he said i write a letter indirect speech

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Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )

The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )

He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

Reporting wh -questions

Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who , whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )

He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )

She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When , where , why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :

I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Questions: wh- questions

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )

We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )

He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )

The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors.

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .

Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?

Word of the Day

be up to your eyeballs in something

to be very busy with something

Binding, nailing, and gluing: talking about fastening things together

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Indirect Speech

Introduction.

Communicating effectively requires us to master a variety of grammatical rules. One such critical element is the appropriate use of ‘Indirect Speech’, also known as reported speech. Indirect speech allows us to convey what another person has said without quoting them directly.

Table of Contents

What is Indirect Speech?

Indirect Speech is a way of expressing the words or utterances of a speaker in a reported manner. In contrast to direct speech, where the original speaker’s words are quoted verbatim, indirect speech is more about reporting the essence or meaning of what the speaker said rather than quoting them exactly.

For example:

Direct Speech: Lisa said, “I am going shopping.”

Indirect Speech: Lisa said that she was going shopping.

Changes in Verb Tenses

Tense shifts.

When you transform sentences from direct to indirect speech, the verb tenses typically shift back a step in time. This phenomenon is often referred to as ‘sequence of tenses’ or ‘backshift’. However, the backshift is not applied if the spoken words still apply at the time of reporting or the words express a universal truth.

Here are the typical conversions:

• Present Simple changes to Past Simple. E.g., “I like pizza” becomes “She said that she liked pizza.”
• Present Continuous changes to Past Continuous. E.g., “I am eating pizza” becomes “She said that she was eating pizza.”
• Will changes to would. E.g., “I will go” becomes “He said that he would go.”
• Past Simple changes to Past Perfect. E.g., “I ate lunch” becomes “She said that she had eaten lunch.”

Exceptions to Tense Shifts

There are exceptions to these rules, such as when the direct speech element is a universal truth or a fact. Consider the below examples:

• John said, “The sun rises in the east” becomes “John said that the sun rises in the east.”
• She said, “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius” becomes “She said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.”

Changes in Pronouns and Time Expressions

Pronoun changes.

When changing from direct to indirect speech, it’s often necessary to modify the pronouns to match the speaker and listener’s point of view. For example:

• “I love you,” he said. (Direct)
• He said he loved me. (Indirect)

Time Expression Changes

Time expressions often undergo necessary modifications when moving from direct to indirect speech. Here are some examples:

• “Today” becomes “That day.”
• “Now” becomes “Then.”
• “Tomorrow” becomes “The next day” or “the following day.”
• “Next week” becomes “The following week.”

Indirect Commands and Requests

We can also convey commands and requests indirectly. For indirect commands, we use “to” + base verb and for indirect requests we use “if” or “whether” + subject + could/would, followed by the base verb.

• Direct: “Close the window!” – Indirect: He told me to close the window.
• Direct: “Can you lend me the book?” – Indirect: She asked if I could lend her the book.

Indirect Questions

When posing indirect questions, we need to ensure that the word order follows the structure of a standard statement, rather than a direct question.

Direct: “Where are you going?” – Indirect: He asked me where I was going.

Mastering indirect speech is essential but can be challenging because of the need to adjust verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions. However, with practice, it becomes easier, and steadily, you find yourself communicating more effectively and efficiently, especially in formal and written contexts. Keep practicing, and soon converting direct speech to indirect speech will become second nature.

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Reported Speech

Perfect english grammar.

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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Mastering Indirect Speech: An In-depth Guide to Reported Speech in English Grammar

Ever found yourself lost in a conversation because it’s filled with “he said” and “she said”? That’s indirect speech, and it’s more common than you’d think. It’s a key component of English grammar, used to relay or report what someone else has said without quoting them directly.

Understanding indirect speech isn’t just about acing your English exam, it’s also about enhancing your communication skills. Whether you’re writing a novel, drafting a business email, or just having a casual chat, mastering indirect speech can take your communication to the next level. So, let’s dive in and decipher the ins and outs of indirect speech.

What is Indirect Speech?

In the realm of English grammar, indirect speech is nothing short of a fascinating concept. First, let’s break down what it truly is: indirect speech (also known as reported speech) helps you to narrate someone else’s words – but with a twist. Instead of quoting them verbatim, you interpret or ‘report’ their statement in your own words.

One classic example showcasing indirect speech in action broadens your understanding. Let’s take, “Erin said, ‘I am going home.'” Translating this direct speech into indirect speech, it becomes, “Erin said that she was going home.”

Delving further, you notice indirect speech isn’t bound just within the territories of statements. Yes, you’ll see its presence quite dominantly in questions, orders, requests, and even exclamations!

Some light details to underline:

• With Indirect speech, tense changes are widely observed. Past tense generally replaces the present tense in the report.
• Usage of specific expressions like that, if or whether is prevalent.
• Direct quotes are out of sight. You won’t catch them lurking around in indirect speech.

You’ll find the role of indirect speech isn’t restricted to just the academic sphere. It’s rooted deeply within various aspects of your daily communications. Utilizing it in business emails , weaving it into your casual conversations , and adopting it in formal writing can polish your overall communication game.

Scholars like Higgins and Norton have argued that systematic knowledge of indirect speech helps improve non-native speakers’ English skills.

Table of Indirect Speech Rules:

Ready to dive farther down into this riveting world of grammar? We’ll steer you through key concepts, nuanced understanding, and provide real-world examples of indirect speech in our following sections.

Importance of Indirect Speech

You might wonder: “Why’s indirect speech so important?” Turns out, understanding indirect speech is a key aspect of effective communication . It’s a crucial part of being able to interpret the messages we hear and read every day. You’ll realize that indirect speech is not confined to textbooks or language classes; instead, it’s woven into everyday conversation, literature, business communication and even social media discourse.

Let’s take a closer look.

In Interpersonal Communication: Indirect speech acts as a politeness strategy, it’s a less confrontational way of expressing your thoughts. If you’re wondering whether to say, “Close the window” or “Could you please close the window?” – you’re attempting to choose between direct and indirect speech. This choice can impact how the listener perceives your intent and your relationship with them.

In Literature and Cinema: Indirect speech is extensively used in literature and scripts to develop characters and plot. Your reading or movie-watching experience, as a result, heavily depends on how effectively the author or scriptwriter uses indirect speech.

In Business Communication: Professional settings often demand indirect speech. This is because it allows concepts to be conveyed subtly, which can be crucial when managing relationships, negotiating deals, or discussing sensitive topics.

In Language Acquisition: For non-native English speakers, mastering indirect speech can lead to a deeper understanding of the language and its nuances. It can also enhance their ability to communicate with different groups of people across various scenarios.

Now that you’ve delved into the importance of indirect speech, you’ll have a newfound appreciation for its presence in your daily life. But how do you actually use it? Stay tuned, as the following sections of this article will provide you with the tools you need to effectively use and understand indirect speech.

How Does Indirect Speech Work?

To get a firm grasp on indirect speech, it’s crucial to understand how it works. The process of interpreting or reporting someone else’s words in your own language, rather than quoting them verbatim, involves a few critical steps.

The first thing to remember is tense changes in indirect speech. If the direct speech is in the present tense, the indirect speech switches to the past tense. Similarly, if the direct speech is in the past tense, the indirect speech usually shifts to the past perfect tense. These changes in tense are not arbitrary – they serve to provide a clear context and to establish the timeframe of the reported speech.

Let’s look at an example of this shift in tense:

Direct Speech: “She is eating an apple.” Indirect Speech: “He said that she was eating an apple.”

Moreover, the use of specific expressions like ‘that’ , ‘if’ , or ‘whether’ is common in indirect speech. These conjunctions serve as links, introducing the reported clause.

For instance:

Direct Speech: “Do you like coffee?” Indirect Speech: “She asked me if I liked coffee.”

Another characteristic of indirect speech is the absence of direct quotes. The reporter of the speech does not use quotation marks, further distancing the report from the original expression.

To illustrate:

Direct Speech: “I will travel to Paris next week.” Indirect Speech: “He told me he would travel to Paris the following week.”

Understanding indirect speech can provide a rich and nuanced understanding of language, essential for your skills development. Whether you’re drafting a business email, engaging in a casual conversation, or indulging in formal writing, knowledge of indirect speech can significantly enhance your communication proficiency. Let’s dive deeper into the concept in the following sections.

Reporting Statements in Indirect Speech

One facet of indirect speech you’ll focus on is reporting statements. Remember : you’re not simply parroting someone else’s words verbatim. Instead, you’re rephrasing or interpreting the essence of what they’ve said in your own unique way.

Consider this example. Bob tells Alice,

“I am going to the park”.

Alice tells Charlie,

“Bob said that he was going to the park.”

Notice the shift in the tense from present to past? This change in tense from is to was is typical when you move from direct to indirect speech.

Here are some simple rules to obtain a good grasp on how to report statements in indirect speech:

• In general , when reporting present tense statements, you should shift to the corresponding past tense form.
• For past tense statements, shift to the past perfect tense.
• Present perfect statements usually switch to past perfect.

How about some more insight? Let’s create a markdown table to elaborate it.

Is this clear enough?

