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Reported Speech

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Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Direct speech: I like ice cream.
• Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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What is Reported Speech and how to use it? with Examples

Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said. Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker's exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions. 1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually "said." The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, "I am going to the store," becomes "He said that he was going to the store." 2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually "asked." The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, "What time is it?" becomes "She asked what time it was." It's important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples: ●  Direct speech: "I will call you later." Reported speech: He said that he would call me later. ●  Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework. ●  Direct speech: "I love pizza." Reported speech: They said that they loved pizza.

When do we use reported speech?

Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly. Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include: News reports: Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference. Business and professional communication: In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer. Conversational English: In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, "She told me that she was running late." Narration: In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.

How to make reported speech?

1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here's an example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the store now," she said. Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then. In this example, the pronoun "I" is changed to "she" and the adverb "now" is changed to "then." 2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here's an example: Direct speech: "I will meet you at the park tomorrow," he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day. In this example, the present tense "will" is changed to the past tense "would." 3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as "say," "tell," "ask," or "inquire" depending on the context of the speech. Here's an example: Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework. In this example, the reporting verb "asked" is changed to "said" and "did" is changed to "had." Overall, when making reported speech, it's important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker's message accurately.

How do I change the pronouns and adverbs in reported speech?

1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example: Direct speech: "I love chocolate." Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate. Direct speech: "You should study harder." Reported speech: He advised me to study harder. Direct speech: "She is reading a book." Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book. 2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the cinema tonight." Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night. Direct speech: "He is here." Reported speech: She said he was there. Note that the adverb "now" usually changes to "then" or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context. It's important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.

How do I change the tense in reported speech?

In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech: Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I like pizza." Reported speech: She said she liked pizza. Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I am studying for my exam." Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam. Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I have finished my work." Reported speech: She said she had finished her work. Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I visited my grandparents last weekend." Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend. Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I will help you with your project." Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project. Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I can speak French." Reported speech: She said she could speak French. Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker's perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.

Do I always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech?

No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech. In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as "I heard that" or "It seems that" without using a reporting verb. For example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the cinema tonight." Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she's going to the cinema tonight. However, it's important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it's generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible. Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example: Direct speech: "I think we should invest in renewable energy." Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy. Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate.

How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?

1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "asked" or "wondered" followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here's an example: Direct speech: "What time is the meeting?" Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was. Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech. 2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "ordered" or "told" followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here's an example: Direct speech: "Clean your room!" Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room. Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech. In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples: Direct speech: "Will you go to the party with me?" Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: "Please bring me a glass of water." Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water. Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

How to make questions in reported speech?

To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "asked" or "wondered" followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech: Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include "asked," "inquired," "wondered," and "wanted to know." Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker. Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use "if" or "whether" to introduce the reported question. Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word. Here are some examples of reported questions: Direct speech: "What time is the meeting?" Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was. Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: "Where are you going?" Reported speech: She wondered where I was going. Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately. Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions

What is the difference between reported speech an indirect speech?

In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, "I am going to the store," in reported speech you would say, "He/she said that he/she was going to the store." The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.

Examples of direct speech to reported

1. Direct speech: "I am hungry," she said. Reported speech: She said she was hungry. 2. Direct speech: "Can you pass the salt, please?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked her to pass the salt. 3. Direct speech: "I will meet you at the cinema," he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet her at the cinema. 4. Direct speech: "I have been working on this project for hours," she said. Reported speech: She said she had been working on the project for hours. 5. Direct speech: "What time does the train leave?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked what time the train left. 6. Direct speech: "I love playing the piano," she said. Reported speech: She said she loved playing the piano. 7. Direct speech: "I am going to the grocery store," he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to the grocery store. 8. Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" the teacher asked. Reported speech: The teacher asked if he had finished his homework. 9. Direct speech: "I want to go to the beach," she said. Reported speech: She said she wanted to go to the beach. 10. Direct speech: "Do you need help with that?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked if she needed help with that. 11. Direct speech: "I can't come to the party," he said. Reported speech: He said he couldn't come to the party. 12. Direct speech: "Please don't leave me," she said. Reported speech: She begged him not to leave her. 13. Direct speech: "I have never been to London before," he said. Reported speech: He said he had never been to London before. 14. Direct speech: "Where did you put my phone?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked where she had put her phone. 15. Direct speech: "I'm sorry for being late," he said. Reported speech: He apologized for being late. 16. Direct speech: "I need some help with this math problem," she said. Reported speech: She said she needed some help with the math problem. 17. Direct speech: "I am going to study abroad next year," he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to study abroad the following year. 18. Direct speech: "Can you give me a ride to the airport?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked him to give her a ride to the airport. 19. Direct speech: "I don't know how to fix this," he said. Reported speech: He said he didn't know how to fix it. 20. Direct speech: "I hate it when it rains," she said. Reported speech: She said she hated it when it rained.

What is Direct and Indirect Speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two different ways of reporting spoken or written language. Let's delve into the details and provide some examples. Click here to read more

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Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2

Advanced Grammar Course

What is reported speech?

“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:

• Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
• Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.

There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.

So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.

In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called “backshift.”

Here are some examples in different verb tenses:

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

Exceptions to backshift in reported speech.

Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.

There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.

If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.

When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.

He said he HAS three children

But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.

Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”

• If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
• If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.

Here’s an example:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
• “She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
• It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
• Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.

Let’s look at a different situation:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
• “She said she ‘d  call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Quick review:

• Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
• when the situation is still true
• when the situation is still in the future

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.

What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?

For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:

• “Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
• She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)

For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”

• “Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
• “He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)

The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:

• She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me  make  a copy of the report.
• He told me to go to the bank. He told me  go  to the bank.

For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.

• “Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
• He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
• “Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)

The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.

Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:

• She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.

For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):

• “When was the company founded?” (direct)
• She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
• “What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
• He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)

Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:

• “Where does he work?”
• She wanted to know  where does he work.
• She wanted to know where he works.

Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:

• “Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
• He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
• He asked where was I born.

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Learn more about reported speech:

• Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
• Reported speech: BJYU’s

If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!

I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.

Master the details of English grammar:

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Everyday Grammar: Mastering Reported Speech

Everyday Grammar: Quoted Speech

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Everyday Grammar: You Can Master Reported Speech

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We often need to tell others what someone else said. There are two ways to do this. One is to say the same words and use quotation marks. That is "direct speech." The other method is to summarize, or tell about what someone said. This is called "reported speech." Before we get into the rules for reporting speech, here are the terms we are using to explain it.

Rules for reporting speech

To get this kind of sentence right, there are four things you should keep in mind:

The first rule is to choose a reporting verb and tense .

When did the speech happen? With current, repeated or recent events, the reporting verb is in the present tense. "He says he is hungry, so let's go to lunch." A habitual or repeated statement is in the present tense: "Everyone says the water is safe to drink." For reporting less immediate speech, choose the past tense. The reporting verb is often said , but it can also be told , or other verbs like ordered , stated , or reported , depending on the situation. When reporting questions, you can use verbs like asked or requested .

The second rule is to change the perspective, or point of view.

That means I becomes he , she , or they .

"Mary said ' I ate the pie."' becomes "She said that she ate the pie."

"The boys said, ' We are coming tomorrow'" becomes "They said they are coming tomorrow."

Next, choose whether to include "that or "if."

