change into reported speech monica

Reported Speech

Perfect english grammar.

Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Direct speech: I like ice cream.
• Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.

• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.

• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.

• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.

• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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What is Reported Speech and how to use it? with Examples

Published by

Olivia Drake

Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said.

On this page:

Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker’s exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions.

1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually “said.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, “I am going to the store,” becomes “He said that he was going to the store.”

2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually “asked.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, “What time is it?” becomes “She asked what time it was.”

It’s important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples:

• Direct speech: “I will call you later.”Reported speech: He said that he would call me later.
• Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.
• Direct speech: “I love pizza.”Reported speech: They said that they loved pizza.

When do we use reported speech?

Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly.

Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include:

News reports:  Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference.

Business and professional communication:  In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer.

Conversational English:  In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, “She told me that she was running late.”

Narration:  In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.

How to make reported speech?

1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the store now,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then.

In this example, the pronoun “I” is changed to “she” and the adverb “now” is changed to “then.”

2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day.

In this example, the present tense “will” is changed to the past tense “would.”

3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” or “inquire” depending on the context of the speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.

In this example, the reporting verb “asked” is changed to “said” and “did” is changed to “had.”

Overall, when making reported speech, it’s important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker’s message accurately.

How do I change the pronouns and adverbs in reported speech?

1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I love chocolate.” Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate.

Direct speech: “You should study harder.” Reported speech: He advised me to study harder.

Direct speech: “She is reading a book.” Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book.

2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night.

Direct speech: “He is here.” Reported speech: She said he was there.

Note that the adverb “now” usually changes to “then” or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context.

It’s important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.

How do I change the tense in reported speech?

In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech:

Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I like pizza.” Reported speech: She said she liked pizza.

Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I am studying for my exam.” Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam.

Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I have finished my work.” Reported speech: She said she had finished her work.

Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I visited my grandparents last weekend.” Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend.

Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I will help you with your project.” Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project.

Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I can speak French.” Reported speech: She said she could speak French.

Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker’s perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.

Do I always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech?

No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech.

In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as “I heard that” or “It seems that” without using a reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she’s going to the cinema tonight.

However, it’s important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it’s generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible.

Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example:

Direct speech: “I think we should invest in renewable energy.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy.

Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate

How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?

1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is the meeting?” Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was.

Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech.

2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “ordered” or “told” followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Clean your room!” Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room.

Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech.

In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples:

Direct speech: “Will you go to the party with me?”Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: “Please bring me a glass of water.”Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water.

Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

How to make questions in reported speech?

To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech:

Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include “asked,” “inquired,” “wondered,” and “wanted to know.”

Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker.

Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use “if” or “whether” to introduce the reported question.

Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word.

Here are some examples of reported questions:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: “Where are you going?”Reported speech: She wondered where I was going.

Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions

What is the difference between reported speech an indirect speech?

In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, “I am going to the store,” in reported speech you would say, “He/she said that he/she was going to the store.”

The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.

Examples of direct speech to reported

• Direct speech: “I am hungry,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was hungry.
• Direct speech: “Can you pass the salt, please?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked her to pass the salt.
• Direct speech: “I will meet you at the cinema,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet her at the cinema.
• Direct speech: “I have been working on this project for hours,” she said. Reported speech: She said she had been working on the project for hours.
• Direct speech: “What time does the train leave?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked what time the train left.
• Direct speech: “I love playing the piano,” she said. Reported speech: She said she loved playing the piano.
• Direct speech: “I am going to the grocery store,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to the grocery store.
• Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” the teacher asked. Reported speech: The teacher asked if he had finished his homework.
• Direct speech: “I want to go to the beach,” she said. Reported speech: She said she wanted to go to the beach.
• Direct speech: “Do you need help with that?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked if she needed help with that.
• Direct speech: “I can’t come to the party,” he said. Reported speech: He said he couldn’t come to the party.
• Direct speech: “Please don’t leave me,” she said. Reported speech: She begged him not to leave her.
• Direct speech: “I have never been to London before,” he said. Reported speech: He said he had never been to London before.
• Direct speech: “Where did you put my phone?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked where she had put her phone.
• Direct speech: “I’m sorry for being late,” he said. Reported speech: He apologized for being late.
• Direct speech: “I need some help with this math problem,” she said. Reported speech: She said she needed some help with the math problem.
• Direct speech: “I am going to study abroad next year,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to study abroad the following year.
• Direct speech: “Can you give me a ride to the airport?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked him to give her a ride to the airport.
• Direct speech: “I don’t know how to fix this,” he said. Reported speech: He said he didn’t know how to fix it.
• Direct speech: “I hate it when it rains,” she said. Reported speech: She said she hated it when it rained.

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Reported Speech Tenses

Reported speech tenses will change from that of the direct speech in most cases.

This is known as backshifting in reported speech , with the basic rule that a tense is shifted back to its past tense form.

This is because we are usually talking about something in the past. 

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

Backshifting in Reported Speech

Here are some examples of backshifting, with tenses going back from present to past:

Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart

Below is a reported speech tense change chart with the rules for backshifting for each tense and for modal verbs.

You will see reported speech does not go back a tense if it is already in the past perfect (there is no further back it can go), and some modal verbs also do not change. 

If you are tested on this, though, these are the changes you need to make.

Exceptions to the rules

This is a useful starting point. However, it is a simplification as we may not always decide or need to shift the tense back. 

For instance, if the circumstances we are reporting on  have not changed  since they were directly said, then the tense would not need to be changed. For example:

Direct Speech

• I  am  happy 
• (present simple)

Reported Speech

• She said she is happy 

So if we want to convey that the situation is still true then we may keep the tense the same.

Alternatively, the tense could even forward shift. An example would be in relation to a film or book. In this case, the person may use the past tense to say that the film was good, but the present or past tense could be used when you convey that to someone else:

Direct Speech:

• The film  was  really good!
• (past simple)

Reported Speech:

• He said that the film  was  very good!
• (past simple) Or
• He said that the film  is  very good!

As you can see, either reported speech tenses would be ok if you wanted to pass the information on to somebody else. The person said the film was good, and it is still good (it hasn't gone away).

So there are some general rules for reported speech tense changes but it can depend on the context. There may be no need to change it or you may be able to choose either tense.

Click the ' reported speech: practice forming indirect speech ' link below to practice changing tenses. 

More on Reported Speech:

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

In these examples of direct and indirect speech you are given a sentence in direct speech which is then connected to indirect speech.

Direct and Indirect Speech: The differences explained

Direct and indirect speech are different because in direct speech the exact words said are spoken, but in indirect or reported speech, we are reporting what was said, usually using the past tense.

Reported Speech Imperatives: Reporting commands in indirect speech

Reported speech imperatives, also known as reported commands, follow a slightly different structure to normal indirect speech. We use imperatives to give orders, advice, or make requests.

