{"id":8469,"date":"2026-08-18T15:51:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T15:51:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishtestcenter.com\/?p=8469"},"modified":"2026-08-18T16:48:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T16:48:23","slug":"reported-speech-statements-questions-commands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishtestcenter.com\/index.php\/reported-speech-statements-questions-commands\/","title":{"rendered":"Reported Speech: Statements, Questions &#038; Commands"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"grammar-guide\"><strong>Reported Speech<\/strong>, also called <strong>Indirect Speech<\/strong>,<br \/>\nis used when we tell another person what someone said without repeating<br \/>\ntheir exact words.Reported Speech is an important part of English grammar because it is used<br \/>\nfrequently in conversations, news reports, academic writing, storytelling,<br \/>\nand exams.<\/p>\n<p>In this lesson, you will learn how to report<br \/>\n<strong>statements, questions, commands, and requests<\/strong>.<br \/>\nYou will also learn tense changes, pronoun changes, time expression changes,<br \/>\nreporting verbs, common mistakes, and useful examples.<br \/>\nAt the end, you can practice with exercises and a short grammar quiz.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is Reported Speech?<\/h2>\n<p>There are two main ways to report what someone says:<br \/>\n<strong>Direct Speech<\/strong> and <strong>Reported Speech<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Direct Speech<\/h3>\n<p>Direct Speech gives the speaker&#8217;s exact words.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah said, <strong>&#8220;I am tired.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Reported Speech<\/h3>\n<p>Reported Speech communicates the same information without using<br \/>\nthe speaker&#8217;s exact words.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah said <strong>that she was tired.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Compare:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Direct: Tom said, &#8220;I like coffee.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Reported: Tom said that he liked coffee.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Reported Speech Basic Structure<\/h2>\n<p>A common structure is:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subject + reporting verb + that + reported clause<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She said that she was busy.<\/p>\n<p>The word <strong>that<\/strong> is often optional in everyday English.<\/p>\n<p>She said <strong>that<\/strong> she was busy.<\/p>\n<p>She said she was busy.<\/p>\n<p>Both sentences are correct.<\/p>\n<h2>Say vs Tell<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Say<\/strong> and <strong>tell<\/strong> are two of the most common<br \/>\nreporting verbs, but they are used differently.<\/p>\n<h3>Say<\/h3>\n<p>We normally use:<\/p>\n<p><strong>say + something<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>She said that she was tired.<\/li>\n<li>Tom said he was busy.<\/li>\n<li>They said they would come later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If we mention the listener after <strong>say<\/strong>,<br \/>\nwe normally use <strong>to<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>She said <strong>to me<\/strong> that she was tired.<\/p>\n<h3>Tell<\/h3>\n<p>We normally use:<\/p>\n<p><strong>tell + person + something<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>She told me that she was tired.<\/li>\n<li>Tom told us that he was busy.<\/li>\n<li>They told Sarah that they would come later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#x274c; She told that she was tired.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; She told me that she was tired.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; She said that she was tired.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported Statements<\/h2>\n<p>When reporting statements, we normally use<br \/>\n<strong>said<\/strong> or <strong>told<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John said, &#8220;I am hungry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John said that he was hungry.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Another example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sarah said, &#8220;I work in London.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sarah said that she worked in London.<\/p>\n<h2>Tense Changes in Reported Speech<\/h2>\n<p>When the reporting verb is in the past,<br \/>\nthe tense in the original sentence often moves one step back.<br \/>\nThis process is sometimes called <strong>backshifting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Present Simple \u2192 Past Simple<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I live in London.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> She said that she lived in London.<\/p>\n<h3>Present Continuous \u2192 Past Continuous<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I am studying.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> He said that he was studying.<\/p>\n<h3>Present Perfect \u2192 Past Perfect<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I have finished my homework.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> She said that she had finished her homework.<\/p>\n<h3>Past Simple \u2192 Past Perfect<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I saw Sarah yesterday.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> He said that he had seen Sarah the day before.<\/p>\n<h3>Will \u2192 Would<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I will call you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> She said that she would call me.<\/p>\n<h3>Can \u2192 Could<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I can swim.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> He said that he could swim.<\/p>\n<h3>May \u2192 Might<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I may come later.