reported speech dialogue examples

100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of communicating what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. For example, if your friend said, “ I am going to the store ,” in reported speech, you might convey this as, “ My friend said he was going to the store. ” Reported speech is common in both spoken and written language, especially in storytelling, news reporting, and everyday conversations.

Reported speech can be quite challenging for English language learners because in order to change direct speech into reported speech, one must change the perspective and tense of what was said by the original speaker or writer. In this guide, we will explain in detail how to change direct speech into indirect speech and provide lots of examples of reported speech to help you understand. Here are the key aspects of converting direct speech into reported speech.

Reported Speech: Changing Pronouns

Pronouns are usually changed to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech. For example, “I” in direct speech may become “he” or “she” in reported speech, depending on the context. Here are some example sentences:

Direct : “I am going to the park.” Reported : He said he was going to the park .
Direct : “You should try the new restaurant.” Reported : She said that I should try the new restaurant.
Direct : “We will win the game.” Reported : They said that they would win the game.
Direct : “She loves her new job.” Reported : He said that she loves her new job.
Direct : “He can’t come to the party.” Reported : She said that he couldn’t come to the party.
Direct : “It belongs to me.” Reported : He said that it belonged to him .
Direct : “They are moving to a new city.” Reported : She said that they were moving to a new city.
Direct : “You are doing a great job.” Reported : He told me that I was doing a great job.
Direct : “I don’t like this movie.” Reported : She said that she didn’t like that movie.
Direct : “We have finished our work.” Reported : They said that they had finished their work.
Direct : “You will need to sign here.” Reported : He said that I would need to sign there.
Direct : “She can solve the problem.” Reported : He said that she could solve the problem.
Direct : “He was not at home yesterday.” Reported : She said that he had not been at home the day before.
Direct : “It is my responsibility.” Reported : He said that it was his responsibility.
Direct : “We are planning a surprise.” Reported : They said that they were planning a surprise.

Reported Speech: Reporting Verbs

In reported speech, various reporting verbs are used depending on the nature of the statement or the intention behind the communication. These verbs are essential for conveying the original tone, intent, or action of the speaker. Here are some examples demonstrating the use of different reporting verbs in reported speech:

Direct: “I will help you,” she promised . Reported: She promised that she would help me.
Direct: “You should study harder,” he advised . Reported: He advised that I should study harder.
Direct: “I didn’t take your book,” he denied . Reported: He denied taking my book .
Direct: “Let’s go to the cinema,” she suggested . Reported: She suggested going to the cinema .
Direct: “I love this song,” he confessed . Reported: He confessed that he loved that song.
Direct: “I haven’t seen her today,” she claimed . Reported: She claimed that she hadn’t seen her that day.
Direct: “I will finish the project,” he assured . Reported: He assured me that he would finish the project.
Direct: “I’m not feeling well,” she complained . Reported: She complained of not feeling well.
Direct: “This is how you do it,” he explained . Reported: He explained how to do it.
Direct: “I saw him yesterday,” she stated . Reported: She stated that she had seen him the day before.
Direct: “Please open the window,” he requested . Reported: He requested that I open the window.
Direct: “I can win this race,” he boasted . Reported: He boasted that he could win the race.
Direct: “I’m moving to London,” she announced . Reported: She announced that she was moving to London.
Direct: “I didn’t understand the instructions,” he admitted . Reported: He admitted that he didn’t understand the instructions.
Direct: “I’ll call you tonight,” she promised . Reported: She promised to call me that night.

Reported Speech: Tense Shifts

When converting direct speech into reported speech, the verb tense is often shifted back one step in time. This is known as the “backshift” of tenses. It’s essential to adjust the tense to reflect the time elapsed between the original speech and the reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how different tenses in direct speech are transformed in reported speech:

Direct: “I am eating.” Reported: He said he was eating.
Direct: “They will go to the park.” Reported: She mentioned they would go to the park.
Direct: “We have finished our homework.” Reported: They told me they had finished their homework.
Direct: “I do my exercises every morning.” Reported: He explained that he did his exercises every morning.
Direct: “She is going to start a new job.” Reported: He heard she was going to start a new job.
Direct: “I can solve this problem.” Reported: She said she could solve that problem.
Direct: “We are visiting Paris next week.” Reported: They said they were visiting Paris the following week.
Direct: “I will be waiting outside.” Reported: He stated he would be waiting outside.
Direct: “They have been studying for hours.” Reported: She mentioned they had been studying for hours.
Direct: “I can’t understand this chapter.” Reported: He complained that he couldn’t understand that chapter.
Direct: “We were planning a surprise.” Reported: They told me they had been planning a surprise.
Direct: “She has to complete her assignment.” Reported: He said she had to complete her assignment.
Direct: “I will have finished the project by Monday.” Reported: She stated she would have finished the project by Monday.
Direct: “They are going to hold a meeting.” Reported: She heard they were going to hold a meeting.
Direct: “I must leave.” Reported: He said he had to leave.

