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Reported Speech

Perfect english grammar.

Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

Direct speech: I like ice cream.
Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

Direct speech: The sky is blue.
Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

Direct speech: Where do you live?
Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
Direct speech: Where is Julie?
Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

Direct speech: Close the window, please
Or: Could you close the window please?
Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
Direct speech: Please don't be late.
Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

Direct speech: Sit down!
Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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What is Reported Speech and how to use it? with Examples

Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said. Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker's exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions. 1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually "said." The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, "I am going to the store," becomes "He said that he was going to the store." 2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually "asked." The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, "What time is it?" becomes "She asked what time it was." It's important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples: ● Direct speech: "I will call you later." Reported speech: He said that he would call me later. ● Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework. ● Direct speech: "I love pizza." Reported speech: They said that they loved pizza.

When do we use reported speech?

Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly. Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include: News reports: Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference. Business and professional communication: In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer. Conversational English: In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, "She told me that she was running late." Narration: In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.

How to make reported speech?

1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here's an example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the store now," she said. Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then. In this example, the pronoun "I" is changed to "she" and the adverb "now" is changed to "then." 2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here's an example: Direct speech: "I will meet you at the park tomorrow," he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day. In this example, the present tense "will" is changed to the past tense "would." 3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as "say," "tell," "ask," or "inquire" depending on the context of the speech. Here's an example: Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework. In this example, the reporting verb "asked" is changed to "said" and "did" is changed to "had." Overall, when making reported speech, it's important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker's message accurately.

How do I change the pronouns and adverbs in reported speech?

1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example: Direct speech: "I love chocolate." Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate. Direct speech: "You should study harder." Reported speech: He advised me to study harder. Direct speech: "She is reading a book." Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book. 2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the cinema tonight." Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night. Direct speech: "He is here." Reported speech: She said he was there. Note that the adverb "now" usually changes to "then" or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context. It's important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.

How do I change the tense in reported speech?

In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech: Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I like pizza." Reported speech: She said she liked pizza. Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I am studying for my exam." Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam. Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I have finished my work." Reported speech: She said she had finished her work. Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I visited my grandparents last weekend." Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend. Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I will help you with your project." Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project. Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I can speak French." Reported speech: She said she could speak French. Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker's perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.

Do I always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech?

No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech. In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as "I heard that" or "It seems that" without using a reporting verb. For example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the cinema tonight." Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she's going to the cinema tonight. However, it's important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it's generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible. Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example: Direct speech: "I think we should invest in renewable energy." Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy. Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate.

How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?

1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "asked" or "wondered" followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here's an example: Direct speech: "What time is the meeting?" Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was. Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech. 2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "ordered" or "told" followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here's an example: Direct speech: "Clean your room!" Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room. Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech. In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples: Direct speech: "Will you go to the party with me?" Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: "Please bring me a glass of water." Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water. Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

How to make questions in reported speech?

To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "asked" or "wondered" followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech: Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include "asked," "inquired," "wondered," and "wanted to know." Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker. Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use "if" or "whether" to introduce the reported question. Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word. Here are some examples of reported questions: Direct speech: "What time is the meeting?" Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was. Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: "Where are you going?" Reported speech: She wondered where I was going. Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately. Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions

What is the difference between reported speech an indirect speech?

In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, "I am going to the store," in reported speech you would say, "He/she said that he/she was going to the store." The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.

Examples of direct speech to reported

1. Direct speech: "I am hungry," she said. Reported speech: She said she was hungry. 2. Direct speech: "Can you pass the salt, please?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked her to pass the salt. 3. Direct speech: "I will meet you at the cinema," he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet her at the cinema. 4. Direct speech: "I have been working on this project for hours," she said. Reported speech: She said she had been working on the project for hours. 5. Direct speech: "What time does the train leave?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked what time the train left. 6. Direct speech: "I love playing the piano," she said. Reported speech: She said she loved playing the piano. 7. Direct speech: "I am going to the grocery store," he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to the grocery store. 8. Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" the teacher asked. Reported speech: The teacher asked if he had finished his homework. 9. Direct speech: "I want to go to the beach," she said. Reported speech: She said she wanted to go to the beach. 10. Direct speech: "Do you need help with that?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked if she needed help with that. 11. Direct speech: "I can't come to the party," he said. Reported speech: He said he couldn't come to the party. 12. Direct speech: "Please don't leave me," she said. Reported speech: She begged him not to leave her. 13. Direct speech: "I have never been to London before," he said. Reported speech: He said he had never been to London before. 14. Direct speech: "Where did you put my phone?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked where she had put her phone. 15. Direct speech: "I'm sorry for being late," he said. Reported speech: He apologized for being late. 16. Direct speech: "I need some help with this math problem," she said. Reported speech: She said she needed some help with the math problem. 17. Direct speech: "I am going to study abroad next year," he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to study abroad the following year. 18. Direct speech: "Can you give me a ride to the airport?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked him to give her a ride to the airport. 19. Direct speech: "I don't know how to fix this," he said. Reported speech: He said he didn't know how to fix it. 20. Direct speech: "I hate it when it rains," she said. Reported speech: She said she hated it when it rained.

What is Direct and Indirect Speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two different ways of reporting spoken or written language. Let's delve into the details and provide some examples. Click here to read more

Fluent English Grammar

Created by Fluent English Grammar

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2

Advanced Grammar Course

What is reported speech?

“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:

Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.

There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions Espresso English

So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.

In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called “backshift.”

Here are some examples in different verb tenses:

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

Exceptions to backshift in reported speech.

Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.

There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.

If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.

When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.

He said he HAS three children

But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.

Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”

If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.

Here’s an example:

On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
“She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.

Let’s look at a different situation:

On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
“She said she ‘d call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Quick review:

Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
when the situation is still true
when the situation is still in the future

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.

What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?

For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:

“Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)

For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”

“Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
“He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)

The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:

She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me make a copy of the report.
He told me to go to the bank. He told me go to the bank.

For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.

“Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
“Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)

The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.

Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:

She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.

For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):

“When was the company founded?” (direct)
She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
“What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)

Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:

“Where does he work?”
She wanted to know where does he work.
She wanted to know where he works.

Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:

“Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
He asked where was I born.

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Learn more about reported speech:

Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
Reported speech: BJYU’s

If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!

I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.

Master the details of English grammar:

More Espresso English Lessons:

About the author.

Shayna Oliveira

Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.

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A Comprehensive Guide To Reported Speech In English

There are times when someone tells you something and you’ll have to report what they said to someone else.

How can you do this in English?

You’ll need to know how to use what's called reported speech in English and this is what you’ll learn in this blog post.

What Is Reported Speech In English?

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of retelling what someone else has said without repeating their exact words.

For example, let’s say you have a friend called Jon and one called Mary. Mary has organised a house party and has invited you and Jon.

Jon, however, is not feeling well. He says to you, “Sorry but I cannot come to the party. I spent all day working outside under the rain and I feel ill today.”

A few days after the party, you meet Sarah. She’s another one of your friends and she was at the party too, but she arrived late – a moment before you left. You only had time to say hello to each other.

She asks you, “I saw you at the party but I didn’t see Jon. Where was he?”

When Sarah asks you, “Where was Jon?” you can say,

“Jon said, ‘Sorry but I cannot come to the party. I spent all day working outside under the rain and I feel ill today’.”

However, it would be more natural to use indirect speech in this case. So you would say, “Jon said he couldn’t come to the party. He had spent all day working outside under the rain and he felt ill that day .”

Did you notice how the sentence changes in reported speech?

Here’s what happened:

“I” became “he”
“Cannot” became “couldn’t”
“Spent” became “had spent”
“I feel ill today” became “he felt ill on that day”

Let’s take a closer look at how we form reported speech.

How To Form Reported Speech In English

To form reported speech, you might have to make a few changes to the original sentence that was spoken (or written).

You may have to change pronouns, verb tenses, place and time expressions and, in the case of questions, the word order.

There are certain patterns to learn for reporting promises, agreements, orders, offers, requests, advice and suggestions.

Let’s have a look at all these cases one by one.

Reported Speech In English: Changing Verb Tenses

In general, when we use reported speech, the present tenses become past tenses.

We do this because we are often reporting someone else’s words at a different time (Jon’s words were spoken 3 days before you reported them to Sarah).

Here’s an example:

Jenny (on Saturday evening) says, “I don't like this place. I want to go home now.”(present tenses)

Matt (on Sunday morning) talks to James and says, “Jenny said that she didn't like the place, and she wanted to go home. (past tenses)

So this is how different verb tenses change:

Simple Present → Simple Past

DIRECT: I need money.

INDIRECT: She said she needed money.

Present Progressive → Past Progressive

DIRECT: My French is improving.

INDIRECT: He said his French was improving.

Present Perfect → Past Perfect

DIRECT: This has been an amazing holiday.

INDIRECT: She told me that it had been an amazing holiday.

What if there is a past simple form of the verb in direct speech? Well, in this case, it can stay the same in reported speech or you can change it to past perfect .

Past Simple → Past Simple Or Past Perfect

DIRECT: I didn’t go to work.

INDIRECT: Mary said that she didn’t go to work / Mary said that she hadn’t gone to work

Past Perfect Tenses Do Not Change

DIRECT: I arrived late because I had missed the bus.

INDIRECT: He said he arrived (or had arrived) late because he had missed the bus.

Modal verbs like “can,” “may,” and “will” also change in reported speech.

Will → Would

DIRECT: The exam will be difficult.

INDIRECT: They said that the exam would be difficult.

Can → Could

DIRECT: I can’t be there.

INDIRECT: He told me he couldn’t be there.

May → Might

DIRECT: We may go there another time.

INDIRECT: They said they might go there another time.

However, past modal verbs don’t change (would, must, could, should, etc.) don’t change in reported speech.

DIRECT: It would be nice if we could go to Paris.

INDIRECT: He said it would be nice if we could go to Paris.

Here are some other examples:

So, in summary,

am/is → were
do/does → did
have/has → had
had done → had done
will → would
can → could
may → might
could → could
would → would
like/love/buy/see → liked/loved/bought/saw or had liked/ had loved/had bought/had seen.

You make these verb tense shifts when you report the original words at a different time from when they were spoken. However, it is often also possible to keep the original speaker’s tenses when the situation is still the same.

