Reported Speech — Estilo Indirecto (Statements)
What is it?
- Direct: "I am happy," she said.
- Reported: She said (that) she was happy.
- We report what someone said WITHOUT using quotes.
Said vs. Told
| Verb | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| said | without person (said that...) | She said she was happy. |
| told | with person (told someone that...) | She told me she was happy. |
- ❌
She said me...→ ✅ She told me... - ❌
She told that...→ ✅ She said that...
Backshift — Change of times
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "I am happy." | She said she was happy. |
| "I like chocolate." | He said he liked chocolate. |
| "I am working." | She said she was working. |
| "I have finished." | He said he had finished. |
| "I went to Paris." | She said she had gone to Paris. |
| "I will help you." | He said he would help me. |
| "I can swim." | She said she could swim. |
Pronoun & Time changes
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| I / me | he / she / him / her |
| my | his / her |
| we / us | they / them |
| today | that day |
| yesterday | the day before |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| here | there |
| now | then |
| this | that |
"That" is optional
- She said (that) she was happy.
- He told me (that) he liked chocolate.