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Change of Words in Reported speech

Certain words denoting, adverbs, conjunctions, demonstrative pronouns etc … in direct speech will be changed, while being reported, as follows.

Direct Speech                                            Indirect or reported speech

Now                                                             then

Next                                                             the coming/ the following

Today                                                           that day

Tonight                                                         that night

Yesterday                                                     the last day /the previous day

Tomorrow                                                     the next day

Last                                                               the  previous

Ago                                                                before

So                                                                  thus

This                                                                that

These                                                             those

Here                                                               there

Hence                                                             thence

 

To clear it,  let’s look at the following questions and answers

 

I   Mathew said, “ I am doing my homework now”

    Mathew said that he was doing his homework then.

Here, the word ‘now’ is changed into ‘then’ along with the tense form and personal pronouns.

 

II   His father said to Thomas, “ I am coming to your school next Friday”

     His father told Thomas that he was coming to his school the coming Friday.

Here, the word ‘next’ is changed into ‘the coming’.

 

III  Jancy said to her  friend,  “ My son  is coming today”

     Jancy told her friend that her son was coming that day

Here, we can see the word ‘today’ is changed into ‘that day’

 

IV  George said to his wife, “ I will be late tonight”

     George told his wife that he would be late that night

Here, the word ‘tonight’ is changed into ‘that night’.

 

Kiran said “ Yesterday, I met my old friend Madhav

    Kiran said that the last day he had met his old friend Madhav

Here, the word Yesterday is changed into the last day.

 

VI  Peter said to his daughter, “ Your friend has just called and informed that she is not coming to school tomorrow”

     Peter told his daughter that her friend had just called and informed that she was not coming to school the next day.

Here, the word ‘tomorrow’ is changed into ‘the next day’.

 

VII  Manuel said, “ I met with an accident  last day”

       Manuel said that he had met with an accident the previous day

Here, we can see the word ‘last’ is changed into ‘the previous’

 

VIII  John said, “ My friend went abroad two years ago”

        John said that his friend had gone abroad two years before

Here, we can see that the word ‘ago’ is changed into ‘before’

 

IX   Shine said, “ I studied well in the exam. So, I got good marks”

       Shine said that he had studied well in the exam. Thus, he had got good marks.

Here, the word ‘So’ is changed into  ‘Thus’.

 

X   Merlin said, “ I like this type of jeans

    Merlin said that she liked that type of jeans

Here, the word ‘this’ is changed into ‘that’

 

XI  Tom said, “ These days  will always remain in my memories

      Tom said that those days would always remain in his memories

Here, the word these is changed into those.

 

XII  Rohit said, “ It is 4 years since I have come here”

       Rohit said that it was 4 years since he had come there

We can see the word ‘here’ is changed into ‘there’

 

XIII  Ashiq said, “ I work hard. Hence, I get money”

        Ashiq said that he worked hard. Thence, he got money.

Here, the word ‘Hence’ is changed into  ‘Thence’