Reported Speech

Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is the grammar you use to tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. In IELTS, reported speech appears frequently in Writing Task 2 (when referencing opinions and research), in Reading (where authors report others' views), and in Speaking (when recounting conversations or opinions).

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Direct vs Reported Speech

Direct speech quotes the exact words:

The professor said, "Climate change is the greatest threat to humanity."

Reported speech conveys the meaning without quoting:

The professor said that climate change was the greatest threat to humanity.

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The Backshift Rule

When the reporting verb is in the past tense (said, told, reported, claimed, argued), the verb in the reported clause usually shifts back one tense:

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
Present simple: "I work here."	Past simple: She said she worked there.
Present continuous: "I am studying."	Past continuous: He said he was studying.
Present perfect: "I have finished."	Past perfect: She said she had finished.
Past simple: "I went to London."	Past perfect: He said he had gone to London.
Will: "I will help."	Would: She said she would help.
Can: "I can swim."	Could: He said he could swim.
May: "I may be late."	Might: She said she might be late.
Must: "I must leave."	Had to: He said he had to leave.

When NOT to backshift

You do NOT need to backshift when:

1. The statement is still true:

   The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun. ✅ (still true) The teacher said that the Earth revolved around the Sun. ✅ (also acceptable)

2. The reporting verb is in the present tense:

   The report says that pollution is increasing. ✅

3. Using past perfect in the original (it stays the same — there is no further backshift):

   "I had already left." → She said she had already left.

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Changes Beyond the Verb

When converting to reported speech, several other elements change:

Direct	Reported
I / we	he / she / they (depending on context)
my / our	his / her / their
this	that
these	those
here	there
now	then / at that time
today	that day
yesterday	the day before / the previous day
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
ago	before / earlier

Example:

Direct: "I will finish my report here today," she said.

Reported: She said that she would finish her report there that day.

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Reporting Verbs: Beyond "Said"

For Band 7+, use a variety of reporting verbs. Each carries a different nuance:

Neutral reporting

• say, state, mention, note, report, comment, remark, observe, point out

Expressing belief or opinion

• believe, think, argue, claim, suggest, maintain, contend, assert

Expressing agreement or disagreement

• agree, accept, acknowledge, deny, dispute, reject, challenge

Expressing emphasis

• insist, emphasise, stress, highlight, underline

Expressing caution

• warn, caution, advise

Band 6:

The researcher said that pollution was a problem. Another researcher said that the government should act.

Band 7:

The researcher argued that pollution posed a significant threat to public health. Another scholar maintained that the government should implement stricter environmental regulations.

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Reporting Verb Patterns

Different reporting verbs follow different grammatical patterns:

Verb + that clause

She argued that education should be free. He claimed that the results were inaccurate.