How do you make into a reported speech?

[Kristine May]

Venus said, "So you just used me?" Gab said, "You could say that."



How do you make this into a reported speech? Thanks! :-D

Note: Gab and Venus are ex-lovers who broke up but still love each other. Gab fell in love with Venus because Venus looked like Ella whom he really loves.

 

[Kristine May]

Which is/are the correct reported speech for that?


Venus said Gab had just used her then. Gab said she could say that.

Venus said Gab had just used her then. Gab said she could say it.

Venus said Gab had just used her then. Gab said he probably did.

 

[5jj]

1. Venus said Gab had just used her then. Gab said she could say that.
2. Venus said Gab had just used her then. Gab said she could say it.
3. Venus said Gab had just used her then. Gab said he probably [STRIKE]did[/STRIKE] had.

#1 and #2 could suggest that Gab had given Venus permission to say that.

The idea in #3 is fine, but watch the tenses.

Also consider:

Gab admitted that he (probably) had.

 

[Kristine May]

(probably) means I can put or omit it, right? THANKS!

 

[5jj]

(probably) means I can put in or omit it, right? THANKS!

Yes - your choice.

 

[Kristine May]

#1 and #2 could suggest that Gab had given Venus permission to say that.

The idea in #3 is fine, but watch the tenses.

Also consider:

Gab admitted that he (probably) had.

But are #1 and #2 correct to be used to mean the direct speech "You could say that."?

 

[Kristine May]

Is there a difference between:

Gab just used her then.

Gab had just used her then.

THANKS!

 

[5jj]

But are #1 and #2 correct to be used to mean the direct speech "You could say that."?

Yes, but, as I said before, "#1 and #2 could suggest that Gab had given Venus permission to say that".

Note also:


1. Mary: What a fantastic view!
George: You can say that again.

George said that she could say that again.
George agreed wholeheartedly.

2. Mary: Can I say, "I adore to speak French' in English?
George: You can say that, but ...

George said that she could say that, but ...
George said that it was possible, but...


3. Mary: So you just used me?
George: You could say that.

George said that she could say that.
George admitted that he had .


In each case, the red version gives the sense of the original words more closely than the blue, in my opinion, even though the blue words are closer to those of the original.

 

[Kristine May]

Thanks so much! I understood more clearly. :-D