Reported speech (or indirect speech) conveys what someone said without quoting directly. Statements typically use the verb "say" (without a person object) or "tell" (with a person object): "He said he was tired" versus "He told me he was tired." When reporting, the verb usually shifts one tense back: present becomes past ("I am happy" → "He said he was happy"), and past becomes past perfect ("I saw her" → "He said he had seen her"). This shift is called backshifting.
Pronouns also shift to reflect the new perspective. First-person pronouns typically become third person ("I" becomes "he/she"), and "you" becomes "I" or "they" depending on context. Time expressions may need updating ("tomorrow" → "the next day," "yesterday" → "the day before"). Modal verbs shift similarly: "will" becomes "would," "can" becomes "could," "may" becomes "might," and "must" becomes "had to." Modals such as "could," "would," "might," "ought to," and "should" generally remain unchanged.
Questions and imperatives require special adjustments. Reported questions use statement word order (no inversion) and no question mark. Yes/no questions introduce "if" or "whether": "Are you coming?" becomes "He asked if I was coming." Wh-questions keep the question word: "Where do you live?" becomes "He asked where I lived." Reported imperatives use "told/asked + object + to + base verb": "Close the door!" becomes "He told me to close the door." Negative imperatives use "not + to + infinitive": "Don't touch the stove!" becomes "She told me not to touch the stove." Exclamations can be reported using verbs like "exclaim" or "remark," adjusting exclamatory structures into statements.