"Manu asked Anna what time the train arrived. Anna replied that she thought the train would be on time." This question refers to the use of reportedspeech.
<h3>What is reported speech?</h3>
Reported speech is the structure we use when telling others what was said by someone. Instead of using that person's exact words, we modify their speech and use our own words.
When converting direct speech to reported speech, some simple steps can be very helpful:
Use verbs such as "say", "tell", "ask", "inquire", "answer", "reply", etc. to indicate the manner in which something was spoken.
Change the pronouns according to the situation. For example, if it is a man speaking, the pronoun "I" becomes "he".
Change words that indicate time or location if necessary. For instance: here → there; today → that day; tomorrow → the next day; etc.
Change the verbtenses to their respective pasts. For example: simple present → simple past; present perfect → past perfect; will → would.
