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What is Reported Speech and how to use it? with Examples

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Olivia Drake

Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said.

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Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker’s exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions.

1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually “said.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, “I am going to the store,” becomes “He said that he was going to the store.”

2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually “asked.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, “What time is it?” becomes “She asked what time it was.”

It’s important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples:

• Direct speech: “I will call you later.”Reported speech: He said that he would call me later.
• Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.
• Direct speech: “I love pizza.”Reported speech: They said that they loved pizza.

When do we use reported speech?

Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly.

Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include:

News reports:  Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference.

Business and professional communication:  In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer.

Conversational English:  In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, “She told me that she was running late.”

Narration:  In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.

How to make reported speech?

1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the store now,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then.

In this example, the pronoun “I” is changed to “she” and the adverb “now” is changed to “then.”

2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day.

In this example, the present tense “will” is changed to the past tense “would.”

3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” or “inquire” depending on the context of the speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.

In this example, the reporting verb “asked” is changed to “said” and “did” is changed to “had.”

Overall, when making reported speech, it’s important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker’s message accurately.

How do I change the pronouns and adverbs in reported speech?

1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I love chocolate.” Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate.

Direct speech: “You should study harder.” Reported speech: He advised me to study harder.

Direct speech: “She is reading a book.” Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book.

2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night.

Direct speech: “He is here.” Reported speech: She said he was there.

Note that the adverb “now” usually changes to “then” or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context.

It’s important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.

How do I change the tense in reported speech?

In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech:

Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I like pizza.” Reported speech: She said she liked pizza.

Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I am studying for my exam.” Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam.

Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I have finished my work.” Reported speech: She said she had finished her work.

Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I visited my grandparents last weekend.” Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend.

Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I will help you with your project.” Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project.

Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I can speak French.” Reported speech: She said she could speak French.

Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker’s perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.

Do I always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech?

No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech.

In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as “I heard that” or “It seems that” without using a reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she’s going to the cinema tonight.

However, it’s important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it’s generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible.

Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example:

Direct speech: “I think we should invest in renewable energy.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy.

Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate

How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?

1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is the meeting?” Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was.

Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech.

2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “ordered” or “told” followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Clean your room!” Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room.

Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech.

In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples:

Direct speech: “Will you go to the party with me?”Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: “Please bring me a glass of water.”Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water.

Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

How to make questions in reported speech?

To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech:

Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include “asked,” “inquired,” “wondered,” and “wanted to know.”

Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker.

Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use “if” or “whether” to introduce the reported question.

Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word.

Here are some examples of reported questions:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: “Where are you going?”Reported speech: She wondered where I was going.

Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions

What is the difference between reported speech an indirect speech?

In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, “I am going to the store,” in reported speech you would say, “He/she said that he/she was going to the store.”

The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.

Examples of direct speech to reported

• Direct speech: “I am hungry,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was hungry.
• Direct speech: “Can you pass the salt, please?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked her to pass the salt.
• Direct speech: “I will meet you at the cinema,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet her at the cinema.
• Direct speech: “I have been working on this project for hours,” she said. Reported speech: She said she had been working on the project for hours.
• Direct speech: “What time does the train leave?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked what time the train left.
• Direct speech: “I love playing the piano,” she said. Reported speech: She said she loved playing the piano.
• Direct speech: “I am going to the grocery store,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to the grocery store.
• Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” the teacher asked. Reported speech: The teacher asked if he had finished his homework.
• Direct speech: “I want to go to the beach,” she said. Reported speech: She said she wanted to go to the beach.
• Direct speech: “Do you need help with that?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked if she needed help with that.
• Direct speech: “I can’t come to the party,” he said. Reported speech: He said he couldn’t come to the party.
• Direct speech: “Please don’t leave me,” she said. Reported speech: She begged him not to leave her.
• Direct speech: “I have never been to London before,” he said. Reported speech: He said he had never been to London before.
• Direct speech: “Where did you put my phone?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked where she had put her phone.
• Direct speech: “I’m sorry for being late,” he said. Reported speech: He apologized for being late.
• Direct speech: “I need some help with this math problem,” she said. Reported speech: She said she needed some help with the math problem.
• Direct speech: “I am going to study abroad next year,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to study abroad the following year.
• Direct speech: “Can you give me a ride to the airport?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked him to give her a ride to the airport.
• Direct speech: “I don’t know how to fix this,” he said. Reported speech: He said he didn’t know how to fix it.
• Direct speech: “I hate it when it rains,” she said. Reported speech: She said she hated it when it rained.

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Reported Speech – Rules, Examples

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They say gossip is a natural part of human life. That’s why language has evolved to develop grammatical rules about the “he said” and “she said” statements. We call them reported speech.

Every time we use reported speech in English, we are talking about something said by someone else in the past. Thinking about it brings me back to high school, when reported speech was the main form of language!

Learn all about the definition, rules, and examples of reported speech as I go over everything. I also included a worksheet at the end of the article so you can test your knowledge of the topic.

What Does Reported Speech Mean?

Reported speech is a term we use when telling someone what another person said. You can do this while speaking or writing.

There are two kinds of reported speech you can use: direct speech and indirect speech. I’ll break each down for you.

A direct speech sentence mentions the exact words the other person said. For example:

• Kryz said, “These are all my necklaces.”

Indirect speech changes the original speaker’s words. For example:

• Kryz said those were all her necklaces.

When we tell someone what another individual said, we use reporting verbs like told, asked, convinced, persuaded, and said. We also change the first-person figure in the quotation into the third-person speaker.

Reported Speech Examples

We usually talk about the past every time we use reported speech. That’s because the time of speaking is already done. For example:

• Direct speech: The employer asked me, “Do you have experience with people in the corporate setting?”

Indirect speech: The employer asked me if I had experience with people in the corporate setting.

• Direct speech: “I’m working on my thesis,” I told James.

Indirect speech: I told James that I was working on my thesis.

Reported Speech Structure

A speech report has two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. Read the example below:

• Harry said, “You need to help me.”

The reporting clause here is William said. Meanwhile, the reported clause is the 2nd clause, which is I need your help.

What are the 4 Types of Reported Speech?

Aside from direct and indirect, reported speech can also be divided into four. The four types of reported speech are similar to the kinds of sentences: imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, and declarative.

Reported Speech Rules

The rules for reported speech can be complex. But with enough practice, you’ll be able to master them all.

Choose Whether to Use That or If

The most common conjunction in reported speech is that. You can say, “My aunt says she’s outside,” or “My aunt says that she’s outside.”

Use if when you’re reporting a yes-no question. For example:

• Direct speech: “Are you coming with us?”

Indirect speech: She asked if she was coming with them.

Verb Tense Changes

Change the reporting verb into its past form if the statement is irrelevant now. Remember that some of these words are irregular verbs, meaning they don’t follow the typical -d or -ed pattern. For example:

• Direct speech: I dislike fried chicken.

Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken.

Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form.

Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting. This verb tense also works if the report is something someone would repeat. For example:

• Slater says they’re opening a restaurant soon.
• Maya says she likes dogs.

This rule proves that the choice of verb tense is not a black-and-white question. The reporter needs to analyze the context of the action.

Move the tense backward when the reporting verb is in the past tense. That means:

• Present simple becomes past simple.
• Present perfect becomes past perfect.
• Present continuous becomes past continuous.
• Past simple becomes past perfect.
• Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous.

Here are some examples:

• The singer has left the building. (present perfect)

He said that the singers had left the building. (past perfect)

• Her sister gave her new shows. (past simple)
• She said that her sister had given her new shoes. (past perfect)

If the original speaker is discussing the future, change the tense of the reporting verb into the past form. There’ll also be a change in the auxiliary verbs.

• Will or shall becomes would.
• Will be becomes would be.
• Will have been becomes would have been.
• Will have becomes would have.

For example:

• Direct speech: “I will be there in a moment.”

Indirect speech: She said that she would be there in a moment.

Do not change the verb tenses in indirect speech when the sentence has a time clause. This rule applies when the introductory verb is in the future, present, and present perfect. Here are other conditions where you must not change the tense:

• If the sentence is a fact or generally true.
• If the sentence’s verb is in the unreal past (using second or third conditional).
• If the original speaker reports something right away.
• Do not change had better, would, used to, could, might, etc.

Changes in Place and Time Reference

Changing the place and time adverb when using indirect speech is essential. For example, now becomes then and today becomes that day. Here are more transformations in adverbs of time and places.

• This – that.
• These – those.
• Now – then.
• Here – there.
• Tomorrow – the next/following day.
• Two weeks ago – two weeks before.
• Yesterday – the day before.

Here are some examples.

• Direct speech: “I am baking cookies now.”

Indirect speech: He said he was baking cookies then.

• Direct speech: “Myra went here yesterday.”

Indirect speech: She said Myra went there the day before.

• Direct speech: “I will go to the market tomorrow.”

Indirect speech: She said she would go to the market the next day.

Using Modals

If the direct speech contains a modal verb, make sure to change them accordingly.

• Will becomes would
• Can becomes could
• Shall becomes should or would.
• Direct speech: “Will you come to the ball with me?”

Indirect speech: He asked if he would come to the ball with me.

• Direct speech: “Gina can inspect the room tomorrow because she’s free.”

Indirect speech: He said Gina could inspect the room the next day because she’s free.

However, sometimes, the modal verb should does not change grammatically. For example:

• Direct speech: “He should go to the park.”

Indirect speech: She said that he should go to the park.

Imperative Sentences

To change an imperative sentence into a reported indirect sentence, use to for imperative and not to for negative sentences. Never use the word that in your indirect speech. Another rule is to remove the word please . Instead, say request or say. For example:

• “Please don’t interrupt the event,” said the host.

The host requested them not to interrupt the event.

• Jonah told her, “Be careful.”
• Jonah ordered her to be careful.

Reported Questions

When reporting a direct question, I would use verbs like inquire, wonder, ask, etc. Remember that we don’t use a question mark or exclamation mark for reports of questions. Below is an example I made of how to change question forms.

• Incorrect: He asked me where I live?

Correct: He asked me where I live.

Here’s another example. The first sentence uses direct speech in a present simple question form, while the second is the reported speech.

• Where do you live?

She asked me where I live.

Wrapping Up Reported Speech

My guide has shown you an explanation of reported statements in English. Do you have a better grasp on how to use it now?

Reported speech refers to something that someone else said. It contains a subject, reporting verb, and a reported cause.

Don’t forget my rules for using reported speech. Practice the correct verb tense, modal verbs, time expressions, and place references.

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Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2

Advanced Grammar Course

What is reported speech?

“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:

• Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
• Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.

There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.

So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.

In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called “backshift.”

Here are some examples in different verb tenses:

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

Exceptions to Backshift in Reported Speech

Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.

There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.

If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.

When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.

But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.

Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”

• If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
• If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.

Here’s an example:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
• “She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
• It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
• Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.

Let’s look at a different situation:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
• “She said she ‘d  call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Quick review:

• Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
• when the situation is still true
• when the situation is still in the future

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.

What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?

For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:

• “Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
• She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)

For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”

• “Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
• “He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)

The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:

• She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me  make  a copy of the report.
• He told me to go to the bank. He told me  go  to the bank.

For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.

• “Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
• He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
• “Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)

The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.

Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:

• She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.

For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):

• “When was the company founded?” (direct)
• She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
• “What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
• He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)

Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:

• “Where does he work?”
• She wanted to know  where does he work.
• She wanted to know where he works.

Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:

• “Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
• He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
• He asked where was I born.

