ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR A1

Reporting with Say and Tell in the Present ESL Lesson Plan (A1, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute A1 lesson on Reporting with Say and Tell in the Present, built round the theme "Passing On Messages".

CEFR A1
60 minutes
Teenagers and adults
Grammar
Reported Speech
Reporting with Say and Tell in the Present

About this lesson

Who it is for. High beginners who use the present simple and be confidently. When they pass on a message, they repeat the exact words (Ravi says "I am late") and confuse pronouns (She says I am hungry meaning she is hungry). They mix say and tell (She says me ...).

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level: CEFR A1 (Beginner)
Learners: Teenagers and adults
Length: 60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run only "The telephone game" of the two tasks in "Freer practice" and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills: Speaking and listening
Language focus: Grammar: Reporting with Say and Tell in the Present (She says she's ...)
Framework: PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials: Handout 1 (phone messages), Handout 2 (practice), Handout 3 (message cards for the game), a toy phone or real phone (optional).
Preparation: About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 3, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Aims

Main aim. To present and practise reporting messages in the present with says (that) and tells me (that), changing pronouns and verb forms correctly.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can pass on 5 simple messages, e.g. Kasun says he's at the bus stop. Mum tells me she's busy.

Subsidiary aim. To practise third person -s.
Subsidiary aim. To develop listening and speaking through a "telephone" message game.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Form

Direct speech	Reported speech (present)
Ravi: "I'm late."	Ravi says (that) he's late.
Amma: "I'm busy."	Amma says she's busy.
Kasun: "We are at the beach."	Kasun says they're at the beach.
Nimmi to me: "I like your bag."	Nimmi tells me (that) she likes my bag.

Form: notes

say + (that) + clause: He says he's hungry. (no person after say)
tell + person + (that) + clause: He tells me he's hungry. (person after tell)
Change the pronoun: I → he / she, we → they, my → his / her.
Change the verb to match the new subject: I like → she likes, I am → he is.
that is optional.

Meaning and use

We use says / tells me + present to pass on a message that someone is saying now or has just sent (a text, a phone call).

Pronunciation

says /sez/ (not /seɪz/). tells me /telz mi/.
Contractions: he's /hiːz/, she's /ʃiːz/, they're /ðeə/.

Concept-checking questions

Ravi says he's late. Who is late: Ravi or me? (Ravi.) · Did Ravi say "he's late"? (No, he said "I'm late".)
Nimmi tells me she likes my bag. Who is Nimmi talking to? (Me.) · Can I say Nimmi says me? (No.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

Problem	Solution
Not changing the pronoun (Ravi says I'm late).	Point to Ravi and to yourself; colour-code I → he.
Pronunciation /seɪz/.	Drill /sez/ with the sound of Les.
say + person (She says me).	Board: say + what, tell + who + what.
Missing -s (She says she like).	Highlight -s in a different colour.

Board plan

Left: pronouns	Centre: grammar	Right: pronunciation
I → he / she · we → they · my → his / her · our → their · am → is · like → likes
Ravi: "I'm late." → Ravi says (that) he's late. · say + (that) + message · tell + PERSON + (that) + message · She tells me she's busy. · not: She says me ✗
says /sez/ · tells me /telz mi/ · he's /hiːz/ · she's /ʃiːz/

Warm-up5 minutes · T → Ss, whole class

Aim: To introduce the idea of passing on messages.

Pretend to read a message on your phone. Say: "Oh! It's a message from my sister." Read it aloud: "I'm at the hospital. I'm OK."

Ask: "Where is my sister? Is she OK?" Elicit answers: She's at the hospital. She's OK.

Say: "My sister says she's at the hospital. She says she's OK."

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present the language in context. To clarify meaning, form and pronunciation.

Part A: Context (8 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read the phone messages to Dilini. Answer the questions." (4 minutes.)

ICQs: "Who are the messages to?" (Dilini.) "Do you answer the questions?" (Yes.)

Pairs compare. Check as a class.

Read Dilini's message to her mother (the second part of the handout). Ask: "What does Kasun say?"

Part B: Language clarification (12 minutes)

Meaning. Board Kasun: "I'm at the bus stop." and Kasun says he's at the bus stop. Ask the CCQs.

Pronouns. Underline I and he. Ask: "Why he?" (Because I'm talking about Kasun.) Build the pronoun list on the left.

Verbs. Board Nimmi: "I like your bag." → Nimmi says she likes my bag. Highlight likes (-s) and my.

say and tell. Board Nimmi tells me she likes my bag. Ask: "After tell, who?" (me.) "After say?" (no person.) Board She says me ✗.

Pronunciation. Drill says /sez/ and contractions: He says he's late. She tells me she's busy.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise the form accurately.

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Exercise A: report the messages. Exercise B: say or tell? Six minutes."

ICQs: "Do you change I?" (Yes.)

Pairs check. Nominate students to read answers.

Quick drill: say a sentence about yourself ("I'm tired."); students report it: "She says she's tired."

Freer practice18 minutes · Groups, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To use reported speech in a fun, communicative game.