Reported Speech: Changing Time and Place References

When converting direct speech into reported speech, references to time and place often need to be adjusted to fit the context of the reported speech. This is because the time and place relative to the speaker may have changed from the original statement to the time of reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how time and place references change:

Direct: “I will see you tomorrow .” Reported: He said he would see me the next day .
Direct: “We went to the park yesterday .” Reported: They said they went to the park the day before .
Direct: “I have been working here since Monday .” Reported: She mentioned she had been working there since Monday .
Direct: “Let’s meet here at noon.” Reported: He suggested meeting there at noon.
Direct: “I bought this last week .” Reported: She said she had bought it the previous week .
Direct: “I will finish this by tomorrow .” Reported: He stated he would finish it by the next day .
Direct: “She will move to New York next month .” Reported: He heard she would move to New York the following month .
Direct: “They were at the festival this morning .” Reported: She said they were at the festival that morning .
Direct: “I saw him here yesterday.” Reported: She mentioned she saw him there the day before.
Direct: “We will return in a week .” Reported: They said they would return in a week .
Direct: “I have an appointment today .” Reported: He said he had an appointment that day .
Direct: “The event starts next Friday .” Reported: She mentioned the event starts the following Friday .
Direct: “I lived in Berlin two years ago .” Reported: He stated he had lived in Berlin two years before .
Direct: “I will call you tonight .” Reported: She said she would call me that night .
Direct: “I was at the office yesterday .” Reported: He mentioned he was at the office the day before .

Reported Speech: Question Format

When converting questions from direct speech into reported speech, the format changes significantly. Unlike statements, questions require rephrasing into a statement format and often involve the use of introductory verbs like ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’. Here are some examples to demonstrate how questions in direct speech are converted into statements in reported speech:

Direct: “Are you coming to the party?” Reported: She asked if I was coming to the party.
Direct: “What time is the meeting?” Reported: He inquired what time the meeting was.
Direct: “Why did you leave early?” Reported: They wanted to know why I had left early.
Direct: “Can you help me with this?” Reported: She asked if I could help her with that.
Direct: “Where did you buy this?” Reported: He wondered where I had bought that.
Direct: “Who is going to the concert?” Reported: They asked who was going to the concert.
Direct: “How do you solve this problem?” Reported: She questioned how to solve that problem.
Direct: “Is this the right way to the station?” Reported: He inquired whether it was the right way to the station.
Direct: “Do you know her name?” Reported: They asked if I knew her name.
Direct: “Why are they moving out?” Reported: She wondered why they were moving out.
Direct: “Have you seen my keys?” Reported: He asked if I had seen his keys.
Direct: “What were they talking about?” Reported: She wanted to know what they had been talking about.
Direct: “When will you return?” Reported: He asked when I would return.
Direct: “Can she drive a manual car?” Reported: They inquired if she could drive a manual car.
Direct: “How long have you been waiting?” Reported: She asked how long I had been waiting.

Reported Speech: Omitting Quotation Marks

In reported speech, quotation marks are not used, differentiating it from direct speech which requires them to enclose the spoken words. Reported speech summarizes or paraphrases what someone said without the need for exact wording. Here are examples showing how direct speech with quotation marks is transformed into reported speech without them:

Direct: “I am feeling tired,” she said. Reported: She said she was feeling tired.
Direct: “We will win the game,” he exclaimed. Reported: He exclaimed that they would win the game.
Direct: “I don’t like apples,” the boy declared. Reported: The boy declared that he didn’t like apples.
Direct: “You should visit Paris,” she suggested. Reported: She suggested that I should visit Paris.
Direct: “I will be late,” he warned. Reported: He warned that he would be late.
Direct: “I can’t believe you did that,” she expressed in surprise. Reported: She expressed her surprise that I had done that.
Direct: “I need help with this task,” he admitted. Reported: He admitted that he needed help with the task.
Direct: “I have never been to Italy,” she confessed. Reported: She confessed that she had never been to Italy.
Direct: “We saw a movie last night,” they mentioned. Reported: They mentioned that they saw a movie the night before.
Direct: “I am learning to play the piano,” he revealed. Reported: He revealed that he was learning to play the piano.
Direct: “You must finish your homework,” she instructed. Reported: She instructed that I must finish my homework.
Direct: “I will call you tomorrow,” he promised. Reported: He promised that he would call me the next day.
Direct: “I have finished my assignment,” she announced. Reported: She announced that she had finished her assignment.
Direct: “I cannot attend the meeting,” he apologized. Reported: He apologized for not being able to attend the meeting.
Direct: “I don’t remember where I put it,” she confessed. Reported: She confessed that she didn’t remember where she put it.

