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What are the common pitfalls of using indirect speech in English grammar?

Maybelle Rasher

Indirect speech is when you report what someone else said without repeating it word-for-word. It's something we use a lot in English when we are talking about conversations we have had with other people. But sometimes, indirect speech can be tricky and it's important to be careful when using it. Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for:

1. Changing the tense. When you report what someone said, you need to be careful to keep the same tense as the original statement. For example, if someone said, "I am hungry," you need to report it as "She said she was hungry," not "She said she is hungry."

2. Changing pronouns. When you report what someone said, you need to be careful to use the correct pronoun. For example, if someone said, "I love you," you need to report it as "She said she loved me," not "She said she loved you."

3. Forgetting to use 'that'. Sometimes, when we report what someone said, we forget to use the word 'that.' For example, if someone said, "I think it's going to rain," you need to report it as "She said that she thought it was going to rain," not "She said she thinks it's going to rain."

4. Forgetting to change the adverbs. Sometimes, when we report what someone said, we forget to change the adverbs that show the speaker's attitude. For example, if someone said, "I'm really happy," you need to report it as "She said she was very happy," not "She said she's really happy."

It's important to remember that indirect speech is a way for us to share what other people have said, but we need to be careful to report it correctly. By paying attention to these common pitfalls, we can use indirect speech in English grammar without making any mistakes.