Reported Speech Questions Medium
When reporting reported speech within reported speech in indirect speech, the adverbs of time and place undergo certain changes.
In the reported speech, if the original speaker used adverbs of time or place, these adverbs are usually retained as they are when reporting the speech indirectly. However, if the reported speech is further embedded within another reported speech, the adverbs of time and place may undergo additional changes.
When reporting the reported speech within reported speech, the adverbs of time and place are usually shifted further back in time or place. This means that the adverbs are moved to a more distant past or a more remote place.
For example, if the original speaker said, "I will meet her tomorrow at the park," and this speech is reported indirectly as "He said that he would meet her tomorrow at the park," and then further reported indirectly as "She said that he said he would meet her tomorrow at the park," the adverb "tomorrow" remains unchanged in the first reported speech. However, in the second reported speech, the adverb "tomorrow" is shifted further back in time and becomes "the next day" or "the following day."
Similarly, if the original speaker said, "I am here," and this speech is reported indirectly as "He said that he was here," and then further reported indirectly as "She said that he said he was here," the adverb "here" remains unchanged in the first reported speech. However, in the second reported speech, the adverb "here" is shifted to a more remote place and becomes "there."
In summary, when reporting reported speech within reported speech in indirect speech, the adverbs of time and place are usually retained as they are in the first reported speech. However, if the reported speech is further embedded within another reported speech, the adverbs of time and place are shifted further back in time or place.