B1 PRELIMINARY · GRAMMAR · READING PART 6 & WRITING

Reported speech

Telling someone what another person said: She said she was tired. He asked me where I lived.

Finn says

You need reported speech when you write emails ('My teacher told me that…') and stories, and when you explain in Speaking what someone said.

Statements

Use say or tell, and usually move the tense one step back.

say / tell

say (that) … · tell someone (that) …

She said she was hungry. She told me she was hungry.

Tense changes

am → was · will → would · can → could · went → had gone

"I can swim." → He said he could swim.

Questions become normal word order; requests use to + verb.

Questions

ask + if / where / what … + subject + verb

She asked me where I lived. He asked if I was OK.

Requests and orders

ask / tell someone (not) to + verb

The teacher told us to sit down.

In Reading Part 6 you write one word in each gap. The missing words are often small grammar words like these.

My friend told me that she was moving to London.

'Tell' needs a person: told me.

He asked me if I wanted to come to the party.

A yes/no question in reported speech: ask if (or whether).

Our coach told us not to be late.

A negative order: tell someone not to + verb.

✗ She said me that she was sad.✓ She told me that she was sad.Use 'tell' + person, or 'say' without a person.
✗ He asked me where did I live.✓ He asked me where I lived.Reported questions have normal word order.
✗ The teacher said us to be quiet.✓ The teacher told us to be quiet.Orders use 'tell someone to'.

Finn's exam tip

Remember: you SAY something, but you TELL someone something. If there's a person after the gap, the answer is probably 'told'.

Write one word in each gap.

Practice → Check → Learn → Repeat ↻