Start with a real moment.
Your manager says, “I’m working from home today.” Later, you tell a colleague, “She said she was working from home that day.” You are no longer quoting the exact words. You are fitting the message into a new speaker’s viewpoint and, sometimes, a new time and place.
See how the sentence works.
Subject + said (that) + reported clause
Read the sentence as one idea, then notice the job each part does.
Understand the choices.
After a past reporting verb, tense often moves back: am becomes was, have finished becomes had finished, and will becomes would. This is called backshift. If the information remains true or relevant, keeping the original tense can also be possible; context matters.
Say takes the message; tell normally takes a person before the message: “She said that she was busy.” “She told me that she was busy.” For requests, use ask + person + to-infinitive: “She asked me to call later.”
Reported questions use statement word order: “He asked where I lived.” Use if or whether for yes/no questions: “He asked whether I was free.” Change pronouns and time expressions only when the viewpoint requires it; today need not change if you are still speaking on the same day.
Useful sentences, in context.
She told me the room was ready.
Tell includes a recipient, me.
He asked if I needed a taxi.
If introduces the reported yes/no question.
They asked us to wait outside.
Ask + person + to-infinitive reports a request.
A small change makes a difference.
AvoidShe said me that she was tired.
UseShe told me that she was tired.
Use told me or said to me; said does not take a person directly in this pattern.
A MOMENT TO PRACTISE
Your turn.
Choose an answer, then check the explanation. There is no timer and nothing to sign up for.
TAKE IT INTO YOUR DAY
Make it yours.
Take a real message you received. Report its main point to someone else, checking who each pronoun refers to and whether the time words still fit.
Further reading · British Council LearnEnglish
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