We use reported speech (indirect speech) when we want to say words spoken by another person, or words that were said at a different time. Some examples are below:

If you need to, please review the Poligo Content on reported speech.

Reported Speech | Making Reported Speech | Reported Questions

Infinitives—Reporting Actions

When you report speech that is about actions, you can use an infinitive structure. This is commonly for the verbs shown below:

Do as I Say!—Reporting Orders

Most of the time, when reporting orders, we use the two main patterns shown below:

1. We use direct speech --- if the situation is clear;
2. We use "order", "tell" or "say" and an infinitive.

Should I Stay, or Should I Go?—Reporting Advice

When reporting "should" questions, it is important to remember that they follow the rules explained in the grammar point on reported questions. However, when you report a "should" question, you do not need to change the verb.

In the same way, when you report "should" sentences, you do not need to change "should", but the rest of the rules for making reported speech apply. See below:

But sometimes "should" sentences and questions use a question word + infinitive structure approximate the question asked or information given. You can use this to communicate the general idea, rather than the exact words.

Break the Rules—Some Exceptions about Tense.

There are some special cases about changing tenses in reported speech:

When you use the present, future or present perfect for your reporting verb, you can keep the original verb tense used—the time in these cases is usually clear. This is usually the case when the situation (in relation to time) is still the same as it was for the original speaker.

This point confuses students who learn the rules very carefully, and then notice that native speakers don't always follow them.

Note: What is and is not possible and when to say each of these is quite difficult to get right. Any mix up with these would not be a fatal error or result in a breakdown of communications.

The real key to this point is to understand that changing the tense of what is said is used to make it clear that the words are reported: they were said at another time, and maybe by another person. This is very important if you do not believe the words that are being reported and want to make it clear that they are not your own words.

Reporting on the Past

When you report past events, you can use the past perfect:

But it is not always important to use the past perfect. Often the time of the actions reported is clear.

And if the original sentence is already in the past perfect, then there is no change.

Modal Verbs

When you are reporting anything with modal verbs (would, could, must and might), they stay the same.

Using reported speech patterns with other actions

Reported speech patterns and structures can also be used with other verbs—not just "tell", "say" or "ask":