For example,

1. DIRECT: I am feeling sick.

INDIRECT: She said she is feeling sick.

2. DIRECT: We have to leave now.

INDIRECT: They said they have to leave now.

3. DIRECT: I will call you later.

INDIRECT: He said he will call me later.

4. DIRECT: She is not coming to the party.

INDIRECT: He said she is not coming to the party.

5. DIRECT: They are working on a new project.

INDIRECT: She said they are working on a new project.

What about conditional sentences? How do they change in reported speech?

Sentences with “if” and “would” are usually unchanged.

DIRECT: It would be best if we went there early.

INDIRECT: He said it would be best if they went there early.

But conditional sentences used to describe unreal situations (e.g. second conditional or third conditional sentences) can change like this:

DIRECT: If I had more money I would buy a new car.

INDIRECT: She said if she had had more money, she would have bought a new car OR She said if she had more money, she would buy a new car.

Reported Speech In English: Changing Pronouns

In reported speech, because you’re reporting someone else’s words, there’s a change of speaker so this may mean a change of pronoun.

An example:

Jenny says, “I don't like this place. I want to go home now.”

Matt says, “Jenny said that she didn't like the place, and she wanted to go home.”

In this example, Jenny says “I” to refer to herself but Matt, talking about what Jenny said, uses “she”.

So the sentence in reported speech becomes:

Jenny said that she didn’t like . . . ( not Jenny said that I didn’t like . . .)

Some other examples:

1 . DIRECT: I have been studying for hours.

INDIRECT: He said he had been studying for hours.

2. DIRECT: I don’t like that movie.

INDIRECT: She said she didn’t like that movie.

3. DIRECT: He doesn't like coffee.

INDIRECT: She said he doesn't like coffee.

4. DIRECT: We have a new car.

INDIRECT: They told me they had a new car.

5. DIRECT: We are going on vacation next week.

INDIRECT: They said they are going on vacation next week.

Reported Speech In English: Place And Time Expressions

When you’re reporting someone’s words, there is often a change of place and time. This may mean that you will need to change or remove words that are used to refer to places and time like “here,” “this,” “now,” “today,” “next,” “last,” “yesterday,” “tomorrow,” and so on.

Check the differences in the following sentences:

DIRECT: I'll be back next month.

INDIRECT: She said she would be back the next month , but I never saw her again.

DIRECT: Emma got her degree last Tuesday.

INDIRECT: He said Emma had got her degree the Tuesday before.

DIRECT: I had an argument with my mother-in-law yesterday .

INDIRECT: He said he’d had an argument with his mother-in-law the day before .

DIRECT: We're going to have an amazing party tomorrow.

INDIRECT: They said they were going to have an amazing party the next day.

DIRECT: Meet me here at 10 am.

INDIRECT: He told me to meet him there at 10 am.

DIRECT: This restaurant is really good.

INDIRECT: She said that the restaurant was really good.

DIRECT: I'm going to the gym now.

INDIRECT: He said he was going to the gym at that time.

DIRECT: Today is my birthday.

INDIRECT: She told me that it was her birthday that day .

DIRECT: I'm leaving for Europe next week.

INDIRECT: She said she was leaving for Europe the following week.

Reported Speech In English: Word Order In Questions

What if you have to report a question? For example, how would you report the following questions?

Where’s Mark?
When are you going to visit your grandmother?
What do I need to buy for the celebration?
Where are your best friend and his wife staying?
Do you like coffee?
Can you sing?
Who’s your best friend?
What time do you usually wake up?
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Do you ever read nonfiction books?

In reported questions, the subject normally comes before the verb and auxiliary “do” is not used.

So, here is what happens when you're reporting a question:

DIRECT: Where’s Mark?

INDIRECT: I asked where Mark was.

DIRECT: When are you going to visit your grandmother?

INDIRECT: He wanted to know when I was going to visit my grandmother.

DIRECT: What do I need to buy for the celebration?

INDIRECT: She asked what she needed to buy for the celebration.

DIRECT: Where are your best friend and his wife staying?

INDIRECT: I asked where his best friend and his wife were staying.

DIRECT: Do you like coffee?

INDIRECT: I asked if she liked coffee.

DIRECT: Can you sing?

INDIRECT: She asked me if I could sing.

DIRECT: Who’s your best friend?

INDIRECT: They asked me who my best friend was.

DIRECT: What time do you usually wake up?

INDIRECT: She asked me what time I usually wake up.

DIRECT: What would you do if you won the lottery?

INDIRECT: He asked me what I would do if I won the lottery.

DIRECT: Do you ever read nonfiction books?

INDIRECT: She asked me if I ever read nonfiction books.

You might have noticed that question marks are not used in reported questions and you don’t use “say” or “tell” either.

Promises, Agreements, Orders, Offers, Requests & Advice

When you’re reporting these, you can use the following verbs + an infinitive:

Here are some examples:

DIRECT SPEECH: I’ll always love you.

PROMISE IN INDIRECT SPEECH: She promised to love me.

DIRECT SPEECH: OK, let’s go to the pub.

INDIRECT SPEECH: He agreed to come to the pub with me.

DIRECT SPEECH: Sit down!

INDIRECT SPEECH: They told me to sit down OR they ordered me to sit down.

DIRECT SPEECH: I can go to the post office for you.

INDIRECT SPEECH: She offered to go to the post office.

DIRECT SPEECH: Could I please have the documentation by tomorrow evening?

INDIRECT SPEECH: She requested to have the documentation by the following evening.

DIRECT SPEECH: You should think twice before giving him your phone number.

INDIRECT SPEECH: She advised me to think twice before giving him my phone number.

Reported Speech In English

All right! I hope you have a much clearer idea about what reported speech is and how it’s used.

And the good news is that both direct and indirect speech structures are commonly used in stories, so why not try the StoryLearning method ?

You'll notice this grammatical pattern repeatedly in the context of short stories in English.

Not only will this help you acquire it naturally, but you will also have a fun learning experience by immersing yourself in an interesting and inspiring narrative.

Have a wonderful time learning through books in English !

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4.3 GRAMMAR: Reported Speech

There are two basic ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is an exact account of what someone said or wrote. To include direct speech in your writing, enclose the words in “quotation marks.” Indirect speech is a restatement of what someone said or wrote. Indirect speech does not use the person’s exact words. You do not need to use quotation marks for indirect quotations.

Direct speech (quoting)

One way to report what a person said or wrote is to repeat their exact words. This is called direct speech. The person’s words are called a quotation.

To use direct speech, you must repeat the person’s words exactly. You use a verb of attribution and specific punctuation. Quotation marks show readers another person’s exact words. Often, you will want to identify who is speaking. You can do this at the beginning, middle, or end of the quote. Notice the use of commas and capitalized words.

Look at these examples:

“I’m no prophet. My job is making windows where there were once walls,” said philosopher Michel Foucault.
Michel Foucault said, “I’m no prophet. My job is making windows where there were once walls.”
“I’m no prophet,” said philosopher Michel Foucault. “My job is making windows where there were once walls.”

They all mean exactly the same thing. The difference between these three options is merely a matter of style. What is important, however, is the punctuation. Pay attention to quotation marks, commas, periods, and spaces.

Use single quotation marks to enclose a quote within a quote. For example: “He said, ‘The futurist told me to buy stock in plastics.'”

A quotation must be exactly the same as the original text.
A quotation must use “quotation marks” surrounding the exact text.
A quotation must give credit to the original author or speaker.
According to Sports Illustrated , “Eliminating drug use from Olympic Sports would be no small challenge.”
“ Eliminating drug use from Olympic Sports would be no small challenge,” according to Sports Illustrated .

Indirect speech (paraphrasing)

Another way to report what a person says is indirect speech. Here, you don’t need to use the other person’s exact words. In informal situations, you may change only a word or two (such as the verb tense). Other times, such as in formal academic research writing, you paraphrase, or say the same thing using different words or a different word order. When you paraphrase, you usually use a verb of attribution followed by a noun clause, often introduced by the relative pronoun that . Here’s how you can paraphrase the example from above:

Philosopher Michel Foucault says he doesn’t see the future, but instead helps people find ways to put windows in walls.
Michel Foucault says he’s not a philosopher; rather, he helps people see beyond what is immediately in front of them.

The 4 Rs of paraphrasing

According to the Virtual Library, here are four steps to paraphrase:

Reword the text by using synonyms or different parts of speech; change verb tense or change active verbs to passive and vice versa.
Rearrange by moving words to make new sentences or reorganize the sentences in a passage.
Realize that not all words or phrases can be changed; you won’t be able to replace names, dates, titles, or technical words.
Recheck your work to make sure it carries the same meaning as the original; a paraphrase does not add or omit any information, and it does not include your personal opinion.

NOTE: In formal academic writing, we often use a reporting verb in the present simple tense. Example: The author of this book suggests that the real reason for the wildfires was human carelessness.

Let’s look at another example:

Using quotation : Many people believe they can get more done if they do several things at the same time. However, Steven Pinker disagrees. In his article “Mind Over Mass Media” in The New York Times (2010), Pinker says, “Genuine multitasking, too, has been exposed as a myth, not just by laboratory studies but by the familiar sight of an S.U.V. undulating between lanes as the driver cuts deals on his cellphone” (A31). Pinker goes on to explain that there are better ways to be more effective and efficient …

Using paraphrase : Many people believe they can get more done if they do several things at the same time. However, Steven Pinker disagrees. Pinker (2010) writes that people cannot really do more than one thing at a time; one can see this from scientific research projects and also from just watching a car moving unpredictably down the highway while the driver is talking on a cell phone (A31). Pinker goes on to explain that there are better ways to be more effective and efficient …

Note the three steps we took in making this paraphrase:

We defined the key term. (“Genuine multitasking” = “do more than one thing at a time”)
We used different vocabulary. (“laboratory studies” = “scientific research projects”; “an S.U.V. undulating between lanes” = “a car moving unpredictably down the highway”)
We used different grammar. (“has been exposed” = “one can see”; “by the familiar sight” = “from just watching”)
A paraphrase has the same meaning (all main ideas included; no new ideas added).
A paraphrase is different enough to be considered your own words (uses no more than a few words in a row from the original source; changes vocabulary and grammar as much as possible)
A paraphrase refers to (cites) the original source.

