Zorg SpaceHe said that he was tired
The rule
When you report what somebody said, the sentence stops being their words and becomes yours, so everything that pointed at their moment now points at yours. The verb steps one tense back — present becomes past, past becomes past perfect, will becomes would, can becomes could. Pronouns change with the speaker: I am tired → he said he was tired. Time and place words move too: today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, here → there. say needs no person after it; tell always does: he said that … but he told me that ….
said (that) + one tense back · told + person + (that) · today → that day
Examples
He said that he was tired.
She told me she had already paid.
They said they would call the next day.
The doctor said I could go home.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong: He said me that he was late.
Right: He told me that he was late.
say takes no person; tell requires one.
-
Wrong: She said she is tired.
Right: She said she was tired.
The reported verb steps one tense back.
-
Wrong: He said he will come tomorrow.
Right: He said he would come the next day.
will becomes would, and tomorrow moves with it.
Practice questions
Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.
-
1Choose the correct sentence.
- She told she was living with her sister.
- She said me she was living with her sister.
- She said she is living with her sister.
- She said she was living with her sister.
Show answer
Answer: D She said she was living with her sister.
Present continuous steps back to past continuous.
-
2Choose the correct sentence.
- He told to us he had lost the keys.
- He said us he had lost the keys.
- He told us he had lost the keys.
- He told us he has lost the keys.
Show answer
Answer: C He told us he had lost the keys.
tell + person, and the present perfect steps back.
-
3Choose the correct sentence.
- They said me they would let me know.
- They said they will let me know.
- They said they would let me know.
- They told they would let me know.
Show answer
Answer: C They said they would let me know.
will becomes would in reported speech.
-
4Choose the correct sentence.
- She told she could not come that evening.
- She said she could not come this evening yesterday.
- She said she could not come that evening.
- She said she cannot come that evening.
Show answer
Answer: C She said she could not come that evening.
can becomes could, and this becomes that.
-
5Fill in the gap.
He _____ me that the shop was closed.
- says
- said
- told
- said to
Show answer
Answer: C He told me that the shop was closed.
With a person after it, the verb is told.
-
6Fill in the gap.
She said she _____ finished the report.
- have
- has
- was
- had
Show answer
Answer: D She said she had finished the report.
The present perfect steps back to the past perfect.
-
7Fill in the gap.
He said he would ring me the _____ day.
- next
- today
- this
- tomorrow
Show answer
Answer: A He said he would ring me the next day.
tomorrow becomes the next day when reported later.
-
8Fill in the gap.
The nurse said I _____ eat before the test.
- am not must
- must not
- do not must
- have not to
Show answer
Answer: B The nurse said I must not eat before the test.
must not stays as it is in reported speech.
-
9Put the words in the right order.
She told me she was moving to Utrecht
Show answer
Answer: She told me she was moving to Utrecht.
tell + person, then the reported clause.
-
10Put the words in the right order.
He said that he had never been there
Show answer
Answer: He said that he had never been there.
The present perfect of his words becomes the past perfect.
Practise this lesson in Zorg Space
In the app every rule becomes interactive practice: instant correction, reviews at the moment you are about to forget, and progress you can see from level to level — free.
Start for free