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Reported (Indirect) Speech

Reported speech is a way of telling someone what another person said, without using their exact words.

B1Sentence Structure

What is Reported Speech?

Reported speech is a way to tell someone what another person said, without using their exact words.

  • The formation pattern often involves was/were + said to show someone's words were spoken in the past.
  • We usually change the verb tense, for example from will to would to show the reported speech happened before.
  • We also often change the pronouns, like from I to he/she/it, to show who is being reported.

When Do We Use Reported Speech?

  • We use reported speech to tell someone what another person said, without using their exact words, so the listener doesn't get confused about who's speaking.
  • We use it to summarize or shorten what someone said, so we don't have to repeat every single word they said.
  • We use reported speech to distance ourselves from what the original speaker said, which can be useful if we don't agree with them.
  • We use it to make our speech more formal or polite, especially when talking about what important people said.

Examples of Reported Speech

  • She said she was happy.
  • They told me they would be late.
  • He said he had never seen that movie before.
  • The teacher told us we had to finish the homework by Friday.
  • My mom said she didn't like that restaurant.
  • The manager said the store would be closed on Monday.

Common Mistakes in Reported Speech

  • Wrong: He say he going to the store.. Correct: He said he was going to the store.
  • Wrong: She tell me she like ice cream.. Correct: She told me she liked ice cream.
  • Wrong: The teacher say we do the homework tonight.. Correct: The teacher said we had to do the homework tonight.

A Quick Tip for Remembered Speech

To remember how to form reported speech, try practicing changing verb tenses and pronouns in your own conversations, like changing 'I will' to 'he would'.

Quick check
He said he _____ her the day before.

Where this matters in your exam

In IELTS, reported speech is often tested in the listening and reading sections, and is a key grammar point in writing task 2, where you may need to quote or reference other people's opinions or ideas. You will also need it in the speaking section to talk about what people said.

  • Writing Task 2

    You may need to report what other people think about a topic you're discussing.

  • Listening Section 2

    You may hear a conversation and need to report what the speakers said.