She’ll say, ‘ I can do it’. She’ll say she can do it.
‘The earth is round,’ The teacher said that the earth is round.
said the teacher.
Ø The Past Continuous does not usually change.
Example:
Direct speech: ‘I was travelling to Brighton while she was flying to the USA,’ he said.
Reported speech: He said he was travelling to Brighton while she was flying to the USA.
Ø Certain modal verbs do not change in Reported speech. These are: would, could, might, should, ought to.
Example:
Direct speech: ‘He might visit us,’ Mum said.
Reported speech: Mum said that he might visit us.
ü Reported Questions
Ø In Reported questions we use affirmative word order and the question mark is omitted. To report a Wh- question, we use ask followed by the question word (who, what, etc.). When there is no question word in direct questions, if or whether is used in Reported questions. Pronouns, possessive adjectives, tenses, time expressions etc. change as in statements.
Example:
Direct speech Reported speech:
He asked, ‘What time is it?’ He asked what time it was.
He asked me, ‘Do you know her?’ He asked me if/whether I knew her.
ü Reported Commands/ Requests/ Suggestions
Ø To report commands, requests, suggestions etc. we use a reporting verb (order, ask, tell, advise, offer, warn, beg, suggest etc.) followed by to –infinitive or not to –infinitive.
Example:
Direct speech Reported speech
He said to me, ‘ Stop talking!’ He told me to stop talking.
He said to me, ‘ Don’t touch it!’ He told me not to touch it.
POLICE OFFICER
MRS. CLARK
