sponsor is Republican House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy. He has said the measure has nothing to do with McConnell, but instead reflected his long-running policy stance on how an empty Senate seat should be filled.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., gives remarks during a presentation at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Rudy refers to McConnell as a “great friend and a political mentor,” and credits the state’s senior senator for playing an important role in the GOP’s rise to dominance in the Kentucky legislature.

Rudy has said his bill would treat a Senate vacancy like that of a vacancy for a congressional or legislative seat in Kentucky — by holding a special election to fill the seat. The bill includes an emergency clause, meaning it would take effect immediately if enacted into law.

Rudy introduced the bill in February and it cleared a House committee a day after McConnell’s announcement that he will step down from his longtime Senate leadership position in November. The decision set off a wave of speculation back home in Kentucky about the future of his seat.

In his speech from the Senate floor, McConnell left open the possibility that he might seek another term in 2026, declaring at one point: “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Aides said McConnell’s announcement was unrelated to his health. The senator had a concussion from a fall last year and two public episodes where his face briefly froze while he was speaking.

Rudy has said he’s talked about changing the way a Senate vacancy is filled for more than a decade, since the conviction of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for crimes that included seeking to sell an appointment to Barack Obama’s old Senate seat. Rudy’s district in far western Kentucky borders Illinois.

Beshear — who won a convincing reelection victory last November over a McConnell protege — had already seen his influence over selecting a senator greatly diminished by GOP lawmakers.

In 2021, the legislature removed the governor’s independent power to temporarily fill a Senate seat. That measure limits a governor to choosing from a three-name list provided by party leaders from the same party as the senator who formerly held the seat. Both of Kentucky’s U.S. senators are Republicans. The measure became law after GOP lawmakers overrode Beshear’s veto.

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Peter Navarro Begins 4-Month Prison Sentence for Contempt of Congress

The former White House trade adviser is the first senior Trump aide to serve time over efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

By Zach Montague and David C. Adams

Zach Montague reported from Washington, and David C. Adams from Miami.

Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to former President Donald J. Trump, reported to federal prison in Miami on Tuesday, becoming the first senior Trump administration official to serve time over his role in the effort to subvert the results of the 2020 election.

Mr. Navarro, 74, who helped engineer Mr. Trump’s plans to stay in power after his electoral defeat in November 2020, was sentenced to four months in prison in January for contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot.

At a hastily organized news conference shortly before he was set to check into the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami, a low-security prison next to the Miami-Dade zoo, Mr. Navarro reprised familiar denunciations of the Justice Department and the Biden administration.

Speaking in the parking lot of a commercial plaza, flanked by a pizza store and a pawnshop, he cast blame on the federal trial judge in his case, as well as Mr. Biden and a long list of politicians he said were motivated by hostility toward Mr. Trump.

He added that the “tragedy” of his situation was that he was likely to complete his sentence as he continues to appeal his conviction.

“I’m afraid of only one thing,” he told reporters. “I’m afraid for my country, because this — what they are doing — will have a chilling effect on every American, regardless of their party.”

Sam Mangel, a federal prison consultant who helped Mr. Navarro prepare for his surrender, said he was working to get Mr. Navarro into a unit devised for inmates over age 60 in a minimum-security satellite camp in the prison.

Inmates there share bunks in an open 80-bed dormitory with minimal privacy, Mr. Mangel said, adding that, given his age, Mr. Navarro hoped to fulfill his prison work requirements through a job as a law library clerk or another low-intensity position.

The rambling speech was a characteristically peculiar finale for Mr. Navarro, whose bravado and idiosyncrasies have been a hallmark of his career.

Mr. Navarro, a Harvard-trained economist, was a strident critic of China who helped inform Mr. Trump’s protectionist trade policies.

Before joining the Trump administration, Mr. Navarro drifted in and out of political parties, seeking office as a Democrat in California but repeatedly falling short .

In 1992, running on an environmental platform, Mr. Navarro nearly won the San Diego mayoral election, employing stunts such as swimming a mile to a campaign event where he addressed a crowd in a Speedo . He was a speaker at the 1996 Democratic National Convention, stumping for President Bill Clinton.

Mr. Navarro also turned to academia, spending more than two decades as a professor at the University of California, Irvine . While on faculty, he quoted a fictional alter ego in his books, often referred to as the Dark Prince of Disaster, to inject scathing descriptions of China.

The start of Mr. Navarro’s prison sentence brought an end to a prolonged legal challenge that finished at the Supreme Court on Monday as he sought to remain free while he appealed his conviction.

Mr. Navarro had argued that because he had been working on the president’s behalf, his case presented novel legal questions about the separation of powers and the scope of executive privilege.

But judges were unswayed.

The outcome was a marked contrast to that of another former Trump aide, Stephen K. Bannon. He was sentenced to an identical term on parallel charges but was allowed to remain free by the federal judge presiding over his case.

