Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is used to report what someone said to another person, but without using the exact words. Look at the example: A friend, Bopha, says to you: Ø I went to the stadium last night. You say to someone else: Ø Bopha said (that) she had been to the stadium the night before. The verb 'said' is called a reporting verb. Other reporting verbs are: accuse, admit, advise, allege, agree, apologize, beg, boast, complain, deny, explain, imply, invite, offer, order, promise, reply, suggest and think. Using them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative. To report direct speech, a few changes are necessary; often a pronoun, tense, and adverb. CHANGES WHEN REPORTING 1. Change in Tenses Move one tense backwards, see the list below: Ø Simple Present → Simple Past Ø Present Progressive → Past Progressive Ø ...