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Learn more about reported speech:

• Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
• Reported speech: BJYU’s

If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!

I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.

Master the details of English grammar:

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Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Direct speech: I like ice cream.
• Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.

• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.

• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.

• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.

• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples

Reported speech is a very common aspect of the English language. You use it nearly every day, both in conversations and in writing. This reference covers key sections about reported speech, including what it is, examples, rules, and verb tense changes. You’ll also learn about modal verbs, changes in time and place, and different reporting verbs.

Reported Speech

What Is Reported Speech?

Reported speech is simply when you tell somebody what someone else said. You can do this in your writing, or in speech. Reported speech is very different from  direct speech , which is when you show what somebody said  in the exact way that they said it . In reported speech though, you do not need to quote somebody directly.

Instead, you use a reporting verb, such as ‘say’ or ‘ask’. These reporting verbs are used to report the speech to someone else. There are many different reporting verbs that can be used.

In short, reported speech is the linguistic technique that you use to tell somebody what someone else’s  direct speech  was. In reported speech though, you may need to make certain changes to the grammar to make the sentence make sense. Some examples below highlight what needs to be changed.

Reported Speech Examples

When using reported speech, you are usually talking about the past. The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too.

For example :

• Direct speech:  I’ve lost my umbrella .
• Reported speech:  He said (that) he had lost his umbrella.

Another example :

• Direct speech:  She is doing her homework .
• Reported speech:  He said (that) she was doing her homework.

Table of Changes :

Reported Speech Rules

Verb tense changes in reported speech.

When the reporting verb is in the present tense, only small changes are needed.

• Direct speech:  I like dogs.
• Reported speech:  She  says  she likes dogs.

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, you need to change the tense of both the reporting verb and the main verb.

• Reported speech:  She  said  she  liked  dogs.

The tenses generally move backward as follows:

For sentences about the future, you also need to change the future verbs.

• Direct speech:  I shall leave in a moment.
• Reported speech:  She said that she would leave in a moment.

Here are the changes for future tenses:

Modal Verbs and Reported Speech

Modal verbs also change when used in reported speech.

• Direct speech:  Will I see you later?
• Reported speech:  He asked if he  would  see me later.

Some modal verbs do not need to change tense because they fit naturally.

• Direct speech:  I should go to the park.
• Reported speech:  He told me he  should  go to the park.

Here are both correct and incorrect examples of reported speech for clarity:

• Reported speech:  He told  me  he should go to the park.
• Reported speech:  He said he should go to the park.
• Incorrect reported speech:  He told he should go to the park.
• Incorrect reported speech:  He said me he should go to the park.

To correct these:

• Add ‘me’: He told  me  he should go to the park.
• Remove ‘me’ or add ‘to’: He said he should go to the park or He said  to  me he should go to the park.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Changes in time and place in reported speech.

References to  time  and  place often need to change when you use indirect speech. Here is a useful guide to these changes:

No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

In some cases,  verb tenses  do not change when you report speech indirectly. Here are the key instances:

• When the introductory verb is in the present , present perfect , or future .
• When the reported sentence deals with a  fact  or  general truth .
• When the reported sentence contains a  time clause .
• If the verb of the sentence is in the  unreal past  (the  second  or the  third conditional ).
• The  subjunctive  stays unchanged in the  subordinate clause .
• Had better ,  could ,  would ,  used to ,  should ,  might ,  ought to , and  mustn’t  remain unchanged.
• If the speaker reports  something immediately  or  soon after it was said .

Reporting Verbs in Indirect Speech

Reporting verbs are crucial in indirect speech. Here is a list categorized by their usage:

• Basic Verbs : Tell, say, ask
• Verb + that + clause : Complain, deny, explain, exclaim, remark, promise, boast, inform somebody, claim, agree, suggest
• Verb + to + infinitive : Agree, offer, refuse, demand, threaten, promise, claim
• Verb + indirect object + to + infinitive : Advise, allow, beg, command, encourage, forbid, invite, want, instruct, permit, urge, order, remind, warn
• Verb + “ing” form : Admit (to), accuse somebody of, apologize for, boast about/of, complain to somebody of, deny, insist on, suggest
• Verb + how : Explain to somebody

Reported Questions

When converting questions from direct to indirect speech, you follow rules similar to those for statements.  Verbs  used include inquire, wonder, want to know, ask.

Reported Commands and Requests

Commands and requests  in Indirect Speech are formed using the  to-infinitive  and  not to-infinitive . Common reporting verbs include order, shout, demand, warn, beg, command, tell, insist, beseech , threaten, implore, ask, propose, forbid.

Pronoun and tense changes  are needed when shifting from direct to indirect speech.

Reported Speech Video

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Reported Speech in English

“Reported speech” might sound fancy, but it isn’t that complicated.

It’s just how you talk about what someone said.

Luckily, it’s pretty simple to learn the basics in English, beginning with the two types of reported speech: direct (reporting the exact words someone said) and indirect (reporting what someone said without using their exact words ).

Read this post to learn how to report speech, with tips and tricks for each, plenty of examples and a resources section that tells you about real world resources you can use to practice reporting speech.

How to Report Direct Speech

How to report indirect speech, reporting questions in indirect speech, verb tenses in indirect reported speech, simple present, present continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous, simple past, past continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous, simple future, future continuous, future perfect, future perfect continuous, authentic resources for practicing reported speech, novels and short stories, native english videos, celebrity profiles.

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Direct speech refers to the exact words that a person says. You can “report” direct speech in a few different ways.

To see how this works, let’s pretend that I (Elisabeth) told some people that I liked green onions.

Here are some different ways that those people could explain what I said:

Direct speech: “I like green onions,” Elisabeth said.

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Direct speech: “I like green onions,” she told me. — In this sentence, we replace my name (Elisabeth) with the pronoun she.

In all of these examples, the part that was said is between quotation marks and is followed by a noun (“she” or “Elisabeth”) and a verb. Each of these verbs (“to say,” “to tell [someone],” “to explain”) are ways to describe someone talking. You can use any verb that refers to speech in this way.

You can also put the noun and verb before what was said.

Direct speech: Elisabeth said, “I like spaghetti.”

The example above would be much more likely to be said out loud than the first set of examples.

Here’s a conversation that might happen between two people:

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1: Did you ask her if she liked coffee?

2: Yeah, I asked her.

1: What did she say?

2. She said, “Yeah, I like coffee.” ( Direct speech )

Usually, reporting of direct speech is something you see in writing. It doesn’t happen as often when people are talking to each other. 

Direct reported speech often happens in the past. However, there are all kinds of stories, including journalism pieces, profiles and fiction, where you might see speech reported in the present as well.

This is sometimes done when the author of the piece wants you to feel that you’re experiencing events in the present moment.

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For example, a profile of Kristen Stewart in Vanity Fair  has a funny moment that describes how the actress isn’t a very good swimmer:

Direct speech: “I don’t want to enter the water, ever,” she says. “If everyone’s going in the ocean, I’m like, no.”

Here, the speech is reported as though it’s in the present tense (“she says”) instead of in the past (“she said”).

In writing of all kinds, direct reported speech is often split into two or more parts, as it is above.

Here’s an example from Lewis Carroll’s “ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ,” where the speech is even more split up:

Direct speech: “I won’t indeed!” said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject of conversation. “Are you—are you fond—of—of dogs?” The Mouse did not answer, so Alice went on eagerly: “There is such a nice little dog near our house I should like to show you!”

Reporting indirect speech is what happens when you explain what someone said without using their exact words.

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Let’s start with an example of direct reported speech like those used above.

Direct speech: Elisabeth said, “I like coffee.”

As indirect reported speech, it looks like this:

Indirect speech: Elisabeth said she liked coffee.

You can see that the subject (“I”) has been changed to “she,” to show who is being spoken about. If I’m reporting the direct speech of someone else, and this person says “I,” I’d repeat their sentence exactly as they said it. If I’m reporting this person’s speech indirectly to someone else, however, I’d speak about them in the third person—using “she,” “he” or “they.”

You may also notice that the tense changes here: If “I like coffee” is what she said, this can become “She liked coffee” in indirect speech.

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However, you might just as often hear someone say something like, “She said she likes coffee.” Since people’s likes and preferences tend to change over time and not right away, it makes sense to keep them in the present tense.

Indirect speech often uses the word “that” before what was said:

Indirect speech: She said that she liked coffee.

There’s no real difference between “She said she liked coffee” and “She said that she liked coffee.” However, using “that” can help make the different parts of the sentence clearer.

Let’s look at a few other examples:

Indirect speech: I said I was going outside today.

Indirect speech: They told me that they wanted to order pizza.

Indirect speech: He mentioned it was raining.

Indirect speech: She said that her father was coming over for dinner.

You can see an example of reporting indirect speech in the funny video “ Cell Phone Crashing .” In this video, a traveler in an airport sits down next to another traveler talking on his cell phone. The first traveler pretends to be talking to someone on his phone, but he appears to be responding to the second traveler’s conversation, which leads to this exchange:

Woman: “Are you answering what I’m saying?”

Man “No, no… I’m on the phone with somebody, sorry. I don’t mean to be rude.” (Direct speech)

Woman: “What was that?”

Man: “I just said I was on the phone with somebody.” (Indirect speech)

When reporting questions in indirect speech, you can use words like “whether” or “if” with verbs that show questioning, such as “to ask” or “to wonder.”

Direct speech: She asked, “Is that a new restaurant?”

Indirect speech: She asked if that was a new restaurant. 

In any case where you’re reporting a question, you can say that someone was “wondering” or “wanted to know” something. Notice that these verbs don’t directly show that someone asked a question. They don’t describe an action that happened at a single point in time. But you can usually assume that someone was wondering or wanted to know what they asked.

Indirect speech: She was wondering if that was a new restaurant.

Indirect speech: She wanted to know whether that was a new restaurant.

It can be tricky to know how to use tenses when reporting indirect speech. Let’s break it down, tense by tense.

Sometimes, indirect speech “ backshifts ,” or moves one tense further back into the past. We already saw this in the example from above:

Direct speech: She said, “I like coffee.”

Indirect speech: She said she liked coffee.

Also as mentioned above, backshifting doesn’t always happen. This might seem confusing, but it isn’t that difficult to understand once you start using reported speech regularly.

What tense you use in indirect reported speech often just depends on when what you’re reporting happened or was true.

Let’s look at some examples of how direct speech in certain tenses commonly changes (or doesn’t) when it’s reported as indirect speech.

To learn about all the English tenses (or for a quick review), check out this post .

Direct speech: I said, “I play video games.”

Indirect speech: I said that I played video games (simple past) or I said that I play video games  (simple present).

Backshifting into the past or staying in the present here can change the meaning slightly. If you use the first example, it’s unclear whether or not you still play video games; all we know is that you said you played them in the past.

If you use the second example, though, you probably still play video games (unless you were lying for some reason).

However, the difference in meaning is so small, you can use either one and you won’t have a problem.

Direct speech: I said, “I’m playing video games.”

Indirect speech: I said that I was playing video games (past continuous) or I said that I’m playing video games (present continuous).

In this case, you’d likely use the first example if you were telling a story about something that happened in the past.

You could use the second example to repeat or stress what you just said. For example:

Hey, want to go for a walk?

Direct speech: No, I’m playing video games.

But it’s such a nice day!

Indirect speech: I said that I’m playing video games!

Direct speech: Marie said, “I have read that book.”

Indirect speech: Marie said that she had read that book (past perfect) or Marie said that she has read that book (present perfect).

