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

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

1. Change the tense: When reporting fears, the tense of the verb is usually changed to the past tense. For example, if the direct speech is "I am afraid of spiders," the indirect speech would be "He said he was afraid of spiders."

2. Change the pronouns: The pronouns used in the reported fear may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the speaker. For example, if the direct speech is "She is scared of heights," the indirect speech would be "He said she was scared of heights."

3. Change the reporting verb: The reporting verb used to introduce the reported fear may need to be changed to a more appropriate verb such as "said," "told," or "expressed." For example, if the direct speech is "They fear failure," the indirect speech would be "He said they feared failure."

4. Use reporting words: In some cases, reporting words such as "that" or "if" may need to be added to make the reported fear grammatically correct. For example, if the direct speech is "I am afraid I will fail the exam," the indirect speech would be "He said he was afraid that he would fail the exam."

5. Change adverbs and adjectives: Adverbs and adjectives used to describe the fear may need to be changed to reflect the past tense. For example, if the direct speech is "He is extremely afraid of snakes," the indirect speech would be "She said he was extremely afraid of snakes."

It is important to note that these rules may vary depending on the context and the specific fear being reported.