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RULES ON CHANGING DIRECT SPEECH TO INDIRECT OR REPORTED SPEECH

Direct Speech simple present He said, I go to school every day. simple past He said, I went to school every day. present perfect He said, I have gone to school every day. present progressive He said, I am going to school every day. past progressive He said, I was going to school every day. future (will) He said, I will go to school every day. future (going to) He said, I am going to school every day. Indirect Speech simple past He said (that) he went to school every day. past perfect He said (that) he had gone to school every day. past perfect He said (that) he had gone to school every day. past progressive He said (that) he was going to school every day. perfect progressive He said (that) he had been going to school every day, would + verb name He said (that) he would go to school every day. present progressive He said (that) he is going to school every day. past progressive He said (that) he was going to school every day Direct Speech Indirect Speech

auxiliary + verb name simple past He said, Do you go to He asked me if I went to school school every day? every day.* He said, Where do you go He asked me where I went to to school? school. imperative infinitive He said, Go to school every He said to go to school day. every day.

Note than when a Yes/No question is being asked in direct speech, then a construction with if or whether is used. If a WH question is being asked, then use the WH to introduce the clause. Also note that with indirect speech, these are examples of embedded questions. WH- QUESTION PRESENT My friend said, "How are you?" PRESENT PROGRESSIVE My friend said, "Where are you going?" PAST My friend said, " Whom did you call?" PAST PROGRESSVE My friend said, " Whom I was calling?" PRESENT PERFECT My friend said, " Where have you been?" PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSVE My friend said, VERB TENSE CHANGE PAST My friend asked how I was. PAST PROGRESSIVE My friend asked where I was going. PAST PERFECT My friend asked whom I had called. PAST PERFECT PROGRESSVE My friend asked whom I had been calling. PAST PERFECT My friend asked where I had been. PAST PERFECT PROGRESSVE

" How have you been My friend asked how I had doing?" been doing. PRESENT - GENERAL TRUTH PRESENT - GENERAL TRUTH My friend asked where Venus is.

My friend said, "Where is Venus?"

The situation changes if instead of the common said another part of the very to say is used. In that case the verb tenses usually remain the same. Some examples of this situation are given below. Direct Speech simple present + simple present He says, I go to school every day. present perfect + simple present He has said, I go to school every day. past progressive + simple past He was saying, I went to school every day. Indirect Speech simple present + simple present He says (that) he goes to school every day. present perfect + simple present He has said (that) he goes to school every day. past progressive + simple past He was saying (that) he went to school every day. past progressive + past perfect He was saying (that) he had gone to school every day. future + simple present He will say (that) he goes to school every day.

future + simple present He will say, I go to school every day.

Another situation is the one in which modal constructions are used. If the verb said is used, then the form of the modal, or another modal that has a past meaning is used.

Direct Speech can He said, I can go to school every day. may He said, I may go to school every day.

Indirect Speech could He said (that) he could go to school every day. might He said (that) he might go to

might He said, I might go to school every day.

school every day.

must had to He said, I must go to school He said (that) he had to go to every day. school every day. have to He said, I have to go to school every day. should He said, I should go to school every day. ought to He said, I ought to go to school every day. should He said (that) he should go to school every day. ought to He said (that) he ought to go to school every day

Source: http://www.athabascau.ca/courses/engl/155/support/direct_and_in direct_speech.htm Practice 1 1. "What did she say?" He asked me____________. 2. "Where are you going?" They asked me _______________. 3. "What time is it?" Can you tell me _______________? 4. "How old are you?" I'd rather not say _______________. 5. "When are you leaving?" Please let me know ___________________.

6. "What color are you painting your room?" Would you tell me ____________________. 7. "How much do you pay for tuition?" Would you mind telling me _________________. 8. "How many times have you seen that movie?" They asked me ________________________. 9. "Who is coming for dinner?" I would like to know ____________________. 10. "Who did they choose to lead the group?" Can you tell me Source: http://gocsm.net/sevas/esl/gramcheck/nounclause1.html

ANSWERS: 1. She asked me what she had said. 2. They asked me where I was going. 3. Can you tell me what time it is? 4. Id rather not say how old I am. 5. Please let me know when you are leaving. 6. Would you tell me what color you are painting your room? 7. Would you mind telling me how much you pay for tuition? 8. They asked me how many times I had seen that movie. 9. I would like to know who is coming for dinner. 10. Can you tell me who they chose to lead the group.

Practice 2 1. My dad asked me, 'Have you finished reading the newspaper?'

a. He asked me if had I finished reading the newspaper. b. He asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper. c. He asked me if I finished reading the newspaper.

2. Martin said, 'I want to visit my friends this weekend.' a. Martin said he wants to visit his friends that weekend. b. Martin said he wanted to visit his friends that weekend. c. Martin said he wanted to visit his friends this weekend. 3. Jarryd said, 'I'm studying English a lot at the moment.' a. Jarryd said he was studying English a lot at that moment. b. Jarryd said he was studying English a lot at the moment. c. Jarryd said I was studying English a lot at that moment. 4. Joannes parents said, 'We've lived here for a long time.' a. They said they have lived there for a long time. b. They said they lived here for a long time. c. They said they had lived there for a long time. 5. Joseph said, 'I must get going. Otherwise, I'm going to be late.' a. He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late. b. He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, I was going to be late. c. He told me he has to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late. 6. 'I get up every morning at seven o'clock.', Miles said. a. Miles said he got up every morning at seven o'clock. b. Miles said I got up every morning at seven o'clock. c. Miles said he had got up every morning at seven o'clock. 7. Chiara reassured me, 'I can come tonight.' a. Chiara told me I could come that night. b. Chiara told me she could come that night. c. Chiara told me she could come tomorrow evening. 8. Anna said, 'I really wish I had bought that new car.'

a. She told me she really wished she bought that new car. b. She told me she really had wished she had bought that new car. c. She told me she really wished she had bought that new car. 9. Luis said, 'He must be guilty!' a. Luis said he must have been guilty. b. Luis said he must have be guilty. c. Luis said he must has been guilty. 10. Gela asked her, 'How long have you lived here?' a. Gela asked her how long she has lived there. b. Gela asked her how long she lived there. c. Gela asked her how long she had lived there.

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