The past perfect is used a lot in writing and other kinds of narration. This is because it helps point out an exact moment in time when something was true.

The past perfect isn’t quite as useful in conversation, where people are usually more interested in what’s true now. So, in a lot of cases, people would use the second example above when speaking.

Direct speech: She said, “I have been watching that show.”

Indirect speech: She said that she had been watching that show (past perfect continuous) or She said that she has been watching that show (present perfect continuous).

These examples are similar to the others above. You could use the first example whether or not this person was still watching the show, but if you used the second example, it’d probably seem like you either knew or guessed that she was still watching it.

Direct speech: You told me, “I charged my phone.”

Indirect speech: You told me that you had charged your phone (past perfect) or You told me that you charged your phone (simple past).

Here, most people would probably just use the second example, because it’s simpler, and gets across the same meaning.

Direct speech: You told me, “I was charging my phone.”

Indirect speech: You told me that you had been charging your phone (past perfect continuous) or You told me that you were charging your phone (past continuous).

Here, the difference is between whether you had been charging your phone before or were charging your phone at the time. However, a lot of people would still use the second example in either situation.

Direct speech: They explained, “We had bathed the cat on Wednesday.”

Indirect speech: They explained that they had bathed the cat on Wednesday. (past perfect)

Once we start reporting the past perfect tenses, we don’t backshift because there are no tenses to backshift to.

So in this case, it’s simple. The tense stays exactly as is. However, many people might simplify even more and use the simple past, saying, “They explained that they bathed the cat on Wednesday.”

Direct speech: They said, “The cat had been going outside and getting dirty for a long time!”

Indirect speech: They said that the cat had been going outside and getting dirty for a long time. (past perfect continuous)

Again, we don’t shift the tense back here; we leave it like it is. And again, a lot of people would report this speech as, “They said the cat was going outside and getting dirty for a long time.” It’s just a simpler way to say almost the same thing.

Direct speech: I told you, “I will be here no matter what.”

Indirect speech: I told you that I would be here no matter what. (present conditional)

At this point, we don’t just have to think about tenses, but grammatical mood, too. However, the idea is still pretty simple. We use the conditional (with “would”) to show that at the time the words were spoken, the future was uncertain.

In this case, you could also say, “I told you that I will be here no matter what,” but only if you “being here” is still something that you expect to happen in the future.

What matters here is what’s intended. Since this example shows a person reporting their own speech, it’s more likely that they’d want to stress the truth of their own intention, and so they might be more likely to use “will” than “would.”

But if you were reporting someone else’s words, you might be more likely to say something like, “She told me that she would be here no matter what.”

Direct speech: I said, “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

Indirect speech: I said that I would be waiting for your call. (conditional continuous)

These are similar to the above examples, but apply to a continuous or ongoing action.

Direct speech: She said, “I will have learned a lot about myself.”

Indirect speech: She said that she would have learned a lot about herself (conditional perfect) or She said that she will have learned a lot about herself (future perfect).

In this case, using the conditional (as in the first example) suggests that maybe a certain event didn’t happen, or something didn’t turn out as expected.

However, that might not always be the case, especially if this was a sentence that was written in an article or a work of fiction. The second example, however, suggests that the future that’s being talked about still hasn’t happened yet.

Direct speech: She said, “By next Tuesday, I will have been staying inside every day for the past month.”

Indirect speech: She said that by next Tuesday, she would have been staying inside every day for the past month (perfect continuous conditional) or She said that by next Tuesday, she will have been staying inside every day for the past month (past perfect continuous).

Again, in this case, the first example might suggest that the event didn’t happen. Maybe the person didn’t stay inside until next Tuesday! However, this could also just be a way of explaining that at the time she said this in the past, it was uncertain whether she really would stay inside for as long as she thought.

The second example, on the other hand, would only be used if next Tuesday hadn’t happened yet.

Let’s take a look at where you can find resources for practicing reporting speech in the real world.

One of the most common uses for reported speech is in fiction. You’ll find plenty of reported speech in novels and short stories . Look for books that have long sections of text with dialogue marked by quotation marks (“…”). Once you understand the different kinds of reported speech, you can look for it in your reading and use it in your own writing.

Writing your own stories is a great way to get even better at understanding reported speech.

One of the best ways to practice any aspect of English is to watch native English videos. By watching English speakers use the language, you can understand how reported speech is used in real world situations.

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Celebrity profiles, which you can find in print magazines and online, can help you find and practice reported speech, too. Celebrity profiles are stories that focus on a famous person. They often include some kind of interview. The writer will usually spend some time describing the person and then mention things that they say; this is when they use reported speech.

Because many of these profiles are written in the present tense, they can help you get used to the basics of reported speech without having to worry too much about different verb tenses.

While the above may seem really complicated, it isn’t that difficult to start using reported speech.

Mastering it may be a little difficult, but the truth is that many, many people who speak English as a first language struggle with it, too!

Reported speech is flexible, and even if you make mistakes, there’s a good chance that no one will notice.

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The Reported Speech

Table of contents, what is reported speech, direct speech vs reported speech.

Different types of reported speech

When you use reported speech, you either report:

A. Reporting statements

1- pronouns.

Do not change the tense if the introductory clause (i.e., the reporting verb) is in the present tense (e. g. He says ). Note, however, that you might have to change the form of the present tense verb (3rd person singular).

3. Modal verbs

4- Place, demonstratives, and time expressions

B. Reporting Questions

C. Reporting requests/commands

D. Other transformations

Main clauses connected with and/but, punctuation rules of the reported speech, can we omit that in the reported speech, list of reporting verbs.

Reported Speech in English Grammar

Direct speech, changing the tense (backshift), no change of tenses, question sentences, demands/requests, expressions with who/what/how + infinitive, typical changes of time and place, introduction.

In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks , this is known as direct speech , or we can use indirect speech . In indirect speech , we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting verb or phrase such as ones below.

Learn the rules for writing indirect speech in English with Lingolia’s simple explanation. In the exercises, you can test your grammar skills.

When turning direct speech into indirect speech, we need to pay attention to the following points:

• changing the pronouns Example: He said, “ I saw a famous TV presenter.” He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter.
• changing the information about time and place (see the table at the end of this page) Example: He said, “I saw a famous TV presenter here yesterday .” He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter there the day before .
• changing the tense (backshift) Example: He said, “She was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting .” He said (that) she had been eating an ice-cream at the table where I was sitting .

If the introductory clause is in the simple past (e.g. He said ), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table). The term for this in English is backshift .

The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change.

If the introductory clause is in the simple present , however (e.g. He says ), then the tense remains unchanged, because the introductory clause already indicates that the statement is being immediately repeated (and not at a later point in time).

In some cases, however, we have to change the verb form.

When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points:

• As in a declarative sentence, we have to change the pronouns, the time and place information, and set the tense back ( backshift ).
• Instead of that , we use a question word. If there is no question word, we use whether / if instead. Example: She asked him, “ How often do you work?” → She asked him how often he worked. He asked me, “Do you know any famous people?” → He asked me if/whether I knew any famous people.
• We put the subject before the verb in question sentences. (The subject goes after the auxiliary verb in normal questions.) Example: I asked him, “ Have you met any famous people before?” → I asked him if/whether he had met any famous people before.
• We don’t use the auxiliary verb do for questions in indirect speech. Therefore, we sometimes have to conjugate the main verb (for third person singular or in the simple past ). Example: I asked him, “What do you want to tell me?” → I asked him what he wanted to tell me.
• We put the verb directly after who or what in subject questions. Example: I asked him, “ Who is sitting here?” → I asked him who was sitting there.

We don’t just use indirect questions to report what another person has asked. We also use them to ask questions in a very polite manner.

When turning demands and requests into indirect speech, we only need to change the pronouns and the time and place information. We don’t have to pay attention to the tenses – we simply use an infinitive .

If it is a negative demand, then in indirect speech we use not + infinitive .

To express what someone should or can do in reported speech, we leave out the subject and the modal verb and instead we use the construction who/what/where/how + infinitive.

Say or Tell?

The words say and tell are not interchangeable. say = say something tell = say something to someone

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• English Grammar
• Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Table of Contents

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

• The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
• You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.

• You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
• Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

• Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
• Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
• Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

• Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
• Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
• Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
• The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
• Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
• Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
• Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
• Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
• The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
• Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the definition of reported speech.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

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Reported Speech: How to Use Reported Speech | Useful Rules

One of the most common mistakes when becoming familiar with this type of grammar is not knowing the difference between direct speech and reported speech and the changes related to these types of sentences.

Reported Speech

The reported speech reproduces the words of another person by adapting certain temporal and local references of the original speech to the situation of the speaker, for example, personal pronouns, demonstratives, verb tenses, and adverbs of place or time.

It is characterized by introducing the message that is reproduced with a speaking verb followed by conjunctions that or if. The speaking verb reveals the intention of the speaker to convey what another person has said.

The most frequent speaking verbs are: say, affirm , count, explain, ask, warn, suggest, order, etc.

Direct Speech vs. Reported Speech

Both are the two different ways to transmit what someone has said.

With direct speech, the message is reproduced as we have heard it, in quotes and after a color meanwhile with reported speech the message is reproduced with our words, without commas but using that or if after the verb.

Different Types of Sentences

• Reported statements : use that before the statement and the reporting verb said or told.
• Reported questions : use reported verbs like asked, requested, or wanted to know and omit the question mark. Remember that the order in reported questions changes. In the case of yes-no questions use whether or if.
• Reported requests or commands : use to or not to before the sentence and use verbs like asked, told, ordered, urged, advised, and begged.

Changes When Using Reported Speech

Tense Changes in Reported Speech

In short, the tense changes in the reported speech are made taking into account the verb in the direct speech. The tense changes are:

• Simple present -> simple past
• Present continuous -> past continuous
• Simple past -> past perfect simple
• Past continuous -> past perfect continuous
• Past perfect simple -> past perfect simple
• Past perfect continuous -> past perfect continuous
• Present perfect -> past perfect simple
• Present perfect continuous -> past perfect continuous
• Future simple -> would
• Future perfect -> would have
• Present passive -> past passive
• Present passive continuous -> past passive continuous
• Can -> could/would be able to
• May -> might
• May -> could/ would be allowed to
• Must -> must/ had to/ would have to
• Needn’t -> didn’t have to /didn’t need to /wouldn’t have to
• Shall -> would/should
• Will -> would

Place, Demonstratives, and Time Expressions

Just as there are certain changes in the verb tenses, you have to make changes in the demonstratives, pronouns , and expressions of time and place.

• Here -> there
• There -> there
• This -> that

Time Expressions

• Today -> that day
• Tomorrow -> the next day/ the following day
• Now -> at that moment/ then
• At the present -> At the time
• Present, current -> existing current
• In one hour -> one hour later
• Next year -> the following year
• Days ago -> days before
• Tonight -> that night
• In two week’s time -> two weeks later
• Ago -> before

Pronouns and Demonstratives

• I -> he, she
• Me -> him, her
• My -> his, her, the
• Mine -> his, hers
• We -> they
• Us -> them
• Our -> their, the
• Ours -> theirs
• You -> they, them, their, the
• Yours -> theirs
• This -> that, the
• These -> those, the
• This book -> that book

Reported Speech | Infographic

Other Changes in Reported Speech

Last Updated on October 25, 2023

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StoryLearning

Learn A Language Through Stories

A Comprehensive Guide To Reported Speech In English

There are times when someone tells you something and you’ll have to report what they said to someone else.

How can you do this in English?

You’ll need to know how to use what's called reported speech in English and this is what you’ll learn in this blog post.

