About us
Our goal is not to overload students with heavy grammar, turning them into philologists, but to teach a real, living language. The one you hear in a store, the one that allows you to communicate, meet people and clearly articulate your thoughts in a foreign language.
sales team
Indirect Speech in English
25.04.2025
4 minutes to read
Indirect speech in English is a way of conveying someone else’s words not as a direct quote, but in your own words. Instead of putting an exact quote in quotation marks, we simply retell what was said. This format is commonly used in both spoken and written language. It helps simplify the structure of speech and makes it sound more natural.
If you want to understand and build more complex sentences in English, you definitely can’t do without indirect speech. This grammar element is important because it helps you convey information, turn direct speech into indirect, use the correct tense, and properly adjust pronouns and verbs.
In this article, you’ll learn what indirect (also called reported) speech is, what rules it follows, how tense shifting works, and how to avoid getting confused by the structure. We’ll explain everything simply and clearly, with examples, tables, and practical tips.
If you want to understand and build more complex sentences in English, you definitely can’t do without indirect speech. This grammar element is important because it helps you convey information, turn direct speech into indirect, use the correct tense, and properly adjust pronouns and verbs.
In this article, you’ll learn what indirect (also called reported) speech is, what rules it follows, how tense shifting works, and how to avoid getting confused by the structure. We’ll explain everything simply and clearly, with examples, tables, and practical tips.
Table of contents
When you’re just starting to learn English, everything seems simple: I am hungry, she is nice, we go to school. You speak directly, with no complications. But once you start watching movies, listening to songs or podcasts—or just chatting with someone—you’ll notice that in real life, people often don’t speak directly. Instead, they report what someone else said. That’s where you encounter a topic called indirect speech, also known as reported speech. And yes, it’s not just dry grammar—it’s a real-life skill. Without it, you simply won’t sound natural in English.
Indirect speech is a way of conveying someone else’s words from your perspective—not quoting them exactly, but rephrasing them. It works the same way as in Russian. For example, He said, “I’m busy” becomes He said that he was busy. That’s exactly how it works in English:
She said: “I’m tired.” → She said (that) she was tired.
The difference is clear: in indirect speech, the quotation marks disappear, the verb tense changes, and pronouns are adjusted. Why? Because now you’re speaking on their behalf.
Here are more examples to get the feel of it:
“I will call you tomorrow,” John said → John said (that) he would call me the next day.
“We are watching a movie,” they said → They said (that) they were watching a movie.
“I can’t come,” she said → She said (that) she couldn’t come.
And there are countless examples like these in real life. We quote people, retell conversations, explain what happened—all the time. Even something simple like Mom said she would buy bread, He said he wouldn’t come, The teacher said the test is tomorrow—that’s all reported speech. Because 90% of what we say isn’t invented on the spot; it’s what we’ve heard, understood, and are now passing on. This applies to everyday life, school, and even work. In class—you need to explain what happened in the last lesson. In a job interview—you might need to explain how a client gave you a task. In messages—you want to clarify who promised what.
Indirect speech is quite literally a way to tell stories about what’s going on around you. And that’s where grammar comes into play—but not the kind that makes you yawn. This is the logical kind. Because when you say someone said something in the past, it makes perfect sense to shift everything one step back in time.
For example:
“I’m happy” → She said she was happy.
“We will win” → They said they would win.
“I have done it” → He said he had done it.
This is called the sequence of tenses. It’s not a bug in English—it’s a feature. The language is giving you a way to “rewind” the moment. It’s like saying, “This has already been said,” and you’re retelling it slightly after the fact. That’s all.
But it’s not always so strict. If you’re talking about something that’s still true or relevant, you don’t have to change the tense. For example:
“The Earth orbits the Sun.” → He said the Earth orbits the Sun. (Still true.)
The same goes for facts, schedules, or laws of nature.
So, to sum it up: indirect/reported speech isn’t hard. It’s a natural way of speaking when you’re passing along what someone said, asked, or promised. It’s how we talk every day—just in English. The key isn’t to memorize rules, but to understand the logic: you’re speaking for someone else, so you adjust their words to fit your context. Sure, it’ll feel unfamiliar at first, but eventually, it’ll become second nature—just like “Hello” and “How are you.”
