Reported Speech

 

Reported Speech-command, statement, question 

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, refers to the act of reporting what someone else has said without quoting them directly. When converting a direct statement or question into reported speech, certain changes need to be made in terms of verb tense, pronouns, and word order. Let's explore reported speech for commands, statements, and questions with examples:

1. Commands:

   - Direct speech: "Come here," he said.

   - Reported speech: He told me to come there.

   - Direct speech: "Don't touch that," she said.

   - Reported speech: She told me not to touch that.

   - Direct speech: "Please, be quiet," the teacher said.

   - Reported speech: The teacher asked us to be quiet.

In reported speech for commands, the reporting verb is often changed to "tell," "ask," or "order." The reporting verb is followed by an object pronoun and the infinitive form of the verb. The word "to" is used before the verb in affirmative commands, and "not to" is used in negative commands.

2. Statements:

   - Direct speech: "I am a doctor," she said.

   - Reported speech: She said that she was a doctor.

   - Direct speech: "He likes to play basketball," they said.

   - Reported speech: They said that he liked to play basketball.

   - Direct speech: "We have been waiting for an hour," he said.

   - Reported speech: He said that they had been waiting for an hour.

In reported speech for statements, the reporting verb is often changed to "say," "tell," or "inform." The tense of the verb is also usually shifted back (e.g., from present to past) to reflect the time when the original statement was made.

3. Questions:

   - Direct speech: "What time is it?" she asked.

   - Reported speech: She asked what time it was.

   - Direct speech: "Have you seen my keys?" he asked.

   - Reported speech: He asked if I had seen his keys.

   - Direct speech: "Will you come with me?" they asked.

   - Reported speech: They asked if I would come with them.

In reported speech for questions, the reporting verb is often changed to "ask" or "inquire." The question word order is also often changed, and the verb tense might shift depending on the context and the time referred to in the original question.

I hope these examples help you understand the basics of reported speech for commands, statements, and questions. If you have any further questions or need more examples, feel free to ask!