How to use Reported Speech

1. The introductory sentence

If you use Reported Speech there are mostly two main differences.

The introductory sentence in Reported Speech can be in the Present or in the Past.

If the introductory sentences is in the Simple Present, there is no backshift of tenses.

Direct Speech:

• Susan: “Mary works in an office.”

Reported Speech:

• Introductory sentence in the Simple Present → Susan says (that)* Mary works in an office.
• Introductory sentence in the Simple Past → Susan said (that)* Mary worked in an office.

2. Change of persons/pronouns

If there is a pronoun in Direct Speech, it has possibly to be changed in Reported Speech, depending on the siutation.

• Direct Speech → Susan: “I work in an office.”
• Reported Speech → Susan said (that)* she worked in an office.

Here I is changed to she.

3. Backshift of tenses

If there is backshift of tenses in Reported Speech, the tenses are shifted the following way.

• Direct Speech → Peter: “I work in the garden.”
• Reported Speech → Peter said (that)* he worked in the garden.

4. Conversion of expressions of time and place

If there is an expression of time/place in the sentence, it may be changed, depending on the situation.

• Direct Speech → Peter: “I worked in the garden yesterday.”
• Reported Speech → Peter said (that) he had worked in the garden the day before.