‘said’ is the past tense so the past tense is used in ‘was going’
and ‘said’. Look at the following examples:
Ben Williamsreports from Brussels that the European
Parliamentis now sitting.The governmentannounced that the crisiswas over.
The sales forcereports that businessis booming.Because indirect speech is not so ‘immediate’ as direct
speech, some words also need to be changed:
here becomes there
this becomes that
these becomes those
today becomes that day
tomorrow becomes the following day
yesterday becomes the previous day‘I’ve beenhere before,’ he said.He said that he had beenthere before.
‘Did you go outyesterday, Sally?’ asked John.John asked Sally if she had gone outthe previous day.
‘We’ll go to the Zootomorrow,’ he told his son.He told his son (that) they would go to the Zoo the
following day.The word ‘that’ could be omitted so it is ‘understood’; ‘he told
his son’ has been moved to the beginning of the sentence.
WRITING DIALOGUE / 109