When reporting what someone else has said, their exact words are not used. Instead, their statement is reported indirectly by transforming pronouns, verbs, places, times, and tenses depending on whether it was a statement, question, or request. Transforming questions requires additional changes like making the question indirect and using interrogatives. Further rules apply for things like tense agreement and exceptions. Links to exercises on reported speech are provided.

2. • If we report what another person has said, we usually do
not use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech), but
reported (indirect) speech.
• Therefore, we need to learn how to transform direct
speech into reported speech. The structure is a little
different depending on whether you want to transform a
statement, question or request.

3. • When transforming statements, check whether you have
to change:
• pronouns
• present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
• place and time expressions
• tenses

4. • When transforming questions, check whether you have to
change:
• pronouns
• present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
• place and time expressions
• tenses (backshift)
• Also note that you have to:
• transform the question into an indirect question
• use the interrogative or if / whether

5. • When transforming questions, check whether you have to
change:
• pronouns
• place and time expressions

6. • Apart from the above mentioned basic rules, there are
further aspects that you should keep in mind, for
example:
• main clauses connected with and / but
• tense of the introductory clause
• reported speech for difficult tenses
• exceptions for backshift tense
• requests with must, should, ought to and let’s

7. • http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-
speech/exercises?05
• http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-
speech/exercises?09
• http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-
speech/exercises
• http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-
speech/exercises?10