You can say, "He says he is at home" or "He says that he is at home." That is a conjunction here, linking the two parts of the sentence. It is optional. Another conjunction, if , is required when reporting on a question: "He asked me if I knew how to play tennis."

The fourth rule is to "backshift" the tense.

This is the trickiest part of reported speech. When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the reported clause is in the past tense, too. The verb aspect , showing whether the action is completed, matches. Here are some examples:​

"I am buying my ticket." (present continuous) -> He said he was buying his ticket. (past continuous)

Ashley: "I have fixed my bicycle." (present perfect) -> She said she had fixed her bicycle. (past perfect)

Reporting speech in English would be easy if these rules were all learners needed to know. But as usual, there is more to learn. Let's look at what happens with questions and modals .

Reporting on questions

When we report questions, we have to pay attention to the auxiliary verb . These are words like do , be , and have . Yes or no questions begin with an auxiliary, such as

" Do you like pizza?"

To report that question, drop the auxiliary and add if :

He asked me if I liked pizza.

Learners often make the mistake of leaving the auxiliary verb in the reported speech: He asked me do I like pizza.

Information questions start with a question word:

"Where are you going?"

To report on these, simply change the pronoun and word order.

She asked me where I was going.

Here, learners often make the mistake of keeping the same word order: She asked me where was I going.

A similar word order switch appears with the verb "be" in questions.

They asked, "When is the party?" -> They asked me when the party was.

The question word "when" remains. "Be" moves from a position before the noun to after the noun.

Reporting speech with modals

Finally, pay attention to whether the speech you are reporting uses a modal verb. Will , can , and shall change to would , could , and should when reported. Will is used to make statements about the future in English. When reporting this kind of statement, will becomes would . Compare these sentences:

Kelly said, "I will pick up the sandwiches." -> Kelly said she would pick up the sandwiches.

Modal verbs may appear in questions, as well:

Caty asked, " Can you answer the phone while I'm out?" -> Caty asked me if I could answer the phone while she was out.

If the modal verb is already in its past form, it does not change when reported.

George stated, "I would not do that." -> George said he would not do that.

Test your knowledge

Let's try a few sentences. I'll say the direct speech, and you make a sentence in reported speech.

Our boss said, "You can all go home early today." -> Our boss said we could all go home early.

Anna asked "When is your birthday?" -> Anna asked me when my birthday was.

Adam said, "I am leaving on Tuesday." -> Adam said he was leaving on Tuesday.

Chris said, "I will bring the cake." -> Chris said he would bring the cake.

Reported speech in song

Reported speech sometimes shows up in popular songs. The singer Lisa Loeb begins the song "Stay" with a reported verb in the present tense to show that the action is a habit.

you say I only hear what I want to you say I talk so all the time so

Later she reports something in the past, so the reported speech verb is in the past tense.

you said that I was naive, and I thought that I was strong. I thought, "hey, I can leave, I can leave." but now I know that I was wrong, 'cause I missed you.

Follow these simple rules and you will be reporting speech like a pro.

She said that you would be reporting speech like a pro.

I'm Pete Musto.

And I'm Jill Robbins.

Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story. Adam Brock was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

report – v. to tell people about (something)

aspect – grammar : the characteristic of a verb that expresses the way an action happens

auxiliary verb – n. a verb (such as have , be , may , do , shall , will , can , or must ) that is used with another verb to show the verb's tense, to form a question, etc.

modal verb – n. a verb (such as can, could, shall, should, ought to, will, or would) that is usually used with another verb to express ideas such as possibility, necessity, and permission

Now it's your turn. Try changing these sentences into reported speech. Write your sentences in the comments section and we will give you feedback.

Trung asked, "Did you eat dinner?" Pete said, "I have been looking for a new car." Ashley says, "Come into my office."

Everyday Grammar: Put Prepositions in Their Place

Simple Past and Present Perfect

Can You Correct 'Her and I?'

Reported Speech in English Grammar

Direct speech, changing the tense (backshift), no change of tenses, question sentences, demands/requests, expressions with who/what/how + infinitive, typical changes of time and place.

• Lingolia Plus English

Introduction

In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks , this is known as direct speech , or we can use indirect speech . In indirect speech , we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting verb or phrase such as ones below.

Learn the rules for writing indirect speech in English with Lingolia’s simple explanation. In the exercises, you can test your grammar skills.

When turning direct speech into indirect speech, we need to pay attention to the following points:

• changing the pronouns Example: He said, “ I saw a famous TV presenter.” He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter.
• changing the information about time and place (see the table at the end of this page) Example: He said, “I saw a famous TV presenter here yesterday .” He said (that) he had seen a famous TV presenter there the day before .
• changing the tense (backshift) Example: He said, “She was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting .” He said (that) she had been eating an ice-cream at the table where I was sitting .

If the introductory clause is in the simple past (e.g. He said ), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table). The term for this in English is backshift .

The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change.

If the introductory clause is in the simple present , however (e.g. He says ), then the tense remains unchanged, because the introductory clause already indicates that the statement is being immediately repeated (and not at a later point in time).

In some cases, however, we have to change the verb form.

When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points:

• As in a declarative sentence, we have to change the pronouns, the time and place information, and set the tense back ( backshift ).
• Instead of that , we use a question word. If there is no question word, we use whether / if instead. Example: She asked him, “ How often do you work?” → She asked him how often he worked. He asked me, “Do you know any famous people?” → He asked me if/whether I knew any famous people.
• We put the subject before the verb in question sentences. (The subject goes after the auxiliary verb in normal questions.) Example: I asked him, “ Have you met any famous people before?” → I asked him if/whether he had met any famous people before.
• We don’t use the auxiliary verb do for questions in indirect speech. Therefore, we sometimes have to conjugate the main verb (for third person singular or in the simple past ). Example: I asked him, “What do you want to tell me?” → I asked him what he wanted to tell me.
• We put the verb directly after who or what in subject questions. Example: I asked him, “ Who is sitting here?” → I asked him who was sitting there.

We don’t just use indirect questions to report what another person has asked. We also use them to ask questions in a very polite manner.

When turning demands and requests into indirect speech, we only need to change the pronouns and the time and place information. We don’t have to pay attention to the tenses – we simply use an infinitive .

If it is a negative demand, then in indirect speech we use not + infinitive .

To express what someone should or can do in reported speech, we leave out the subject and the modal verb and instead we use the construction who/what/where/how + infinitive.

Say or Tell?

The words say and tell are not interchangeable. say = say something tell = say something to someone

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• English Grammar
• Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Table of Contents

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

• The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
• You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.
• You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
• Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

• Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
• Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
• Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

• Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
• Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
• Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
• The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
• Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
• Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
• Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
• Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
• The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
• Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the definition of reported speech.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

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Time and Place in Reported Speech

When we report something, we may need to make changes to:

• time (now, tomorrow)
• place (here, this room)

If we report something around the same time, then we probably do not need to make any changes to time words . But if we report something at a different time, we need to change time words. Look at these example sentences:

• He said: "It was hot yesterday ." → He said that it had been hot the day before .
• He said: "We are going to swim tomorrow ." → He said they were going to swim the next day .

Here is a list of common time words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

Place words

If we are in the same place when we report something, then we do not need to make any changes to place words . But if we are in a different place when we report something, then we need to change the place words. Look at these example sentences:

• He said: "It is cold in here ." → He said that it was cold in there .
• He said: "How much is this book ?" → He asked how much the book was.

