Reporting Speech: A Comprehensive Guide
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way to convey what someone said without directly quoting them. It involves changing the original sentence structure and verb tenses. Here's a step-by-step guide:
1. Introduce the speaker and the reporting verb:
* Use a reporting verb like "said", "told", "asked", "replied", "explained", "added", etc.
* Add a phrase introducing the speaker: "He said", "She told me", "They asked", etc.
2. Change the verb tense:
* Present Simple: Usually becomes Past Simple (e.g., "I like ice cream" becomes "He said he liked ice cream.")
* Present Continuous: Usually becomes Past Continuous (e.g., "I'm watching TV" becomes "She said she was watching TV.")
* Present Perfect: Usually becomes Past Perfect (e.g., "I have finished my homework" becomes "He said he had finished his homework.")
* Past Simple: Usually becomes Past Perfect (e.g., "I went to the cinema" becomes "She said she had gone to the cinema.")
* Future Simple: Usually becomes conditional (e.g., "I will go to the park" becomes "He said he would go to the park.")
3. Change pronouns and time/place references:
* Pronouns: Adjust pronouns to reflect the new speaker's perspective. For example, "I" might become "he" or "she".
* Time and Place: Change time and place references accordingly. For example, "tomorrow" might become "the next day", and "here" might become "there".
4. Use conjunctions for different reporting verbs:
* "said" is usually followed by "that" (e.g., "He said that he was tired.")
* "asked" is usually followed by "if" or "whether" for yes/no questions, and by "why", "what", etc. for wh-questions.
* "told" often takes a direct object (e.g., "He told me that he was going to the store.")
Example:
Direct Speech: "I am going to the store", she said.
Reported Speech: She said she was going to the store.
Here are some further details:
* No change in tense: Sometimes, if the reported speech expresses a general truth or something that is still true, the tense may not change (e.g., "The Earth is round" becomes "He said the Earth is round.")
* Interrogative sentences: Change the word order and add "if" or "whether" for yes/no questions, or use the appropriate wh-word for wh-questions (e.g., "Are you hungry?" becomes "He asked if/whether I was hungry.").
* Imperative sentences: Use "to" infinitive for commands (e.g., "Go to bed!" becomes "He told me to go to bed.").
* Exclamations: Report exclamations using "that" or "how" (e.g., "It's hot!" becomes "He said that it was hot.")
Practicing reported speech is key! The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become with the rules and exceptions.