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Activity Discussion Grammar & Vocabulary How to report a sentence ?

  • Pavini Lahoti

    Member
    August 6, 2024 at 12:21 pm

    Here are some tips for practicing reported speech exercises:

    Identify the original speech. Determine whether the original statement was a statement, question, or command.

    Identify the reporting verb. Common reporting verbs include “say”, “tell”, “ask”, “wonder”, etc.

    Change the pronoun and possessive adjectives as needed to match the reporting verb and subject. For example, if the original speech was “I’m going to the park”, the reported speech would be “She said she was going to the park.”

    Change the verb tense as needed. Typically, the verb in reported speech shifts back one tense (e.g. present to past, past to past perfect).

    Remove any words like “I”, “you”, “this”, “that” which refer directly to the original speaker/listener. Replace them with more general words.

    Remove any unnecessary words like “please”, “excuse me”, etc.

    Pay attention to changes in adverbs of time and place. For example, “today” becomes “that day”, “here” becomes “there”, etc.

    For reported questions, remove the question mark and use reporting verbs like “ask”, “wonder”, etc.

    For reported commands, use “tell” + infinitive, e.g. “She told me to go home.”

    Practice applying these steps through a variety of reported speech exercises covering different types of original statements, questions, and commands. The more you practice, the more natural it will become.

  • Amrapali Niungare

    Member
    August 10, 2024 at 4:13 pm

    Doing reported speech exercises involves practicing how to convert direct speech into reported speech (also known as indirect speech). Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you effectively tackle these exercises:

    1. Understand the Basics of Reported Speech

    Direct Speech: The exact words spoken by someone, often enclosed in quotation marks.

    Example: She said, “I am going to the store.”

    Reported Speech: The words are paraphrased to convey the same meaning without quoting them directly.

    Example: She said that she was going to the store.

    2. Key Changes in Reported Speech

    Pronouns: Change to match the perspective of the reporter.

    Example: “I will help you” becomes “She said that she would help me.”

    Tense Changes: Typically, the tense shifts back.

    Present Simple: “I eat pizza” → “He says that he eats pizza.”

    Past Simple: “I ate pizza” → “He said that he had eaten pizza.”

    Time Expressions: Adjust time references if needed.

    Example: “today” becomes “that day,” “now” becomes “then.”

    Modal Verbs: Adjust modals as needed.

    Example: “can” becomes “could,” “will” becomes “would.”

    3. Practice Exercises

    A. Conversion Exercises

    Direct to Reported Speech:

    Convert direct speech sentences to reported speech.

    Example:

    Direct: “I am tired,” he said.

    Reported: He said that he was tired.

    Reported to Direct Speech:

    Convert reported speech sentences back to direct speech.

    Example:

    Reported: She mentioned that she would arrive late.

    Direct: “I will arrive late,” she mentioned.

    B. Fill-in-the-Blanks

    Complete sentences by filling in the correct form of reported speech.

    Example:

    Direct: “I like chocolate,” he said.

    Reported: He said that he ______ (like) chocolate.

    C. Sentence Transformation

    Transform sentences into reported speech and ensure proper changes in pronouns, tenses, and time expressions.

    Example:

    Direct: “We are going on vacation next week,” they said.

    Reported: They said that they were going on vacation the following week.

    4. Check Your Answers

    Review Changes: Make sure you have correctly adjusted pronouns, tenses, and time expressions.

    Practice Regularly: The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become with converting direct speech into reported speech.

    5. Additional Tips

    Start Simple: Begin with simple sentences and gradually move to more complex ones.

    Use Context Clues: Pay attention to the context to make appropriate changes.

    Consult Resources: Refer to grammar guides or online resources for additional examples and explanations.

    By following these steps and practicing regularly, you’ll improve your ability to handle reported speech effectively.

  • Asuncion Solis

    Member
    August 13, 2024 at 11:55 am

    Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, involves reporting what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help with reported speech exercises:

    1. Understand the Basics: Know that in reported speech, you generally change the pronouns, the tense of the verbs, and sometimes the time expressions. For example:

      • Direct Speech: She says, “I am going to the store.”
      • Reported Speech: She says that she is going to the store.
    2. Change Pronouns: Adjust pronouns based on the perspective of the reporter. For instance:

      • Direct Speech: “I will call you,” he said.
      • Reported Speech: He said that he would call me.
    3. Adjust Verb Tenses: Typically, you shift the tense of the verb back one step in time:

      • Present Simple → Past Simple
      • Present Continuous → Past Continuous
      • Present Perfect → Past Perfect
      • Future Simple → Conditional
      • Example:
        • Direct Speech: “I am eating dinner,” she said.
        • Reported Speech: She said that she was eating dinner.
    4. Change Time Expressions: Adjust words related to time to fit the new context:

      • Today → That day
      • Tomorrow → The next day
      • Yesterday → The day before
      • Example:
        • Direct Speech: “I will do it tomorrow,” he said.
        • Reported Speech: He said that he would do it the next day.
    5. Use Reporting Verbs: Common verbs used to introduce reported speech include “say,” “tell,” “ask,” “advise,” etc. The choice of verb can affect how you structure the reported speech:

      • Direct Speech: “Can you help me?” she asked.
      • Reported Speech: She asked if I could help her.
    6. Practice with Exercises: Convert direct speech sentences to reported speech and vice versa. Here’s an example exercise:

      • Convert the following direct speech into reported speech:
        • “I have finished my homework,” he said.
        • “We are planning a trip,” they said.

      Answers:

      • He said that he had finished his homework.
      • They said that they were planning a trip.

    Feel free to ask if you need more specific examples or exercises

  • Rhona Acosta

    Member
    August 17, 2024 at 12:47 pm

    Doing reported speech exercises can be a great way to practice converting direct speech into reported speech. Here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow:

    1. Understand the Basics

    Direct Speech: Exact words spoken by someone, usually in quotation marks.

    Example: She said, “I am going to the store.”

    Reported Speech: Paraphrasing what someone said without quotation marks.

    Example: She said (that) she was going to the store.

    2. Identify Key Changes

    Be aware of the changes that typically occur:

    Pronouns: Change according to the context.

    Tense Changes: Shift the tense back (e.g., present to past).

    Time Expressions: Change words like “now” to “then,” “today” to “that day,” etc.

    3. Practice Conversion

    Take sentences in direct speech and convert them:

    Direct: He said, “I will call you later.”

    Reported: He said (that) he would call me later.

    4. Use Exercises

    Find exercises online or in textbooks that provide direct speech sentences for you to convert. Here’s a sample exercise:

    Convert the following sentences to reported speech:

    “I love this book,” she said.

    “We are going to the park,” they announced.

    “Can you help me?” he asked.

    “I finished my homework,” John mentioned.

    Answers:

    She said (that) she loved that book.

    They announced (that) they were going to the park.

    He asked if I could help him.

    John mentioned (that) he had finished his homework.

    5. Check Your Work

    Review your conversions to ensure the tense, pronouns, and time expressions are correct.

    6. Practice Regularly

    Practice with different types of sentences, varying the reported speech structures and contexts to improve your skills.

    By consistently working through these steps, you’ll become more comfortable with reported speech!

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