General Transformation of Direct Speech to Reported Speech:

When transforming direct speech to reported speech, we need to make several changes, including changes to the verb tense, pronouns, adverbs of time and place, and other related words. The following are the general transformations that occur:

1. Change in Verb Tense:
In reported speech, the verb tense is usually changed to reflect the time of the original statement. The most common changes are:

- Present simple changes to past simple.
- Present continuous changes to past continuous.
- Present perfect changes to past perfect.
- Past simple remains unchanged.
- Will changes to would.
- Can changes to could.
- May changes to might.
- Must changes to had to.

2. Change in Pronouns:
In reported speech, the pronouns are usually changed to reflect the perspective of the reporter. The most common changes are:

- First-person pronouns (I, we) change according to the speaker.
- Second-person pronouns (you) change according to the listener.
- Third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they) may change according to the context.

3. Change in Time and Place Adverbs:
In reported speech, adverbs of time and place may need to be changed to reflect the time and place of the original statement. For example:

- Today changes to that day.
- Yesterday changes to the previous day.
- Tomorrow changes to the following day.
- Here changes to there.

4. Change in Reported Speech Verbs:
In reported speech, the verb used to introduce the reported statement (reporting verb) may change depending on the context. Some common reporting verbs include:

- Said
- Told
- Asked
- Replied
- Inquired
- Exclaimed
- Stated
- Whispered

These are the general transformations that occur when changing direct speech to reported speech. However, it's important to note that there may be additional changes depending on the context and specific sentence structure. It is always advisable to carefully analyze the sentence and make the necessary changes accordingly.