Use the following exercise to check your understanding. This exercise is for practice; it is not graded, and you may complete it as many times as you wish.

1. Which of the options below describes this sentence best? The artist said the studio smelled like “paint and possibility.”

The sentence uses a quotation to explain what the artist said.
There is no paraphrase (because there are “quotation marks”), but there is also no direct speech because the quote is not a full sentence.
The sentence uses a quotation, but the whole sentence is incomplete and therefore only a fragment.
The sentence paraphrases what the artist said.

2. Paraphrasing, which is also called “indirect speech,” uses the exact same words as the original source.

3. Here is a sentence from an article by Mary Lynch: The value of education is more than knowledge. How would I report this as indirect speech (paraphrase)?

The value of education is more than knowledge, believes Mary Lynch.
In Mary Lynch’s opinion, “The value of education is more than knowledge.”
Mary Lynch suggests that knowledge is not the only important thing about learning.
Mary Lynch says education and training are very important.

4. Here is a sentence from an article by Doug Drial: Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859. How would I report this as direct speech (quotation)?

Doug Drial writes Oregon as a state in 1859.
According to Doug Drial, February 14, 1859 was the date when Oregon became a state.
Doug Drial says Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859.
Doug Drial says, “Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859.”

5. In formal academic writing, we should …

use a variety of both direct and indirect speech
use only direct speech
always use only my own ideas and never support from outside sources
use only indirect speech

6. Which of the following are ways to help you paraphrase? (choose all that apply)

change only the punctuation
change the word forms
change the word order
use the other person’s exact words
use synonyms
use quotation marks
change the verb tense
use a metaphor or simile

7. In formal academic writing, you usually use the __________________ tense to report what others have said or written.

present perfect
simple future
simple present
simple past

8. A comma or period usually goes outside (after) the quotation mark.

9. Which of the following uses correct grammar?

My teacher said me to cite my outside sources of information.
My teacher told me to cite my outside sources of information.
My teacher says me to cite my outside sources of information.
My teacher tells to cite my outside sources of information.

10. A quotation, which is also called “direct speech,” must use the speaker’s or writer’s exact words.

Some text has been adapted from “Quotation Marks | English 112: Exposition and Persuasion.” Courses.lumenlearning.com, courses.lumenlearning.com/ivytech-engl112/chapter/quotation-marks/ . Accessed 29 Dec. 2021.

How do you write reported speech in English? - Easy Learning Grammar

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

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B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech: statements

Do you know how to report what somebody else said? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person said.

direct speech: 'I love the Toy Story films,' she said. indirect speech: She said she loved the Toy Story films. direct speech: 'I worked as a waiter before becoming a chef,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd worked as a waiter before becoming a chef. direct speech: 'I'll phone you tomorrow,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd phone me the next day.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 1: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel. indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank.

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked ) than the tense originally used (e.g. work ). This is called 'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for example pronouns.

Present simple, present continuous and present perfect

When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect.

'I travel a lot in my job.' Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job. 'The baby's sleeping!' He told me the baby was sleeping. 'I've hurt my leg.' She said she'd hurt her leg.

Past simple and past continuous

When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect simple, and past continuous usually changes to past perfect continuous.

'We lived in China for five years.' She told me they'd lived in China for five years. 'It was raining all day.' He told me it had been raining all day.

Past perfect

The past perfect doesn't change.

'I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great.' He said he'd tried everything without success, but the new medicine was great.

No backshift

If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. This might happen when the speaker has used a present tense.

'I go to the gym next to your house.' Jenny told me that she goes to the gym next to my house. I'm thinking about going with her. 'I'm working in Italy for the next six months.' He told me he's working in Italy for the next six months. Maybe I should visit him! 'I've broken my arm!' She said she's broken her arm, so she won't be at work this week.

Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time and place

Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech.

'I enjoy working in my garden,' said Bob. Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden. 'We played tennis for our school,' said Alina. Alina told me they'd played tennis for their school.

However, if you are the person or one of the people who spoke, then the pronouns don't change.

'I'm working on my thesis,' I said. I told her that I was working on my thesis. 'We want our jobs back!' we said. We said that we wanted our jobs back.

We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place if they are no longer accurate.

'This is my house.' He said this was his house. [You are currently in front of the house.] He said that was his house. [You are not currently in front of the house.] 'We like it here.' She told me they like it here. [You are currently in the place they like.] She told me they like it there. [You are not in the place they like.] 'I'm planning to do it today.' She told me she's planning to do it today. [It is currently still the same day.] She told me she was planning to do it that day. [It is not the same day any more.]

In the same way, these changes to those , now changes to then , yesterday changes to the day before , tomorrow changes to the next/following day and ago changes to before .

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 1: 2

Language level

Thank you for the information. It states that If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. I wonder if it is still correct to change the tense in this example: 'London is in the UK', he said. to He said London was in the UK. Or it has to be the present tense.

Hello Wen1996,

Yes, your version of the sentence is also correct. In this case, the past tense refers to the time the speaker made this statement. But this doesn't mean the statement isn't also true now.

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Good evening from Turkey.

Is the following example correct: Question: When did she watch the movie?

She asked me when she had watched the movie. or is it had she watched the movie.

Do Subjects come before the verbs? Thank you.

Hello muratt,

This is a reported question, not an actual question, as you can see from the fact that it has no question mark at the end. Therefore no inversion is needed and the normal subject-verb word order is maintained: ...she had watched... is correct.

You can read more about this here:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/reported-speech-questions

The LearnEnglish Team

Thank you for your response.

Hello Sir, kindly help with the following sentence-

She said, "When I was a child I wasn't afraid of ghosts."

Please tell me how to write this sentence in reported/ indirect speech.

Hello! I was studying reported speech and I didn't really understand the difference between 'need' and 'need to' when we shift them. Could you please explain a little bit about the semi-modal need? I came across to this while I was studying: Backshift Changes need (no change) ‘You needn’t come till six o’clock,’ he said. He said we needn’t come till six o’clock. AND need to (becomes needed to) She said, 'I need to have a party.' She said she needed to have a party. Why do we change 'need to' but not 'need'? Could you also please give a positive indirect reported speech with the word 'need' and a negative indirect speech with the word 'need to'? Thanks in advance!

Hello Meldo,

'need' can be used -- and is most often used -- as an ordinary verb. In the text you copied above, this is the second entry ('need to'). Since it is an ordinary verb, in indirect speech, it backshifts in the way other ordinary verbs do. An example of a negative form here is 'They told me I didn't need to bring my passport'.

Particularly in British English (only very rarely in American English), 'need' can also be used as a modal verb. In this case, it behaves as a modal verb, i.e. no 's' is added to a third person singular form, infinitives after it are used without 'to' and 'do/does/did' is not used to form questions, negatives or past simple forms. This is also why '-ed' is not added for a backshift.

When 'need' is a modal, it's most commonly used in the negative. It is possible to use it in questions (e.g. 'Need I bring my passport?' or 'I asked if I need bring my passport'), but it's generally not used in the affirmative.

You might find this BBC page and this Cambridge Dictionary explanation helpful if you'd like to read more.

Hope this helps.

Do we change 'had better' in indirect reported speech? I think no, but I just wanted to make sure. Can you also give an example with 'had better' in an indirect speech? Thanks a lot! The best English grammar site ever!

Hello Melis_06,

'had better' is not generally changed in reported speech. Here's an example for you:

direct: 'You had better be on time!'
indirect: They told us we had better be on time.

Glad you find our site useful!

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Reported Speech

If we want to say what somebody has said, we basically have two options:

We can use the person's exact words - in quotation marks "..." if we are writing ( direct speech ).
We can change the person's words into our own words ( reported speech ).

In this lesson we learn about reported speech , the structure that we use when we report what another person has said, and reported speech rules.

Now we will look at:

Reported Statements
Time and Place
Reported Questions
Reported Requests
Reported Orders And then you can check your understanding of reported speech with...
Reported Speech Quiz

Reported speech is called "indirect speech" by some people. Other people regard reported speech simply as one form of indirect speech. Other forms are, for example:

questions-within-questions: Can you tell me if they are expensive?
mental processes: He believes that politics is a dirty game.

English Grammar
Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.
You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the definition of reported speech.

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

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Grammar & vocab

Reported speech

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Reported speech (also known as indirect speech) is when we report what somebody has said. Native speakers use reported speech very often.

Structures of reported speech He told me he would be late.
Structures of reported questions She asked if it was better to wait.

Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): word order in reported speech sentences
Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): reported speech
Structures of reported speech
Make someone do, be made to do
Confusing words: say, tell
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Structures of reported questions
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United Nations Editorial Manual Online
Indirect or reported speech

Editorial Manual

Indirect speech conveys a report of something that was said or written rather than the exact words that were spoken or written. It is used in many United Nations documents, including summary records and reports on the proceedings of intergovernmental bodies. Indirect speech is not enclosed in quotation marks.

When converting direct, or quoted, speech to indirect, or reported, speech, several changes must be made. First, it is necessary to add a principal, or reporting, clause that contains a verb of saying, thinking or reporting in the past tense ( She stated that... ). Next, a corresponding shift is made in the verb tenses, pronouns and certain other words in the original statement:

In a summary of a speech or discussion, the reporting clause must be added initially to establish the pattern of indirect speech but should not be included in every subsequent sentence. The shift in verb tenses, pronouns and other words signals the fact that the words are being reported.

Verb tenses

The verb tenses are normally changed as follows:

The following examples illustrate these rules:

Present to past tense

Even though the original statement may still be valid at the time of reporting, the verb is changed from the present to the past tense since it must agree with the verb in the main clause, which, whether stated or understood, is in the past tense.

Note : This rule is not necessarily applied to statements that are universally true:

The speaker noted that, under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has [ not had] the right to life, liberty and security of person.

However, in summary records, the verb is always changed from the present to the past:

The speaker noted that, under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone had the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Present perfect to past perfect tense

Past to past perfect tense

Past perfect tense (no change)

Future to secondary future tense

Future perfect to secondary future perfect tense

Conditional tense (no change)

Special verb forms

Some auxiliary verbs, such as must and ought to , have only one form, which is used in both direct and indirect speech. When should is used as an auxiliary, the form does not change either.