Reported Speech Quiz - Practice forming indirect speech

This reported speech quiz gives you the chance to practice converting direct speech to reported speech, also known as indirect speech. This involves backshifting with the tenses.

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Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

Exercises on reported speech.

If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.

When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:

• present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
• place and time expressions
• tenses (backshift)

→ more on statements in reported speech

When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

Also note that you have to:

• transform the question into an indirect question
• use the interrogative or if / whether

→ more on questions in reported speech

→ more on requests in reported speech

Additional Information and Exeptions

Apart from the above mentioned basic rules, there are further aspects that you should keep in mind, for example:

• main clauses connected with and / but
• tense of the introductory clause
• reported speech for difficult tenses
• exeptions for backshift
• requests with must , should , ought to and let’s

→ more on additional information and exeptions in reported speech

Statements in Reported Speech

• no backshift – change of pronouns
• no backshift – change of pronouns and places
• with backshift
• with backshift and change of place and time expressions

Questions in Reported Speech

Requests in reported speech.

• Exercise 1 – requests (positive)
• Exercise 2 – requests (negative)
• Exercise 3 – requests (mixed)

Mixed Exercises on Reported Speech

• Exercise on reported speech with and without backshift

Grammar in Texts

• „ The Canterville Ghost “ (highlight direct speech and reported speech)

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2

Advanced Grammar Course

What is reported speech?

“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:

• Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
• Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.

There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.

So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.

In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called “backshift.”

Here are some examples in different verb tenses:

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

Exceptions to Backshift in Reported Speech

Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.

There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.

If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.

When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.

But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.

Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”

• If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
• If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.

Here’s an example:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
• “She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
• It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
• Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.

Let’s look at a different situation:

• On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
• “She said she ‘d  call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Quick review:

• Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
• when the situation is still true
• when the situation is still in the future

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.

What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?

For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:

• “Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
• She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)

For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”

• “Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
• “He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)

The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:

• She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me  make  a copy of the report.
• He told me to go to the bank. He told me  go  to the bank.

For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.

• “Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
• He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
• “Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)

The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.

Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:

• She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
• She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.

For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):

• “When was the company founded?” (direct)
• She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
• “What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
• He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)

Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:

• “Where does he work?”
• She wanted to know  where does he work.
• She wanted to know where he works.

Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:

• “Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
• He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
• He asked where was I born.

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Learn more about reported speech:

• Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
• Reported speech: BJYU’s

If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!

I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.

Master the details of English grammar:

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They say gossip is a natural part of human life. That’s why language has evolved to develop grammatical rules about the “he said” and “she said” statements. We call them reported speech.

Every time we use reported speech in English, we are talking about something said by someone else in the past. Thinking about it brings me back to high school, when reported speech was the main form of language!

Learn all about the definition, rules, and examples of reported speech as I go over everything. I also included a worksheet at the end of the article so you can test your knowledge of the topic.

What Does Reported Speech Mean?

Reported speech is a term we use when telling someone what another person said. You can do this while speaking or writing.

There are two kinds of reported speech you can use: direct speech and indirect speech. I’ll break each down for you.

A direct speech sentence mentions the exact words the other person said. For example:

• Kryz said, “These are all my necklaces.”

Indirect speech changes the original speaker’s words. For example:

• Kryz said those were all her necklaces.

When we tell someone what another individual said, we use reporting verbs like told, asked, convinced, persuaded, and said. We also change the first-person figure in the quotation into the third-person speaker.

Reported Speech Examples

We usually talk about the past every time we use reported speech. That’s because the time of speaking is already done. For example:

• Direct speech: The employer asked me, “Do you have experience with people in the corporate setting?”

Indirect speech: The employer asked me if I had experience with people in the corporate setting.

• Direct speech: “I’m working on my thesis,” I told James.

Indirect speech: I told James that I was working on my thesis.

Reported Speech Structure

A speech report has two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. Read the example below:

• Harry said, “You need to help me.”

The reporting clause here is William said. Meanwhile, the reported clause is the 2nd clause, which is I need your help.

What are the 4 Types of Reported Speech?

Aside from direct and indirect, reported speech can also be divided into four. The four types of reported speech are similar to the kinds of sentences: imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, and declarative.

Reported Speech Rules

The rules for reported speech can be complex. But with enough practice, you’ll be able to master them all.

Choose Whether to Use That or If

The most common conjunction in reported speech is that. You can say, “My aunt says she’s outside,” or “My aunt says that she’s outside.”

Use if when you’re reporting a yes-no question. For example:

• Direct speech: “Are you coming with us?”

Indirect speech: She asked if she was coming with them.

Verb Tense Changes

Change the reporting verb into its past form if the statement is irrelevant now. Remember that some of these words are irregular verbs, meaning they don’t follow the typical -d or -ed pattern. For example:

• Direct speech: I dislike fried chicken.

Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken.

Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form.

Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting. This verb tense also works if the report is something someone would repeat. For example:

• Slater says they’re opening a restaurant soon.
• Maya says she likes dogs.

This rule proves that the choice of verb tense is not a black-and-white question. The reporter needs to analyze the context of the action.

Move the tense backward when the reporting verb is in the past tense. That means:

• Present simple becomes past simple.
• Present perfect becomes past perfect.
• Present continuous becomes past continuous.
• Past simple becomes past perfect.
• Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous.

Here are some examples:

• The singer has left the building. (present perfect)

He said that the singers had left the building. (past perfect)

• Her sister gave her new shows. (past simple)
• She said that her sister had given her new shoes. (past perfect)

If the original speaker is discussing the future, change the tense of the reporting verb into the past form. There’ll also be a change in the auxiliary verbs.

• Will or shall becomes would.
• Will be becomes would be.
• Will have been becomes would have been.
• Will have becomes would have.

For example:

• Direct speech: “I will be there in a moment.”

Indirect speech: She said that she would be there in a moment.

Do not change the verb tenses in indirect speech when the sentence has a time clause. This rule applies when the introductory verb is in the future, present, and present perfect. Here are other conditions where you must not change the tense:

• If the sentence is a fact or generally true.
• If the sentence’s verb is in the unreal past (using second or third conditional).
• If the original speaker reports something right away.
• Do not change had better, would, used to, could, might, etc.

Changes in Place and Time Reference

Changing the place and time adverb when using indirect speech is essential. For example, now becomes then and today becomes that day. Here are more transformations in adverbs of time and places.

• This – that.
• These – those.
• Now – then.
• Here – there.
• Tomorrow – the next/following day.
• Two weeks ago – two weeks before.
• Yesterday – the day before.

Here are some examples.

• Direct speech: “I am baking cookies now.”

Indirect speech: He said he was baking cookies then.

