Confident Business English 314. The Technical Series: Reported Speech for Senior Managers
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Mar 3, 2026 Practical tips on relaying others’ words clearly at senior level. A breakdown of reporting clause versus reported content with simple structure notes. Common mistakes with say and tell and how to handle tense shifts. Ways to widen your reporting verbs and choose ones that match the action. Real business phrases for board and leadership updates to keep reports concise and natural.
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Reported Speech Is A Two Part Habit
- Reported speech is simply retelling what someone else said and is used constantly by senior managers.
- Anna frames it as two parts: the reporting clause (e.g., The manager said) and the reported content (e.g., the deadline was unrealistic).
Always Use An Object With Tell
- Keep objects with tell and avoid putting objects after say (use tell me vs he said to me).
- Fixing this removes a repeated small clunky error that interrupts your flow if it happens every time.
Tense Shift Matters Less In Practice
- When the reporting verb is past, the reported tense usually shifts back one step (present → past, past → past perfect).
- Anna notes listeners can be flexible: saying he said the budget is too tight is still clear in many business contexts.