GRAMMAR : REPORTED SPEECH

 REPORTING

If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.

 Rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech 

Rule 1: The inverted commas which separate the reported speech from the rest of the sentence are dropped .

Rule 2: The conjunction 'that' is used in place of the inverted commas. 

Rule 3:The verb in the reported speech changes according to the tense of the reporting verb.

Exception :But if the reporting verb is in the present for the future tense, the tense of the verb in the reported speech.

Examples:

1.I say /said, “God is everywhere .”

I say/said that God is everywhere.

2.I said to him, “You are clever.” 

I said to him that he is clever. 

3.She will say to me,” I don't love you”.

She will say to me that she doesn't love me.

 

Rule 4: If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the verb in the reported speech is changed as under

A .Present Indefinite changes into Past Indefinite

B. Past Indefinite changes into Past Perfect 

C.Present Continuous changes into Past Continuous

D. Past Continuous changes into Past Perfect Continuous 

E. Present Perfect Continuous changes into Past Perfect 

Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous --- no change

 

Table of change of verb in the reported speech 

 

Verb	Past forms
Is,am	was
Are	were
Will go	Would go
Shall go	Should go
Can go	Could go
May go	Might go
Must go	Must go
Go,goes	Went
Has,have	Had
Did	Had done
Wrote	Had written
Went	Had
Had	Had had
Was,were	Had been

 Table of change of Pronouns

I	my	me
He	his	him
she	her	Her
You	your	you

  Change of Pronouns of the Second Person

She said to him	he	his	him
He said to them	they	their	them
They said to you	you	your	you
She said to me	I	My	Me

 Third person in the Reported speech doesn't change.

 Rule V: If the Reporting Speech expresses the Universal Truth or Habitual Fact,-- no change in reported verb.

 

Example : 1.You said, "I am an early bird."

                You said that you are an early bird."

 2.He said,"I take bath daily."

                He said that he takes bath daily.                   

3.I say," Light travels in a straight line."

I say that light travels in a straight line.

 

Rule VI : When the verb in the Reported Speech is changed into its corresponding past form, certain words expressing nearness in time ,place or manner are changed into those indicating distance.

 

Examples:

 

This - that

These - those

Here - there

Hither - thither

Now - today

Today - that day

Tonight - the same night

Ago - before

Tomorrow - the next day

Yesterday - the previous day

Last night- the previous night

Hereby- thereby

 

Assertive Sentences

 From Direct or Indirect Speech

(a) If 'said' is the Reported Verb it is changed into ‘told’. If it is not followed by an object ‘said’ need not be changed

(b) Use ‘that’ as conjunction

 Examples:

 1. Rama said to me ,"I saw Rajni yesterday ".

Rama told me that she had seen Rajni the previous day.

2. The teacher said," Boys you must work hard". 

The teacher advised the boys that they must work hard 

3.The teacher said to me,"You were absent on Tuesday".

The teacher told me that I had been absent on Tuesday.

 

Imperative sentences 

 Change "said to me" into

a.Ordered me, bade me, told me 

b. Requested me, begged me

c. advised me, forbade me, persuaded me

 Examples:

1. I said to her ,"Let us go out for shopping."

   I proposed to her that we should go out for shopping.

2. The teacher said to the peon," Let this boy go out."

The teacher ordered the peon to let that boy go out.

EXERCISES

Change the following from Direct to Indirect.

1. I said to my father,"Rama has broken my slate."

2. The farmer said to me,"I killed a snake yesterday."

3.The servant said,"My Master,I have told the truth."

4.We said, "We came home late  last night."

5.She said, "I will leave you now."

6. He said, "Metals expand when heated."

7.He says, "I have not finished my work yet."

8.She will say, "She is a shy girl."

Ans.

1. I told my father that Rama had broken my slate.

      2.The farmer told me that he had killed a snake the previous day.

      3.The servant told his master that his master that he had told the truth.

      4.We said that we had come home late the previous night.

      5.She said that she would leave me then.

      6.He said that metals expand when heated.

      7.He says that he has not finished his work yet.

      8.She will say that she is a shy girl.

CONVERSION OF INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES FROM DIRECT TO INDIRECT SPEECH

RULE :- Change the reported verb say or tell into ask or demand.If the answer of the question is in "yes" or "no",use  'if' or 'whether' as conjunctions.

EXAMPLES:

1.I said to him,"When will it rain?"

I asked him when it would rain.

2.She said to me,"Why do you read this book ?"

She asked me why I read that book.

3. He said to me,"What is your name?"

He asked me what my name was.

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