• Direct speech: “Myra went here yesterday.”

Indirect speech: She said Myra went there the day before.

• Direct speech: “I will go to the market tomorrow.”

Indirect speech: She said she would go to the market the next day.

Using Modals

If the direct speech contains a modal verb, make sure to change them accordingly.

• Will becomes would
• Can becomes could
• Shall becomes should or would.
• Direct speech: “Will you come to the ball with me?”

Indirect speech: He asked if he would come to the ball with me.

• Direct speech: “Gina can inspect the room tomorrow because she’s free.”

Indirect speech: He said Gina could inspect the room the next day because she’s free.

However, sometimes, the modal verb should does not change grammatically. For example:

• Direct speech: “He should go to the park.”

Indirect speech: She said that he should go to the park.

Imperative Sentences

To change an imperative sentence into a reported indirect sentence, use to for imperative and not to for negative sentences. Never use the word that in your indirect speech. Another rule is to remove the word please . Instead, say request or say. For example:

• “Please don’t interrupt the event,” said the host.

The host requested them not to interrupt the event.

• Jonah told her, “Be careful.”
• Jonah ordered her to be careful.

Reported Questions

When reporting a direct question, I would use verbs like inquire, wonder, ask, etc. Remember that we don’t use a question mark or exclamation mark for reports of questions. Below is an example I made of how to change question forms.

• Incorrect: He asked me where I live?

Correct: He asked me where I live.

Here’s another example. The first sentence uses direct speech in a present simple question form, while the second is the reported speech.

• Where do you live?

She asked me where I live.

Wrapping Up Reported Speech

My guide has shown you an explanation of reported statements in English. Do you have a better grasp on how to use it now?

Reported speech refers to something that someone else said. It contains a subject, reporting verb, and a reported cause.

Don’t forget my rules for using reported speech. Practice the correct verb tense, modal verbs, time expressions, and place references.

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• English Grammar
• Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Table of Contents

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

• The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
• You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.

• You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
• Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

• Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
• Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
• Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

• Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
• Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
• Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
• The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
• Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
• Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
• Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
• Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
• The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
• Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the definition of reported speech.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

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Reported speech

Changing time and place in reported speech

Time and place must often change when going from direct to reported speech (indirect speech).

In general, personal pronouns change to the third person singular or plural, except when the speaker reports his own words: I/me/my/mine, you/your/yours = him/his/her/hers we/us/our/ours, you/your/yours = they/their/theirs

He said: "I like your new car." = He told her that he liked her new car. I said: "I'm going to my friend's house." = I said that I was going to my friend's house.

If we are in the same place when we report something, then we do not need to make any changes to  place words . But if we are in a different place when we report something, then we need to change the place words. Look at these example sentences:

• He said: "It is cold in  here ." → He said that it was cold in  there .
• He said: "How much is  this book ?" → He asked how much  the book was.

Here are some common place words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

Course Curriculum

• Direct and indirect speech 15 mins
• Tense changes in reported speech 20 mins
• Changing time and place in reported speech 20 mins
• Reported questions 20 mins
• Reporting verbs 20 mins
• Reporting orders and requests 15 mins
• Reporting hopes, intentions and promises 20 mins

100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of communicating what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. For example, if your friend said, “ I am going to the store ,” in reported speech, you might convey this as, “ My friend said he was going to the store. ” Reported speech is common in both spoken and written language, especially in storytelling, news reporting, and everyday conversations.

Reported Speech: Changing Pronouns

Pronouns are usually changed to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech. For example, “I” in direct speech may become “he” or “she” in reported speech, depending on the context. Here are some example sentences:

Reported Speech: Reporting Verbs

Reported speech: tense shifts.

When converting direct speech into reported speech, the verb tense is often shifted back one step in time. This is known as the “backshift” of tenses. It’s essential to adjust the tense to reflect the time elapsed between the original speech and the reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how different tenses in direct speech are transformed in reported speech:

Reported Speech: Changing Time and Place References

Reported speech: question format.

When converting questions from direct speech into reported speech, the format changes significantly. Unlike statements, questions require rephrasing into a statement format and often involve the use of introductory verbs like ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’. Here are some examples to demonstrate how questions in direct speech are converted into statements in reported speech:

Reported Speech: Omitting Quotation Marks

Reported speech quiz.

Time and Place in Reported Speech

When we report something, we may need to make changes to:

• time (now, tomorrow)
• place (here, this room)

If we report something around the same time, then we probably do not need to make any changes to time words . But if we report something at a different time, we need to change time words. Look at these example sentences:

• He said: "It was hot yesterday ." → He said that it had been hot the day before .
• He said: "We are going to swim tomorrow ." → He said they were going to swim the next day .

Here is a list of common time words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

Place words

If we are in the same place when we report something, then we do not need to make any changes to place words . But if we are in a different place when we report something, then we need to change the place words. Look at these example sentences:

• He said: "It is cold in here ." → He said that it was cold in there .
• He said: "How much is this book ?" → He asked how much the book was.

Here are some common place words, showing how you change them for reported speech:

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )

The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )

He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

Reporting wh -questions

Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who , whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )

He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )

She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When , where , why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :

I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Questions: wh- questions

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )

We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )

He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )

The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .

Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?

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“Would” in a reported statement

I am teaching some students changing original quotes into reported speech. Well, one of my students asked how the following quote can be changed into reported speech:

I would like to swim.

From my understanding, "would like to" simply means "want to". So, the whole sentence is a "present tense", am I right?

So, to change it to 'reported speech', is it:

You Bi said she wanted to swim .

Is the above grammatically correct?

• grammaticality
• modal-verbs
• indirect-speech

• Yes, your change is grammatically correct. "I would like to swim" (我想要游泳) is a polite way of saying "I want to swim" (我要游泳). –  user21497 Commented Jan 13, 2013 at 6:39

4 Answers 4

The expression does convey a sense of want, but it can take on several nuances, depending on the context. For example:

"What do you want to do today?" "I would like to swim."

sounds like a conversation between two friends, trying to schedule the day's activities. However:

"Did you see Michael Phelps win that race yesterday?" "Yes – I would like to swim like that."

conveys a longing for an ability to swim competitively, not necessarily a desire to go swimming that day.

As Barrie said in his answer, sometimes I would like to sounds more polite and less demanding than I want to . I also think it's more likely to be used in the realm of the hypothetical, like in the second conversation above. I think if the speaker was talking about concrete plans, instead of hopes and dreams, the expression I want to might be more likely to be used:

"I saw you at the pool yesterday." "Yes, I've been training hard. I want to swim in the state finals next year."

In that case, using want to instead of would like to shows more resolve and determination.

