Reported speech: She said that…

  • B1 · Intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min
  • reported statements

Reported statements: say or tell, the tense moving back (She said they were looking for someone with experience. She told me I'd hear from them soon.), and here → there, today → that day. From a voice message about a job interview to an interview the student reports a week later.

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said thattold meworked

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Listen: Dorian's voice messageListening comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find said and toldGrammar exercise
  6. 6Reported statementsGrammar rule
  7. 7said or told?Grammar exercise
  8. 8Which report is right?Grammar exercise
  9. 9The bed that never cameGrammar exercise
  10. 10Find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  11. 11Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  12. 12Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  13. 13The interview, a week laterSpeaking practice
  14. 14About youGrammar exercise
  15. 15Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: a call from RomeGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: what were the words?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the sentencesGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: you missed it!Discussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Have you had a job interview recently? How did it go?
  2. Who do you call first when you have big news?
  3. Do you remember conversations well, or do you forget them quickly?

Grammar rule

Reported statements

say or tell?

PatternExample
say (that) + what was saidHe said (that) the soup was cold.
say to + person + (that) + what was saidHe said to me (that) the soup was cold. (less common)
tell + person + (that) + what was saidHe told me (that) the soup was cold.

tell always needs the person: told me, told her, told the class. say never takes the person straight after it.

The tense moves back one step

They saidYou report
"I work nights."He said he worked nights.
"We're moving."They said they were moving.
"I've lost my keys."She said she had lost her keys.
"I missed the bus."He said he had missed the bus. (or: he missed the bus)
"I'll be late."She said she would be late.
"I can drive you."He said he could drive me.
"You must / have to wear a helmet."She said I had to wear a helmet.
"It may rain."They said it might rain.
"You should rest."She said I should rest. (should, could, might and would don't change)

Pronouns, places and times

Pronouns change to fit the speaker: "I like your hat." → She said she liked my hat. When the time or place is different now, change these words too:

here → therethis → thatnow → then
today → that daytonight → that nighttomorrow → the next day
yesterday → the day beforenext week → the next weeklast week → the week before

On the same day, in the same place, keep them: (two hours later) She said she'd call me tomorrow.

You don't always move the tense back

  • when it is still true: He said he works nights. (He still does.)
  • when you pass it on right away: "What did she say?" "She said she's on her way."
Watch out: not She said me…: say She told me… or She said to me… · not She told that…: say She said that… or She told me that… · that is optional, and a reported statement has no quotation marks.

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