B1business

Reported Speech - Business English

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Reported (or indirect) speech is how you tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. The main change is the tense, which usually shifts one step back into the past when the reporting verb (say, tell, ask, explain) is itself in the past. So present becomes past, past becomes past perfect, and "will" becomes "would". You also adjust pronouns and references to time and place. For example, direct speech "I am preparing the report" becomes "She said she was preparing the report." Direct "We will send the figures tomorrow" becomes "They said they would send the figures the next day." In a meeting you might report: "He explained that the deadline had already passed." Note two things. First, use "tell" with a person object (tell me, tell the client) but "say" without one (he said that...); a very common error is "he said me". Second, when you report a question, the word order goes back to statement order and you drop the question mark: not "She asked when does the meeting start" but "She asked when the meeting started." If the original words are still true or are a general fact, the backshift is optional: "She said the office is/was closed on Fridays."

Let's practise. Type each answer and press Enter, I'll check it with you.

  1. The manager said that he (be) very happy with the quarterly results.
  2. She told me that she (finish) the presentation by Friday.
  3. The client mentioned that they (not / like) the new logo design.
  4. He asked me if I (see) the latest email from the CEO.
  5. They informed us that the meeting (be) postponed until next week.
  6. The technician said that the server (work) perfectly now.
  7. Mr. Jones told his team that they (need) to focus on the budget.
  8. She whispered that she (already / send) the invoice to the accounting department.
  9. The director asked whether we (have) enough staff for the project.
  10. He explained that the company (expand) into Europe next year.
  11. My colleague said that he (not / receive) my message yesterday.
  12. The HR manager told us that the new policy (start) in January.
  13. She asked if I (can) join the conference call later.
  14. They said that they (consider) our proposal very seriously.
  15. The supervisor told me that I (do) a great job on the report.
  16. He mentioned that the deadline (be) much earlier than expected.
  17. The client asked if we (provide) a discount for bulk orders.
  18. She said that she (wait) for the client's feedback all morning.
  19. The accountant told them that the figures (be) incorrect.
  20. He asked her where she (keep) the physical files.
  21. The CEO announced that the company (hire) fifty new employees.
  22. They told the board that they (achieve) all their annual targets.
  23. She said that she (call) the supplier as soon as possible.
  24. The intern asked if he (be) allowed to attend the seminar.
  25. He promised that he (not / forget) to sign the contract.

Common questions

How do tenses change (backshift) when you turn direct speech into reported speech?

When the reporting verb is in the past, the tense usually moves one step back: present simple to past simple ("I work" becomes she said she worked), present continuous to past continuous, present perfect and past simple both to past perfect, and "will" to "would". Modals also shift: can to could, may to might. For example, "I can finish it today" becomes "He said he could finish it that day."

What is the difference between 'say' and 'tell' in reported speech?

Use "tell" when you name the listener: tell me, tell the team, tell your manager. Use "say" when you do not name the listener: he said (that) the meeting was cancelled. So "She told the client the order had shipped" is correct, but "She said the client..." is wrong here. A frequent mistake is "he said me"; the correct form is "he told me" or "he said to me."

How do you report questions and how do time and place words change?

For yes/no questions use "if" or "whether"; for wh-questions keep the wh-word, then use statement word order and no question mark: "Are you free?" becomes "She asked if I was free," and "Where is the file?" becomes "He asked where the file was." Time and place references also shift: now becomes then, today becomes that day, tomorrow becomes the next day, and here becomes there.