The House committee sought to interview Mr. Navarro in part because he, along with Mr. Bannon, devised a strategy to enlist Republican allies in Congress to delay the certification of the election by repeatedly challenging electoral vote counts in battleground states. Mr. Navarro openly discussed the plan, nicknamed the Green Bay Sweep, in a memoir and in interviews.

But when the committee asked for his testimony and documents from that period, Mr. Navarro refused to engage.

During his trial, Mr. Navarro’s lawyers contended that he had operated under a belief that Mr. Trump had asserted executive privilege and expected him not to cooperate.

But Mr. Navarro’s lawyers could point to little evidence that Mr. Trump had given instructions to that effect.

A lawyer for Mr. Navarro declined to comment on the appeal.

According to the Congressional Research Service, criminal enforcement of a congressional subpoena is exceedingly rare . And as in Mr. Navarro’s case, prosecutions still often fall short of securing Congress access to the information sought, particularly in cases involving the executive branch.

A separate civil lawsuit brought by the Justice Department is underway, in which prosecutors have sought to recover hundreds of pages of presidential records Mr. Navarro declined to provide to the National Archives and Records Administration after leaving office.

The detention of Mr. Navarro stood apart from the experience of other allies of the former president who have faced legal jeopardy but ultimately few consequences.

Mr. Trump’s longtime friend and adviser Roger J. Stone Jr. was sentenced to 40 months in prison after being convicted of obstructing a congressional investigation into Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign, only for Mr. Trump to deliver an 11th-hour commutation.

Michael Flynn, his first national security adviser, twice pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. during the Russia investigation, but the Justice Department, after an extraordinary public campaign by Mr. Trump, abruptly moved to drop its criminal case against him . In the final months of his presidency, Mr. Trump issued a pardon .

Zach Montague is based in Washington. He covers breaking news and developments around the district. More about Zach Montague

