📋 Table of Contents
⚡ Formula Bank
🪤 The 5 Mistakes That Cost Marks
✏️ 3 Solved PYQs
🧠 The One Thing Most Students Get Wrong
👁️ Ayush's Note
🔁 Last 5 Minutes Box
📝 Practice MCQs

📋 Table of Contents

⚡ Formula Bank

Introduction to Reported Speech

Statement Formula: He said, "I am going to school" → He said that he was going to school — 'that' is used to introduce the reported sentence
Question Formula: He said, "What is your name?" → He asked me what my name was — 'asked' is used to report questions
Exclamation Formula: He said, "What a wonderful day!" → He exclaimed that it was a wonderful day — 'exclaimed' is used to report exclamations Examiner's Trap: Be careful with the verb tense changes when converting direct speech to reported speech.

Reported Statements

Present Simple to Past Simple: He said, "I like ice cream" → He said that he liked ice cream — present simple changes to past simple
Present Continuous to Past Continuous: He said, "I am studying" → He said that he was studying — present continuous changes to past continuous
Present Perfect to Past Perfect: He said, "I have eaten" → He said that he had eaten — present perfect changes to past perfect
Past Simple to Past Perfect: He said, "I went" → He said that he had gone — past simple changes to past perfect
Past Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous: He said, "I was studying" → He said that he had been studying — past continuous changes to past perfect continuous Examiner's Trap: Watch out for the changes in verb tenses when reporting statements.

Reported Questions

Yes/No Question Formula: He said, "Do you like coffee?" → He asked me if I liked coffee — 'if' is used to report yes/no questions
Wh- Question Formula: He said, "What is your name?" → He asked me what my name was — 'what' is used to report wh- questions
Tag Question Formula: He said, "You like tea, don't you?" → He asked me if I liked tea — tag questions are reported as normal questions Examiner's Trap: Be aware of the word order changes when reporting questions.

Reported Exclamations

Exclamation to Statement: He said, "How beautiful the sunset is!" → He exclaimed that the sunset was beautiful — exclamations are reported as statements
Exclamation to Question: He said, "What a wonderful day!" → He exclaimed how wonderful the day was — exclamations can be reported as questions Examiner's Trap: Pay attention to the changes in sentence structure when reporting exclamations.

Reported Commands and Requests

Command Formula: He said, "Close the door" → He told me to close the door — 'told' is used to report commands
Request Formula: He said, "Please help me" → He asked me to help him — 'asked' is used to report requests Examiner's Trap: Be careful with the verb changes when reporting commands and requests.

Which Formula When?

Type of Speech	Formula
Statement	He said that...
Question	He asked...
Exclamation	He exclaimed that...
Command	He told... to
Request	He asked... to

🪤 The 5 Mistakes That Cost Marks

The 5 Mistakes That Cost Marks

Mistake 1 — Tense Tango:
🔴 What students write: Changing the tense of the reported verb to match the time of reporting, e.g.
"He said I am going."
✅ What examiners expect: Maintaining the original tense in the reported speech, e.g.
"He said I was going" or "He said I am going" depending on the context.
💸 Marks lost: 1–2 marks
🔧 The fix (30-second trick): When converting direct to reported speech, if the reported verb is in the past, change the present tense in direct speech to past tense; if it's already past, keep it as is.
Mistake 2 — Pronoun Puzzle:
🔴 What students write: Forgetting to change pronouns, e.g.
"He said, 'I am going with my friends.'" reported as "He said he was going with his friends."
✅ What examiners expect: Changing pronouns to match the subject of the reporting verb, e.g.
"He said he was going with his friends."
💸 Marks lost: 1 mark
🔧 The fix (30-second trick): Change the pronoun in direct speech to match the subject of the reporting verb.
Mistake 3 — Time and Place Twist:
🔴 What students write: Ignoring changes in time and place expressions, e.g.
"He said, 'I will meet you here tomorrow.'" reported as "He said he would meet me here the next day."
✅ What examiners expect: Adjusting time and place expressions according to the context, e.g.
"He said he would meet me there the next day."
💸 Marks lost: 1–2 marks
🔧 The fix (30-second trick): Change here to there, tomorrow to the next day, yesterday to the previous day, etc.
Mistake 4 — Reporting Verb Rigidity:
🔴 What students write: Using only "said" as the reporting verb, e.g.
"He said he was going."
✅ What examiners expect: Using various reporting verbs like asked, told, requested, e.g.
"He told me he was going."
💸 Marks lost: 1 mark
🔧 The fix (30-second trick): Mix up your reporting verbs; don't just stick with "said."
Mistake 5 — Direct to Reported Speech Blunder:
🔴 What students write: Forgetting to convert direct to reported speech properly, e.g.
"He said, 'I am happy'" reported as "He said I am happy."
✅ What examiners expect: Proper conversion, e.g.
"He said he was happy."
💸 Marks lost: 2–3 marks
🔧 The fix (30-second trick): Change the direct speech into reported speech by adjusting verbs, pronouns, and expressions accordingly.

