Do you know how to report what somebody else said?

Test what you know

with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.
Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another
person said.
direct speech: 'I love the Toy Story films,' she said.
indirect speech: She said she loved the Toy Story films.

direct speech: 'I worked as a waiter before becoming a chef,' he said.

indirect speech: He said he'd worked as a waiter before becoming a chef.

direct speech: 'I'll phone you tomorrow,' he said.

indirect speech: He said he'd phone me the next day.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar explanation
Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do
this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.
direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel.
indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank.
In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past
(e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called
'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for
example pronouns.

Present simple, present continuous and present

perfect
When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present
continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to
past perfect.
'I travel a lot in my job.'
• Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job.
'The baby's sleeping!'
• He told me the baby was sleeping.
'I've hurt my leg.'
 • She said she'd hurt her leg.

Past simple and past continuous

When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect simple,
and past continuous usually changes to past perfect continuous.
'We lived in China for five years.'
• She told me they'd lived in China for five years.
'It was raining all day.'
• He told me it had been raining all day.

Past perfect
The past perfect doesn't change.
'I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great.'
• He said he'd tried everything without success, but the new
medicine was great.

No backshift
If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always
necessary to change the tense. This might happen when the speaker has
used a present tense.
'I go to the gym next to your house.'
• Jenny told me that she goes to the gym next to my house. I'm
thinking about going with her.
'I'm working in Italy for the next six months.'
• He told me he's working in Italy for the next six months. Maybe I
should visit him!
'I've broken my arm!'
• She said she's broken her arm, so she won't be at work this week.

Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time

and place
Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech.
'I enjoy working in my garden,' said Bob.
 • Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden.
'We played tennis for our school,' said Alina.
• Alina told me they'd played tennis for their school.
However, if you are the person or one of the people who spoke, then the
pronouns don't change.
'I'm working on my thesis,' I said.
• I told her that I was working on my thesis.
'We want our jobs back!' we said.
• We said that we wanted our jobs back.
We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place if they are
no longer accurate.
'This is my house.'
• He said this was his house. [You are currently in front of the house.]
• He said that was his house. [You are not currently in front of the
house.]
'We like it here.'
• She told me they like it here. [You are currently in the place they
like.]
• She told me they like it there. [You are not in the place they like.]
'I'm planning to do it today.'
• She told me she's planning to do it today. [It is currently still the
same day.]
• She told me she was planning to do it that day. [It is not the same
day any more.]
In the same way, these changes to those, now changes to then, yesterday
changes to the day before, tomorrow changes to the next/following day and
ago changes to before.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
Reported speech

Grammar > Using English > Reported speech > Reported speech
from English Grammar Today
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)

See also:

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

William said, “I need your help.”

Then a man shouted, “Get out of there, fast!”

The postman said he had a package for us.

Clarissa told me she’s thinking of moving to Canada.

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.’

Reported speech

Grammar > Using English > Reported speech > Reported speech
from English Grammar Today
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)

See also:

 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

William said, “I need your help.”

Then a man shouted, “Get out of there, fast!”

The postman said he had a package for us.

Clarissa told me she’s thinking of moving to Canada.

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.’

See also:

 Punctuation

Indirect speech
Warning:
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.

Warning:
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?

See also:

 Punctuation

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 …

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/ English Grammar / Rules of Using Articles with Examples

Rules of Using Articles with Examples

(5/5, 252 votes)

Definite article or Indefinite article, each of the articles has

different uses in different situations.