Here are some common place words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

Contributor: Josef Essberger

• B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech: reporting verbs

Do you know how to tell someone what another person said using reporting verbs? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how reporting verbs are used.

direct speech: 'You should come, it's going to be a lot of fun,' she said. indirect speech: She persuaded me to come. direct speech: 'Wait here,' he said. indirect speech: He told us to wait there. direct speech: 'It wasn't me who finished the coffee,' he said. indirect speech: He denied finishing the coffee.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Reported speech 3 – reporting verbs: 1

Grammar explanation

When we tell someone what another person said, we often use the verbs say , tell or ask . These are called 'reporting verbs'. However, we can also use other reporting verbs. Many reporting verbs can be followed by another verb in either an infinitive or an -ing form. 

Reporting verb + infinitive

Verbs like advise , agree , challenge , claim , decide , demand , encourage , invite , offer , persuade , promise , refuse and remind can follow an infinitive pattern.

'Let's see. I'll have the risotto, please.' He decided to have the risotto. 'I'll do the report by Friday, for sure.' She promised to do the report by Friday. 'It's not a good idea to write your passwords down.' They advised us not to write our passwords down.

We can also use an infinitive to report imperatives, with a reporting verb like tell , order , instruct , direct or warn .

'Please wait for me in reception.' The guide told us to wait for her in reception. 'Don't go in there!' The police officer warned us not to go in there.

Reporting verb + -ing form

Verbs like admit , apologise for , complain about , deny , insist on , mention and suggest can follow an -ing form pattern.

'I broke the window.' She admitted breaking the window. 'I'm really sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.' He apologised for not getting back to me sooner. 'Let's take a break.' She suggested taking a break.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Reported speech 3 – reporting verbs: 2

Language level

Would you consider the following structure to be reported speech?

The original sentence went as follows:

- After the procedure the doctors confirmed it was the right thing to have done.

Why am I asking? As far as I know the top notch phrasing should go like this:

- After the procedure the doctors confirmed it HAD BEEN the right thing to have done.

I think so because at that time the doctors must have said something like:

- Doctors confirming after the procedure - It was the right thing to have done, Dominik.

Would you be so kind to comment on this one, please :)

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Hello Dominik992,

The version that you propose is correct, and, as you mention, is what is taught as best practice in most grammars.

The other version is also fine, however. Especially in more informal speaking and writing, we often use a past simple form when a past perfect form doesn't add any additional or important meaning.

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Hello! I would like to know whether this two sentences are correct. I think they are both correct, but I am not sure.

"He apologized for letting me down." Or: "He apologized for having let me down"

Thank you in advance! GabDip

Hello GabDip,

Yes, both sentences are correct. There is a slight difference in meaning:

Sentence 1 ( for letting ) could be about a particular situation or it could be about his general habit of being unreliable.

Sentence 2 ( for having let ) describes an issue in the past which is not true any more.

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, i have 2 questions, firstly is the same use advise with verb + object + infinitive that use it with + gerund, it changes the meaning or no? secondly, when we use warn + object + infinitive it has the same meaning that warn somebody against?

Hi facundo62,

For  advise , the meaning is the same with those two structures. For example:

• I'd advise resting as much as you can.
• I'd advise you to rest as much as you can.

However, the structure  advise  + - ing form is less commonly used than the advise + object + to + infinitive structure. 

About  warn , the two structures you mentioned do also have the same meaning. But just to be clear, it's  warn  + object + not + to  + infinitive that has that meaning. For example:

• The doctor warned me not to eat too much.
• The doctor warned me against eating too much.

I hope that helps.

LearnEnglish team

what is the diffrence beetween he suggested to ask andi for some ideas and he suggested asking andi for ideas

"He suggested to ask ..." is not grammatically correct. 

The verb "suggest" is followed by either:

• an - ing  verb form -->  He suggested asking ...  OR
• a  that  clause -->  He suggested  that we ask   ...

"Suggest" is not in the group of verbs that is followed by an infinitive ( to  + verb).

it helped alot thanks

Why can't we say "Katie suggested us going for a walk" but instead should say "KATIE SUGGESTED THAT WE GO FOR A WALK" whilst "The man warned us not to park in this street" is correct. It's unclear why "She suggested us" isn't correct but "The man warned us...." is.

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• GRAMMAR EXERCISES
• TENSES EXERCISES
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• IRREGULAR VERBS

Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

Change of the tenses.

If the reporting verb is in the past form (said, told,...), you have to change the tense .

Example: Peter said, "Carol is a nice girl." Peter said (that) Carol was a nice girl.

Don't change these verbs: might, could, would, should

He said, "I might arrive late." He said (that) he might arrive late.

It isn't necessary to change the present tense into the past tense if the information in the direct speech is still true or a general statement .

Frank said, "My sister is a secretary." Frank said (that) his sister is (was) a secretary.

He told us, "The sun rises in the east." He told us that the sun rises (rose) in the east.

Change of the pronouns

When you form the reported speech, you have to pay attention that the pronouns refer to the correct persons.

Susan said, " My parents are clever scientists." Susan said (that) her parents were clever scientists.

Tom said, " I like PE best." Tom said (that) he liked PE best.

They said, " We went swimming with our friends." They said (that) they had gone swimming with their friend.

Betty said, "Sam told me the truth." Betty said (that) Sam had told her the truth.

You and your:

They told her / him / me / them / us , "George likes you ."

They told her / him / me / them / us (that) George liked her / him / me / them / us .

They told her / him / me / them / us ,"George likes your sister."

They told her / him / me / them / us (that) George likes her / his / my / their / our sister.

They told her / him / me / them / us ," You are clever."

They told her / him / me / them / us (that) she / he / I / they / we was / were clever.

Change of expressions of time and place

Example: She said, "I have already seen Carol today ." She said (that) she had already seen Carol that day .

Reported Questions

If there is a question word , we keep it.

They asked me, " Where is the next supermarket?" They asked me where the next supermarket was.

She asked them, " How often do you play golf?" She asked them how often they played golf.

If there is no question word , we start the reported speech with if or whether .

She asked me, "Do you like some tea?" She asked me if/whether I liked some tea.

We asked them, "Did she arrive in time?" We asked them if/whether she had arrived in time.

Reported Requests

If someone asks you in a polite way, use (not) to + infinitive

He asked her, "Could you close the door, please?" He asked her to close the door.

She asked them, "Help me, please." She asked them to help her.

Reported Commands

If someone doesn't ask you politely or gives you an order, use (not) to + infinitive .

She told us, "Don't stay up too late!" She told us not to stay up too late.

Reported Speech Exercise 1 - statements - mixed tenses

Reported Speech Exercise 2 - statements - present tense

Reported Speech Exercise 3 - statements - present tense

Reported Speech Exercise 4 - statements - mixed tenses

Reported Speech Exercise 5 - statements - mixed tenses

Reported Speech Exercise 6 - statements, questions, commands

Reported Speech Exercise 7 - statements, questions, commands

Reported Speech Exercise 8 - questions, commands

Reported Speech Exercise 9 - questions, commands

Reported Speech Exercise 10 - statements, questions, commands

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• Transcription

Reported or indirect speech: the essentials

You need to know the names and forms of the tenses in English to understand this guide properly.  If you would like to review the names and forms of the tenses, click here now .  The guide will open in an new tab so when you are done, simply close it to come back here.

