English grammar · Class 8
Reported speech: statements
Direct speech gives the exact words inside quotation marks. Reported (indirect) speech tells what someone said without quoting them. When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told), the tense usually moves one step back.
Reported speech (statements) is in the CBSE Class 9 and 10 grammar list for 2026-27; this is the first step, at Class 8.
The rules
1. Say vs tell: 'said' has no listener after it; 'told' needs one.
- He said that he was tired.
- He told me that he was tired.
2. Tense steps back after a past reporting verb: am / is → was; are → were; present → past; past → past perfect; will → would; can → could.
- "I am busy," said Anu. → Anu said that she was busy.
- "I will come," he said. → He said that he would come.
3. Pronouns change to fit who is speaking now.
- "I like my school," said Tom. → Tom said that he liked his school.
4. Time and place words change: today → that day; tomorrow → the next day; yesterday → the day before; here → there; now → then.
- "I'll see you tomorrow," she said. → She said that she would see me the next day.
5. If the reporting verb is in the present (says, tells), the tense does not change.
- "I am hungry," says Raju. → Raju says that he is hungry.
Common mistakes
She said me that she was late.
She told me that she was late. / She said that she was late.
Said is not followed directly by a listener; use told me.
He said that he will come tomorrow.
He said that he would come the next day.
After said, will → would and tomorrow → the next day.
Practice
1. "I am tired," said Neha. → Neha said that ___.
2. "We will win the match," the captain said. → The captain said that they ___ the match.
3. Choose the correct reporting verb: He ___ me that the shop was closed.
4. "I am watching TV," said Arjun. → Arjun said that he ___ TV.
5. "I can swim," says my sister. → My sister says that she ___ swim.
Made by Shishya (AI-assisted); every answer checked by hand when written. Topic list for Class 9 and 10 from the CBSE 2026-27 English syllabus.