Why pronouns change at all
In reported speech, the speaker and listener may change, or you may report your own words. The pronouns I, you, we, my, your, and our show roles in the current conversation: who is speaking, who is being addressed, and which group someone belongs to.
When a conversation is passed on, the roles change, but the real people do not. Therefore, you need to choose the pronoun again so that it still refers to the same person, but now from the perspective of the new speaker and the new listener.
Ivan says, "I live in Kyiv."
Ivan says, "I live in Kyiv."
“I” here means Ivan himself; it is his own point of view about himself.
Later, a colleague reports: Ivan said he lived in Kyiv.
Later, a colleague reports: Ivan said he lived in Kyiv.
The same fact about Ivan is now reported from the narrator’s point of view, so “I” became “he”—the person did not change; only the speaker’s position changed.
The main rule: follow the person, not the word
The most common mistake is to learn this rule as a mechanical replacement: “I always becomes he.” That is incorrect: the result depends on WHO is speaking now and WHO is listening, not on the word “I” itself.
Before choosing a pronoun, it is useful to answer three questions mentally: who actually said these words, who were they said to, and which of these two people is now reporting the story? Only then does it become clear which word will preserve the same meaning.
the same person → pronoun according to their current role: I / you / he / she / they and the corresponding possessive form
- pronoun —
- A word used instead of naming a person or thing: I, you, she, it, they.
"I finished my homework," said Petro.
“I finished my homework,” said Petro.
The author of these words is Petro, and he was referring to himself.
Petro said he had finished his homework.
Petro said he had finished his homework.
“He”/“his” still refer to Petro: the person is the same; only the perspective of the report has changed.
Subject: I, we → he, she, they
If the author of the words is neither the current speaker nor the listener, their I may become he, she, or they in reported speech. If you are addressing the author directly, you may use you: You said you were tired.
We refers to a group that includes the author of the original statement. If the new narrator belongs to the same group, we may remain; if not, they is often needed. It is important to preserve the group’s membership, not merely replace the word.
"We are painting the fence today," said the neighbours.
“We are painting the fence today,” said the neighbours.
We refers to the neighbours who are painting the fence; the new narrator in the report does not belong to their group.
The neighbours said they were painting the fence that day.
The neighbours said they were painting the fence that day.
“They” refers specifically to the neighbours—for someone who is not part of that group.
Object and possessive adjective: me/you/us, my/your/our
The same principle of tracking the person works for an object pronoun (the person who received something or was asked for something) and for a possessive adjective (who an object belongs to). This is not a separate topic, but the same decisions in a different grammatical role.
Learners often correct the subject but forget the object or possessive pronoun in the same sentence—and that is exactly where the mistake is hidden.
me / my → the appropriate pronoun and possessive form for the same person in the new conversation
- pronoun —
- A word used instead of naming a person or thing: I, you, she, it, they.
"Please send me the file," Katya asked.
“Please send me the file,” Katya asked.
“Me” here means Katya herself, not the person who is now reporting the request.
Katya asked me to send her the file.
Katya asked me to send her the file.
“Her” still refers to Katya from the point of view of the person reporting the request.
When a pronoun does NOT change
There are two typical situations in which no change is needed, and this is where learners most often make the opposite mistake: they change something that should not be changed.
First, if you are reporting your own words from yesterday about yourself, the subject remains “I,” and “my” remains “my.” The author of the words and the speaker reporting them are the same person.
If the original she/he/they still refers to a third person in the new conversation, the pronoun may remain unchanged. If that person is now speaking or is being addressed, I or you is needed.
Yesterday I said, "I'm not ready." Today I remind you: I told you I wasn't ready.
Yesterday I said, "I'm not ready." Today I remind you: I told you I wasn't ready.
“I” remains “I”—this is a report of your own words about yourself.
"She never replies quickly," said Bohdan about his sister. He still says she never replies quickly.
“She never replies quickly,” said Bohdan about his sister. He still says she never replies quickly.
In this report, the sister is still a third person, so she remains unchanged. If the speaker or listener changes, the pronoun may change.
The most difficult pronoun—you
“You” has no fixed equivalent: the result depends entirely on who the original words were addressed to and who is now telling the story.
If the original you referred to the current speaker, it becomes I or me, and your becomes my. If it refers to the current listener, you/your may remain unchanged. For a third person, choose he/she/they and the corresponding forms according to the role in the sentence.
The manager told me, "I'll review your report." Now I tell a colleague: the manager said she would review my report.
The manager told me, "I'll review your report." Now I tell a colleague: the manager said she would review my report.
“Your” referred to me, so it became “my”—I am now the one reporting the words.
The manager told Olena, "I’ll review your report." I tell a colleague: "The manager said she would review Olena’s report."
The manager told Olena, "I’ll review your report." I tell a colleague: "The manager said she would review Olena’s report."
Your meant Olena’s report. The name Olena’s removes the possible ambiguity of her between Olena and the manager.
Scope of the topic: what we are NOT practising here
This rule is responsible only for choosing the pronoun. Verb tense (backshift: is → was, will → would) and the choice between said and told belong to related rules on the same topic—they may appear in a sentence here, but they are not what is being tested.
A universal check that applies to any new sentence: ask yourself two questions—“who actually said this or did this belong to?” and “who is speaking now and who is listening?”—and choose the pronoun that answers both questions correctly in the same way.
"Our tickets are ready," said the twins to the guard, who later told his manager: the twins said their tickets were ready.
“Our tickets are ready,” said the twins to the guard, who later told his manager: the twins said their tickets were ready.
“Their” continues to refer specifically to the twins, no matter how many times this information is passed on.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Tom said, "My order has arrived." I report his words: Tom said my order had arrived.
Correct:Tom said, "My order has arrived." I report his words: Tom said his order had arrived.
“My” in Tom’s words referred to Tom’s own order. In the report, it becomes “his”; otherwise, it would mean the order of the person who is now telling the story.
Incorrect:The neighbours said, "We need to move our bins." I am not in that group. I report: The neighbours said we needed to move our bins.
Correct:The neighbours said, "We need to move our bins." I am not in that group. I report: The neighbours said they needed to move their bins.
We and our belong to the neighbours’ group, and the person reporting the words is not part of that group. Therefore, this report needs they and their.
Incorrect:Mark told me, "I’ll help you move." I report to a colleague: Mark said he would help you move.
Correct:Mark told me, "I’ll help you move." I report to a colleague: Mark said he would help me move.
You in Mark’s words refers to the person reporting the words. When that person reports them to a colleague, me is needed; you would refer to a different addressee.
Incorrect:Anna asked me, "Is it your bag?" I report to a colleague: Anna asked if it was your bag.
Correct:Anna asked me, "Is it your bag?" I report to a colleague: Anna asked if it was my bag.
Anna was speaking specifically to the person reporting the words, so your in her words becomes my: the addressee of the original question and the current narrator are the same person.
Incorrect:Nina said about Olya, "She works hard." I report: Nina said he worked hard.
Correct:Nina said about Olya, "She works hard." I report: Nina said she worked hard.
She in Nina’s direct words refers to Olya. In the given report, she preserves that reference; he would change the person being referred to.
Incorrect:I said, "I need a break." I report my own words: I said he needed a break.
Correct:I said, "I need a break." I report my own words: I said I needed a break.
The speaker is reporting their own words about their need for a break. The subject remains I; he would incorrectly change the person who needed the break.