Simple explanation
What is reported speech? We use direct speech when we repeat a person's exact words: Emma said, “I am tired.” We use reported speech when we communicate the meaning of those words without quoting them exactly: Emma said that she was tired. Quotation marks disappear, and some parts of the original statement may need to change. Why do verb tenses change? When the reporting verb is in the past, such as said or told, the verb in the original statement often moves one step back in time. This is called backshift. For example, present simple commonly changes to past simple. Backshift helps show that we are reporting something that was said earlier. The main tense changes at B1 The most useful B1 patterns are: present simple → past simple, present continuous → past continuous, present perfect → past perfect, past simple → past perfect, and will → would. Can also commonly changes to could. Learning these core patterns is more useful at B1 than trying to memorize every possible reported-speech transformation at once. Changing pronouns and possessives Pronouns must match the meaning of the new sentence. They do not change according to one fixed table. First identify who the original speaker was and who each pronoun referred to. For example, Tom said, “I love my job” becomes Tom said that he loved his job because I refers to Tom and my refers to Tom's job. Changing time and place expressions Words such as today, tomorrow, yesterday, now, and here depend on the speaker's time and location. If the statement is reported at a different time or place, these expressions may need to change. Common patterns include now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, and here → there. These changes are based on context, not automatic substitution. Said and told are not used in the same way Said can be followed directly by the reported statement: She said that she was busy. Told normally needs an object that identifies the listener: She told me that she was busy. Therefore, She said me and She told that are not standard structures. Does backshift always happen? No. If the reporting verb is in the present, the original tense normally stays the same: She says that she works from home. A tense may also remain unchanged when the information is still true, especially with general facts. At B1, however, it is important to master regular backshift after past reporting verbs before focusing on less common contextual exceptions.
Grammar formula
Statement with said
subject + said + (that) + reported clauseMia said that she was tired.
Statement with told
subject + told + object + (that) + reported clauseMia told me that she was tired.
Present simple backshift
present simple → past simpleHe said, “I need help.” → He said that he needed help.
Present continuous backshift
present continuous → past continuousAnna said, “I am studying.” → Anna said that she was studying.
Present perfect backshift
present perfect → past perfectSam said, “I have finished.” → Sam said that he had finished.
Past simple backshift
past simple → past perfectLeo said, “I lost my wallet.” → Leo said that he had lost his wallet.
Future statement
will → wouldBen said, “I will come.” → Ben said that he would come.
Core rules
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Step 1: Identify the speaker and reporting verb
Before changing anything, identify who originally spoke and whether the reporting verb is in the present or past. A past reporting verb such as said or told normally creates the context for backshift.
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Step 2: Remove quotation marks
Reported statements are no longer direct quotations, so quotation marks are removed. That can introduce the reported clause, although it is often optional.
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Step 3: Change the pronouns when necessary
Change personal pronouns and possessives according to their real references. For example, “I like my new job,” said Lucy becomes Lucy said that she liked her new job.
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Step 4: Apply backshift when appropriate
With a past reporting verb, present simple normally becomes past simple, present continuous becomes past continuous, present perfect becomes past perfect, past simple commonly becomes past perfect, and will becomes would.
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Step 5: Check time and place expressions
Change expressions such as today, tomorrow, yesterday, now, and here only when the new reporting situation requires a different perspective.
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Present simple usually becomes past simple
With a past reporting verb, present simple normally moves to past simple: “I need help.” → He said that he needed help.
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Present continuous usually becomes past continuous
Am/is/are + verb-ing normally changes to was/were + verb-ing: “We are waiting.” → They said that they were waiting.
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Present perfect usually becomes past perfect
Have/has + past participle normally changes to had + past participle: “I have finished.” → She said that she had finished.
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Past simple commonly becomes past perfect
In regular backshift, past simple commonly changes to past perfect: “I lost my keys.” → He said that he had lost his keys.
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Will usually becomes would
When reporting an earlier statement about the future, will normally changes to would: “I will call you.” → She said that she would call me.
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Can commonly becomes could
When backshift applies, can commonly changes to could: “I can help you.” → He said that he could help me.
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That is often optional
That can introduce a reported statement, but it is often omitted, especially in conversation. He said that he was tired and He said he was tired are both correct.
Useful examples
Emma said that she was tired.
Emma explained that she felt tired.
In the original statement, Emma could have said “I am tired.” I changes to she and am changes to was.
Daniel said that he worked in a bank.
Daniel stated that his job was at a bank.
Present simple work changes to past simple worked after the past reporting verb said.
My parents said that they were watching a movie.
My parents reported that they were in the middle of watching a movie.
Present continuous changes to past continuous.