There are many times in using a language when we do not want to say what we think or what we intend but we want to say what someone else said, intended or suggested.  To do that we report someone else's words to our listener(s). We do not, however, usually do this by repeating the exact words that someone else has said or written.  We do it, instead, by reporting, indirectly the meaning of what they said or wrote.  Reported speech is often called indirect speech because the message is not given directly to the person who is hearing or reading the words.  For example, consider:     John asked me to remind you to tell Peter about the meeting on Thursday. In this we have four people:

• John: the message giver
• Me: the message hearer
• You: another message hearer
• Peter: the intended recipient of the message

John and Peter are not directly connected (and may never meet or have met) so this is indirect communication.

We cannot reconstruct the exact words that John used at the outset but we can guess it was something like:     "Please remind Mary to tell Peter about the meeting on Thursday " It could, however, have been different and been:     "Mary needs to make sure Peter doesn't forget about the meeting on Thursday.  Can you mention that to her?"     "If Mary doesn't tell Peter about the meeting on Thursday, there will be hell to pay and we'll all get the sack" For the purposes of this guide, however, we'll try to stay with the most likely and simple scenario that the reporter is passing on what has been said without changing it too much.

Because reporting what someone says usually comes at a different time and often in a different place from the original words, we make changes to the grammar of the language to make it clear that we are not repeating verbatim what someone said, simply passing on the message as accurately as we can.

Consider these pairs:

On the left we have the direct speech – the words uttered.  On the right we have reported or indirect speech – how the message is passed on.

On the face of it, there's nothing terribly difficult about this idea.  The tense shifts back one (from, e.g., was to had been, from can to could, from am coming to was coming.  At the same time, I changes to he or she and tomorrow to the next day and so on.  Here's a list of the important changes in English.

It is not the case that we always use the grammar of the language like this because we can report something in a very different way.  For example, we can report:     "That's an idiotic idea!" as:     She said that it was an idiotic idea or as:     She wasn't very impressed by my idea in which the reporter has deliberately toned down what was said for his or her own purposes. For teaching purposes, this raises interesting questions, but the grammatical and other rules we use in reported speech are something worth learning because most people do not routinely do this.

Of course, not all changes are always appropriate (but using the changes will usually be correct). If we are reporting something virtually simultaneously, then we often don't change the tense or time expressions.  If we are reporting something in the same place, then we don't change the place expressions.

So we might get:     A: I'm going there now.     B: What did he say?     C: He said he's going there now.

If an utterance remains true, we often don't change the tense so we get, e.g.,     I'm from South Africa = He said he's from South Africa     I love the countryside = She said she loves the countryside and no changes are necessary because the fact remains true whenever and wherever it is reported.

Try this matching exercise .

Did you notice the changes, particularly with time and place expressions but also with the verb come (which changed to go )?

There is nothing very difficult about the form of reported speech changes (providing a learner is already familiar with the tense forms of English).  However:

• Because of the common sense issues touched on above, you need to make sure that the language is very clearly set in a time-and-place context.
• It is almost impossible to practise the form changes in class by getting students to report each others' utterances because time and place remain static.  You need to spread the practice over time and place to be authentic.
• You need to make sure that learners are aware of the common sense issues and don't slavishly transform every utterance.
• Languages deal with the issues differently.  Some, for example, reserve a subjunctive tense for reported speech and some hardly make any changes at all.

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• Reported Speech

Reported Speech How does it Work?

Indirect speech or Reported speech is just a way of expressing your intent in questions, statements or other phrases, without essentially quoting them outrightly as the way it is done in indirect speech.

Reported Speech Rules

To understand Reported Speech Grammar and Reported Verbs, you need to first understand reported speech rules and how it works. Here are some types of reported speech:

Reported Statements

Reported speech is used when someone says a sentence, like, "I'm going to the movie tonight". Later, we want to tell a 3rd person what the first person is doing.

It works like this:

We use a reporting verb i.e 'say' or 'tell'. In the present tense, just put in 'he says.

Direct Speech: I like burgers.

Reported Speech: He says (that) he likes burgers.

You don't need to change the tense, but you do need to switch the 'person' from 'I' to 'he’. You also need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.

But, in case the reporting verb is in the past tense, then change the tenses in the reported speech itself.

Reported Questions

Reported questions to go like 

Direct Speech: Where do you reside?

We make the change to reported speech by-

It is similar to reported statements. The tense changes are exact, and we keep the question’s word. But we need to change the grammar of that normal sentence into positive. For eg:

Reported Speech: He asked me where I resided.

The direct speech question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does'. For that, I need to take that away. Then change the verb to the past simple. 

Direct Speech: Where is Jolly?

Reported Speech: He asked me where Jolly was.

The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We change the question form of the present simple of being by changing the position of the subject and the verb. So, change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.

Here Are Some More Examples

Reported Requests

The reported speech goes a long way. What if a person asks you to do something politely or make a request? It’s called a reported request. For example

Direct Speech: Close the door, please / Could you close the door please? / Would you mind closing the door, please?

All these requests mean the same, so we don't need to report every word there when we tell a 3rd person about it. 

We can simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':

Reported Speech: They asked me to close the door.

Direct Speech: Please be punctual.

Reported Speech: They asked us to be punctual.

Reported Orders

And lastly, how about when someone doesn't ask that politely? This is known as an 'order' in English, which is when someone tells you to do something pretty much directly. This is called a reported order. For example

Direct Speech: Stand up right now!

We make this into a reported speech in the same way as that for a request. Just use 'tell' rather than 'ask':

Reported Speech: She told me to stand up right now.

Time Expressions within the Ambit of Reported Speech

Sometimes when we want to change the direct speech into reported speech, we will have to change the time expressions too. We don't necessarily always have to do that. However, It depends on when we heard the speech in indirect form and when we said the speech in reported form. 

For Example,

It's Sunday. Kiran Ma’am says "I'm leaving today".

If You tell someone on Sunday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving today".

If you tell someone on Tuesday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving yesterday".

If you tell someone on Friday, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving on Sunday ".

If you tell someone a month later, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving that day".

So, technically there's no easy way to convert. You need to put in real effort and have to think about it when the direct speech is said.

Here's a Table of How Some Conversions can be Made 

now can be converted to then / at that time

today can be converted to yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27 th of June

yesterday can be converted to the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December

last night can be converted to the night before, Thursday night

last week can be converted to the week before / the previous week

tomorrow can be converted to today / the next day / the following day / Friday

Now Let us Check our Understanding Through this Table

This is all about reported speech. English grammar is a tricky thing given both the rules and practice. Reading these rules solely will not help you to get a strong grasp of them. You also have to practice reported speech sentences in practical life to know how and when they can be used.

FAQs on Reported Speech

1. How to convert present tenses to reported speech and give some examples.

There are certain rules to follow while converting sentences to reported speech. We need to manage tenses also.

Usually, the present sentences change to simple past tense.

Ex: I do yoga every morning

She said that she did yoga every morning.

I play cricket a lot

He said that he played cricket a lot 

Usually The present continuous tense changes to the past continuous tense. 

