Reported speech

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What is reported speech?

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Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of conveying what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. It often involves changes in pronouns, verb tenses, and time expressions.

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How do you change the verb tense in reported speech?

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In reported speech, the verb tense usually shifts back one tense. For example, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous, etc.

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What is the reported speech form of 'He said, "I am going to the store."'?

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He said that he was going to the store.

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How do you report a command or request?

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To report a command or request, use verbs like 'tell', 'ask', or 'order' followed by 'to' + base form of the verb. For example, 'She said, "Close the door."' becomes 'She told me to close the door.'

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What is the reported speech form of 'She said, "I will help you."'?

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She said that she would help me.

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How do you report a question?

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When reporting a question, change the question into a statement and use 'if' or 'whether' for yes/no questions. For example, 'He asked, "Are you coming?"' becomes 'He asked if I was coming.'

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What is the difference between 'said' and 'told' in reported speech?

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'Said' is used when reporting speech without a direct object, while 'told' requires a direct object. For example, 'He said that...' vs. 'He told me that...'

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How do you report a statement with a time expression?

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Time expressions often change in reported speech. For example, 'today' becomes 'that day', 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day', and 'yesterday' becomes 'the day before'.

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What is the reported speech form of 'They said, "We are leaving now."'?

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They said that they were leaving then.

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How do you report a suggestion?

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To report a suggestion, use verbs like 'suggest' or 'advise'. For example, 'He said, "You should try this."' becomes 'He suggested that I should try that.'