Overview
Common reported speech mistakes include: not backshifting tenses (she said she is tired), using question word order (he asked where was she), using 'tell' without a person object (she told that…), using 'say' followed directly by a person (she said me), and not changing pronouns (she said I was happy).
Top Reported Speech Errors
- Tense error❌ She said she is tired. ✅ She said she was tired.
- Word order❌ He asked where did I live. ✅ He asked where I lived.
- Pronoun❌ She said I was happy. ✅ She said she was happy.
- Say vs Tell❌ She told that she was leaving. ✅ She said that she was leaving.
Time Expression Errors
- ❌ He said he'd come tomorrow. ✅ He said he'd come the next day.
- ❌ She said she'd been there yesterday. ✅ She said she'd been there the day before.
Question Reporting Errors
- ❌ She asked where was I going.
- ✅ She asked where I was going.
- ❌ He asked did I want coffee.
- ✅ He asked if I wanted coffee.
When to use
Proofreading
Check tense, pronoun, word order, and time expressions.
Exam practice
Common reported speech errors appear in B1/B2 exams.
Writing
She told me (NOT said me) that the meeting was postponed.
Speaking
He asked where I was going (NOT where was I going).