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E9 M - Reported speech with backshift securely use

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E9 M - Reported speech with backshift securely use

Einleitung

Mini-description: You use reported speech to tell another person what someone said before. In clear past contexts, you practise backshift, pronoun changes and time/place adjustments. The focus is safe, useful communication at B1-oriented M-level, Class 9.

Learning route: English first → understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again.

Deutsch-Hilfe

Du berichtest, was eine Person vorher gesagt hat. Dabei passt Du Zeitform, Pronomen sowie Zeit- und Ortsangaben an. Die Hilfe bleibt kurz: Arbeite zuerst mit dem englischen Beispiel.

Media start: Watch about 2–4 minutes first. Write down three things you notice: one changed verb form, one changed pronoun and one changed time/place word. Do not try to understand every word.

I can ...

I can report a short statement from a clear past situation.
I can use common backshift patterns such as present simple → past simple and will → would.
I can change pronouns so that the meaning stays correct.
I can adjust words such as now, today, tomorrow and here when the context changes.
I can check and improve my own reported-speech sentence.

What you already know

You need:

present simple and past simple
common pronouns such as I, you, we, my, our
basic time words such as today, yesterday, tomorrow
the verbs say and tell

Warm-up: Ava said, “I am tired today.”

Choose what must change if you report this sentence the next day:

the speaker perspective
the verb form
the time word

Core grammar: report the message

Direct speech gives the original words.

Mia said, “I work here today.”

Reported speech gives the message later.

Mia said that she worked there that day.

You usually keep the meaning, but the form may change because the speaker, time and place are different.

Step 1: Choose the reporting frame

Use:

said that + clause: Leo said that he was busy.
told + person + that + clause: Leo told Maya that he was busy.

Do not use told that without a person.

Quick response: “I'm ready,” Sam said to Nia.

→ Sam told Nia that he was ready.

Step 2: Backshift in a clear past context

When the reporting verb is in the past and the original message belongs to an earlier situation, backshift is common.

Direct speech	Reported speech	Example
am / is / are	was / were	“I am late.” → She said she was late.
present simple	past simple	“I need help.” → He said he needed help.
present continuous	past continuous	“We are waiting.” → They said they were waiting.
past simple	past perfect	“I lost my key.” → She said she had lost her key.
will	would	“I will call.” → He said he would call.
can	could	“I can help.” → She said she could help.

M-level focus: Use these patterns confidently in clear school, everyday and work-related past contexts. Do not learn long exception lists here.

Viewing task: Focus on the parts about tense backshift, pronouns and time/place changes. Stop after a useful example and say the reported version aloud.

Step 3: Change pronouns by meaning

Pronouns do not change mechanically. Ask: Who is speaking? Who is reporting? Who does the pronoun refer to?

“I forgot my folder,” Lina said.

→ Lina said that she had forgotten her folder.

“We can finish our project,” Ben and Tara said.

→ Ben and Tara said that they could finish their project.

Think first, then change. The meaning decides the pronoun.

Step 4: Adjust time and place

Use these changes when the reporting situation is later or in another place.

Original word	Common reported form
now	then
today	that day
yesterday	the day before
tomorrow	the next day
here	there
this	that

Example:

Noah said on Monday, “I will finish this task here tomorrow.”

On Tuesday you report:

→ Noah said that he would finish that task there the next day.

A safe five-step check

Who? Fix the speaker and pronouns.
When? Is the reporting context clearly in the past?
Backshift? Move the verb one step back where needed.
Time/place? Adjust words if the context changed.
Meaning? Read the final sentence once for sense.

Hint 1 – Deutsch

Markiere zuerst: Sprecher – Verb – Pronomen – Zeit/Ort. Ändere dann nur, was sich durch die Berichtssituation wirklich verschiebt.

Hint 2 – sentence frame

[Name] said that ... / [Name] told [person] that ...

Listening and Viewing

First viewing – understand: What is the main idea of reported speech?

Second viewing – notice: Find two backshift examples and one pronoun or time-word change.

Third viewing – respond: Pause after one direct-speech example. Say your reported version before the explanation continues.

Challenge: Compare your version with the video. If it differs, decide whether the difference changes the meaning.

