Advanced & Context — B1 Upper Intermediate
Think for a moment, then speak. Don't write anything yet.
What's the difference between what someone actually says and when you tell someone else what they said? Give me an example from your own day.
No script needed — just think and speak for 30 seconds.
Today you'll learn to handle three advanced moves in reported speech:
You'll recognize these patterns in conversations and be able to use them naturally.
You're in a meeting.
Your colleague tells you: "I can't come to the presentation tomorrow. I'm stuck in traffic."
Later, you email your boss:
"She said she couldn't come to the presentation today. She was stuck in traffic."
Notice: "tomorrow" becomes "today". "I" becomes "she". Time, pronouns — everything shifts. If you get this wrong, your message confuses people.
Direct: He said, "I'm working here tomorrow."
Reported: He said he was working there the next day.
Pronouns shift. Time markers shift. Place markers shift. All to match YOUR perspective as the speaker.
Direct → Reported
Person shifts. Time shifts. Context shifts.
I'll show you a direct statement. Look at what shifts when we report it. Don't try to memorize — just notice.
Direct Speech
Reported Speech
What shifted? "I" → "she" (perspective shifts). "here" → "there" (place shifts from listener's viewpoint). "today" → "that day" (time shifts because we're speaking later).
Direct Speech
Reported Speech
Pattern: "I" → "he". "you" → "me" (YOUR perspective). "tomorrow" → "the next day" (from when he spoke, not from now).
Pronouns: "I/we" shift to match who was speaking. "You" shifts to match who is listening.
Time Markers:
Place Markers: "here" → "there". Adjust for the listener's position.
I'll give you direct speech. You tell me what shifts, and why. Let's build the pattern together.
Direct: Lisa said, "I'll call you next week."
Reported: Lisa said she would call me the following week.
Why? "I" becomes "she" (Lisa is the speaker). "you" becomes "me" (you are the listener). "next week" becomes "the following week" (from when Lisa spoke).
Direct: "I'm living here now," Tom told Sarah. "I moved here yesterday."
What does reported speech look like? Think about pronouns and time. Speak your answer out loud first.
Reported: Tom told Sarah he was living there then. He had moved there the day before.
"I'm" → "he was" (past tense too, because we're reporting). "here" → "there". "now" → "then". "yesterday" → "the day before".
Convert these to reported speech. Speak your answers out loud. Notice which shifts feel natural.
Direct: "I can start this Monday," Maria told the manager. "I'm excited about working here."
Speak: How would you report what Maria said? What's the time frame? The place?
Maria told the manager she could start that Monday. She was excited about working there.
"I" → "she". "this Monday" → "that Monday" (because from the listener's perspective later, it's no longer "this" Monday, it's "that" one). "here" → "there".
Direct: "We were here yesterday," James said. "We'll leave tomorrow."
Speak your answer. What changes with "we" and "here"? When are you speaking relative to James?
James said they had been there the day before. They would leave the next day.
"We" → "they". "here" → "there". "yesterday" → "the day before". "tomorrow" → "the next day".
When you report a question, you don't use question word order. You use statement word order.
Original form — what was actually asked:
Question Word Order
Where + is + subject?
What you say later — uses statement word order:
Statement Word Order
Where + subject + is?
When you report a question, change to statement word order. Don't flip the subject and verb back. Don't use a question mark.
❌ He asked me where was the station.
✓ He asked me where the station was.
| Question Type | Direct | Reported |
|---|---|---|
| WH- questions (Where, When, What, Why) |
"Where is it?" |
They asked where it was. |
| Yes/No questions | "Do you speak French?" |
She asked if/whether I spoke French. |
| How questions | "How did you do it?" |
He asked how I had done it. |
Notice: Yes/No questions use "if" or "whether". WH- questions keep their question word. All use statement word order.
Reported questions are softer, more polite. Direct questions can sound harsh.
Direct (Direct & Harsh)
Reported (Polite & Embedded)
"Could you tell me" = built-in politeness. "What your phone number is" = embedded question with statement word order.
Direct
Reported
Reported sounds professional. Direct feels accusatory.
Speak first. Then type. Remember: statement word order. No question mark.
Direct: "Do you like your job?"
Speak: How would you embed this politely? Use "Could you tell me..."
Could you tell me if/whether you like your job?
Yes/No question → use "if" or "whether". Statement word order: "you like" (not "do you like").
Direct: "How long have you worked here?"
Speak your embedded version. What verb tense fits?
Could you tell me how long you have worked here?
OR: I'd like to know how long you've worked here.
Keep the question word "how long". Statement order: "you have worked" (not "have you worked").
Sometimes reported questions change their structure completely. It depends on whether the question word is the subject or the object.
Subject question: The question word IS the subject. "Who called?" = Who is the person doing the calling?
Object question: The question word is NOT the subject. "Who did you call?" = You did the calling. Who is the target?
Direct — SUBJECT Question
Reported — Looks Like Statement
"Who" is the subject → sentence structure stays simple. Just: who + had called + me.
