English — Tense backshift in reported speech
When you report what someone said, the verb usually moves one step back in time, and words pointing to the moment or place of speaking also change. "I am tired" becomes She said she was tired.
How it works
After a past reporting verb (said, told), shift the tense one step back: present simple → past simple, present continuous → past continuous, present perfect and past simple → past perfect, will → would, can → could, may → might, must → had to. So "I work here" → He said he worked there, and "I will call you" → She said she would call me.
Examples
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
| "I live here." | She said she lived there. |
| "I am working now." | He said he was working then. |
| "I have finished." | They said they had finished. |
| "I will help you tomorrow." | She said she would help me the next day. |
| "I can swim." | He said he could swim. |
| "We met yesterday." | They said they had met the day before. |
| "You must wait." | She said I had to wait. |
Good to know
The backshift is optional when the statement is still true or the reporting is immediate: She said the Earth is (or was) round. Also change pronouns and time/place words to match the new speaker and moment: now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, here → there. Would, could, might, should and had to normally do not shift further back.