Reported speech is just grammar gossip. You are simply retelling what someone else said, but you change the Time, the Person, and the Tense to fit the current moment.
This is the most critical rule. When you report something from the past, you usually take a step back in time. We call this "Backshifting". Select a tense below to see how the engine processes it.
Facts that were true then become 'past' facts now.
"I eat apples everyday."
- John
John said (that) he ate apples everyday.
Stop using "said" for everything! Reported speech is about capturing the vibe. The chart represents reporting verbs plotted by Emotional Intensity (Y-axis) and Formality (X-axis).
Hover over bubbles for usage tips.
If John said "I am here" yesterday, he isn't "here" anymore, and it isn't "now". You have to shift the perspective. Click the cards below to translate the words.
Transform this sentence:
"I will call you tomorrow."