He said (that) ...
He said (that) ... means “Reporting words: say + sentence, tell + person + sentence”. To report what someone said, use say + sentence or tell + person + sentence: She said (that) she was tired. Formation: say + (that) + clause · tell + person + (that) + clause
Reporting words: say + sentence, tell + person + sentence
A2Formation
say + (that) + clause · tell + person + (that) + clause
Explanation
To report what someone said, use say + sentence or tell + person + sentence: She said (that) she was tired. He told me (that) the movie was good. After a past reporting verb, the reported verb usually moves one step back: 'I am tired' → She said she was tired.
Examples
Note
tell needs a listener, say does not: He told me ✓ / He said to me ✓ / He told that ✗. In speech, that is usually dropped.
FAQ
He said (that) ... — what does it mean and how is it used?
Reporting words: say + sentence, tell + person + sentence. To report what someone said, use say + sentence or tell + person + sentence: She said (that) she was tired. He told me (that) the movie was good. After a past reporting verb, the reported verb usually moves one step back: 'I am tired' → She said she was tired.
He said (that) ... — how do you form it?
say + (that) + clause · tell + person + (that) + clause
He said (that) ... — any usage notes?
tell needs a listener, say does not: He told me ✓ / He said to me ✓ / He told that ✗. In speech, that is usually dropped.