Indirect speech is a way of conveying someone else’s words from your perspective—not quoting them exactly, but rephrasing them. It works the same way as in Russian. For example, He said, “I’m busy” becomes He said that he was busy. That’s exactly how it works in English:
She said: “I’m tired.” → She said (that) she was tired.
The difference is clear: in indirect speech, the quotation marks disappear, the verb tense changes, and pronouns are adjusted. Why? Because now you’re speaking on their behalf.
Here are more examples to get the feel of it:
“I will call you tomorrow,” John said → John said (that) he would call me the next day.
“We are watching a movie,” they said → They said (that) they were watching a movie.
“I can’t come,” she said → She said (that) she couldn’t come.
And there are countless examples like these in real life. We quote people, retell conversations, explain what happened—all the time. Even something simple like Mom said she would buy bread, He said he wouldn’t come, The teacher said the test is tomorrow—that’s all reported speech. Because 90% of what we say isn’t invented on the spot; it’s what we’ve heard, understood, and are now passing on. This applies to everyday life, school, and even work. In class—you need to explain what happened in the last lesson. In a job interview—you might need to explain how a client gave you a task. In messages—you want to clarify who promised what.
Indirect speech is quite literally a way to tell stories about what’s going on around you. And that’s where grammar comes into play—but not the kind that makes you yawn. This is the logical kind. Because when you say someone said something in the past, it makes perfect sense to shift everything one step back in time.
For example:
“I’m happy” → She said she was happy.
“We will win” → They said they would win.
“I have done it” → He said he had done it.
This is called the sequence of tenses. It’s not a bug in English—it’s a feature. The language is giving you a way to “rewind” the moment. It’s like saying, “This has already been said,” and you’re retelling it slightly after the fact. That’s all.
But it’s not always so strict. If you’re talking about something that’s still true or relevant, you don’t have to change the tense. For example:
“The Earth orbits the Sun.” → He said the Earth orbits the Sun. (Still true.)
The same goes for facts, schedules, or laws of nature.
So, to sum it up: indirect/reported speech isn’t hard. It’s a natural way of speaking when you’re passing along what someone said, asked, or promised. It’s how we talk every day—just in English. The key isn’t to memorize rules, but to understand the logic: you’re speaking for someone else, so you adjust their words to fit your context. Sure, it’ll feel unfamiliar at first, but eventually, it’ll become second nature—just like “Hello” and “How are you.”
What Are Indirect Speech and Reported Speech in English?
El verbo to pay en inglés: 3 formas
El verbo 'to pay' es una de las palabras clave del inglés que desempeña un papel importante en la comunicación cotidiana.
Cómo utilizar los articuli en alemán: cómo usarlos correctamente
Los artículos en alemán pueden parecer complicados a quienes empiezan a aprender el idioma.
Tense Agreement in Indirect Speech
Exceptions to Tense Shift Rules
Tense Shift Table
Basic Rules of Tense Agreement
Tense agreement (also called sequence of tenses) is what often confuses learners when they first come across reported speech. But in reality, it’s simpler than it seems. Imagine you’re retelling a conversation that already happened. You can’t just repeat the words as they were—because the moment has passed. In English, this is shown by shifting the tenses back. It’s like mentally taking one step backward in time.
If someone said “I am busy,” you wouldn’t say He said he is busy—because that sounds like he’s still speaking now. But you’re retelling it. So the correct version is He said he was busy. Everything that was in the present moves to the past. Present Simple becomes Past Simple, Present Continuous turns into Past Continuous, and the Future becomes would. It’s not magic or an exception—it’s just how the language works.
Here are more examples:
“We are playing” → They said they were playing.
“I will help you” → She said she would help me.
“I have finished” → He said he had finished.
At first, this might seem strict, like you have to remember a ton of stuff. But with time, your brain starts doing it automatically. And yes, there are situations where tense shift is not required—like when you’re talking about something that’s still true, such as facts, rules, or habits.