The telephone game (8 minutes). Groups of four sit in a line. Student 1 takes a message card from Handout 3 and whispers it to Student 2 ("I'm hungry and I want pizza."). Student 2 tells Student 3: "Kasun says he's hungry and he wants pizza." Student 4 reports the message to the class. Is it the same as the card?

ICQs: "Do you say I or he when you pass on the message?" (He / she.)

My messages (6 minutes). Each student writes two real or invented short messages on paper (I love cricket. My cat is black.) and gives them to a partner. The partner tells a new partner: "Ayesha says she loves cricket. She says her cat is black."

Writing (4 minutes). Students write 4 reported sentences about their classmates' messages.

Monitor and note errors.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Two or three students read their sentences.

Board four sentences from your notes (two with errors). Students correct them.

Set the homework.

Homework Ask three people in your family a question (How are you? What do you like?). Write what they say: My father says he's tired. My sister says she likes music.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support: Give weaker students the pronoun list on a card. In the telephone game, use short one-sentence cards.
Stretch: Stronger students report two-part messages with and and but: She says she's tired but she's happy. They use asks for simple questions (preview): He asks if you're OK.

Adapting the lesson

For	What to change
A large class (40 or more)	Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Run "The telephone game" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopier	Put the exercises from Handout 2: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. Handout 3: Telephone Game Cards (cut up) works read out from the front: learners note what they need rather than holding a card. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online class	Send Handouts 1 to 3 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "The telephone game" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age group	With young learners, cut the writing at the end and give that time to the speaking task; keep the drilling short, and let them draw or mime where the plan allows it. With adults, keep the writing and ask for a short spoken summary in place of anything drawn or mimed.

Checking learning

8 out of 10 or better on Handout 2. Students change I to he / she when they pass on messages. Students pronounce says as /sez/.

Teacher's reflection

Did students change pronouns and verb forms? Was the telephone game clear and fun?

Handout 1: Phone Messages

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Read the messages to Dilini.

Kasun: I'm at the bus stop. I'm a bit late, sorry!

Amma: I'm at the market. I need some rice. Can you help?

Nimmi: I like your new bag! It's really nice.

Ruwan and Sanduni: We are at the beach. The water is lovely!

Answer the questions.

Now read Dilini's message to her mother.

Hi Amma! Kasun says he's at the bus stop. He says he's a bit late. Nimmi tells me she likes my new bag! And Ruwan and Sanduni say they're at the beach. They say the water is lovely.

Where is Kasun? ______________________________
What does Amma need? ______________________________
What does Nimmi like? ______________________________
Where are Ruwan and Sanduni? ______________________________

Handout 2: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Report the messages. Start with the words given.

B. Write says or tells.

Kamal: "I'm tired." → Kamal says ______________________________
Hasini: "I love chocolate." → Hasini says ______________________________
My parents: "We are at home." → My parents say ______________________________
Arun: "My phone is broken." → Arun says ______________________________
Malsha to me: "I like your shoes." → Malsha tells me ______________________________
The teacher: "The test is easy." → The teacher says ______________________________
She ______________ me she's happy.
He ______________ he's hungry.
My mum ______________ she's busy.
Ravi ______________ us he's late.

Handout 3: Telephone Game Cards (cut up)

Write 4 sentences about your classmates' messages.

Example: Ayesha says she loves cricket.

..........................................................................................


Kasun: "I'm hungry and I want pizza."	Ayesha: "I have a new puppy. It's very small."
Ruwan: "I'm at the zoo. I can see an elephant!"	Nimmi: "My brother is sick today."
Dilan: "We are on the train to Kandy."	Hasini: "I don't like rain. I like sunny days."
Kamal: "I play cricket on Saturdays."	Sanduni: "My grandmother is 90 today!"

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

Handout 2, Exercise B

Handout 3 (examples)

Kasun says he's hungry and he wants pizza. · Ayesha says she has a new puppy. She says it's very small. · Dilan says they're on the train to Kandy. · Hasini says she doesn't like rain.

Common errors to watch for

At the bus stop · 2. Some rice · 3. Dilini's new bag · 4. At the beach
(that) he's tired. · 2. (that) she loves chocolate. · 3. (that) they're at home. · 4. (that) his phone is broken. · 5. (that) she likes my shoes. · 6. (that) the test is easy.
tells · 2. says · 3. says · 4. tells

Error	Correction
Ravi says I'm late. (meaning Ravi is late)	Ravi says he's late.
She says me she's busy.	She tells me she's busy. / She says she's busy.
He says he like pizza.	He says he likes pizza.
Kasun says, I am at the bus stop.	Kasun says he's at the bus stop.

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About this lesson plan

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

Reporting with Say and Tell in the Present ESL Lesson Plan (A1, 60 Minutes)

About this lesson

At a glance

Aims

Language analysis

Form

Form: notes

Meaning and use

Pronunciation

Concept-checking questions

Anticipated problems and solutions

Board plan

Procedure: Reporting with Say and Tell in the Present, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · T → Ss, whole class

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Freer practice18 minutes · Groups, then pairs, then whole class

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Differentiation

Adapting the lesson

Checking learning

Teacher's reflection

Handout 1: Phone Messages

Handout 2: Practice

Handout 3: Telephone Game Cards (cut up)

Answer Key

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