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CONDITIONS WHILE REPORTING A SENTENCE?

General rules regarding Reported Speech(Indirect Speech)

When we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech),Instead we use reported (indirect) speech. Let us examine the ways to transform various types of sentences into reported speech.

1.Statements.

When we report a statement, check whether we have to change:

    pronouns

    present tense verbs (3rd person singular)

    place and time expressions

    tenses (backshift)

Example:Direct speech:“I speak Engllish”

Reported speech with no backshift:He says that he speaks English.

Reported speech with backshift:He said that he spoke English.

2.Questions

When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

    pronouns

    present tense verbs (3rd person singular)

    place and time expressions

    tenses (backshift)

Also note that you have to:

    transform the question into an indirect question

    use the interrogative or if / whether

Type

Example

with interrogative

direct speech

“Why don’t you speak English?”

reported speech

He asked me why I didn’t speak English.

without interrogative

direct speech

“Do you speak English?”

reported speech

He asked me whether / if I spoke English.

3.Requests

While transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

  • pronouns

  • place and time expressions

Type

Example

direct speech

“Carol, speak English.“

reported speech

He told Carol to speak English.



Additional Information and Exeptions

Apart from the above mentioned basic rules, there are further aspects that you should keep in mind, for example:

  • main clauses connected with and / but

  • tense of the introductory clause

  • reported speech for difficult tenses

  • exeptions for backshift

  • requests with must, should, ought to and let’s



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