Compare:
“The sun rises in the east” → He said the sun rises in the east — here, no shift is needed, because the sun still rises in the east. But if it were something that no longer applies, then yes—you’d change the tense.
So don’t get too hung up on form—just focus on the logic. English isn’t overly strict here. It just wants you to make sense. At first, you’ll think about every word. Later, it’ll happen automatically.
If someone said “I am busy,” you wouldn’t say He said he is busy—because that sounds like he’s still speaking now. But you’re retelling it. So the correct version is He said he was busy. Everything that was in the present moves to the past. Present Simple becomes Past Simple, Present Continuous turns into Past Continuous, and the Future becomes would. It’s not magic or an exception—it’s just how the language works.
Here are more examples:
“We are playing” → They said they were playing.
“I will help you” → She said she would help me.
“I have finished” → He said he had finished.
At first, this might seem strict, like you have to remember a ton of stuff. But with time, your brain starts doing it automatically. And yes, there are situations where tense shift is not required—like when you’re talking about something that’s still true, such as facts, rules, or habits.
Compare:
“The sun rises in the east” → He said the sun rises in the east — here, no shift is needed, because the sun still rises in the east. But if it were something that no longer applies, then yes—you’d change the tense.
So don’t get too hung up on form—just focus on the logic. English isn’t overly strict here. It just wants you to make sense. At first, you’ll think about every word. Later, it’ll happen automatically.
Tense agreement in English isn’t a list of complicated formulas—it’s just a system that helps you adjust tenses when reporting what someone else said.
The main rule is this: if the main verb is in the past tense (e.g., said, told, asked), then the tense in the subordinate clause shifts one step back. So Present Simple becomes Past Simple, Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous, and Future Simple becomes would. This is the core logic—and if you remember it, you’ll avoid a lot of confusion.
Example:
“I work every day” → He said he worked every day.
It was present, now it’s past.
Or:
“She is reading” → They said she was reading.
Same principle.
If you’re reporting something that was in the present, but you’re now in the past—you need to align the tense with the timeline. This applies to perfect tenses too:
“I have seen it” → He said he had seen it.
And “I had done it” stays the same—because you can’t go further back than Past Perfect.
As for the future, will becomes would:
“I will go” → She said she would go.
Pronouns and time expressions also change:
today → that day,
tomorrow → the next day,
yesterday → the day before, etc.
It all makes sense: you can’t say “tomorrow” if it already happened.
But there are exceptions—for example, if the main clause is in the present tense:
He says he likes it — no shift needed here.
Or when you’re talking about something that’s still true:
“Water boils at 100 degrees” → He said water boils at 100 degrees.
The key is not to panic. Just think about when you are in time, and adjust the sentence so it sounds natural. At first, you’ll analyze each word—but then your brain will switch automatically.
The main rule is this: if the main verb is in the past tense (e.g., said, told, asked), then the tense in the subordinate clause shifts one step back. So Present Simple becomes Past Simple, Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous, and Future Simple becomes would. This is the core logic—and if you remember it, you’ll avoid a lot of confusion.
Example:
“I work every day” → He said he worked every day.
It was present, now it’s past.
Or:
“She is reading” → They said she was reading.
Same principle.
If you’re reporting something that was in the present, but you’re now in the past—you need to align the tense with the timeline. This applies to perfect tenses too:
“I have seen it” → He said he had seen it.
And “I had done it” stays the same—because you can’t go further back than Past Perfect.
As for the future, will becomes would:
“I will go” → She said she would go.
Pronouns and time expressions also change:
today → that day,
tomorrow → the next day,
yesterday → the day before, etc.
It all makes sense: you can’t say “tomorrow” if it already happened.
But there are exceptions—for example, if the main clause is in the present tense:
He says he likes it — no shift needed here.
Or when you’re talking about something that’s still true:
“Water boils at 100 degrees” → He said water boils at 100 degrees.
