What are the rules for changing reported abilities in indirect speech?

Direct And Indirect Speech Questions Medium



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What are the rules for changing reported abilities in indirect speech?

The rules for changing reported abilities in indirect speech are as follows:

1. Change the reporting verb: The reporting verb should be changed to a verb that indicates the ability or inability of the speaker. For example, "can" can be changed to "could," "able to," or "was/were able to."

2. Change the pronouns: Pronouns should be changed to reflect the perspective of the reported speaker. For example, "I can swim" would be changed to "He/she could swim."

3. Change the tense: The tense of the reported verb should be changed to reflect the time of the reported speech. For example, "I can swim" (present tense) would be changed to "He/she said he/she could swim" (past tense).

4. Change the adverbs of time and place: Adverbs of time and place should be changed to reflect the reported speech. For example, "I can swim here" would be changed to "He/she said he/she could swim there."

5. Use reporting verbs like "say," "tell," or "ask": These verbs are commonly used to introduce reported speech and should be used to indicate that the reported abilities are being conveyed.

It is important to note that the rules may vary depending on the specific context and tense of the reported speech.