The infinitive form can often be used to avoid cumbersome or awkward constructions in reported speech.

In that-clauses with verbs such as demand, ask, recommend and suggest , either the present subjunctive ( He suggested that the Committee adopt the text ) or should plus the infinitive ( He suggested that the Committee should adopt the text ) may be used.

Pronouns, possessives and demonstratives

The changes required in pronouns, possessive adjectives and demonstratives are as follows:

Adverbs and adjectives

Adverbs and adjectives denoting time and place may have to be changed as follows:

Questions and exclamations

The rules set out above also apply to questions and exclamations. In addition, the final punctuation mark (question mark or exclamation point) should be changed to a full stop (period) in an indirect statement. In some cases, the word order may have to be changed slightly. When converting a direct question to an indirect one, the subject and verb often have to be inverted.

Exclamation

Differing styles in reports

A mixture of direct and indirect styles in a summary of a statement or discussion should be avoided whenever possible. When, however, an account of the proceedings of an intergovernmental body is followed by the conclusions or recommendations put forward by the body, different tenses are often used. While the proceedings are summarized in indirect speech (past tense), the conclusions or recommendations are normally written in the present tense. In such cases, the conclusions and recommendations should be clearly set off from the summary by means of a heading or subheading.

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Learn How To Write Reported Speech Dialogue Correctly

How to use dialogue tags with reported speech

How do you write reported speech dialogue?

When you start to learn to write dialogue, it seems simple. All you need to do is add a reporting verb or dialogue tag.

You probably learned this at high school. When a character speaks lines of dialogue, you put a double quotation mark at the beginning and end.

But if you use reported speech, you need to include a tense shift.

In This Article

What’s the difference between dialogue writing and reported speech?

Most dialogue uses active speech. It is what a character says.

But reported speech dialogue is when a character says what another character said.

Let’s look at the difference.

Direct dialogue

When you write dialogue , you are using direct speech.

You are using the exact words that the character says, and then adding a dialogue tag to say who spoke the words.

“I’m going into town this morning. I should be back before dinner,” she said.

The reporting verb is almost always in the simple past verb tense, which is the general rule for fiction writing.

It doesn’t matter which tense the dialogue is using.

It can be present continuous, present perfect , or present simple.

“I’m having friends over for dinner tomorrow night,” he said.

“I’ve had friends over for dinner quite often,” he said.

“I have friends over for dinner all the time,” he said.

You can also use the present simple tense for reporting verbs in some circumstances.

It is when you want to say that someone says something often or all the time.

“When I get older, I think I’ll travel the world,” she says.

“I’m going to buy a Ferrari one day,” he always says.

But you wouldn’t use the present dialogue form in most fiction writing.

Reported speech dialogue

In reported speech or indirect speech , we may not necessarily use the exact words of the speaker.

It is often used to convey small talk or gossip about what other people said.

It is also used to paraphrase long speeches or extended discourse.

We can use both past and present tense in reported speech. But again, the past is much more common.

She said she was going into town that morning and that she should be back before dinner. Past form

He always says that he is going to buy a Ferrari one day. Present form

You need to format dialogue with punctuation and quotation marks. But you write reported speech as a standard sentence.

You include the attribution and reporting verb without punctuation.

When you use the past form, you need to pay special attention to the tense shift.

No matter what tense the original utterance used, reported speech always uses the past.

It is because it is something someone said in the past. It is an action that occurred in the past, so we refer to it as a past event.

Tense shift examples

Compare the difference between these direct and indirect sentences.

I want to go to Norway. He said he wanted to go to Norway.

She will pass her exam for sure. He told me that she would pass her exam for sure.

They wanted to buy a new house but didn’t get the loan. Tom told me that they had wanted to buy a new house but didn’t get the loan.

The general rule is that active speech in present or future tenses shifts back to the past simple.

When active speech is in the present perfect, it shifts back to the past perfect.

But for past simple active speech, it can shift back to past perfect, or stay in the past simple.

In all forms, the relative pronoun, that , is optional.

How to use tense shift in reported speech dialogue

Using reported speech dialogue in writing

When you incorporate reported speech within a character’s dialogue, you need to keep the tense shift.

Here are some reporting dialogue examples.

“Have you seen Jillian lately?” Mary asked.

“Oh, yes. I saw her yesterday, and she told me that she was going to France next month ,” Anne replied.

“I didn’t feel well this morning, so I called my boss to let him know. There is an important meeting this afternoon. But my boss said that it was okay and that he would get someone else to take the minutes . I still feel guilty, though,” Jane said.

“I saw Michelle this morning, and she told me that she had been waiting for days for the results of her blood test . I’m not sure what’s wrong, but she looked worried,” Susan said.

As you can see in the reported speech dialogue examples above, the parts that are indirect reported speech retain the correct past form.

The rest of the direct written dialogue can be in any tense or form the speaker uses.

Punctuating your dialogue

There are five basic aspects of good dialogue punctuation.

1. All punctuation is inside the quotation marks.

These include full stops (periods), commas, question marks, and exclamation marks.

Jim said, “I’m not aware of it”. Wrong Jim said, “I’m not aware of it.” Correct

“I don’t know what to think”, she said. Wrong “I don’t know what to think,” she said. Correct

“Where did he go”? she asked. Wrong “Where did he go?” she asked. Correct

“Get out of here”! he shouted. Wrong “Get out of here!” he shouted. Correct

2. Using an em dash or ellipsis.

We use em dashes to indicate a speaker was interrupted. You add an ellipsis when a speaker’s words trail off, or when an utterance is incomplete.

“I was planning on buying–” she started. “No way! I told you we need to save money,” he said.

“It’s funny when you think about things, and well …” Anne said. “You think too much, Anne,” Mary said.

3. Start a new paragraph for a new speaker.

It is confusing for a reader if the dialogue runs on in the same paragraph.

When there is a new speaker in dialogue, always start in a new paragraph.

4. Quotation marks for long dialogues

Dialogues are usually short and sharp.

But you might have a piece of dialogue that is more of an oration, and you need to divide it into paragraphs.

You can use an opening and closing quotation mark for the whole dialogue.

Another option is to add one opening quotation mark at the beginning of each new paragraph and then close the final paragraph.

5. Don’t mix quotation mark styles.

It is up to you whether you use curly, straight, double, or single quotations.

In his book, Cloudsteet, Tim Winton uses no quotation marks at all for the dialogue. But it is still great dialogue.

Generally, readers won’t mind what your choice is.

But they will be distracted or confused if you mix different types of quotation marks.

It isn’t an easy check as you are proofreading. But there is an easy way to make sure you are consistent.

Try using an online writing app to help you.

If you use Prowritingaid, you can check your whole manuscript by ticking Dialogue Tags Check in your combo settings.

How to check for consistent quotation marks in Prowritingaid

For Grammarly users, you can find any errors in your Correctness tab.

It will show you any quotation mark inconsistencies.

How to check for consistent quotation marks in Grammarly

Once you know how to write active dialogue and reported speech, it is easy to combine the two into reported dialogue.

Just remember that dialogue is active speech.

But reported speech is indirect, so it always needs to use backward tense shift into the past.

The most critical part of good dialogue writing is your use of correct and consistent punctuation .

When you get it right, a reader doesn’t notice it. They become blind to it.

But if you have inconsistencies, it stands out and can become annoying.

Related Reading: Are Question Tags Effective In Your Dialogue Writing?

About The Author

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How To Use A Colon Or Semicolon Correctly Every Time

Comma Before Such As For Nonrestrictive Clauses

The Best Grammarly Alternatives For You And Your Writing

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Alert: Proofread carefully. The reader can read only the form you present on the page to understand what you mean. When you leave typos, misspelled words, and serious sentence errors in your paper, you give the impression that you might expect the reader to "read between the lines." In academic writing, the goal is just the opposite: you want to be as clear, as precise, and as exacting as you are able. Write to minimize the possibility that the reader could misunderstand your thought.

Edit carefully: Proofread thoroughly for errors like those listed here. Reread what you have written. Read your paper aloud to someone else. If you read a sentence and have to read it again to understand it, edit the sentence so it is clear the first time through.

This part of the Website provides a quick check of common errors students make with grammar and punctuation. Although the list is not exhaustive, it does include errors you might find in your own paper. You also can use the list as a reference for comments professors might make in the margins of your graded papers.

Indefinite referents: Whenever possible, avoid using "it," "there," and "this" when no specific referent precedes these pronoun: "It is difficult to say what caused the problem" or "It is necessary to understand this argument" Other examples include "There are many reasons for adopting this policy" or "This is because nonverbal communication is ambiguous." Often these types of sentences can be reworded to avoid the use of "it," "there," or "this" and to create stronger sentences as a result: "The problem arose from unknown causes" or "Often we miscommunicate because nonverbal communication is ambiguous." If you cannot point to a specific noun in the preceding sentence (or sentences) to which one of these words refers, change the structure of your sentence. Rewriting these structures often causes you to make an effective change from passive verbs to active ones.

Shifts in person or point of view: Be consistent with the use of "you," "they," and "I." Each of these pronouns represents a different point of view. Choose one and use it all the way through your paper. Any piece of writing should be grounded in a particular point of view. That point of view can be first person, second person, or third person. The following demonstrates the same idea from each of these three points of view:

(First person: I, me, we, us) I have trouble applying Tannen's work to generalized audiences because I do not think the research represents all of us. Tannen's limited sample of participants should make us wary of making generalizations from those research findings.

(Second person: you) You will have trouble applying Tannen's work to generalized audiences because you cannot be sure the research findings represent you. Tannen's limited sample of participants should make you wary of making generalizations from those research findings.

(Third person: her, him, he, she, they, them) A person would have trouble applying Tannen's work to generalized audiences because the research findings do not represent all individuals. Tannen's limited sample of participants should make a reader wary of making generalizations from those research findings.

Second person (you) is rarely used in academic writing. Many instructors prefer third person (her, him, he, she, they, them) because they believe third person is the most objective of the three points of view. On the other hand, some academicians prefer to have writers claim responsibility for their own ideas and interpretations; those academicians will encourage writers to use first person (I, me, we, us). If the instructor's preference is not evident, students should inquire.