Reporting Questions in Indirect Speech

Moving on to the other facet of indirect speech , have you considered how it applies to questions? It is important because, in most conversations, questions are as vital as statements. Similar to reporting statements, questions in indirect speech undergo shifts in pronouns, tense, and the words that introduce them.

Here’s how it works . In direct questions, the verb often comes before the subject, just like in, “Are you going to the party?” However, when transforming this into indirect speech, you’d say, “She asked if you were going to the party.” Notice how the verb ‘are’ becomes ‘were’ and moves after the subject ‘you.’ Moreover, the question mark is removed as the sentence is no longer a question in itself but a report of a question. Here are some rules to guide you:

• “WH” questions: When reporting questions that start with ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘where,’ ‘when,’ ‘why,’ or ‘how,’ use the same ‘WH’ word. For example, “What is your favorite song?” turns into “She asked what your favorite song was.”
• Yes or No questions: Convert these into indirect speech using ‘if’ or ‘whether.’ For instance, “Did you finish your assignment?” becomes “He wanted to know if you had finished your assignment.”

Applying these rules for reporting questions in indirect speech will enrich your conversational skills, equip you to transcribe dialogues, record minutes in meetings, and provide quotes in journalistic writing. This framework solidifies your understanding of English grammar, helping you to communicate more effectively without losing the essence of the original dialogue. The physiology of indirect speech is indeed an essential tool in a broad spectrum of areas – from interpersonal communication to professional writing.

Well, now that you learned the specifics of reporting questions in indirect speech, let’s delve deeper into the shifts of modal verbs in the next section.

You’ve now got a solid grounding in indirect speech. It’s a key aspect of English grammar, allowing you to interpret and report someone else’s words. You’ve seen how tenses shift in reported statements and questions, and how these rules can help in various contexts, from business communication to language learning. You’ve also discovered how understanding indirect speech can enhance your conversational skills, transcription abilities, and journalistic writing. As you move forward, you’ll dive deeper into the nuances of modal verb shifts in indirect speech. So keep practicing, keep learning, and watch your grasp of English grammar strengthen.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is indirect speech.

Indirect speech is a way of reporting someone else’s words in your own words, not quoting them directly. It is commonly used in conversation, transcription, and journalistic writing.

What are the key shifts when converting direct speech to indirect speech?

The main shifts include tense changes from present to past, changes in pronouns, and the modifying of words that introduce the speech.

How should present-tense statements be reported in indirect speech?

Present tense statements are usually reported in indirect speech by shifting to the respective past tense form.

How should past tense statements be reported in indirect speech?

Past tense statements should be reported in indirect speech using the past perfect tense.

Are there special rules for reporting questions in indirect speech?

Yes, reporting questions in indirect speech also involves shifts in pronouns, tense, and introduction words. The rules vary depending on whether it’s a “WH” question or a yes or no question.

Why is understanding indirect speech important?

Understanding indirect speech is vital for effective communication, notably in business environments, language learning, dialog transcription, and journalistic writing.

What are modal verbs in indirect speech?

Modal verbs in indirect speech are auxiliary verbs that express necessity or possibility. Their shift in indirect speech will be detailed in the next section of the article.

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Rules For Direct And Indirect Speech With Examples And Exercises

English grammar has always remained trickier yet interesting to be learned. It is expected that to learn the English language, one must be able to form sentences or learn the other parts of its speech. In the IELTS examination, even 25% of marks are allotted for GRA (Grammatical Range and Accuracy) . So here we come up with another topic of grammar by adding into the collection of some previous grammar topics.

In today’s article, the topic of direct and indirect speech will be discussed in an elaborative way and its rules, examples, along with some exercises will be given.

What is Direct and Indirect Speech?

▶️ direct speech.

The kind of speech where the message of the sender is reported in the exact same words by the receiver of the message. It is also quoted in the quotation marks.

For example:- He said, “I can cook food.”

▶️ Indirect Speech

A kind of speech where the message of the reporter is reported in some other words but of the same meaning. Here, the message is not quoted in speech marks.

For example:- He said that he could cook food.

I. Rules as per Modal Verb Change

• They said, “ We may go to Canada.”

They said that they might go to Canada.

• She said, “I must finish the work on time.”

She said that she had to finish the work on time.

• Michael said, “I ought to avoid junk food.”

Michael said that he ought to avoid junk food.

II. Rules as per Tense Change

• Direct- John said,” I walk.” (simple present)

Indirect- John said that he walked. (Simple past)

• Direct- Mr. Brown said, “My daughter has left for school.” (present perfect)

Indirect- Mr. Brown said that his daughter had left for school. (Past perfect)

• Direct- They told, “we were living in Paris.” (past continuous)

Indirect- They told that they had been living in Paris. (Past perfect continuous tense)

• Direct- Michael told, “he will be watering the plants .” (Future continuous)

Indirect- Michael told that he would be watering the plants. (Conditional continuous)

III. Rules as per Place & Time Change

• She said, “ I saw him today.”

She said that she had seen him that day.

• He said, “I will see him tomorrow.”

He said that he would see him the next day.

IV. Rules as per Pronouns Change

• He said, “I like your new car.”

He told her that he liked her new car.

• He said, “I write a letter.”

He said that he wrote a letter.

V. Direct and Indirect Speech for Interrogative Sentences

1. The conjunction ‘that' is not used in the indirect speech of interrogation sentences.

2. In Indirect sentence of interrogation, the answer is written in positive or assertive form, rather than the question form, and hence, the sentence ends with..

3. Inverted commas are removed in indirect speech.

4. Use verbs such as, ‘ask', ‘inquire' instead of say or tell.

Examples :-

• Jackson said, “ what is John doing?”

Jackson asked that what John was doing.

• Esha said, “ will she come for lunch?”

Esha asked if she would come for lunch.

• He said to me, “do you like coffee?”

He asked me if I liked coffee.

• They said to me, “how is the weather?”

They asked me how the weather was.

VI. Indirect Speech for Exclamatory Sentences

An Exclamatory sentence is a type of sentence that expresses some joy, sorrow, excitement, or any other kind of emotion. Here are some rules for the indirect speech of exclamatory sentences.

· The imperative sentences expresses advice, request or order. So in order to convert it in indirect, some words need to be added like Requested, advised, suggested, ordered, forbade etc.

• The old man said to him, “always speak the truth.”

The old man advised him to always speak the truth.

• He said to me, “please make some tea for me.”

He requested me to make some tea for him.

• There are exclamatory sentences that express joy or wonder so some words like exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with wonder, exclaimed with sorrow will be added.
• She said, “hurrah! I passed the exam.”
• She exclaimed with joy that she had passed the exam.
• She said, oh! I lost my purse.”
• She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her purse.

Take care of the small details of grammar and you will surely be perfect within some time with lots of practice. Hoping that above rules and examples of direct and indirect speech would work well for your practice. Keep working hard.

Best of luck!

Exercises for Competitive Exams

A. direct to indirect speech.

1. Ram said to me, “I am going to Jaipur.”

2. Mohan said to her, “you have completed your work.”

3. Maya said to him, “you can do this work.”

4. “If you don’t keep quiet, I shall shoot you”, she said to him in a calm voice.

5. He said to his father, “please increase my pocket-money.”

6. The boy said, “who dare call you a thief?”

7. She said to him, “why don’t you go today?”

8. Kanwal said, “what a beautiful rainbow it is.”

1. Ram told me that he was going to Jaipur.

2. Mohan told her that she had completed her work.

3. Maya told him that he could do this work.

4. She warned her calmly that she would shoot him if he didn’t keep quiet.

5. He requested his father to increase his pocket money.

6. The boy enquired who dared call him a thief.

7. She asked him why he didn’t go that day.

8. Kanwal exclaimed with wonder that the rainbow was very beautiful.

B. Indirect Speech to Direct Speech

1. She said that her brother was getting married.

2. She exclaimed with sorrow that was a very miserable plight.

3. Dhruv said that he was sick and tired of working in this company.

4. She exclaimed with joy that India had won the Sahara cup.

5. Nita ordered her servant to bring her a cup of tea.

6. She begged me not to go away.

7. She told her that she knew where was everyone.

8. John told me that when he went there, it was raining.

1. She said, “my brother is getting married.”

2. She said, “what a miserable plight it is.”

3. Dhruv said, “I am sick and tired of working in this company.”

4. She said, “hurrah! India has won the Sahara cup.”

5. Nita said to her servant, “Bring me a cup of tea.”

6. “Please don’t go away" , she said.

7. She said to her, “ I know where is everyone.”

8. John said to me, “when you came here, it was raining.”

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Grammar: Reported Speech / Indirect Speech

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270 comments.

I don’t believe God created you to become a teacher. you should change your career immediately without thinking,

I don’t believe God created him at all.