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> She said that she might come later.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported Speech Tense Change Table<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Direct Speech<\/th>\n<th>Reported Speech<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Present Simple<\/td>\n<td>Past Simple<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Present Continuous<\/td>\n<td>Past Continuous<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Present Perfect<\/td>\n<td>Past Perfect<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Past Simple<\/td>\n<td>Past Perfect<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>will<\/td>\n<td>would<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>can<\/td>\n<td>could<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>may<\/td>\n<td>might<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>When Do Tenses Not Need to Change?<\/h2>\n<p>Backshifting is not always necessary.<br \/>\nIf the information is still true, the original tense can sometimes remain unchanged.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The teacher said, &#8220;The Earth goes around the Sun.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The teacher said that the Earth goes around the Sun.<\/p>\n<p>Because the statement is still true, the Present Simple is natural.<\/p>\n<h2>Pronoun Changes in Reported Speech<\/h2>\n<p>Pronouns often change depending on who is speaking and who is being discussed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sarah said, &#8220;I love my job.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sarah said that <strong>she<\/strong> loved <strong>her<\/strong> job.<\/p>\n<p>Another example:<\/p>\n<p>Tom said to me, &#8220;I will help you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tom told me that <strong>he<\/strong> would help <strong>me<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Time Expression Changes<\/h2>\n<p>Words referring to time often change when we report a sentence later.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Direct Speech<\/th>\n<th>Reported Speech<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>today<\/td>\n<td>that day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>tonight<\/td>\n<td>that night<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>yesterday<\/td>\n<td>the day before<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>tomorrow<\/td>\n<td>the next day \/ the following day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>last week<\/td>\n<td>the week before<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>next week<\/td>\n<td>the following week<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ago<\/td>\n<td>before<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>now<\/td>\n<td>then<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>this<\/td>\n<td>that<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>these<\/td>\n<td>those<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>here<\/td>\n<td>there<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Reported Speech with Yesterday<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She said, &#8220;I saw Tom yesterday.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She said that she had seen Tom <strong>the day before<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported Speech with Tomorrow<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>He said, &#8220;I will finish the work tomorrow.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>He said that he would finish the work<br \/>\n<strong>the following day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported Yes\/No Questions<\/h2>\n<p>When reporting a yes\/no question, we normally use<br \/>\n<strong>if<\/strong> or <strong>whether<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Structure:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>asked + if \/ whether + subject + verb<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She asked, &#8220;Do you like coffee?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She asked if I liked coffee.<\/p>\n<p>Another example:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;Are you busy?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> He asked whether I was busy.<\/p>\n<h2>Word Order in Reported Questions<\/h2>\n<p>Reported questions use normal statement word order.<br \/>\nWe do not use question word order after the reporting verb.<\/p>\n<p>&#x274c; She asked where did I live.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; She asked where I lived.<\/p>\n<p>&#x274c; He asked if was I tired.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; He asked if I was tired.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported WH- Questions<\/h2>\n<p>For questions beginning with words such as<br \/>\n<strong>what, where, when, why, who, or how<\/strong>,<br \/>\nwe keep the question word.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Where do you live?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She asked me where I lived.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;What are you doing?&#8221; \u2192 He asked me what I was doing.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Where is Sarah?&#8221; \u2192 She asked where Sarah was.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Why did you leave?&#8221; \u2192 He asked why I had left.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;When will you arrive?&#8221; \u2192 She asked when I would arrive.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;How did you solve it?&#8221; \u2192 He asked how I had solved it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Do, Does, and Did in Reported Questions<\/h2>\n<p>The auxiliary verbs <strong>do, does, and did<\/strong><br \/>\nusually disappear when a direct question becomes a reported question.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Where do you work?