Summary - Direct Indirect Assertive | Class 8 Grammar | English
Basic Changes
Below, I've mentioned the most commonly used rules for converting assertive sentences to indirect voice. Please make sure to learn these by heart, since you're going to be using them all the time:
Is ------------- was
Are ------------- were
Am ------------- was
3Was ------------- had been
Were ------------- had been
Has ------------- had
Have ------------- had
Will ------------- would
Shall ------------- should/ would
May ------------- might
Can ------------- could
Must ------------- had to
This ------------- that
These ------------- Those
Here ------------- there
Now ------------- Then
Ago ------------- Before
Today ------------- That day
Yesterday ------------- The previous day
Tomorrow ------------- The next day
Next week ------------- The following week
Next year ------------- The following year
Last year ------------- The previous year
Last Week ------------- The previous week
Broadly speaking, there are only four types of assertive sentences. I'll teach you how to convert each type into indirect voice.
Let’s take a sentence and see how to change it.
The coach said to me,” You need to swing your arm”.
Step 1. Change ‘said to’ ---- told
The coach told me, “You need to swing your arm.”
Step 2. Change the first double quotes to "that" and remove the double quotes from the end of the sentence.
The coach told me that you need to swing your arm.
Step 3. Change pronouns
The coach told me that I need to swing my arm.
Step 4. Change Present to Past tense
The coach told me that I needed to swing my arm.
Chandra Prabha said to me, “Your work is pending.”
Chandra Prabha told me that my work was pending.
The pilgrims said, “We are hungry and thirsty.”
The pilgrims said that they were hungry and thirsty.
My brother said, “I am busy today.”
My brother said that he was busy that day.
He said, “I am very well now.”
He said that he was very well then.
Doctor Michael said to the boy, “I know your uncle.”
Doctor Michael told the boy that he knew his uncle.
She said, “This is my book.”
She said that that was her book.
Rev. Watson said, “I am right.”
Rev. Watson said that he was right.
Franklin said that he played cricket very well.
Franklin said that he played cricket very well.
Mahendra told him, “He was a gifted man.”
Mahendra told him that he had been a gifted man.
Ma'am said to the students, “Earth revolves around the sun”
Ma'am told the students that Earth revolves around the sun.
Samuel has said, “I am being taught English."
Samuel has said that he is being taught English.
Prem Lata will say to him, "You are at fault.”
Prem Lata will say to him that he is at fault.
Sister Elizabeth says, “I am the owner of this flat.”
Sister Elizabeth says that she is the owner of this flat.
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What is the first step in converting an assertive sentence to indirect speech?