What Is Reported Speech In English?

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of retelling what someone else has said without repeating their exact words. 

For example, let’s say you have a friend called Jon and one called Mary. Mary has organised a house party and has invited you and Jon. 

Jon, however, is not feeling well. He says to you, “Sorry but I cannot come to the party. I spent all day working outside under the rain and I feel ill today.” 

A few days after the party, you meet Sarah. She’s another one of your friends and she was at the party too, but she arrived late – a moment before you left. You only had time to say hello to each other. 

She asks you, “I saw you at the party but I didn’t see Jon. Where was he?”

When Sarah asks you, “Where was Jon?” you can say, 

“Jon said, ‘Sorry but I cannot come to the party. I spent all day working outside under the rain and I feel ill today’.”

However, it would be more natural to use indirect speech in this case. So you would say, “Jon said he couldn’t come to the party. He had spent all day working outside under the rain and he felt ill that day .” 

Did you notice how the sentence changes in reported speech?

Here’s what happened:

• “I” became “he”
• “Cannot” became “couldn’t”
• “Spent” became “had spent”
• “I feel ill today” became “he felt ill on that day” 

Let’s take a closer look at how we form reported speech.

How To Form Reported Speech In English

To form reported speech, you might have to make a few changes to the original sentence that was spoken (or written). 

You may have to change pronouns, verb tenses, place and time expressions and, in the case of questions, the word order.

There are certain patterns to learn for reporting promises, agreements, orders, offers, requests, advice and suggestions.

Let’s have a look at all these cases one by one.

Reported Speech In English: Changing Verb Tenses

In general, when we use reported speech, the present tenses become past tenses.  

We do this because we are often reporting someone else’s words at a different time (Jon’s words were spoken 3 days before you reported them to Sarah).

Here’s an example:

Jenny (on Saturday evening) says,  “I don't like this place. I want to go home now.”(present tenses)

Matt (on Sunday morning) talks to James and says, “Jenny said that she didn't like the place, and she wanted to go home. (past tenses)

So this is how different verb tenses change:

Simple Present → Simple Past

DIRECT: I need money.

INDIRECT: She said she needed money.

Present Progressive → Past Progressive

DIRECT: My French is improving.

INDIRECT: He said his French was improving.

Present Perfect → Past Perfect

DIRECT: This has been an amazing holiday.

INDIRECT: She told me that it had been an amazing holiday.

What if there is a past simple form of the verb in direct speech? Well, in this case, it can stay the same in reported speech or you can change it to past perfect .

Past Simple → Past Simple Or Past Perfect

DIRECT: I didn’t go to work.

INDIRECT: Mary said that she didn’t go to work / Mary said that she hadn’t gone to work 

Past Perfect Tenses Do Not Change

DIRECT: I arrived late because I had missed the bus.

INDIRECT: He said he arrived (or had arrived) late because he had missed the bus.

Modal verbs like “can,” “may,” and “will” also change in reported speech.

Will → Would

DIRECT: The exam will be difficult.

INDIRECT: They said that the exam would be difficult.

Can → Could

DIRECT: I can’t be there.

INDIRECT: He told me he couldn’t be there.

May → Might

DIRECT: We may go there another time.

INDIRECT: They said they might go there another time.

However, past modal verbs don’t change (would, must, could, should, etc.) don’t change in reported speech.

DIRECT: It would be nice if we could go to Paris.

INDIRECT: He said it would be nice if we could go to Paris.

Here are some other examples:

So, in summary, 

• am/is → were
• do/does → did
• have/has → had
• had done → had done
• will → would
• can → could
• may → might
• could → could
• would → would
• like/love/buy/see → liked/loved/bought/saw or had liked/ had loved/had bought/had seen.

You make these verb tense shifts when you report the original words at a different time from when they were spoken. However, it is often also possible to keep the original speaker’s tenses when the situation is still the same.

For example, 

1. DIRECT: I am feeling sick.

   INDIRECT: She said she is feeling sick.

2. DIRECT: We have to leave now.

   INDIRECT: They said they have to leave now.

3. DIRECT: I will call you later.

   INDIRECT: He said he will call me later.

4. DIRECT: She is not coming to the party.

   INDIRECT: He said she is not coming to the party.

5. DIRECT: They are working on a new project.

   INDIRECT: She said they are working on a new project.

What about conditional sentences? How do they change in reported speech?

Sentences with “if” and “would” are usually unchanged.

DIRECT: It would be best if we went there early.

INDIRECT: He said it would be best if they went there early.

But conditional sentences used to describe unreal situations (e.g. second conditional or third conditional sentences) can change like this:

DIRECT: If I had more money I would buy a new car.

INDIRECT: She said if she had had more money, she would have bought a new car OR She said if she had more money, she would buy a new car.

Reported Speech In English: Changing Pronouns

In reported speech, because you’re reporting someone else’s words, there’s a change of speaker so this may mean a change of pronoun.

An example:

Jenny says,  “I don't like this place. I want to go home now.”

Matt says, “Jenny said that she didn't like the place, and she wanted to go home.” 

In this example, Jenny says “I” to refer to herself but Matt, talking about what Jenny said, uses “she”.

So the sentence in reported speech becomes:

• Jenny said that she didn’t like . . . ( not Jenny said that I didn’t like . . .)

Some other examples:

1 . DIRECT: I have been studying for hours.

   INDIRECT: He said he had been studying for hours.

2. DIRECT: I don’t like that movie.

   INDIRECT: She said she didn’t like that movie.

3. DIRECT: He doesn't like coffee.

   INDIRECT: She said he doesn't like coffee.

4. DIRECT: We have a new car.

   INDIRECT: They told me they had a new car.

5. DIRECT: We are going on vacation next week.

    INDIRECT: They said they are going on vacation next week.

Reported Speech In English: Place And Time Expressions

When you’re reporting someone’s words, there is often a change of place and time.  This may mean that you will need to change or remove words that are used to refer to places and time like “here,” “this,” “now,” “today,” “next,” “last,” “yesterday,” “tomorrow,” and so on. 

Check the differences in the following sentences:

DIRECT: I'll be back next month.

INDIRECT: She said she would be back the next month , but I never saw her again.

DIRECT: Emma got her degree last Tuesday.

INDIRECT: He said Emma had got her degree the Tuesday before.

DIRECT: I had an argument with my mother-in-law yesterday .

INDIRECT: He said he’d had an argument with his mother-in-law the day before .

DIRECT: We're going to have an amazing party tomorrow.

INDIRECT: They said they were going to have an amazing party the next day.

DIRECT: Meet me here at 10 am.

INDIRECT: He told me to meet him there at 10 am.

DIRECT: This restaurant is really good.

INDIRECT: She said that the restaurant was really good.

DIRECT: I'm going to the gym now.

INDIRECT: He said he was going to the gym at that time.

DIRECT: Today is my birthday.

INDIRECT: She told me that it was her birthday that day .

DIRECT: I'm leaving for Europe next week.

INDIRECT: She said she was leaving for Europe the following week.

Reported Speech In English: Word Order In Questions

What if you have to report a question? For example, how would you report the following questions?

• Where’s Mark?
• When are you going to visit your grandmother?
• What do I need to buy for the celebration?
• Where are your best friend and his wife staying?
• Do you like coffee?
• Can you sing?
• Who’s your best friend?
• What time do you usually wake up?
• What would you do if you won the lottery?
• Do you ever read nonfiction books?

In reported questions, the subject normally comes before the verb and auxiliary “do” is not used.

So, here is what happens when you're reporting a question:

DIRECT: Where’s Mark?

INDIRECT: I asked where Mark was. 

DIRECT: When are you going to visit your grandmother?

INDIRECT: He wanted to know when I was going to visit my grandmother.

DIRECT: What do I need to buy for the celebration?

INDIRECT: She asked what she needed to buy for the celebration.

DIRECT: Where are your best friend and his wife staying?

INDIRECT: I asked where his best friend and his wife were staying.

DIRECT: Do you like coffee?

INDIRECT: I asked if she liked coffee.

DIRECT: Can you sing?

INDIRECT: She asked me if I could sing.

DIRECT: Who’s your best friend?

INDIRECT: They asked me who my best friend was. 

DIRECT: What time do you usually wake up?

INDIRECT: She asked me what time I usually wake up.

DIRECT: What would you do if you won the lottery?

INDIRECT: He asked me what I would do if I won the lottery.

DIRECT: Do you ever read nonfiction books?

INDIRECT: She asked me if I ever read nonfiction books.

You might have noticed that question marks are not used in reported questions and you don’t use “say” or “tell” either.

Promises, Agreements, Orders, Offers, Requests & Advice

When you’re reporting these, you can use the following verbs + an infinitive:

Here are some examples:

DIRECT SPEECH: I’ll always love you.

PROMISE IN INDIRECT SPEECH: She promised to love me.

DIRECT SPEECH: OK, let’s go to the pub.

INDIRECT SPEECH: He agreed to come to the pub with me.

DIRECT SPEECH: Sit down!

INDIRECT SPEECH: They told me to sit down OR they ordered me to sit down.

DIRECT SPEECH: I can go to the post office for you.

INDIRECT SPEECH: She offered to go to the post office.

DIRECT SPEECH: Could I please have the documentation by tomorrow evening?

INDIRECT SPEECH: She requested to have the documentation by the following evening.

DIRECT SPEECH: You should think twice before giving him your phone number.

INDIRECT SPEECH: She advised me to think twice before giving him my phone number.

Reported Speech In English

All right! I hope you have a much clearer idea about what reported speech is and how it’s used. 

And the good news is that both direct and indirect speech structures are commonly used in stories, so why not try the StoryLearning method ? 

You'll notice this grammatical pattern repeatedly in the context of short stories in English.

Not only will this help you acquire it naturally, but you will also have a fun learning experience by immersing yourself in an interesting and inspiring narrative.

Have a wonderful time learning through books in English !

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Direct Speech and Reported Speech

There are two ways to report what someone says or thinks:

Direct Speech

Direct speech shows a person's exact words. Quotation marks ("....") are a sign that the words are the exact words that a person used.

Hai asked, "Where are you going?"

Manny replied, "I'm going home."

Reported Speech

Reported speech puts the speaker's words or ideas into a sentence without quotation marks. Noun clauses are usually used. In reported speech, the reader does not assume that the words are the speaker's exact words; often, they are a paraphrase of the speaker's words.

Hai asked Manny where he was going.

Manny said he was going home.

Note: Use of the word "that" is optional in reported speech. Both of the following sentences are correct:

• The child said that they were lost.
• The child said they were lost.

Verb Tense in Reported Speech

When you report what someone said in the past, you usually shift back a verb tense from the tense the speaker used. These are some examples of verb shifts:

• simple present to simple past
• past to past perfect
• present perfect to past perfect

*If the reported information is still true, you may use the same tense.

Questions in Reported Speech

Word order: The word order in a reported question is the same as in a statement. The subject comes before the verb.

• Question: Are you ready?
• Statement: I am ready.
• Question in reported speech: She wanted to know if I was ready.

Punctuation: If the sentence is a statement, end it with a period even if it contains a reported question.

• Statement containing a reported question: She asked me what I thought of the book.
• Question containing a reported question: Did she ask what you thought of the book?

Yes or No Questions

To change a yes/no question to a noun clause in reported speech, introduce the noun clause "if" or "whether." "Whether or not" may also be used.

Information Questions

To change an information question to a noun clause in reported speech, begin the noun clause with the question word and remember to use sentence word order.

