English Reported Speech: How to Report What Someone Said | 間接引語完整指南

Chinese doesn’t shift verb tenses when reporting speech. English does. That single difference explains why reported speech — called 間接引語 in Chinese — is one of the most frustrating grammar points for Taiwanese learners. Once you understand the backshift rule and the pronoun changes, the whole system clicks into place.

What Is Reported Speech? [間接引語是什麼？]

Reported speech (indirect speech) is how you tell someone what another person said, thought, or asked — without quoting them word-for-word. Direct speech uses the speaker’s exact words inside quotation marks. Reported speech removes the quotes and adjusts the verb tense, pronouns, and time expressions.

Direct speech (直接引語): She said, “I am tired.”

Reported speech (間接引語): She said that she was tired.

Notice three things changed: the present tense “am” became “was”, the pronoun “I” became “she”, and the quotation marks are gone. Those three changes — tense, pronoun, and sometimes time words — are the whole system.

Understanding indirect speech rules opens up a new level of English fluency.

Tense Backshift: The Core Rule [時態後移的規則]

When the reporting verb is in the past (“said”, “told”, “asked”), English shifts the verb in the reported clause one step into the past. This is called tense backshift (時態後移). Here is every shift you need to know:

Practical examples:

• He said, “I work at a bank.” → He said that he worked at a bank.
• She said, “We are eating dinner.” → She said that they were eating dinner.
• He said, “I have finished the report.” → He said that he had finished the report.
• She said, “I will call you.” → She said that she would call me.

Reported speech is essential for retelling conversations at work.

Pronoun and Possessive Changes [代詞人稱的變化]

The second change involves pronouns. When the speaker’s exact words include “I”, “my”, “we”, or “you”, those pronouns shift to match the new speaker’s perspective. This is where students often get confused — there is no one-size-fits-all rule. You have to think about who is speaking and who is being spoken to.

The general logic: first-person pronouns in direct speech (“I”, “my”, “me”, “we”) change to third person (“he/she/his/her/him/they”) when the reporter is different from the original speaker.

• Tom said, “I need more time.” → Tom said that he needed more time.
• Anna said, “My bag is in the car.” → Anna said that her bag was in the car.
• The team said, “We finished the project.” → The team said that they had finished the project.
• She said to me, “You should apply.” → She told me that I should apply.

Notice the last one: “you” can become “I” or “he” or “she” depending on context. Read the situation, not just the rule.

Tense backshift — shifting the tense back by one step — is the heart of reported speech.

Time and Place Expression Changes [時間地點詞的變化]

Direct speech is grounded in the moment — “now”, “here”, “today”. When you report it later, those time anchors no longer apply. English adjusts them too. The British Council’s grammar reference lists these standard shifts:

Example: She said, “I will meet you here tomorrow.” → She said that she would meet me there the following day.

Writing out reported speech sentences is the fastest way to master the rule.

Reported Questions [間接疑問句]

Reported questions follow a different structure from reported statements — and they trip up even intermediate learners. There are two types.

Type 1: Yes/No questions — use “if” or “whether” and switch to statement word order (subject before verb). No question mark at the end.

• He asked, “Are you ready?” → He asked if I was ready.
• She asked, “Do you want coffee?” → She asked whether I wanted coffee.

Type 2: Wh- questions — keep the question word (who, what, where, when, why, how), then use statement word order. No auxiliary verb inversion.

• He asked, “Where do you live?” → He asked where I lived.
• She asked, “What time does the meeting start?” → She asked what time the meeting started.
• He asked, “Why did you leave early?” → He asked why I had left early.

The most common mistake: keeping the question word order. “He asked where did I live” is wrong. Statement order always: where I lived.

You use reported speech every day without realizing it.

Reported Commands and Requests [間接命令與請求]

Commands and requests don’t use a tense backshift — they use an infinitive structure instead. The pattern is simple:

• Command: tell + someone + to + infinitive
• Request: ask + someone + to + infinitive
• Negative command: tell + someone + not to + infinitive

Examples:

• She said, “Close the door.” → She told him to close the door.
• He said, “Please send me the file.” → He asked her to send him the file.
• She said, “Don’t be late.” → She told them not to be late.

Notice: no tense backshift here. The verb just goes to the infinitive form. Commands are the simplest type of reported speech to learn — and one of the most useful in the workplace (間接命令句在職場英文中很常用).

A clear explanation of pronoun and tense changes makes reported speech click.

When You Don’t Need to Backshift [不必後移的例外情況]

The backshift rule is not absolute. Three situations let you skip it:

1. General truths and facts — if something is always true, the present tense stays present.

• The teacher told us that water boils at 100°C. (not “boiled”)
• He mentioned that Taiwan is in East Asia. (not “was”)

2. Reporting immediately — if you’re reporting something said moments ago in the same context, native speakers often keep the original tense.

• A: “I want the blue one.” B (turning to the shopkeeper): She says she wants the blue one.

3. Modal verbs that don’t change — “would”, “could”, “should”, “might”, and “ought to” stay the same in reported speech because they are already past-form modals.

• She said, “You should apply.” → She said I should apply. (no change)
• He said, “I might come.” → He said he might come. (no change)

Self-study with clear examples is effective for mastering reported speech.

10 Practice Sentences [練習例句]

Test your understanding with these. Each one covers a different rule — tense backshift, pronouns, questions, or commands. Answers are in the collapsed text below each one.

1. “I am working on the report now.” → She said that she _____ on the report _____ .
2. “We have already eaten.” → They told us that they _____ already _____ .
3. “Will you help me?” → He asked if I _____ help him.
4. “Where did you buy that?” → She asked _____ I _____ bought that.
5. “Don’t use your phone in class.” → The teacher told them _____ their phones in class.
6. “I can finish it tomorrow.” → She said she _____ finish it _____ .
7. “The shop closes at 9.” → He told me that the shop _____ at 9.
8. “Please send the invoice.” → She asked him _____ the invoice.
9. “Why are you leaving?” → He asked me _____ I _____ leaving.
10. “I must submit this today.” → She said she _____ submit it _____ .

Answer key: 1) was working / then   2) had / eaten   3) would   4) where / had   5) not to use   6) could / the following day   7) closed   8) to send   9) why / was   10) had to / that day

For more grammar foundations, see our guides on Conditional Sentences (英文條件句) and English Linking Words and Transitions (英文連接詞). Both give you the structural tools to write more complex English sentences with confidence. And if you want to expand your vocabulary alongside your grammar, check out Quantifiers in English (英文數量詞) — another area where Chinese and English logic diverge.

Sources

1. British Council — Reported Speech: Statements and Questions — Comprehensive grammar reference for B1–B2 learners, including tense backshift tables and pronoun changes.
2. Cambridge Dictionary — Reported Speech (Indirect Speech) — Authoritative grammar guide covering all categories of reported speech with examples.
3. Perfect English Grammar — Reported Speech — Practical explanations with extensive example sentences for each grammar rule.
4. Test-English — Indirect Speech / Reported Speech — B1-level grammar exercises and explanations with a focus on learner errors.