Use said, told, asked, reported accurately in context
Read and discuss a topic-specific article at A2 level
Practise speaking fluently on she said that...
Complete written exercises with vocabulary in context
Teaching Notes
Warm-up: allow 8-10 min, let personal answers develop
Article: read together or have students read silently first
Vocabulary match: good for pair work
Speaking: encourage full sentences, not one-word answers
Exit questions: 5-min closer, no prep needed
Timing Guide
Warm-up: 8 min
Article + comprehension: 12 min
Vocabulary + match: 10 min
Exercises: 10 min
Speaking + discussion: 15 min
Exit + recap: 5 min
Teacher Question Bank
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A2 · Lesson 19 · She Said That...
Reported Speech
She Said That...saidtoldasked
Getting started
Warm-Up Questions
Click the button to get your first question
Read & Understand
Article
Reported Speech
After the team meeting, Ana reported back to her manager. She said that the project was going well. She told him that the team had finished the first phase. She mentioned that there were a few technical problems, but explained that the IT department was working on them. The manager asked if they would meet the deadline. Ana confirmed that they would. She also warned him that the budget might be slightly over. The manager said that it was fine. He told Ana that she was doing a great job.
💡 Did you know? In many languages, reported speech works differently — some don't change the tense at all! English's backshift rule makes it unique and sometimes tricky for learners.
Topic: She Said That...
Key words
Vocabulary
01
said
past tense of 'say' — to express words
02
told
past tense of 'tell' — to give information to someone
03
asked
past tense of 'ask' — to make a question or request
04
reported
to tell others what someone else said
05
mentioned
to say something briefly
06
explained
to make something clear by describing it
07
warned
to tell someone about a possible danger or problem
08
confirmed
to say that something is definitely true or agreed
09
denied
to say that something is not true
010
promised
to say you will definitely do something
Match the Words
Click a word on the left, then click its definition on the right.
said
told
asked
reported
mentioned
explained
warned
confirmed
denied
promised
to say that something is definitely true or agreed
to tell others what someone else said
past tense of 'ask' — to make a question or request
to say that something is not true
to make something clear by describing it
to tell someone about a possible danger or problem
to say you will definitely do something
to say something briefly
past tense of 'say' — to express words
past tense of 'tell' — to give information to someone
Say it right
Pronunciation
said
SAID
told
TOLD
asked
AS-ked
reported
RE-po-rted
mentioned
MEN-tio-ned
explained
EXP-lai-ned
Read & Discuss
Short Dialogue
A:
Hi! Can I ask you about said?
B:
Of course! I think said is very important.
A:
What about told? Do you use it often?
B:
Yes, I do. Told helps me a lot at work.
A:
And asked? Is that difficult for you?
B:
Sometimes. But I practise every day.
A:
That is great. What is your advice?
B:
Just be consistent. Small steps every day!
Comprehension
What does person A ask about first?
How does person B feel about told?
What is person B's advice at the end?
Practice
Exercises
Gap Fill
Complete each sentence using vocabulary from today's lesson.
1. She the meeting was at three.
2. He me to send the file.
3. She if I was free on Friday.
4. He that the project was delayed.
5. She that there was a problem.
Error Correction
Find and correct the mistake in each sentence.
She is know a lot about said.
We was discussing told yesterday.
He don't have enough asked.
They have spoke about reported before.
Speaking practice
Speaking Prompts
Discuss with your partner
Tell your partner what your manager or colleague said to you recently. Use: she said / he told me...
Report the contents of a recent email or message you received.
What did someone promise you recently? Did they keep the promise?
Summarise today's topic in 3 sentences using vocabulary from this lesson.
Grammar focus: Reported speech: move the tense back one step. Direct: 'I am busy.' Reported: Sh... — can you give an example?
Open discussion
Discussion Generator
More Questions
Use with pairs or whole class · Encourage full answers
Write a short report (6-8 sentences) about a meeting or conversation you had recently. Use at least 4 reporting verbs: said, told, asked, mentioned, confirmed, warned.
