Overview
This session was dedicated to a comprehensive review of how to report sentences (direct and indirect speech) in English, how to change verb tenses and structures for declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, and optative sentences.
Direct & Indirect Speech
- Direct Speech: The exact sentence and words of the speaker are quoted with quotation marks (").
- Indirect Speech: The sentence structure and some words change, there are no quotation marks, and usually that is used (optional).
- In indirect speech, the subject and verb change and the verb usually shifts one tense back.
- Example:
- Direct: She said, "I go to school every day."
- Indirect: She said that she went to school every day.
Verb Tense Changes in Indirect Speech
- Present Simple → Past Simple (go→went)
- Past Simple / Present Perfect → Past Perfect (went, have gone → had gone)
- Present Continuous → Past Continuous (am going → was going)
- Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous (was going → had been going)
- Will → Would
- Can → Could
- Shall → Should
- May → Might
- Modal verbs Would, Could, Should do not change.
- Must usually does not change, only in some cases it becomes had to.
Grammar of Imperative, Interrogative, Exclamatory, and Optative Sentences in Indirect Speech
Imperative Sentences
- Direct: She said to me, "Go to school."
- Indirect: She asked/told/urged me to go to school.
- The imperative verb changes to to+verb (infinitive) and the object is usually mentioned.
- Common verbs: ask, tell, urge, suggest, request, forbid.
Interrogative Sentences
- Direct: She said to me, "Do you go to school every day?"
- Indirect: She asked me if/whether I went to school every day.
- For Wh- questions, the same question word is used and the sentence structure becomes declarative.
- The verb tense also shifts one tense back.
Exclamatory Sentences
- Direct: She said, "What a beautiful girl you are!"
- Indirect: She exclaimed with wonder that I was very beautiful.
- Verbs like exclaimed (with joy or sorrow) or in great wonder are used.
Optative Sentences
- Direct: She said, "I wish he were here."
- Indirect: She wished that he had been there.
- If the sentence starts with may, it changes with the verb pray: "may you..." → prayed that ... might ...
Additional Notes and Examples
- Change of pronouns and demonstratives: this→that, here→there
- For more information and various example sentences, refer to the supplementary files.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Direct Speech — Direct quotation; exact repetition of the speaker's words with quotation marks.
- Indirect Speech — Indirect quotation; retelling the meaning with changes in sentence structure.
- Infinitive — The to+verb form (e.g., to go).
- Auxiliary Verb — Helping verbs like do, have, is, will used for tense formation.
- Exclamatory Sentence — Sentences with emotional or exclamatory tone.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Study the PDF files and verb tense change tables on the Telegram channel
- Practice converting various sentences into indirect speech
- Note down useful verbs and points for imperative, interrogative, optative, and exclamatory sentences