Ex: My friend is watching a movie.

She said that her friend was watching a movie.

We are eating dinner

They said that they were eating dinner.

Usually, the  Present Perfect Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense

Ex: I have been to the USA

She told me that she had been to the USA.

She has finished her task.

She said that she had finished her task.

Usually the Present Perfect Progressive Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense

2. How to convert present tenses to reported speech and give some examples.

Usually the Past Simple Tense changes into the Past Perfect Tense.

Ex: He arrived on Friday

He said that he had arrived on Friday.

My mom enjoyed the stay here

He said that his mom had enjoyed the stay there.

Usually, the Past Progressive Tense changes into the Perfect Continuous Tense

Ex: I was playing the cricket

He said that he had been playing cricket.

My husband was cooking

She said that her husband had been cooking.

Usually, the Past Perfect Tense doesn’t change.

Ex: She had worked hard.

She said that she had worked hard.

And also the Past Perfect Progressive Tense doesn’t change.

3. State the rules for conversion of future tenses into reported speech

There are rules to follow while converting the future tenses to reported speech.

In general, the Future Simple Tense changes into would. And also the future Progressive Tense changes into “would be”. The Future Perfect Tense changes into “would have”. The Future Perfect Progressive Tense changes into “would have been”.

Ex: I will be attending the wedding.

She said that she would be attending the wedding.

4. Give examples for conversion of  ‘can ‘, ‘can’t’ and ‘will’,’’won’t’ 

5. Give some examples for reported requests and reported orders.  

Indirect speech – reported speech

Choose the correct form to complete the sentences below..

1 'I work in a bank.' ⇒ He said that he has worked had worked worked in a bank.

2 'I am working today.' ⇒ She told us she  was working worked is working  that day.

3 'I've been ill for a couple of weeks.' ⇒ He told me he had been ill is ill was ill for a couple of weeks.

4 'I was at the doctor all morning.' ⇒ She told me that she had been would be has been at the doctor all morning.

5 'I'll lend you the money.' ⇒ He told me he was lending would lend lent me the money.

6 'I can't do it without your help.' ⇒ She said she couldn't do hadn't done didn't do it without my help.

7 'The meeting may start early.' ⇒ He told us that the meeting might start would start can start early.

8 'I must leave early today.' ⇒ He said that he left must leave had to leave early that day.

9 'You should talk to Jim.' ⇒ She said that I should talk talked would talk to Jim.

10 'Get out!' ⇒ She told me I got out I get out to get out .

What is indirect speech or reported speech?

When we tell people what another person said or thought, we often use reported speech or indirect speech. To do that, we need to change verb tenses (present, past, etc.) and pronouns ( I, you, my, your, etc .) if the time and speaker are different. For example, present tenses become past , I becomes he or she , and my becomes his or her , etc.

• Sally: ‘ I don’t have time.’  ⇒ Sally said that she didn’t have time. 
• Peter: ‘ I am tired .’  ⇒ He said that he was tired. 

Omission of that

We often leave out  that after reporting verbs like  say, think ,  etc. 

• She said she was late. (= She said that she was late. )
• I thought I would get the job.  

Say or tell ?

The most common verbs we use in reported speech are  say and  tell . We must pay attention here. We say  tell somebody something  and  say something (to somebody) .

Tense changes in indirect speech

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When a person said something in the past , and now we tell somebody what that person said, the time is different, and for this reason, the verb tenses change. Look at a summary of these changes.

Changes in expressions

There are adverbs or expressions of time and place that change when we report what someone says. Here you have a list.

Questions and imperatives in indirect speech

We use the normal order of words in reported questions : subject + verb. We don’t use an auxiliary verb like do or did .

When we report an order or instruction, we use the form ask or tell someone to do something .

Pronoun changes in indirect speech

In reported or indirect speech, we must also pay attention to the use of pronouns. When a person tells us something, he or she uses the first person ( I, me, my, we, us, our ) to talk about himself or herself and the second person ( you, your ) to talk about us, the person listening. But when we tell someone else what that person said, we are going to use the third person ( he, she, his, her, etc. ) to talk about the speaker and the first person ( I, me, my ) to talk about ourselves, the listener.

• ‘ I will help you .’  ⇒ He said that he would help me. 
• ‘That’s my pen.’  ⇒ She said that it was her pen. 
• ‘ I need your help.’  ⇒ She said that she needed my help. 

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REPORTED SPEECH – How can I use it correctly?

In today’s blog we are going to look at how you can use this correctly. Below I’ve broken down everything for you in a step by step manner. There are examples with info graphics, and I’ve included my YouTube video lesson for all my visual learners as well. Let’s get started! Reported Speech comes from Direct Speech.

Direct Speech is exactly what someone says . Reported Speech is repeating someone else’s words .

Let’s look at 2 examples:

Professor Albert: Direct Speech

Students : Reported Speech. They are reporting Professor Albert’s words.

Trainer: Direct Speech.

Student: Reported Speech. Brenda is reporting her trainer’s words.

SAY and TELL are reporting verbs. We need these two verbs to report other people’s words.

SAY + (that): Amy said (that) she loved horses.

SAY + to + object + (that): Amy said to me (that) she loved horses.

TELL + object + (that): Amy told me (that) she loved horses.

(that) is optional.

COMMON MISTAKES!

Amy said me that she loved horses.

☑Amy told me that she loved horses.

Eric said Jack about his holiday.

☑Eric told Jack about his holiday.

My dad told to me that he was going to visit next week.

☑My dad said to me that he was going to visit next week.

SAY or TELL? How can I use these verbs correctly?

Tense Change in Reported Speech

When you use reported speech, many times the verb from direct speech changes. Think about the verb going one step backwards.

Present Simple → Past Simple

Direct Speech: I eat a lot of fruit. Reported Speech: Mary said that she ate a lot of fruit. / Mary told me that she ate a lot of fruit.

Present Continuous → Past Continuous 

Direct Speech: Our English is improving . Reported Speech: My students said that their English was improving . / My students told me that their English was improving. 

Present Perfect → Past Perfect

Direct Speech: I have been to France many times. Reported Speech: Gary said that he had been to France many times. / Gary told me that he had been to France many times.

Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous

Direct Speech: I’ ve been working out a lot lately. Reported Speech: My sister said that she had been working out  a lot lately. / My sister told me that she had been working out a lot lately.

Past Simple → Past Perfect 

Direct Speech: I bought a new car. Reported Speech: Jessica said that she that she had bought a new car. / Jessica told me that she had bought a new car.

Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous

Direct Speech: I was working as a chef. Reported Speech: Max said that he had been working as a chef. / Max told me that he had been working as a chef.

Past Perfect → Past Perfect (It stays the same!)

Direct Speech: I had gone to work. Reported Speech: Carla said that she had gone to work. / Carla told me that she had gone to work.

Past Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous (It stays the same!) 

Direct Speech: We had been agonizing over our mortgage for months. Reported Speech: Our neighbours said that they had been agonizing over their mortgage for months. / My neighbours told us that they had been agonizing over their mortgage for months.

Future Simple (WILL) → Would 

Direct Speech: You will be famous one day. Reported Speech: Rebecca said that I would be famous one day. / Rebecca told me that I would be famous one day.

Modal Verb Tense Change

Can → could .

