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 pronouns, verb tenses, and time expressions.

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How do you change present tense to past tense in reported speech?

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In reported speech, present tense verbs are usually changed to past tense. For example, 'He says' becomes 'He said'.

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What happens to modal verbs in reported speech?

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Modal verbs may change in reported speech. For example, 'must' changes to 'had to', and 'can' changes to 'could'.

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How do you report a question?

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When reporting a question, the structure changes from a question format to a statement format. For example, 'Where is he?' becomes 'He asked where he was.'

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What is the rule for pronouns in reported speech?

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Pronouns often change to reflect the perspective of the speaker. For example, 'I' may change to 'he' or 'she'.

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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 'to' + base form of the verb. For example, 'Close the door' becomes 'He told me to close the door.'

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What is the difference between direct and reported speech?

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Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken, while reported speech paraphrases those words.

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How do you report a statement in the past tense?

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When reporting a statement in the past tense, the verb tense usually shifts back one tense. For example, 'I am happy' becomes 'He said he was happy.'

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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, 'now' changes to 'then', and 'today' changes to 'that day'.

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How do you handle questions with 'wh' words in reported speech?

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Questions starting with 'wh' words (who, what, where, when, why) are reported by changing the structure to a statement. For example, 'What are you doing?' becomes 'She asked what I was doing.'