The key is not to panic. Just think about when you are in time, and adjust the sentence so it sounds natural. At first, you’ll analyze each word—but then your brain will switch automatically.
Even though the tense shift rule in indirect speech seems strict, there are times when it doesn’t apply.
First exception: when the main verb is in the present or future tense—for example, He says he likes coffee — no shift needed.
Second: when talking about facts, habits, or things that are still true:
“The Earth is round” → He said the Earth is round.
Nobody would say was round—the Earth hasn’t changed.
Third: when you want to preserve the original meaning or emphasize the current relevance.
Sometimes even in past tense, you can keep the present tense if it makes the message clearer.
So, not everything is as rigid as it seems in grammar tables. English is flexible—it values logic more than rote memorization.
First exception: when the main verb is in the present or future tense—for example, He says he likes coffee — no shift needed.
Second: when talking about facts, habits, or things that are still true:
“The Earth is round” → He said the Earth is round.
Nobody would say was round—the Earth hasn’t changed.
Third: when you want to preserve the original meaning or emphasize the current relevance.
Sometimes even in past tense, you can keep the present tense if it makes the message clearer.
So, not everything is as rigid as it seems in grammar tables. English is flexible—it values logic more than rote memorization.
Modal verbs in reported speech behave a bit differently than regular tenses, but the principle remains the same — you’re retelling what someone said, and often the verb form changes slightly. The most common modal verbs — can, may, must, will — usually shift one step back in reported speech. For example: can → could, may → might, must → had to, will → would. This shift emphasizes that you’re referring to something that was said in the past.
Here are some examples:
“I can help you” → He said he could help me.
“She may come later” → He said she might come later.
“I must study” → She said she had to study.
“I will call you” → He said he would call me.
However, not all modal verbs necessarily change. Some stay the same — especially if what was said is still relevant or if the modal verb doesn’t really have a past form. For example, should, would, might, and could typically remain unchanged because they already sound like past forms.
Example:
“You should rest” → He said I should rest.
Nothing changes. The same applies to could and might.
The key here is not to memorize every case but to understand the logic: if the original sentence expresses obligation, possibility, or a future action and you’re retelling it — ask yourself if shifting the modal makes sense in context. If yes — shift it. If not — leave it as is.
This is especially important with must. It often becomes had to when talking about necessity, but it can stay as must when referring to rules or prohibitions.
Example:
“You must wear a uniform at school” → The teacher said we must wear a uniform — because the rule still applies.
Overall, modal verbs aren’t as tricky as they seem. There aren’t that many of them, and you’ll quickly learn which ones change and which ones don’t. With time, this will feel natural, and you’ll start shifting them correctly without even thinking about it.
Here are some examples:
“I can help you” → He said he could help me.
“She may come later” → He said she might come later.
“I must study” → She said she had to study.
“I will call you” → He said he would call me.
However, not all modal verbs necessarily change. Some stay the same — especially if what was said is still relevant or if the modal verb doesn’t really have a past form. For example, should, would, might, and could typically remain unchanged because they already sound like past forms.
Example:
“You should rest” → He said I should rest.
Nothing changes. The same applies to could and might.
The key here is not to memorize every case but to understand the logic: if the original sentence expresses obligation, possibility, or a future action and you’re retelling it — ask yourself if shifting the modal makes sense in context. If yes — shift it. If not — leave it as is.
This is especially important with must. It often becomes had to when talking about necessity, but it can stay as must when referring to rules or prohibitions.
Example:
“You must wear a uniform at school” → The teacher said we must wear a uniform — because the rule still applies.
Overall, modal verbs aren’t as tricky as they seem. There aren’t that many of them, and you’ll quickly learn which ones change and which ones don’t. With time, this will feel natural, and you’ll start shifting them correctly without even thinking about it.
In reported speech, modal verbs are most often shifted back, especially when the main verb is in the past tense. The most common changes are:
“I can do it” → He said he could do it.
“She may come” → He said she might come.
“I must go” → She said she had to go.
“I will help” → He said he would help.
However, some modal verbs don’t change at all — like could, should, would, might. These already function as past or polite forms, so English doesn’t require them to shift again.
