B1 · Intermédiaire Chapitre 1

Repeating What People Said

4 Règles totales
48 exemples
5 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of sharing past conversations and anecdotes with clarity and ease.

  • Distinguish between 'say' and 'tell' in reported speech.
  • Apply correct tense backshifting to maintain chronological accuracy.
  • Modify time and place references for natural-sounding narrative flow.
Master the art of the perfect retell.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Ever wonder how to tell exciting stories about past chats? This chapter will help you master shifting tenses and choosing between 'say' and 'tell' so your recounted conversations sound perfectly natural and engaging. You'll be sharing anecdotes with confidence!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Accurately report a past conversation using correct tense shifts and time references.

Guide du chapitre

Overview

Mastering how to talk about past conversations is a vital step in your journey to confident B1 English grammar. Imagine trying to recount an exciting story or relay important information without the right tools – it can feel clunky and unnatural. This chapter is your guide to sounding smooth and authentic when you're repeating what people said.
We'll demystify the subtle but crucial difference between say and tell, explore other useful reporting verbs, and show you how to effortlessly shift tenses and adjust time expressions so your recounted conversations make perfect sense to your listener.
For B1 learners, this skill isn't just about passing a grammar test; it's about connecting with others. Whether you're telling a friend about a funny chat you had yesterday, explaining a colleague's request, or sharing news you heard while traveling, knowing how to accurately and naturally report speech will transform your storytelling and communication. You'll gain the confidence to share anecdotes and information without getting tangled in grammatical knots, making your English sound more polished and fluent.
Get ready to tell your stories with precision and charm!

How This Grammar Works

At the heart of repeating what people said is choosing the right reporting verb. You generally use say when focusing on the message itself. For example,
He said he was busy.
Here, the important part is the message, he was busy. You use tell when you want to mention the person who received the message – it *always* needs a direct or indirect object (like *me*, *her*, *us*, *them*).
So,
He told *me* he was busy.
Other common reporting verbs include ask (for questions), explain, or agree, each adding a specific nuance to the reported statement.
Once you’ve chosen your reporting verb, the next crucial step is tense backshift. When you report something that was said in the past, the original tense of the reported clause usually shifts one step back into the past. For instance, if someone says, I *am* happy, when you report it later, you'd say,
She said she *was* happy.
The present simple am shifts to the past simple was. Similarly, I *will* go becomes
He said he *would* go,
and I *have finished* becomes
She told me she *had finished*.
Finally, you need to adjust time and place words to reflect your current perspective. If someone said, "I'll see you *tomorrow*," and you're reporting it the next day, tomorrow is no longer accurate. It becomes "He said he'd see me *the next day*. Likewise, here often becomes there, and now might become then." These small but significant changes ensure your reported speech is clear and makes sense in your present context.
By combining these rules, you can accurately and naturally convey past conversations.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Confusing 'say' and 'tell' without an object.
✗ He told he was tired.
✓ He said he was tired.
✓ He told *me* he was tired.
*Explanation*: Remember, tell *always* needs to say *who* was told (an object), while say focuses on the message and can stand alone.
  1. 1Forgetting to backshift the tense.
✗ She said she *is* coming. (Original: I am coming.)
✓ She said she *was* coming.
*Explanation*: When reporting past speech, the verb in the reported clause usually moves one tense into the past. Am becomes was.
  1. 1Not changing time or place expressions.
✗ He told me he'd meet me *here* tomorrow. (If you're reporting this the next day, not at the original location.)
✓ He told me he'd meet me *there* the next day.
*Explanation*: Words like here, now, today, tomorrow, and yesterday need to be adjusted to align with the current time and place of your reporting.

Real Conversations

A

A

Hey, I saw Sarah at the café.
B

B

Oh really? What did she say?
A

A

She told me she was going on holiday the following week. She said she was really excited!
A

A

Did you hear about Mark's new job?
B

B

No, I hadn't! What did he tell you?
A

A

He explained that he *had been offered* a position at a tech company. He told me he *was starting* the next month.

Quick FAQ

Q

Do I always have to backshift the tense when repeating what people said?

Not always! If the reported statement is still true or refers to a general truth, you don't *have* to backshift. For example,

She said that London *is* a big city
is perfectly fine because London is still a big city. However, backshifting to
She said that London *was* a big city
is also grammatically correct, especially if the context is firmly in the past.

Q

Can I always use the word that after a reporting verb?

You can, but it's often optional, especially in informal speech. For instance,

He said that he was tired
is correct, but
He said he was tired
is also common and natural. It's often included for clarity or in more formal contexts.

Q

What happens if the original speaker used a modal verb like 'can' or 'will'?