Reported Speech Quiz

Thanks for reading! I hope you found these reported speech examples useful. Before you go, why not try this Reported Speech Quiz and see if you can change indirect speech into reported speech?

Report the dialogue: reported speech conversation

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Read the following conversation and report the dialogue in the reported speech.

Mike: "What are you doing here, Liz? I haven't seen you since June." Liz: "I've just come back from my holiday in Ireland." Mike: "Did you enjoy it?" ...

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Reported speech exercises with answers and grammar rules.

How to report a dialogue

If we report a conversation, we use a reporting verb ('say' and 'tell' are the most common, but there are a lot of other verbs like 'claim', 'admit', 'explain'...). If the reporting verb is in the past tense ( I said that... He told us that... ), we have to change the following:

Tenses "I am hungry," I said. - I said I was hungry. "Sarah went to hospital," Terry said. - Terry said that Sarah had gone to hospital. "Jim has gone away," Betty told me. - Betty told me that Jim had gone away. "We will try it again," we promised. - We promised we would try it again.
Pronouns They called us," said Tom. - Tom said they had called them. "I like this," Sarah told me. - Sarah told me she liked that.
Time and place Harry: "She will come tomorrow." - Harry said she would come the next day. My brother: "I arrived at Warsaw yesterday." - My brother told me that he had arrived at Warsaw the day before. "I'll be here on time," he said. - He said he would be there on time.
Word order in reported questions "How old are you?" asked Peter. - Peter wanted to know how old I was. "What did you do?" asked my mum. - My mum asked what I had done. "Will you catch a bus?" I asked my sister. - I asked my sister if she would catch a bus.

Ronald Kaunda

Reported Speech: A Comprehensive Guide with Clear Examples

Reported speech is the way we communicate what someone else has said. It allows us to convey information from other speakers, either by using their precise wording (Direct Speech) or by modifying it to suit our context (Indirect Speech).

Understanding the difference between direct and indirect speech is essential for clear communication in both written and spoken language.

This guide will explore both forms, key rules for changing tenses, pronouns , and time expressions, and provide examples for reporting statements , questions, commands, and modal verbs .

Direct Speech

Direct Speech involves quoting the speaker’s exact words, enclosed in quotation marks. A reporting verb such as said , told , or asked introduces the speech. This method is typically used when we want to capture the speaker’s original tone, phrasing, or emotion.

Structure of Direct Speech:

Subject + Reporting Verb + Quotation Marks (” “)
The first letter inside the quotation marks is always capitalized.
Mwansa said, “I didn’t find the house I was looking for in Mansa.”
“I’m going to the cinema tonight,” John said.
The teacher said, “You have done a great job in your assignments.”

In the above examples, the original words are preserved exactly, including tense and pronouns. This makes it useful for storytelling, dialogue, or quoting someone verbatim.

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Positions of Reporting Verbs in Direct Speech

In direct speech, reporting verbs such as say , ask , reply , shout , and explain indicate the action of speaking.

The placement of these verbs can vary, appearing at the beginning , middle , or end of the quoted text.

Each position affects the flow and rhythm of the sentence. Below is a detailed explanation of the three positions, along with more examples.

1. Beginning Position

The reporting verb introduces the quoted speech, establishing the context before the words are spoken. This position is formal and common in narrative writing.

He said , “We need to leave early tomorrow.”
She explained , “The project must be submitted by Friday.”
The teacher asked , “Did you finish your homework?”
They shouted , “Watch out for the car!”

This structure helps the reader or listener understand who is speaking before they focus on the actual words spoken.

2. Middle Position

The reporting verb appears between two parts of the speech, breaking the quote into two segments. This structure mimics natural dialogue, creating pauses and maintaining a conversational tone.

“I think,” he said , “that we should go to the meeting.”
“This is wonderful news,” she exclaimed , “and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
“If you need help,” the teacher offered , “feel free to ask me.”
“We can’t continue like this,” she added , “unless we get more support.”

Using this position can convey emotions like hesitation, excitement, or interruption, adding depth to the speech.

3. End Position

In this structure, the quoted speech comes first, followed by the reporting verb. This format is often used in brief dialogues to keep the focus on the words spoken. It is common in informal writing or when the speaker’s identity is already implied.

