Direct And Indirect Speech Questions Long
In reported speech, modal verbs undergo certain changes to reflect the speaker's perspective and to accurately convey the original statement. The changes in modal verbs in reported speech can be summarized as follows:
1. Reporting verb: The choice of reporting verb can influence the changes in modal verbs. Common reporting verbs for statements include "say," "tell," "inform," etc.
2. Backshift: In reported speech, the tense of the reporting verb is usually shifted back to reflect the past. For example, if the original statement was in the present tense, the reporting verb would be shifted to the past tense.
3. Reporting clause: The reporting clause introduces the reported speech and can also affect the changes in modal verbs. It typically includes a reporting verb and a reporting phrase. For example, "He said that..." or "She told me that..."
4. Modal verbs: The changes in modal verbs depend on the type of modal verb used in the original statement. Let's discuss the changes for each type:
a. Ability: The modal verb "can" changes to "could" in reported speech. For example, "He said, 'I can swim'" would be reported as "He said that he could swim."
b. Permission: The modal verb "may" changes to "might" in reported speech. For example, "She said, 'May I leave early?'" would be reported as "She asked if she might leave early."
c. Obligation: The modal verb "must" changes to "had to" in reported speech. For example, "They said, 'We must finish the project'" would be reported as "They said that they had to finish the project."
d. Advice: The modal verb "should" changes to "should" or "ought to" in reported speech. For example, "He said, 'You should exercise regularly'" would be reported as "He advised me to exercise regularly."
e. Possibility: The modal verb "might" or "could" remains unchanged in reported speech. For example, "She said, 'It might rain tomorrow'" would be reported as "She said that it might rain tomorrow."
f. Prohibition: The modal verb "must not" changes to "was not allowed to" or "could not" in reported speech. For example, "He said, 'You must not smoke here'" would be reported as "He told me that I was not allowed to smoke there."
g. Deduction: The modal verb "must" changes to "must have" in reported speech. For example, "They said, 'He must be late'" would be reported as "They said that he must have been late."
It is important to note that the changes in modal verbs are not always mandatory. They depend on the context and the speaker's intention. Additionally, reported speech may also involve changes in pronouns, time expressions, and adverbs to maintain accuracy and coherence.