Similar to regular verbs, modal verbs often backshift. Can becomes could, will becomes would, may becomes might, and must often becomes had to. For example, "He said, 'I *can* swim.' becomes He said he *could* swim."

Cultural Context

Native English speakers sometimes omit tense backshift in very informal, immediate contexts, especially if the reported statement is still current. For example,
He said he *is* coming
instead of
He said he *was* coming
if he's due to arrive any minute. However, for clear, accurate communication, especially in writing or when there's a time gap, using tense backshift and adjusting time and place changes is the standard.
It adds polish and precision to your storytelling, making your B1 English grammar sound very natural.

Exemples clés (8)

1

My friend said he'd be here by 7 PM.

Mon ami a dit qu'il serait là avant 19h.

Discours Indirect: Say vs. Tell
2

She told me she passed the exam!

Elle m'a dit qu'elle avait réussi l'examen !

Discours Indirect: Say vs. Tell
3

My friend **insisted on** buying me coffee this morning, even though I offered.

Mon ami a insisté pour m'offrir un café ce matin, même si j'ai proposé de payer.

Verbes de Discours Rapporté : Qui a Dit Quoi ?
4

The HR manager **announced that** the new work-from-home policy would start next month.

La responsable des RH a annoncé que la nouvelle politique de télétravail commencerait le mois prochain.

Verbes de Discours Rapporté : Qui a Dit Quoi ?
5

She told me `she was feeling` great.

Elle m'a dit qu'elle se sentait super bien.

Rapporter les dires des gens (Concordance des temps)
6

He said `he liked` the new song.

Il a dit qu'il aimait la nouvelle chanson.

Rapporter les dires des gens (Concordance des temps)
7

She said, "I'll meet you *tomorrow*."

Elle a dit : « Je te verrai demain. »

Discours Indirect: Changements de Temps et de Lieu
8

He mentioned that he had seen us *the day before*.

Il a mentionné qu'il nous avait vus la veille.

Discours Indirect: Changements de Temps et de Lieu

Conseils et astuces (4)

🎯

Cherche toujours l'interlocuteur

Avant de choisir entre 'say' et 'tell', demande-toi : y a-t-il un objet direct (la personne à qui on parle) juste après le verbe ? Si oui, c'est probablement 'tell'. Par exemple :
He told *me* the news.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Discours Indirect: Say vs. Tell
💡

Écoute la nuance

Quand tu entends du discours rapporté, fais attention au verbe utilisé. Est-ce qu'il te dit si la personne était contente, en colère, ou juste neutre ? Ça t'aide à capter les nuances.
He grumbled about the weather.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbes de Discours Rapporté : Qui a Dit Quoi ?
💡

Pense 'Un pas en arrière'

Quand tu racontes quelque chose au passé, imagine le temps du verbe qui recule d'une case sur la ligne du temps. Le présent devient passé, le passé devient plus-que-parfait. C'est la règle d'or pour la plupart des cas.
Present becomes past, past becomes past perfect.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter les dires des gens (Concordance des temps)
💡

Pense depuis TA perspective

Imagine toujours que c'est toi qui racontes l'histoire. Est-ce que now a encore du sens ? Est-ce que here est toujours le même endroit ? Adapte les mots de temps et de lieu à ton point de vue actuel. "I'm busy now devient She said she was busy then".
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Discours Indirect: Changements de Temps et de Lieu

Vocabulaire clé (5)

Report to give a spoken or written account Backshift moving a verb tense into the past Indirect speech reporting what someone said without direct quotes Statement a definite or clear expression of something Attribution crediting speech to a speaker

Real-World Preview

briefcase

Sharing Office News

Review Summary

  • Subject + said + (that) + clause / Subject + told + object + (that) + clause
  • Present -> Past
  • now -> then, today -> that day, tomorrow -> the next day

Erreurs courantes

You cannot use 'said' directly with an object like 'me'. Use 'told' instead.

Wrong: He said me he was tired.
Correct: He told me he was tired.

Even if she is still happy, in reported speech, we usually backshift the verb to match the reporting verb.

Wrong: She said she is happy.
Correct: She said she was happy.

'Tell' must have an object (who he told). If no object is mentioned, use 'said'.

Wrong: He told that he likes pizza.
Correct: He said that he liked pizza.

Next Steps

You have mastered the foundation of reported speech! Keep practicing, and your storytelling will be unstoppable.

Listen to a news report and summarize it for a friend.

Continue to: Raconte tout ! Maîtrise le style indirect pour les questions et les ordres

Pratique rapide (10)

Choisis la bonne forme pour compléter le discours rapporté.

