Quoted / Reported Speech
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Reported speech
Who said or thought it?
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Information structure
Meaning
A structure that reports speech, thought, belief, command, or question directly or indirectly.
How to spot it
Ask whose words or thoughts are being represented.
Examples
Words
said|told|asked|thought|quoted
Phrases
he said that|she asked if|according to him
Sentence
She said that she was tired.
Visual guide
Basic shape
SPEAKER / THINKER
She said [that she was tired].
[reported thought]
Ask: whose words?
→ She represents them.
Compare shape
Direct quote: She said, "I am tired." Indirect report: She said [that she was tired]. Check shifts: I→she, am→was.
Language View
In your language
English (US default)
Presence
strong
Importance
English distinguishes direct and reported speech with reporting verbs, tense backshift, pronouns, and punctuation.
She said that she was tired.
reported clause = reported speech
In learning language
Japanese
Presence
strong
Difficulty
Reported speech commonly uses the quotative particle と and speech verbs.
彼女は疲れたと言った。
She said that she was tired.
Typical learner issue
Learners may omit と or mishandle tense and politeness inside quoted content.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.