Statements
Comprehensive notes, formulas, and practice questions for Statements.
Statements
Indirect Speech — Statements
What Changes in Indirect Speech?
When converting a statement (assertive sentence) to indirect speech, four categories change:
- Reporting verb —
said→said thatORsaid to→told - Tense (backshift)
- Pronouns (based on the speakers)
- Time and place expressions
Reporting Verb Rule
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| She said, "I am late." | She said that she was late. |
| She said to me, "I am late." | She told me that she was late. |
said→said that(no person mentioned)said to + person→told + person(never "told that" without object)
Tense Backshift Table
When the reporting verb is past (said, told), shift the verb tense back:
| Direct Tense | Indirect Tense |
|---|---|
Simple Present (am/is/are, do/does) | Simple Past (was/were, did) |
Simple Past (did, was/were) | Past Perfect (had done, had been) |
Present Continuous (is going) | Past Continuous (was going) |
Present Perfect (has done) | Past Perfect (had done) |
Past Perfect (had done) | Past Perfect (no further change) |
Simple Future (will) | Conditional (would) |
can | could |
may | might |
shall | would |
must | had to or must (obligation) |
Direct: He said, "I am studying for exams." Indirect: He said that he was studying for exams.
Direct: She said, "I have finished the work." Indirect: She said that she had finished the work.
Direct: He said, "I will come tomorrow." Indirect: He said that he would come the next day.
Exception: No Tense Change Needed When...
- Reporting verb is present tense: "She says she is tired." → no backshift
- The statement is a universal truth: "He said the earth revolves around the sun."
- The statement is a historical fact: "He said the battle of Panipat was fought in 1526."
Pronoun Changes
| Person | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st → subject | "I am late" (She said) | she was late |
| 1st → object | "We will help" (He told us) | they would help |
| 2nd → object | "You should go" (She told him) | he should go |
| 3rd | "He/she/they" | No change |
Direct: He said to me, "You have to submit your work." Indirect: He told me that I had to submit my work.
Time and Place Expression Changes
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| this week | that week |
| last week | the previous week |
| here | there |
| ago | before |
Worked Examples
Example 1:
Direct: She said, "I am very tired." Indirect: She said that she was very tired.
Example 2 (With said to):
Direct: He said to her, "You are doing well." Indirect: He told her that she was doing well.
Example 3 (Time expression):
Direct: My mother said, "I will finish this tomorrow." Indirect: My mother said that she would finish that the next day.
Example 4 (Universal truth):
Direct: The teacher said, "The sun rises in the east." Indirect: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east. (no backshift — fact)
Example 5 (Complex):
Direct: She said to me, "I have been waiting here since morning." Indirect: She told me that she had been waiting there since morning.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| "She told that…" | → "She said that…" or "She told him that…" |
| No tense change after past reporting verb | Always backshift unless universal truth |
| Not changing "you" | Check who "you" refers to → change accordingly |
| Forgetting time words | Tomorrow, now, here all must change |
Quick Check
- Change to indirect: "He said, 'I cannot come today.'"
- Change to indirect: "She said to him, 'You have made a mistake.'"
- Why no backshift: "He said, 'Water boils at 100°C.'"
- What is the indirect form of "must" when expressing duty/obligation?
- Stretch: Change to direct: "She told him that she had left her bag there the previous day."
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- What Changes in Indirect Speech?
- Reporting Verb Rule
- Tense Backshift Table
- Exception: No Tense Change Needed When...
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