Reported speech: backshift, and the verbs that beat “said”.
Reporting what someone said, or wrote, or argued, is something you do constantly in the test: every time you cite a view in Task 2, or relay a conversation in Speaking. The mechanics are tidy once you see them, and the choice of reporting verb is a quiet lexical-resource lift.
Why this matters. Reported speech runs through the whole test, but it is most valuable in Writing Task 2, where you constantly report positions, some argue that…, critics claim that…, research has shown that…, and in Speaking, where you relay what people said. Two things go wrong. The mechanics, the tense backshift and the shifts that come with it, are applied inconsistently, especially in reported questions. And the reporting verb stays stuck on said and told, when claimed, suggested, admitted, pointed out would say far more. This page is the backshift, the question and command forms, the one exception that catches people, and the verbs that lift the lexical score, then ten to drill.
One step back, and a few things shift with it.
When the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, explained), the reported verb usually moves one tense further back, and the words that point to a speaker, a time and a place shift to match. Questions and commands have their own neat patterns.
Backshift
present → past · past → past perfect · will → would
Move the reported verb one step back. am/is → was, do → did, have done → had done, will → would, can → could, may → might.
“I am tired.” → She said she was tired.
The shifts that come with it
pronouns · time words · place words
The viewpoint moves, so the deictic words move too: I → he/she, my → her, now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, here → there, this → that.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” → He said he would call me the next day.
Reported questions
no inversion · no question mark · if / whether / wh-
A reported question becomes a statement: keep subject-verb order, drop the question mark, and join with if/whether (yes-no) or the question word (wh-).
“Where do you live?” → She asked where I lived.
Reported commands & requests
(not) to + infinitive
Orders, advice and requests are reported with to + infinitive, after a verb that names the act (tell, ask, advise, warn, order), usually with an object.
“Don’t be late.” → He told me not to be late.
The exception, and the lexical lift
First, do not backshift a statement that is still true, a general fact, a permanent state, something true right now. “She said the Earth was round” wrongly implies it no longer is; “She said the Earth is round” is correct (backshift is optional here, but keeping the present is cleaner for facts). Second, the reporting verb is lexical resource, not grammar. Said and told are never wrong, but claimed, argued, suggested, admitted, denied, pointed out, acknowledged each carry a precise meaning, and in Task 2 they are exactly how you weigh one view against another. See the toolkit below.
What reported speech reads like at each band.
At Band 5
Backshift is attempted but inconsistent, and reported questions keep their inversion and question mark (He asked where do I live?). The reporting verb is almost always said, often misused with an object (he said me).
At Band 6
Backshift is mostly right in statements, but questions still slip and the time and place shifts are uneven. Said and told are used correctly but repeatedly, and the still-true exception is not yet noticed, so facts get wrongly pushed into the past.
At Band 7
Backshift is controlled, reported questions and commands are formed correctly, and a range of reporting verbs (claimed, suggested, admitted) is used appropriately. Facts that are still true are kept in the present. Reported speech is doing real work in the argument.
At Band 8+
Reporting verbs are chosen for nuance (conceded, contended, acknowledged, cautioned) and built with the right structure, verb + that, or verb + object + to-infinitive. Views are reported so fluently that the mechanics disappear, and the citing of positions itself becomes part of a controlled, balanced argument.
Choose the verb that names what they did with the idea.
This is the lift that shows in Task 2. Instead of says that for every view, pick the verb that captures the speaker’s stance, and use its structure. Get the pattern right: most take that, some take an object + to-infinitive, a few take -ing.
| To report… | Use… | Structure & example |
|---|---|---|
| A neutral statement | state · explain · note | + that: She noted that costs had risen. |
| An unproven assertion | claim · argue · maintain | + that: Critics argue that the policy fails. |
| A proposal | suggest · recommend · propose | + that… (should) / + -ing: He suggested raising the fee. |
| A confession or refusal | admit · deny | + -ing / + that: She admitted making an error. |
| Advice or a warning | advise · urge · warn | + object + to: They urged the council to act. |
| A concession | concede · acknowledge · accept | + that: He conceded that the plan was costly. |
A caution: the structure travels with the verb. Suggest and recommend never take an object + to-infinitive (suggested me to go → suggested that I go / suggested going). Learn each verb with its pattern, not on its own. Verb + -ing vs verb + to → · use these in Task 2 →
Ten to drill.
Backshift a statement, report a question or a command, keep a still-true fact in the present, or choose the reporting verb that fits. Press Check answers for your score and the reason behind each one. Nothing is sent anywhere.
The backshift is a rule you can learn in a minute. Reporting a dozen views fluently, with the right verb each time, is the work.
A slipped backshift, a reported question that kept its inversion, a reporting verb that says the wrong thing, these hide in your own writing, exactly where you cannot catch them.
In a lesson I mark your writing against the grammar criteria and show you, line by line, where a reported view has slipped its tense, or where said could have been a verb that earned more marks. Lessons are £20 for fifty minutes, one to one, in proper British English; the first step is a free 25-minute introduction. This page is adapted from the grammar chapter of the forthcoming Ultimate Guide to IELTS Speaking.