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Example:
They said, “We will be partying tonight.” (Direct Speech)
They said that they would be partying that night. (Indirect Speech)
Terms change from direct speech to indirect speech
Today – that day
Yesterday – the day before
Tomorrow – the next/following day
Next week/month/year – following week/month/year
Ago – before
This – that
Here – there
This/that – the
I – My
Me – Myself
We – Our
Us – Ourselves
You – Yours
You – Yourself
He – His
Him – Himself
She – Her
Her – Herself
They – Their
Them – Themselves
Now – then
Tonight – that night
Today – that day
Last night – previous night
Last week – previous week
Thus – so
Hither – Thither
Come – go
Rules of changing tense.
1. Simple present changes to simple past
2. Present continuous changes to past continuous
3. Present Perfect changes to past perfect
4. Present perfect continuous changes to past perfect pontinuous
5. Simple past changes to past perfect
6. Past continuous changes to Past perfect continuous
7. Will/shall changes to would
8. Can changes to could
9. May changes to might
Exceptions
1. When the reporting speech is universal truth, there is no change in the tense.
2. When the reporting speech states historical fact, there is no change in the tense.
3. When the reporting speech has two actions at a time, there is no change in the tense.
Direct: He said “My sister was making lunch when I was studying”
Indirect: He said that his sister was making lunch when she was studying.
4. When reporting speech is in subjunctive mood, tense does not change.
Direct: He said, “If I were rich, I would help him.”
Indirect: He said that if he were rich he would help him.
Exercises
A. Change the narrations.
1. “I’ll have a cup of tea,” my father said, “because I’m not hungry.
2. Pamela said, “Man is mortal.”
3. He said to me, “How long will you stay here?”
4. The man said to the officer, “Please help me.”
5. Choose the correct indirect speech: She asked me, “Are you happy in your new job?”
6. He remarked, “Two and two makes four.”
7. “Don’t waste time”, the teacher said to the students. The indirect form of the speech?
8. The indirect form of the sentence: John said to his mother, “I shall go to bed now.”
9. He said to me, “Let’s go home together.
10. Which one the correct narration: He said to me, “May you be happy.”
11. Put the following sentence into indirect narration: “You had better not leave your room unlocked”, said my friends.
12. The man said, “No, I refuse to confer guilt.”
13. To emphasize the point, emphatically is used.
14. “If you don’t keep quiet I shall punish you”, he said to her in a calm voice.
15. “Are you alone, my son?” asked a soft voice close behind me
16. Select the appropriate answer choice as directed for the following sentences. He said to her, “What a cold day!”
17. He exclaimed sadly that he was undone.
18. The indirect form of: Father said to me, “May you pass the examination” is_______.
19. The old man said to his son, “Fie! You are such a coward.”
20. I said to him, “If I were you, I should wait.” What does it mean?
21. She said to me , “I like you very much.”
22. I said to her, “Why do you like me ?”
23. Rudra said to Kinjal, “Are you stupid ?”
24. Kinjal said to her father, “Bring me a car.”
25. John said to me, “Do you know where he is ?”
26. She said,” What a tall boy you are !”
27. The students said, “Alas ! We are fail again.”
28. Kinjal said, “Hurrah! I have won the scholarship”
29. The teacher says, “Rose smells sweet .”
30. I said to him, “When I went there, he was sleeping.”
31. She said to me, “I had been waiting for you for two hours.”
32. I said, “Well, you have completed this task.”
33. Jessy said to Harley, “May I borrow your book?”
34. I said to my teacher, “Good morning, sir.”
35. Mona said to me, “You know me, don’t you?”
36. The wife said to her husband, “Why are you so downcast today?”
37. I said to him, “Where did you find this old postage stamp?”
38. Arun said, “Anil, why have you been away from the city so long?”
39. Rekha said, “Ram, do you know Gaurav’s address?”
40. The nurse asked the patient, “Don’t you feel better this morning?”
41. She said to herself, “How shall I prepare for my exam if there is a power failure?”
42. The eye surgeon said, “Can you read the last line there?”
43. The teacher said, “Girls, have you note down the questions?”
44. Aman asked Santosh, “Do you really want to leave your country and settle abroad?”
45. Ram said to his friends, “Why did you not send a message?”
