Reported (= Indirect) speech & Direct speech (Part 2)
Reported speech is the reporting verb in the form of the past (said, told, asked, questioned, ordered...)
The tense has got to be changed
Direct speech Indirect speech
Present simple Past simple
Present progressive Past progressive
Past simple Past perfect
Past progressive Past perfect progressive
Present perfect Past perfect
Present perfect progressive Past perfect progressive
Future simple Past future
Example: (Present simple) Teacher said, "Sally is a nice girl." > (Past simple) Teacher said that Sally was a nice girl.
Don't change these verbs: might, could, would, should
Example: She said, "I might come late." She said (that) she might come late.
It isn't necessary to change the present tense into the past tense if the information in the direct speech is still true or a general statement.
Examples:
Yadi said, "My sister is a midwife." > Yadi said (that) his sister is (was) a midwife.
He told us, "The earth goes round the sun." He told us that the sun goes (went) round the sun.
When you form the reported speech you have got to pay attention that the pronouns refer to the right people.
Examples:
Rizal said, "My parents are diligent farmers."
> Rizal said (that) his parents were diligent farmers.
Putri said, "I like English best."
> Putri said (that) she liked English best.
They said, "We went camping with our friends."
> They said (that) they had gone camping with their friends.
Bella said, "Lulu told me the truth."
> Bella said (that) Lulu had told her the truth.
Direct speech > Indirect speech
She said I - my - me she - her - her
He said I - my - me he - his - him
They said we - our - us they - their - them
You and your:
They told her / him / me / them / us, "Suhesti likes you."
They told her / him / me / them / us (that) Suhesti liked her / him / me / them / us.
They told her / him / me / them / us,"Suhesti likes your room mate."
They told her / him / me / them / us (that) Suhesti likes her / his / my / their / our brother.
They told her / him / me / them / us,"You are generous ."
They told her / him / me / them / us (that) she / he / I / they / we was / were generous.
Expressions of time and place - we have to change them.
Direct speech Indirect speech
Time
now then
today that day
yesterday the day before
tomorrow the next / following day
last week, month,... the previous week, month,... / the week, month,... before
next week, month,... the following week, month,...
a (week,...) ago a (week,...) before
Place
here there
this that
these those
Example: She said, "I have already seen Hanif today."
She said (that) she had already seen Hanif that day.
Reported Questions
If there is a question word we keep it.
Examples:
They asked me, "Where is the next mini market?"
> They asked me where the next mini market was.
She asked them, "How often do you play computer games?"
> She asked them how often they played computer games.
If there is no question word we start the reported speech with if or whether
Examples:
She asked me, "Do you hate cats?"
> She asked me if/whether I hated cats.
We asked them, "Did you arrive in time?"
> We asked them if/whether they had arrived in time.
Reported Requests
If someone asks you in a polite way use (not) to + infinitive
Examples:
She asked him, "Can you open the window, please?"
> She asked him to open the window.
She asked them, "Stay with me, please."
> She asked them to stay with her.
Reported Orders
If someone doesn't ask you politely or gives you an order use (not) to + infinitive
Examples:
He told me, "Be quiet!"
> He told me to be quiet.
She told us, "Don't go out without permission!"
> She told us not to go out without permission.
That is all. I thank you for reading it. Hopefully, it will be helpful for the readers to elevate their knowledge of English but I realize that there might have been several mistakes in the process of writing it and I will be glad if there are a few critics and suggestions in order to make it better,
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