Sir / ma'am Can you please explain me reported speech ( dialogue conversation) of higher level around of class 9 for the sake of my second level of English Olympiad
Form
- In reported speech we usually report what was said at a different time, and so we change the tense to reflect the time which we are reporting. We normally “shift back” one tense.
- Direct speech: “I’m not playing football.”
Reported later: “He said that he wasn’t playing football.”
- Direct speech: “I’m not playing football.”
- Sometimes the pronoun needs to be changed.
- Direct speech: Jane: “I don’t like living here.” (Jane is referring to herself)
Reported speech: Jane said (that) she didn’t like living here. (The pronoun she refers to Jane)
- Direct speech: Jane: “I don’t like living here.” (Jane is referring to herself)
- Other words about place and time may also need to be changed.
- Direct speech: “I like this car.”
Reported speech: He said (that) he liked that car. - Direct speech: “I went to Tokyo last week.”
Reported speech: She said (that) she’d been to Tokyo the week before.
- Direct speech: “I like this car.”
We use reported speech to tell someone what another person said:
- Jim says to you:
“I don’t feel well.”
“I can’t drive.”
“My parents have gone on holiday.”
“I’m going out now so you will have to wait until I get back.”
“I’ll help you.”Later, you tell your friend what Jim said:
Jim said (that) he didn’t feel well.
He said (that) he couldn’t drive.
He said (that) his parents had gone on holiday.
He said (that) he was going out now so I would have to wait until he got back.
He said that he would help me.
- If we report something which is still true, it is not necessary to change the verb.
- Direct speech: “My car is bigger than yours.”
- Reported speech: He said his car is/was bigger than mine.
- When we are reporting past tenses and we see the events from the same viewpoint as the original speaker, it is not necessary to change the tense.
- Direct speech: “The earthquake happened at half past seven.”
- Reported speech: The radio said that the earthquake happened at half past seven.
- Modal verbs could, might, would, should, ought, had better usually do not change in reported speech.
- Direct speech: “I should go to the dentist.”
- Reported speech: He said that he should go to the dentist.