I belive God created him to be a teacher. He is one of the best EngVid teachers.

the god is existed in our world and he rules everything , nothing happens without his order and he creates all of us whether you agree or not

I respect what you said ( Salma 1995) about god is exist in our world. I live in USA and the freedom of religion for every one and society that respects and is open to all beliefs and religions. From childhood, I was indoctrinated that religion is between oneself and God and our home country is for all citizens without discrimination based on religion, color, or nationality. In addition, no one should be compelled to follow any religious doctrine or sect, including those who do not follow my way of life. Self respect is of the greatest values the human could live upon.

but my respond was not for you , it was for engVid

What do you want to say ?? What do you mean by living in USA ?what do you mean by all those big words that you have written such as , Racism,Nationality, Citizens,Freedom of religion,Society and your childhood with human . We are in here to improve our English we are not talking in the United Nations please take it easy MR. Basement 3090 , We must thank all teachers for their good efforts .

LOL! Sorry,mr. Moderator, but I couldn’t help laughing. That’s the famous English sense of humour.

What’s the value added of your comment? If you don’t like it here, no-one forces you to watch the videos. :)

I’m so sorry (Salmma 1995) please accept my apologies. انا احب اهل تونس الخضراء

Firstly, I`m not sure that God exist. Secondly, Ben is a really good teacher. And finally, what`s your problem, man? If U don`t like him, just do not watch his lessons!

Thank you so much . Your lesson is useful for me. My skye is ukrit_2011

Thank you everyone.

Great explanation! Thanks.

Good explanation… %89… :)

I got 7 correct out of 9. I sometimes write like… ex. She said to me that she got a stomachache and would like to be absent from school. Is it OK?

Or should I write like ‘She told me that she got a stomachache and would like to be absent from school’?

Thank you, Benjamin :)

Excuse me, I will try to answer: the second sentence is correct. I remember simple rule: tell–somebody and say–something

Thank you, emo53 :)

to tell + someone +something to say + something + to someone a) she told me a bad news b)he said something funny to me

see you soon, Mr Emo 56

To start with, both forms (said to me that/told me that) are correct. Check out e.g. this page : http://engengenglish.blogspot.sk/2009/11/say-vs-tell.html

However, I see a mistake in both of your sentences.

If her original words were: “I HAVE GOT a stomach ache and I would like to be absent from school.” Then, we need to shift the sentence into Reported Speech as follows: She said that HAD a stomach ache and would like to be absent from school. (we never shift “would”; have got/have(to)/must -> all shift to “HAD (to)”)

If the Reported Speech were “…she got a stomach ache…,” then her original words should have been: “…I get a stomach ache…,” which is incorrect (Present Simple would be understood as a repeated/habitual action)

If her original words were: “I HAD a stomach ache (this morning) and I would like to …” Then, the sentence in Reported Speech would be as follows: “She said (to me) that / She told me that she HAD HAD a stomach ache that morning and would like to…”

Hope this is a bit clear now :)

Cheers, David

it’s helpful!!Thank you David~

Thank you, David :)

No prob guys. I just see that I have a mistake in my previous reply. Sorry about that.

It should be “She said that SHE HAD a stomach ache and would like to be absent from school.”

thanks for website)))

7 out of 9 .

Thanks Ben for this interesting lesson.

I don’t understand why is:Lili told me that she liked chocolate… the right answer(n°7) We don’t konw who is she talking to.

I thought it was the second to last.

89% , Thanks Benjamin … You’re great ,hats off for you

Everyone said thanked Engvid dude.

Thanks, got 89%.

I got 7 out 9. Great lesson! شكرًا جزيلاً

Thanks Benjamin! I got 89%

thax for clearin my doubts

9 out of 9. Thanks Benjamin!!!

thank Benjamin, your lesson is very great! I hope you will have many better lessons than this lesson.

6 Out of 9, I need to improve my listening, But alright, practice makes perfect

Thanks a million!

Thanks very much :D

I got 8 out of 9. Thank you for this lesson !!

Great and lively explanation! Thx

Thanks……I got89%

Thanks Benjamin … amazing lesson :) .. I got it easily

It’s absolutely useful lesson ! Thank you Benjamin :)

That was quite easy :) I don’t know why you have chosen “level 3-Advanced” :) ?

here are the answers I got wrong (first) and the correct one (right below)

Lili told me that she likes chocolate ice cream. Lili told me that she liked chocolate ice cream.

Will: “I enjoyed been a captain.” Will: “I enjoy being a captain.”

What I didn’t get is: what if Lili was saying something I know is still currently true? And couldn’t Will be talking to me about a passed experience? I mean: I got the point of the lesson, but is it true in all situations or it was me thinking too much and giving the correct answer to an option which was not included in this lesson?

The answer with Will is wrong, because of the form “been”.

You have a good question, though. There is debate about this. Some people say that you shouldn’t have to shift the tense back if you know it is still true. And in practice, we often do not shift it back. But if you are being tested on your grammar, it is generally considered correct to shift the tense back, even if you know she still likes chocolate. Why? Because you are talking about what she **told** you (in the past), so technically she only **liked** it in the past also. Maybe now she doesn’t. You are reporting what was, not really what is now.

Damn, that’s right!! “been”… I heared people saying it many times and never thought about grammar. Good to know about the second question: always had problems, never got why… untill now!!

I said to everyone who around me that engvid was excellent to learn English Thanks for all your lessons

7/8 I can do better ;) but thanks for the class… It’s clear to me now.

I got 9 out 9 :) Thanks !

Thank Benjamin!

Great teacher

Exelent lesson. I’ve got 100. But I have a question. Sometimes I notice that present tense is used in reported speech when in itroduction sentence there is the past. I think that is because the action is still going on but I’m not sure. Could you make a lesson on that too, please. Thank you.

how can i see the lesson videos

Our videos are on YouTube, which is blocked in Pakistan. You will need to use Tor or a proxy server.

HI Admin, I am not a new user here.so if you could kindly tell me that why my comment is wating…

your comment has appeared, sir :D

Excellent lesson!

Benjamin! Could you please make a lesson on “want SOMEONE to”, please?

My students think it is so hard and we would be so glad if you could help us.

thank you so much…. got 6/9 need to develop my listening skills :D

Thank you dear Benjamin.

I have got 7 out of 9 . Please add me anyone skype (nizamjg12) for english conversation.

Don’t forget to leave a message. Thanks

I have got 9 out of 9. The 6- th question must be — Josh said that he was sick of running that website. We change this into that.

This could be the answer, but if the person we are talking to knows what we are talking about already (which website), then we can keep it as “this”.

good lesson Benjamin, thank you so much I had learned this lesson in school time but I was forgot it, but thank you so much, Through your lesson I learned it again and revise it too

I am not sure whatever comment I write above, it’s sentence is correct or not

Hi mahidavp,

I am sorry to say but your comment has some grammatical mistakes. Nevertheless, it’s good to see you making an effort :) keep it up (y) regards abhi

Thanks a lot what a great lesson.

Thanks you so much. Hello everybody, my skype is minhtuanxd. Anyone who wants to practice English, addes my nick to improve skill english together. Tks

I really like study Grammar with native teacher

I got 100%. This website was really marvellous. Thanks EngVid Team ^_^

I like your accent,,,thanks for the lesson.

8/9 thank you Benjamin.

I was persuaded by Benji to do the quiz. And look to what happened. 8/9, disgusting, isn’t it, awful. Oh oh, today I’m feeling so, so cockney…

Thanks Benji! I got all of them correct although I was a bit sceptical about the last one.

Thanks for a good lesson. It’s very clear and the exercise is interesting.

7 out of 9 :)

Thanks for a good lesson. It’s very clear and the exercise is interesting.

Thanks goodness .. I got 8 out of 9 .. I like the way you explains the lesson

Thank you very much. great lesson from great teacher. I got 9 correct out of 9 My Skype is ahmad91abuawwad i need a partner

this is the mine: lompoabdou please add me

100% easy class though. keep it up dude

not easy dear ..all in English are new even renewed again and again…..thx to u….

How can we report something like the following sentence. He says I am a doctor. when we report it is it correct to report it as He says He is a doctor?

He said that I am a doctor. Isn’t it?

Hi There! Help me kind people))) My question is “Why people sometimes use “Do” before verbs?” example- I do play snooker.

Hello! It’s used for emphasis. Example:”You don’t understand what I am saying!” “Yes I do, I do understand what you are saying.”

9 out of 9. Good lesson. Thank you Benjamin.

9 out of 9. Good explanation! Thank you Sensei Benjamin!

i got 7 of 9

from last question understated

i got 7 out 9.Great explanation! Thanks.

It said “You got 9 correct out of 9. :D” Thank you!

I got 8 out 9 , great class . Tks Benjamin for this video.

Awesome! Thank you so much ;)

I got 8 of 9! I always was frightened of this part of grammar but know I got it well.

Thanks a lot

Thank you, Benjamin! I got 9 out of 9. Precious lesson :)

There’s no ME in the Lilly’s sentence. Is it right?

Thank you for this lesson.

Thank you so much you helped me to understand well

Thanks to help me understand it

great! thank you so much:)

Great lesson, Thanks

Oh my gosh! Who said that Benjamin wasn’t a good teacher!!? He is definitely a good teacher. I think he is an excellent teacher,first I had problem with his lessons because I had problem understanding British English. But now, I have no problem. And the subjects that he selects to teach are interesting and he does his job very well.

This lesson was very good. But I want to ask you make another one about this, please. This lesson needs “part two”. Because changing some other tenses in reported speech is not always easy.