Although these expressions are almost interchangeable in what they mean fundamentally, the subtle nuances can be complex. Even which word that gets stressed can cause a slight shift in meaning:

For example:

"I would like to swim in the finals next year."

seems to convey a different kind of hope than:

Getting back to your question, though, there's nothing grammatically wrong with the sentence you asked about.

• +1 for exapanding my sketchy answer. There's always a difficulty in answering questions like this, because so much depends on factors beyond the content of the question itself. –  Barrie England Commented Jan 13, 2013 at 12:56

This is correct:

“You Bi would like to swim.” = “You Bi wants to swim.” → “You Bi said she wanted to swim.”

You can also use would unchanged:

“I would like to swim.” → “You Bi said she would like to swim.”

Here, you can analyse would as conditional—if You Bi went swimming, she would like it. Would is also (morphologically) the past form of will , so it doesn’t need to change tense for reported speech.

I would like and I want are different ways of expressing volition. For that reason, it would be inaccurate to report I would like to swim as She said she wanted to swim . It has to be She said she would like to swim.

This use of would is sometimes described as having ‘unreal meaning’, but in cases such as this it is perhaps better seen as expressing a degree of tentativeness. The speaker doesn’t want to express her wishes forcefully, and the more polite form I would like , as opposed to I want , allows her to avoid doing so.

A better choice is to use the verb as it is:

"You Bi said she would like to swim."

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Dialogue Reporting Examples

Read the following examples and find out how the utterance of the speaker is reported.

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Changes in Indirect Speech

Welcome to a comprehensive tutorial providing guidance on the proper use, types, and rules of indirect speech in English grammar. Indirect speech, also called reported speech, allows us to share another person’s exact words without using quotes. It is particularly useful in written language. This tutorial aims to brief you about the changes that occur when switching from direct speech to indirect speech. It further explains the necessary rules which must be followed during this transition.

Table of Contents

Understanding Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct speech refers to the exact wording that someone uses when performing an act of speech. However, indirect speech implicitly shares the content of the person’s original words.

Direct Speech: He said, “I am hungry.” Indirect Speech: He said that he was hungry.

Notably, an essential component of indirect speech is the change in verb tense. In the direct speech example, the speaker uses the present tense “am.” In the indirect version, even though the speaker is still hungry, the tense changes to the past “was.”

Changes in Verb Tenses

The verb tense in indirect speech is one step back in time from the tense in the direct speech. Here are the common changes:

• Present Simple becomes Past Simple.
• Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous.
• Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect.
• Present Perfect Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous.
• Past Simple becomes Past Perfect.

Direct: He says, “I need help.” Indirect: He said he needed help.

Direct: She is saying, “I am reading a book.” Indirect: She was saying that she was reading a book.

Changes in Time and Place References

Besides the tense, word usage for place and time often changes when converting from direct to indirect speech.

• ‘Now’ changes to ‘then’.
• ‘Today’ changes to ‘that day’.
• ‘Yesterday’ turns into ‘the day before’ or ‘the previous day’.
• ‘Tomorrow’ changes to ‘the next day’ or ‘the following day’.
• ‘Last week/month/year’ switches to ‘the previous week/month/year’.
• ‘Next week/month/year’ changes to ‘the following week/month/year’.
• ‘Here’ turns into ‘there’.

Direct: He said, “I will do it tomorrow.” Indirect: He said that he would do it the next day.

Direct: She said, “I was here.”

Indirect: She said that she was there.

Changes in Modals

Modals also change when transforming direct speech into indirect speech. Here are some common changes:

• ‘Can’ changes to ‘could’.
• ‘May’ changes to ‘might’.
• ‘Will’ changes to ‘would’.
• ‘Shall’ changes to ‘should’.

Direct: She said, “I can play the piano.” Indirect: She said that she could play the piano.

Direct: He said, “I will go shopping.” Indirect: He said that he would go shopping.

Reporting Orders, Requests, and Questions

When reporting orders, requests, and questions, the structure also changes. The following is the structure:

• ‘To’ + infinitive for orders.
• Interrogative word + subject + verb for questions.
• Could/Would + subject + verb for polite requests.

Direct: He said to her, “Close the door.” Indirect: He told her to close the door.

Direct: She asked, “Where is the station?” Indirect: She asked where the station was.

In conclusion, reported speech becomes easier to understand and use effectively with practice. Understanding the transition from direct to indirect speech is vital to expressing yourself accurately and professionally, especially in written English. This guide provides the foundational information for mastering the changes in indirect speech. Practice these rules to become more fluent and confident in your English communication skills.

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Money blog: Most expensive place to live in the world revealed - and it's not London or New York

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Leave a comment on any of the stories we're covering below.

Thursday 8 August 2024 16:33, UK

• Most expensive place to live in the world revealed
• US has '45% chance of recession' as markets wobble
• Pension schemes to be rated red, amber or green
• Top fixed rate bonds and ISAs on the market
• 'Game on' in mortgage market as major bank cuts rates below 4%

Essential reads

• The rise of 'doom spending' - what it is and how to stop
• Will 'the greatest chocolate bar ever' return? We asked Cadbury's...
• Cheap Eats: Where you've (probably) been going wrong with green curry
• Is equity release ever a good idea?
• Aldi's new copycat is much cheaper but what do nutritionists think?
• Where kids can eat for free or cheap
• Basically... Wills
• Best of the Money blog - an archive of features

Ask a question or make a comment

Are you struggling with rent? Has your landlord recently increased it?

Alternatively, have you ever lived in a rent-controlled home?

We want to hear from you. Contact [email protected] or contact us on Whatsapp here.

April Mortgages has announced it is cutting interest rates on its range of fixed rate mortgages.

Rates across the mortgage lender's range of five, 10 and 15-year fixed rate mortgages have been cut by up to 0.10 basis points. 

As a result, rates start at 4.80% for the five-year fix, at 4.85% for the 10-year fix and at 4.95% for the 15-year fixed rate product.

James Pagan, director of product and portfolio management at April Mortgages, said the lender was "determined to bring true peace of mind to the nation's mortgage borrowers and brokers", and these "rate reductions make the prospect of securing a longer-term fixed rate even more attractive".

He said: "We know that these products can make a real difference to borrowers, and are committed to reaching as many as possible by working closely with brokers."

Simon Bridland, director at the mortgage broker Release Freedom, told Newspage  the new rates were "sure to whet the appetite for those considering a new deal". 

"These really are worthy of strong consideration now," he said.

"The security of a longer term deal certainly isn't for everyone, especially those used to being offered the standard two to five year terms with the ability to regularly shop around. But perhaps they should take a look at April, given the flexibility they have on redemption penalties."

April Mortgages is a UK subsidiary of the Dutch asset manager DMFCO.

Deliveroo has made its first ever profit of £1m over the first half of this year.

The food delivery app was launched in 2013 - meaning it has gone more than 10 years without making a profit. 

