UNIT 5 - Indirect Speech: Say & Tell / Report news

 Unit - 5 Indirect speech (Say and Tell)

When and how to use say or tell

First we must clarify that, as direct speech is in charge of reporting something that happens or happened, the terms say and tell will be changed to their past tense versions (said and told) that said, let's proceed.

The "say" is usually used when referring to the words someone says.

example:  She said ‘I don’t know what you mean.

while tell is more used when it focuses more on the content or message given.

example:  I told her why it had happened.

Apart from this, it should be noted that the verbs can, will, is, and had will be changed when converting sentences.

Will = Would

Can = Could

Is = Was 

Had = Had had

A better way to understand it is as follows

Grammar Practice

Natural Disaster

GRAMMAR PRACTICE: Report the news

El Pais news said that hurricane "Roslyn" had made landfall near the coast of Mexico just in the early hours of Sunday morning at 6:20 a.m., it is also said that the storm is a category 3, fortunately there have been no injuries or deaths.