English grammar › B2
Reported speech
Level B2 · She said she was tired
What is reported speech?
Reported speech tells someone what another person said, without quoting the exact words. The verb usually moves one step into the past.
When you use it
- Passing on messages.
- Telling a story about a conversation.
Pattern
is → was · will → would · has done → had done
Examples
- “I’m tired.” → She said she **was** tired. — present → past
Remember: say something, tell someone: She told me that …
The rule
When you report what someone said, the tense usually moves one step back: is → was, will → would, has done → had done.
Direct → reported: "I'm tired," she said. → She said (that) she was tired.
Important
say something; tell someone something: She told me she was tired.
Common mistakes
- Not:
She said me that…— But: She told me that… / She said that…
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