Students err when they shift from one point of view to another within the same paper. Shifting the point of view can be confusing to the reader. The incorrect shift in person demonstrated here is common in student papers:

(Incorrect shift from first person to second person) I have trouble applying Tannen's work to generalized audiences because you cannot presume the research represents all people. Tannen's limited sample of participants should make you wary of making generalizations from those research findings.

In this example the author moves from first person ("I have trouble") to second person ("you cannot presume"). Shifts in person should be eliminated. A good way to edit for shift in person is to read every other page of the paper. Identify on each page the point of view being used.

Such as: Examples should be introduced by "such as" rather than by "like": "Her light reading included works such as The Foundations of the General Theory of Relativity and the Principia Mathematica."

Lack of agreement: Lack of agreement means two parts of a sentence do not agree in kind. Lack of agreement in student papers occurs in a variety of ways, but two are demonstrated here:

(Noun and verb) A plural noun may not agree in number with the singular verb used (or vice versa).

Incorrect example: "The series of explanations of concepts help make the meaning clear." "Series" is singular and takes "helps," not "help."

Correct example: "The series of explanations of concepts helps make the meaning clear."

(Nouns and pronouns) A pronoun may not agree with its antecedent noun.

Incorrect example: "An argument will not be successful unless their claims have been made clear." "Argument" (the singular, antecedent noun) requires "its" (singular pronoun) rather than "their" (plural pronoun).

Correct example: "An argument will not be successful unless its claims have been made clear." Remember that "everyone" and "audience" are singular nouns that do not agree with "their." Conversely, "media" and "data" are plural nouns that do not agree with "it."

One troublesome agreement problem occurs because English has no convenient way to use a singular pronoun without indicating sex. "They" can be used in English to indicate a group of people whose sex is not named. When the writer wants to indicate an individual without attributing a sex to that person, English has no similar, singular pronoun to use. What pronoun should a writer use in this sentence? "A scholar should be aware that _?_ is consuming information created by other scholars." To fill in that question mark, writers use a variety of solutions: "he/she," "s/he," "she or he," or "she (he)." Sometimes writers use "they" even though the antecedent noun is singular: "Every theorist strives to do their best work." Students should inquire about their instructors' preferences on this issue just as graduate students and professors must inquire about journal editors' policies and standards.

Critical differences: Certain words are similar in meaning to each other but are used in slightly different ways:

"Less" and "Fewer:" "Less" and "fewer" are different. The rule is simple: if you can count it, use "fewer"; if not, use "less." Correct usage would be "fewer students" (not "less students") and "less knowledge." The parallel series moves from many to few to fewer and from much to little to less.

"Like" and "As:" Both "like" and "as" are used to indicate comparisons, but the former precedes a noun phrase while the latter is used before a verbal expression: "He drinks like a fish" and "There's no business like show business," but "The symphony ended as it had begun--in E flat major."

No such word: "Alot" is not a word (although "allot" is), and "a lot" is generally inappropriate use of informal speech in writing. "Irregardless" and "eachother," also are not words.

"Quote" and "Quotation:" "Quote" is not a noun. "Quote" is a verb. "Quotation" is a noun. "Quote" is not a short form for quotation as, for example, "memo" is for "memorandum." Writing "this quote proves my point" is inaccurate usage."

Splitting phrases. Avoid needlessly splitting infinitives and verb phrases. "He tried to walk quietly into the room" is preferred over "He tried to quietly walk into the room." "He believed that he probably would go" is preferred over "He believed that he would probably go."

"Which" and "That:" "Which" and "that" should not be used interchangeably.

"Which" is used when what follows is not crucial to the meaning of the sentence. Example: "Those gray squirrels, which you have been feeding, gnawed a hole in our roof." Example: "on the ice barrier, Byrd and his men established winter quarters, which they named Little America."

"That" is used when what follows is essential to the meaning of the sentence. Example: "The studies that have produced such results are numerous." Example: "This article is the one that changed the course of the discussion."

Hint: "That" is correct more often than "which." Also, when "which" is used, commas usually appear around the clause or phrase introduced by "which."

Sentences: Sentence errors include use of incomplete sentences (sometimes marked as "sentence fragment" or "frag"), run-on sentences, and comma splices.

Incomplete sentences. A complete sentence consists of a subject and a predicate. Students often write incomplete sentences when they begin the sentence with an adverbial, dependent clause. Example: "After Coates completed the surveys of the undergraduate participants and distributed a new set of surveys to graduate students." This example of an in complete sentence suggests the writer did not proofread slowly and carefully. Muttering the sentences aloud to yourself as you proofread is a good way to catch incomplete sentences like this one.

Run-on sentences. A run-on sentence is actually two or more sentences run together without punctuation. Example: "Dr. King's use of metaphor creates striking images that appeal to the imaginations of listeners in his audience people came from their hometowns all over the United States in hopes they might be inspired at the rally in Washington, D.C." The writer should use punctuation after "audience" and before "people." The writer could choose either a semi-colon between these two independent clauses or a period (after "audience") and a capital letter (on "people").

Comma splices. Commas splices are like run-on sentences except that the writer places a comma between the two clauses: "Uncertainty reduction theory includes too many conditions, it is not a usable theory." Commas cannot connect two independent clauses unless a conjunction (such as "and" or "but") also is used. Usually, a semi-colon can repair a sentence with a comma splice. The example could be repaired by using a conjunction ("Uncertainty reduction theory includes too many conditions, and it is not a usable theory"), by using a semi-colon ("Uncertainty reduction theory includes too many conditions; it is not a usable theory"), by making the sentence into a single sentence ("Uncertainly reduction theory is not a usable theory because it has too many conditions"), or by making it into two separate sentences ("Uncertainty reduction theory has too many conditions. It is not a usable theory"). Using the semi-colon in this case might be the strongest construction because you want the writer to associate the two thoughts expressed in each of these independent clauses.

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Preparing to Write a Speech

Quick links, understanding the speech genre.

As you begin writing your speech, you must understand the speech genre , conduct research , and develop an outline .

Understanding the type of speech you’re giving is the first step in the speech writing process.

If you already know the genre of your speech, then feel free to move on towards the next step. If not, start with the prompt. The prompt often identifies the genre of speech. Does your prompt give the speech genre?

If not, here are a few principles to help you figure out the speech genre:

Highlight keywords. Words such as analyze , explain , and argue tell you something about the nature of the speech. Look up the keywords in a dictionary to be precise.
Look for goals laid out in the prompt. Does the prompt tell you to “ Update the classroom on the political events in Syria,” “ Report your research on the Epstein–Barr virus,”or “ Explain how to do something you do well”? These prompts exemplify informative goals. “ Persuade the audience of what you think is the best way to succeed on a mission trip” is explicitly a prompt for a persuasive/argumentative speech.
If you’re completely lost, ask your professor or visit the Rhetoric Center—and bring your prompt!

The two most common types of speeches are informative and argumentative.

For further information on the fundamentals of these different types of speeches, we recommend Public Speaking - Oakland Campus: Types of Speeches by University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. Click on either “Informative” or “Argumentative.”

However, because more speaking genres exist (stories, tributes, eulogies, etc.) it’s imperative to highlight keywords , look for goals in the prompt , and seek help when needed .

After understanding the assignment you’ll know better what you need to research. At this stage it’s important to remember principles and goals of information literacy. Ensuring credibility of the resources used is a primary goal of information literacy.

It’s important that when researching, you consider the credibility of the resources you’re using. Unreliable sources will send your audience a message that you are unreliable. This Tedx Talk breaks down how to identify a fake news article; the principles can be applied to any research.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Who is this publication and are they credible?
Who is the author? Do they have accessible information about them and are they a credible source?
With both of these in mind, is this article/journal/website credible? If you have any doubt, then err on the safe side.

In addition, you’ll need to find enough sources with enough varying perspectives that you can build your own expertise and credibility.

The resources available on Hekman Library will prove useful in the research process. In particular, we recommend you use the following links on Hekman’s page :

“How to ‘Search Start’”
“Finding Databases”
“Accessing Articles”
“Research Help”

Additional Resources Related to Research

Yale College Writing Center : Eight Strategies for Using Sources.
Colorado State University, WAC Clearinghouse : Evaluating Sources.
Calvin University—What Not To Do : a document about what not to do while researching.
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) : Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing.

For most speech classes, the outline is the closest thing to a full script you will have. Some speeches are read from a printed text; some are memorized. But most academic speeches are extemporaneous: the speaker knows the speech well enough to deliver it without reading it, and an outline makes this possible.

(Please note: we’re talking about the final structure of the full-bodied speech, not the keyword notecards you deliver the speech from.)

The outline is a version of the complete speech and is your most important planning document. It is your draft of the full speech, just like a full draft of a paper. For papers an outline simply guides the writer in the writing process. For speeches the outline is reasonably identical with the speech (with slight wording changes).

A speech outline includes the general wording of every sentence, including transitions, and is written in complete sentences (the exact format may different from one teacher to another). If you’re turning the speech in to an instructor, the instructor will usually ask you to include a “specific purpose” and “thesis” before the introduction.

You don’t use the speech outline during the speech. For information regarding the version of the outline used during the speech itself, please see the notecard section on Delivery.

This is an informative speech on the differences between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. This outline isn’t perfect: it should include more transition sentences, and the introduction and conclusion are too short. But overall, it displays the content and structure.

This next outline , on the medicinal and culinary properties of dandelions, was put together by the Calvin CAS department as an example outline. Notice how this outline identifies the transition sentences and provides further information for the supporting points.

Your outline doesn’t have to look exactly like either of these examples as long as it accomplishes the main function of an outline: to set out a full written version of your speech.

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Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Reported speech

Reported speech is how we represent the speech of other people or what we ourselves say. There are two main types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech.

Direct speech repeats the exact words the person used, or how we remember their words:

Barbara said, “I didn’t realise it was midnight.”

In indirect speech, the original speaker’s words are changed.

Barbara said she hadn’t realised it was midnight .

In this example, I becomes she and the verb tense reflects the fact that time has passed since the words were spoken: didn’t realise becomes hadn’t realised .