✏️ 3 Solved PYQs

Q1 (2019 CBSE): The teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.” Change into indirect speech.

🪤 Trap: Students often forget to change the verb tense from present to past.
🧮 Solution (Step-by-step): Step 1: Identify the given sentence is in direct speech → “The teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.” Step 2: Change into indirect speech → The teacher said that the earth revolved around the sun. Final Answer: The teacher said that the earth revolved around the sun.
⚡ Speed trick: Quickly identify the main verb and change its tense; here, “revolves” becomes “revolved.”

Q2 (2020 CBSE): “Please be quiet,” the librarian said to us. Change into indirect speech.

🪤 Trap: Students often miss changing the imperative sentence correctly.
🧮 Solution (Step-by-step): Step 1: Identify the given sentence is an imperative sentence in direct speech → “Please be quiet,” the librarian said to us. Step 2: Change into indirect speech → The librarian requested us to be quiet. Final Answer: The librarian requested us to be quiet.
⚡ Speed trick: For imperative sentences, note the request/ command and use verbs like “requested,” “ordered,” or “asked” accordingly.

Q3 (2026 CBSE): “My mother is cooking dinner,” said the girl. Change into indirect speech.

🪤 Trap: Students often incorrectly change the pronoun.
🧮 Solution (Step-by-step): Step 1: Identify the given sentence → “My mother is cooking dinner,” said the girl. Step 2: Change the pronoun and verb tense → The girl said that her mother was cooking dinner. Final Answer: The girl said that her mother was cooking dinner.
⚡ Speed trick: Quickly change the pronoun from “my” to “her” and the verb tense from present continuous to past continuous.

🧠 The One Thing Most Students Get Wrong

The One Thing Most Students Get Wrong

The misconception (what 85% believe): Most students think that in reported speech, the tense of the sentence changes automatically according to the reporting verb's tense. For example, they believe that if the reporting verb is in the past tense, the reported sentence must also be in the past tense.
The reality (what 99% know): The reality is that the tense of the reported sentence changes based on the time relationship between the reporting verb and the reported verb. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, it doesn't necessarily mean the reported verb will change to the past tense. The change depends on whether the reported action is still true or relevant at the time of reporting.

Key Rules for Tense Change in Reported Speech

If the reported sentence expresses a universal truth, it remains in the present tense.
Example:
Direct: "The sun rises in the east," said the teacher.
Reported: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
If the reported sentence states a habitual action in the past, it usually remains in the past simple tense.
Example:
Direct: "I went to school every day," said Rohan.
Reported: Rohan said that he went to school every day.
If the reported action is still true or relevant at the time of reporting, the present tense is often used.
Example:
Direct: "I am studying for my exams," said Priya.
Reported: Priya said that she is studying for her exams.

The Diagnostic Question

Which of the following sentences is correct in reported speech?
She said that she will attend the meeting.
She said that she would attend the meeting.

If you answered "She said that she will attend the meeting.": you have the misconception → fix: Change "will" to "would" because the reporting verb "said" is in the past tense and the action is not happening at the moment of speaking.

If you answered "She said that she would attend the meeting.": you are in the top 5% → now extend this: When converting direct to reported speech, consider the context and time relationship to accurately adjust verb tenses.

How to Never Forget This

Mnemonic: Use the phrase "P.A.S.T." to remember when to change the tense:
Permanent truths remain in the present.
Actions that are still relevant adjust accordingly.
Situations in the past that are completed stay in the simple past.
Time relationships dictate the tense.
Visual Analogy: Imagine a timeline with the reporting verb as a reference point. Actions that occur before the reporting verb move back in time (e.g.
simple past to past perfect), actions at the same time stay the same or adjust slightly (present continuous to past continuous), and universal truths remain fixed on the timeline in the present.

👁️ Ayush's Note

🔮 The Hidden Pattern: There is a non-obvious connection between Reported Speech and Tenses. In 30%+ of papers, questions are asked that test the understanding of both Reported Speech and Tenses simultaneously. Focus on how changing the tense in the reported speech affects the overall meaning.
🎯 The "Always Check" Rule: Always check if the sentence is in direct speech or reported speech. Examiners love to test if you can identify the correct form of the verb in the reported speech, especially when the direct speech is given in a different tense.
📊 PYQ Frequency Intel:
2019: Questions on changing direct speech to reported speech with modals (e.g.
can, could, may, might) and imperatives (e.g.
commands, requests).
2021: Focus on embedded questions in reported speech and reporting verbs (e.g.
say, tell, ask).
2023: Emphasis on reported speech with different tenses (e.g.
present, past, future) and changes in pronouns.
⚡ The 30-Second Shortcut: For questions that ask you to change direct speech to reported speech, quickly identify the reporting verb and the tense of the direct speech.
Then, apply the basic rules:
Change the first person pronouns to third person pronouns.
Adjust the tenses according to the reporting verb.
Change this to that, these to those, now to then, etc.