Lena said that she had finished her homework.
Lena reported that her homework was already complete.
Present perfect have finished changes to past perfect had finished.
Ryan said that he had missed the bus.
Ryan explained that the bus had left before he caught it.
The original past simple missed is reported here using past perfect.
Nora said that she would call me the next day.
Nora said that she planned to call me on the following day.
Will changes to would, and tomorrow changes to the next day because the time perspective has changed.
Alex told me that he didn't feel well.
Alex informed me that he was feeling unwell.
Told is followed by the listener, me. The negative form remains inside the reported clause.
They said that they couldn't come to the party.
They explained that they were unable to attend the party.
Can changes to could, and cannot becomes could not or couldn't.
Sophie said that she was busy that day.
Sophie explained that she had a lot to do on that particular day.
Today can change to that day when the statement is reported from a later time.
Mark told us that he had seen Julia the day before.
Mark informed us that he had seen Julia on the previous day.
Saw changes to had seen, while yesterday becomes the day before when the time perspective changes.
Ella said that her brother lived there.
Ella said that her brother lived in that place.
If Ella originally said “My brother lives here,” my changes to her and here can change to there.
The teacher said that the Earth moves around the Sun.
The teacher stated the fact that the Earth travels around the Sun.
Because this is a general fact that is still true, keeping the present simple is natural.
Josh said that he didn't want to go out that evening.
Josh explained that he preferred not to go out that evening.
A negative present-simple statement can become a negative past-simple clause after backshift.
Maria told her manager that she would finish the report later.
Maria informed her manager that she intended to complete the report at a later time.
This example shows told + object and the change from will to would.
Common mistakes
- ❌ She said me that she was tired. ✅ She told me that she was tired. Said is not normally followed directly by a person. Use told + person, or say She said that she was tired.
- ❌ He told that he was busy. ✅ He said that he was busy. Told normally requires an object. He told me that he was busy would also be correct.
- ❌ Anna said that I was hungry. ✅ Anna said that she was hungry. If I in the original statement referred to Anna, it must change to she when someone else reports her words.
- ❌ Tom said that he is working then. ✅ Tom said that he was working then. With regular backshift after said, present continuous changes to past continuous.
- ❌ She said that she will call me tomorrow. ✅ She said that she would call me the next day. When reporting the statement later, will normally changes to would and tomorrow can change to the next day.
- ❌ He said that he had saw the accident. ✅ He said that he had seen the accident. Past perfect uses had + past participle. The past participle of see is seen, not saw.
- ❌ Lucy said that my brother was at work. ✅ Lucy said that her brother was at work. If Lucy originally said “My brother is at work,” my refers to Lucy and must become her in the reported version.
Learning tips
- Do not start by changing verbs. First identify the original speaker and the people referred to by each pronoun.
- Learn backshift as connected pairs: present simple → past simple, present continuous → past continuous, and present perfect → past perfect.
- Remember the patterns, not just the verbs: said + clause, but told + person + clause.
- That is useful when learning the structure, but it can often be omitted in natural conversation.
- Do not change time and place expressions mechanically. Ask whether the reporting time or location has actually changed.
- When you see a negative statement, keep the negative meaning while changing the tense: “I don't know” can become He said that he didn't know.
- At B1, focus on producing regular reported statements accurately before studying more advanced exceptions.
Practise this topic
Interactive exercises for this topic are coming soon.
PlannedRelated grammar
Related dictionary words
Frequently asked questions
Do I always have to change the tense in reported speech?
No. If the reporting verb is in the present, backshift is normally unnecessary. The original tense may also remain when the information is still true. However, backshift is very common when said or told is in the past.
What is the difference between said and told?
Said can be followed directly by a reported clause: He said that he was tired. Told normally needs a person as its object: He told me that he was tired.
Do I have to use that in reported statements?
No. That is often optional. He said that he was busy and He said he was busy are both correct. Omitting that is especially common in conversation.
Why does tomorrow sometimes change to the next day?
Tomorrow is relative to the time of the original statement. If you report the statement later, the same calendar day may no longer be tomorrow, so the next day or the following day makes the meaning clear.
Does past simple always become past perfect?
Not always. Past simple commonly becomes past perfect in regular backshift, especially in grammar exercises. In natural English, speakers sometimes keep past simple when the sequence of events is already clear.
How do I know which pronouns to change?
Identify who each pronoun refers to in the original situation. I might become he or she depending on the speaker, while you can become I, we, he, she, or they depending on the listener and reporting perspective.
Can I use reported speech for negative statements?
Yes. Keep the negative meaning and apply the appropriate tense change. For example, “I don't understand” can become She said that she didn't understand.