What part of speech is “said”

'said' is a past form of the verb 'say.' When used as a verb, said generally carries the meaning of 'to speak or utter words' or 'to express in words'. It is typically used when making direct quotes, either by quoting a figure or expressing direct words from the speaker.

1. He said, 'I’ll be there in five minutes.'

2. She said that she had made the right decision.

3. 'Let’s meet later,' said the man.

Typically, a conjugation of the verb 'say' is used for direct quotes. Avoid using the base verb form of 'say' for direct quotes. Additionally, when quoting speech, the speaker’s words should be enclosed within quotation marks.