Reading: The missed rehearsal

Read once for meaning. Then read again for grammar.

Friday, 5 p.m.

Jay: “I am at the sports hall now. I can help with the rehearsal today.”

Mila: “I will bring my notes here tomorrow.”

Owen: “I forgot my charger yesterday, but I have my tablet now.”

Saturday, 11 a.m. – Nia reports the conversation:

Nia said that Jay was at the sports hall then and that he could help with the rehearsal that day. She added that Mila would bring her notes there the next day. She also said that Owen had forgotten his charger the day before but had his tablet then.

Reading check: Find one example for each category: backshift, pronoun change, time change, place change.

Context vocabulary

Use the words in short school, project and work situations.

Word	Useful meaning in context	Example
report	tell what someone said	I reported Mia's message.
mention	add a piece of information	He mentioned the deadline.
explain	make something clear	She explained the problem.
remind	help someone remember	He reminded us about the meeting.
message	information passed to another person	I passed on the message.
deadline	latest time for a task	The deadline was Friday.

Use, do not translate: Make one short reported-speech sentence with two of these words.

Pronunciation and fluency

The goal is clear speech, not accent-free speech.

Practise in chunks:

Maya said that / she was busy / that day.

Leo told us that / he would finish / the next day.

Read once slowly.
Mark three sense groups with slashes.
Read again at a natural moderate pace.
Optional: record yourself privately on your own device. No upload is needed.
Listen once for clarity: Can you hear the reporting frame and the changed verb?

Speaking

Information relay – pair task

Student A reads a fictional message. Student B listens and reports it to Student C.

Example card:

Alex: “I am finishing my project here today. I will send the file tomorrow.”

Student B:

“Alex said that they were finishing their project there that day and that they would send the file the next day.”

Then switch roles.

Spontaneous round: Your partner changes one detail. React without writing first.

Useful repair phrases:

“Let me try that again.”
“I need to change the pronoun.”
“The time word should be ...”
“I think the verb needs backshift.”

Writing

Task: A short project update

Write 80–110 words. Use only fictional names and details.

Situation: Three students spoke after a project meeting yesterday. Today you write a short update for a class blog.

Include:

three reported statements
at least three correct backshifts
two pronoun changes
two time/place adjustments
one sentence with told + person + that

Keep your original draft. Improve a copy so that you can compare versions.

Feedback ladder

Level 1 – meaning: Is it clear who said what?

Level 2 – form: Check reporting verb, pronoun, backshift, time/place.

Level 3 – flow: Join ideas with and, but, because or also.

Level 4 – independence: Correct one error without a model.

Peer feedback sentence: “Your meaning is clear. Check ______ because ______.”

Mediation

A German-speaking exchange partner missed an English club meeting. You have these notes:

Deutsch note: „Mara sagt: Ich bin heute später da. Ich kann morgen die Plakate mitbringen.“

You report the important information in English the next day. Do not translate word for word.

Possible start:

“Mara said that ...”

Goal: Transfer the message accurately and naturally.

Deutsch-Hilfe

Entscheide zuerst, welche Information wichtig ist. Übertrage dann die Aussage sinngemäß ins Englische und passe Zeit, Pronomen und Verbform an.

Error analysis

Correct the problem and explain it in one short phrase.

Mia said that I was tired. → Check who “I” refers to.
Leo told that he was ready. → Check the pattern after told.
Ava said she is busy yesterday. → Check the clear past context.
Ben said he would come tomorrow when you report it the next day. → Check the time word.
Nia said she had left her bag here when the place has changed. → Check the place word.

Improve, then use again: After correcting each sentence, make a new sentence with the same grammar pattern.

Digital and AI safety

Use digital tools only when your school rules allow them.

Use fictional profiles, application data and names.
Do not paste private social-media messages or personal data into tools.
Recordings are voluntary and can stay private on your device.
Do not upload recordings or texts without permission.
If an AI tool gives grammar feedback, check the claim against a reliable grammar source and your course material.
Keep your own original text and compare changes instead of replacing your work blindly.

