Levels & career tracks
Curso básico · A1–A2
Nivel A1.1 — IdentidadNivel A1.2 — Rutinas y entornoNivel A2.1 — Contando el mundoNivel A2.2 — Comparando y proyectandoIntermedio · B1–B2
Level B1.1 — Connecting experiencesLevel B1.2 — Narrating and describing Current levelLevel B2.1 — ArguingLevel B2.2 — NuanceProfesional / Avanzado · C1–C2
Level C1.1 — PrecisionLevel C1.2 — Register and discourseLevel C2.1 — StyleLevel C2.2 — Native masteryInglés técnico y especialización
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When you repeat what someone said without quoting their exact words, verb tenses usually shift one step back into the past — this is called "backshifting". Present becomes past, past becomes past perfect, and "will" becomes "would".
Why this matters This lesson connects directly to your progress: it covers the tense shift backward; say vs. tell; reporting statements and negatives. Mastering this content lets you move forward confidently, and reinforces patterns you'll use again later. Take time to review every example before moving to the assessment — repetition is what actually locks knowledge in long-term.
01
The goals of this lesson.
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You already know how to quote someone directly ("She said: 'I am tired'"). This lesson teaches reported speech — how to report what someone said without quoting them word for word.
03
Compare the direct quote to the reported version: present simple becomes past simple, present continuous becomes past continuous, present perfect becomes past perfect, and "will" becomes "would".
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
| "I am tired." | She said she was tired. |
| "I will call." | He said he would call. |
Examples
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"Tell" always needs an object (tell someone), while "say" doesn't require one — you can just "say something".
| Verb | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| say | say (that) + clause | She said she was tired. |
| tell | tell + person + (that) + clause | She told me she was tired. |
Examples
05
Negative statements shift back in exactly the same way — "doesn't" becomes "didn't", "isn't" becomes "wasn't", and so on.
Examples
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Read the text and answer the questions. You can try as many times as you want.
Yesterday, my manager called a meeting. She said the company was doing very well this quarter. She told us the sales numbers had increased by twenty percent. She said she was very proud of the whole team.
Later, my coworker told me she was worried about her workload. She said she hadn't had a day off in three weeks. I told her she should talk to our manager about it. She said she would think about it.
1. What did the manager say about the company?
2. What did she say about sales numbers?
3. What was the coworker worried about?
4. How long had it been since her last day off?
5. What did the narrator suggest?
💪 You can now report conversations naturally in English. Review this lesson, or keep moving toward B2!
07
Usa las pistas para completar cada palabra en inglés. Sin calificar — repite las veces que quieras.
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The essentials of this lesson, summarized.
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Key terms to remember.
spoke or expressed something in words
dijoin need of rest or sleep
cansado/adoing a job or task
trabajandoto telephone someone
llamarcompleted an activity or task
terminadoa written or spoken account of something
informe, reporte10
Tap the words in the correct order to form the sentence. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.
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Tap the correct verb form to complete each sentence. The other options are conjugations from other tenses — on purpose, so you learn to tell them apart.
He he didn't like the movie
She she had finished the report
He he was working
She she wasn't feeling well
My said she was moving to another city
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Listen to the full dialogue with the speaker buttons first, then fill in the missing words from this lesson's real conversation. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.
What did Maria about the
She she was going to be
13
You need at least 80% to unlock the next lesson. You can retake it as many times as you want — your best score is saved.
1. What does this mean: "She said, 'I saw him yesterday.'"?
2. What does this mean: "He said, 'I can help you.'"?
3. Select the correct match for: "She said she wasn't feeling well."
4. Which option matches: "They said they hadn't received the email."?
5. "My boss said the project was almost finished." — which one is correct?
6. Choose the equivalent of: "They told me they were leaving soon."
7. Which option matches: "She said, 'I have finished the report.'"?
8. Choose the equivalent of: "He said, 'I am working.'"
9. "She said she had seen him the day before." — which one is correct?
10. Select the correct match for: "The manager said the meeting had been canceled."
Review — Lesson 36 What matches: "If I have time this weekend, I'll clean the house."?
Review — Lesson 36 What matches: "If it rains, I will stay home."?
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You now report statements without quoting directly. Next lesson: reporting questions and commands.
15
Practice this lesson's vocabulary with a word search and flashcards. Ungraded — play as many times as you like.
Tap the first and last letter of a hidden word to find it. Los términos de varias palabras van sin espacios en el tablero (ej. "give up" aparece como GIVEUP).
Elige la respuesta correcta. Si aciertas, la tarjeta queda lista por hoy; si fallas, vuelve a aparecer pronto para reforzarla. Tu progreso se guarda en este dispositivo.