Understanding the Basics
* Direct Speech: The exact words spoken by someone, enclosed in quotation marks (" ").
* Example: "I am going to the store," she said.
* Reported Speech (Indirect Speech): A way to tell someone what another person said without using their exact words.
* Example: She said that she was going to the store.
Key Steps
1. Change the Verb Tense:
* Present tense in direct speech becomes past tense in reported speech.
* Direct: "I am happy," she said.
* Reported: She said that she was happy.
* Past tense in direct speech becomes past perfect in reported speech.
* Direct: "I went to the beach," he said.
* Reported: He said that he had gone to the beach.
* Future tense in direct speech becomes conditional in reported speech.
* Direct: "I will come tomorrow," she said.
* Reported: She said that she would come tomorrow.
2. Change Pronouns and Possessives:
* First-person pronouns (I, we, my, our) are changed to third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they, his, her, their).
* Direct: "My name is John," he said.
* Reported: He said that his name was John.
3. Change Time and Place References:
* Words like "here," "now," "today," and "tomorrow" may need to be changed based on the context.
* Direct: "I'll be here tomorrow," she said.
* Reported: She said that she would be there the next day.
4. Change the Reporting Verb:
* Choose a reporting verb that accurately reflects the speaker's tone and intent (e.g., said, asked, shouted, whispered, explained, etc.).
* Direct: "What time is it?" he asked.
* Reported: He asked what time it was.
5. Use the Conjunction "that" (Optional):
* The conjunction "that" is often used to introduce reported speech, but it's not always necessary.
* Direct: "I am tired," she said.
* Reported: She said (that) she was tired.
Important Considerations
* Tense Shift Exceptions: If the reported speech conveys a timeless truth or a habitual action, the tense may not need to change.
* Direct: "The Earth is round," the teacher said.
* Reported: The teacher said that the Earth is round.
* Reporting Verbs and Sentence Structure: The choice of reporting verb can affect the structure of the reported speech. For example, "asked" often requires a question structure.
Example
* Direct: "I saw a bird in the tree," John said.
* Reported: John said that he had seen a bird in the tree.
Practice makes perfect! The best way to master reported speech is to practice with various examples.