EnglishCelebrations and stories
Look at each image. Name a holiday or celebration you connect with it. 🏮
Name the celebration or association, then flip the card.
- 🏮
- lantern festival
- 🎆
- fireworks at a celebration
- 👨👩👧👦
- family reunion
- 🍽️
- holiday feast
- My favourite holiday is ...
- People say, “...”
- My family said, “...”
Say one direct quote about last New Year. Then report it:
“We watched fireworks at midnight.”
My family said that they watched fireworks at midnight.
Words for celebrations
Say each word aloud. Connect it with a holiday, festival, or cultural event you know.
- ceremony [/ˈserəməni/]
- a formal event with special actions
The ceremony starts at noon. - custom [/ˈkʌstəm/]
- something people usually do in a particular place or family
It is a local custom. - tradition [/trəˈdɪʃən/]
- a belief or activity continued for many years
This tradition is very old. - decorate [/ˈdekəreɪt/]
- to make a place look attractive for a celebration
We decorate the house. - congratulate [/kənˈɡrætʃəleɪt/]
- to say that you are happy about someone’s success or special event
They congratulate the couple. - feast [/fiːst/]
- a large special meal for a celebration
The family prepares a feast. - heritage [/ˈherɪtɪdʒ/]
- traditions, art, and history passed from earlier generations
The dance is part of our heritage. - parade [/pəˈreɪd/]
- a public celebration with people moving through the streets
We watched a colourful parade. - reunion [/riːˈjuːniən/]
- a meeting of family members or old friends after time apart
The holiday is a family reunion. - fireworks [/ˈfaɪəwɜːks/]
- bright explosive lights in the sky
Fireworks light up the sky. - lantern [/ˈlæntən/]
- a portable light, often used for decoration
Children carry lanterns. - costume [/ˈkɒstjuːm/]
- special clothes for a performance or celebration
She wore a traditional costume. - gathering [/ˈɡæðərɪŋ/]
- a meeting of a group of people
It is a large family gathering. - festival [/ˈfestɪvəl/]
- a public event with music, food, traditions, or performances
The town holds a spring festival.
- Which word describes special food?
- Which words can be part of cultural heritage?
- Describe a festival using two words.
Reporting what people said
Reported speech tells us another person’s words. We do not repeat the exact quote.
The basic pattern
Direct words | Reported statement |
|---|---|
“I am happy.” | He said (that) he was happy. |
“I have been there.” | She told me (that) she had been there. |
“The festival is exciting.” | Maria said (that) the festival was exciting. |
“We are decorating the hall.” | They said (that) they were decorating the hall. |
After a past reporting verb such as said or told, English commonly moves the tense one step into the past. This is called backshift.
Present reporting verbs usually do not need backshift.
Direct words | Reported statement |
|---|---|
“I am happy.” | He says (that) he is happy. |
“I have been there.” | She tells me (that) she has been there. |
“This custom is important.” | The guide says (that) this custom is important. |
Tense changes after said and told
Direct tense or form | Reported form |
|---|---|
am / is | was |
are | were |
have / has | had |
will | would |
can | could |
present simple | past simple |
present continuous | past continuous |
past simple | past perfect |
Direct words | Reported statement |
“The parade is colourful.” | He said that the parade was colourful. |
“We celebrate this festival every year.” | They said that they celebrated that festival every year. |
“I am preparing a feast.” | She said that she was preparing a feast. |
“We celebrated yesterday.” | They said that they had celebrated the day before. |
“I will wear my costume.” | He said that he would wear his costume. |
“We can watch the fireworks.” | They said that they could watch the fireworks. |
Say and tell
Verb | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
say | say + (that) + clause | Maria said that the festival was exciting. |
tell | tell + person + (that) + clause | Maria told me that the festival was exciting. |
Do not say: “Maria told that the festival was exciting.”
Use tell + a person:
- She told me that ...
- He told his family that ...
- The guide told us that ...
Time and place changes
When the situation changes, words for time and place often change too.
Direct word | Reported word |
|---|---|
now | then |
today | that day |
tomorrow | the next day |
yesterday | the day before |
here | there |
this | that |
“We are decorating here today.”
They said that they were decorating there that day.
“I will visit the parade tomorrow.”
She said that she would visit the parade the next day.
Common mistakes
Common mistake | Better form |
|---|---|
He said that he is happy. | He said that he was happy. |
She told that the ceremony was beautiful. | She told me that the ceremony was beautiful. |
They said that they were celebrating here today. | They said that they were celebrating there that day. |
The guide says that the tradition was important. | The guide says that the tradition is important. |
Report the celebration statements
Say each completed sentence aloud. Explain one change you made.
Connect the direct words and the report
Connect each direct statement with its reported form.
- “We decorate the hall every year.”
- The organisers said that they decorated the hall every year.
- “I will wear my traditional costume tomorrow.”
- Pavel said that he would wear his traditional costume the next day.
- “They are preparing a feast now.”
- Anna said that they were preparing a feast then.
Choose the correct reporting pattern
Connect each sentence starter with the correct continuation.
- Lena said
- that the ceremony was part of local heritage.
- Lena told her sister
- that the ceremony was part of local heritage.
- The guide says
- that the ceremony is part of local heritage.
Choose the best report
Igor said, “The parade is colourful.”
Igor [___] .
Nina said, “We are having a family gathering here today.”
Nina [___] .
The guide says, “This festival has a long history.”
The guide [___] .
Transform the statements
“My grandparents celebrated this custom yesterday,” Vera said.
Vera said that her grandparents [___] that custom the day before.
“We can watch fireworks from here,” the children said.
The children said that they [___] fireworks from there.
“I have decorated the room,” Alex told me.
Alex told me that he [___] the room.
Your aunt said: “I love this family tradition.”
Complete the report:
My aunt [___] that family tradition.
Listen to holiday traditions
Listen once for the main ideas. Listen again and report what each person said.
- What does Maya’s grandmother say about the Lantern Festival?
- What did Maya’s father say he would cook?
- What did Daniel’s aunt tell him about the cake?
- What does the town guide say about the custom?
- Maya’s grandmother says that ...
- Maya’s father said that ...
- Daniel’s aunt told him that ...
- The guide says that ...
Final recap
Backshift after said and told
Direct form | After said / told |
|---|---|
am / is | was |
are | were |
have / has | had |
will | would |
can | could |
present simple | past simple |
present continuous | past continuous |
past simple | past perfect |
Say and tell
Structure | Example |
|---|---|
say + (that) + clause | She said that the parade was exciting. |
tell + person + (that) + clause | She told me that the parade was exciting. |
present reporting verb | He says that he is happy. |
Celebration words
ceremony · custom · tradition · decorate · congratulate · feast · heritage · parade · reunion · fireworks · lantern · costume · gathering · festival
Use four words to describe a celebration you know.
Then report one statement from a family member about an upcoming celebration.