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words:

“I’m sorry,” said Mark. (direct)

Mark apologised . (indirect: report of a speech act)

In a similar way, we can report what people wrote or thought:

‘I will love you forever,’ he wrote, and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (direct report of what someone wrote)

He wrote that he would love her forever , and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (indirect report of what someone wrote)

I need a new direction in life , she thought. (direct report of someone’s thoughts)

She thought that she needed a new direction in life . (indirect report of someone’s thoughts)

Reported speech: direct speech

Reported speech: indirect speech

Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses

Speech reports consist of two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. The reporting clause includes a verb such as say, tell, ask, reply, shout , usually in the past simple, and the reported clause includes what the original speaker said.

Reported speech: punctuation

Direct speech.

In direct speech we usually put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. The words of the original speaker are enclosed in inverted commas, either single (‘…’) or double (“…”). If the reported clause comes first, we put the comma inside the inverted commas:

“ I couldn’t sleep last night, ” he said.

Rita said, ‘ I don’t need you any more. ’

If the direct speech is a question or exclamation, we use a question mark or exclamation mark, not a comma:

‘Is there a reason for this ? ’ she asked.

“I hate you ! ” he shouted.

We sometimes use a colon (:) between the reporting clause and the reported clause when the reporting clause is first:

The officer replied: ‘It is not possible to see the General. He’s busy.’

Punctuation

Indirect speech

In indirect speech it is more common for the reporting clause to come first. When the reporting clause is first, we don’t put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. When the reporting clause comes after the reported clause, we use a comma to separate the two parts:

She told me they had left her without any money.

Not: She told me, they had left her without any money .

Nobody had gone in or out during the previous hour, he informed us.

We don’t use question marks or exclamation marks in indirect reports of questions and exclamations:

He asked me why I was so upset.

Not: He asked me why I was so upset?

Reported speech: reporting verbs

Say and tell.

We can use say and tell to report statements in direct speech, but say is more common. We don’t always mention the person being spoken to with say , but if we do mention them, we use a prepositional phrase with to ( to me, to Lorna ):

‘I’ll give you a ring tomorrow,’ she said .

‘Try to stay calm,’ she said to us in a low voice.

Not: ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said us in a low voice .

With tell , we always mention the person being spoken to; we use an indirect object (underlined):

‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told them .

Not: ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told .

In indirect speech, say and tell are both common as reporting verbs. We don’t use an indirect object with say , but we always use an indirect object (underlined) with tell :

He said he was moving to New Zealand.

Not: He said me he was moving to New Zealand .

He told me he was moving to New Zealand.

Not: He told he was moving to New Zealand .

We use say , but not tell , to report questions:

‘Are you going now?’ she said .

Not: ‘Are you going now?’ she told me .

We use say , not tell , to report greetings, congratulations and other wishes:

‘Happy birthday!’ she said .

Not: Happy birthday!’ she told me .

Everyone said good luck to me as I went into the interview.

Not: Everyone told me good luck …

Say or tell ?

Other reporting verbs

The reporting verbs in this list are more common in indirect reports, in both speaking and writing:

Simon admitted that he had forgotten to email Andrea.

Louis always maintains that there is royal blood in his family.

The builder pointed out that the roof was in very poor condition.

Most of the verbs in the list are used in direct speech reports in written texts such as novels and newspaper reports. In ordinary conversation, we don’t use them in direct speech. The reporting clause usually comes second, but can sometimes come first:

‘Who is that person?’ she asked .

‘It was my fault,’ he confessed .

‘There is no cause for alarm,’ the Minister insisted .

Verb patterns: verb + that -clause

Word of the Day

balancing act

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a difficult situation in which someone has to try to give equal amounts of importance, time, attention, etc. to two or more different things at the same time

Alike and analogous (Talking about similarities, Part 1)

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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

Author Interviews

Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

Read our research on: Gun Policy | International Conflict | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

Political typology quiz.

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Where do you fit in the political typology?

Are you a faith and flag conservative progressive left or somewhere in between.

Take our quiz to find out which one of our nine political typology groups is your best match, compared with a nationally representative survey of more than 10,000 U.S. adults by Pew Research Center. You may find some of these questions are difficult to answer. That’s OK. In those cases, pick the answer that comes closest to your view, even if it isn’t exactly right.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Middle East latest: US believes Israel planning 'limited strike' inside Iran as White House announces sanctions plan

Reports suggest US officials believe Israel is considering a "limited and narrow" strike inside Iran. It comes as Vladimir Putin calls for restraint during a call with Iran's president, amid fears of an escalation in hostilities. Listen to a Daily episode on Iran as you scroll.

Wednesday 17 April 2024 02:28, UK

Israel-Hamas war
US believes Israel planning 'narrow and limited strike' inside Iran - reports
IDF says it has killed Hezbollah commander
Putin asks for restraint in call with Iranian president
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UN watchdog 'concerned' Israel could target Iranian nuclear facilities
Dominic Waghorn: The coming hours could decide whether the Middle East is plunged into a widening war
Michael Clarke analysis: All Israel's options for retaliation come with complications

A few days ago we reported that the Palestinian Authority was preparing its bid for full United Nations membership.

Late on Tuesday night a UN Security Council committee considering the bid said it was "unable to make a unanimous recommendation" on whether it met the criteria.

"Differing views were expressed" on the issue, according to a committee report seen by Reuters news agency.

The Palestinian Authority is still expected to push the 15-member council to vote, possibly on Thursday, on a draft resolution recommending its full membership.

The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state - a position granted in 2012 - but full membership would effectively recognise a Palestinian state.

Success for the Palestinians here, however, is unlikely - they need their bid to be approved by the Security Council, and Israel's main ally the US has the power to block it. It also needs support from at least two-thirds of the UN General Assembly.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says its forces "engaged" two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in areas controlled by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

"It was determined the UAVs presented an imminent threat to US coalition and merchant vessels in the region," it said.

There were no injuries or damage reported by US coalition or commercial ships.

"These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition and merchant vessels."

The command also posted on X about an aid drop earlier in the day, with photos.

Statement by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan:

"Following Iran's unprecedented air attack against Israel, President Biden is coordinating with allies and partners, including the G7, and with bipartisan leaders in Congress, on a comprehensive response.

"In the coming days, the United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran, including its missile and drone program as well as new sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Defense Ministry.

"We anticipate that our allies and partners will soon be following with their own sanctions. In addition, we continue to work through the Department of Defense and US Central Command to further strengthen and expand the successful integration of air and missile defense and early warning systems across the Middle East to further erode the effectiveness of Iran's missile and UAV capabilities.

"These new sanctions and other measures will continue a steady drumbeat of pressure to contain and degrade Iran's military capacity and effectiveness and confront the full range of its problematic behaviours.

"Over the last three years, in addition to missile and drone-related sanctions, the United States has sanctioned over 600 individuals and entities connected to terrorism, terrorist financing and other forms of illicit trade, horrific human rights abuses, and support for proxy terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Kataib Hezbollah.

"The pressure will continue. We will not hesitate to continue to take action, in coordination with allies and partners around the world, and with Congress, to hold the Iranian government accountable for its malicious and destabilizing actions."

The Ministry of Defence has commented on escalating violence in the West Bank, which increased following the death of a 14-year-old Israeli.

The MoD said it was alarmed by the "shocking levels of violence" in the occupied area.

"These killings, and subsequent actions, are escalating violence in the Occupied West Bank and the wider region at a critical time," it said.

"It is vital that Israeli authorities restore calm and conduct urgent and transparent investigations into all deaths."

Seven Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers since the attacks began on Friday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Israeli authorities have urged people not to resort to vigilante attacks.

The Iraqi prime minister has said his country has not received any reports or indications that missiles or drones were launched from its territory during Iran's attack on Israel.

Mohammed Shia al Sudani said Iraq's "position is clear" that it would not be "thrown into the arena of conflict".

As we have been reporting, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles against Israel on Saturday.

Iraq is a rare ally of both the US and Iran.

Its airspace was a main route for Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel, and Iraqi officials say Iran informed them, as well as other countries in the region, ahead of the attack.

The IDF has released footage from the Israeli Air Force's control room during the attack from Iran over the weekend.

Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian said the footage showed the control room during the first interceptions of the Iranian missiles and drones.

Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones toward Israel, although minimal damage was caused.

In a world that has grown more dangerous in recent years, the nightmare scenario of a Third World War is in the public consciousness.

Earlier this year, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps warned the world could be engulfed by wars involving China, Russia, North Korea and Iran in the next five years, and said we are moving "from a post-war to pre-war world".

The relief felt at the end of the Cold War in the late '80s has been replaced with increasing alarm at Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and there is outcry at the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Sky News spoke to experts about whether World War Three is a possibility - and if we really are living in a "pre-war world".

Read our article below to find out what they had to say...

The two countries have agreed formally recognising a Palestinian state would help to end the current conflict.

At a joint news conference, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said: "The most important thing is that we have addressed a whole series of questions - when, not if, but when is the best moment to recognize Palestine."

Mr Golob did not give a timeline for this, saying the matter did not depend on Slovenia and Spain alone but on other international factors.

However, he said Slovenia would vote in the United Nations Security Council for full membership of a Palestinian state.

Spain has long been a champion of Palestinian rights and last month agreed with the leaders of Ireland, Malta and Slovenia to take the first steps towards recognising a Palestinian state.

Arab states and the European Union agreed at a meeting in Spain in November that a two-state solution was the answer to the conflict.

International peace efforts have long focused on creating an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, but these have been stalled for a decade.

Since 1988, 139 out of 193 United Nations member states have recognised Palestinian statehood.

A police vehicle has been struck in Gaza City, killing eight people, according to a report.

The vehicle was thought to be helping with securing aid deliveries and maintaining order, Al Jazeera reports.

The eight people killed were reportedly part of the law enforcement deployment helping in the Tuffah neighbourhood.

The incident happened in the eastern part of the city, which is densely populated.

Several pro-Palestine protesters have been arrested during a demonstration in Miami, Florida, local reports say.

Demonstrators gathered across multiple US cities to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Some protesters were reportedly dragged from the street by police after they tried to lie down and block traffic.

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Israel-Hamas war

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April 14, 2024 - Iran's attack on Israel

By Jerome Taylor, Heather Chen , James Legge, Sophie Tanno, Emma Tucker , Kaanita Iyer , Paul LeBlanc , Catherine Nicholls, Maureen Chowdhury , Antoinette Radford and Eve Rothenberg, CNN

Our live coverage of Iran's attack on Israel has moved here .

