〜と言(い)っていた

said that

Reports what someone said: "(they) said that…".

Readings

How to form it

Put the quote before と言(い)っていた. A reported quote uses the plain form: 明日(あした)来(く)ると言(い)っていた (they said they'd come tomorrow).
An exact quote goes in 「」: 友達(ともだち)が「おいしい」と言(い)っていた.
言(い)っていた is the usual choice for passing on what someone told you; 言(い)った focuses on the moment they said it.

彼(かれ)は明日(あした)来(く)ると言(い)っていました。

He said he'd come tomorrow.

友達(ともだち)が「おいしい」と言(い)っていた。

My friend said it was good.

The tense inside the quote stays as it was said: 行(い)くと言(い)っていた means they said "I'll go".

How it comes back in Isori

One sentence, four ways to recall it. Isori writes sentences like this from the grammar you’re on and the words due that day.

ReadListenWriteSpeak

Read it, then say what it means.

友達(ともだち)が「おいしい」と言(い)っていた。

Check

My friend said it was good.

Listen, then say what you heard.

Check

友達(ともだち)が「おいしい」と言(い)っていた。

My friend said it was good.

Write it in Japanese.

My friend said it was good.

Show an answer

友達(ともだち)が「おいしい」と言(い)っていた。

Say it aloud in Japanese.

My friend said it was good.

Show an answer

友達(ともだち)が「おいしい」と言(い)っていた。

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