Reported statements
Report what people said with say and tell, changing tenses, pronouns and time words when needed.
In this lesson you will
- Use say and tell correctly
- Backshift tenses after a past reporting verb
- Change pronouns and time/place words
Learn
say + (that) + clause: She said (that) she was tired. tell + person + (that): She told me (that) she was tired. Don’t say said me or told that.
After a past reporting verb, tenses usually move back: am/is → was; present simple → past simple; present continuous → past continuous; past simple/present perfect → past perfect; will → would; can → could.
If the information is still true, you can keep the tense: He said he lives in Rome. After a present reporting verb there’s no change: She says she’s coming.
Change pronouns and time/place words as needed: today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, here → there, this → that.
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| “I’m hungry.” | She said she was hungry. |
| “We’re leaving.” | They said they were leaving. |
| “I saw it.” | He said he had seen it. |
| “I’ll help.” | She said she would help. |
| “I can swim.” | He said he could swim. |
Examples
- He told me he had found a new job.
- They said they would call the next day.
- She said she couldn’t come to the party.
- My doctor says I need more exercise.
Vocabulary
report
tell someone what was said
mention
say briefly
explain
make something clear
admit
agree that something bad is true
claim
say something is true (without proof)
Practice
She ___ me she was busy.
Listening: What did she say?
Audio isn’t available in this browser — read the transcript instead.
Tom: Did you speak to Anna?
Mia: Yes. She said she was feeling much better.
Tom: Is she coming back to work?
Mia: She told me she would be back on Monday.
Tom: And the project?
Mia: She said she had already sent the report to the client.
1.Anna said she was feeling better.
2.When will Anna be back?
3.What did Anna say about the report?
Speaking
Think of a recent conversation (with a friend, colleague or family member). Report five things the other person said.
Writing
Report a short conversation you had this week (60–80 words) using said, told, explained and mentioned.
Lesson quiz
“I can’t come.” → She said she ___ come.
Review
Key points
- say (that) / tell + person (that).
- Backshift after past reporting verbs.
- Keep the tense if still true.
- Change pronouns and time words.
What you learned
- ✓ I can report statements.
- ✓ I know say vs tell.
- ✓ I can change tenses and time words.
Grammar reference: Reported speech