Reported Speech

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What is reported speech?

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

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How do you change present simple tense in reported speech?

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Present simple tense changes to past simple tense in reported speech. For example, 'I eat apples' becomes 'He said he ate apples.'

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What happens to future simple tense in reported speech?

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Future simple tense changes to 'would' in reported speech. For example, 'I will go' becomes 'He said he would go.'

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How do you report a question?

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To report a question, use a reporting verb like 'ask' and change the question format to a statement. For example, 'What is your name?' becomes 'He asked what my name was.'

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What is the rule for reporting commands or requests?

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When reporting commands or requests, use verbs like 'tell' or 'ask' and change the structure. For example, 'Close the door' becomes 'He told me to close the door.'

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How do you report a statement in the present continuous tense?

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Present continuous tense changes to past continuous tense in reported speech. For example, 'I am reading' becomes 'He said he was reading.'

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What is the significance of time expressions in reported speech?

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

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How do you report a statement with a modal verb?

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Modal verbs may change in reported speech. For example, 'can' changes to 'could,' and 'may' changes to 'might.' For instance, 'I can swim' becomes 'He said he could swim.'

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

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'Said' is used for general statements, while 'told' requires an object. For example, 'He said he was tired' vs. 'He told me he was tired.'

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How do you report a statement with a negative form?

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In reported speech, the negative form remains negative. For example, 'I do not like ice cream' becomes 'He said he did not like ice cream.'