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She asked me where I worked.<\/p>\n<p>Not:<\/p>\n<p>&#x274c; She asked me where did I work.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported Commands<\/h2>\n<p>Commands are normally reported using:<\/p>\n<p><strong>tell + person + to + base verb<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The teacher said, &#8220;Open your books.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The teacher told the students to open their books.<\/p>\n<p>More examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Sit down.&#8221; \u2192 She told me to sit down.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Wait here.&#8221; \u2192 He told us to wait there.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Call me later.&#8221; \u2192 She told him to call her later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Reported Negative Commands<\/h2>\n<p>For negative commands, use:<\/p>\n<p><strong>tell + person + not to + base verb<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t touch that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She told me not to touch that.<\/p>\n<p>More examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Don&#8217;t be late.&#8221; \u2192 He told me not to be late.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Don&#8217;t open the door.&#8221; \u2192 She told us not to open the door.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Don&#8217;t use your phone.&#8221; \u2192 The teacher told us not to use our phones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Reported Requests<\/h2>\n<p>Requests are commonly reported with<br \/>\n<strong>ask + person + to + base verb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Please help me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She asked me to help her.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Please don&#8217;t make any noise.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>He asked us not to make any noise.<\/p>\n<h2>Tell vs Ask in Commands and Requests<\/h2>\n<p>Use <strong>tell<\/strong> for instructions or commands.<\/p>\n<p>The manager told us to finish the work.<\/p>\n<p>Use <strong>ask<\/strong> for requests.<\/p>\n<p>She asked me to help her.<\/p>\n<h2>Common Reporting Verbs<\/h2>\n<p>English has many reporting verbs that allow us to describe<br \/>\nthe speaker&#8217;s intention more accurately.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>say<\/li>\n<li>tell<\/li>\n<li>ask<\/li>\n<li>advise<\/li>\n<li>warn<\/li>\n<li>suggest<\/li>\n<li>promise<\/li>\n<li>offer<\/li>\n<li>admit<\/li>\n<li>deny<\/li>\n<li>explain<\/li>\n<li>recommend<\/li>\n<li>remind<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Advise<\/h2>\n<p><strong>advise + person + to + verb<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The doctor said, &#8220;You should rest.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The doctor advised me to rest.<\/p>\n<h2>Warn<\/h2>\n<p><strong>warn + person + not to + verb<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t touch the wire.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He warned us not to touch the wire.<\/p>\n<h2>Promise<\/h2>\n<p><strong>promise + to + verb<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I will help you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She promised to help me.<\/p>\n<h2>Offer<\/h2>\n<p><strong>offer + to + verb<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll carry your bag.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He offered to carry my bag.<\/p>\n<h2>Suggest<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Suggest<\/strong> has different structures.<\/p>\n<p><strong>suggest + verb-ing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s go by train.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She suggested going by train.<\/p>\n<p>We can also use:<\/p>\n<p><strong>suggest that + subject + verb<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She suggested that we go by train.<\/p>\n<p>Avoid:<\/p>\n<p>&#x274c; She suggested me to go by train.<\/p>\n<h2>Admit<\/h2>\n<p><strong>admit + verb-ing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I broke the window.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He admitted breaking the window.<\/p>\n<h2>Deny<\/h2>\n<p><strong>deny + verb-ing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t take the money.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She denied taking the money.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported Speech with Modal Verbs<\/h2>\n<p>Some modal verbs change when reported.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>will \u2192 would<\/li>\n<li>can \u2192 could<\/li>\n<li>may \u2192 might<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Other modal verbs often remain unchanged.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>could \u2192 could<\/li>\n<li>would \u2192 would<\/li>\n<li>should \u2192 should<\/li>\n<li>might \u2192 might<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Example<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I can help you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> She said that she could help me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;You should study more.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> He said that I should study more.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported Speech with Must<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Must<\/strong> may remain <strong>must<\/strong><br \/>\nor change to <strong>had to<\/strong> depending on meaning and context.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I must finish the report today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She said that she had to finish the report that day.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported Speech: Direct vs Indirect Examples<\/h2>\n<h3>Example 1<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I am tired,&#8221; Sarah said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> Sarah said that she was tired.