Reported Statements
Reported statements relay what someone said without quoting them directly. Tenses usually shift back one step, and pronouns and time expressions change to fit the new viewpoint.
Level B1
Clauses
Summary
- Reported statements relay what someone said without quoting them directly. Tenses usually shift back one step, and pronouns and time expressions change to fit the new viewpoint.
Structure
subject + said/told + (object) + (that) + backshifted clause
Examples
- She said (that) she was tired.
- He told me he had already eaten.
- They said they would call the next day.
- I said I couldn't help.
Common mistakes
- • Keeping the original tense unnecessarily: 'He said he is tired' is often better backshifted to 'he was tired'.
- • Using 'said me': 'said' takes no direct person object; use 'told me' or 'said to me'.
Related
More clauses
Relative Clauses (Defining)
B1
Use defining relative clauses to give essential information that identifies which person or thing you mean. Use who for people, which for things, and that for both. No commas are used.
Reported Speech
B2
Use reported speech to tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. Tenses usually shift back, and pronouns and time expressions often change.
Reported Questions
B2
Reported questions turn a direct question into a statement-order clause. Yes/no questions use 'if' or 'whether', and there is no inversion or question mark in the reported form.
Reported Commands and Requests
B2
Commands and requests are reported with a verb plus an object and a to-infinitive. Negative commands use 'not to' before the verb.
Reporting Verbs and Patterns
C1
Beyond 'say' and 'tell', many reporting verbs summarise the function of what was said. Each follows its own grammatical pattern, such as verb + gerund, verb + object + infinitive, or verb + that-clause.
Say vs Tell
B1
'Say' and 'tell' both report speech but differ in grammar. 'Tell' needs a person as its object, while 'say' does not take a direct person object and uses 'to' if the listener is mentioned.