Learning objectives
- Apply the backshift rule to change verb tenses correctly when reporting speech
- Change pronouns appropriately to match the reporting perspective
- Change time and place expressions correctly (today, tomorrow, here, this, etc.)
- Transform direct questions into correctly ordered reported questions
- Use 'if'/'whether' correctly for reported yes/no questions
- Transform commands and instructions into reported speech using 'tell'/'ask' + to-infinitive
- Avoid the most common backshift, word order, and pronoun errors
Grammar & vocabulary
The backshift rule
When reporting what someone said in the past (with a reporting verb like 'said' or 'told'), the tense in the direct speech usually shifts one step back into the past — this is called backshift. Present simple → past simple: "I am tired" → She said she was tired. Present continuous → past continuous: "I am studying" → He said he was studying. Past simple → past perfect: "I went to the market" → She said she had gone to the market. Present perfect → past perfect: "I have finished" → He said he had finished. 'will' → 'would': "I will help you" → She said she would help me. 'can' → 'could': "I can swim" → He said he could swim. 'must' → 'had to' (for obligation) or stays 'must' (for deduction, less commonly tested): "I must leave" → She said she had to leave.
Changes to pronouns, time, and place
Pronouns must change to match the new speaker's perspective: "I am tired," said Sara → Sara said she was tired. Time and place expressions usually shift to match the new point of reference: today → that day, tomorrow → the next day/the following day, yesterday → the day before, here → there, this → that, now → then. "I'll see you tomorrow" said today, reported the next day → He said he would see me that day (adjusted to when it is being reported).
Reported questions
Reported questions use statement word order (subject before verb), not question word order, and never end with a question mark. For yes/no questions, add 'if' or 'whether': "Are you coming?" → He asked if I was coming. (not "He asked was I coming") For wh-questions, keep the question word but use statement order: "Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived. "What time is it?" → She asked what time it was.
Reported commands
Commands and instructions are reported using 'tell' or 'ask' + object + 'to' + the base form of the verb, not a full clause with 'that'. "Close the door." → She told him to close the door. Negative commands add 'not' before 'to': "Don't be late." → She told him not to be late.
Common mistakes
Forgetting to backshift the verb tense — 'She said she is tired' is incorrect when reporting a past statement; the correct backshifted form is 'She said she was tired.'
Keeping question word order in reported questions — 'He asked was I coming' is incorrect; reported questions use statement word order: 'He asked if I was coming.'
Adding a question mark to a reported question — reported questions are not direct questions and should not end with a question mark: 'She asked where I lived.' not 'She asked where I lived?'
Forgetting 'if' or 'whether' when reporting a yes/no question — 'She asked I was ready' is incorrect and incomplete; the correct form is 'She asked if I was ready' or 'She asked whether I was ready.'
Forgetting to change time and place expressions — reporting 'I'll see you tomorrow' the next day as 'He said he would see me tomorrow' is usually wrong if reported later; it should become 'He said he would see me the next day/the following day,' matching the new point in time.
Using 'to' + infinitive incorrectly for statements, or forgetting it for commands — reported commands need 'tell/ask someone' + 'to' + base verb ('She told him to close the door'), while ordinary reported statements use 'that' + clause, not 'to' + infinitive.
Worked example — Retelling a conversation
Passage
"Yesterday, Yassine called me. He said he was studying for his exam, and he asked if I could help him with the math chapter. I asked him what time worked for him, and he said he would be free the next day. He also told me not to forget my notes, and he promised he had already finished the first exercise."
Explanation
"he was studying" backshifts the original "I am studying" (present continuous → past continuous). "asked if I could help" reports a yes/no question ("Can you help me?") using 'if' and statement word order, plus backshift of 'can' to 'could'. "I asked him what time worked for him" reports a wh-question in statement order, no question mark. "he would be free the next day" backshifts 'will' to 'would' and changes 'tomorrow' to 'the next day', matching the new time reference. "told me not to forget" reports a negative command using 'tell' + object + 'not to' + base verb. "he had already finished" backshifts the present perfect ("I have finished") to the past perfect.
3 practice exercises
Exercise 1
EasyTransform each direct statement into reported speech, applying the correct backshift. 1) He said, 'I am tired.' 2) She said, 'I went to the market yesterday.' 3) They said, 'We will help you.' 4) He said, 'I can swim.'
Show answer
1) He said (that) he was tired. 2) She said (that) she had gone to the market the day before. 3) They said (that) they would help me/us. 4) He said (that) he could swim.
Exercise 2
MediumTransform each direct question into a correctly ordered reported question. 1) She asked, 'Are you coming to the party?' 2) He asked, 'Where do you live?' 3) The teacher asked, 'What time is it?' 4) She asked, 'Did you finish your homework?'
Show answer
1) She asked if/whether I was coming to the party. 2) He asked where I lived. 3) The teacher asked what time it was. 4) She asked if/whether I had finished my homework.
Exercise 3
HardTransform each command into reported speech, and each statement, correcting pronouns and time expressions as needed. 1) The teacher said, 'Close the door.' 2) The teacher said, 'Don't talk during the exam.' 3) My friend said, 'I will finish this project tomorrow.'
Show answer
1) The teacher told us/them to close the door. 2) The teacher told us/them not to talk during the exam. 3) My friend said (that) she would finish the project the next day/the following day (backshifting 'will' to 'would' and changing 'tomorrow' to 'the next day').
3 exercices, c'est un début.
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FAQ
What is the 'backshift' rule in reported speech?
The backshift rule means that when reporting what someone said in the past, the verb tense usually moves one step back into the past: present simple becomes past simple ('I am tired' → She said she was tired), present continuous becomes past continuous, past simple becomes past perfect, present perfect becomes past perfect, 'will' becomes 'would', and 'can' becomes 'could'.
How do you report a yes/no question in English?
A reported yes/no question uses 'if' or 'whether', normal statement word order (not question word order), and no question mark: 'Are you coming?' becomes 'He asked if I was coming', not 'He asked was I coming'. The subject comes before the verb, just like in a statement.
How do you report a command or instruction?
Reported commands use 'tell' or 'ask' + object + 'to' + the base form of the verb: 'Close the door.' becomes 'She told him to close the door.' For negative commands, 'not to' is added before the verb: 'Don't be late.' becomes 'She told him not to be late.'