GIU Essential (Reported speech 050)

Unit 050. She said that … He told me that …

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A

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• DIANE: I’m enjoying my new job. My father isn’t well.
  • Diane said that she was enjoying her new job. She said that her father wasn’t well.
• SARAH and TIM: We’re going to buy a house.
  • Sarah and Tim said that they were going to buy a house.
• PETER: I have to leave early. My sister has gone to Austrailia.
  • Peter said that he had to leave early. He said his sister had gone to Austrailia.
• KATE: I can’t find a job.
  • Kate said that she couldn’t find a job.
• STEVE: I’ll phone you.
  • Steve said that he would phone me.
• RACHEL: I don’t like my job. My son doesn’t like school.
  • Rachel said that she didn’t like her job. She said her son didn’t like school.
• MIKE: You look tired.
• YOU: I feel fine.
  • Mike said that I looked tired. I said that I felt fine.

B

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say and tell

say (-> said)

• He said that he was tired. (not He said me)
• What did she say to you? (not say you)

We say he said to me, I said to Ann etc. but not ‘he said me’, ‘I said Ann’.

tell (-> told)

• He told me that he was tired. (not He told that)
• What did she tell you?

We say he told me, I told Ann etc. but not ‘he told to me’, ‘I told to Ann’.

C

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You can say:

• He said that he was tired. or He said he was tired. (without that)
• Kate told me that she couldn’t find a job. or Kate told me she couldn’t find a job.

Exercises

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• He said he had lost his watch.
• She said she was very busy.
• She said she couldn’t go to the party.
• He said he had to go out.
• He said he was learning Russian.
• She said she didn’t feel very well.
• They said they would be home late.
• She said she had just come back from holiday.
• She said she was going to buy a new computer.

• They said they hadn’t got a key.

• I met Diane last week. She said she was enjoying her new job.
• Emma didn’t want anything to eat. She said she was not hungry.
• I wanted to borrow Mike’s ladder, but he said he needed it.
• Hannah was invited to the party, but she said she didn’t want to go.
• Susan told me she didn’t want the picture. She said I could have it.
• Martin has just gone away on holiday. He said he would send me a postcard.
• I was looking for Robert. Nicold said he had gone home.
• ‘Why did David stay at home?’ ‘He said he wanted to watch TV.’

• ‘Has Mary gone out?’ ‘I think so. She said she was going to the cinema.’

• He said he was tired.
• What did she tell you?
• Anna said she didn’t like Peter.
• Jack told me that you were ill.
• Please don’t tell Dan what happened.
• Did Lucy say she would be late?
• The woman said she was a reporter.
• The woman told us she was a reporter.
• They asked me a lot of questions, but I didn’t tell them anything.
• They asked me a lot of questions, but I didn’t say anything.