A conversation you had this week
Think of one conversation you had at work or on your course in the last week that you later had to describe to somebody else.
Hold it. First, the words.
Eight things that happen in meetings. Match each to what it actually means.
The same meeting, reported twice
What was actually said
Marta: "I am not going to have the figures ready by Thursday. I need another week, and I told Nuno that on Monday."
Nuno: "She did tell me. I forgot. Can we move the review to the following Tuesday?"
Head of department: "We can move it. But I want to know why nobody put it in writing."
Report one · told to a colleague afterwards
Marta says she is not going to have the figures ready by Thursday. She needs another week. She says she told Nuno on Monday and he says he forgot. He asks can we move the review to the following Tuesday. The head of department says we can move it but she wants to know why nobody put it in writing.
Report two · the same conversation, the same afternoon
Marta said she was not going to have the figures ready by Thursday and that she needed another week. She said she had told Nuno on Monday, and he admitted he had forgotten.
Nuno asked whether we could move the review to the following Tuesday. The head of department said we could, but she wanted to know why nobody had put it in writing.
Five questions comparing the two reports. Both are attempts at the same conversation.
1. Report one keeps every verb in the tense it was originally said in. What is the effect?
2. He asks can we move the review — what is wrong with the word order?
3. Report two turns I told Nuno into she had told Nuno. Why two steps back?
4. Report two uses admitted where report one uses says. What changes?
5. Which report would you put in the minutes?
One step back
What backshift does to each tense
| Direct | Reported | Example |
|---|---|---|
| present simple | past simple | "I need a week." → She said she needed a week. |
| present continuous | past continuous | "I am waiting." → He said he was waiting. |
| past simple | past perfect | "I told him." → She said she had told him. |
| present perfect | past perfect | "I have finished." → He said he had finished. |
will | would | "I will send it." → She said she would send it. |
can | could | "We can move it." → She said we could move it. |
must / have to | had to | "You must sign." → He said I had to sign. |
Six lines of report two, out of order. Put them back into the order the meeting happened in.
- He asked whether we could move the review to the following Tuesday.
- She added that she needed another week.
- The head of department said we could, but that she wanted to know why nobody had put it in writing.
- Marta said she was not going to have the figures ready by Thursday.
- Nuno admitted he had forgotten.
- She said she had told Nuno on Monday.
Taking the step
One to three words per gap. Every gap takes a tense one step further back than the words as spoken.
She said she the report on Friday. He said he send it over that afternoon. They said they already spoken to the supplier. My manager said I sign the form before the end of the month, and that we discuss it again in October.
Six sentences from real reports. One error each.
1. She said she is not ready.
2. He asked me can I help.
3. She told that the meeting was cancelled.
4. He explained me the whole process.
5. They said they will send it on Monday.
6. She asked what time is the meeting?
Relay the conversation
Task card · Speaking · Diagnostic · Groups of three · 3 minutes each
Two of you have a two-minute conversation about a real work or study problem. The third listens without speaking.
Then the third person reports the whole conversation back, to somebody who was not there.
- Speakers: disagree about something small and real. Two minutes.
- Reporter: relay it afterwards. Who said what, in what order, and what was agreed.
- You may not quote directly. Everything goes through she said…, he asked…
- Then rotate, twice, so everybody reports once.
The two speakers’ job while being reported. Write down every place the report kept the tense you actually used, instead of stepping it back.
You know exactly what you said, so you are the only people who can catch this.
What the reports produced
Five sentences from the reports. Fix each.
1. He said he is going to finish it tomorrow.
2. She asked him did he send the email.
3. He told that he disagreed.
4. She said she will look at it this week.
5. They asked me what do I think.
One step, and one word order
Three questions.
1. "I will send it." She said she ___ send it.
2. "Did you finish?" She asked ___
3. Which verb needs a person after it?
Before next lesson. Read one workplace news article. Write down four sentences where the writer reports what somebody said, word for word.
Four exactly, and mark the reporting verb in each. Some of them will not be said, and that is what we start with.