Before learning how to change the person of a Reported Speech,try to Understand the following chart:-
PERSONS AND CASES OF A PRONOUN
A Pronoun has 3 persons & 4 cases :-
| Person | Nominative Case (Subject) |
Objective Case (Object) |
Possessive Case |
Reflexive Case |
| I | I We | Me Us | My Our | Myself / Ourselves |
| II | You | You | Your | Yourself/ Yourselves |
| III | He She It They | Him Her It Them | His Her Its Their | Himself Herself Itself Themselves |
1. If there is any First Person irrespective of the cases in Reported Speech, it will be changed according to the Person, Number and Gender of the SUBJECT of the Reporting Verb
Example
DIRECT: Kirti said to me, “I can do my work myself.”
INDIRECT: Kirti told me that she could do her work herself
DIRECT: Aman said to Disha , “ I can do my work myself. ”
INDIRECT: Aman told me that he could do his work himself
1. If there is any First Person in Reported Speech ,it will be changed
according to the Person, Number and Gender of the SUBJECT of
the Reporting Verb
Example
DIRECR: The boys said , “ we can do our work ourselves.”
INDIRECT: The boys said that they could their work themselves.
Exception
DIRECT: Avni said to Disha , “ We are going to play soon.”
INDIRECT: Avni told Disha that they were going to play soon.
2. ( a) If there is any Second Person irrespective of the cases in Reported Speech ,
it will be changed according to the Person, Number and Gender
of the OBJECT of the Reporting Verb
Example:-
DIRECT: Kirti said to me, “You can do your work Yourself.”
INDIRECT: Kirti told me that I could do my work myself.
DIRECT: Aman said to his friends , “You can do our work ourselves.”
INDIRECT: Aman told his friends that they could do their work themselves.
2.(b)If there is any Second Person irrespective of the cases in Reported Speech ,
it will be changed according to the Person, Number and Gender
of the OBJECT of the Reporting Verb
but if you find no object in Reported Speech , you have to the change it according to the 1st /3rd person ( that would be in hidden form) in Reporting Verb i.e. we have to assume it either 1st person /3rd person ,Singular/plural with the clear reading and understanding the Reporting Verb
Eg.
DIRECT: Garima said , “ You are very nice. ”
(Assume Object as FIRST / THIRD PERSON)
INDIRECT: Garima said that I was very nice
or
INDIRECT: Garima said that she was very nice.
or
INDIRECT: Garima said that he was very nice.
or
INDIRECT: Garima said that they were very nice.
Eg.
DIRECT: Garima said , “ You are a very nice girl.”
DIRECT: Garima said that she was very nice.
DIRECT: Garima said , “ You are a very nice boy.”
INDIRECT: Garima said that he was a very nice boy.
DIRECT: Garima said , “ You are very nice girls.”
INDIRECT: Garima told that they were very nice girls.”
3..If there is any Third Person in Reported Speech ,
there will not be any kind of change in Person, Number or Gender
of the Reported Speech-
(NO CHANGE)
Absence of Object in Reporting Verb
Example:-
DIRECT: Garima said to me , “ She can do her work herself.”
INDIRECT: Garima told me that she could do her work herself.
DIRECT: Garima said said to him, “ He can do his work himself. “
INDIRECT: Garima told him that he could do his work himself.
DIRECT: Garima said , “ They can do their work themselves.”
INDIRECT: Garima said that they could do their work themselves.
Exercise 3
(How to change Person)
- He said to me, “ I have finished my work.”
- Shikha said to Sunita, “ You must not hurt yourself.”
- Garima said to Gita,“ She enjoyed her holidays well.”
- Divyansh said, “You are honest.”
- Divya said,“She must not waste her time.
- Deepak said to me, “ You should meet me tomorrow.”
- He said to me, “ I will return your notes tomorrow.”
- The teacher said “ You always come to late , Bhawna.”
- Deeksha said to me, “ You did not wait for me yesterday.”
- Akriti said to Rachna, “I can not talk to you anymore.”
ADVERB OF TIME
In Reported Speech nearness of time and position
are changed in the distance of time or position
| REPORTING VERB | REPORTED SPEECH |
| Ago | Before |
| Come | Go |
| Hence | Thence |
| Hither | Thither |
| Now | Then |
| Here | There |
| This | That |
| These | Those |
| Thus | so |
| Tonight | That night |
| Today | That day |
| Tomorrow | The next day The following day |
| Yesterday | The previous day The day before |
| Last | Previous |
Exercise: How to change Person and Adverb
I. He said to me ,” He is a good reader. “
He told me that _________
a. he was a good reader
b. he had been a good reader.
c. he is a good reader.
Ans. a
2. Drishti says, ” My brother is very bright. “
Dristi says that _____ was very bright.
a. her brother
b. my brother
c. your brother
Ans. a
3. Jennie said to me, ” You must pay attention on your studies now.”
Jennie told me that ______pay attention on _____studies___.”
a. she must – her- ago
b. we must – our- now
c. I must – my – then
Ans. c.
4. The boys said,” We will follow our leader tonight.”
The boys said that _____ would follow ____ leader.
a. they -their- that night
b. we – our- tonight
c. he -his- no change
Ans. a
5. Prakriti says to me her younger sister, “I will return after the sunset.”
Prakriti informs her sister that ____ return after the sun set.
a. I would
b. she would
c. he would
Ans. b
6. Ritvik said , ” I could not deliver my lecture yesterday. “
Ritivik said that ____ could not deliver _____ lecture ______.
a. I – my – yesterday
b. he-his-the previous day
c. She- her- the previous day
Ans. b.
7 . Goldy says to Nisha , ” We’ll do it tomorrow.”
Goldy tells Nisha that they would do it _____.
a. The next day
b, The previous day
c. tomorrow.
Ans. a
8. Akriti said to Sumit,” Nikhil had come here in school yesterday.”
Ankrit reported Sumit that Nikhil had ___ _ ___in school ___.
a. Gone- there- the previous day
b. Come – here -yesterday
c. Gone – there the following day
Ans. a.
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