Example:
“You should try” → He said I should try.
Also, must sometimes stays the same if it refers to something still relevant — like laws or rules.
For example:
“You must stop at red lights” → He said you must stop at red lights.
The most important thing is understanding context. If it’s something personal or specific — it’s better to shift the modal. If it’s something general or still true — it can stay the same.
- can → could
- may → might
- must → had to
- will → would
“I can do it” → He said he could do it.
“She may come” → He said she might come.
“I must go” → She said she had to go.
“I will help” → He said he would help.
However, some modal verbs don’t change at all — like could, should, would, might. These already function as past or polite forms, so English doesn’t require them to shift again.
Example:
“You should try” → He said I should try.
Also, must sometimes stays the same if it refers to something still relevant — like laws or rules.
For example:
“You must stop at red lights” → He said you must stop at red lights.
The most important thing is understanding context. If it’s something personal or specific — it’s better to shift the modal. If it’s something general or still true — it can stay the same.
Not all modal verbs change in reported speech. Some remain exactly the same because they don’t have a clear past form or already sound appropriately polite and distant. These include:
“I could help” → He said he could help.
“She would stay” → He said she would stay.
“You should rest” → The doctor said I should rest.
These forms already sound soft and indirect enough, so English doesn’t require further changes.
Sometimes must also remains unchanged — especially when referring to rules, laws, or moral obligations that are still in effect.
Example:
“Students must wear uniforms” → The teacher said students must wear uniforms.
The key is to understand the meaning. If you’re talking about something that is still valid now, it’s fine to keep the modal as it is.
- could
- would
- should
- might
- ought to
“I could help” → He said he could help.
“She would stay” → He said she would stay.
“You should rest” → The doctor said I should rest.
These forms already sound soft and indirect enough, so English doesn’t require further changes.
Sometimes must also remains unchanged — especially when referring to rules, laws, or moral obligations that are still in effect.
Example:
“Students must wear uniforms” → The teacher said students must wear uniforms.
The key is to understand the meaning. If you’re talking about something that is still valid now, it’s fine to keep the modal as it is.
Modal Verbs in Reported Speech
Modal Verbs That Stay Unchanged
How Modal Verbs Change
Indirect speech is not only about retelling ordinary statements. In practice, you will have to retell many different types of sentences: someone said something, someone asked, someone asked or even ordered. And to do it correctly, it is important to understand how to build indirect speech in different situations. In total, there are three main types: narrative sentences, interrogative and inductive. Let's start with the simplest one - a statement. Everything is easy here: you just change the word order, shift the tense and remove the quotation marks. Example: "I like coffee" → She said she liked coffee. "We are leaving" → They said they were leaving. You just restate what someone said and that's it. The second type is questions. And this is where a lot of people get confused, because in English direct questions often start with a verb or a question word, and in indirect speech you have to rearrange the whole thing. The main rule is that questions in indirect speech do not remain questions. That is, you don't use direct word order, you don't put a question mark, and you don't change the intonation. Everything becomes a normal statement. If there is a question word in a question (what, where, why, when, how), it is retained: "Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived. "What are you doing?" → She asked what I was doing. If the question is general (i.e. yes/no), you add if or whether: "Do you like music?" → He asked if I liked music. → He asked if I liked music. "Did she call you?" → They asked whether she had called me. There's nothing super complicated here - just remember that in an indirect question, you're rearranging the phrase like a normal sentence, without the interrogative word order. The third type is inductive sentences, i.e. requests, orders, advice, etc. In such cases, the infinitive is used in indirect speech. If someone says: "Open the window," in indirect speech you would say: He told me to open the window. Or: "Please help me" → She asked me to help her. Here you most often use verbs like told, asked, advised, warned and after them - to + verb. If the order is negative, you use not to: "Don't be late" → He told me not to be late. All in all, it's pretty logical - you're just adapting the structure to how the paraphrase actually sounds in conversation. Nobody says in life: he said "don't be late" - we say: he asked me not to be late. Here, English does the same thing. And one more important point: when conveying any type of sentence, you will almost always change pronouns and tenses if the main part is past tense. That is, everything works in conjunction: you not only determine the type, but also automatically apply the other rules of reported speech. If you remember that affirmatives are just paraphrases, questions - with an if or a question word, and requests - with an infinitive, everything becomes much easier. And don't be afraid to make mistakes - with practice it will sound as natural to you as it does in Russian, just in English.