The person who is reporting what someone said is usually different from the person who made the original statement. As a result, pronouns in reported speech often change.

Place and Time

Changes in the situation between direct and reported speech can result in changes to words indicating place and time.

Recommend and Suggest

The subjunctive, or base, form of the verb (no tense, without "to") is used in reported speech when the main verb is "recommend" or "suggest."

Infinitives

Infinitives (to + the simple form of the verb) may sometimes be used instead of noun clauses, especially in commands and in requests for action or permission.

Commands can be reported two ways:

• A noun clause with a modal (usually "should")
• An infinitive

Requests for Action or Permission

Requests for action or permission can be reported two ways:

• A noun clause with "if"

100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of communicating what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. For example, if your friend said, “ I am going to the store ,” in reported speech, you might convey this as, “ My friend said he was going to the store. ” Reported speech is common in both spoken and written language, especially in storytelling, news reporting, and everyday conversations.

Reported speech can be quite challenging for English language learners because in order to change direct speech into reported speech, one must change the perspective and tense of what was said by the original speaker or writer. In this guide, we will explain in detail how to change direct speech into indirect speech and provide lots of examples of reported speech to help you understand. Here are the key aspects of converting direct speech into reported speech.

Reported Speech: Changing Pronouns

Pronouns are usually changed to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech. For example, “I” in direct speech may become “he” or “she” in reported speech, depending on the context. Here are some example sentences:

Reported Speech: Reporting Verbs

Reported speech: tense shifts.

When converting direct speech into reported speech, the verb tense is often shifted back one step in time. This is known as the “backshift” of tenses. It’s essential to adjust the tense to reflect the time elapsed between the original speech and the reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how different tenses in direct speech are transformed in reported speech:

Reported Speech: Changing Time and Place References

Reported speech: question format.

When converting questions from direct speech into reported speech, the format changes significantly. Unlike statements, questions require rephrasing into a statement format and often involve the use of introductory verbs like ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’. Here are some examples to demonstrate how questions in direct speech are converted into statements in reported speech:

Reported Speech: Omitting Quotation Marks

Reported speech quiz.

