Report statements, questions, commands, and requests with changed pronouns, time words, and tense backshift.
'I'm tired,' she said.
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│ move the message into the reporter's scene
▼
She said she was tired.
Reset the scene dials:
WHO I / you / we ──► the people in the report
I ──► she
TIME/PLACE here / now / yesterday ──► reporter's time/place words
there / then / the day before
TENSE if the report is later, step one tense back
am ──► was will ──► would met ──► had met
Use a report frame:
statement She said she was tired.
question He asked where I lived. (normal word order)
command She asked me to wait there. (person + to + verb)
If the report is still current/true, no backshift is needed:
She says she works in sales.
Report the meaning from your current scene: adjust people, time/place words, and usually move the tense one step back when the report is later.
'I'm tired,' she said.
Direct speech quotes the original words.
She said she was tired.
A simple statement reported with backshift.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
He told me he couldn't come.
Tell + object reports a negative statement.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
Anna said she lived there.
Pronouns, place words, and tense all move to the new viewpoint.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
She said she would call me the next day.
Future meaning is commonly reported with would.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
He said he was waiting.
Present continuous usually backshifts to past continuous.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
She said she had finished.
Present perfect commonly backshifts to past perfect.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
They said they had met Tom the day before.
Past simple often backshifts to past perfect in reported speech.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
He said he would help.
Will commonly backshifts to would.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
She asked if I had seen Alex.
A yes/no question is reported with if or whether.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
He asked where I lived.
A wh-question keeps the question word but loses direct question order.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
They asked whether we were coming.
Whether is a slightly more formal alternative to if.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
She asked what time the meeting started.
Reported questions use statement order even with longer question phrases.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
She asked me to wait there.
Requests are commonly reported with asked + person + to-infinitive.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
He told us not to touch it.
Negative commands use not to before the verb.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
Dad told me to call him later.
A common everyday command reported with tell.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
She says she works in sales.
Backshift is not necessary with a present reporting verb.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
He said the train leaves at six.
Backshift can be avoided for information presented as still true.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
He asked where did I live.
Reported questions do not use direct question word order.
He asked where I lived.
The corrected version uses statement order.
Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.
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