Affirmative sentences in indirect speech are the easiest and most understandable type. You simply restate what someone said, while removing quotation marks, changing the tense (if necessary) and substituting pronouns to fit the context. For example: "I like tea" → He said he liked tea. "We are ready" → They said they were ready. No complicated constructions - just a neat paraphrase of other people's words.
The imperative sentences in indirect speech turn into a construction with an infinitive - to + verb. Instead of a direct command, you restate it as a request, instruction or advice. For example: "Close the door" → He told me to close the door. If it is a polite request, the verb asked is often used: "Please wait" → She asked me to wait. And if it is an order with "not", not is added before the infinitive: "Don't touch it" → He told me not to touch it. In such constructions it is important to choose the right verb: told, asked, advised, warned - depending on the meaning.
Questioning sentences in indirect speech are no longer questions in form - you just retell them as normal statements. If the question contains the word what, where, when, why, how - it is retained: "Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived. And if the question is general, you add if or whether: "Do you like it?" → She asked if I liked it. The main thing is not to use reverse word order and not to put a question mark. An indirect question is always a structural statement that simply conveys the essence of the question.
Types of sentences in indirect speech
Imperative sentences in indirect speech
Interrogative
Affirmative
When you translate a sentence from direct speech into indirect speech, one of the first things that changes is the pronouns. And that makes perfect sense, because you're no longer quoting the person verbatim, but retelling what they said on your own behalf. So you have to adjust the pronouns to the context: who is speaking, who is speaking, and who is speaking about whom. This rule always works, whether it's a statement, a question, or an order. For example: "I am tired," she said → She said she was tired. Here the "I" in direct speech means "she" because she is talking about herself. But you're retelling, so now it's "she". Or: "You are late," the teacher said → The teacher said I was late. In the original, "you" was addressed to you, but now you retell and substitute "I". Another example: "We will go," they said → They said they would go. Here "we" remains "they" because in both direct and indirect speech it's the same group of people. The main thing is to keep track of who the participants in the conversation are. Let's say someone says to you, "I love your idea." If you pass it on to someone else, you would say: He said he loved my idea - because "your" now becomes "my", because the idea belongs to you, and you are retelling it from yourself. But if you are retelling it to a third person, the phrase would be: He said he loved her idea - if the idea belonged, for example, to the girl he was talking to. The pronouns can change person (I, you, we → he, she, they), number (we → they), and possessive form (my, your → his, her, their, etc.). Here are some more examples: "I'll help you" → He said he would help me. "You need to clean your room," Mom said → Mom said I needed to clean my room. "They told us, 'We support you'" → They said they supported us. So you're not just translating words, you're reassembling the whole sentence so that it sounds logical in the new context. And this is very important in indirect speech, because if you forget to change a pronoun, the sentence will sound confusing or off topic. So always ask yourself three questions: Who was speaking? Who was speaking? Who were you talking about? Once you've answered them, you'll easily substitute the right pronoun. Over time, this will happen automatically - you won't even notice that you're changing "I" to "he" or "you" to "me" correctly. It's just a matter of practice and attention to detail. And remember: in indirect speech, you are the narrator, and everything that sounds should make sense from your point of view.
How pronouns can change when translating into indirect speech
El verbo to pay en inglés: 3 formas
El verbo 'to pay' es una de las palabras clave del inglés que desempeña un papel importante en la comunicación cotidiana.
Cómo utilizar los articuli en alemán: cómo usarlos correctamente
Los artículos en alemán pueden parecer complicados a quienes empiezan a aprender el idioma.
This website uses cookies to give you the best possible experience.
OK
