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Can you please explain how the verbs are changed in a reported speech?

Your friends have helped you tremendously to understand the concept. Hope that was helpful to a great extent.


 

Various rules to convert direct into reported speech are:

  • A simple present becomes a simple past;

  • A present continuous becomes a past continuous;

  • A present perfect becomes a past perfect.

  • The 'shall' of the Future tense is changed into 'should'.

  • The 'will' of the Future tense is changed into 'would' or 'should'.

  • The pronouns of the Direct speech are changed wherever necessary, so that their relations with the reporter and his hearer, rather than with the original speaker, are indicated.

  • Words expressing nearness in time or place are generally changed into words expressing distance. For instance, now becomes then, ago becomes before, tomorrow becomes the nest day and last night becomes the night before.

  • The tenses may not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a universal truth.

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TenseDirect SpeechReported Speech
present simple“I like ice cream”She said (that) she liked ice cream.
present continuous“I am living in London”She said she was living in London.
past simple“I bought a car”She said she had bought a car OR She said she bought a car.
past continuous“I was walking along the street”She said she had been walking along the street.
present perfect“I haven't seen Julie”She said she hadn't seen Julie.
past perfect*“I had taken English lessons before”She said she had taken English lessons before.
will“I'll see you later”She said she would see me later.
would*“I would help, but..”She said she would help but...
can“I can speak perfect English”She said she could speak perfect English.
could*“I could swim when I was four”She said she could swim when she was four.
shall“I shall come later”She said she would come later.
should*“I should call my mother”She said she should call her mother
might*"I might be late"She said she might be late
must"I must study at the weekend"She said she must study at the weekend OR She said she had to study at the weekend
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thumbs up puvi! hv u prepared fr maths?

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here's ur answer abt changes in the verb!

  • simple present becomes a simple past;

  • A present continuous becomes a past continuous;

  • A present perfect becomes a past perfect.

  • The 'shall' of the Future tense is changed into 'should'.

  • The 'will' of the Future tense is changed into 'would' or 'should'.

  • The pronouns of the Direct speech are changed wherever necessary, so that their relations with the reporter and his hearer, rather than with the original speaker, are indicated.

  • Words expressing nearness in time or place are generally changed into words expressing distance. For instance, now becomes then, ago becomes before, tomorrow becomes the nest day and last night becomes the night before.

  • The tenses may not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a universal truth.

hope this helps!!!! thumbs up if it does!!!!!!

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 If the reporting verb is in the present then the speech verb will not change,

eg. Sara says,"Dinner is ready". Here 'says' is the reporting verb and 'is' is the speech verb.

But if the reporting sentence expresses a universal truth/fact then the reporting verb does not change, eg. The teacher said," Honesty is the best policy." This becomes: The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.

If the reporting veb is in the past then the speech verb will change according to the following rules:

  • Simple present becomes Simple past, eg.she sings. becomes she sang .  
  • Present continuous becomes Past continuous, eg. they are dancing becomes they were dancing
  • Present perfect becomes Past perfect,eg. he has painted becomes he had painted
  • Present perfect continuous becomes Past perfect continuous,eg.she has been cooking becomes she had been cooking.
  • Simple past becomes Past perfect, eg.he watched becomes he had watched
  • Past continuous becomes Past perfect continuous , eg. they were cleaning becomes they had beeen cleaning.

If the reporting verb is in the past, then:

Shall becomes should , Will becomes would

Can becomes could , May becomes might

Must becomes had to/ would have to/ must

Now become Then , This becomes That

These becomes Those  , Here becomes There

Ago becomes Before , Today becomes That day

Tomorrow becomes The next day  ,Yesterday becomes The day before

Last year becomes The year before

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