Reported Speech

When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), back-shift the reported tense by one step:

Already past-perfect stays past-perfect. Would, could, might, should, ought to don't change.

Direct: "Where do you live?"
Reported: She asked where I lived.

Two rules for reported questions:

1. No question mark
2. Standard word order (subject + verb), not question order

❌ She asked where did I live. ✅ She asked where I lived.

For yes/no questions, use if or whether:

Direct: "Are you coming?"
Reported: He asked if I was coming.

Reported speech often requires shifting other words to match the new perspective:

Example:

Direct: "I'll see you here tomorrow." > Reported: She said she would see me there the next day.

Stop using only said. Academic writing uses precise reporting verbs:

For Writing Task 2:

Smith (2021) argues that urbanisation has both social and environmental costs.

This is worth two sentences of pure description in terms of band score.

Back-shift is optional when the reported statement is still true:

• She said the earth is round. (general truth — stays present)
• He said he lives in Berlin. (still true now — can stay present)

Back-shift is required when the reported statement may no longer be true or when quoting a completed past moment.

Mistake 1: Keeping question order > ❌ He asked me what did I want. > ✅ He asked me what I wanted.

Mistake 2: Forgetting tense shift > ❌ She said she is tired. (if reporting a past conversation) > ✅ She said she was tired.

Mistake 3: Using "said" for everything > ❌ The author said the issue is complex. She said there are many factors. > ✅ The author argues that the issue is complex, pointing out that there are many factors.

My grandmother once told me that I shouldn't worry about small failures. She said life had a way of making you retake tests, so I should be grateful when the test was only an exam.

Notice: three instances of reported speech, natural tense back-shift, varied reporting verbs (told me, said). This pattern adds substance to a story without having to quote directly.

Convert to reported speech.

1. "I am busy tomorrow," she said.
2. "Did you finish the report?" he asked me.
3. "I have never been to Paris," she said.
4. "I will call you later," he promised.
5. "Where do you live?" she asked.

Answers: > 1. She said (that) she was busy the next day.
2. He asked me if I had finished the report.
3. She said (that) she had never been to Paris.
4. He promised (that) he would call me later.
5. She asked where I lived.