She said she ___ busy yesterday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: was
Discours direct :
I am busy.
Le présent simple 'am' devient le passé simple 'was'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter les dires des gens (Concordance des temps)

Choisis la forme correcte pour compléter la phrase rapportée.

He said he would call me ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: the next day
Quand tu rapportes une action future promise avec 'tomorrow', ça change généralement en 'the next day' ou 'the following day' dans le discours indirect.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Discours Indirect: Changements de Temps et de Lieu

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

The news reporter told that the storm was approaching.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The news reporter said that the storm was approaching.
'Tell' exige un objet direct juste après. Comme il n'y a pas d'objet ('us', 'them', etc.) ici, 'said' est le bon choix pour introduire l'information rapportée.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Discours Indirect: Say vs. Tell

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase rapportée.

Find and fix the mistake:

He told me he `go` to the concert.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: He told me he `went` to the concert.
Discours direct :
I go to the concert.
Le présent simple 'go' devient le passé simple 'went' quand tu rapportes au passé.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter les dires des gens (Concordance des temps)

Quelle phrase rapporte correctement ce qui a été dit ?

Choisis la phrase correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She announced that the meeting `was` postponed.
Discours direct :
The meeting is postponed.
Le présent simple devient le passé simple.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Rapporter les dires des gens (Concordance des temps)

Quelle phrase rapportée change correctement l'expression de temps ?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: He said he had finished it the day before.
Quand 'yesterday' est rapporté, il change généralement en 'the day before' ou 'the previous day', et le passé simple ('finished') subit un 'backshift' vers le passé parfait ('had finished').

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Discours Indirect: Changements de Temps et de Lieu

Choisis la forme correcte pour compléter la phrase.

She ___ on arriving early to get good seats for the concert.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: insisted
Le verbe insist est souvent suivi de on + gérondif, ou d'une proposition avec that. Dans ce contexte, insisted correspond le mieux à l'idée d'être ferme sur quelque chose.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbes de Discours Rapporté : Qui a Dit Quoi ?

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

My coach advised me to don't give up on my dream.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: My coach advised me not to give up on my dream.
Lorsque tu rapportes un conseil ou une instruction négative avec 'advise' + objet + infinitif avec 'to', la négation not vient avant to.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbes de Discours Rapporté : Qui a Dit Quoi ?

Choisis la forme correcte pour compléter la phrase.

She ___ me she couldn't make it to the party.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: told
Le mot 'me' est un objet direct qui suit le verbe, donc 'told' est nécessaire. Tu 'tell' quelque chose à quelqu'un.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Discours Indirect: Say vs. Tell

Quelle phrase utilise correctement un verbe de déclaration ?

Choisis la phrase correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: He suggested joining the club.
Suggest est généralement suivi d'un gérondif (forme en -ing). Bien que 'He suggested that I join the club' soit aussi correct, 'suggested me to join' est une erreur courante.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbes de Discours Rapporté : Qui a Dit Quoi ?

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

La différence essentielle, c'est que 'tell' *a toujours* besoin d'un objet direct (à qui tu parles) juste après, comme she told *me*. 'Say' n'a généralement pas d'objet direct ou utilise 'to + objet', comme
he said (to *me*)
.
Oui, mais c'est moins courant et cela sonne souvent plus formel ou spécifique. Tu dirais
He said to me that...
plutôt que
He said me that...
. Avec 'tell', l'objet est obligatoire et vient juste après, par exemple :
He told me that...
'Say', c'est très général, tandis que 'state' implique une déclaration plus formelle ou officielle. Par exemple, 'He said hello' (Il a dit bonjour) contre 'The President stated his policy' (Le Président a déclaré sa politique).
'Admit' signifie accepter quelque chose comme vrai, souvent à contrecœur ('He admitted his mistake' - Il a admis son erreur). 'Confess' implique généralement d'admettre quelque chose de mal ou d'illégal, souvent avec un sentiment de culpabilité ('She confessed to the crime' - Elle a avoué le crime).
Le 'décalage des temps', c'est quand tu changes le temps du verbe de la phrase rapportée pour le mettre 'un pas' plus loin dans le passé. Par exemple, si la phrase directe est au Present Simple, elle passe au Past Simple quand tu la rapportes.
For example, if direct speech is Present Simple, reported speech becomes Past Simple.
On l'utilise pour que tout soit logique sur la ligne du temps. Quand tu racontes quelque chose qui a été dit dans le passé, ce décalage montre bien que la phrase originale a eu lieu à un moment passé par rapport à quand tu la rapportes. C'est pour être clair !
We use it to maintain logical consistency in the timeline of events.
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