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| | --> by Claudia Pesce 562,000 views What ESL teachers usually do is simply have one student supply a statement or ask a question and then have another student report what was said/asked. However, there are others ways to practice , more creative and engaging ways, which should prevent students tuning out and help them tune in to the lesson. This is why we often write them on the board. Try these card games instead! For the first game, prepare a set of index card each with a direct speech statement on one side and the indirect statement on the other. Divide students into pairs. Student A picks up a card and the direct statement. Student B must change what they heard into an indirect statement. Student A checks B’s reply on the back of the card. The team with the most correct points wins. You may also try this easier version. Write the direct statements on index cards and their indirect versions on another set of cards. Divide the class into two teams. Each student must pick up a card and find the matching statement. You can make this more challenging by using statements that are similar but in different tenses. Then a student reports something that someone asked, without revealing who it was: . Students must guess it was the police officer: . Students read them out loud and then take turns reporting what someone said: Students must read through them and find at least one juicy bit of celebrity gossip to report to the rest of the class: . To make this into a game, ask students to withhold the celebrity’s name and have the other students guess: : . Divide students into pairs. One student will be the reporter and the other will be someone worthy of an exclusive interview:  The celebrity answers a series of questions and the reporter reports back to the class: . ; ask them to use Reported Speech in their letter: . Students then exchange letters and reply to a classmate’s problem: . Students get their original problem letters back and report to the class on what Dear Abby said: . With this activity you are giving your students two opportunities to use Reported Speech. . This student whispers it to another: . The whispering continues through the grapevine, until it reaches the last student who must then say the original statement in direct speech. If there are differences, they must find out who made the mistake: . Then use some liquid paper to white out what some of the characters say in their speech bubbles. Write these lines down on separate cards. Students pick up a card and try to match it to a character: . Have the students stand in a circle. Give the first one a bean bag or the ball and set the timer for a random interval, even a short one — one minute or even six seconds, or you can even vary the intervals to make it more interesting — depending on the size of your class. When the timer stops, the student holding the bean bag must read one of the flashcards and convert it into the opposite e.g., direct speech to indirect speech, or the other way round. If they are wrong, they must leave the circle. You can vary the game by changing the flashcards to contain other words where students would need to come with sentences containing, say for example, , add , . Each of the activities suggested above should establish a situation, a context that should help your students see just how useful really is. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English. . That's 4,036 pages filled with thousands of practical activities and tips that you can start using today. 30-day money back guarantee. --> Copyright 2007-2021 пїЅ Submit a worksheet Mobile version LIVE UPDATES | CONCLUDED Jackson Hole News Today Live coverage and analysis of fed chair powell's keynote address.. Last Updated:  Powell: It’s Time for Change Jerome Powell laid the groundwork for the Federal Reserve’s next phase of monetary policy in his speech Friday morning. The chairman said he is ready to lower interest rates, citing a cooling labor market and inflation closing in on the central bank’s 2% annual target. Powell is confident that Fed will successfully thread the needle and deliver a so-called soft landing for the U.S. economy. It would be a rare feat, last seen in the 1990s. Getting there will require easing off from today’s high interest rates, Powell said. His remarks all but confirm market expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates at the September meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. 7 hours ago Most Traders Continue to Bet on Smaller Fed Rate Cut The labor market has cooled enough, powell says, powell is confident that inflation is heading to fed’s 2% goal, a soft landing for the economy is in play, powell says, powell says ‘the time has come' to change policy, cut rates. 23 hours ago The Crowd Is Talking Jobs—Not Inflation Latest updates. .css-ampfg-CardLink{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}.css-ampfg-CardLink.css-ampfg-CardLink:any-link{color:rgba(0,30,32,1);}.css-ampfg-CardLink.css-ampfg-CardLink:any-link:hover{color:rgba(0,123,189,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-ampfg-CardLink.css-ampfg-CardLink.css-ampfg-CardLink *{cursor:inherit;} .css-hza33c-CardLink{display:inline;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference){.css-hza33c-CardLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:200ms,200ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-hza33c-CardLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:0ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}.css-hza33c-CardLink svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010);}.css-hza33c-CardLink:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink020);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-hza33c-CardLink:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020);}.css-hza33c-CardLink:active:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink030);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-hza33c-CardLink:active:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink030);}.css-hza33c-CardLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-color:var(--outlineColorDefault);outline-style:var(--outlineStyleDefault);outline-width:var(--outlineWidthDefault);outline-offset:var(--outlineOffsetDefault);}@media not all and (min-resolution: 0.001dpcm){@supports (-webkit-appearance: none) and (stroke-color: transparent){.css-hza33c-CardLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-style:var(--safariOutlineStyleDefault);}}}.css-hza33c-CardLink.css-hza33c-CardLink:any-link{color:rgba(0,30,32,1);}.css-hza33c-CardLink.css-hza33c-CardLink:any-link:hover{color:rgba(0,123,189,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-hza33c-CardLink.css-hza33c-CardLink.css-hza33c-CardLink *{cursor:inherit;} .css-jjua3s-HeadlineTextBlock >*{display:inline-block;}.css-jjua3s-HeadlineTextBlock style[data-emotion]{display:none;} .css-9aijm8-HeadlineTextBlock{margin:0;font-family:Tiempos Headline,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px;line-height:20px;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:0px;font-style:normal;text-transform:none;font-stretch:normal;padding:0.5px 0px;}.css-9aijm8-HeadlineTextBlock::before{content:'';margin-bottom:-0.1366em;display:block;}.css-9aijm8-HeadlineTextBlock::after{content:'';margin-top:-0.2726em;display:block;}.css-9aijm8-HeadlineTextBlock >*{display:inline-block;}.css-9aijm8-HeadlineTextBlock style[data-emotion]{display:none;} Powell Hopes the Fed Hasn’t Waited Too Long to Cut Rates How fast and how far rates stand to decrease will depend on the economy that the Fed is responding to: Is it merely normalizing interest rates in a soft landing, or cutting to rescue it from a recession? 6 hours ago Powell’s Speech Shifts Focus to What’s Happening in the Job Market Megan Leonhardt Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell spent quality time in his Jackson Hole speech on Friday outlining how the labor market is cooling off while laying the groundwork for cutting interest rates. Powell specifically called out labor conditions 27 times, indicating a shifting focus for the Federal Open Market Committee, which has been obsessed with inflation over the past two years. By contrast, Powell only referenced the labor market about 19 times in last year’s Jackson Hole address. “Chairman Powell focused on the fragilities of the labor market and is preparing markets for the new phase for policy,” wrote Jeff Roach, LPL Financial’s chief economist. Despite this week’s data revisions that showed weaker job growth in the beginning of the year than initially reported, Powell’s speech indicated that there doesn't seem to be a serious concern among Fed officials about an imminent recession and a wave of job losses. Those would be the sorts of concerns that could justify rapidly lowering borrowing costs. “Rather it’s about the diminishing threat of elevated wage growth keeping inflation too high,” wrote Brian Coulton, Fitch Ratings' chief economist. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell uttered the magic words that markets wanted to hear today at Jackson Hole: “The time has come for policy to adjust.” But the majority of traders see Fed officials cutting rates by just a quarter percentage point in September. Before Powell started speaking Friday morning, the odds of a September rate cut were at 100%, but there was a split on how much that cut would be, according to the CME FedWatch tool. It showed interest-rate futures were pointing to 73% odds that the Fed will ease by 25 basis points, or a quarter of a percentage point, at the Sept. 17-18 meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. The odds of a 50-basis-point cut were 27.5%. That changed slightly after Powell spoke, with some traders seeing his comments as far more dovish than anticipated. The odds of a 50-basis-point cut rose to 33% in the minutes after his speech started. Still, the odds of a smaller, quarter-point cut were hovering around 68%. Advertisement - Scroll to Continue Cryptocurrencies Stock Picks Barron's Live Barron's Stock Screen Personal Finance Advisor Directory Memberships Subscribe to Barron's Saved Articles Newsletters Video Center Customer Service Customer Center The Wall Street Journal MarketWatch Investor's Business Daily Mansion Global Financial News London Dow Jones Smart Money For Business Corporate Subscriptions For Education Investing in Education For Advertisers Press & Media Inquiries Advertising Subscriber Benefits Manage Notifications Manage Alerts About Barron's Live Events Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Reported speech Reported speech is how we represent the speech of other people or what we ourselves say. There are two main types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech repeats the exact words the person used, or how we remember their words: Barbara said, “I didn’t realise it was midnight.” In indirect speech, the original speaker’s words are changed. Barbara said she hadn’t realised it was midnight . In this example, I becomes she and the verb tense reflects the fact that time has passed since the words were spoken: didn’t realise becomes hadn’t realised . Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words: “I’m sorry,” said Mark. (direct) Mark apologised . (indirect: report of a speech act) In a similar way, we can report what people wrote or thought: ‘I will love you forever,’ he wrote, and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (direct report of what someone wrote) He wrote that he would love her forever , and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (indirect report of what someone wrote) I need a new direction in life , she thought. (direct report of someone’s thoughts) She thought that she needed a new direction in life . (indirect report of someone’s thoughts) Reported speech: direct speech Reported speech: indirect speech Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses Speech reports consist of two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. The reporting clause includes a verb such as say, tell, ask, reply, shout , usually in the past simple, and the reported clause includes what the original speaker said. reporting clause reported clause , , me Reported speech: punctuation Direct speech. In direct speech we usually put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. The words of the original speaker are enclosed in inverted commas, either single (‘…’) or double (“…”). If the reported clause comes first, we put the comma inside the inverted commas: “ I couldn’t sleep last night, ” he said. Rita said, ‘ I don’t need you any more. ’ If the direct speech is a question or exclamation, we use a question mark or exclamation mark, not a comma: ‘Is there a reason for this ? ’ she asked. “I hate you ! ” he shouted. We sometimes use a colon (:) between the reporting clause and the reported clause when the reporting clause is first: The officer replied: ‘It is not possible to see the General. He’s busy.’ Punctuation Indirect speech In indirect speech it is more common for the reporting clause to come first. When the reporting clause is first, we don’t put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. When the reporting clause comes after the reported clause, we use a comma to separate the two parts: She told me they had left her without any money. Not: She told me, they had left her without any money . Nobody had gone in or out during the previous hour, he informed us. We don’t use question marks or exclamation marks in indirect reports of questions and exclamations: He asked me why I was so upset. Not: He asked me why I was so upset? Reported speech: reporting verbs Say and tell. We can use say and tell to report statements in direct speech, but say is more common. We don’t always mention the person being spoken to with say , but if we do mention them, we use a prepositional phrase with to ( to me, to Lorna ): ‘I’ll give you a ring tomorrow,’ she said . ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said to us in a low voice. Not: ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said us in a low voice . With tell , we always mention the person being spoken to; we use an indirect object (underlined): ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told them . Not: ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told . In indirect speech, say and tell are both common as reporting verbs. We don’t use an indirect object with say , but we always use an indirect object (underlined) with tell : He said he was moving to New Zealand. Not: He said me he was moving to New Zealand . He told me he was moving to New Zealand. Not: He told he was moving to New Zealand . We use say , but not tell , to report questions: ‘Are you going now?’ she said . Not: ‘Are you going now?’ she told me . We use say , not tell , to report greetings, congratulations and other wishes: ‘Happy birthday!’ she said . Not: Happy birthday!’ she told me . Everyone said good luck to me as I went into the interview. Not: Everyone told me good luck … Say or tell ? Other reporting verbs (= ) The reporting verbs in this list are more common in indirect reports, in both speaking and writing: Simon admitted that he had forgotten to email Andrea. Louis always maintains that there is royal blood in his family. The builder pointed out that the roof was in very poor condition. Most of the verbs in the list are used in direct speech reports in written texts such as novels and newspaper reports. In ordinary conversation, we don’t use them in direct speech. The reporting clause usually comes second, but can sometimes come first: ‘Who is that person?’ she asked . ‘It was my fault,’ he confessed . ‘There is no cause for alarm,’ the Minister insisted . 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Add ${headword} to one of your lists below, or create a new one. {{message}} Something went wrong. There was a problem sending your report. RFK Jr. is planning to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and endorse Trump Robert F. Kennedy Jr. intends to end his independent presidential campaign and endorse former President Donald Trump, according to two sources familiar with the plans. The sources cautioned that talks are ongoing but said there will be clarity by the end of the week. One of the sources said the campaigns are working toward a joint appearance. The decision to drop out will end the most prominent third-party candidacy in the race. Kennedy announced Wednesday that he will give a campaign speech addressing “his path forward,” days after his running mate said the campaign faced a choice about staying in the election or dropping out to back Trump . Kennedy’s campaign announced he will hold the event in Phoenix on Friday. Trump, meanwhile, is also set to host an event on Friday night, in Glendale, a Phoenix suburb.  Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy's running mate, said Tuesday that the ticket is weighing two options. One is to stay in the race and "risk" a Harris-Walz presidency, as she put it in a podcast interview, while the other is to drop out of the race and "join forces" with Trump. Persuading Kennedy to back Trump has been an ongoing project of Trump's eldest son, Donald Jr., former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and wealthy donor Omeed Malik, according to a source familiar with the efforts who requested anonymity to divulge internal campaign deliberations. The three men have worked behind the scenes in meetings and calls with both principals to negotiate Kennedy’s exit and endorsement, the source said. Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, said in an interview Wednesday that "there's been a lot of communication back and forth" between Kennedy and his campaign. "I haven’t spoken to RFK personally, but I know there’s been a lot of communication back and forth between RFK, between the campaign, between this campaign," Vance said. "Look, our argument to RFK, and I’ll make it right now, because, of course, he hasn’t dropped out yet, is, look: If you want a Democratic Party that protected American workers and stood for strong borders, maybe disagreed with Republicans on things like tax policy, that party doesn’t exist anymore." Vance also said Trump wouldn't promise a Cabinet position for Kennedy's endorsement. And Tuesday, Trump told CNN that he would be open to Kennedy's joining his administration if he is elected. Asked whether he'd consider putting Kennedy in the administration if he backed him and he won, Trump said, “I probably would." He added, "I like him a lot. I respect him a lot." Mary Beth Cahill, a senior adviser to the Democratic National Committee, slammed Kennedy in a statement: “Desperate men do desperate things. RFK Jr. was recruited by MAGA, funded by MAGA, and parroted MAGA talking points. No one should be shocked if he formalizes his relationship in an attempt to maintain relevance.” Trump and Kennedy met in Milwaukee last month during the Republican convention, which came days after the assassination attempt against Trump. "I know the president's been working hard for that, but it's completely separate from whether RFK gets a Cabinet position," Vance said. "It's about welcoming a lot of those Democrats who feel abandoned by the party of Kamala Harris." Kennedy's presence on the campaign trail has been minimal in recent weeks. He hasn't hosted a public, campaign-sponsored event since early July, and Shanahan hasn't been seen on the trail in months. Kennedy's standing in public polling has slipped, too. The campaign has faced a string of damaging stories, from groping allegations against Kennedy from a former family babysitter to the bizarre story that Kennedy picked up a bear carcass on the side of the road years ago and used it to stage a bicycle accident in New York's Central Park. In a podcast interview , Kennedy didn't specifically deny the groping allegation, which surfaced in a Vanity Fair article in July, saying: "I am not a church boy. I am not running like that. I have said I had a very, very rambunctious youth. I said in my announcement speech that I have so many skeletons in my closet that if they could all vote, I could run for king of the world." "I'm not going to comment on it," he added when asked again about the specific allegation. And he also faces financial troubles. The campaign closed July with almost $3.5 million in debt, according to the most recent campaign finance report. Those documents also show that Shanahan, who has been pouring her own millions into the campaign, received a refund of almost $1 million in July. Kennedy's endeavor for ballot access in all 50 states has also hit a roadblock. He was recently disqualified from the ballot in New York state when a judge ruled that his home address used on signature petitions wasn't his place of residency. Vaughn Hillyard is a correspondent for NBC News.  