When converting direct speech into reported speech, it is important to adjust the pronouns, verb tenses, and other relevant details to fit the context and perspective of the reporting. Here's how you can transform each of the given statements into reported speech:
He said, "I like this song."
Reported Speech: He said that he liked that song.
- The pronoun "I" becomes "he" to match the subject.
- The present simple tense "like" changes to the past simple "liked."
- The demonstrative "this" changes to "that" to reflect the shift in perspective.
"Where is your sister?" she asked me.
Reported Speech: She asked me where my sister was.
- The question is transformed into a statement structure.
- The possessive pronoun "your" changes to "my."
- The verb "is" changes to "was" to maintain tense consistency.
"I don't speak Italian," she said.
Reported Speech: She said that she didn't speak Italian.
- The pronoun "I" changes to "she."
- The present simple tense "don't speak" changes to the past simple "didn't speak."
"Say hello to Jim," they said.
Reported Speech: They asked me to say hello to Jim.
- The imperative "say" is converted into an infinitive form "to say."
- Depending on context, "asked" can be used for requests.
"The film began at seven o'clock," he said.
Reported Speech: He said that the film had begun at seven o'clock.
- The past simple "began" changes to the past perfect "had begun" for backshifting.
"Don't play on the grass, boys," she said.
Reported Speech: She told the boys not to play on the grass.
- The imperative "don't play" is converted into a negative infinitive form "not to play."
- It's common to use "told" for giving commands in reported speech.
"Where have you spent your money?" she asked him.
Reported Speech: She asked him where he had spent his money.
- The question is turned into a statement form.
- The pronoun "you" changes to "he," and "your" changes to "his."
- The present perfect "have spent" becomes the past perfect "had spent."
"I never make mistakes," he said.
Reported Speech: He said that he never made mistakes.
- The pronoun "I" becomes "he."
- The present simple "make" changes to the past simple "made."
These transformations adhere to the general rules of reported speech, including changes in pronouns, tense shifts, and adjustments in sentence structure to maintain clarity and grammatical correctness.