Direct Speech: I can help you later. Reported Speech: My teacher said that she could help me later. / My teacher told me that she could help me later.

(Possibility) May → Might 

Direct Speech: I may go out later. I’m not sure. Reported Speech: George said that he might go out later. / George told me that he might go out later.

(Possibility) Might → Might (It stays the same!) 

Direct Speech: I might watch a Star Wars film later. Reported Speech: My flatmate said that she might watch a Star Wars film later. / My flatmate told me that she might watch a Star Wars film later.

(Obligation) Must → Had to

Direct Speech: Everyone must be here by 7 a.m. tomorrow. Reported Speech: Our boss said that we had to be here by 7 a.m. tomorrow. / Our boss told us that we had to be here by 7 a.m. tomorrow.

Should → Should (It stays the same!)

Direct Speech: You look tired Ramiro. You should sleep. Reported Speech: My girlfriend said that I should sleep. / My girlfriend told me that I should sleep.

Would → Would (It stays the same!)

Direct Speech: It would be nice to see you later. Reported Speech: Sarah said that it would be nice to see me later. / Sarah told me that it would be nice to see me later.

We DO NOT need to change the verb form if the information is STILL TRUE NOW.

So, remember earlier:

You can also say: Mary said that she eats a lot of fruit. (This information is still true now.) 

Direct Speech: Our English is improving. Reported Speech: My students said that their English was improving. / My students told me that their English was improving.

You can also say: My students said that their English is improving. (This information is still true now.) 

This is a lot of information to remember. This list is in my Free Library! Subscribe for the password: 

Yes, I want a list of this grammar

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you found it helpful.

Don’t forget to check out my youtube channel ,  instagram ,   facebook  and  other blogs., see you next time arnel , related posts.

Adverb Clauses – where, when, how, why

How To Use Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

MUST or HAVE TO? modals of obligation, probability, deductions

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Chants of ‘shame on you’ greet guests at White House correspondents’ dinner shadowed by war in Gaza

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the site of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, accusing U.S. journalists of undercovering the war in Gaza and misrepresenting it. (AP video by Serkan Gurbuz)

An election-year roast of President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday butted up against growing public discord over the Israel-Hamas war.

President Joe Biden, right, introduces host Colin Jost at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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President Joe Biden, right, and host Colin Jost attend the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden makes a toast to a free press at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

A demonstrator with red paint on their hand and face is seen behind a police barricade during a pro-Palestinian protest over the Israel-Hamas war at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Saturday April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Demonstrators lay in the street during a pro-Palestinian protest over the Israel-Hamas war before the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Demonstrators hold a sign while press vest lay on the ground covered in red paint during a pro-Palestinian protest over the Israel-Hamas war at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Saturday April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Demonstrators protest as guests arrive at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

A Palestinian flag hangs on the side of the Washington Hilton as demonstrators protest the Israel-Hamas war before the start of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Joe Biden applauds at the conclusion of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Host Colin Jost speaks at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. Looking on at left is President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

A demonstrator protests as guests arrive at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Scarlett Johansson, right, waves as Lorne Michaels, “Saturday Night Live” creator and producer, looks on at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Demonstrators protest as guests arrive at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Demonstrators protest before the start of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

George Washington University students protest the Israel-Hamas war at the university in Washington, Saturday, April 27, 2024. President Joe Biden is set to deliver an election-year roast at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, April 27, 2024, before a large crowd of journalists, celebrities and politicians against the backdrop of growing protests over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner attendee, second right, confronts a protester before the start of the event outside the Washington Hilton on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Demonstrators protest as attendees arrive at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Demonstrators protest the Israel-Hamas war as a guest, left, arrives at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

A demonstrator lays candles on the ground next to press vest covered in red paint during a pro-Palestinian protest over the Israel-Hamas war at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Host Colin Jost speaks at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) —

The war in Gaza spurred large protests outside a glitzy roast with President Joe Biden, journalists, politicians and celebrities Saturday but went all but unmentioned by participants inside, with Biden instead using the annual White House correspondents’ dinner to make both jokes and grim warnings about Republican rival Donald Trump’s fight to reclaim the U.S. presidency.

An evening normally devoted to presidents, journalists and comedians taking outrageous pokes at political scandals and each other often seemed this year to illustrate the difficulty of putting aside the coming presidential election and the troubles in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Biden opened his roast with a direct but joking focus on Trump, calling him “sleepy Don,” in reference to a nickname Trump had given the president previously.

Despite being similar in age, Biden said, the two presidential hopefuls have little else in common. “My vice president actually endorses me,” Biden said. Former Trump Vice President Mike Pence has refused to endorse Trump’s reelection bid.

But the president quickly segued to a grim speech about what he believes is at stake this election, saying that another Trump administration would be even more harmful to America than his first term.

“We have to take this serious — eight years ago we could have written it off as ‘Trump talk’ but not after January 6,” Biden told the audience, referring to the supporters of Trump who stormed the Capitol after Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election.

Trump did not attend Saturday’s dinner and never attended the annual banquet as president. In 2011, he sat in the audience, and glowered through a roasting by then-President Barack Obama of Trump’s reality-television celebrity status. Obama’s sarcasm then was so scalding that many political watchers linked it to Trump’s subsequent decision to run for president in 2016.

Biden’s speech, which lasted around 10 minutes, made no mention of the ongoing war or the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

One of the few mentions came from Kelly O’Donnell, president of the correspondents’ association, who briefly noted some 100 journalists killed in Israel’s 6-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza. In an evening dedicated in large part to journalism, O’Donnell cited journalists who have been detained across the world, including Americans Evan Gershkovich in Russia and Austin Tice, who is believed to be held in Syria. Families of both men were in attendance as they have been at previous dinners.

To get inside Saturday’s dinner, some guests had to hurry through hundreds of protesters outraged over the mounting humanitarian disaster for Palestinian civilians in Gaza. They condemned Biden for his support of Israel’s military campaign and Western news outlets for what they said was undercoverage and misrepresentation of the conflict.

“Shame on you!” protesters draped in the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh cloth shouted, running after men in tuxedos and suits and women in long dresses holding clutch purses as guests hurried inside for the dinner.

“Western media we see you, and all the horrors that you hide,” crowds chanted at one point.

Other protesters lay sprawled motionless on the pavement, next to mock-ups of flak vests with “press” insignia.

Ralliers cried “Free, free Palestine.” They cheered when at one point someone inside the Washington Hilton — where the dinner has been held for decades — unfurled a Palestinian flag from a top-floor hotel window.

Criticism of the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has spread through American college campuses , with students pitching encampments and withstanding police sweeps in an effort to force their universities to divest from Israel. Counterprotests back Israel’s offensive and complain of antisemitism.

Biden’s motorcade Saturday took an alternate route from the White House to the Washington Hilton than in previous years, largely avoiding the crowds of demonstrators.

Saturday’s event drew nearly 3,000 people. Celebrities included Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm and Chris Pine.

Both the president and comedian Colin Jost, who spoke after Biden, made jabs at the age of both the candidates for president. “I’m not saying both candidates are old. But you know Jimmy Carter is out there thinking, ‘maybe I can win this thing,’” Jost said. “He’s only 99.”

Law enforcement, including the Secret Service, instituted extra street closures and other measures to ensure what Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said would be the “highest levels of safety and security for attendees.”