Dasha Burns is a correspondent for NBC News. Katherine Koretski is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed. Alec Hernández is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed. Everything To Know About Kamala Harris Ahead Of Her DNC Speech Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Vice President Kamala Harris has reignited energy in the Democratic Party after stepping in to replace President Joe Biden as the presidential nominee, and she is set to take the stage Thursday night in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention to formally accept the party’s nomination. Vice President Kamala Harris holds a campaign event that is her seventh visit to North Carolina this ... [+] year and 15th trip to the state since taking office in Fayetteville NC, North Carolina, United States on July 18, 2024. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images) Harris formally took over for Biden about one month ago after he ended his reelection bid on July 21, saying he believes “it is in the best interest of my party and the country to stand down.” Before she served as Biden’s vice president, Harris spent nearly 30 years as a prosecutor in California, including as the state’s attorney general, and was elected to the Senate in 2016. Harris will likely take the stage toward the end of the DNC programming Thursday, which is scheduled until 11 p.m. EDT but has run behind on earlier nights. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . What Has Biden Said About Harris? Almost immediately after he left the race, Biden endorsed Harris as his replacement. In a statement, he said choosing Harris as his running mate in 2020 was the “best decision I’ve made” and said he offers his “full support.” Speaking at the DNC on Monday, Biden said Harris is “tough. She’s experienced. And she has enormous integrity,” adding she understands “this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities, not just for the few of us, but for all of us.” Who Is Her Running Mate, Tim Walz? Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was announced as Harris’ running mate on Aug. 6, and at the time Harris praised his “convictions on fighting for middle class families” and said what impressed her most was his “deep commitment to his family.” Walz was elected as governor of Minnesota in 2018 and won reelection in 2022, and served in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019. He entered the Army National Guard when he was 17, then graduated college from Chadron State College in 1989 and began his career as a high school teacher and football coach in Nebraska. Walz and his wife, Gwen Walz, moved from Nebraska to Minnesota in 1996 and he taught there until he was elected to the House. Walz beat out a number of other finalists for Harris’ running mate, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and was appealing to some in part because of his reputation as a working-class politician with a rural background. What Is Kamala Harris’ Family Background? Harris was born in Oakland, Calif., to Shyamala Gopalan, originally from southern India, and Donald Harris, who is from Jamaica, making Harris the first vice president of Black or South Asian descent. Both her parents are graduates of the University of California, Berkeley, and divorced when Harris and her younger sister, Maya, were children. Gapalan worked as a breast cancer research scientist, and Donald Harris was an economics professor at Stanford University. Harris’ mother died in 2009 at the age of 71; her father is 85. Who Is Doug Emhoff? Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff married Harris in 2014, and Harris became stepmother to his two children from a previous marriage: Cole Emhoff, 30, and Ella Emhoff, 25. When Biden and Harris won in 2020, Emhoff became the first second gentleman in the country’s history, and the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president. He was an entertainment lawyer—though he stopped working in the industry when Harris ran with Biden—and has advocated for women’s rights and supporting mental health resources, along with working to bring attention to antisemitism, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. How Rich Is Kamala Harris? We estimate Harris and Emhoff are worth about $8 million. The couple’s net worth is largely made up of the money Emhoff earned as a lawyer (more than $1 million a year), sales from books Harris published before taking office and their real estate assets, including a multi-million dollar home in Los Angeles. How Has Trump Criticized Harris So Far? Trump has tried to focus his recent attacks on Harris on her work on immigration and her economic policies. He has criticized her work as the so-called border czar, saying she “failed” and did a “ horrible job she did at the Border.” Trump has also accused Harris of not being tough on crime, warning she would try to “defund the police,” ABC News reported. Trump has blamed Harris for inflation, too, saying she put a “Kamala Harris inflation tax” on average Americans and if he’s reelected he would lower the cost of consumer goods, The New York Times reported. Trump has also launched continuous personal attacks on Harris, telling crowds “she is crazy … she’s nuts” and criticizing her laugh. How Does Harris Poll Against Trump? In her month as the presumptive Democratic nominee, Harris has erased the increasingly large lead Trump was growing over Biden. In one poll taken Aug. 17-20 and released Wednesday, Harris had a three-point advantage over Trump nationally (46%-43%), which was similar to her 46%-44% lead about a week earlier . Harris is averaging a 3.4-point lead on Trump nationally, according to FiveThirtyEight as of Thursday evening. What Is Obama’s Relationship With Harris? Harris and former President Barack Obama have known each other for 20 years and have supported each other throughout their various political campaigns. They met in 2004 when Harris was district attorney in San Francisco and Obama was a state legislator representing Chicago, and four years later Harris endorsed Obama in his primary race and reportedly volunteered for his campaign. Throughout their time holding various offices, the pair stayed in touch and Obama described Harris as “a dear, dear friend” when he endorsed her to be California’s attorney general in 2010. Obama endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020, and endorsed Harris for president shortly after she took over for Biden in July. Speaking at the DNC on Tuesday night, Obama said Harris is someone who “has spent her entire life trying to give people the same chances America gave her, someone who sees you and hears you and will get up every single day and fight for you.” Who Has Endorsed Harris? A number of politicians and celebrities have endorsed Harris in the month since she has taken over the nomination. Billionaires like LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Mark Cuban and philanthropist Melinda French Gates have lined up behind Harris, with French Gates saying Harris is the “right candidate, right now.” Celebrities including Charli XCX—whose “brat” imagery Harris’ campaign has used heavily—George Clooney, Olivia Rodrigo and Nick Offerman have also offered Harris support. What Is Her Record As A Senator? In 2016, she became the second Black woman in history to be elected to the Senate. Harris played a high-profile role on the Senate Judiciary Committee questioning Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, including Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She co-sponsored legislation to expand abortion rights, introduced a bill that would have provided a tax credit to middle- and low-income families and co-sponsored legislation in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd that would have made it easier to prosecute police officers accused of misconduct. What Is Her Record As A Prosecutor? Harris served as San Francisco district attorney from 2004-2010 and as California attorney general from 2011-2017. In her 2009 book “Smart On Crime,” Harris endorsed diversion programs for first-time offenders but also called for more police on the streets. Progressives have accused her of not doing enough to investigate police misconduct and have pointed to the nearly 2,000 convictions for marijuana-related offenses that she oversaw during her time as attorney general. Harris’ views on criminal justice have evolved, however. She backed drug decriminalization legislation during her time in the Senate and she declared “nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed” when Biden pardoned thousands of people convicted of federal marijuana possession in 2022. What Happened In Her 2020 Campaign For President? Harris ran for the Democratic nomination but dropped out before the primaries began, citing a lack of fundraising. She was briefly viewed as a top contender in the race, but she faced a series of setbacks, including low polling numbers, criticism from progressives about her record as a prosecutor and reports of operational problems within her campaign. Further Reading Biden Drops Out Of 2024 Race—Here’s What Happens Next (Forbes) Kamala Harris Confirms She's Running For President—After Biden's Crucial Endorsement (Forbes) These Top Democrats Are Endorsing Kamala Harris As She Runs To Replace Biden (Forbes) Kamala Harris’ Running Mate: Here’s Who Could Be Her VP After Biden Drops Out And Endorses Her (Forbes) Editorial Standards Reprints & Permissions Join The Conversation One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.  Forbes Community Guidelines Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space. 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Stay on topic and share your insights Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view. Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service. 2024 Elections ‘Is She Talking About Me?’: Donald Trump’s Commentary on Kamala Harris’ DNC Speech M illions of people across the U.S. and world listened keenly on Thursday to Vice President Kamala Harris , as she spoke on perhaps the biggest stage of her presidential campaign that began just a month ago. But perhaps no one was as glued to the speech capping the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as Harris’ Republican opponent, Donald Trump , who offered his blow-by-blow live reaction on social media and instant reaction on TV. “IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ME?” the former President posted on his platform Truth Social, as Harris warned of the dangers of another Trump presidency, accusing him of election fraud and inciting the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump nitpicked at Harris’ script and delivery: “Too many ‘Thank yous,’ too rapidly said, what’s going on with her?” he posted as she took the stage. “A lot of talk about childhood, we’ve got to get to the Border, Inflation, and Crime!” he wrote in another post , one of more than 30 posted between the start and end of Harris’ 40-minute speech . And immediately after Harris finished, Trump called in to conservative channels Fox News and Newsmax to offer his takes. “I personally thought it was a terrible speech. It was very nonspecific. It was also very short. She just wanted to get off the stage, because her ideas are bad,” he told Newsmax. (Trump’s own Republican National Convention speech last month , at over 90 minutes, was criticized by observers for running so long.) He also rattled off a list of topics he said he was disappointed Harris didn’t mention (including some that she did)—interest rates, China, fracking, crime, poverty, housing, the trade deficit, trafficking, the border—before saying on Fox, with the only compliment he seemed able to muster, “other than that, it was a nice-looking room.” Both in his simultaneous posts and his post-speech cable news debriefs, Trump offered a number of policy-related rebukes of Harris’ remarks—though he wasn’t always truthful in his assessments. Here’s what to know about the things Trump said about what Harris said. On the border What Harris said: If elected President, Harris said she would bring back the bipartisan border security bill that didn’t pass earlier this year. “[President] Joe [Biden] and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades,” she said. “But Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign, so he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal. Well, I refuse to play politics with our security.” What Trump said: “The Border Bill is one of the worst ever written, would have allowed millions of people into our Country, and it’s only a political ploy by her! It legalizes Illegal Immigration, and is a TOTAL DISASTER, WEAK AND INEFFECTIVE! She doesn’t need a Bill. As President, Crooked Joe and her could have just said, ‘CLOSE THE BORDER!’ like I did – I didn’t have a Bill, I didn’t need a Bill. The Border Patrol respected me, they did their job. We had the Safest Border in Recorded History!” he posted . And in apparent reaction to Harris saying she would seek to revive the bill, he added : “She just called to give all Illegals CITIZENSHIP, SAY GOODBYE TO THE U.S.A.! SHE IS A RADICAL MARXIST!” Trump offered similar remarks again on TV, saying that the bipartisan bill was “horrible” and that the Biden-Harris Administration “doesn’t need” legislation to “close the border,” which it could do “right now,” like he says he did during his administration. Trump also blamed Harris, whom he called “the border czar,” for letting in migrants who he said are being “put on Social Security and Medicare” and “killing and maiming lots of people.” The reality and context: Migrant crime, as a point of fear mongering, has been statistically shown to be a “ myth .” And on the notion of migrants straining Social Security and Medicare, something Trump has repeated, the Washington Post ’s fact checker gave that “ four pinocchios ”—undocumented immigrants actually improve the status of those federal welfare programs by paying taxes without receiving benefits. Similarly, the Post’ s fact checker has said that the claim that the Biden-Harris Administration could “close the border” without legislation is dubious : Trump used executive orders to effectively close the border during the COVID-19 pandemic and to try to restrict immigration throughout his Administration, but courts repeatedly found that “he was overstepping the law—which suggests a new law might be necessary,” according to the Post . The bipartisan border security bill that Trump described as “ineffective” and “horrible” was endorsed by the border patrol officer union, the Chamber of Commerce, and the typically conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board, before it was killed by Senate Republicans at Trump’s urging . As for the moniker of “border czar” that Trump has applied to Harris, the reality of her role addressing root causes of migration flows was more complicated . On reproductive rights What Harris said: Harris called Trump and his Republican allies “out of their minds” for working against reproductive freedoms. “As a part of his agenda, he and his allies will limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban with or without Congress. And … he plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions,” she said. What Trump said: “Everybody, Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, and Conservatives, wanted Roe v. Wade TERMINATED, and brought back to the States. Like Ronald Reagan and myself, most believe in EXCEPTIONS. Now the people are voting, which is the way it was supposed to be. I do not limit access to birth control or I.V.F. - THAT IS A LIE, these are all false stories that she’s making up, that I’ve never even heard of. It’s just words coming out of her mouth,” he posted . In his interview on Newsmax, Trump said he had “never even heard” of plans to have an anti-abortion coordinator. As for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade , Trump reiterated that his administration simply did what people “wanted us to do” and that “people are happy” that abortion rights are out of the federal domain and deferred to the states.  The reality and context: While the Supreme Court’s 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade was broadly unpopular , Trump has not explicitly endorsed the policies Harris listed. He has declined to endorse a nationwide ban on abortion, saying that the decision must be left to the states. As for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), Trump said earlier this year, “The Republican Party should always be on the side of the miracle of life … IVF is an important part of that.” He has also said that he “will never advocate imposing restrictions on birth control, or other contraceptives,” despite some Republican allies pushing for such measures. It’s unclear what the source is of Harris’ claim of a “national anti-abortion coordinator.” On foreign policy What Harris said: Harris said that she “will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself” while also calling for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. She recalled how she was tasked with warning Zelensky of a Russian invasion in 2022, and claimed that Trump “threatened to abandon NATO” and “encouraged Putin to invade our allies.” She also slammed Trump’s friendliness with controversial authoritarian leaders. “I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un who are rooting for Trump,” she said. “They know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable, because he wants to be an autocrat himself.” What Trump said: “She stands for Incompetence and Weakness – Our Country is being laughed at all over the World!” Trump posted . “The Tyrants are laughing at her, she’s weak and ineffective, and for three and a half years she has done nothing except enabled them to get STRONG, RICH, and POWERFUL!” he said in another post . He also declared that Harris “ HATES ISRAEL ” and “wouldn’t even show up to Congress for Netanyahu’s session,” and that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “ would have never started if I were President .”  