Here's how it works:
* Direct Speech: The speaker's exact words are quoted, usually enclosed in quotation marks.
* Example: "I am going to the store," she said.
* Reported Speech: The speaker's words are reported, but not directly quoted.
* Example: She said that she was going to the store.
Key features of reported speech:
* Reporting Verb: A verb like "said," "told," "asked," "replied," etc. is used to introduce the reported speech.
* Tense Change: The tense of the verb in the original speech may be changed in reported speech. For example, "I am going" becomes "she was going."
* Pronoun Changes: Pronouns might change to reflect the perspective of the reporter. For example, "I" might become "she."
* Time and Place Changes: Words like "here" and "now" might need to be changed to "there" and "then" depending on the context.
Example:
* Direct speech: "I love pizza," John said.
* Reported speech: John said that he loved pizza.
Notice:
* The reporting verb "said" introduces the reported speech.
* The tense changed from "love" to "loved."
* The pronoun "I" changed to "he."
Reported speech is a useful tool for conveying information about what someone said without necessarily repeating their exact words.