What are the rules for changing reported speech into reported agreements?

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What are the rules for changing reported speech into reported agreements?

When changing reported speech into reported agreements, there are several rules that need to be followed. These rules include:

1. Reporting verb: The reporting verb used to introduce the reported agreement should be changed to a verb that indicates agreement or consent. Some common reporting verbs for reported agreements include "agree," "consent," "accept," "approve," and "endorse."

2. Tense changes: The tense of the reported speech should be changed according to the rules of reported speech. However, when reporting agreements, the present tense is often used to maintain the sense of agreement. For example, if the reported speech is in the present simple tense, it remains the same in reported agreements. If it is in the past simple tense, it is changed to the past simple tense in reported agreements.

3. Pronoun changes: Pronouns used in the reported speech should be changed according to the rules of reported speech. However, when reporting agreements, the pronouns used in the reported speech are often retained to maintain the sense of agreement. For example, if the reported speech includes "I agree," it remains the same in reported agreements.

4. Reporting clause: The reporting clause should be modified to indicate that an agreement is being reported. This can be done by using phrases such as "he/she/they agreed that," "he/she/they consented to," or "he/she/they approved of."

5. Punctuation changes: Quotation marks used in direct speech should be removed in reported agreements. However, if the reported agreement is a direct quote, quotation marks can be used.

Here is an example to illustrate the rules mentioned above:

Direct speech: "I will attend the meeting tomorrow," said John.
Reported agreement: John agreed that he would attend the meeting the next day.

In this example, the reporting verb "said" is changed to "agreed," the tense is changed from future simple to future in the past, the pronoun "I" is changed to "he," and the reporting clause is modified to indicate agreement.

By following these rules, reported speech can be effectively changed into reported agreements while maintaining the accuracy and meaning of the original statement.