The company said it had seen encouraging signs in terms of consumer behaviour as food price rises continued to ease.

It posted a profit of £1.3m for the first half of the year, swinging from a loss of £82.9m this time last year.

The number of orders placed over the period increased by 2% to a total of 147 million.

Gross transaction value per order - which means the average cost of people's food baskets plus delivery fees - was £25, up from £24.20 the prior year.

This was primarily driven by higher item prices, which are set by restaurants and shops, even though the rate that prices are rising continues to slow.

In the UK and Ireland, total spending jumped by 7% at constant currency, partly driven by customers placing orders more frequently.

Deliveroo said it benefited from new restaurants on the platform, such as Pizza Pilgrims and Wingstop, as well as more grocery options and brands such as Ann Summers and B&Q selling products through the app.

Walkers and Heinz have launched three new crisp flavours.

The crisps - Sausage Sarnie and Heinz Ketchup, Roast Chicken and Heinz Mayo, and Cheese Toastie with Heinz Beans - are inspired by classic sandwiches.

The limited-edition snacks are available at supermarkets from today in both 45g grab bags for £1 each and multipacks of five 25g bags for £1.65.

Ocado has started selling products in refillable packaging as part of a trial.

The new initiative sees products such as pasta, rice and washing liquid placed in reusable containers when customers purchase products online.

The empty containers are then returned to drivers when another order is made and then washed and refilled for a new customer.

It will come at no extra cost to shoppers.

Simon Hinks, product director at Ocado retail, told Retail Gazette : "Our customers are already used to giving their bags back to our drivers for recycling – so this is a really sensible next step for us to help our customers reduce single-use plastic on products they buy frequently."

Octopus Energy will extend an energy bills support scheme for pensioners after the government removed winter fuel payments for millions of elderly people.

The energy supplier said it will continue its £30m assistance fund into this winter, and that pensioners who do not meet the new criteria for receiving state support will be eligible.

Labour said in July it is changing the rules around the government's winter fuel payments scheme so that it will no longer be universal for all pensioners in England and Wales.

Now, only pensioners on means-tested benefits will qualify for the help, which is estimated to take the payments away from about 10 million people.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said making the scheme more targeted was a "difficult decision". 

You can read about the changes to the winter fuel payments here...

The British airline has said it is dropping its daily flight to Beijing. 

The flight has been removed from its schedule from 27 October, and the airline told Sky News it is "pausing" its route to the Chinese city. 

"We're contacting any affected customers with rebooking options or to offer them a full refund. We continue to operate daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong," it said. 

It did not say why the suspension was being put in place. 

British Airways had been operating four weekly flights to Beijing's new Daxing airport on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Customers will still be able to purchase China Southern flights to Beijing on the British Airways website due to an existing joint business agreement. 

The news comes weeks after Virgin Atlantic scrapped its UK flights to Shanghai, saying it was a "commercial decision" due to "significant challenges and complexities on this route".

Flight times to some Asian countries in particular are taking much longer due to having to avoid Russian airspace during its invasion of Ukraine, and it's thought this could be partly behind the decision.

Geneva is the most expensive city to live in, according to new data. 

Internet database Numbeo found in its cost of living index , which it publishes every six months, that the Swiss city had the highest overall cost of living score.

In second place was the Swiss city of Zurich while New York came in at third.

Perhaps surprisingly for anyone who lives in London, the capital city was not featured in the top 10 (it came in 13th).

As for other UK cities, Edinburgh came in 30th - just above Amsterdam - while Manchester and Glasgow were 53rd and 54th.

US cities made up much of the top of the list. 

The database company looked at factors such as the cost of groceries, eating in restaurants, rental costs and how far local currency goes to formulate its results.

Where are the 10 most expensive cities in the world?

3. New York

4. San Francisco

6. Reykjavik

7. Washington DC

9. Los Angeles

10. Chicago

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

The Footsie is down again this morning as stock markets wobble over the state of the US economy - with JP Morgan predicting there is a 45% chance of a recession there next year.

The finance giant also upped its forecast for the chances of one happening this year in the world's largest economy to 35%.

Markets around the world had been gradually recovering in recent days following Monday's sharp falls, but the situation appears to be on the downward trend again on Thursday.

Asian markets also slumped earlier, with Japan's Nikkei 225 Index - which was among the biggest losers on Monday - down 0.7% at the close.

This morning the FTSE 100 is down more than 1%, while the FTSE 250 has fallen 1.4%.

The top gainer is insurance company Beazley, which is up more than 14% after it upgraded its outlook for the year.

The firm, which commands almost a tenth of the global cyber insurance market, also reported a doubling of its pre-tax profits for the first half of 2024.

Another riser is Ladbrokes owner Entain, which has gained 7.5%. 

It comes after the gambling firm, which also owns Coral, upped its annual forecast after receiving a boost from betting on the Euros and Premier League.

The worst-performing companies on the index on Thursday include manufacturing firm Spirax Group, which has slipped 9%, and BT Group, which has fallen 5%.

However, in contrast to the stock market, the price of oil is continuing to recover this week.

A barrel of the benchmark Brent crude is currently priced at $78 (£61), up from $76.5 (£60) this time yesterday.

On the currency markets, £1 buys $1.27 US or €1.16 this morning, similar to Wednesday's rates.

By Jess Sharp , Money reporter

Whether it's global warming, an impending economic disaster or the idea of never owning a home, young people are worrying about the future - and are "doom spending" to cope. 

If you haven't heard of the term, here's a quick explanation:

Doom spending is basically spending money on short term, instant enjoyment, rather than saving it for the future, to cope with economic stress and worries. 

It could be described as Gen Z's version of retail therapy. 

To demonstrate that, here's a TikTok as an example...

A recent study by Credit Karma found 43% of millennials and 35% of Gen Zs doom spend to make themselves feel better. 

Fuelled by social media, the trend has almost become the norm, with many young people taking to TikTok to complain about the state of their financial futures. 

One viral video created by Maria Melchor, also known as @firstgenliving, has been viewed more than 1.7 million times. 

In the clip, she says: "We can't afford anything else. Homeownership or starting a family is so out of reach that we are using that down payment or kid money on whatever it is that we can afford that will bring us the semblance of the kind of adulthood we were promised."

Thousands of videos have been posted online, with people sharing their experiences of doom spending, advising others how to avoid it, or branding the idea as stupid. 

Louise Hill, the chief executive and co-founder of Go Henry, said young people were often influenced to buy things they don't need as they're continually exposed to new products online. 

She pointed out the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend, where users show off recent items they have bought online, as an example. 

More than 8.4 million videos using the hashtag have been posted on TikTok. 

"A lack of financial education can heighten this behaviour, as people lack key money management skills and the ability to differentiate between their needs and wants," Ms Hill told the Money team.

