Page 139 - English Grammar - 8

They said, “We will come tonight.” (direct speech)
O
They said that they would come that night. (indirect speech)

The pronoun or the subject in the reported speech changes according to the pronoun or
subject or object of the reporting verb. Possessive pronouns (his, her, my, their, your, etc.)
change according to the subject or object of the sentence. For example:

He said, “I swim every morning.” (direct speech)
O
He said that he swam every morning. (indirect speech)

She told me, “I like your new house.” (direct speech)
O
She told me that she liked my new house. (indirect speech)

The modals could, would, should, might and ought to do not change in reported speech.

For example:
He said, “I might come a little late.” (direct speech)
O
He said that he might come a little late. (indirect speech)

She said, “They ought to have come when needed.” (direct speech)
She said that they ought to have come when needed. (indirect speech)

They said, “We could accommodate one more.” (direct speech)
O
They said that they could accommodate one more. (indirect speech)

Arjun said, “I would rather not go.” He said, “You should step carefully in the jungle.”
O
(direct speech)
Arjun said that he would rather not go. He said that we should step carefully in the
jungle. (indirect speech)

Said and told are commonly used as reporting verbs. However, there are many other

verbs that may be used to make the sentences more interesting such as accused,
admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised, begged, boasted, complained, denied,
explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested, thought,
etc. Direct and Indirect Speech

The use of that in reported speech is often optional in modern English.

Change of Pronouns

If there is a pronoun in direct speech, it has to be changed in reported speech, depending
on the situation.

Direct Speech → Sunil: “I work in an office.”

Reported Speech → Sunil said that he worked in an office. (the word ‘that’ is optional)
Here ‘I’ has been changed to ‘he’.

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