Direct And Indirect Speech Questions Medium
The rules for changing reported possibilities in indirect speech are as follows:
1. Reporting verbs: The reporting verb used to introduce the reported possibilities is usually changed to a verb that indicates possibility or uncertainty, such as "might," "could," "may," "possibly," etc.
2. Tense changes: The tense of the verb in the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense. For example, if the original statement was in the present tense, it would be changed to the past tense in indirect speech.
3. Modal verbs: Modal verbs like "can," "could," "may," "might," etc., are usually changed to their corresponding past forms in indirect speech. For example, "He said, 'I can do it'" would be changed to "He said that he could do it."
4. Reporting words: Words indicating possibility or uncertainty, such as "possible," "likely," "probably," etc., are often added to the reported speech to convey the original meaning accurately.
5. Pronoun changes: Pronouns in the reported speech may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the speaker in indirect speech. For example, "She said, 'I might go'" would be changed to "She said that she might go."
It is important to note that these rules may vary depending on the context and the specific reporting verb used.