India calls on Iran to release 17 Indian crew members on board seized container ship

From CNN's Sandi Sidhu in Hong Kong

India has called on Iran to release 17 Indian crew members on board a container ship seized by Iran on Saturday.

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that he spoke to his Iranian counterpart Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and "took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries."

Four Filipino seamen were also on board the ship, according to the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers.

The department said it was working with its government, the ship owner, and the operator to release the captured seafarers.

On Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked container ship in a helicopter operation near the Strait of Hormuz, state news agency IRNA reported.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) said there were 25 crew members on board.

Japanese prime minister condemns Iran's attack on Israel

From CNN's Junko Ogura in Tokyo

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday said he "strongly condemns" Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel.

"(The attack) further aggravates the current situation in the Middle East. We are deeply concerned and strongly condemn such an escalation," Kishida told reporters.

Kishida said Japan would continue diplomatic efforts to "prevent the situation from worsening and to calm the situation down," and "respond in cooperation with other countries."

Blinken calls British and German counterparts following Iran's attack on Israel

From CNN's Philip Wang

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his counterparts from the United Kingdom and Germany on Sunday following Iran's attack on Israel, according to readouts from the State Department.

All parties agreed "the importance of condemning Iran's attack in the strongest possible terms and preventing further escalation," the readout said.

Blinken earlier held phone calls with his counterparts from Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia , in which he emphasized the importance of avoiding escalation in the Middle East and of "a coordinated diplomatic response."

US forces destroyed more than 80 attack drones from Iran and Yemen, Central Command says

From CNN's Philip Wang

US forces intercepted more than 80 one-way attack drones and at least six ballistic missiles from Iran and Yemen during its attack on Israel, according to a statement from the Central Command.

The operation included destroying a ballistic missile on its launcher vehicle and seven drones on the ground in Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, CENTCOM said.

"Iran's continued unprecedented, malign, and reckless behavior endangers regional stability and the safety of U.S. and coalition forces," the statement added.

Israeli and Iranian ambassadors trade accusations during UN Security Council session

From Abel Alvarado in Atlanta

Israel’s UN ambassador Gilad Erdan shows a video of drones and missiles heading toward Israel during a United Nations Security Council meeting at UN headquarters in New York on Sunday.

Israel and Iran’s United Nations ambassadors condemned each other’s actions during Sunday’s UN Security Council emergency session called to address Iran’s attack on Israel.

Israel’s UN ambassador Gilad Erdan said Iran "must be stopped before it drives the world to a point of no return, to a regional war that can escalate to a world war." Erdan accused Iran of seeking world domination and that its attack proved that Tehran "cares nothing, nothing for Islam or Muslims" before pulling out a tablet to show a video of Israel intercepting Iranian drones above Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Erdan called on the UN Security Council to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terror organization.

“Action must be taken now, not for Israel's sake, not for the region's sake, but for the world's sake. Stop Iran today."

Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said his country’s operation was "entirely in the exercise of Iran’s inherent right to self-defense, as outlined in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations and recognized by international law."

Iravani said:

"This concluded action was necessary and proportionate," adding that the operation was “precise and only targeted military objectives” to reduce the potential of escalation and to prevent civilian harm. “Iran is never seeking to contribute to the spillover of the conflict in the region, nor does it to escalate or spread the tension to the entire region," he said.

Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani speaks during the meeting on Sunday.

Tehran’s attack had been anticipated since a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria earlier this month.

Iravani added Iran has “no intention of engaging in conflict with the US in the region” but warned Iran will use its “inherent right to respond proportionately” should the US initiate a military operation against “Iran, its citizens or its security.”

Israeli war cabinet says it's ready to respond to Iran's attack but delays immediate action. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

The hours-long Israeli war cabinet meeting ended Sunday night without a decision on how Israel will respond to Iran’s missile and drone attack , an Israeli official said.

The cabinet is determined to respond — but has yet to decide on the timing and scope and the official said the military has been tasked with coming up with additional options for a response.

Separately, a senior Biden administration official told reporters that an Israeli official told the United States that it's not looking to significantly escalate the showdown with Iran.

CNN analyst Barak Ravid said Israeli ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot advocated for swift action, but US President Joe Biden's phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led to a decision to delay the response until the next day.

Here are the latest headlines:

Retaliation is over, Iran told US: Iran privately messaged the United States that its retaliation against Israel had concluded, echoing what Tehran said publicly, according to a senior administration official. Late Saturday, Iran said its attack on Israel is a response to Israel's strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, and "the matter can be deemed concluded." However, President Ebrahim Raisi said any “new aggression against the interests of the Iranian nation will be met with a heavier and regrettable response,” according to Iran’s state news channel IRIB.
United Nations response: UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a de-escalation of violence after Iran’s attack. Guterres said the United Nations and member countries have a “shared responsibility” to engage “all parties concerned to prevent further escalation.” He also called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict. “Neither the region nor the world can afford more war,” he said.
G7 and others: Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in response to Iran's attack, the G7 nations said they would work together to "stabilize the situation" in the Middle East, according to a statement from Biden. Also, Jordan summoned Iran's ambassador in Amman on Sunday after it intercepted Iranian drones over the country.
Meanwhile in Gaza: As thousands of Palestinians were turned away from returning to their homes in northern Gaza on Sunday, a 5-year-old girl was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers, her mother said. Video showed a man carrying a 5-year-old girl named Sally Abu Laila, who was bleeding from her head, with people crowding around her in panic trying to cover her wound.

Also on Sunday:

Israel decided to lift its restrictions on large gatherings and to reopen schools on Monday.
The US Department of Homeland Security has not identified any “specific or credible threats” to the US since Iran attacked Israel.

Blinken calls Turkish, Egyptian, Jordanian and Saudi counterparts following Iran's attack

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday spoke with his counterparts in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia following Iran's attacks in Israel, according to readouts from the State Department.

During his phone calls, Blinken emphasized the importance of avoiding escalation in the region and the importance of "a coordinated diplomatic response."

In his conversation with Jordan and Egypt, Blinken also underlined the significance of achieving an "enduring end to the crisis in Gaza."

Iran will be held responsible if any action is taken against the US or Israel, deputy ambassador warns

From CNN’s Abel Alvarado

US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood speaks during a United Nations Security Council emergency session over Iran’s attack on Israel on Sunday in New York.

The United States warned Iran against taking any action against the US or Israel during the UN Security Council emergency session over Iran’s attack on Israel.

“Let me be clear, if Iran or its proxies take actions against the US or further action against Israel, Iran will be held responsible,” US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said Sunday.

The United States is “not seeking escalation, our actions have been purely defensive in nature,” adding that the “best way to prevent such escalation is an unambiguous condemnation of the council of Iran’s unprecedented large-scale attack,” he said.

The envoy reiterated US support for Israel and condemned Iran’s attack. “Iran’s intent was to cause significant damage and death in Israel,” Wood said.

Wood also said the UN Security Council had an “obligation to not let Iran’s actions go unanswered.”

“For far too long, Iran has flagrantly violated its international legal obligations,” he said before listing occasions Iran has violated UN Security Council resolutions and international law.

Wood accused Iran of being in a “broad sense complicit” of the October 7 attack on Israel by providing “significant funding and training for the military wing of Hamas.”

He added the US will explore "additional measures to hold Iran accountable here in the UN.”

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Crystal's Husband Rob Minkoff Has a Hilarious Response to Her RHOBH Exit

Crystal Kung Minoff's husband had some regrets after she confirmed her exit from the show ahead of Season 14.

Crystal Kung Minkoff confirmed that she would not be returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for Season 14 in a video posted to her Instagram account on April 15. Crystal and her family, including her husband, Rob Minkoff , had appeared on the show since Season 11.

How to Watch

Watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Peacock and the Bravo App .

"It's very bittersweet," the mother of two said in the video. "Never did I think I would be asked to do this show in a million years, let alone film it for three seasons. Every single year I was asked back, it was a blessing, it was an honor."

Crystal's friends and family took to the comments of the post to share their reactions to her big news. But there was no comment that was more fitting than her husband's, who expressed his sadness for the future.

Rob Minkoff's Comments on Crystal Kung Minkoff's RHOBH Departure

Rob hilariously stated his regrets for not doing more in the comments of Crystal's Instagram post on April 15.

Rob Minkoff's comment on Crystal Kung Minkoff's Instagram post.

Rob comments on a photo on Crystal's Instagram.

"And I was really planning to 'bring it' this season," Rob commented, which was since gotten more than 6,000 likes as of press time. Although no one will know what Rob was planning to "bring" come Season 14, he already brought so much to the show.

It will be impossible to forget his dance moves at Garcelle Beauvais ' 55th birthday party in Season 12, where he busted a move on the dance floor. "Rob...he loves to dance," Crystal said during a confessional in the episode. "Our friends call him 'Hip-Hop Rob' — that's his nickname actually."

In fact, Crystal told The Daily Dish in 2021 that she thinks Rob should be on the cast of a reality TV show. "[Rob] deserves his own show because he's such a great person, honestly," she said. "He's so humble, and that personality trait to me is number one. My dad was super humble and Rob just has that and he's so talented and he doesn't even talk about it. I don't even think he realizes his talent, you know?"

Here’s what you may have missed on Bravo:

Crystal Kung Minkoff Leaving RHOBH After 3 Seasons: "It's Very Bittersweet"

Kyle Richards Breaks Her Silence on Rumors Mauricio Cheated: "I Hit a Breaking Point"

Adrienne Maloof Celebrates Her Twin Sons' 18th Birthday: "Where Has The Time Gone?"

Crystal Kung Minkoff and Rob Minkoff posing together.

Crystal posts a photo of herself and Rob on February 22, 2024 in SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California to Instagram.

Who is Rob Minkoff?

When he isn't dancing, Rob, who met Crystal at a birthday party in 2003, is very busy with his career. Rob is a long-time animator , director, and writer, who has worked on some big films, like the 1994 version of The Lion King film and the first live-action Haunted Mansion movie.