Hi Anahita. I agree with you.

Great! Thanks a lot!!

An usefull lesson benjamin:)

i got it. no bounded 9/9

The british accent sounds so good! :D

Thanks a lot , very useful

Thanks a lot, i scored 9/9.

the explanation was good and understood every thing clearly but unfortunately I got 7 out of 9. over all it was good :)

Wow wow wow , very good lesson . i do like all your lessons

Thaaaaanks , I got 100 , it is really goooooood lesson

it was enjoyable lesson. i’m glad to get 9 correct of 9. thanks !

thats great.

Well done Benjamin Thnks :)

Great lesson, you all are terrific teachers :)

You’re a great English teacher.

great lesson…thanks a lot…

Thanx Benjamin! I got 9 out of 9 :)

Good day everyone!

Maybe you’re looking some ways to improve your speaking skills. Interacting,chatting or even good conversations with others are very effective ways to meet that objective and through voice chat everyone can make that possible. Here’s my skype: gonn53 You’re welcome!

One of my first favourite teachers here. Congrats Ben. I like your style very much

thank you for these great explanation. By the way… i don’t believe religion, only in the true God (refer to Selma)

9 of 9 thanks alot :)

Thank you for a good and useful explanation of the rules of the theme ‘Reported speech’! I learned the rules before, but it is very good to revise them doing the test.

I think it would be better – I have learned the rules before? Not – I learned the rules before.

I’m trying to improve my English through this website. It help me a lot with grammar because I don’t have much time to study at school so I learn here when I’m free anytime, wherever I am. It’s really important part of my improving. Thank

OK I my opinion the correct phrase should be : Josh said that he was sick of running (that) website. Please someone recognised the mistake?? I think that in the reported speech this change to that .

weew!! just got lucky! 10/10

very useful…thx:)

I don’t really understand all this lesson, but I’ll try it later. My score was 66 or 69 ( I don’t remember xD ) But it was 6 out 9… D:

10 on10 good lesson .wish me luck on my bac exam

Nice, 8 of 9

GREAT! 9 of 9 Good lesson Benjamin!!

Hi Benjamin,first of all I’m greatful for your explanation which is clearly.furthermore,this lesson is very useful for any english student,

Well done! I got 9 out of 9 :). Thank you very much for your efforts teacher Benjamin..

someone told me that engvid was a fantastic site so i have learned many useful topics in english also it gets better and better and prove how much amazing these teacher are :D

You are a very good teacher. Thanks to you, I got 9 right answers

jeeeeeeeez! You wouldn’t believe this, i can speak more fluent than ever

A good lesson, I have got a 89 percent.

thank you for good lesson

I got 8 out of 9 thank u BENJAMIIN and you have a nice accent

thanks teacher

I really want to say because u have tought this lesson in a easy way. U r ma eye opener….

89% , Thanks Benjamin

Engvid told me that I got 9 out of 9. That’s great!

i need a partner to speak ….here my skype id sony.hasan5

Nice teacher, I like the way he speaks and explains. Very appropriate language in my opinion. He also reminds me of the actor from series “IT crew”. The same type of people. Well done, Benjamin! Thanks a lot!

Great! The quiz said that I got 9 correct out of 9

a good lesson that gave me something else about reported speech . thank you very much Teacher Benjamin !

I GOT 9 out of 9, Thank u very much benjamin)))))

I got 9 out of 9. Thank you very much

thanking for teaching english grammer so i can save my valuable money,time

Great! thanks you so much

Isn’s this the correct sentences Josh said that he was sick of running that website.

Great!! Thank you verymuch I got 9.

You did a great job Benjamin.I very like you lesson and I always enjoy it. Thank you for remind me about indirect speech and reported speech. (:

Thanks very much. A great lesson. No Doubts. I enjoy it. God Bless you.

I got 9 correct out of 9. :D

Very useful lesson. Thank you Benjamin!

I got 8 thanks a lot Benjamine

Thank you Benjamin !

Thanks for your lessons! They are really helpful!

Thanks for your Help!

Thanks, Benjamin! You’re the best! But I have a question: Doesn’t test 6 have any mistakes? There’s ‘this’in sentence in reported speech :c

thank you benjamin

thanks Benjamin .. nice explanation. hope u should change the questions in quiz.

Hi . Thanks a lot.

Thank you . Regards

9 out of 9. Excellent lesson! Thank you very much.

got fulllll

you are fantastic! you make me laugh a lot

Benjamin, a question for you…..i have this example: ‘Open the door,’ he said. Is the comma inside the quotes like in the example or after like: ‘Open the door’,he said.

I got 9/9. thanks a lot for the difference between said and told.

I get 9 out 9 , hohow thank you soooo much

thank you very much. Your lesson has been a good review

Thank you! I got 9 out of 9. But shuildn’t “tonight” changs to “that night”? thank you in advance.

thank you,great way to explain this lesson

thank you so much for this lesson ^_^. I’ve got 9 out of 9.

You got 8 correct out of 9. :) >>>> Thanks you your for helping :D

Hi Mr. Benjamin, thank you very much. I’ve got 7 correct out of 9.

Thanks Benjamin. Good lesson. I forgot information about this topic, but with your help i recalled it.

9 correct out of 9! Thank You for this lesson!

i got 8 correct out of 9. it seems for me that i moving forward quite.. thanks Benjamin

I got 7 out of 9 I’ll improve thanks for this lesson

Thankyou! I understand quiet well now, I just have two more questions; 1. “Billy answered with the correct answer.” Was an example in the video, but I don’t see why this is reported speech? Cause ow do you make this direct speech? 2. Another example: “Billy reported to me that you had been naughty.” When do you add “to”? Only with this specific verb or cold you add it to every indirected speech?

verry good lesson, i got 8/9.???

I have problem in this sentence. Lili said “I like chocolate ice cream”.

Lili said that she liked chocolate ice cream. How is this wrong? please help :-)

thank you for thie lesson!

I’m enjoying this site. Scored 9 out of 9?

9/9 thanx Benjamin but Q7 I think the answer should be Lili said that she liked chocolate ice cream.

Am i right ?

I’ m happy because I got 8/9, good lesson. My friend told me that I’m a good student and I said, ‘My teacher is a better teacher.’

Thanks Benjamin…. An excellent lesson to me..

Thanks Benjamin,you guy did a good job

Thanks, Mr. Benjamim. I got 9 of 9! I’m very happy. With Teacher Benjamin, reported speech is much easier.

Wouldn’t you use double quotes and not single quotes? Please explain

Ops. I got 8 correct out of 9. but surely this lesson gave me some useful information

thank u alot..

woow,I got 9 out of 9,thank you Benjamin for the lesson:)

I got 5 out 9, thanks for this lesson that was very useful for me =)

The teacher said, “Gandhi ji was born in India.”

please tell me the correct Indirect way to say this sentence.

I got 10/10,so great.thank you very much.

thank you !!! I like your lessons)) If I get 7 from IELTS test, I will do something for your site)))

I got 9/9 …. you are an excellent teacher

Great lesson!

hi I have enjoyed wıth this site ıt is good to work wıth u :)

Thanks for your video

can anyone improve his English with me. My level is upper intermediate

i got 8 out of 9. Thanks lot :)

i got 8 out 0f 9. thanks sir benjamin.

i got 9 on 9 thank you it heped

I love Benjamin’s classes!!!

Thank you, Benjamin!

Seeing the comments, I’m not so terrible :D (score:8/9).

My friend told me that Benjamin was a great teacher and he’s right :) Thank you for this nice video Benjamin!

Thank’s, Benjamim!

They told me that you were the best i got 100%

what is mean “verb for reporting speech” is mean for other replace the word like “told and said”, please help me

good night i want to know about question word order to report indirect questions

Great lesson, Ben. I got 10/10. I’d like to point out that your accent is an “extra class.” Totally love it. Thanks a mill.

Guys, what about past tense? For example._____Billy said ‘I visited that city’.____ Billy said that he had visited that city. Is my reported speech proper?

Just watching this video again and redoing the quiz. I thank you Engvid for having in your staff excellent teachers like Benjamim as well as all the others. I thank you all a lot.

I got 10/10. Thank you,Benjamin.

Thanks teacher, It is a great lesson.

Thanks! A great lesson and a great teacher))

Hellow everyone, new comer is here

Thanks Benjamin.

Great. Thank you

Hi Benjamin. I listen and make the quiz of Engvid, especially off Gill and yours. At the same time I find your and Gill’s accent very beautiful. I don’t know if I can say that, but I find you also very hansom. I’m sorry.

Thanks a lot for this wonderful lesson

Sorry. I do not think that teaching English is a good profession for you. Ben look at your eyes, you have a problem with something. Anyway all ths best to you.

Yesss 100. Thanks Benjamin.

Thanks a lot Mr. Benjamin.

I am enjoying your teaching method Mr. Alex that was helpful thanks, I’ve got 9/9 on reported speech lesson

I have a 9 out of 9. Great lesson. Best regards from Poland to everyone :). I hope you guys have a great day.

I got 10 out of 10. Wonderful. Thanks to this https://directindirectspeech.com , I have successfully answered all

thank Benjamin

Thanks Benjamin!