<\/p>\n<h3>Example 2<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;I have finished my homework,&#8221; Tom said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> Tom said that he had finished his homework.<\/p>\n<h3>Example 3<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;Will you come tomorrow?&#8221; she asked.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> She asked if I would come the following day.<\/p>\n<h3>Example 4<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;Where do you live?&#8221; he asked.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> He asked me where I lived.<\/p>\n<h3>Example 5<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;Close the window,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> She told me to close the window.<\/p>\n<h3>Example 6<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> &#8220;Don&#8217;t be late,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reported:<\/strong> He told me not to be late.<\/p>\n<h2>Common Reported Speech Mistakes<\/h2>\n<h3>Mistake 1: Confusing Say and Tell<\/h3>\n<p>&#x274c; She told that she was tired.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; She said that she was tired.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; She told me that she was tired.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 2: Keeping Question Word Order<\/h3>\n<p>&#x274c; He asked where did I live.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; He asked where I lived.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 3: Using \u201cDo\u201d in Reported Questions<\/h3>\n<p>&#x274c; She asked where do I work.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; She asked where I worked.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 4: Forgetting \u201cTo\u201d in Reported Commands<\/h3>\n<p>&#x274c; The teacher told us open the book.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; The teacher told us to open the book.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 5: Incorrect Negative Command<\/h3>\n<p>&#x274c; She told me to not touch it.<\/p>\n<p>The more standard structure is:<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; She told me not to touch it.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 6: Forgetting Pronoun Changes<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> Sarah said, &#8220;I love my job.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#x274c; Sarah said that I loved my job.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; Sarah said that she loved her job.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 7: Forgetting Time Expression Changes<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Direct:<\/strong> He said, &#8220;I will call you tomorrow.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; He said that he would call me the following day.<\/p>\n<h2>Reported Speech Quick Comparison<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Statement:<\/strong> said \/ told + clause<\/li>\n<li><strong>Yes\/No Question:<\/strong> asked + if \/ whether<\/li>\n<li><strong>WH- Question:<\/strong> asked + question word + statement word order<\/li>\n<li><strong>Command:<\/strong> told + person + to + verb<\/li>\n<li><strong>Negative Command:<\/strong> told + person + not to + verb<\/li>\n<li><strong>Request:<\/strong> asked + person + to + verb<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Reported Speech Worksheet<\/h2>\n<p>Change the following sentences into Reported Speech.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Sarah said, &#8220;I am tired.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Tom said, &#8220;I have finished the report.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Emma said, &#8220;I will call you tomorrow.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>He asked me, &#8220;Do you like coffee?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>She asked, &#8220;Where do you live?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>The teacher said, &#8220;Open your books.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>My mother said, &#8220;Don&#8217;t stay up late.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>John said, &#8220;I saw Peter yesterday.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>She asked me, &#8220;Can you help me?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>The doctor said, &#8220;You should drink more water.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show Worksheet Answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<ol>\n<li>Sarah said that she was tired.<\/li>\n<li>Tom said that he had finished the report.<\/li>\n<li>Emma said that she would call me the following day.<\/li>\n<li>He asked me if I liked coffee.<\/li>\n<li>She asked where I lived.<\/li>\n<li>The teacher told us to open our books.<\/li>\n<li>My mother told me not to stay up late.<\/li>\n<li>John said that he had seen Peter the day before.<\/li>\n<li>She asked me if I could help her.<\/li>\n<li>The doctor said that I should drink more water.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n<h2>Reported Speech Mini Quiz<\/h2>\n<h3>1. &#8220;I am tired.&#8221; \u2192 She said that she _____ tired.<\/h3>\n<p>A) is<br \/>\nB) was<br \/>\nC) has<\/p>\n<h3>2. &#8220;I will call you.&#8221; \u2192 He said that he _____ call me.<\/h3>\n<p>A) would<br \/>\nB) will<br \/>\nC) can<\/p>\n<h3>3. &#8220;Do you like coffee?&#8221; \u2192 She asked _____ I liked coffee.<\/h3>\n<p>A) that<br \/>\nB) if<br \/>\nC) what<\/p>\n<h3>4. &#8220;Where do you live?&#8221; \u2192 He asked me where I _____.<\/h3>\n<p>A) did live<br \/>\nB) lived<br \/>\nC) do live<\/p>\n<h3>5. &#8220;Close the door.&#8221; \u2192 She told me _____ the door.<\/h3>\n<p>A) close<br \/>\nB) to close<br \/>\nC) closing<\/p>\n<h3>6. &#8220;Don&#8217;t touch it.&#8221; \u2192 He told me _____ it.<\/h3>\n<p>A) don&#8217;t touch<br \/>\nB) not touch<br \/>\nC) not to touch<\/p>\n<h3>7. Which sentence is correct?