What you'll learn
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to report what people said using said that and told me that, and shift the tense of the original words one step into the past.
When do I use it?
Use reported speech when you retell someone's words instead of quoting them exactly. You see it in conversations, summaries, and news reports: "Maria said (that) she was tired." The idea: the reporting verb (said/told) happens now, and the reported statement is pushed one step into the past. English backshifts the tense, just like Spanish "dijo que estaba cansada."
How do I form it?
subject + said/told + (that) + backshifted clause
- Present becomes Past: "I am busy" becomes "She said (that) she was busy."
- Past becomes Past Perfect: "I lost it" becomes "He said (that) he had lost it."
- will becomes would: "I will help" becomes "She said (that) she would help."
He said that he was tired.
She told me that the shop was closed.
Common mistakes for Spanish speakers
- Forgetting to backshift the tense. Learners often repeat the original words: "She said she is tired." Reported speech goes one step back: "She said she was tired."
- Confusing "said" and "told". "Me dijo" is translated literally as "she said me", but English needs an object with "tell": "She told me (that)..." With "say", never add a person directly: "She said to me (that)...", not "She said me..."
- Leaving "will", "can", and "is going to" unchanged. They all move back: will becomes would, can becomes could. "He said he would call later."
Imagine a time machine: the word "said" or "told" pulls the tense one step back. Present becomes past, past becomes past perfect, will becomes would, can becomes could. And "that" stays optional, it often disappears in speech.
Practice
Multiple Choice
B1Which sentence correctly reports: 'I am busy'?
Sentence Transformation
B1Task: Report this statement using 'She said...'
Hint: Backshift 'am' to 'was' and keep 'she' as the subject.
Fill in the Blank
B1Maria said that she hungry.
Hint: Backshift the original 'am hungry' one step to the past: 'was hungry'.
Find the Error
B1Practice Speaking
Apply what you've learned in a real conversation with AI feedback.
Level: B1