Thank you brother!

cheers mate!

you are such a good teacher thank you for the great explanation

Thanks Benjamin I got 9/9:)

thank you Ben.

Billy said, “You are a jerk.” Doesn’t it become that Billy said I was a jerk? Or does it depend on to whom Billy said that sentence? If Billy said to me, it’d be I was?

That was amazing, I really like this quiz.

9/9 best regards,Benjamin (Kazakhstan 27 Nov2021:)

many thanks

What about the verb and time who change into indirect

POV: your teacher told you to complete the quiz and now you are scrolling through the comment section just because.

Good introductory lesson to reported speech.

hi sir, thanks for your lesson. I want to know more about question 7, “backshift rule” in this kind of grammar confused me a lot. there’s a kind of sentence does not need to use backshift after transforming, they are sentences basing on something real, at present or hobbies. in this case, Lily likes chocolate ice cream, it is a hobby or something exists at present, right?, so why don’t the answer be like: Lily told me that she likes chocolate ice cream. hope that you will respond me. why don’t you release some video to talk about these kind of grammar? I feel it’s so interesting.

I got 8 out of 9

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He Said, She Said: Mastering Reported Speech in English (Both Direct and Indirect)

“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.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

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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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Indirect Speech: Formula and Rules

• July 3, 2021

We are talking about a very important and interesting topic. We are talking about direct and indirect speech in English and what is the correct formula of the usage.

Remember to read How to learn English with audiobooks for FREE

This topic can seem complicated at the beginning, but necessary to learn. Having this topic solved, you improve your English to a new level, so let’s start to deal with it.

What are Direct and Indirect speech?

In English, there are two ways how we can tell what another person said. Two ways you can say what someone else has said before.

• Direct Speech
• Indirect (Reported) Speech

Note : Indirect speech in different textbooks can be called differently: Indirect Speech or Reported Speech . But these two names mean the same.

Indirect Speech = Reported Speech

Direct speech in English is a type of speech when we retell someone’s speech as it was. We don’t change anything.

John says: I’m a good boy.

To tell what John said, we will say:

We say: John said, “I’m a good boy.”

Indirect speech differs from direct speech in that we DO NOT tell exactly what another person said. We are NOT repeating what someone else said. Indirect speech is when we tell the MEANING of what someone else said.

We say: John said he was a good boy.

Pay attention to what this sentence looks like. Earlier, when John said this, the sentence looked like this:

I am a good boy.

But after WE retell John’s words, in the indirect speech, this sentence looks like this:

John said he was a good boy.

The Quotes and the comma that stood after the name John, separating the speaker from his direct speech, disappeared from this sentence.

In indirect speech, we do not use the separating comma and quotation marks. Because now it is WE are retelling the meaning of what the other person (John) said.

In direct speech, the speaker most often speaks in the first person. That is, the speaker speaks from his person.

John will not talk about himself: John is a good boy . John will say it on his behalf: I am a good boy.

But when we retell the words of John (indirect speech), we cannot speak on his behalf. We cannot say “I am a good boy” because those are not our words. This is John a good boy.

Therefore, in indirect speech, we change “I” to the third person.

He says: I hate you but I need your help.

I retell: He said that he hated me but he needed my help.

To translate direct speech into indirect speech, we use certain rules that you should know.

Let’s take a look at these rules and formulas in order.

Quotation marks and comma

In direct speech, we use a comma to separate the speaker from what he is saying. Direct speech (what the speaker says) is in quotation marks.

When we translate direct speech into indirect speech, we remove quotes and commas.

Jessica says , “I’m from the future.”

We retell Jessica’s words: She said that she was from the future.

Personal and possessive pronouns

When translating direct speech into indirect speech, we change personal and possessive pronouns to third-person pronouns.

Direct Speech : He says, “ I couldn’t stay” Indirect Speech : He said that he couldn’t stay. Direct Speech : Tom says, “ I am deeply disturbed” Indirect Speech : Tom said that he was deeply disturbed.

Note: If in direct speech the speaker tells his own words, then we do not change personal and possessive pronouns.

Direct Speech: I said, “ I will do that” Indirect Speech: I said that I would do that.

Adverbs in direct speech

When we translate adverbs from direct speech to indirect, adverbs change their form.

You can see how adverbs look in direct speech and how adverbs look in indirect speech in this table:

But we don’t always change adverbs this way. We change adverbs only if, when translating from direct speech into indirect speech adverbs cannot express the same meaning as in direct speech.

Take a look at an example:

Mom says, “ Tomorrow we will go to Uncle John’s.” Mom said that the next day we would go to Uncle John’s.

In these examples, we have replaced the adverb tomorrow with the next day . Because we retell Mom’s words on another day. We cannot say tomorrow anymore.

Now look at another example:

Mom says, “We went to visit Uncle John yesterday .”

Now imagine that we are retelling this the next day. We have to say:

Mom said that we went to visit Uncle John the day before yesterday .

If we said “ yesterday “, it would change the meaning of what we want to tell.

If in direct speech in the main sentence the predicate is in Past Simple, then in indirect speech we use the agreement rules.

We put the conjunction “ that ” in front of indirect speech.

Note: We may not use the conjunction that after verbs such as:

He said he found it on the island. He thought he was better than me. He knew he could call you anytime.

Prepositional object

If in direct speech after the verb to say there is a prepositional object, then in order to translate such a sentence into indirect speech, we change the verb to say to tell . In this case, tell is used without the preposition to .

Incorrect : to tell Correct : tell

This means:

She said to me … changes to She told me that …

Note : Remember that in this case we also change the adverbs of place and time and demonstrative pronouns, if they are in direct speech.

Modal verbs

For modals, we use several important rules.

We change modal verbs as well as main verbs when moving from direct to indirect speech.

But we do not change all modal verbs. We leave some verbs in their original form.

Let’s talk about modals in more detail.

Modal verb must

If in direct speech the verb must means an obligation or command, then in the subordinate clause in indirect speech must does NOT change and looks like must .

The teacher says, “You must behave well in class.” The teacher said that we must behave well in class.

If in direct speech the verb must expresses the need, then in the subordinate clause in indirect speech we change the verb must to had to .

Mom says, “You must visit the doctor.” Mom said that I had to visit the doctor.

The past form of Modal verbs in indirect speech

Can and could..

We change the modal verb can in direct speech to could in indirect speech. Could is the past form of the modal verb can .

She says, “I can swim.” She said that she could swim.

May and might.

We change the modal verb may in direct speech to might in indirect speech. Might is the past form of the modal verb may .

John says, “I may propose to Maria.” John said that he might propose to Maria.

Must and had to.

We change the modal verb must in direct speech to had to in indirect speech (if the verb must expresses the need). Had to is the past analog of the modal verb must .

Modal verbs that do not change in indirect speech

The following verbs move from direct to indirect speech in their original form. They don’t change in any way.

• must (if the verb must means an obligation or command)

He says, “I could do this.” He said he could do that.

Let’s take a closer look at these verbs:

The modal verb would in direct speech remains in the form would in indirect speech too.

Mom says, “I would bake a cake.” Mom said she would bake a cake.

If we use the modal verb could in direct speech, then we do not change this verb in any way in indirect speech. Because could is a past form already (It’s the past form of the modal verb can ).

John says, “I could learn to swim” John said he could learn to swim.

The modal verb might does not change its form when we translate this verb from direct to indirect speech. Because the modal might is the past form of the modal may .

He says, “I might ask the same question again”. He said that he might ask the same question again.

We do not change should when switching to indirect speech. Because should is considered the past form of the modal verb shall .

He says, “We should see Mr. Gannon” He said that we should see Mr. Gannon.

We do not change the modal verb OUGHT TO when translating this verb into indirect speech.

She says, “You ought to be angry with John” She said that I ought to be angry with John

Exceptions to the rules

Let’s talk about the important exceptions to the rules of this lesson.

• We can exclude the word that out of affirmative sentences in indirect speech. Because in indirect speech in affirmative sentences, the meaning of the sentence does not change, regardless of whether we use that or not.

He said ( that ) he thought you seemed depressed. He said ( that ) there was no need. He said ( that ) he had many friends.

• If in direct speech we are talking about a specific event that happened at exactly the specified time and did not happen anymore, then we translate the sentence into indirect speech without the agreement.

He says, “Gagarin went to space in 1961.” He said that Gagarin went to space in 1961.

The event that we are talking about in this example happened at exactly the specified time and did not happen anymore.

• If in direct speech we use verbs such as:

then when translating into indirect speech, we do not change the form of these verbs. These verbs remain in their form.

She says, “We might find some treasure” She said that we might find some treasure.

He says, “I should do it”. He said that he should do it.

• If indirect speech begins with the verb say or tell which is used in the form:
• Present Simple
• Present Perfect
• Future Simple

then we translate such a sentence into indirect speech without changing the tense to the past:

She says, “I cook deliciously.” She says that she cooks deliciously. He says, “I have a new smartphone.” He says that he has a new smartphone. She will say, “I didn’t know it.” He will say (that) he didn’t know it.

