Na said / told schuift de tijd meestal een stap terug:
| direct | indirect |
|---|---|
| "I am tired." | She said (that) she was tired. |
| "I work here." | He said he worked there. |
| "I will help." | He said he would help. |
| "I can come." | She said she could come. |
| "I saw it." | He said he had seen it. |
say vs tell: tell heeft een persoon nodig: She told me that… / She said that… (niet said me).
Vragen: He asked where I lived (geen vraagvolgorde!), She asked if/whether I was coming. Opdrachten: He told me to wait.