Reported SpeechB1

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Reported speech tells what someone said without quoting it, with say, tell and ask. After a past verb the tense moves one step back and questions take statement order: She asked where I lived.

No information at the current level. This view starts at B1: choose B1 or a higher level.

CheatsheetB1

Point	Rule	Example
say	say + (that) + clause; no person, or to + person	She said (that) she was tired.
tell	tell + person + (that) + clause	She told me (that) she was tired.
present simple / present continuous	→ past simple / past continuous	He said he worked there. / She said she was waiting.
past simple / present perfect	→ past perfect	He said he had left. / She said she had finished.
will / can / must	→ would / could / had to	He said he would call. / She said she could swim.
No change	would, could, should, might; a fact still true; after says (present)	She said she lives in Paris. / She says she is tired.
Pronouns and time	pronouns follow the speaker; today → that day, tomorrow → the next day	Anna said she was tired.
Questions	yes/no questions take if or whether; wh-questions keep the wh-word	She asked if I liked tea.
Commands	told / asked + person + (not) to + V	He told us not to be late.
Trap	a reported question has statement order, with no do / does / did	She asked me where I lived.

Form: say and tellB1

Verb	Pattern	Example
say	say + (that) + clause	She said (that) she was tired.
tell	tell + person + (that) + clause	She told me (that) she was tired.
say	say + to + person	She said to me that she was tired.

tell always has a person after it. say has no person, or to + person.

Form: backshiftB1

After a past reporting verb (said, told, asked), the tense usually moves one step back.

Direct speech	Reported speech	Example
present simple	past simple	“I work here.” → He said he worked there.
present continuous	past continuous	“I'm waiting.” → She said she was waiting.
past simple	past perfect	“I left.” → He said he had left.
present perfect	past perfect	“I've finished.” → She said she had finished.
will	would	“I'll call.” → He said he would call.
must	had to	“I must go.” → She said she had to go.
can	could	“I can swim.” → She said she could swim.

would, could, should and might stay the same.
The tense can stay when the fact is still true: She said she lives in Paris.
After says (present) the tense stays: She says she is tired.

Form: pronouns and time wordsB1

Direct	Reported
I / my	he / she / his / her
we / our	they / their
this / these	that / those
here	there
now	then
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
yesterday	the day before / the previous day
last week	the week before
next week	the week after / the following week
ago	before

Pronouns follow the speaker: “I'm tired,” said Anna → Anna said she was tired.
Time words stay the same when the report is made on the same day.

Form: reported questionsB1

Question	Direct	Reported
Yes / no	“Do you like tea?”	She asked if I liked tea.
Wh-	“Where do you live?”	She asked where I lived.
Wh-	“What is your name?”	She asked what my name was.

A reported question has statement order: subject + verb, with no do / does / did.
Yes / no questions take if or whether. The sentence ends with a full stop.
Tenses and pronouns change as in statements.

Form: reported commandsB1

Type	Pattern	Example
Command	told + person + to + V	“Sit down.” → He told me to sit down.
Request	asked + person + to + V	“Please help.” → She asked me to help.
Negative	told + person + not to + V	“Don't be late.” → He told us not to be late.

Typical errorsB1

✗	✓	Rule
She said me that she was tired.	She told me that she was tired. / She said that she was tired.	say has no person; tell needs one
He told that he was late.	He said that he was late.	tell needs a person
She asked me where did I live.	She asked me where I lived.	reported questions use statement order
He asked me do I like tea.	He asked me if I liked tea.	yes / no questions → if / whether
He said me to sit down.	He told me to sit down.	told + person + to + V
He said he will come.	He said he would come.	will → would after a past verb