Direct And Indirect Speech Questions Medium
The rules for changing reported prohibitions in indirect speech are as follows:
1. Change the reporting verb: The reporting verb should be changed to a verb that indicates prohibition or a similar meaning, such as "forbid," "prohibit," "ban," or "not allow."
2. Change the tense: If the reported prohibition is in the present tense, it should be changed to the past tense in indirect speech. For example, "He said, 'Don't touch that!' " would be changed to "He said that we shouldn't touch that."
3. Change the pronouns: Pronouns should be changed to reflect the perspective of the reported speech. For example, "She said, 'You must not enter the restricted area!' " would be changed to "She said that I must not enter the restricted area."
4. Change time and place references: If there are any time or place references in the reported prohibition, they should be adjusted to fit the context of the indirect speech. For example, "They said, 'You can't smoke here.'" would be changed to "They said that we couldn't smoke there."
5. Use reporting clauses: It is common to use reporting clauses such as "He told me," "She said," or "They informed us" to introduce the reported prohibition in indirect speech.
It is important to note that these rules may vary depending on the specific context and tense of the reported speech.