Extra Grammar 3

English Toolkit 1
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Reported Speech (simple statements) Say vs. Tell
Use
We can report peoples words, thoughts, beliefs, etc. by:
1 quoting the exact or almost extract words that were said. This kind of structure is
called direct speech:
My father said, I do not want to go to the doctor now.
Helen said to me, I love you and always will.
2 including a speakers words or thoughts into our own sentence using
conjunctions (e.g. that) and changing pronouns, tenses and other words where
necessary. This kind of structure is called indirect or reported speech:
My father said that he did not want to go to the doctor at that time.
Helen told me that she loved me and always would.
Say vs. Tell:
We can use both say and tell with direct and reported speech. However, say can be
more commonly used with direct speech than tell. The use of tell can be restricted
to signify instruct or inform. When referring to the person addressed, say requires
to, tell does not.
Greg, you are wonderful! I said. (direct speech)
Greg said to me then, I think I want to marry you. (direct speech)
Then I said to Greg that he was totally crazy. (indirect or reported speech)
Greg insisted and told me that he wanted to have children with me. (indirect speech)
Stop that and leave me alone! I told him furiously. (direct speech)
Form
When direct speech is reported indirectly, we need to make a number of changes
(tenses, pronouns and other words). Notice these changes in the box below. The
examples refer only to simple statements (in the affirmative and negative).
Direct speech Indirect speech Changes
I prefer cats to dogs, Sue
said.
Sue said that she
preferred cats to dogs.
prefer (Simple Present) preferred (Simple
Past)
I she
subject (Sue) and reporting verb (said) moved
to start of sequence
Extra Grammar 3
English Toolkit 1
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Direct speech Indirect speech Changes
We didnt enjoy the film
yesterday, Mark told me.
Mark told me that they
hadnt enjoyed the
film the day before.
didnt enjoy (Simple Past) hadnt enjoyed
(Past Perfect)
we they
yesterday the day before (*)
subject (Mark) and reporting verb (tell)
moved to start of sequence
The children are writing
a composition now, the
teacher said to me.
The teacher said to
me (told me) that the
children were writing
a composition then.
are writing (Present Continuous) were
writing (Past Continuous)
now then (*)
subject (the teacher) and reporting verb (say
or tell) moved to start of sequence
I was writing a letter
when my son arrived, Jill
said.
Jill said that she had
been writing a letter
when her son arrived.
was writing (Past Continuous) had been
writing (Past Perfect Continuous)
I she
my her
subject (Jill) and reporting verb (say) moved
to start of sequence
My husband has been to
England many times, she
said.
She said that her
husband had been to
England many times.
has been (Present Perfect) had been (Past
Perfect)
my her
subject (she) and reporting verb (say) moved
to start of sequence
These boys had not eaten
fish before, the doctor
said.
The doctor said that
the boys had never
eaten fish before.
No tense change (Past Perfect Past Perfect)
these the (*)
subject (the doctor) and reporting verb (say)
moved to start of sequence
I will phone you
tomorrow, Jason said to
me.
Jason told me that he
would phone me the
next day.
will phone (Simple Future) would phone
(would: future in the past)
I he
you me
tomorrow the next day (*)
subject (Jason) and reporting verb chosen
here (tell) moved to start of sequence
I would like to see Mr
Jackson tonight, Sam
said.
Sam said that he
would like to see Mr
Jackson that night.
No tense change. would like would like
I he
tonight that night (*)
subject (Sam) and reporting verb (say) moved
to start of sequence
You shouldnt smoke so
much, my wife told me.
My wife told me that
I shouldnt smoke so
much
No tense change. shouldnt smoke
shouldnt smoke
you I
subject (my wife) and reporting verb (tell)
moved to start of sequence
Extra Grammar 3
English Toolkit 1
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Changes of time and place reference (*)
now then, at that time
today that day
tonight that night
tomorrow the next day
yesterday the day before
last week / month / year the previous (week)
next week / month / year the following (week)
a week ago a week before
this (for time): this week that week
this / that (determiner) the
these / those (determiner) the
here there
Practice
1 Fill in the blanks using either said or told.
a He his name was David and he me he lived in Oxford.
b I dont know where Ive put my keys, I my mother.
c Mrs Flanagan to me that she would like to go to the museum with us.
d Ive never driven a car before, Sam, the frightened girl her instructor.
e Colin and Dexter ,Miss Kent, none of our classmates have done their
homework for today.
2 Report these statements.
a I dont like eating cornflakes for breakfast, the boy told his Mum.

b She said to her boss, I will not be here next week, Mr Glenn.

c Alice told the Mad Hatter, The Queen of Hearts wants to kill me.

d When we asked her some more questions she said, I have already given you
enough information.

e My children and I left Paris yesterday evening, the lady told the passport
control officers.

f I was looking in a shop window when the accident happened, said the man to
the policewoman.

Extra Grammar 3
English Toolkit 1
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g I think I should be going in a few minutes, the girl told her boyfriend.

h Batman told the Penguin, The people in Gotham city are feeling sick because all the
water supplies in the area have been polluted.

Extra Grammar 3
English Toolkit 1
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Answer Key
1
a said / told
b told
c said
d told
e said
2
a The boy told his Mum that he did not (didnt) like eating cornflakes for breakfast.
b She said to her boss that she would not (wouldnt) be there the following week.
c Alice told the Mad Hatter that the Queen of Hearts wanted to kill her.
d When we asked her some more questions she said that she had already given us
enough information.
e The lady told the passport control officers that she had left Paris with her children
the evening before.
f The man said to the policewoman that he had been looking in a shop window
when the accident happened.
g The girl told her boyfriend that she thought she should be going in a few minutes.
h Batman told the Penguin that the people in Gotham city were feeling sick because
all the water supplies in the area had been polluted.