Mastering Reported Speech

• Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to convey what someone else has said without using their exact words.
• It involves making changes to the original statement's grammar and structure to fit the context of the reporting verb.
• Mastering reported speech is essential for demonstrating good command of English grammar and communication skills.
• Multiple-choice questions are a common method of assessing understanding and application of reported speech rules.

Basic Principles of Reported Speech

• When changing direct speech into reported speech, the tense of the verb usually changes.
• If the reporting verb (e.g., 'said') is in the past tense, the verb in the reported clause typically moves one step back in time.
• For example, present simple becomes past simple, present continuous becomes past continuous, and so on.
• Pronouns and possessive adjectives often need to be changed to reflect the new perspective of the speaker.
• Time expressions (e.g., 'today', 'yesterday', 'tomorrow') and place expressions (e.g., 'here', 'there') may also need adjustment.

Tense Changes

• Present Simple to Past Simple: "I work here" becomes "He said he worked there."
• Present Continuous to Past Continuous: "I am watching TV" becomes "She said she was watching TV."
• Past Simple to Past Perfect: "I saw a movie" becomes "They said they had seen a movie."
• Present Perfect to Past Perfect: "I have eaten" becomes "He said he had eaten."
• Past Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous: "I was running" becomes "She mentioned she had been running."
• Past Perfect remains Past Perfect: "I had finished" becomes "He said he had finished."
• Will to Would: "I will go" becomes "She said she would go."
• Can to Could: "I can swim" becomes "He said he could swim."
• May to Might: "I may come" becomes "She said she might come."
• Must to Had to: "I must study" becomes "He said he had to study."

Pronoun Changes

• Pronouns change depending on who is speaking and who is being spoken about.
• I changes to he/she.
• Me changes to him/her.
• My changes to his/her.
• We changes to they.
• Us changes to them.
• Our changes to their.
• You changes depending on the context, could be to I, he, she, they etc.
• Your changes depending on the context, could be to my, his, her, their etc.

Time and Place Expression Changes

• Today changes to that day.
• Yesterday changes to the day before or the previous day.
• Tomorrow changes to the next day or the following day.
• Here changes to there.
• Now changes to then.
• Ago changes to before.
• Last week changes to the week before or the previous week.
• Next week changes to the following week or the week after.

Reporting Verbs

• Common reporting verbs include 'said', 'told', 'asked', 'stated', 'explained', 'mentioned', and 'claimed'.
• The choice of reporting verb can subtly change the meaning of the reported speech.
• For example, 'stated' implies a formal announcement, while 'mentioned' suggests a casual remark.
• 'Told' is used when the indirect object (the person being told) is specified: "She told me she was tired."
• 'Said' does not require an indirect object: "She said she was tired."
• Other Reporting Verbs: 'advised', 'suggested', 'ordered', 'warned', 'promised', 'agreed', 'refused'.
• Some reporting verbs require specific constructions, like 'suggested' followed by a gerund (verb + -ing).

Statements

• These are declarative sentences that convey information.
• The word 'that' is often used to introduce the reported clause, but it can be omitted.
• Example: Direct: "I am happy." Reported: She said (that) she was happy.

Questions

• Yes/No Questions: These are introduced by 'if' or 'whether'.
• Example: Direct: "Are you coming?" Reported: He asked if/whether I was coming.
• Wh- Questions (who, what, where, when, why, how): The question word is used to introduce the reported clause.
• Example: Direct: "Where are you going?" Reported: She asked where I was going.
• The word order in reported questions follows statement word order (subject + verb).
• Auxiliary verbs (do, does, did) are removed in reported questions.

Commands and Requests

• Commands and requests are typically reported using 'told' or 'asked' followed by an infinitive.
• Example: Direct: "Close the door!" Reported: He told me to close the door.
• Negative commands/requests use 'not to' before the infinitive.
• Example: Direct: "Don't be late!" Reported: She told me not to be late.
• Verbs like 'ordered', 'commanded', 'requested', 'begged', 'advised' can also be used.

Special Cases and Exceptions

• Universal Truths: If the original statement expresses a universal truth or a fact that is always true, the tense usually doesn't change.
• Example: Direct: "The Earth is round." Reported: He said that the Earth is round.
• Modal Verbs: 'Could', 'would', 'should', 'might', and 'ought to' usually do not change in reported speech.
• Example: Direct: "I should study." Reported: He said he should study.
• Conditional Sentences: The tense in type 2 and type 3 conditional sentences usually doesn't change in reported speech.
• Example: Direct: "If I were rich, I would travel." Reported: He said that if he were rich, he would travel.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Incorrect Tense Changes: Forgetting to shift the tense back when the reporting verb is in the past.
• Incorrect Pronoun Changes: Not adjusting pronouns to match the new perspective.
• Mixing Direct and Indirect Speech: Failing to fully convert the original statement into reported speech.
• Omitting 'That': While 'that' is often optional, its omission can sometimes lead to confusion or ambiguity.
• Errors with Questions: Not changing the word order in reported questions or failing to use 'if' or 'whether' for yes/no questions.

Strategies for Multiple Choice Questions

• Read the Original Sentence Carefully: Understand the tense, pronouns, and context of the direct speech.
• Identify the Reporting Verb: Note the tense of the reporting verb, as this determines the necessary tense changes.
• Eliminate Incorrect Options: Rule out choices that do not follow the rules of tense, pronoun, and time/place expression changes.
• Pay Attention to Detail: Look for subtle differences between the options, such as incorrect reporting verbs or misused pronouns.
• Consider Special Cases and Exceptions: Be aware of universal truths, modal verbs, and other exceptions to the standard rules.
• Double-Check Your Answer: Ensure that the chosen option makes sense grammatically and contextually.

Examples of Multiple Choice Questions

• Direct: "I will call you tomorrow," she said.
• Reported: She said that she ____ me the next day.
  • A) will call
  • B) would call
  • C) called
  • D) is calling
• Direct: "Where is the station?" he asked.
• Reported: He asked ____ the station was.
  • A) where is
  • B) where was
  • C) where the
  • D) where
• Direct: "Don't forget your keys!" she told me.
• Reported: She told me ____ my keys.
  • A) don't forget
  • B) not to forget
  • C) to not forget
  • D) I don't forget

Practice and Review

• Regular practice is important to master reported speech.
• Review the rules and examples periodically.
• Pay attention to detail and practice with a variety of sentences.
• Practice multiple-choice questions to become proficient in identifying correct reported speech.
• Focus on understanding not just rote memorization of rules.