Direct And Indirect Speech Questions Long
Reported apologies and excuses are a part of indirect speech, which is used to report or convey someone else's words or statements. When we report apologies and excuses, we are essentially paraphrasing or summarizing what someone said when they apologized or gave an excuse.
To report an apology, we usually use reporting verbs such as 'apologize', 'say sorry', 'express regret', or 'offer an apology'. For example, if someone said, "I'm sorry for being late," the reported apology would be "He/she apologized for being late." In reported apologies, we often change the pronouns and verb tenses to match the reporting context. So, 'I' becomes 'he/she', 'am' becomes 'was', and so on.
Similarly, to report an excuse, we use reporting verbs such as 'give an excuse', 'explain', 'justify', or 'offer a reason'. For instance, if someone said, "I couldn't come to the party because I was feeling unwell," the reported excuse would be "He/she gave the excuse that they couldn't come to the party because they were feeling unwell." Again, we adjust the pronouns and verb tenses to fit the reporting context.
It is important to note that when reporting apologies and excuses, we often introduce them with phrases like 'he/she said', 'he/she told me', 'he/she explained', or 'he/she apologized'. These phrases help to indicate that we are reporting someone else's words rather than speaking directly.
In reported apologies and excuses, we also have the option to use reporting clauses, such as 'that' or 'if', to introduce the reported speech. For example, "He/she apologized that he/she was late" or "He/she explained that he/she couldn't come to the party because of feeling unwell."
Overall, reported apologies and excuses allow us to convey what someone said in a more indirect manner, while still accurately representing their original words and intentions.