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Questions and Answers
Also known as indirect discourse or ______ speech, indirect speech is a way of reporting what someone has said without using their exact words.
Also known as indirect discourse or ______ speech, indirect speech is a way of reporting what someone has said without using their exact words.
oblique
When reporting speech, the ______ of the original sentence often changes.
When reporting speech, the ______ of the original sentence often changes.
tense
According to the backshift of tenses, Present Simple in direct speech usually becomes ______ in indirect speech.
According to the backshift of tenses, Present Simple in direct speech usually becomes ______ in indirect speech.
Past Simple
In indirect speech, Future Simple in direct speech usually becomes ______.
In indirect speech, Future Simple in direct speech usually becomes ______.
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If the original speech is still true or relevant, the ______ of the original speech may not change.
If the original speech is still true or relevant, the ______ of the original speech may not change.
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If the reporting verb is in the ______, the tense of the original speech may not change.
If the reporting verb is in the ______, the tense of the original speech may not change.
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Study Notes
Reported Speech
Indirect Speech
- Also known as indirect discourse or oblique speech
- A way of reporting what someone has said without using their exact words
- Often uses verbs like "said", "told", "asked", "ordered", etc. to introduce the reported speech
- The reported speech is usually in a different grammatical form than the original speech
Tenses in Reported Speech
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Backshift of Tenses: When reporting speech, the tense of the original sentence often changes
- Direct speech: "I am going to the store."
- Indirect speech: "She said she was going to the store."
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General Rules:
- Present Simple → Past Simple
- Past Simple → Past Perfect
- Present Perfect → Past Perfect
- Past Perfect → Past Perfect
- Future Simple → Conditional
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Exceptions:
- If the original speech is still true or relevant, the tense may not change
- If the reporting verb is in the present, the tense of the original speech may not change
Reported Speech
Indirect Speech
- Indirect speech is a way of reporting what someone has said without using their exact words
- It is also known as indirect discourse or oblique speech
- Verbs like "said", "told", "asked", and "ordered" are commonly used to introduce the reported speech
- The reported speech often takes a different grammatical form than the original speech
Tenses in Reported Speech
Backshift of Tenses
- In reported speech, the tense of the original sentence often changes
- The purpose of backshift is to maintain the original timeline and logical connection between the reported speech and the time of reporting
General Rules for Backshift of Tenses
- Present Simple → Past Simple
- Past Simple → Past Perfect
- Present Perfect → Past Perfect
- Past Perfect → Past Perfect
- Future Simple → Conditional
Exceptions to the Backshift Rule
- If the original speech is still true or relevant, the tense may not change
- If the reporting verb is in the present, the tense of the original speech may not change
- This allows the reported speech to retain its original meaning and significance
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Description
Test your understanding of reported speech, also known as indirect discourse, and how to change verb tenses when reporting what someone has said.