Rob got his career start by working as a character designer for the 1987 film, The Brave Little Toaster , which was featured on RHOBH Season 13, Episode 12. In the years after, he went on to direct films including Stuart Little , Stuart Little 2 , Mr. Peabody & Sherman, and most recently, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank .

Crystal recently teased to Bravo TV.com that Rob is working on a "musical." "So, we might go to New York for a little bit," she said.

Bravolebs React to Crystal Kung Minkoff's RHOBH Departure

Crystal's friends (including Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer ), family, and several Real Housewives cast members took to the comments of the post to share their well wishes for her. This included Andy Cohen , who commented a series of clapping hands emojis.

Did Crystal Kung Minkoff Ever Consider a Career in Hollywood Before RHOBH? "Never Occurred to Me"

"Will miss you. Happy for our friendship," Garcelle wrote.

"You're going to be missed," The Real Housewives of Orange County 's Tamra Judge , added. "You're a class act Crystal."

"I am gonna miss you hun. My first housewives friend and sister. We met at WWHL and connected for life," The Real Housewives of Dubai 's Chanel Ayan wrote. "I will see you soon love ya."

Watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Peacock and the Bravo app .

Chanel Ayan
Crystal Kung Minkoff
Garcelle Beauvais
Tamra Judge

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Cast And Show News
Relationships
Rob Minkoff

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Luke Claims He Knows “a Big F-cking Secret" About the Lallys

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Marysol Reacts to Todd and Alexia's Divorce

Kathryn Edwards and Donnie Edwards at the Bar at Watch What Happens Live

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Biden and his wife report $620,000 income on 2023 tax returns

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden host Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece and his wife during a reception at the White House in Washington

President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, on Monday released tax returns showing that their income rose 7% to $619,976 in 2023 and that the couple paid 23.7% of their income in federal taxes.

Biden released the data on the day U.S. taxes for the prior year are due and as the Democrat seeks re-election in 2024.

Donald Trump , his Republican opponent, broke with the tradition of presidents making their federal tax returns public, saying he was not able to do so while being audited by the Internal Revenue Service, even as the agency claimed he was free to release them.

A House committee controlled in 2022 by Democrats released Trump’s redacted returns for 2015 through 2020 over the former president’s objections.

Trump was in a New York courtroom on Monday for a historic criminal trial , one of several legal matters that has implicated the ex-president’s personal finances.

“President Biden believes that all occupants of the Oval Office should be open and honest with the American people, and that the longstanding tradition of annually releasing presidential tax returns should continue unbroken,” the White House said in a statement.

Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a post on social media on Monday, Trump said American families benefited from tax cuts passed while he was in office. He said if Biden “gets his way” people would be facing “colossal” tax increases. He included no information about his 2023 tax filing.

Biden and his wife earned four-fifths of their income from their jobs as U.S. president and teacher at Northern Virginia Community College, respectively. Joe Biden drew a $400,000 wage, while Jill Biden earned $85,985 from her job teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College.

The additional income was drawn from interest on investments, pensions and a corporate entity that collects the couple’s book royalties. Most of the increase of income relative to 2022 was from interest paid on one of the couple’s bank accounts, according to the tax return.

The proportion of Joe Biden’s income that went to federal taxes was roughly equal to the prior year .

Biden plans to deliver a speech on tax policy from his Scranton, Pennsylvania, birthplace on Tuesday that is expected to include a call for the wealthy to pay higher rates. Pennsylvania is expected to be one of the most closely contested 2024 election states in November.

The president’s return also showed that Biden donated $20,477 to charity, roughly 3.3% of their income, with the beneficiaries including several churches and public health groups like the Epilepsy Foundation and the Fraternal Order of Police.

Biden’s running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, also released a tax return showing $450,380 income for 2023, federal taxes of $88,570 and charitable donations of $23,026.

IMAGES

How to Use Reported Speech in English
Reported Speech Rules
20 Reported Speech Example Sentences
Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL
Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL
Reported speech

VIDEO

Reporting Verbs| Reported Speech 2 PUC English Grammar 2023|
Indirect Speech
23 March urdu speech/Urdu speech on pakistan day/Youm e Pakistan/Best urdu speech on 23 March
Best Urdu Speech On Iqbal Day
L-1, Speech/ Narration/ Reported Speech
Reported Speech (The Basics)

COMMENTS

Reported Speech
To change an imperative sentence into a reported indirect sentence, use to for imperative and not to for negative sentences. Never use the word that in your indirect speech. Another rule is to remove the word please. Instead, say request or say. For example: "Please don't interrupt the event," said the host.
Reported speech
When we want to report what people say, we don't usually try to report their exact words. We usually give a summary, for example: Direct speech (exact words): Mary: Oh dear. We've been walking for hours! I'm exhausted. I don't think I can go any further. I really need to stop for a rest. Peter: Don't worry. I'm not surprised you're tired. I'm ...
Reported Speech
Watch my reported speech video: Here's how it works: We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence: Direct speech: I like ice cream. Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
What is Reported Speech and How to Use It? with Examples
Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day. In this example, the present tense "will" is changed to the past tense "would." 3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as "say," "tell," "ask," or "inquire" depending on the context of the speech.
Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions
When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called "backshift.". Here are some examples in different verb tenses: "I want to go home.". She said she wanted to go home. "I 'm reading a good book.". She said she was reading a good book. "I ate pasta for dinner last night.".
Reported Speech In English: The Ultimate Guide
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of retelling what someone else has said without repeating their exact words. For example, let's say you have a friend called Jon and one called Mary. Mary has organised a house party and has invited you and Jon. Jon, however, is not feeling well.
4.3 GRAMMAR: Reported Speech
4.3 GRAMMAR: Reported Speech. Another new element of academic writing is to use information from outside sources as evidence to support your thesis. This means you will need to report what others have said or written. This is, not surprisingly, called reported speech. It's very common in research and academic writing, but it's important to ...
Reported speech: indirect speech
Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
How do you write reported speech in English?
Speech in a reported clause is not separated from the reporting verb by a comma, is not enclosed in inverted commas, and does not begin with a capital letter unless it is a proper noun. Reported questions are not followed by question marks. An alternative position for main clauses that would normally have a linking that, is after the reported ...
Reported speech: statements
To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech. direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel. indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank. In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'.
Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL
Reported speech: He asked if he would see me later. In the direct speech example you can see the modal verb 'will' being used to ask a question. Notice how in reported speech the modal verb 'will' and the reporting verb 'ask' are both written in the past tense. So, 'will' becomes 'would' and 'ask' becomes 'asked'.
Reported Speech
Reported Speech. If we want to say what somebody has said, we basically have two options: We can use the person's exact words - in quotation marks "..." if we are writing ( direct speech ). We can change the person's words into our own words ( reported speech ). He said: "I love you." He said that he loved me.
Reported Speech
Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message. Q2.
Reported Speech
Reported speech is sometimes called indirect speech, to contrast with direct speech. Although this piece is mainly focussed on reported speech, in order to understand this fully a good knowledge of how to write direct speech is really important. Direct speech refers to the actual words that are spoken by a person, or character, in a story.
Reported speech
Reported speech (also known as indirect speech) is when we report what somebody has said. Native speakers use reported speech very often. Structures of reported speech. He told me he would be late. Structures of reported questions. She asked if it was better to wait.
Indirect or reported speech
Indirect speech conveys a report of something that was said or written rather than the exact words that were spoken or written. It is used in many United Nations documents, including summary ...
How To Use Reported Speech Dialogue In Your Writing
When you start to learn to write dialogue, it seems simple. All you need to do is add a reporting verb or dialogue tag. You probably learned this at high school. When a character speaks lines of dialogue, you put a double quotation mark at the beginning and end. But if you use reported speech, you need to include a tense shift.
Report vs Speech: Usage Guidelines and Popular Confusions
A report is a written document that presents information in an organized manner, whereas a speech is an oral presentation that is delivered to an audience. Using a report as a speech can lead to a lack of engagement from the audience, as it may be too detailed and not easily digestible.
Here's How to Write a Perfect Speech
Step 3: Edit and polish what you've written until you have a cohesive first draft of your speech. Step 4: Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice your speech the more you'll discover which sections need reworked, which transitions should be improved, and which sentences are hard to say. You'll also find out how you're doing ...
Grammar
Alert: Proofread carefully. The reader can read only the form you present on the page to understand what you mean. When you leave typos, misspelled words, and serious sentence errors in your paper, you give the impression that you might expect the reader to "read between the lines." In academic writing, the goal is just the opposite: you want to be as clear, as precise, and as exacting as you ...
Preparing To Write A Speech
It is your draft of the full speech, just like a full draft of a paper. For papers an outline simply guides the writer in the writing process. For speeches the outline is reasonably identical with the speech (with slight wording changes). A speech outline includes the general wording of every sentence, including transitions, and is written in ...
How To Write An Evaluation Report (With A Speech Report Example!)
11 Elements Of A Speech Evaluation Report. 1. Date of Evaluation. Don't forget to include the date of your assessment! 2. Subjective Information. This is the information you'll gather by interviewing patients and reviewing medical records. Subjective Information To Include. Presenting illness/condition.
Reported speech
Reported speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
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Take our quiz to find out which one of our nine political typology groups is your best match, compared with a nationally representative survey of more than 10,000 U.S. adults by Pew Research Center. You may find some of these questions are difficult to answer. That's OK. In those cases, pick the answer that comes closest to your view, even if ...
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The image displays the logo of Bravo, consisting of a gradient from blue to purple speech bubble with the word "bravo" in white lowercase letters.
April 14, 2024
April 14, 2024 - Iran's attack on Israel. By Jerome Taylor, Heather Chen, James Legge, Sophie Tanno, Emma Tucker, Kaanita Iyer, Paul LeBlanc, Catherine Nicholls, Maureen Chowdhury, Antoinette ...
Crystal Kung Minkoff's Husband Rob Reacts to RHOBH Exit
Dorit Kemsley Is "Tripping in Style". Crystal Kung Minkoff confirmed that she would not be returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for Season 14 in a video posted to her Instagram ...
Biden and his wife report $620,000 income on 2023 tax returns
By Reuters. President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, on Monday released tax returns showing that their income rose 7% to $619,976 in 2023 and that the couple paid 23.7% of their income in federal ...