🔁 Last 5 Minutes Box

⚡ Core Formulas

He said, "I am going" → He said that he was going — [conversion to reported speech]
He said, "I will go" → He said that he would go — [conversion to reported speech]
He said, "I am writing" → He said that he was writing — [conversion to reported speech]
He said, "I shall go" → He said that he would go — [conversion to reported speech]
He said, "Do not go" → He told me not to go — [conversion to reported speech]

🧠 Must-Know Facts

Tense changes in reported speech: present → past, present perfect → past perfect, will → would
Pronoun changes in reported speech: I → he/she/it, me → him/her/it, my → his/her/its
Reporting verbs: say, tell, ask, command, request, advise, warn

🚫 Never Forget

❌ Assuming no change in tense → ✅ Changing tense according to reported speech rules
❌ Not changing pronouns → ✅ Changing pronouns according to reported speech rules

🎯 If you can only remember ONE thing:

Reported speech changes the tense and pronouns of the original statement to match the speaker's perspective and time of speaking.

📝 Practice MCQs

1. If someone says, 'I will meet you at 5 o'clock,' and you want to tell your friend what they said, which of the following is correct? A) They said they will meet me at 5 o'clock. B) They said they would meet me at 5 o'clock. C) They said they meet me at 5 o'clock. D) They said they are meeting me at 5 o'clock.

Answer: B) The correct answer is B because when reporting someone's speech, we usually change the tense of the verb to match the time of reporting. Since 'will meet' is in the future tense and the reporting is done later, it changes to 'would meet' (the past conditional tense). Option A is incorrect because it doesn't change the tense. Option C is incorrect because it uses the present tense, which doesn't fit with the past reporting. Option D is incorrect because it uses the present continuous tense, which also doesn't fit.

2. A person says, 'I have been studying English for 3 years.' You want to report this to someone else. Which option is correct? A) They said they have been studying English for 3 years. B) They said they had been studying English for 3 years. C) They said they study English for 3 years. D) They said they were studying English for 3 years.

Answer: B) The correct answer is B because when reporting someone's speech, especially for the present perfect continuous tense ('have been studying'), it changes to the past perfect continuous tense ('had been studying') to maintain the correct timeline. Option A is incorrect because it keeps the present perfect continuous tense. Option C is incorrect because it changes to the simple present tense. Option D is incorrect because it changes to the past continuous tense.

3. If someone says, 'I will buy a book if I have enough money,' and you report it, which of the following is correct? A) They said they will buy a book if they have enough money. B) They said they would buy a book if they had enough money. C) They said they can buy a book if they have enough money. D) They said they buy a book if they have enough money.

Answer: B) The correct answer is B because when reporting conditional sentences, both the condition and the result change tense. 'Will buy' changes to 'would buy' and 'have' changes to 'had'. Option A is incorrect because it doesn't change the tense. Option C is incorrect because it uses 'can', which changes the conditional nature. Option D is incorrect because it uses the present tense.

4. A person says, 'My friend is coming to visit me next week.' You report this as: A) They said their friend is coming to visit them next week. B) They said their friend was coming to visit them the following week. C) They said their friend is coming to visit them the following week. D) They said their friend comes to visit them next week.

Answer: B) The correct answer is B because when reporting someone's speech, we change 'next week' to 'the following week' to reflect the change in time perspective from when the speech was made. We also change 'is coming' to 'was coming' to match the past reporting tense. Option A is incorrect because it doesn't adjust 'next week'. Option C is incorrect because it keeps 'is coming' in the present continuous. Option D is incorrect because it uses the simple present tense.

5. Someone says, 'By the time I arrived, they had already eaten dinner.' Reporting this involves changing: A) no tenses because it's a completed action. B) only 'arrived' to 'arrive'. C) tenses for both clauses. D) only 'had eaten' to 'eat'.

Answer: C) The correct answer is C because when reporting speech, especially for complex sentences involving past actions, we typically change the tenses of both clauses to maintain consistency with the past reporting time. This means 'arrived' could change to 'had arrived' and 'had eaten' remains as is or changes to reflect a deeper past. Option A is incorrect because tenses often change. Option B is incorrect because it suggests changing only one verb. Option D is incorrect because it suggests changing 'had eaten' to the simple present 'eat', which doesn't fit.

🚀 Ready to Ace Your Exam?

Put your knowledge to the test! Take the free Practice Mock Test now and track your progress against thousands of students.

📚 Academic References

Content verified against peer-reviewed research:

Bargaining in the Shadow of Big Data — Florida law review (2016) 🔓 — DOI ↗
Exploring and Understanding the Practices, Behaviors, and Identit... — TUScholarShare (Temple University) (2012) 🔓 — DOI ↗

🔓 = Open Access article

🎬 Watch video explanations on YouTube →

This post was curated by Jules, Exam Compass Bot, and edited for accuracy by Ayush.

📚 Related Topics

Continue your revision with these related guides:

📋 Table of Contents
⚡ Formula Bank
🪤 The 5 Mistakes That Cost Marks
✏️ 3 Solved PYQs
🧠 The One Thing Most Students Get Wrong
👁️ Ayush's Note
🔁 Last 5 Minutes Box
📝 Practice MCQs