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Indirect Speech

1. When changing direct speech to indirect speech, the verb tenses and pronouns need to be adjusted accordingly. Verb tenses change to the appropriate past form and pronouns change to refer to the correct person. 2. Expressions of time and place also need to be changed. Words like "now" become "then" and "today" becomes "that day". Place indicators like "here" change to "there" and demonstrative pronouns like "this" change to "that". 3. Paying attention to verb tenses, pronouns, time and place expressions is necessary when accurately changing direct speech to indirect speech in reported speech.

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168 views3 pages

Indirect Speech

1. When changing direct speech to indirect speech, the verb tenses and pronouns need to be adjusted accordingly. Verb tenses change to the appropriate past form and pronouns change to refer to the correct person. 2. Expressions of time and place also need to be changed. Words like "now" become "then" and "today" becomes "that day". Place indicators like "here" change to "there" and demonstrative pronouns like "this" change to "that". 3. Paying attention to verb tenses, pronouns, time and place expressions is necessary when accurately changing direct speech to indirect speech in reported speech.

Uploaded by

lckj
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1. Is the reporting verb in the past form (said, told,...

) you have to
change the tense.

Direct speech Indirect speech Direct Speech Indirect speech

Present simple Past simple go went

Present progressive Past progressive am/is/are going was/were going

Past simple Past perfect went had gone

Past progressive Past perfect was/were going had been going


progressive

Present perfect simple Past perfect has/have gone had gone

Present perfect Past perfect has/have been had been going


progressive progressive going

Future Conditional I will go would go

Example: Peter said: "Carol is a nice girl."

Peter said (that) Carol was a nice girl.


2. When you form the reported speech you have to pay attention
that the pronouns refer to the correct person.

Example
Susan said: "My parents are clever scientists."
s:
Susan said (that) her parents were clever scientists.

Tom said: "I like PE best."


Tom said (that) he liked PE best.

They said: "We went swimming with our friends."


They said (that) they had gone swimming with their
friend.

Betty said: "Sam told me the truth."


Betty said (that) Sam 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 they - their - we - our - us
them

You and your:

They told her / him / me / them / us: "George loves you."


They told her / him / me / them / us (that) George loved her / him / me /
them / us.

They told her / him / me / them / us: "George loves your sister."
They told her / him / me / them / us (that) George loved her / his / my /
their / our sister.

They told her / him / me / them / us: "You are clever."


They told her / him / me / them / us (that) she / he / I / they / we was / were
clever.
3. Expressions of time and place must also be changed.

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,...

next week, month,... the following week, month,...

Place here there

this that

these those

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