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 present tense verbs in Reported Speech?

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Present tense verbs are typically changed to past tense in Reported Speech. For example, 'He says' becomes 'He said'.

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What happens to future tense verbs in Reported Speech?

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Future tense verbs are usually changed 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 statement that uses 'now'?

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When reporting a statement that uses 'now', it is changed to 'then'. For example, 'I am here now' becomes 'He said he was there then'.

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What is the rule for reporting questions?

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When reporting questions, the structure changes from a question format to a statement format, and the verb tense is also adjusted. For example, 'Where are you?' becomes 'He asked where I was.'

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How do you report commands or requests?

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Commands or requests are reported using verbs like 'told' or 'asked' followed by an infinitive. For example, 'Close the door' becomes 'He told me to close the door'.

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What is the significance of pronoun changes in Reported Speech?

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Pronouns must be changed to reflect the perspective of the reporter. For example, 'I' may change to 'he' or 'she' depending on who is reporting.

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How do you report a statement that includes a time expression like 'today'?

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Time expressions change according to the context. 'Today' becomes 'that day', 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day', and 'yesterday' remains 'yesterday'.

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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 he was tired' vs. 'He told me he was tired'.

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How do you report a statement that includes 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'.