Reliable reference points for this topic:

Transfer

Real-life use: Report one fictional statement from each situation.

a school project meeting
a sports-team plan
a short internship conversation
a family plan

Then compare: Which words changed because of time, which because of speaker perspective, and which because of backshift?

Can-do check

I can ...	Not yet	With a hint	On my own
choose said or told correctly	☐	☐	☐
backshift common verb forms	☐	☐	☐
change pronouns by meaning	☐	☐	☐
adjust time/place words	☐	☐	☐
report a short message fluently	☐	☐	☐
find and correct one own error	☐	☐	☐

Next course: Reported questions and requests use

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which sentence reports “I am tired,” said Mia, in a clear past context? (Mia said that she was tired.) (!Mia said that I am tired.) (!Mia told that she tired.) (!Mia said that she will be tired.)

Which backshift is correct for present simple? (present simple to past simple) (!present simple to future simple) (!present simple to present perfect) (!present simple to infinitive)

Which sentence uses told correctly? (Leo told Maya that he was ready.) (!Leo told that he was ready.) (!Leo told he was ready Maya.) (!Leo said Maya that he was ready.)

Which reported form commonly matches will in a clear past context? (would) (!will) (!did) (!has)

Which reported form commonly matches can in a clear past context? (could) (!can) (!must) (!should have)

Which time expression commonly replaces today when reporting later? (that day) (!this minute) (!next week) (!last year)

Which place word commonly replaces here when the place has changed? (there) (!then) (!that) (!before)

What should decide a pronoun change in reported speech? (the meaning and speaker perspective) (!the number of words) (!the punctuation mark) (!the sentence length)

Which sentence correctly reports “We are waiting,” they said? (They said that they were waiting.) (!They said that we are waiting.) (!They told that they waited.) (!They said that they will wait.)

What is the best final check after changing a sentence? (Check whether the meaning is still correct.) (!Change every word.) (!Remove all pronouns.) (!Use the longest tense possible.)

Memory

present simple	past simple
will	would
can	could
today	that day
here	there
tomorrow	the next day

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
was or were	am is are
past simple	present simple
would	will
could	can
the next day	tomorrow

...

Kreuzworträtsel

backshift	What do we call moving the verb tense back in reported speech?
pronoun	What word type changes when the speaker perspective changes?
reported	What kind of speech tells another person's message without exact quotation?
would	Which word commonly reports will in a past context?
there	Which word commonly replaces here after a place change?
meaning	What must stay correct when you change direct speech into reported speech?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Backshift spotting: Find six changed forms in the course and sort them into verb, pronoun and time/place changes.
Message relay: Read four fictional direct-speech sentences aloud and let a partner report them.
Grammar cards: Create six paper cards with a direct form on one side and the reported form on the other.
Fluency practice: Choose two model sentences, mark sense groups and read each sentence twice at a clear natural pace.

Standard

Project update: Write an 80–110 word fictional project report with three reported statements.
Error detective: Create five incorrect reported-speech sentences and exchange them with a partner for correction.
Mini interview: Conduct a short fictional interview with a partner, take notes and later report three answers.
Mediation task: Turn three short German notes into a natural English report without translating word for word.

Schwer

Two-version report: Write direct dialogue first and then transform it into a coherent reported paragraph; annotate every change.
Listening reconstruction: Use one course video, note three short ideas in your own words and report what the speaker explained.
Context switch: Create one message and report it from two different later situations so that time and place words change differently.
Peer coaching: Explain one partner's error with a hint instead of giving the final answer, then let the partner improve and reuse the pattern.

Lernkontrolle

Meaning transfer: A fictional student gives three short statements on Monday. Report them on Tuesday and justify each change in verb, pronoun and time/place.
Compare versions: Compare two reported versions of the same statement. Explain which one preserves the intended speaker perspective more accurately.
Repair a report: Correct a short paragraph containing five mixed errors and group the errors into reporting frame, backshift, pronoun and time/place.
Write for purpose: Turn a four-line fictional dialogue into a concise school-project update. Keep the important information and leave out repetition.
Spontaneous speaking: Listen to two short fictional statements from a partner and report them immediately; then self-correct one point if necessary.
Transfer to mediation: Read a short German note, identify the essential message and report it naturally in English for an absent classmate.