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COMMENTS

Reported Speech
Watch my reported speech video: Here's how it works: We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence: Direct speech: I like ice cream. Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
Reported Speech
To change an imperative sentence into a reported indirect sentence, use to for imperative and not to for negative sentences. Never use the word that in your indirect speech. Another rule is to remove the word please. Instead, say request or say. For example: "Please don't interrupt the event," said the host.
Reported speech
We normally don't change 'might' in reported speech. (e.g. ... Can you also explain why we report this sentence like that. How can we both change a) and b) into the same indirect reported speech? Thank you very much! Log in or register to post comments; Submitted by Peter M. on Wed, 14/02/2024 - 06:28.
Reported Speech
As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work. ... Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes. 1. Rachel ...
Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL
Pin. No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech. There is no change in verb tenses in Indirect Speech when:. The introductory verb is in the Present, Present Perfect or Future.; If the reported sentence deals with a fact or general truth.; The reported sentence contains a time clause.; The verb of the sentence is in the unreal past (the second or the third conditional).
Everyday Grammar: Mastering Reported Speech
We often need to tell others what someone else said. There are two ways to do this. One is to say the same words and use quotation marks. That is "direct speech." The other method is to summarize ...
Reported speech: indirect speech
Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
Reported Speech
Reported Speech. If we want to say what somebody has said, we basically have two options: We can use the person's exact words - in quotation marks "..." if we are writing ( direct speech ). We can change the person's words into our own words ( reported speech ). He said: "I love you." He said that he loved me.
Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions
When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called "backshift.". Here are some examples in different verb tenses: "I want to go home.". She said she wanted to go home. "I 'm reading a good book.". She said she was reading a good book. "I ate pasta for dinner last night.".
Reported speech: statements
Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person said. direct speech: 'I love the Toy Story films,' she said. indirect speech: She said she loved the Toy Story films. direct speech: 'I worked as a waiter before becoming a chef,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd worked as a waiter before becoming a chef. direct speech: 'I'll phone you tomorrow,' he said.
Reported Speech in English Grammar
Introduction. In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks, this is known as direct speech, or we can use indirect speech.In indirect speech, we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed.Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting verb or phrase such as ones below.
Transformation of Sentence: Direct & Indirect Speech
A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Let's have an example first. Tina said to me, "Are you busy now?" [direct speech] Tina asked me whether I was busy then. [indirect speech] Direct Speech. Speaker. Reporting verb. Direct speech ...
100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect
Direct: "I will help you," she promised. Reported: She promised that she would help me. Direct: "You should study harder," he advised. Reported: He advised that I should study harder. Direct: "I didn't take your book," he denied. Reported: He denied taking my book. Direct: "Let's go to the cinema," she suggested.
Reported Speech: Direct and Indirect speech
The tense doesn't have to be changed in this case of reported speech. But of the reporting verb is in the past tense, we do change the tense of the sentence. Browse more Topics under Transformation Sentences. Active and Passive Voice; Parts of Speech; Types of Sentences; Reported speech- Play of the tenses:
Time and Place in Reported Speech
Look at these example sentences: He said: "It was hot yesterday." → He said that it had been hot the day before. He said: "We are going to swim tomorrow." ... Here are some common place words, showing how you change them for reported speech: direct speech indirect speech; here: there, in Starbucks: this: that: this book: the book, that book ...
Tense changes in reported speech
In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command. Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired. Phrase in Direct Speech. Equivalent in Reported Speech.
Reported speech: questions
A reported question is when we tell someone what another person asked. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech. direct speech: 'Do you like working in sales?' he asked. indirect speech: He asked me if I liked working in sales. In indirect speech, we change the question structure (e.g. Do you like) to a statement structure (e.g.
Grammar: Reported Speech in English · engVid
Rebecca. • 2-Intermediate • grammar. Grammar: Reported Speech in English. In this lesson you will learn how to correctly relate what others have said to you. In English grammar, this point is known as "reported speech". You'll learn how to change tenses, as required, to convey your message correctly in spoken and written English.
Reported Speech: Definition, Rules, Usage with Examples, Tips
How to Change Sentences into Indirect Speech. Rules for Changing Commands and Requests into Indirect Speech. The reporting verb is changed into command, order, say, enable, submit, etc. in imperative sentences that have commands. ... Combine the following sentences into reported speech. Mary said, "I am going to the store. I need some ...
Reported Speech
Rewrite the demands/requests in indirect speech. The passenger requested the taxi driver, "Stop the car.". → The passenger requested the taxi driver . to + same wording as in direct speech. The mother told her son, "Don't be so loud.". → The mother told her son . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don't.
Direct and Indirect Speech (Grammar Rules and Great Examples)
Converting Direct to Indirect Speech. 1. Eliminate the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. 2. Retain the tense of the reporting verb and add the word "that" after it. 3. Change the tense of the verb in the reported speech, if needed. 4. Change the pronouns accordingly.
How to Change Sentences into Indirect Speech
First-person changes according to subject. Second-person changes according to the object. Third-person pronoun there is no change. Follows the SON rule that is easy to remember. For Example She said, " I love her job ." (direct speech) She said that she loved her job. (indirect speech)
Conditionals and Reported Speech
Second conditional in reported speech. The above tense and modal shifting rules apply to the second conditional too. If the condition is still relevant, no changes occur. However, if it's outdated, the past simple becomes the past perfect, and would becomes would + have + past participle. Sofia: If I had more money, I would buy a new car.
Biden Proclaimed Easter Sunday as Transgender Day of Visibility?
Context. Biden issued a proclamation naming March 31, 2024, the Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). He issued the same proclamation on the same date, March 31, every year since 2021.
Ohio mother who left toddler alone when she went on vacation is
An Ohio woman whose toddler died after she left her alone for more than a week while she went on vacation was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor said.
Trump campaign assails Biden for declaring Easter Sunday as Transgender
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is facing criticism from Donald Trump's campaign and religious conservatives for proclaiming March 31 — which corresponds with Easter Sunday this year — as "Transgender Day of Visibility." The Democratic president issued the proclamation on Friday, calling on "all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people ...
March 28 2024: Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
The sentence: Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday. SBF speaks: The former CEO of collapsed crypto exchange FTX apologized in a meandering statement to the court, saying ...
Republican-passed bill removes role of Democratic governor if Senate
GOP-backed bill proposing harsher sentences to combat crime sent to Kentucky's governor Rudy refers to McConnell as a "great friend and a political mentor," and credits the state's senior senator for playing an important role in the GOP's rise to dominance in the Kentucky legislature.
Conversations and insights about the moment.
Louisiana, "Speech concerning public affairs is more than self-expression; it is the essence of self-government." One reason children enjoy First Amendment rights is that they are essentially ...
Peter Navarro, Ex-Trump Adviser, Begins 4-Month Prison Sentence
The former White House trade adviser is the first senior Trump aide to serve time over efforts to overturn the 2020 election. By Zach Montague and David C. Adams Zach Montague reported from ...

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Table of Contents

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

What is reported speech?

What is the formula of reported speech?

Give some examples of reported speech.

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Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting wh -questions

Who , whom and what

When , where , why and how

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

Newspaper headlines

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

Modal verbs

No backshift

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

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Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

What is reported speech?

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Master the details of English grammar:

More Espresso English Lessons:

Shayna Oliveira

Transformation of Sentence: Direct & Indirect Speech

Narration change of Assertive sentence

Narration change of Interrogative sentence

Narration change of Imperative sentence

Narration change of Optative sentence

Narration change of Exclamatory sentence

Narration change of Vocatives

Narration change of question tag

100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Reported Speech: Changing Pronouns

Reported Speech: Reporting Verbs

Reported Speech: Tense Shifts

Reported Speech: Changing Time and Place References

Reported Speech: Question Format

Reported Speech: Omitting Quotation Marks

Reported Speech Quiz

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Reported speech- Time transitions:

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Transformation of Sentences

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Time and Place in Reported Speech

Place words

Tense changes in reported speech

Course Curriculum

Reported speech: questions

Grammar explanation

Yes / no questions

Questions with a question word

Reporting verbs

Offers, requests and suggestions

Language level

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Grammar: Reported Speech in English

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