Protest organizers said they aimed to bring attention to the high numbers of Palestinian and other Arab journalists killed by Israel’s military since the war began in October.

More than two dozen journalists in Gaza wrote a letter last week calling on their colleagues in Washington to boycott the dinner altogether.

“The toll exacted on us for merely fulfilling our journalistic duties is staggering,” the letter stated. “We are subjected to detentions, interrogations, and torture by the Israeli military, all for the ‘crime’ of journalistic integrity.”

One organizer complained that the White House Correspondents’ Association — which represents the hundreds of journalists who cover the president — largely has been silent since the first weeks of the war about the killings of Palestinian journalists. WHCA did not respond to a request for comment.

According to a preliminary investigation released Friday by the Committee to Protect Journalists, nearly 100 journalists have been killed covering the war in Gaza. Israel has defended its actions, saying it has been targeting militants.

“Since the Israel-Gaza war began, journalists have been paying the highest price — their lives — to defend our right to the truth. Each time a journalist dies or is injured, we lose a fragment of that truth,” CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna said in a statement.

Sandra Tamari, executive director of Adalah Justice Project, a U.S.-based Palestinian advocacy group that helped organize the letter from journalists in Gaza, said “it is shameful for the media to dine and laugh with President Biden while he enables the Israeli devastation and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.”

In addition, Adalah Justice Project started an email campaign targeting 12 media executives at various news outlets — including The Associated Press — expected to attend the dinner who previously signed onto a letter calling for the protection of journalists in Gaza.

“How can you still go when your colleagues in Gaza asked you not to?” a demonstrator asked guests heading in. “You are complicit.”

___ Associated Press writers Mike Balsamo, Aamer Madhani, Fatima Hussein and Tom Strong contributed to this report.

'It's on everybody's mind': Morehouse faculty and students raise concerns about Biden's graduation speech

ATLANTA — Morehouse College’s leadership is set to hold a call on Thursday — where faculty will get the chance to speak — to address concerns over having President Joe Biden as the school’s commencement speaker next month.

“From our perspective, really having a sitting president come to Morehouse offers an incredible opportunity,” said Morehouse Provost Kendrick Brown, who, along with the president of the school, will be conducting the call this evening, adding: “This is something that is in line with Morehouse’s mission and also with this objective of being a place that allows for engagement of social justice issues and moral concerns.”

Commencement season is traditionally a time for presidents to engage with younger audiences and all the energy they bring. But this year, with pro-Palestinian protests — and protests against Biden’s support for Israel —  dominating college campuses , these speeches are more fraught. The White House announced this week that Biden will be doing just two commencement addresses this year, at Morehouse and at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Morehouse professor Andrew Douglas said many students and faculty are “wrestling” with whether — or how — to protest next month’s commencement.

“I’ve spoken with several faculty members who say under no conditions are they going to sit on a stage with Joe Biden,” Douglas said, adding: “It’s on everybody’s mind.”

Douglas, a political science professor in his 13th year at Morehouse, is a member of the school’s faculty council, the 15-member body that wrote a letter to the school’s president last week expressing “disappointment” upon hearing rumors that Biden had been invited to speak.

After those concerns came out, Morehouse’s leadership decided to hold its call with faculty members, though officials have made clear Biden’s invitation will not be rescinded.

“This was a decision that should have included more members of the campus community — students and faculty,” Douglas said. “And if those conversations had happened, I’m not sure that the decision to move forward would have been made.”

He pointed to “very serious and widespread concerns” over the war in Gaza, arguing that “the Biden administration has had a hand in seven months of death and destruction in ways that we don’t condone or support.”

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to the backlash, telling reporters that commencements were meant to focus on the graduates and their families.

“It’s not the first time, obviously, that he’s given commencement speeches," she said. "I understand this is a different moment in time that we’re in. But he always takes this moment as a special time to deliver a message, an encouraging message, a message that’s hopefully uplifting to the graduates and their families. And we’re going to continue to have these conversations that I’ve just mentioned, with the different communities about what’s happening right now. We get it. It’s painful."

Calvin Bell, a senior at Morehouse who voted for Biden in 2020, has similar concerns. While he described Biden’s speech as a “distraction” from celebrating students during commencement, he also sees the visit as a chance to take student concerns over Gaza directly to the president.

“This is also an opportunity for students to make their voices heard during a time of increasing war and genocide in the Middle East,” Bell said. 

While Douglas acknowledged the call with leadership is “unlikely” to result in Biden’s speech being canceled, Douglas says the priority among faculty is to protect students’ rights to protest, noting that a protest at Morehouse — the nation’s only college dedicated to educating Black men — could bring a different risk than similar protests at other campuses across the country.

 “Our priority should be … to try and ensure that under no circumstances are the police brought to bear on our students,” Douglas said. 

“Our students do not have the same privileges that Ivy League students typically do, and confrontations with the police can turn deadly for our students,” he added.

“We have a legacy of being at the forefront of justice movements,” Brown said. “We certainly encourage our students, our faculty, our staff, to form strong opinions and to come together peacefully and engage in that. So the way I see this is, this is certainly an opportunity … for our community to engage with the president to express the range of views that exist on the present issues, certainly in Israel and Gaza.”

Politically, the speech holds several layers of significance for Biden. Morehouse is located just west of downtown Atlanta in battleground Georgia — a state Biden barely won in 2020. Some state Democrats have expressed concern about his ability to repeat that victory.

A speech at the lauded alma mater of Martin Luther King Jr. would also give the president a unique opportunity to appeal to young Black voters — a group where polls show his support is lagging.

But while commencement is still a month away — enough time for minds to change — Douglas said the early signs do not point to a warm welcome: “I have not had a conversation with a student who’s happy about this.”

Nnamdi Egwuonwu is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Blayne Alexander is an NBC News correspondent, based in Atlanta.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Reported speech: reporting nouns

Reporting nouns are nouns such as comment , criticism , remark , statement . We can represent indirect speech with reporting nouns as well as with reporting verbs. These are more common in writing than speaking, and are usually quite formal. (Reported speech is underlined.)

His remark that we hadn’t worked hard enough upset everyone. (original remark: ‘You haven’t worked hard enough.’ )

The Prime Minister’s comment that this was not the right time for an election has made headlines in all today’s papers.

Jason’s claim that he was ignored by everyone is hard to believe.

Her excuse that she had been abroad at the time was not accepted by the court.

Reporting nouns and reported clauses

The reported clause after a reporting noun is usually a that -clause which acts as the complement of the noun. We do not usually omit that after reporting nouns:

For years, nobody listened to the warnings that global temperatures were rising.

Not: For years, nobody listened to the warnings global temperatures were rising .

We can also use some reporting nouns (for example claim, offer, promise , suggestion and threat ) with a to -infinitive:

She made a promise to visit him at least once a month.

Nobody took seriously her threat to sell the business.

Reporting nouns and adjectives

We often use adjectives with reporting nouns to describe particular qualities of what someone said:

Her sudden announcement that she was getting divorced came at 5 pm yesterday.

His feeble excuse that he had missed the train convinced nobody.

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Hidden in plain sight: words and phrases connected with hiding

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‘I’m a Grown Man Running Against a 6-Year-Old’: Biden Lets Trump Jokes Fly at Annual Roast

Journalists and politicians schmoozed over filet mignon at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside.

