English Grammar in Use With Answers » Unit 47: Reported speed 1 (He said that ...)

Study this example situation:

You want to tell somebody what Paul said.
There are two ways of doing this:

You can repeat Paul's words (direct speech):
Paul said 'I'm feeling ill.'

Or you can use reported speech:
Paul said that he was feeling ill.

Compare:

When we use reported speech, the main verb of the sentence is usually past (Paul said that ... / I told her that ... etc.). The rest of the sentence is usually past too:
  • Paul said that he was feeling ill.
  • I told Lisa that I didn't have any money.

You can leave out that. So you can say:
  • Paul said that he was feeling ill. or Paul said he was feeling ill.

In general, the present form in direct speech changes to the past form in reported speech:
- am/is -> was
- do/does -> did
- will -> would
- are -> were
- have/has -> had
- can -> could
- want/like/know/go etc. -> wanted/liked/knew/went etc.

Compare direct speech and reported speech:

You met Anna. Here are some of the things she said in direct speech:Later you tell somebody what Anna said. You use reported speech:
My parents are fine.Anna said that her parents were fine.
I'm going to learn to drive.She said that she was going to learn to drive.
I want to buy a car.She said that she wanted to buy a car.
John has a new job.She said that John had a new job.
I can't come to the party on Friday.She said that she couldn't come to the party on Friday.
I don't have much free time.She said she didn't have much free time.
I'm going away for a few days. I'll phone you when I get back.She said that she was going away for a few days and would phone me when she got back.

The past simple (did/saw/knew etc.) can usually stay the same in reported speech, or you can change it to the past perfect (had done / had seen / had known etc.):
  • direct Paul said 'I woke up feeling ill, so I didn't go to work.'
    reported Paul said (that) he woke up feeling ill, so he didn't go to work. or
    Paul said (that) he had woken up feeling ill, so he hadn't gone to work.

    47.1 Yesterday you met a friend of yours, Steve. You hadn't seen him for a long time. Here are some of the things Steve said to you:

    Later that day you tell another friend what Steve said. Use reported speech.

    1. .
    2. He said that __________ .
    3. He __________ .
    4. __________ .
    5. __________ .
    6. __________ .
    7. __________ .
    8. __________ .
    9. __________ .
    10. __________ .
    11. __________ .
    12. __________ .

    47.2 Somebody says something to you which is not what you expected. Use your own ideas to complete your answers.

    1. A: It's quite a long way from the hotel to the station.
      B: Is it? The man on the reception desk said .
    2. A: Sue is coming to the party tonight.
      B: Is she? I saw her a few days ago and she said she __________ .
    3. A: Sarah gets on fine with Paul.
      B: Does she? Last week you said __________ each other.
    4. A: Joe knows lots of people.
      B: That's not what he told me. He said __________ anyone.
    5. A: Jane will be here next week.
      B: Oh, really? When I spoke to her, she said __________ away.
    6. A: I'm going out tonight.
      B: Are you? I thought you said __________ home.
    7. A: John speaks French quite well.
      B: Does he? He told me __________ any other languages.
    8. A: I haven't seen Ben recently.
      B: That's strange. He told me __________ last weekend.

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