Page 119 - English Grammar - 6

Reported: Deepa told me that she had been waiting for you since 5 o’clock.
Simple past changes into Past Perfect

Direct: She said to me, “We stayed on hills throughout summers.”
Reported: She told me they had stayed on hills throughout summers.
Past continuous changes into past perfect continuous
Direct: Neha said to Pankaj, “I was waiting for your call.”
Reported: Neta told Pankaj that she had been waiting for his call.
The past perfect tense does not change in reported speech.

Direct: He said, “They had already eaten when I arrived.”
Reported: He said they had already eaten when he arrived.

R
Rememberemember
If the reported action still holds true, the tense need not change. For example:
Direct: She said to me, “I teach in this school.”
Reported: She told me that she teaches in that school.

Practice Time 1

Change the speech of these sentences from direct to indirect.
1. He said, “Julie doesn’t like going out much.”
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2. Rishi said, “They never arrive on time.”
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3. Ria said, “I don’t go to the gym very often.”
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4. Anuj said, “I never get up early on Sundays.”
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5. Ankit said, “We don’t travel much.”
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6. Meeta said, “We did not have time.”
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7. Neeti said, “They have left this town.”
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The words of nearness change into the words of distance. Direct and Indirect Speech

Words showing Words showing Words showing Words showing
nearness distance nearness distance
this that tonight that night

these those tomorrow the next day/ the
now then (generally omitted) following day
ago before yesterday the previous day/the
come go day before
here there last night the previous night

today that day last week the previous week

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