Look at this example:

When we use a present tense reporting verb (e.g. say/says), the tense of the original verb does not change. We can use that after say/says, but we do not have to. We use say/says to report a conversation that we are still in the middle of:

When we report a statement later, then we usually use a past reporting verb (e.g. said), and we usually change the tense of the original verb:

• A: Where’s Paul?
• B: Oh, he said (that) he was ill.

The most common tense changes are:

• Present → Past: am/is → was are → were is living → was living live → lived
• Present Perfect → Past Perfect: has gone → had gone
• Past Simple → Past Perfect: arrived → had arrived
• Modals: will → would can → could may → might must → had to

In reported speech we often need to change nouns and pronouns. For example:

Note that we can:

Look at these examples:

• Joe: ‘You’re brilliant, Sara.’
• Joe said (that) she was brilliant.
• Joe said to Sara (that) she was brilliant.
• Joe told Sara (that) she was brilliant.
• Joe told her (that) she was brilliant.

We cannot say say somebody that, and we cannot tell that:

• Not: Joe said Sara (that) she was brilliant.
• Not: Joe told (that) she was brilliant.