"For young people, the ongoing cost of living crisis, student loan debt, and feeling like they won't ever be able to afford milestone purchases like a house can push them towards doom spending. 

"Social media can pile on the purchase pressure too, especially if they see influencers or friends showcasing their latest buys online." 

While doom spending might seem like a harmless habit, it can lead to a cycle of struggling to save and financial trouble if people start borrowing money to pay for it. 

Ms Hill warned the situation can become more "difficult" if people turn to buy now, pay later plans to fund it.

"Spending excessively now could also make it hard to save up for those important milestone purchases. Understanding the difference between needs and wants is crucial, as it helps prioritise spending on essential items and reduces unnecessary expenses," she said. 

She advised people to create a savings goal and work towards it when they want to buy something new, instead of purchasing it straight away. 

"By the time you've saved enough for it, think about whether you still really want it. This is a good way to practice mindful spending and move away from always seeking instant gratification. 

"All kids and teens need to understand how money and spending is linked to their self-esteem. You can't buy a lifestyle, and you won't feel better about the future by spending too much now.

"With small steps like these, young people will have the confidence to save for a range of goals, say no to peer pressure, and find better ways to cope when they feel down." 

For Savings Guide this week, Savings Champion   co-founder Anna Bowes looks at the best fixed rate bonds and ISAs.

The base rate cut that we've been expecting has finally happened, great news for borrowers, but not for savers. 

And unfortunately, some providers have been lightning fast with cutting their rates.

Although those with one-year accounts maturing at the moment may find that the rates they can achieve now have fallen a little from a high point 12 months ago, the top fixed-term bond and ISA rates have been pretty stable for a few months now, whilst the market paused waiting for the base rate cut.

However, they are now starting to fall again! 

You'd expect to see this with variable rate accounts, but even new issues of fixed-term accounts, which should have already anticipated a base rate cut and be priced accordingly, are falling too. 

As more cuts are expected, both to the Bank of England base rate and therefore bank and building societies account rates, now really is the time to lock away some of your cash if you can, even in the lower paying longer-term accounts. 

This could help protect against more cuts – helping your cash earn more for longer.  

A new traffic light-style rating system for workplace pension schemes is set to be introduced.

The aim would be to reduce the number of savers sitting in poor-value pensions, as schemes would be publicly rated red, amber or green.

The Financial Conduct Authority, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Pensions Regulator aim to put the joint framework in place for workplace defined contribution schemes.

Under the plans, schemes will be compared on public metrics that demonstrate value - not just costs and charges, but also investment performance, and service quality.

Poor performing schemes would have to improve or ultimately protect savers by transferring them to better schemes. 

Sixteen million people save for their retirement into defined contribution pension schemes. 

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Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco Delivers Remarks at the 2024 American Bar Association General Assembly

Chicago , IL United States

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, Mary, for that generous introduction, for your leadership, and for the opportunity to speak today.

I’m especially honored to be here as the ABA holds its first-ever Democracy Summit.  

By making the Summit the centerpiece of its Annual Meeting — and by convening a distinguished set of leaders on the Task Force for American Democracy — the ABA is leading the way at a critical time for our nation.

I want to thank the Task Force for reminding us that we all have a responsibility — and an obligation – as lawyers and as citizens to preserve our democratic institutions, to defend the Constitution, uphold the rule of law, and build trust in our election system.

This work comes at a crucial moment – at a time when our democracy is facing a test of its mettle — by threats of violence, foreign influence, and false information fueled by AI. 

But we have confronted challenging periods before and persevered.

Indeed, the Justice Department was founded during Reconstruction — an inflection point in the progress of our country — with a mandate to protect the civil rights of Black Americans, and to combat the white supremacists who sought to disenfranchise them.

Yet today, the Justice Department’s mission remains — to uphold the rule of law, keep our communities safe, and protect civil rights.

And there is nothing more important to that mission than defending democracy.

Our republic depends on the operation of a free and fair electoral process — with results that are respected and with elections that are free from violence and free from foreign interference.

So, I’d like to continue the conversation from today’s Summit about our role — and our collective work — to protect our democracy. 

This year, more than four billion people around the world will have the opportunity to vote — in democracies of every shape and size.

But as we prepare to cast ballots here in America, our own democracy is being tested — including by an increasingly polarized political landscape and an alarming increase in threats of violence to public officials.

As Deputy Attorney General, I see this play out across the nation nearly every day.

I receive daily urgent reports — reports that come in from the field, from our 94 U.S. Attorneys across the country.

And over the past few years, the frequency of reports involving threats of violence has skyrocketed.

On a weekly basis — and often multiple times in a week — I get reports about violent threats to public officials, prosecutors, law enforcement agents, judges, and election workers.

This was brought into stark and disturbing relief three weeks ago with the horrific attempted assassination of the former President.

While the gunman’s motive is still not clear — and the FBI’s exhaustive investigation is ongoing — make no mistake: this attack on the former President at a campaign event was a direct attack on our democracy.

Political violence has no place in this country – not then, not now, not ever.

We must reject such violence in the strongest possible terms, regardless of purpose or party.

At the Justice Department, we do this by faithfully applying the rule of law, without fear or favor — and by protecting the public from all threats, foreign and domestic.

The threats we face are constant — and constantly evolving: from cyber and terrorism threats, to foreign interference with elections, and now, to a disturbing rise in violence and threats of violence aimed at public officials — including election workers.

Today, these threats are being supercharged by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

The bottom line is that threats to our elections pose a clear and present danger.

Our biggest challenges often require a whole-of-government response.

But this challenge – the threat to our elections and our democratic institutions – requires a whole-of-nation response.

It will take all of our efforts to protect our elections and secure our democracy.

Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to foreign malign influence.

Foreign malign influence is not a new problem — but today’s complex geopolitical environment, and the anonymity and access our interconnected world offers, change the nature of the threat and how we must address it.

We know that the goal of malign foreign actors is to sow discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions and values — and in some instances, to covertly influence our elections.

These malign foreign influence operations can take many forms — false personas, fabricated and divisive narratives, and synthetic content disseminated through technology like deepfakes.

And these threats are coming from an increasingly diverse, growing, and more capable group of foreign actors who are and will continue trying to influence our elections in November.

One of our most important tasks is to expose and build resilience against these efforts.

We are less than 100 days out from Election Day, and the Intelligence Community has made clear that Russia remains the predominant foreign threat to our elections.

Putin and his proxies are using increasingly sophisticated techniques in their interference operations.

They’re targeting specific voter demographics and swing-state voters in an effort to manipulate presidential and congressional election outcomes.

They’re intent on co-opting unwitting Americans on social media to push narratives advancing Russian interests.

They’re working to diminish American support for Ukraine.