“Let’s meet at 3 PM,” John suggested .
“I don’t agree with that,” she replied .
“I’m sorry for being late,” he apologized .
“Are you coming with us?” they asked .

This position emphasizes the speech itself, with the reporting verb confirming who said it after the fact.

Indirect Speech

Indirect Speech is a way of reporting what someone said without quoting them directly. Instead of repeating the exact words, we convey the meaning by paraphrasing or rephrasing the original statement to fit the perspective of the new speaker.

This often involves changes to pronouns, verb tenses, and expressions of time or place to reflect the new context in which the speech is reported. Understanding these transformations is essential to accurately convey the speaker’s intended meaning in indirect speech.

Key Characteristics of Indirect Speech

No quotation marks are used.

Unlike direct speech, indirect speech does not use quotation marks. Instead, it embeds the reported statement within a sentence using a conjunction like “that” or phrases such as “if” or “whether” for reported questions.

Direct Speech: Sarah said, “I am happy.”
Indirect Speech: Sarah said that she was happy.

Tense Changes (Backshifting)

In most cases, the tense of the verbs in the original statement is shifted backwards (backshifting) to reflect that the speech occurred in the past. This ensures consistency between the time of speaking and the time of reporting.

Present simple → Past simple “I work hard,” she said. → She said that she worked hard.
Present continuous → Past continuous “I am studying,” he said. → He said that he was studying .
Past simple → Past perfect “I visited Paris,” he said. → He said that he had visited Paris.
Will → Would “I will call you,” she said. → She said that she would call me.

Exceptions: If the reported speech refers to a general truth or fact, the tense may not change.

“The sun rises in the east,” the teacher said. → The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

Pronoun Change

Pronouns in indirect speech must be adjusted to fit the new speaker or subject’s point of view. The reporting speaker must alter first and second-person pronouns to third person (unless the new subject remains the same).

Therefore, pronouns change depending on the speaker and listener involved in the conversation. Below is an example to illustrate:

Direct: “I am happy to help you,” he said. Indirect: He said that he was happy to help me.

In the indirect version, I changes to he to reflect the new perspective, and you becomes me because the speech is now reported to a different person.

Time and Place Expressions

Time and place expressions often change to reflect the shift from the original moment of speech to the time of reporting. Here are common transformations:

Now → Then “I am leaving now,” he said. → He said that he was leaving then .
Today → That day “We will meet today,” she said. → She said that they would meet that day .
Tomorrow → The next day / The following day “I will call you tomorrow,” he said. → He said that he would call me the next day .
Yesterday → The day before / The previous day “I saw him yesterday,” she said. → She said that she had seen him the day before .
Here → There “I am staying here,” he said. → He said that he was staying there .
This → That “This is my favorite book,” she said. → She said that that was her favorite book.

Reporting Questions

When reporting questions, we need to follow these specific rules:

The question format changes to a statement structure .
We use if or whether to report yes/no questions .
Wh- questions retain the question word but are converted into statements.

Reporting Yes/No Questions

When a yes/no question is reported, we introduce the reported speech with if or whether .

Examples: Direct: “Do you live in Lusaka?” he asked. Indirect: He asked if I lived in Lusaka.

Direct: “Can you help me with this problem?” he asked. Indirect: He asked if I could help him with that problem.

Reporting Wh- Questions

For wh- questions, we keep the question word (e.g., where , why , how ), but the sentence structure becomes declarative.

Examples: Direct: “Where are you going?” she asked. Indirect: She asked where I was going.

Direct: “Why did you miss the class?” the teacher asked. Indirect: The teacher asked why I had missed the class.

Reporting Imperatives and Requests

When reporting commands, orders, or requests , we typically use the verbs told or asked followed by the infinitive form of the verb.

Positive Imperatives

Examples: Direct: “Close the door!” she said. Indirect: She told me to close the door.

Direct: “Please help me with this task,” he said. Indirect: He asked me to help him with that task.

Negative Imperatives

For negative commands or requests, we use not before the infinitive.

Examples: Direct: “Don’t talk during the movie,” she said. Indirect: She told us not to talk during the movie.

Direct: “Don’t touch the exhibits,” the guide said. Indirect: The guide told us not to touch the exhibits.

Reporting Modal Verbs

When reporting sentences with modal verbs , some modals change, while others remain the same. Below are common changes:

Mastering reported speech requires a clear understanding of how to change tenses, pronouns, and time expressions to fit the context of the reporting.

Whether conveying statements, questions, commands, or requests, these adjustments ensure accurate communication of what was originally said.

By applying these rules, we can effectively relay information without ambiguity, maintaining both clarity and precision in our speech.

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