• If in direct speech we are talking about a well-known fact or law of nature, then we do not transfer to the past such a fact or the law of nature when translating from direct speech to indirect.

He says, “After winter comes spring.” He said that after winter comes spring. She says, “Lions don’t hunt camels.” She said that lions don’t hunt camels.

• If in direct speech we use tenses:
• Past Continuous
• Past Perfect
• Past Perfect Continuous

then when translating into indirect speech, we do not change the sentence, we do not translate the sentence into the past.

He says, “I had fixed my car.” He said he had fixed his car. He says, “I was skiing .” He said he was skiing . He says, “I had been all alone for a very long time”. He said that he had been all alone for a very long time.

Interrogative (question) sentences in indirect speech

Look at the following rules and nuances to know how to correctly translate interrogative (question) sentences from direct speech to indirect speech:

• When we translate a general question into indirect speech, we put one of the conjunctions between the main sentence and the question:

He asks, “Do you play dominoes?” He asked if I played dominoes. He asked whether I played dominoes.

• If we translate an interrogative sentence from direct speech to indirect speech, then we change the interrogative word order to direct word order.

We remove the auxiliary verb that was used in the interrogative sentence. We put the subject before the predicate as it should be for the direct word order.

He asks, “Where are you going?” He asked where I was going.

• If in an indirect sentence we ask a question using the verb say and if there is no indirect object in the main sentence, then we change the verb say to one of these words:
• want to know

She asks, “Where you are?” She wanted to know where you were.

• When translating an interrogative sentence from direct speech into indirect speech, we change all pronouns, verbs, adverbs of place, adverbs of time.

She asks, “What do these letters mean?” She asked what those letters mean.

Special questions in indirect speech

Special questions (or Wh-questions) are questions that begin with an additional, question word.

In indirect speech, such a question should also begin with a question word.

This question word also serves as conjunction. This word attaches the question part to the main sentence.

In the question part, we use direct word order.

At the same time, we comply with all the rules for the Sequence of tenses.

My dad asks, “What do you plan to do with yourself?” My dad asked what I planned to do with myself.

Imperative sentences in indirect speech

When translating imperative sentences from direct to indirect speech, we must take into account several nuances:

• Orders in indirect speech look like this:

He said, “ Go now!” He said to go then. She says, “ Carry my bag” She asked to carry her bag.

We use the verb to say when we translate an ordinary sentence into indirect speech. But in imperative sentences, we change the verb to say to a verb that expresses an order or request:

She says , “Carry my bag” She asked to carry her bag.

• In direct speech in the imperative mood, we often use:

let’s (let us)

let’s encourage the speaker and the person to do something together.

In indirect speech, we change let’s to to suggest . For example:

She says, “ let’s do that!” She suggested to do that.

• In indirect speech, we put a noun after the verb that expresses an order or request. The noun is the one to whom this request or order is addressed. Then we use the infinitive.

She says, “Replace him, John “ She asked John to replace him.

• We can strengthen the request or order in indirect speech if we add verbs such as:
• to recommend
• to urge etc.

She says , “Read this book” She ordered ( advised, recommend ) me to read that book.

• In order to make a negative imperative sentence in direct speech, we need:

not + infinitive

He says, “Don’t cry.” He said to me not to cry.

• In direct speech, we often do not name the person to whom the order or request is addressed. But when translating an imperative sentence from direct speech to indirect speech, we must indicate the one to whom the order or request is addressed.

For this, we use a noun or a pronoun.

She says, “Speak to him!” She asked me to speak to you.

Present and future tense in indirect speech

Most often, we translate the future and the present into the past.

He says, “I have two brothers” He says that he had two brothers She says, “I do this every time” She says that he did that every day. He says, “I write books” He says that he wrote books. She says, “I am reading” She said that she was reading. He says, “I can swim” He said that he could swim. He says, “I will help you” He said that he would help me.

Past tense in indirect speech

When we translate a sentence written in the past into indirect speech, we can leave it unchanged or we can change the past to the Past Perfect.

He says, “I saw this movie” He said that he saw that movie. He said that he had seen that movie.

What if in direct speech the main verb is already in Past Perfect?

In this case, the verb in Past Perfect remains unchanged. The verb in Past Perfect in direct speech remains in Past Perfect in indirect speech too.

He says, “I had bought I new house” He said that he had bought a new house.

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Recommended reading: Complex Sentence in English.

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Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)  

What is reported speech, reporting verbs.

• “She said she was late for the appointment yesterday.” (correct)
• “She said me she was late for the appointment yesterday.” (incorrect)
• “She told me she was late for the appointment yesterday. (correct)
• “She told she was late for the appointment yesterday.” (incorrect)
• “He asked if I could come in early tomorrow .”
• “She explained that she was only joking .”
• “I merely suggested that we should go home early .”

Shifting grammatical tense in indirect speech

Present simple tense.

• “ He told them I live in Germany.”

Past simple tense

• “ She went to the supermarket this morning.”
• “ I told him she went to the supermarket this morning.” or :
• “ I said she had gone to the supermarket this morning.”

Present continuous tense

• “ She says he is writing a letter to their friend.”
• “ She said he is writing a letter to their friend.”
• “ She told us he was writing a letter to their friend.”

Past continuous tense

• “ He told me you had been sleeping when I called.”

Present perfect tense

• “ She said she had been to Paris four times before she met Tom .”

Past perfect tense

• “ He told me the film had ended when he switched on the TV.”

Past perfect continuous tense

• “ He said he had been waiting for over two hours when she finally arrived.”

Future simple tense

• “ He said he would call me tomorrow.”
• Person A: “What did Barry say just now?”
• Person B: “ He said/says he will call me tomorrow.”

Special cases

• “ She told me she could swim .”
• " She said she had to go.”
• “ She told me she must go.”

Modal auxiliary verbs

Reporting the negative, reporting negative speech.

• “ He said he didn’t buy a car.”

Reporting negative commands

• “ He said not to speak .”
• “ He said I wasn’t to speak .”
• “ I told you we were not to speak .”

Giving negative reports

• “ She hadn’t said she was studying for a test.”

Using infinitives to report imperatives, requests, and advice

Imperatives (orders).

1. What is the conventional rule for the verb tense of speech that we report?

2. What does the reporting verb tell require that the verb say does not?

3. Which verbs always remain in the same tense when they are reported?

4. Which verb form is uniquely used when reporting commands, requests, and advice?

5. Which of these is not a reporting verb?

6. Complete the following sentence with the appropriate tense according to conventional grammar rules: Direct speech: “I have seen that movie already.” Reported speech: “He said he ________ that movie already.”

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• English Grammar
• Clause structure and verb patterns

Reported speech

Level: intermediate

Reporting and summarising

When we want to report what people say, we don't usually try to report their exact words. We usually give a  summary , for example:

Direct speech (exact words) :

Mary :  Oh dear. We've been walking for hours! I'm exhausted. I don't think I can go any further. I really need to stop for a rest. Peter :  Don't worry. I'm not surprised you're tired. I'm tired too. I'll tell you what, let's see if we can find a place to sit down, and then we can stop and have our picnic.

Reported speech (summary) :

When Mary complained that she was tired out after walking so far, Peter said they could stop for a picnic.

Reporting verbs

When we want to report what people say, we use reporting verbs . Different reporting verbs have different patterns, for example:

Mary complained (that) she was tired . (verb + that clause) She asked if they could stop for a rest . (verb + if clause) Peter told her not to worry . (verb + to -infinitive) He suggested stopping and having a picnic . (verb + - ing form) 

See reporting verbs with that , wh-  and if clauses , verbs followed by the infinitive , verbs followed by the -ing form .

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Tenses in reported speech

When reporting what people say or think in English, we need to remember that the rules for tense forms in reported speech are exactly the same as in the rest of the language.

This is a letter that Andrew wrote ten years ago:

If we wanted to report what Andrew said in his letter, we might say something like this: 

Andrew said that when he  was  22, he was an engineering student in his last month at university. He wanted  to travel abroad after he  had finished  his course at the university, but he would need to earn some money while he was abroad so he wanted  to learn to teach English as a foreign language. A friend  had recommended  a course but Andrew needed more information, so he wrote to the school and asked them when their courses started  and how much they were . He also wanted to know if there was  an examination at the end of the course.

We would naturally use past tense forms to talk about things which happened ten years ago. So, tenses in reports and summaries in English are the same as in the rest of the language.

Sometimes we can choose between a past tense form and a  present tense  form. If we're talking about the past but we mention something that's still true , we can use the present tense:

John said he'd stayed at the Shangri-la because it' s the best hotel in town. Mary said she enjoyed the film because Robert de Niro is her favourite actor. Helen said she  loves visiting New York.

or the past tense:

John said he'd stayed at the Shangri-la because it was the best hotel in town. Mary said she enjoyed the film because Robert de Niro was her favourite actor. Helen said she  loved visiting New York.

If we're talking about something that  everybody knows is true , we normally use the present tense :

Michael said he'd always wanted to climb Everest because it' s the highest mountain in the world. Mary said she loved visiting New York because it' s such an exciting city.