And they’re always adapting.

As the Intelligence Community recently shared, Russia is trying to reach U.S. audiences through encrypted direct-messaging apps – moving out of public channels and into private ones, to better conceal the Kremlin’s intentions and enhance its targeting of U.S. voters.

We know from recent intelligence that Iran is also accelerating its efforts.

Relying on vast webs of online personas and propaganda, Iranian government actors are using the Israel-Gaza conflict as kerosene to fuel tensions on social media – with some even creating accounts posing as activists and calling for protests.

I want to be clear: Tehran is working to influence the presidential election.

China looms large as well. Intelligence shows that PRC influence actors are using social media to portray democracies as chaotic and to sow division in the United States.

The PRC hopes to expand its ability to collect and monitor Americans’ data on our social media platforms, to better understand – and eventually manipulate – public opinion.

Unfortunately, foreign actors who seek to exploit our internal divisions have a lot to work with.

And in our increasingly polarized environment, social media is the perfect Petri dish for bad guys to spawn division and discord, misuse advanced technology like AI, and threaten our elections.

We are working tirelessly to confront these adversaries and combat foreign malign influence.

Through the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, we are identifying and counteracting foreign operations that target our democratic institutions, with a specific focus on our elections.

Now, foreign malign influence takes root and spreads across online platforms that are tremendous sources of free speech and creativity.

As we counter those who seek to exploit this space and undermine our democracy, we must preserve that freedom.

Part of our strategy involves sharing threat information with companies that operate social media platforms, so that these companies may take their own independent actions to mitigate those threats.

That includes sharing information about specific accounts on their platforms involved in foreign malign influence activity.

Our focus is on the foreign actors behind the accounts, exposing their hidden hand.   

As the FBI makes clear when sharing such information, it’s entirely up to companies what they do in response to these threats on their platforms.

But throughout this process, we are steadfast in our commitment: we will provide companies with actionable intelligence so they can make decisions regarding abuse of their platforms by adversaries conducting foreign malign influence operations, including ones targeting our elections.

And while our adversaries try to hide their hand – we show our work.

Because we recognize that transparency about how we conduct this work is as important as the work itself — including how we do so while protecting First Amendment rights.

That’s why, this week — for the first time — we made public a description of our procedures for sharing foreign malign influence threat information with tech companies, which the FBI implemented earlier this year.

As we carry out this work, we will continue to keep the public updated not only about why we are doing it, but also how.

To strengthen our democracy, we must keep improving our transparency.

Because in today’s world no matter how well intentioned, closed processes and unknown procedures breed cynicism and distrust.

But foreign influence isn’t the only threat we face. Other dangers originate closer to home.

As I said before, violent threats toward public officials are on the rise.

These include threats against those who protect our ability to exercise our most sacred right — the right to vote.

Over the last two years, the Justice Department has prosecuted nearly 700 threats cases. I can tell you that more than half of those threats — about 400 — have targeted federal and state public officials, judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and election workers.

These threats are unacceptable. No one should endure threats of violence simply for doing their job.

For the right to vote to be real for every American, election officials— who are often volunteers — must be able to do their jobs free from improper influence, physical threats, or any other conduct designed to intimidate.

So we are deploying every resource to ensure that all those involved in the democratic process – including election officials and poll workers — remain safe, and that the right to vote is available to all eligible voters.

We investigate threats without regard to the victim’s political views or party affiliation.

And in the past several years, we have prosecuted multiple threats against both Republican and Democratic members of Congress.

This work is carried out by career prosecutors and FBI agents across the country, who are dedicated to investigating election crimes.

Together, they work hand in glove with state and local law enforcement to receive reports of threats and other crimes — and to address them.

To bolster those efforts, we established an Election Threats Task Force – to investigate and prosecute the growing threats to our election process and to the public servants who secure it.

After all, these are the people who ensure we can exercise our most fundamental right — the right to vote — the right that secures all the other rights.

Just last week, an Alabama man pleaded guilty to sending death threats via Instagram to election workers in Maricopa County, Arizona.

And we will not hesitate to bring more of these cases when supported by the facts and the law.

Because a threat to any election official, worker, or volunteer is, at bottom, a threat to democracy.

Perhaps the most disruptive and novel threat to our democratic process comes from the misuse of AI.

The misuse of AI:

• To embolden those threatening election workers and the integrity of our elections;
• To enable wrongdoers to hide their identity;
• To provide new avenues to misinform and threaten voters through deepfakes that contain altered video or cloned audio; and 
• To foster new methods to recruit and radicalize, with incendiary social media content and online harassment and hate.

So we are using all our authorities to make clear that we will not tolerate the misuse of AI to execute and enhance violent threats and voter intimidation.

That’s why just last week, in a statement of interest filed by the Civil Rights Division, we stood up for the principle that voter intimidation must be stopped — whether in person or via AI-generated robocalls.

That’s why three weeks ago, in a first-of-its-kind operation, our agents and prosecutors disrupted nearly one thousand social media accounts used by Russian actors and an AI-enhanced bot farm to spread disinformation andfuel division among Americans.

These are just the latest examples of our commitment to crack down on misuse of AI.

Because every eligible voter has the right to cast a ballot free of coercion, or intimidation, no matter how high-tech.

Now, this work to protect our democracy is not something any of us can do on our own.

As the Task Force on American Democracy and today’s Summit make clear — we need to tackle big challenges together.

The influence of foreign malign actors on elections, threats against public servants, and the misuse of advanced technology all feed on what today’s Summit powerfully describes as the contempt in our discourse.

Disagreement and debate are essential for a healthy democracy. But those disagreements and debates must not push us toward violence – they should align us in common cause.

In 1861, a lawyer from Illinois known for his stovepipe hat urged his fellow citizens to be touched by the “better angels of our nature.”

As threats to our elections converge around us, now is the moment for all of us to step up and to show those better angels at work.

The future of democracy may depend on it.

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'Babbling' and 'hoarse': Biden's debate performance sends Democrats into a panic

ATLANTA — President Joe Biden was supposed to put the nation’s mind at ease over his physical and mental capacity with his debate showing Thursday night. 

But from the onset of the debate, Biden, 81, seemingly struggled even to talk, mostly summoning a weak, raspy voice. In the opening minutes, he repeatedly tripped over his words, misspoke and lost his train of thought.  

In one of the most notable moments, Biden ended a rambling statement that lacked focus by saying, “We finally beat Medicare,” before moderators cut him off and transitioned back to former President Donald Trump. 

While Biden warmed up and gained more of a rhythm as the debate progressed, he struggled to land a punch against Trump, much less fact-check everything Trump said as he unleashed a torrent of bad information.

Trump also pounced on Biden, saying at one point that he didn’t understand what Biden had just said with regard to the border. 

