Reported speech (indirect speech) tells what someone said without using their exact words. Tense usually shifts one step back into the past.
Tense shifts
Present simple → past simple. Present perfect → past perfect. Past simple → past perfect. Will → would. Can → could. May → might.
- Direct: 'I am happy,' she said. → Reported: She said she was happy.
- Direct: 'I have finished,' he said. → Reported: He said he had finished.
Pronouns and time words shift
I → he/she. We → they. Now → then. Today → that day. Tomorrow → the next day. Yesterday → the day before.
Reporting opinions formally
'…that early humans have lived here for 8000 years.' Formal way: 'It is said that early humans have lived here for 8000 years.'
Tip — 'It is said' is more formal than 'people say' or 'they say'.