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Biden Pokes Fun at Trump During Annual Roast

President biden joked about former president donald j. trump’s age — and his own — among other topics at the white house correspondents’ association dinner. outside the event, outrage over mr. biden’s support for israel in the war in gaza was evident..

“The 2024 election is in full swing. And yes, age is an issue. I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old. Age is the only thing we have in common. My vice president actually endorses me. [laughter] I had a great stretch since the State of the Union, but Donald has had a few tough days lately. You might call it stormy weather.” “I hope that tonight will be a night to remember, for most of us. And I would like to point out — it’s after 10 p.m., sleepy Joe is still awake. My Weekend Update co-anchor, Michael Che was going to join me here tonight. But in solidarity with President Biden, I decided to lose all my black support. Che told me to say that, and I’m just realizing I was set up.” “Shame, shame, shame on you.” “Shame on you!” “Shame, shame, shame, shame.”

By Zolan Kanno-Youngs ,  Minho Kim and Zach Montague

Zolan Kanno-Youngs reported from Washington. Minho Kim spoke to protesters outside the event, and Zach Montague reported from the dinner.

• Published April 27, 2024 Updated April 28, 2024

President Biden didn’t waste time.

Just minutes into his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, Mr. Biden launched into the issues dominating the 2024 election, including his age and former President Donald J. Trump’s hush-money trial in New York.

“The 2024 election’s in full swing and yes, age is an issue,” Mr. Biden said in a roughly 10-minute speech. “I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old.”

“Donald has had a few tough days lately. You might call it ‘stormy’ weather,” Mr. Biden said, an oblique reference to Stormy Daniels, a porn actress who claims to have had sex with Mr. Trump in 2006 and received a hush-money payment in the days before the 2016 election, a deal at the center of his New York trial.

The comments, even as part of a roast, were notable given Mr. Biden has forbidden his aides to talk publicly about Mr. Trump’s legal troubles. But they also came as Mr. Biden has ramped up his attacks on Mr. Trump, sharpening the split-screen between a president on the campaign trail and a former president spending his days in a courtroom.

The annual dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel provided a break to journalists and government officials from their normal jousting for a night of glitz and gossip in celebration of the free press. Mr. Biden, who has held fewer news conferences than his predecessors, extended his roast to the journalists gathered for the dinner.

“Some of you complained that I don’t take enough of your questions,” Mr. Biden said. “No comment.”

“The New York Times issued a statement blasting me for ‘actively and effectively avoiding independent journalists,’” Mr. Biden said. “Hey, if that’s what it takes to get The New York Times to say I’m active and effective, I’m for it.”

Outside the gates of the Washington Hilton, however, outrage over Mr. Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza was evident.

As journalists and politicians arrived at the hotel, many were swarmed by pro-Palestinian protesters chanting, “Shame on you!” Other protesters wearing press vests with the names of more than 100 Palestinian journalists who have been killed in Gaza lay down in front of the dinner venue.

“By putting our human bodies on the street, we create a little discomfort” for the journalists attending the event, said Hazami Barmada, an organizer of the protest.

Inside the hotel ballroom, many journalists wore pins reading “Free Evan” to raise awareness of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia since March 2023 — wrongfully, according to the U.S. government.

Biden Vows to Bring Home Detained U.S. Journalists

President biden took a more somber tone to acknowledge journalists who were wrongfully detained overseas. “we’re not going to give up until we get them home,” he said..

“There are some who call you the enemy of the people. That’s wrong and it’s dangerous. You literally risk your lives doing your job. And some of your colleagues have given their lives, and many have suffered grievous injuries. Other reporters have lost their freedom. Journalism is clearly not a crime, not here, not there, not anywhere in the world. We’re doing everything we can to bring home journalists, fellow journalists, Austin and all Americans, like Paul Whelan. You know, who wrongfully detained all around the world. And I give you my word as a Biden, we’re not going to give up until we get them home. All of them. All of them.” “At The Wall Street Journal, they are counting, for Moscow correspondent Evan Gershkovich, 396 days since he was jailed in Russia. The U.S. government has designated Evan as wrongfully detained. And Evan’s parents and his family are with us tonight. And we are with you, always. We remember Austin Tice, 4,276 days, nearly 12 years since he was kidnapped in Syria. His mother, Deborah, is with us, and Mrs. Tice, we are with you. And Mr. President, again, we humbly ask that you do everything you can to bring them home.

Kelly O’Donnell, a senior White House reporter for NBC News who is also president of the correspondents’ association, used her remarks to call attention to journalists who have been captured or killed while doing their jobs, including Mr. Gershkovich; Austin Tice, who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria; and reporters who have been killed in Gaza.

“Our profession can be perilous,” Ms. O’Donnell said. “Since October, about 100 journalists have been killed, most of those deaths in Gaza.”

Ms. O’Donnell also said the association had wanted to choose both a writer and a comedian when it came to their host this year. Colin Jost, the co-anchor of “Weekend Update” on “Saturday Night Live” — and a former reporter for the Staten Island Advance — spent roughly 23 minutes poking fun at the president.

But Mr. Jost’s speech was relatively light, even supportive of Mr. Biden. He ended it by noting that his grandfather, who recently died, had voted for Mr. Biden in the last election.

“The reason he voted for you is because you’re a decent man,” Mr. Jost said.

Still, Mr. Jost didn’t miss an opportunity to needle the president over his poll numbers.

“My ‘Weekend Update’ co-anchor, Michael Che, was going to join me here tonight — but in solidarity with President Biden I decided to lose all my Black support,” Mr. Jost said, referring to polling that has shown Mr. Biden struggling with Black voters.

Over seared petit filet mignon, celebrities and journalists also had a chance to catch those setting policy that will impact Americans for years to come. Lester Holt, the anchor of NBC News, sat next to Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House chief of staff, who made sure to stand up and speak briefly with the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Not everyone was in a tuxedo or dress — Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, showed up wearing a white, hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a bow-tie design on its front.

Hollywood was well represented at the dinner, with the actress Scarlett Johansson, who is married to Mr. Jost, sitting up front. Popular cable news anchors dined with the actors Jon Hamm and Sean Penn, among others.

Before making their way to their seats, politicians like Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois held court with guests as Biden campaign officials talked about recent polls showing Mr. Biden cutting into Mr. Trump’s lead.

Mr. Biden, too, sounded emboldened. While he rarely mentioned Mr. Trump by name early in his presidency, he has aggressively taunted him as of late and kept it going on Saturday.

“Did you hear what Donald said about the major Civil War battle?” Mr. Biden said. “Gettysburg. Wow. Trump’s speech was so embarrassing, the statue of Robert E. Lee surrendered again.”

“Age is the only thing we have in common,” Mr. Biden, 81, said of Mr. Trump, 77. “My vice president actually endorses me,” Mr. Biden said, referring to former Vice President Mike Pence’s decision not to endorse Mr. Trump.

Mr. Biden also used his speech at the dinner to warn about his political opponent’s threats on democracy — increasingly a focus of his message to voters.

“Focus on what’s actually at stake,” Mr. Biden said. “The stakes couldn’t be higher.”

Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a White House correspondent, covering President Biden and his administration. More about Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Zach Montague is based in Washington. He covers breaking news and developments around the district. More about Zach Montague

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