Verbs followed by ‘if’ or ‘whether’ + clause:
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The main verb in the subordinate clause in the Direct Speech
Sentenceis changed into the “to-infinitive” form; consequently, the whole
complex sentence is changed into a simple sentence in the Indirect Speech. Example:
Billy said to me, “Give me your book” Direct
The words Billy, me and bookare not changed because Billy and me are in the main clause of the Direct Speech. Bookis notchanged
because it is a NOUN. Example:
Billy ordered me to give him my book. Indirect ‘Said to’ is changed to „ordered’ because the exclamation mark
shows that this
expression is an order; „Give’ is changed into ‘to give’, the „to- infinitive’ form of the verb word „give’; „me’ is changed into„him’ because it
is related to „John’, the subject of the main clause, and it is in the objective case; „your’ is changed into „my’ because it is related to „me’ in the main
clause, and „I’ am the one reporting the speech; and, finally, the exclamation
mark is dropped and the full stop is used in its place.
When a sentence is imperative, changing it into indirect or reported speech form is done as follows:
TABLE 2.7 Imperative sentences changing into indirect or reported speech form
Positive Imperative Be quiet
Order + infinitive He ordered me to be quiet.
Negative Imperative Dont come here again.
Tell + not + infinitive He told us not to go there again.
Imperatives used as request Please give me some time.
ask + infinitive He asked me to give him some time.
Reporting verb is in the present tense, there is no alteration in the reported sentence. Moreover, a sentence in direct speech in a present or future
tense can stay unchanged if what is said is still true.
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