Reporting What Someone Said – My German Lessons

Hi, my name is Klaus Schmidt, and I’m learning English. One of the trickiest things for me is learning how to talk about what someone *else* said, not what *I* said directly. It’s called “indirect speech” in English, and it’s a bit different in German too. Let me explain it simply.

Basically, when you report something someone said, you don’t use the exact words they used. Instead, you use different words and grammar to tell someone *about* what they said. It’s like telling a story about a story.

The Big Changes

There are a few key changes you need to be aware of.

• Tense Changes:** This is the biggest thing to remember. When you report something in the past, the verb tense usually changes.

• Direct Speech:** John said, “I am happy!”
• Indirect Speech:** John said that he *was* happy! (The “am” changed to “was”)

• Pronouns Change:** Pronouns (he, she, it, etc.) also change depending on who is speaking.

• Direct Speech:** Mary Carry said, “I like this book.”
• Indirect Speech:** Mary Carry said that she *liked* that book. ( “this” changed to “that”)

• “That” is Important:** You almost always use “that” after “said” or “told” when you’re reporting something.

• Direct Speech:** David said, “I will go to the cinema.”
• Indirect Speech:** David said *that* he *would* go to the cinema. ( “will” changed to “would”)

Let’s Practice

Here are a few more examples:

• Direct Speech:** Sarah said, “We are studying for the exam.”
• Indirect Speech:** Sarah said that they *were* studying for the exam.

• Direct Speech:** Peter said, “I have finished my work.”
• Indirect Speech:** Peter said that he *had* finished his work.

Using It in Real Life

You’ll use this a lot when talking about conversations. Let’s say you talk to your colleague, Lisa.

• You hear John tell Lisa, “I need help with this report.”
• You can then tell another colleague, “John said that he needed help with the report.”

Or imagine you’re talking to your professor, Herr Müller. You hear Mary Carry say, “The project is due next week.” You could then tell your group, “Mary Carry said that the project is due next week.”

It might feel a little strange at first, but the more you practice, the easier it will become. Keep an eye out for these changes when you read and listen to English, and try to use them when you speak. Good luck!