Using Indefinite Article: a & an

Rule 1:
A common noun in the singular number always requires an
article before it. But a plural common noun does not require an
article always. A plural common noun can have the article ‘the’
if we want to particularise that noun.
Example:
 I saw a snake. (Refers to a random snake)
 I saw snakes in a zoo. (No article is required)
 I have seen the snake again. (Refers to the snake I have
already seen earlier)
 I have seen the snakes again before leaving the zoo.
(Refers to the particular snakes of the zoo which I saw
earlier.)
Rule 2:
The choice between the two indefinite articles – a & an – is
determined by sound. Words beginning with consonant sounds
precede ‘a’ and words beginning with vowel sounds precede
‘an’. There are some special cases also. For instance,
 a university, a union, a useful book, etc.
 a one-dollar note, a one-man army, etc.
 an MA, a BA, an LLB, a BSC, etc.
Rule 3:
A or an - sometimes makes a Proper Noun a Common Noun.
Proper nouns generally do not take any articles, but when a
proper noun needs to be used as a common noun, you must
bring a or an - for it.
Example:
 He thinks he is a Shakespeare. (Here, ‘Shakespeare’ does
not refer to the actual person but someone like him.)
 He seems to be an Australian. (‘Australia’ is a proper
noun but ‘Australian’ is a common noun because there is
only one Australia but a million of Australians.)
Rule 4:
Sometimes indefinite articles are used to refer the number
‘one’/’each’/’per’.
Example:
 I earned a thousand dollar in that job. (One thousand
dollar)
 I have a car. (One car)
 It goes 50 miles an hour. (Per Hour)
Rule 5:
Indefinite articles often precede descriptive adjectives.
Example:
 He is a good boy.
 What a nice car!
Rule 6:
‘A’ sometimes comes before determiners, for example, a few,
a little, a lot of, a most, etc. but in the case of many, a or an -
comes after.
Example:
 I have a few friends coming over.
 There is a little milk in the jar.
 Many a fan welcomed
Using Definite Article: the
Rule 1:
‘The’ is used to indicate a particular person(s) or thing(s) in the
case of common nouns. Proper nouns generally do not take an
article.
Example:
 The man is running. (A particular man)
 I saw the boy stealing.
  Where is the pen I gave you last year?
 I gave him a ball, but he lost the ball. (‘a ball’ became
‘the ball’ in the second clause because that ball was not a
random ball anymore.)
Rule 2:
Sometimes ‘the’ is used to generalize a group/whole class.
Example:
 The dog is a faithful animal. (Refers to the whole species
of dog.)
 The English are industrious. (Refers to the people of
England as a nation)
 The honest are respected. (The+adjectives = plural
noun)
 The poor are not always dishonest. (The+adjectives =
plural noun)
Rule 3:
To particularise a non-count noun ‘the’ is required before it.
Example:
 The water of the Arctic ocean is freezing.
 Please return the money I lent you last year.
Rule 4:
‘The’ is mandatory before a thing which is only one of a kind in
the universe.
Example:
 The moon is shining tonight.
 The earth is moving around the sun.

Use of ‘the’ before geographical places :

Rule 5:
Using ‘the’ with geographical nouns generally depends on the
size and plurality of the things those nouns refer to. ‘The’ is
generally used everywhere except some cases. So, it’s better
to know those exceptions first.
‘The’ must not precede:
 Names of continents: Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa,
South America, North America, Antarctica.
 Names of countries: Australia, Bolivia, England, France,
Spain, etc.
 Names of states, cities, or towns: Los Angeles, Alaska,
Sydney, London,
 Names of streets: George street, Albion Street, New town
street,
 Names of singular lakes and bays: Lake Carey, Lake
Eyre, Lake Hillier, Shark Bay,
 Names of single mountains: Mount Everest, Mount
Solitary, Mount Bindo, Mount Fuji, etc.
 Names of single islands: Easter Island, Bare Island, Bird
Island, Fatima Island,
 Names of languages: Spanish, Russian, English, (When
‘the’ precedes these nouns, they refer to the population of
those languages.)
 Names of sports: cricket, football, basketball,
 Names of discipline/subject of studies: biology, history,
computer science,mathematics,
Note:
‘The’ is a widely used article in English. Except for the list
mentioned above and proper nouns, ‘the’ is used before almost
all the nouns which mean something definite/particular. The
above list has some opposite factors also. Those factors are
explained in the following list:
‘The’ must precede:
  Names of oceans, gulfs, seas, and rivers: the Pacific, the
Atlantic, the Coral Sea, the Timor Sea, the Persian Gulf,the
Nile, the Murray River, the Darling River, etc.
 Names of countries with united states or islands: the
United States of America (the USA), the UK, the UAE, the
Philippines, etc.
 Names of great lakes: the Great Lakes, the African Great
Lakes
 Names of mountain ranges: the Himalayas, the Alps, the
Andes, etc.
 Names of a group of Islands: the West Indies, the
Andamans, etc.
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