Hi! I found the following paragraph from a grammar site while I was studying the reported speech. Can you help me? It says; --> We can use a perfect form with have + -ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past: He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’)

And my question is: How do we understand if it is a hypothetical event in the past or not? We normally don't change 'might' in reported speech. (e.g. ‘It might snow tonight,’ he warned. --> He warned that it might snow that night.) But why do we say 'He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters.' instead of 'He said that the noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ What's the difference between these two indirect reported speeches? Could you please explain the difference? And I also found this example which is about the same rule above: --> He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: a) ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or b) ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’) Can you also explain why we report this sentence like that. How can we both change a) and b) into the same indirect reported speech? Thank you very much!

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Hello Melis_06,

1. He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. 2. He said that the noise might be the postman delivering letters.

In sentence 1 it is clear that the noise has ended; it is a noise that 'he' could hear but it is not a noise that you can hear now. In sentence 2 the noise could have ended or it could be a noise that you can still hear now. For example, if the noise is one which is constant, such as a noise that comes from your car engine that you are still trying to identify, then you would use sentence 2. In other words, sentence 2 allows for a wider range of time possibilities - both past (ended) and present (still current).

Your second question is similar:

He said he would have helped us if we needed a volunteer - you no longer need a volunteer

He said he would help us if we needed a volunteer - this could still be relevant; you may still need a volunteer.

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello my friend : what are you doing now? me : I'm eating an apple now and My friend repeated his question now

my question

Can I repeat the sentence in the past ( I was eating an apple) and mean( I'm eating an apple now) ?

You can but it is unusual. If you say  I was eating an apple  (past continuous), it means that it was in the past. You already finished eating the apple and you are not eating it now. But if your friend asked you just a moment ago, I guess you are still eating the apple when she/he asks the second question, so I would say  I'm eating an apple  (because you are still doing it).

Alternatively, you can use a past tense reporting verb e.g. I said I was eating an apple  (referring to the time of the first question), or  I said I 'm eating an apple  (to show that you are still eating it now, at the moment of speaking).

LearnEnglish team

Am I correct then? When someone wants us to repeat the sentence we have just said a moment ago we say 'I said I am doing...' if we are still doing that action. But if we are done with that action, then we say 'I said I was doing...' Did I get it right? Thanks!

Hello Meldo,

Yes, that's correct. Well done!

Hi. I wish to enquire if the verb tense used after a conjunction also changes in complex sentences as per tense transition rules, especially if it is already in simple past tense. In order to explain, could you please solve the following for me: 1. It has been quite a while since I last saw you. 2. Nevertheless, she has been quite desensitized to such perverse actions to the extent that it seldom ever seems obnoxious to her. 3. Let me keep this in my cupboard lest I misplace this. 4. I had arrived at the station before you even left your house. 5. I met my grandfather before he died.

Hi Aamna bluemoon,

The verb may or may not be backshifted, depending on whether the original speaker's point of view and the reporter's point of view are the same or not. For example:

• She said it had been quite a while since she last saw me . (it seems relatively recent, for both the original speaker and the reporter)
• She said it had been quite a while since she had last seen us . (a lot of time has passed between speaking and reporting this, or the situation has changed a lot since then e.g. they have met frequently since then)
• She said she had met her grandfather before he died . (seems quite recent)
• She said she had met her grandfather before he'd died . (a lot of time has passed between speaking and reporting this)

I hope that helps.

Hi, can you help me, please? How could I report this famous quotation: 'There's no such things as good news in America'.

Hi bri.q630,

First of all, the sentence is not grammatically correct. The phrase is 'no such thing' (singular), not 'things'.

How you report it depends. Using 'said' as the reporting verb we have two possibilities:

1. They said (that) there's no such thing as good news in America. 2. They said (that) there was no such thing as good news in America.

Sentence 2 tells that only about the time when 'they' said it. It does not tell us if it is still true or not.

Sentence 1 tells us that what 'they' said is still relevant today. In other words there was no good news (in their opinion) when they spoke, and there is still no good news now.

Thank you Peter,

All things are getting clear to me.

So, you mean, I can use both sentences depending on what I want to indicate, can't I?

then the possible indications are bellow, are those correct?

1-a I remembered the World War 2 ended in 1945. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.)

1-b I remembered the World War 2 had ended in 1945. (This would be indicated I might missunderstand.)

2-a I felt time is money. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.)

2-b I felf time was money. (This would be indicated I might not feel any more.)

3-a I knew the sun rises in the east. (This would be indicated the statement is still true.)

3-b I knew the sun rase in the east. (This would be indicated I might misunderstand or forget.)

4-a I guessed* that Darth Vader is Luke's father. (This would be indicated I still believe he is.*sorry for the typo)

4-2 I guessed that Darth Vader was Luke's father. (This would be indicated I might know he is not.)

Thank you in advance.

Hello again Nobori,

1-a I remembered the World War 2 ended in 1945. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.) 1-b I remembered the World War 2 had ended in 1945. (This would be indicated I might missunderstand.)

Both forms are possible here. The 'ending' is a moment in the past; after this there is no war. By the way, we treat 'World War 2' as a name so there is no article before it.

2-a I felt time is money. (This would be indicated the statement is still ture.) 2-b I felf time was money. (This would be indicated I might not feel any more.)

That's correct. Remember that backshifting the verb does not mean something is no longer true; it simply does not tell us anything about the present. Here, it tells the reader how you felt at a given moment in time; you may 

3-a I knew the sun rises in the east. (This would be indicated the statement is still true.) 3-b I knew the sun rase in the east. (This would be indicated I might misunderstand or forget.)

That's also correct. Again, remember that backshifting the verb does not mean something is no longer true; it simply does not tell us anything about the present.

4-a I guessed* that Darth Vader is Luke's father. (This would be indicated I still believe he is.*sorry for the typo) 4-2 I guessed that Darth Vader was Luke's father. (This would be indicated I might know he is not.)

Again, correct. In the second example it might still be true that he is Luke's father, or it might have turned out to be not true. The sentence does not tell us.

Hi Peter, Thank you for your thoughtful answer. Allthing is now very clear to me. Best

Hi, I am translating a fiction novel into English and need your help regarding the reporting speech as for few things I am not getting any clear understanding over the internet. As you know in fiction, we need to write in non-ordinary way to create unique impressions of the word and academic writing is different than speaking. Will be grateful if you could give your insight below, especially considering in the context of fiction/academic writing.

1) Let’s say If someone is giving a speech or presentation, I want to mix their speech, indirect-direct and past tense- present tense. Below are three examples:

-He said, their company makes excellent profit every year OR their company made excellent profit every year ( can both be correct? As the sentence)

- Roger had given his speech yesterday. He said, their company makes excellent profit every year and your company will sustain for next hundred years.(Can YOUR be used in the sentence)

- Roger said people wants to feel important OR Roger said people wanted to feel important (which will be correct as this is a trait which is true in past and present)

2) He thought why he is talking to her OR He thought why he was talking to her (are both write? As usually I see in novels the second example with WAS)

3) Gia was sitting with Jake and she told him she had met with her last year. Her mother had taken her to the dinner. Her mother had told her about her future plans. Her mother also had paid the bill for the dinner. (Do I need to use every time past perfect in this example though it doesn’t feel natural? As a rule of thumb I think past perfect needs to be used when we talk about another past event in the past )

Hello Alamgir3,

We're happy to help with a few specific grammar questions, but I'm afraid we can't help you with your translation -- I'd suggest you find an editor for that.

1) In the second clause, you can use present or past. We often use the present when it's still true now, but the past is not wrong. FYI we don't normally use a comma after 'said' in reported speech.

2) 'Why was he talking to her?' he thought.

3) This is really more of a question of style than grammar. Here I would suggest doing something like combining the four sentences into two and then leaving out 'had' in the second verb in each sentence. Even if it isn't written, it's understood to be past perfect.

All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Hello teachers, I'm sorry, I could not find where to new post. Could you tell me about the back-sifting of thoughts bellow? Which forms are correct?

1-a I remembered the World War 2 ended in 1945. 1-b I remembered the World War 2 had ended in 1945.

2-a I felt time is money. 2-b I felf time was money.

3-a I knew the sun rises in the east. 3-b I knew the sun rase in the east.

4-a I guess that Darth Vader is Luke's father. 4-2 I guessed that Darth Vader was Luke's father.

Do those questions have the same conclusion as indirect speech, such as say and tell?

Hello Nobori,

The verb form remains the same when we want to make it clear that the situation described by the verb is still true, and this works in the same way as indirect speech. For example:

She said she loves me. [she loved me then and she loves me still] She said she loved me. [she loved me then; no information on how she feels now]

Other than this rule, the choice is really contextual and stylistic (up to the speaker). Sometimes a choice implies something. For example, the saying 'time is money' is a general statement, so if you choose to backshift here the listener will know it is an intentional choice and suspect that something has changed (you no longer believe it).

Hi teachers, I've read almost the section of comments below and my summarize is the present tense only can be used if the statement is still true now and past simple only tells the statement was true in the past and doesn't tell the statement is true or not now. Just to make sure, I wanna ask, If I'm not sure whether the statement is still true or not now, can I choose backshift instead (this is still apply to past tense become past perfect)? Thank you

Hello rahmanagustiansyah,

It sounds to me as if you've got the right general idea. Could you please give a couple of example sentences that illustrate your question?