Direct — OBJECT Question
Reported — Subject & Verb Invert Back
"Who" is the object (the target of calling) → we need the subject "I" and verb "had called" in that order.
| Type | Direct | Reported | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject (who, what, which DOES the action) |
"Who left?" |
He asked who left. |
No inversion needed. "Who" is already the subject. |
| Object (who, what, which RECEIVES the action) |
"Who did you meet?" |
He asked who I had met. |
We add back the subject "I" and verb in order. |
Quick test: If you can answer the question with just the question word ("Who called you?" → "John called me." / "John."), it's a subject question. If you need a full clause ("Who did you call?" → "I called my mother." / "My mother."), it's an object question.
Direct — Subject
Reported
"What" is the subject → no need for a separate subject pronoun.
Direct — Object
Reported
"What" is the object (you saw WHAT) → we need "I" + "had seen".
Direct — Subject
Reported
Direct — Object
Reported
Even though "which car" is the object, we still need "I" + "had bought".
Speak first: Is this a subject or object question? Then report it.
Direct: "Who broke the vase?"
Speak: Is "who" the subject or object? Report it.
He asked who had broken the vase.
Subject question. "Who" is the person who did the breaking. No extra subject needed.
Direct: "Who did you see at the party?"
Speak: Subject or object? How does the reported version change?
She asked who I had seen at the party.
Object question. "Who" is the person you saw (the object). We need the subject "I" + verb "had seen".
Speak for 30-60 seconds. Then write your answer. You're combining:
You're at the airport. Someone asks you: "Where are you going today? How long will you stay there? Did anyone help you with your luggage?"
Later, your friend texts you asking what the stranger asked. Report all three questions using embedded form. Think about time and place shifts.
Speak first (30 seconds). Then click to see.
He asked where I was going that day, how long I would stay there, and who had helped me with my luggage.
Shifts: "are you going" → "I was going". "today" → "that day". "there" stays "there" (it's from the stranger's perspective). "Did anyone" → "who had" (subject question about who did the helping).
In an interview, your manager said: "I'll contact you next week. Can you start immediately? Who recommended you for this role?"
Now you're telling a friend what the manager said. Report all three statements/questions. Think: tense shifts (past tense context), time shifts (next week → the following week), subject/object questions.
Speak your answer first.
The manager said he would contact me the following week. He asked if I could start immediately. He also asked who had recommended me for that role.
Shifts: "I'll" → "he would" (reported from past context). "next week" → "the following week". "Can you" → "if I could" (yes/no question). "Who recommended you" → "who had recommended me" (subject question about who did the recommending).
Your colleague said: "I'm working late here tomorrow. Why haven't you finished your report? When will you give it to me?"
Report what your colleague said. Include the time and place shifts, the embedded questions, and the tense changes.
Speak it aloud first. Listen to your own intonation.
My colleague said he was working late there the next day. He asked why I hadn't finished my report. He also asked when I would give it to him.
Shifts: "I'm working" → "he was working" (reported past tense). "tomorrow" → "the next day". "here" → "there". "Why haven't you finished" → "why I hadn't finished" (WH- question, statement order). "When will you give" → "when I would give" (WH- question, object question because you give IT to him).
Choose one scenario. Tell me the full story in reported speech. Use time markers, place shifts, embedded questions, subject/object questions — everything.
Timer: 2 minutes
What to listen for: Clear tense shifts. Correct time markers. Smooth embedding of questions. Natural pronunciation.
These scenarios are things that actually happen. Choose one. Produce reported speech — spoken and written. This is where it gets real.
You were in a meeting. Your boss said: "The project starts next month. Does everyone understand the timeline? Who has experience with this kind of work?"
Click to build your response.
Your travel agent said: "I've booked your flight for tomorrow. Did you want a window seat? Can you confirm your passport number?"
Click to build your response.
Your relative called and said: "I'm visiting you next month. How are the kids? Will you have time to see me?"
Click to build your response.
A customer said: "Your service was terrible today. Why didn't anyone help us? When can you resolve this?"
Click to build your response.
Speak first (90 seconds). Then write. Use all three advanced moves:
Imagine you're explaining the scenario to someone who wasn't there. Report what was said. What questions were asked? How did you respond (or how would you respond)?
Speak for 90 seconds
Now write what you just spoke. Write 4–6 sentences. Include:
What got hard? What clicked? These questions help you remember what you've learned.
Which was harder: time/place shifts, embedded questions, or subject vs object questions? Why? What would help you remember?
When do you actually need reported speech? Think of three real situations — meetings, conversations, emails. Give examples.
Was it seeing the patterns? Speaking first? The comparisons? What stuck with you? Why?
If you saw reported speech again in a month, what's the one thing you'd want to review? What do you want to get stronger at?
Pick one of the questions above. Speak for 60 seconds. Be honest. There are no wrong answers.
Which question did you choose? Why? What did you notice about your own learning?
Speak for 60 seconds
1. Time & Place Change
When you report what someone said, adjust time and place markers to match YOUR perspective, not theirs. "Today" becomes "that day" because you're speaking later.
2. Embedded Questions Are Statement Order
Don't flip the subject and verb back to question order. "Where is it?" → "They asked where it was." Always use statement word order. No question mark.
3. Subject Questions Look Different from Object Questions
"Who called?" (subject) → "Who had called." / "Who did you call?" (object) → "Who you had called." / "Who I had called." The difference is whether the question word does the action or receives it.
You now understand the mechanics of reported speech in context. The next steps: using it in longer conversations, mixing it with other grammar structures, and recognizing it in real English (podcasts, videos, conversations). Come back to these patterns whenever you speak or write something you've heard or read.