Reported speech

The point

When the reporting verb is past, the tense often steps back. She said that she was ready. Tell needs a person: she told me. Said does not take a person without to. A command is tell plus object plus to plus the base.

Form and use

Reported speech retells someone's words. Say needs no person: she said that she was ready. Tell needs the listener: she told me, not she said me, and not she told that. After a past reporting verb, the tense often moves one step back. If the fact is still true, you may keep the original tense.

Backshift: present → past: "I am ready" → she said she was ready past → past perfect: "I sent it" → she said she had sent it will → would: "I will call" → she said she would call can → could: "I can help" → she said she could help may → might: "I may leave" → she said she might leave Still true, no shift: she said the office is on King Street.

Questions lose question order. Commands take to plus the base. "Where is the file?" → she asked where the file was "Did you send it?" → he asked if I had sent it Whether works like if. There is no do. "Send it." → she told me to send it "Don't wait." → she told me not to wait today → that day tomorrow → the next day yesterday → the day before

She asked where was the file keeps question order, so it is wrong. She asked where the file was is right. A yes-no question takes if or whether, not that. A command takes to plus the base. The negative is not to plus the base: not to wait, not to not wait.

Don't translate it like this

Told me, and was, because said-time is past.

Short examples