Thanks in advance, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

For example, Steve said "Anna hates you." Then I wanna tell about that to my friend, but I'm not sure whether Anna still hates me or not now. What should I choose between these two options. Answer 1:Steve said Anna hates me or Answer 2 : Steve said Anna hated me. Thank you

Hi rahmanagustiansyah,

In that case, I would choose answer 2. I might even add "... but I don't know if she still does" to the sentence to clarify, if that is the key point you want to communicate.

Jonathan The LearnEnglish Team

Hello Natasa Tanasa,

Both sentences are grammatically possible.

The first sentence is only possible if when the person asks the original question the woman is no longer there (she has already gone). The second sentence can be used in this situation too, or in a situation in which the woman was still there when the original question was asked. As the past tense is used in the original question ( Who was... ), both sentences are possible.

Hello Ahmed Imam,

When the situation is still true at the time of reporting, we can leave the verb form unchanged. For example:

1. She told me she loved me.

2. She told me she loves me.

In sentence 1 we know she loved me when she told me but we don't know whether or not she loves me now. In sentence 2, we know she loved me when she told me and we know that she loves me now.

In your example, if the supermarket is still in the same place then we can use either form. If the supermarket has been closed down or moved to another location then we need to use was .

As for which is 'safer', you'll need to make your own mind up! Keeping the verb in the same form carries more specific information and that may be appropriate or even important.

Hello eugelatina87,

I'll give you a hint: a verb is missing from the question.

Does that help you complete it?

All the best,

The first two sentences are possible and they can both mean that he is still Mary's boyfriend now. The first one makes this more clear, but the second one doesn't only refer to the past.

Hello magnuslin

Regarding your first question, the most common way of saying it is the second one. In some very specific situation, perhaps the first option would be possible.

This also answers your second question. It is not necessary to always backshift using the tenses you mention.

As for your third question, no, it is not necessary. In fact, it is probably more common to use the past simple in the reported speech as well. 

All the best

Hello manu,

Both forms are possible. If you use  had been  then we understand that he was there earlier but not when he said it - in other words, when he said it he had already left. If you use was then he may have left at the time of speaking, or he may have still been there.

Hello _princess_

I would recommend using answer a) because this is the general pattern used in reported speech. Sometimes the verb in the reported clause can be in the present tense when we are speaking about a situation that is still true, but the reported verb in the past tense can also have the same meaning. Since here the time referred to could be either past or present, I'd recommend using the past form.

Hello mwright,

This is an example of an indirect question. An indirect question reports a question, but is not a question itself, which is why we do not use a question mark at the end. Since it is not a question, we use the normal word order without inversion or auxiliary verbs. For example:

Indicative: He lives in Rome. Interrogative: Does he live in Rome? (Where does he live?) Reported: She asked if he lives in Rome. (She asked where he lives.)  

Hello ahlinthit

There are different styles of punctuating direct speech -- in other words, you might find other sources that will disagree with me -- but what I would use here is something different: "The boss is dead!" said the doctor.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes

Hello Timmosky,

The form that comes after the auxiliary verb 'do' (or 'does' or 'did') is not the plural present simple verb, but rather the bare infinitive (also known as 'base form' or 'first form') of the verb. Does that make sense?

All the best, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

Hello sky-high,

This is very formal language. The phrase 'to the effect that' means 'with the meaning that'. In this context it can be understood to mean 'with the result that'.

Best wishes,

The difference is quite logical. If we use 'said' then we are talking about a claim by Peter in the past which he may or may not still maintain. If we use 'says' then we are talking about an opinion expressed by Peter which he still holds.

The reported information (whether or not Rooney is in good shape) can refer to only the past or to the present as well and the statement (what Peter thinks) can separately refer to only the past or the present as well. Of course, all of this is from the point of view of the person reporting Peter's opinion, and whether or not they think that Peter still thinks now what he thought then.

Both are possible. If you use the present tense then it is clear that the statement is still true (i.e. the business was not growing when Mary spoke and is still not growing now). If you use the past tense then no information is given regarding the present (i.e. the business was growing when Mary spoke and may or may not be growing now).

Hello aseel aftab,

It should be 'if they had'. This is not from this page, is it? I don't see it anywhere here, but if I've missed it please let me know.

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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

Author Interviews

Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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Before He Died in Prison, Aleksei Navalny Wrote a Memoir. It’s Coming This Fall.

In the book, Navalny tells his story in his own words, chronicling his life, his rise as an opposition leader, and the attempts on his life.

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By Alexandra Alter

During the years leading up to his death in a Russian prison, Aleksei A. Navalny , the Russian opposition leader, was writing a memoir about his life and work as a pro-democracy activist.

Titled “Patriot,” the memoir will be published in the United States by Knopf on Oct. 22, with a first printing of half a million copies, and a simultaneous release in multiple countries.

Navalny, who rose to global prominence as a fierce critic of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, resisted the Kremlin’s repeated attempts to silence him through physical harm, arrests and imprisonment in a remote Arctic penal colony, where he died in February , at age 47.

The book, telling his story in his own words, comes as a final show of defiance, his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, said in a statement, and could have a galvanizing effect on his followers.

“This book is a testament not only to Aleksei’s life, but to his unwavering commitment to the fight against dictatorship — a fight he gave everything for, including his life,” Navalnaya said. “Through its pages, readers will come to know the man I loved deeply — a man of profound integrity and unyielding courage. Sharing his story will not only honor his memory but also inspire others to stand up for what is right and to never lose sight of the values that truly matter.”

In a news release, Knopf said that the memoir “expresses Navalny’s total conviction that change cannot be resisted and will come.”

Navalny wrote the entire memoir himself, dictating some parts, and Yulia Navalnaya is working with the publisher to edit and finalize the manuscript, according to a Knopf representative. The book has already been translated into 11 languages, Navalnaya wrote on X , and a Russian-language edition of the book will be available.

The project is a more sensitive endeavor than most memoirs by high profile political figures. Navalny’s supporters and his team, which has carried on his work, continue to draw the scrutiny of Russian authorities as they direct criticism at the Kremlin against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

Navalny began working on his memoir in 2020, after surviving a near-fatal poisoning with a nerve agent, an attack that Western intelligence officials believed was a state-sponsored assassination attempt . The book covers his youth, his rise as a political activist, his marriage and family, his political career as an opposition leader, and the attempts on his life and attacks on those close to him, according to the publisher.

Navalny had political aspirations, but was barred from a presidential run following a conviction on fraud charges by a Russian court, widely seen as politically motivated. He exerted his political influence in other ways: organizing protests against Putin and building offices and investigative teams across the country to uncover corruption.

Navalny wrote much of the memoir while he was in Germany and recovering from poisoning. In February 2021, he returned to Russia, knowing that he would likely be detained or attacked again. He was arrested at the airport, and was later charged with embezzlement and fraud in a trial that international observers concluded was also politically motivated. In August 2023, he was charged with “extremism” and given a 19-year sentence. His harsh treatment in Russia’s severe penal colonies included lack of medical care and many stints in solitary confinement.

Addressing why he chose to go back to Russia to face almost certain imprisonment and possible death, Navalny said remaining in exile felt like a betrayal of his cause.

“I don’t want to give up either my country or my beliefs,” Navalny wrote in a Facebook post in January, shortly before his death. “I cannot betray either the first or the second. If your beliefs are worth something, you must be willing to stand up for them. And if necessary, make some sacrifices.”

Navalny’s return to Russia led to weeks of protests around the country, but they were eventually quashed in a fierce crackdown by the Kremlin. Even as Russia has shut down or driven away independent news media outlets and silenced many of its internal critics in an effort to smother political opposition, Navalny remained a vocal and influential figure who came to embody the country’s beleaguered pro-democracy movement.

Navalny maintained a presence on social media even behind bars, and remained a ferocious critic of Putin. His team, which was living and working in exile, continued to release exposés on corruption in Russia. He also kept working on the book, which includes never-before-seen correspondence from prison, according to the publisher.

Within Russia, thousands of his followers gathered for his funeral, despite the risk of being arrested by Russian authorities. Outside the church on the outskirts of Moscow where the service was held, people in the crowd chanted phrases like “Love is stronger than fear” and “Thank you, Aleksei.”

Even after his death, those who seek to carry on Navalny’s work and extend his legacy face threats and attacks. Last month, Leonid Volkov, who served as one of Navalny’s top organizers, was attacked with a hammer and tear gas outside his home in Lithuania’s capital.

Navalny was well aware that his activism put him at risk, but remained cheerfully defiant, with a wry, prankster-like persona that helped drive some of his viral online activism.

“I’m trying not to think about it a lot,” he said in an interview with CBS News in 2017. “If you start to think about what kind of risks I have, you cannot do anything.”

Alexandra Alter writes about books, publishing and the literary world for The Times. More about Alexandra Alter

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English Notes

English notes latest questions, he said, “i will write a letter.” change into indirect speech.

Indirect Speech: He said that he would write a letter.

Explanation : If the reporting verb is in the past tense, then the modals like will/shall change to would.

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