<\/h3>\n<p>A) She told that she was busy.<br \/>\nB) She said me that she was busy.<br \/>\nC) She told me that she was busy.<\/p>\n<h3>8. Tomorrow often changes to:<\/h3>\n<p>A) yesterday<br \/>\nB) the following day<br \/>\nC) that morning<\/p>\n<h3>9. Yesterday often changes to:<\/h3>\n<p>A) the day before<br \/>\nB) tomorrow<br \/>\nC) next week<\/p>\n<h3>10. Which sentence has correct reported-question word order?<\/h3>\n<p>A) She asked where was I going.<br \/>\nB) She asked where I was going.<br \/>\nC) She asked where did I go.<\/p>\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show Quiz Answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>B) was<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>A) would<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>B) if<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>B) lived<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>B) to close<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>C) not to touch<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>C) She told me that she was busy.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>B) the following day<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>A) the day before<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>B) She asked where I was going.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n<h2>Reported Speech Summary<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Reported Speech<\/strong> allows us to report what another person<br \/>\nsaid without repeating their exact words.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Statements:<\/strong> She said that she was tired.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Yes\/No Questions:<\/strong> She asked if I was tired.<\/li>\n<li><strong>WH- Questions:<\/strong> She asked where I lived.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Commands:<\/strong> She told me to sit down.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Negative Commands:<\/strong> She told me not to leave.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Requests:<\/strong> She asked me to help her.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When the reporting verb is in the past, remember to check<br \/>\n<strong>verb tense, pronouns, time expressions, and word order<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What is Reported Speech?<\/h3>\n<p>Reported Speech is used to communicate what another person said<br \/>\nwithout quoting their exact words.<\/p>\n<h3>What is the difference between Direct and Reported Speech?<\/h3>\n<p>Direct Speech uses the speaker&#8217;s exact words.<br \/>\nReported Speech communicates the meaning of those words using<br \/>\na new grammatical structure.<\/p>\n<h3>What is the difference between say and tell?<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Say<\/strong> normally does not require a person immediately after it,<br \/>\nwhile <strong>tell<\/strong> normally does.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; She said that she was tired.<\/p>\n<p>&#x2705; She told me that she was tired.<\/p>\n<h3>Do all tenses change in Reported Speech?<\/h3>\n<p>Not always. Tense backshifting is common when the reporting verb is in the past,<br \/>\nbut a tense may remain unchanged when the information is still true<br \/>\nor when the context does not require a change.<\/p>\n<h3>How do we report questions?<\/h3>\n<p>Use normal statement word order.<br \/>\nFor yes\/no questions, use <strong>if<\/strong> or <strong>whether<\/strong>.<br \/>\nFor WH- questions, keep the original question word.<\/p>\n<h3>How do we report commands?<\/h3>\n<p>Use:<br \/>\n<strong>tell + person + to + base verb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>For negative commands, use:<br \/>\n<strong>tell + person + not to + base verb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>How do we report requests?<\/h3>\n<p>Requests commonly use:<br \/>\n<strong>ask + person + to + base verb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Continue Practicing English Grammar<\/h2>\n<p>Improve your Reported Speech skills with these related<br \/>\nEnglish Test Center grammar tests:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishtestcenter.com\/index.php\/b1-reported-speech-statements-grammar-test-2-15-questions-ielts-toefl-yds-practice\/\"><br \/>\nB1 Reported Speech Statements \u2013 Grammar Test<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishtestcenter.com\/index.php\/advanced-reported-speech-b2-grammar-test\/\"><br \/>\nAdvanced Reported Speech \u2013 B2 Grammar Test<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishtestcenter.com\/index.php\/b2-reported-speech-advanced-grammar-test-1-15-practice-questions-for-ielts-toefl-yds\/\"><br \/>\nB2 Reported Speech Advanced \u2013 Grammar Test 1<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishtestcenter.com\/index.php\/b2-reported-speech-advanced-grammar-test-2-15-practice-questions-for-ielts-toefl-yds\/\"><br \/>\nB2 Reported Speech Advanced \u2013 Grammar Test 2<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishtestcenter.com\/index.php\/b2-reported-speech-advanced-grammar-test-3-15-practice-questions-for-ielts-toefl-yds\/\"><br \/>\nB2 Reported Speech Advanced \u2013 Grammar Test 3<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishtestcenter.com\/index.php\/grammar-worksheets\/\"><br \/>\nBrowse All English Grammar Worksheets<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishtestcenter.com\/index.php\/grammar-exercises\/\"><br \/>\nEnglish Grammar Exercises<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep practicing with <strong>English Test Center<\/strong> to improve your grammar,<br \/>\nmaster Reported Speech, and build confidence in everyday,<br \/>\nacademic, IELTS, TOEFL, and YDS English.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reported Speech, also called Indirect Speech, is used when we tell another person what someone said without repeating their exact 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