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Practice Reported Speech Grammar Explanation
Reported Speech (also called indirect speech) is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. When we change from direct speech to reported speech, we typically shift the tense back, change pronouns, and adjust time and place expressions. This skill is essential for retelling conversations, writing news articles, and summarizing what others have said.
The main reporting verbs are say and tell, but others like ask, explain, suggest, and advise are also common. When the reporting verb is in past tense, the tense in the reported clause usually shifts back one step. Understanding these tense shifts and other changes is crucial for accurate reported speech.
Tense Shifts in Reported Speech
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | Past Simple | I am happy → She said she was happy. |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous | I am working → He said he was working. |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect | I have finished → She said she had finished. |
| Past Simple | Past Perfect | I went → He said he had gone. |
| Will | Would | I will help → She said she would help. |
| Can | Could | I can swim → He said he could swim. |
Time and Place Changes
- Time Expressionstoday → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, now → then, this week → that week
- Place Expressionshere → there, this → that, these → those
- Pronoun ChangesI → he/she, my → his/her, we → they, our → their
Say vs Tell
Say is used without an object: She said she was tired. Tell requires an object: She told me she was tired. Never say: She said me.
Interactive practice and exercise for Reported Speech grammar. Master indirect speech and tense shifting with this comprehensive exercise.
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