When the reporting verb is in the past tense, all present tenses in the direct speech will change into the corresponding past tenses.For example, the simple present will become simple past.He said, ‘I want to go.’He said that he wanted to go.The present continuous will become the past continuous.She said, ‘I am coming.’She said that she was coming.The present perfect will become the past perfect.He said, ‘I have finished.’He said that he had finished.If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tenses in the direct speech do not change.He says, ‘He is leaving.’He says that he is leaving.When we report questions, the indirect speech is introduced by verbs such as asked, inquired etc.He said to me, ‘What are you doing there?’He asked me what I was doingthere.To report an Yes/No question, we use if or whether.He said to me, ‘Are you interested?’He asked me if I was interested.He said to them, ‘Will you listen to such a man?’He asked them whether theywould listen to such a man.When we report commands and requests, the indirect speech is introduced by verbs expressing a command or request. Examples are: ordered, requested, commanded, shouted etc.The master said to the servant, ‘Go away.’The master ordered the servant to go away.He said to them, ‘Please wait here till I return.’He requested them to wait there till he returned.?

Rules for Reported Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to convey someone else's words or thoughts in a paraphrased or reported form. When reporting what someone else has said, it is essential to follow specific rules to accurately convey the original message. Here are the key rules and guidelines for using reported speech:

1. Reporting Verb:
- Begin the reported speech with an appropriate reporting verb such as "said," "told," "asked," "explained," etc.
- The reporting verb is usually followed by the conjunction "that," but it can be omitted in some cases.

2. Change of Pronouns:
- When reporting speech, the pronouns may need to be changed to match the subject of the reporting clause.
- If the reported speech is about a third person, there is no need to change the pronouns.
- However, if the reported speech refers to the first or second person, the pronouns should be changed according to the subject of the reporting clause.
- For example, "He said, 'I am tired'" becomes "He said that he was tired."

3. Change of Verb Tenses:
- In reported speech, it is common to change the tense of the verb in the reported clause.
- If the reported speech is in the present tense, it is usually changed to the past tense.
- For example, "She said, 'I love this song'" becomes "She said that she loved that song."
- If the reported speech is in the past tense, it is often changed to the past perfect tense.
- For example, "He said, 'I had already finished the project'" becomes "He said that he had already finished the project."

4. Adverbial Expressions of Time and Place:
- Adverbial expressions of time and place may also need to be adjusted when reporting speech.
- Words like "today" might change to "that day" or "yesterday" to "the previous day."
- Similarly, words like "here" might change to "there" or "this" to "that."
- For example, "She said, 'I will see you tomorrow here'" becomes "She said that she would see me the next day there."

5. Punctuation and Quotation Marks:
- In reported speech, quotation marks are not used.
- However, if the reported speech includes a question or exclamation, the appropriate punctuation should be used.
- For example, "He asked, 'Where are you going?' becomes "He asked where I was going."

By following these rules, one can accurately report what someone else has said while maintaining grammatical correctness and clarity. Practicing reported speech will help improve communication skills and enable effective transmission of information from one person to another.