Reported Speech: What the Guest Said
5-Minute English Lab · B2 Upper-Intermediate
⭐ Reported Speech: What the Guest Said
⏱ 5 minutes · TTT · Grammar
💬 From my own experience: At team briefings at Establishment in Sydney, I’d report what guests had complained about the night before. ‘The guest said the table was too small’ — not ‘the table is too small.’ That tense shift is reported speech, and in a professional context, getting it wrong sounds careless.
🎯 By the end of this 5 minutes, you can:
transform direct speech into reported speech with correct tense backshift and reporting verbs.
Language Focus:
said / told / asked / explainedpresent → past backshift‘I am’ → she said she was‘I will’ → she said she would
📖 Quick Explanation
When we report what someone said, we shift the tense back one step into the past:
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| “I am unhappy.” | She said she was unhappy. |
| “The table is dirty.” | He said the table was dirty. |
| “I will return tomorrow.” | She said she would return. |
| “We can’t wait.” | They said they couldn’t wait. |
| “Have you got a table?” | He asked if we had a table. |
Key difference: Use said with no object. Use told with a person: She told me she was leaving.
✏️ Practice
Task 1: Backshift practice
Report these sentences:
1. ‘I’m not happy with my room.’ (guest / say)
2. ‘We will upgrade you.’ (manager / promise)
3. ‘Can you come back later?’ (receptionist / ask)
💡 Show answer
Task 2: Said or told?
Choose the correct verb:
1. She ___ that the food was cold. (said/told)
2. He ___ me the room was ready. (said/told)
3. They ___ they’d be late. (said/told)
💡 Show answer
Task 3: Spot the error
Find and correct: ‘The manager said he will speak to the chef and the kitchen is aware of the issue.’
💡 Show answer
🗣 Use It Now
✅ Quick Self-Check
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