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← Level B lessonsNORTHEAST STORM · LEVEL B · UNIT 13

Delta Said That...

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Practice note: Grammar examples and role-play details may be hypothetical. Questions explicitly about the article use the reported facts. This is a historical report, not current travel advice.

Words from the text: warn, announce, expect, specifically, disrupt, impact, affected, flexibility, figures, eligible, conditions

A We use said that to report what someone said. The storm's impact on Boston is still being reported, and news texts often use said that + a clause. When the reporting verb (said) is in the past, we usually move the tense of the reported verb one step back into the past. This is called backshift.

Form / wordExample / meaning
Direct speechReported speech (after said that)
Present Simple: "We expect delays."Past Simple: said that it expected delays
Present Continuous: "We are canceling flights."Past Continuous: said that it was canceling flights

Direct: Delta: "We expect a large number of cancelations." Reported: Delta said that it expected a large number of cancelations.

Direct: Cape Air: "We are canceling all flights in our North Region." Reported: Cape Air announced that it was canceling all flights in its North Region.

The latest figures showed hundreds of cancelations, and FlightAware said that it had recorded 253 of them.

После said that время глагола обычно сдвигается на шаг назад (expect → expected). Не забывайте менять время — в русском языке оно не меняется.

B The modal verbs will and can also change when we report speech: will becomes would, and can becomes could.

Direct: American: "We will update our schedule." Reported: American said that it would update its schedule.

Direct: United: "Eligible passengers can change their flights." Reported: United said that eligible passengers could change their flights.

Delta said that it would give customers more flexibility because of the storm.

Could здесь — это косвенная форма can (возможность по правилам), а не прошлое умение, как в Unit 11.

C Other verbs of speech, such as warn and announce, work the same way as said: verb + that + clause, with backshift. The adverb specifically means explicitly or in particular. Backshift is common after a past reporting verb, but it is not required when the reported information is still true.

Delta has specifically warned customers that a large number of cancelations are expected at Boston Logan on Sunday.

Cape Air announced that affected passengers could move their trips without paying extra fees.

The airline explained the conditions under which eligible customers could change their tickets.

Warn и announce ведут себя как said: warn/announce + that + предложение. Tell, в отличие от say, требует прямого дополнения (told passengers that...), но в этом юните мы используем только said/warned/announced.

Exercises

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13.1 Rewrite the direct speech as reported speech, using said that. Change the tense if necessary.

Example: Delta: "We expect delays at Boston Logan." → Delta said that it expected delays at Boston Logan.

  1. JetBlue: "We are issuing a Northeast weather waiver."
  2. United: "We can change eligible flights without a fee."
  3. American: "We will update our schedule."
  4. Cape Air: "Passengers are moving their trips to alternative flights."
  5. Delta: "We expect a large number of cancelations on Sunday."
  6. FlightAware: "We record hundreds of cancelations every day."
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. JetBlue said that it was issuing a Northeast weather waiver.
  2. United said that it could change eligible flights without a fee.
  3. American said that it would update its schedule.
  4. Cape Air said that passengers were moving their trips to alternative flights.
  5. Delta said that it expected a large number of cancelations on Sunday.
  6. FlightAware said that it recorded hundreds of cancelations every day.

13.2 Choose the backshifted verb form after said that for a report written after the announcement.

Example: Delta said that it (expects / expected) a large number of cancelations. → expected

  1. Cape Air said that it (cancels / canceled) all flights in its North Region.
  2. The airline said that passengers (can / could) change their flights without paying extra.
  3. Delta said that it (will / would) give customers more flexibility.
  4. JetBlue said that the waiver (covers / covered) flights between September 25 and 27.
  5. United said that it (is issuing / was issuing) a waiver for selected airports.
  6. American said that weather conditions (are / were) changing quickly.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. canceled
  2. could
  3. would
  4. covered
  5. was issuing
  6. were

13.3 Complete the sentences with the correct form of a word from the box: warn, announce, expect, specifically.

Example: Delta said that it ______ (expect) a large number of cancelations. → expected

  1. Airlines more cancelations as the storm continued.
  2. JetBlue a new weather waiver for Northeast airports.
  3. The airline passengers that delays were possible.
  4. Delta has warned customers that cancelations were expected on Sunday.
  5. Cape Air that passengers could change their flights without paying extra.
  6. Airlines the number of cancelations to rise as the storm continued.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. expected
  2. announced
  3. warned
  4. specifically
  5. announced
  6. expected

13.4 Look at the paragraphs about Cape Air's North Region flights and Delta's Sunday forecast. Complete the reported speech sentences in your own words, based on the text.

Example: Cape Air announced that it ______ (about canceling flights). → had canceled all flights in its North Region because of the weather

  1. The airline said that affected passengers .
  2. Cape Air said that passengers could move their trips .
  3. Cape Air announced that flights in the North Region .
  4. Delta said that it on Sunday.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. could change their travel plans without paying extra fees
  2. to alternative flights until October 2
  3. had been canceled because of the weather
  4. expected a large number of cancelations at Boston Logan