How to Make Reported Speech
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. To transform direct speech into reported speech, you need to make several changes:
1. Change the Tense:
* Present Tense: If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tense of the reported verb usually stays the same.
* Direct: "I am going to the store," she said.
* Reported: She says she is going to the store.
* Past Tense: If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported verb usually shifts back one step.
* Direct: "I am going to the store," she said.
* Reported: She said she was going to the store.
2. Change the Pronouns:
* The pronouns in the reported speech need to reflect the perspective of the reporter.
* Direct: "I love your new dress," he said to her.
* Reported: He told her he loved her new dress.
3. Change Time and Place Adverbs:
* Words like "today," "tomorrow," "here," "there," "this," "that," etc., need to be adjusted based on the context of the reported speech.
* Direct: "I'll meet you here tomorrow," she said.
* Reported: She said she would meet him there the next day.
4. Change the Reporting Verb:
* Depending on the context, you might need to use different reporting verbs like "said," "told," "asked," "replied," "explained," etc.
* Direct: "Can you please pass the salt?" he asked.
* Reported: He asked her to pass the salt.
5. Use "that" or "if/whether" to introduce the reported clause:
* Direct: "I'm tired," he said.
* Reported: He said (that) he was tired.
* Direct: "Will you go with me?" she asked.
* Reported: She asked if/whether he would go with her.
Examples:
* Direct: "I'm going to the beach," she said.
* Reported: She said that she was going to the beach.
* Direct: "Where are you going?" he asked.
* Reported: He asked where she was going.
* Direct: "Do you like pizza?" she asked him.
* Reported: She asked him if he liked pizza.
Important Notes:
* Reported speech is not always a direct translation. Sometimes, you need to slightly adjust the meaning to maintain the original intention.
* Use a comma after the reporting verb in a reported speech sentence.
* You can use 'that' after the reporting verb if you want to, but it's not always necessary.
Practice makes perfect! The more you practice, the better you'll become at using reported speech.