Reported Speech: Reporting the Words of Others

Reported speech: we report someone’s words. The tense often shifts back when the reporting verb is past (said, told).

• "I work here." → She said she worked there.
• "I'm tired." → He said he was tired.
• "I've finished." → They said they had finished.
• "I'll call you." → She said she would call me.

tell + person: She told me she was busy. · say with no person, or say to: She said (to me) she was busy.

Pronouns and time phrases also change: this → that, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, here → there.

If the fact is still true, backshift is optional: She said she lives in Warsaw (she still does).