Collins Cobuild

Unit 74
Reporting the past
Main points
A report structure is used to report what people say or think.
You  use  the  present  tense  of  the  reporting  verb  when  you  are
reporting  something  that  someone  says  or  thinks  at  the  time  you
are speaking.
You  often  use  past  tenses  in  report  structures  because  a  reported
clause usually  reports something  that  was said  or believed  in  the
past.
1
You use a report structure to report what people say or think. A report
structure consists of two parts. One part is the reporting clause, which
contains the reporting verb.
I told him nothing was going to happen to me.
I agreed that he should do it.
The other part is the reported clause.
He felt that he had to do something.
Henry said he wanted to go home.
See Units
75
-
77
for more information on report structures.
2
 For  the  verb  in  the  reporting  clause,  you  choose  a  tense  that  is

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appropriate at the time you are speaking.
Because reports are usually about something that was said or believed
in the past, both the reporting verb and the verb in the reported clause
are often in a past tense.
Mrs Kaur announced that the lecture had begun.
At the time we thought that he was mad.
3
Although you normally use past tenses in reports about the past, you
can use a present tense in the reported clause if what you are saying is
important in the present, for example:
• because you want to emphasize that it is still true
Did you tell him that this young woman is looking for a job?
• because you want to give advice or a warning, or make a suggestion
for the present or future
I told you they have this class on Friday afternoon, so you should have
come a bit earlier.
4
You use a present tense for the reporting verb when you are reporting:
• what someone says or thinks at the time you are speaking
She says she wants to see you this afternoon.
I think there’s something wrong.
Note that, as in the last example, it may be your own thoughts that
you are reporting.
• what someone often says
He says that no one understands him.
• what someone has said in the past, if what they said is still true

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My doctor says it’s nothing to worry about.
5
If you are predicting what people will say or think, you use a future
tense for the reporting verb.
No doubt he will claim that his car broke down.
They will think we are making a fuss.
6
 You  very  rarely  try  to  report  the  exact  words  of  a  statement.  You
usually  give  a  summary  of  what  was  said.  For  example,  John  might
say:
‘I tried to phone you about six times yesterday. I let the phone ring for
ages but there was no answer. I couldn’t get through at all so I finally
gave up.’
You would probably report this as:
John said he tried to phone several times yesterday, but he couldn’t
get through.
7
When you are telling a story of your own, or one that you have heard
from  someone  else,  direct  speech  simply  becomes  part  of  the
narrative.
In this extract a taxi driver picks up a passenger:
‘What part of London are you headed for?’ I asked him.
‘I’m going to Epsom for the races. It’s Derby day today.’
’So it is,’ I said. ‘I wish I were going with you. I love betting on horses.’
You might report this as part of the narrative without reporting verbs:
My passenger was going to Epsom to see the Derby, and I wanted to
go with him.

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