Learn · Sentences Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)
He said that he had read the book already.
B1Sentence
He said that he had read the book already.
Study notes
How to use in different contexts
Reporting Speech
He informed me that he had already read the book.
Summarizing a Conversation
The conversation concluded with him stating that he'd already read the book.
Adding Detail to a Narrative
When asked about the book, he casually mentioned that he had already read it.
Expressing Surprise
I was surprised to hear that he had already read the book.
Rephrased versions
Formal
He stated that he had previously read the book.
Casual
He said he'd already finished the book.
Simpler English
He said he read the book already.
Phrases to learn
had read
Past perfect tense, indicating an action completed before another past action.
already read
Completed the reading of the book prior to the current time.