Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL
7esl.com › reported-speechReported Speech Examples. When we use reported speech, we are usually talking about the past (because obviously, the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too. For example: Direct speech: I’ve lost my umbrella. Reported speech: He said (that) he had lost his umbrella. Reported Speech Rules