“I don’t know if he knows what he said, either,” Trump said.   

Nearly an hour into the debate, a Biden aide and others familiar with his situation offered up an explanation for his hoarseness: He has a cold.

But there were problems aside from the shakiness of Biden's voice. When he wasn't talking, he often stared off into the distance. Trump frequently steamrolled over Biden, accusing him of being a criminal and of peddling misinformation — many times without a response from Biden, though he did fire back with a handful of one-liners throughout.

The Biden campaign acknowledged that the debate would be a critical moment in the election, with officials hoping it could shake up the race to his benefit. Most polls have found the race to be neck and neck, with razor-thin margins that have moved negligibly for months, even after a New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts . 

Questions about Biden’s age and frailty have dragged down his polling numbers for months. The public concerns are exacerbated by deceptively edited videos , some of which have gone viral, that cut off relevant parts of an event, making it appear as if Biden is wandering or confused. This was Biden’s first opportunity since the State of the Union speech to dispel that narrative. 

Instead of a new beginning, many Democrats saw it as a moment for panic. 

“Democrats just committed collective suicide,” said a party strategist who has worked on presidential campaigns. “Biden sounds hoarse, looks tired and is babbling. He is reaffirming everything voters already perceived. President Biden can’t win. This debate is a nail in the political coffin.” 

“It’s hard to argue that we shouldn’t nominate someone else,” a Democratic consultant who works on down-ballot races said. 

Biden did ramp up as the debate progressed. 

“Only one of us is a convicted felon, and I’m looking at him,” Biden said to Trump. That was one moment that tested particularly well in the Biden campaign's internal real-time polling at the time of the debate, according to a person familiar with the polling. 

An aide said that it was “not an ideal start” for Biden at the beginning of the debate but that there was “no mass panic” at the campaign headquarters in Delaware.

The muting of the candidates' microphones at the debate, a stipulation both campaigns agreed to before the debate, added a new dimension to the faceoff. The first Biden-Trump match-up in 2020 was marked by repeated interruptions by Trump, leading to moments of frustration for Biden.

“Will you shut up, man?” Biden complained at that first Cleveland debate. 

Reaction pours in

“I’m thinking the Democrats are thinking about who the Barry Goldwater is who can walk in tomorrow and tell the president he needs to step aside,” said Ben Proto, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party.

In 1974, after key Watergate tapes were made public, Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., went to see President Richard Nixon alongside other prominent lawmakers, telling Nixon that he would be convicted by the Senate and that he should step aside — which he did.

Biden’s campaign defended his performance, saying he offered a “positive and winning vision” for America.

“On the other side of the stage was Donald Trump, who offered a dark and backwards window into what America will look like if he steps foot back in the White House: a country where women are forced to beg for the health care they need to stay alive. A country that puts the interests of billionaires over working people,” Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement. “And a former president who not once, not twice, but three times, failed to promise he would accept the results of a free and fair election this November.”

Some Democrats also defended Biden presidency more broadly after the debate, pointing to his policies over Trump's.

"One thing this debate won’t change is Trump’s base instinct to sell out anyone to make a quick buck or put his own image on a steak, golf course or even the Holy Bible," said Brandon Weathersby, a spokesman with the pro-Biden American Bridge 21st Century super PAC. "Trump puts himself first every time, and that won’t change if he becomes president again."

Trump, meanwhile, has fended off his own questions over whether he’s diminished by age, including his struggles to stay on topic and his meandering when he’s speaking . Biden has posited that Trump “snapped” after his 2020 election loss and is unstable, which he aired again Thursday night.

Trump often gave his typical rambling responses and seemed at times to make up factoids and figures.

“During my four years, I had the best environmental numbers ever, and my top environmental people gave me that statistic just before I walked on the stage, actually,” Trump said.

Trump also said he would lower insulin prices for seniors, but it was Biden who signed legislation in 2022 that lowered out-of-pocket costs for people on Medicare to $35 a month and covered all insulin products. 

Setting the stage for the fall

The first debate during the 2020 election cycle was in early September, meaning the first 2024 general election debate was significantly earlier than usual — more than two months ahead of Labor Day, which is often seen as the point when most voters start to pay attention to presidential contests.

“Debates move numbers,” said Matt Gorman, a longtime Republican strategist who worked for presidential campaign of Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. “And with this so early — and the next one not until September — you’re stuck with the narrative for four long months.

“And one and the other’s performance will set the tone for the next one,” he added.

For months, Trump’s team has been hammering Biden’s mental acuity, a strategy that is at odds with how campaigns generally handle the lead-up to debates, when they try to build up opponents as deft debaters to set expectations.

The expectations for Biden were low, and by almost all estimates he was unable to clear them.

“Biden just had to beat himself; unfortunately the stumbling and diminished Joe Biden the world has come to know made Trump look competent and energetic,” said a former Trump campaign official who isn’t working for his campaign this year. “I expect there will be some loud calls from Democrats for a change on the top of the ticket.”

“The floor for Biden was so low,” the person added. “After Biden’s debate performance, it seems the floor is 6 feet under.”

The 90-minute debate hit on a wide variety of topics, but many of the most dominant themes were centered on those that have been most prominent on the campaign trail over the past few months.

Trump hit Biden on two big policy fights that have stubbornly dogged his campaign: immigration and inflation. 

Since Biden took office, 15 million jobs have been created and the unemployment rate sits at a relatively low 4%, but prices for consumer goods have remained high, and they provided a consistent line of attack from the Trump campaign and Republicans more broadly.

In one heated exchange, Trump point-blank said “he caused the inflation.” Biden said in response there was less inflation under Trump because he tanked the economy. 

“There was no inflation when I came into office,” Biden said before that rejoinder — a quote Republicans quickly used as evidence that all of the current price hikes happened on Biden’s watch.

Trump continued to attack Biden over his border policies, which his campaign has used as one of its biggest lines of attack throughout the campaign. That often including amplifying each time an undocumented migrant commits a crime even though the data doesn’t support the idea of a migrant crime wave .

“ We have a border that is the most dangerous place anywhere in the world,” Trump said.

Earlier this year, Trump used his influence over congressional Republicans to block a bipartisan border deal that Biden supported.

Biden also tried to land a punch about Jan. 6, trying to build on the oft-discussed idea that Trump’s returning to the White House would be a threat to democracy.

“He encouraged those folks to go up to Capitol Hill,” Biden said. “He sat there for three hours being begged by his vice president and many colleagues on the Republican side to do something.”

Trump deflected, arguing the Biden should be “ashamed” for arresting those who participated in the attempted insurrection. 

Natasha Korecki is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.

Matt Dixon is a senior national politics reporter for NBC News, based in Florida.

Jonathan Allen is a senior national politics reporter for NBC News.