Reported speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way to express what someone else has said without quoting them directly. In reported speech, you usually shift the tense back and change pronouns and other words as necessary to fit the context of the reporting.

Here are some examples to illustrate the changes:

Direct Speech to Reported Speech Transformations:

Statements:

• Direct Speech: He said, "I am going to the      store."
• Reported Speech: He said (that) he was going to the store.

Questions:

• Direct Speech: She asked, "Do you like pizza?"
• Reported Speech: She asked if I liked pizza.

Commands/Requests:

• Direct Speech: She said, "Close the door."
• Reported Speech: She asked me to close the door.

Key Changes in Reported Speech:

1. Tense Shift:
   • Present simple changes to past simple:
     • Direct: "I like ice cream."
     • Reported: He said he liked ice cream.
   • Present continuous changes to past       continuous:
     • Direct: "I am eating lunch."
     • Reported: She said she was eating lunch.
   • Present perfect changes to past perfect:
     • Direct: "I have finished my        homework."
     • Reported: He said he had finished his homework.
   • Past simple changes to past perfect:
     • Direct: "I saw the movie."
     • Reported: She said she had seen the movie.

1. Pronoun Changes:
   • Direct: "I will call you tomorrow," he said to me.
   • Reported: He said he would call me the next day.

1. Time and Place Changes:
   • Now → then
   • Today → that day
   • Tomorrow → the next day / the following       day
   • Yesterday → the day before / the previous       day
   • Here → there
   • This → that
   • These → those

Examples of Different Types of Sentences:

Statements:

• Direct: "I can help you with your project," she said.
• Reported: She said she could help me with my      project.

Questions:

• Direct: "When will the meeting start?" he asked.
• Reported: He asked when the meeting would start.

Commands/Requests:

• Direct: "Please, sit down," the teacher said.
• Reported: The teacher asked us to sit down.

Exceptions:

Sometimes, the tense does not change if the reporting verb is in the present tense:

• Direct: "I am tired," he says.
• Reported: He says (that) he is tired.

Remember that reported speech is not just about changing words; it's about conveying the meaning of what was originally said in a different context.