Complex sentences: He said that

This lesson explains how to report statements using a reporting verb (e.g., said, told, announced) + a subordinate clause introduced by that. These are common complex sentences in business and everyday English.

• Use a reporting verb + that-clause to give information about what someone said.
• Often we change pronouns, time expressions and verb tenses (backshift) when reporting.
• 'That' is optional in spoken English but more common in formal writing.
• Reported statements are essential in emails, meeting notes, and reports.

When the reporting verb is in the past, move (backshift) the tense of the original statement one step back:

• Present simple → Past simple ("she says: 'I work'" → "she said that she worked").
• Present perfect → Past perfect ("I have sent" → "she said that she had sent").
• Will → Would (future becomes conditional: "I will" → "he said he would").
• Can → Could, May → Might, etc.

If the reporting verb is in the present (e.g., says), you usually keep the original tense.

Learners often make predictable errors when forming 'said that' complex sentences. Watch out for these universal problems:

• Failing to backshift the tense when the reporting verb is past (e.g., keeping present tense incorrectly).
• Not changing pronouns or subjects (keeping 'I' or 'we' when the reporter is different).
• Using direct-speech word order in the reported clause (turning a question into a statement without adjusting structure).
• Forgetting to adjust time and place expressions (today → that day, next week → the following week).
• Dropping 'that' can sometimes cause ambiguity in long formal sentences; use it if clarity matters.

Check verb tense, pronouns, and time expressions after you convert direct speech into a 'that' clause.