The reality and context: On the issue of Gaza, Harris has tried to walk a fine line between supporting Israel and calling attention to the humanitarian costs of the war. While Harris did not show up for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address in Congress last month, amid growing division in Washington over Israel’s war in Gaza, she condemned the anti-Israel protests in the capital during Netanyahu’s visit and has maintained the Biden Administration’s position that Israel has a right to defend itself, while facing ongoing criticisms for not standing up more for Palestinians. Harris’ claims that Trump has threatened to abandon NATO and encouraged Russia’s Vladimir Putin to invade allies are true. Trump has also expressed, as recently as last week , admiration for autocrats including North Korea’s Kim Jong Un , China’s Xi Jinping , and Putin , and the New York Times has reported that China and Russia are indeed hopeful of a Trump return to the White House. (Trump has also promised to be a “dictator” on “day one” of a second term, though he later said the comment was only meant to trigger the left .) In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Harris has continuously engaged with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on U.S. support; Trump, meanwhile, has blamed the Biden administration for not being able to deter the invasion in the first place and promised to end the war without specifying how—though he has been publicly critical of Zelensky and complained that the wartime leader’s requests for U.S. support “ never ends .” On Project 2025 What Harris said: “We know what a second Trump term would look like,” Harris said, pointing to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 presidential transition playbook that many Democrats at the DNC have used to attack the former President. “Its sum total is to pull our country back to the past. But America, we are not going back.” What Trump said: “LYING AGAIN ABOUT PROJECT 2025, WHICH SHE KNOWS, AND SO DO ALL DEMOCRATS, THAT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH!” he posted . “I have nothing to do with Project 2025,” Trump told Fox. “I have no idea what it is,” he told Newsmax. The reality and context: Trump and his campaign have been trying to distance themselves from Project 2025 for months, while the Biden-turned-Harris campaign has tried to tie him to it. “I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump said in early July . “Some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.” While the project is technically independent from the official platforms of the Trump campaign and the Republican Party , Project 2025 remains closely associated with what a Trump Administration would likely look like: Among the hundreds of conservatives who came up with its policy proposals are some of Trump’s closest advisors. On the economy What Harris said: Harris shared her experience of growing up in a middle-class household and talked about the importance of having a “strong middle class,” which she identified as a “defining goal” of her presidency. She outlined her vision of creating an “opportunity economy,” in which people from different backgrounds can have a “chance to succeed.” She also pledged to end the country’s housing shortage, protect Social Security and Medicare, and pass a middle-class tax cut. “Now compare that to Donald Trump,” Harris said. “He doesn’t actually fight for the middle class. Instead, he fights for himself and his billionaire friends. And he will give them another round of tax breaks that will add up to $5 trillion to the national debt. And all the while, he intends to enact what, in effect, is a national sales tax—call it, a Trump tax—that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year.” What Trump said: “She’s talking about the Middle Class, but she’s the one who broke the Middle Class, and made it UNSAFE AND UNAFFORDABLE!” Trump posted on Truth Social. He also claimed that houses were more affordable under his presidency and, in response to Harris’ “opportunity economy” pitch, said that he “created Opportunity Zones, the Most Successful Economic Development Policy in years.” During his interview on Fox News, Trump claimed that Harris’ economic policies would send the country into a “depression,” because she was going to “give a tax increase of four to five times what people and companies are paying right now” and “people can’t go to the American Dream and buy a house because they can’t afford the interest rate.” He also accused Harris of not addressing the $35 trillion national debt , which he said was going to start paying off with “liquid gold that we have right under our feet”—a reference to his proposal to tackle economic woes by increasing oil and gas drilling . The reality and context: While Trump has often pitched oil and gas drilling in opposition to Democrats’ push for renewable energy, U.S. crude oil production has actually soared to record levels under the Biden-Harris Administration. And the Opportunity Zones, often cited by Trump as one of his best economic policy achievements, have delivered uneven opportunities to residents of low-income areas, and the program’s effectiveness in alleviating poverty in these neighborhoods is unproven . Trump is right that home affordability is currently at a low point, but economists say his constant harping about inflation under the Biden-Harris Administration is misleading and that his plans could actually worsen the situation. While Harris said his “national sales tax”—a label her campaign has given to his tariffs plan—would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year, an August estimate by the left-leaning think tank Center for American Progress placed the annual burden per household between $2,500 and $3,900, while the Peterson Institute for International Economics’ estimated the cost on middle-income households to be more than $2,600 per year.  As for the national debt, an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, as Republicans have proposed, would add an estimated $4.6 trillion to the national debt, according to a report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Meanwhile, the Brookings Institution reported in May, when Biden was the Democratic candidate, that Biden’s alternative policies would raise about $5 trillion in revenue by 2034. On the state of the race What Harris said: Harris did not address the state of the presidential race during her speech. The most she said on the topic was: “To the delegates and everyone who has put your faith in our campaign—your support is humbling.” What Trump said: In response to a question on Fox News about his strategy to win back the women and minority voters whom the Harris campaign has managed to sway, Trump said: “Now she’s not having success. I’m having success. I’m doing great with the Hispanic voters. I’m doing great with Black men. I’m doing great with women because women want safety.”  “We’re doing very well in the polls, we’re leading in most of the polls,” he said. “And in the swing states, we’re leading in almost every one of them.” And when asked if he was ready to debate Harris on Sept. 10, “given what you’ve heard tonight,” Trump said that he was “ready, willing, and able” to debate and that Harris was the one that had previously turned down an offer to do so. The reality and context: Trump previously had a substantial lead in opinion polling before Biden dropped out of the race last month leading Harris to take over the top of the ticket. But since then, Harris has made significant headway and was leading in polling averages at the start of the convention this week—and is expected to receive even more of a bump after. The question about debate participation has gone back and forth for weeks, with Trump initially reluctant to agree to a debate on ABC News due to feeling the network was biased against him but ultimately accepting its invitation to debate Harris on Sept. 10. Trump has said he is also willing to debate on Fox News and on NBC News, while the Harris campaign has said it will do one more debate other than the one on ABC but without specifying yet which. More Must-Reads from TIME Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar Heman Bekele Is TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits A Battle Over Fertility Law in China The 1 Heart-Health Habit You Should Start When You’re Young Cuddling Might Help You Get Better Sleep The 50 Best Romance Novels to Read Right Now Contact us at [email protected] news analysis ‘I Am the Only Person Stupid Enough to Speak After Michelle Obama’ So said former President Barack Obama after his wife electrified the Democratic National Convention. The delegates loved him, but they really loved her. Former President Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Known as one of the most eloquent orators of the modern era, he had never before faced the challenge he confronted Tuesday night. Credit... Kent Nishimura for The New York Times Supported by Share full article By Peter Baker Reporting from inside the United Center in Chicago Aug. 21, 2024 Whoever set the schedule for the second night of the Democratic National Convention certainly did Barack Obama no favors. As the former president admitted when he took the stage on Tuesday night, “I am the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama.” Not to say that the Democrats gathered in the United Center in Chicago were unappreciative of their onetime favorite son. Mr. Obama delivered the kind of rousing yes-we-can speech that 20 years ago vaulted him from obscurity toward the White House. But following Mrs. Obama? He has demonstrated better judgment. The his-and-hers marquee convention speeches by the 44th president of the United States and the former first lady fired up the partisan crowd. Speaking back-to-back over the course of an hour, the Obamas reminded Democrats of a past era of hope and change while electrifying a convention after a ceremonial roll call nominated Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota for vice president. But while the delegates loved Mr. Obama, they really loved Mrs. Obama . From the minute she entered to Stevie Wonder to the end when she introduced her husband, she had the hall wrapped in her hand. No wonder Mr. Obama did not want to go next. No wonder former President Donald J. Trump over the years has repeatedly expressed a feverish worry that the Democrats would turn to Mrs. Obama as their next nominee in some kind of bizarre conspiratorial plot. From the stage at the United Center on Tuesday, Mrs. Obama eviscerated Mr. Trump as a product of “the affirmative action of generational wealth” who nonetheless enjoyed the “grace of failing forward” while moaning that he was somehow a victim. She described him as a racist and misogynist who exploited fears and lies, a huckster and a hatemonger still playing “the same old con game” on America. “If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third or fourth chance,” she said. “If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. No. We don’t get to change the rules so we always win. If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top.” We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber?  Log in . Want all of The Times?  Subscribe . Advertisement 117 IMAGES How to Use Reported Speech in English Unit 10. Reported speech Reported Speech REPORTED SPEECH: English ESL worksheets pdf & doc Reported Speech: How to Use Reported Speech Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples COMMENTS What is Reported Speech and How to Use It? with Examples Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then. In this example, the pronoun "I" is changed to "she" and the adverb "now" is changed to "then.". 2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here's an example: Reported speech: indirect speech Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary Reported Speech For example: Direct speech: I dislike fried chicken. Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken. Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form. Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting. Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called "backshift.". Here are some examples in different verb tenses: "I want to go home.". She said she wanted to go home. "I 'm reading a good book.". She said she was reading a good book. "I ate pasta for dinner last night.". Reported Speech Watch my reported speech video: Here's how it works: We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence: Direct speech: I like ice cream. Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream. Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL Reported speech: She says she likes dogs. When the reporting verb is in the past tense, you need to change the tense of both the reporting verb and the main verb. Example: Direct speech: I like dogs. Reported speech: She said she liked dogs. The tenses generally move backward as follows: Direct Speech. Reported Speech. Reported Speech in English Indirect speech: She wanted to know whether that was a new restaurant. Verb Tenses in Indirect Reported Speech. It can be tricky to know how to use tenses when reporting indirect speech. Let's break it down, tense by tense. Sometimes, indirect speech "backshifts," or moves one tense further back into the past. The Reported Speech 1. We use direct speech to quote a speaker's exact words. We put their words within quotation marks. We add a reporting verb such as "he said" or "she asked" before or after the quote. Example: He said, "I am happy.". 2. Reported speech is a way of reporting what someone said without using quotation marks. Reported Speech in English Grammar Introduction. In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks, this is known as direct speech, or we can use indirect speech. In indirect speech, we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting ... Reported Speech Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message. Q2. Reported speech Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb. He said he wanted to know about reported speech. I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted. Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could; will changes ... Reported Speech: How to Use Reported Speech Reported statements: use that before the statement and the reporting verb said or told. Reported questions: use reported verbs like asked, requested, or wanted to know and omit the question mark. Remember that the order in reported questions changes. In the case of yes-no questions use whether or if. Reported requests or commands: use to or not ... Reported Speech In English: The Ultimate Guide Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of retelling what someone else has said without repeating their exact words. For example, let's say you have a friend called Jon and one called Mary. Mary has organised a house party and has invited you and Jon. Jon, however, is not feeling well. Indirect speech Exercises: 1 2 3. Indirect speech - reported speech. Exercise 1. Choose the correct form to complete the sentences below. 1 'I work in a bank.' ⇒ He said that he in a bank. 2 'I am working today.' ⇒ She told us she that day. 3 'I've been ill for a couple of weeks.' ⇒ He told me he for a couple of weeks. Direct Speech and Reported Speech Question in reported speech: She wanted to know if I was ready. Punctuation: If the sentence is a statement, end it with a period even if it contains a reported question. Statement containing a reported question: She asked me what I thought of the book. Question containing a reported question: Did she ask what you thought of the book? ... 100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Direct: "I will help you," she promised. Reported: She promised that she would help me. Direct: "You should study harder," he advised. Reported: He advised that I should study harder. Direct: "I didn't take your book," he denied. Reported: He denied taking my book. Direct: "Let's go to the cinema," she suggested. "He Said What?" Top 10 ESL Activities for Reported Speech Reported Speech Card Games. For some students, the best way to learn Reported Speech is by reading the statements they have to report. This is why we often write them on the board. Try these card games instead! For the first game, prepare a set of index card each with a direct speech statement on one side and the indirect statement on the other. Jackson Hole News: Powell's Speech Highlights; Rate Cut News; Jobs and The odds of a 50-basis-point cut rose to 33% in the minutes after his speech started. Still, the odds of a smaller, quarter-point cut were hovering around 68%. View More Reported speech Reported speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary Spanish Reported Speech Direct speech, aka direct style; Indirect speech, aka indirect style; Direct Speech / Estilo directo. Direct speech is very simple. You simply repeat the exact words of the original speaker, quoting them with the help of a reporting verb. So, logically enough, written direct speech is set off by quotation marks (comillas in Spanish). Por ejemplo… What We Know About Kamala Harris's $5 Trillion Tax Plan So Far In a campaign otherwise light on policy specifics, Vice President Kamala Harris this week quietly rolled out her most detailed, far-ranging proposal yet: nearly $5 trillion in tax increases over a ... Kamala Harris weaves her life story into a vision for America as she "We are charting a new way forward, forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class," Harris said in her speech. "Because we know a strong middle class has always been critical to ... RFK Jr. suspends presidential campaign Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Friday that he is suspending his presidential race at a news conference in Phoenix. Ex-Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham says he mocked his Grisham disavowed her former boss in a speech at the Democratic convention, where she endorsed Harris. "I love my country more than my party," she said. RFK Jr. is planning to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to make a campaign speech addressing "his path forward" on Friday, after his running mate mentioned the possibility of dropping out ... Everything To Know About Kamala Harris Ahead Of Her DNC Speech Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines.Text "Alerts" to (201) 335-0739 or sign up ... All eyes on Powell's Jackson Hole speech as new data fuels ... His speech comes at a pivotal time not just for the US economy but for Fed officials as well. Last month, the US unemployment rate unexpectedly jumped to 4.3%, its highest level since October 2021 ... Fact-Checking Trump's Reaction to Kamala Harris' Speech Here's what to know about the things Trump said about what Harris said. On the border What Harris said: If elected President, Harris said she would bring back the bipartisan border security bill ... Barack Obama at DNC: I Am 'Stupid Enough to Speak After Michelle' Mr. Obama needled Mr. Trump in his speech, saying, "Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago." Gov. Roy Cooper DNC speech to address Harris, winning NC The Democratic National Committee gave Gov. Roy Cooper a prime-time speaking role at the party's convention. What he plans to say about Vice President Kamala Harris. assignment homework phd report resume review speech thesis