We can change the sentences from direct speech into indirect or reported speech in the following manner:
I suggested going and playing then.
He told me to go back home soon because it might rain.
She said that the movie had been boring.
They told us that everyone could join them for the picnic.
John said it was frustrating that the WiFi was so slow that day.
Chan asked if that wasn't boring to do.
Mom told Eva it was time she started studying.
Our teacher said it was important to wake up on time on school days.
<h3>What is direct speech?</h3>
We have direct speech when we tell others what someone said using that person's exact words. To differentiate between speakers in the sentence, we use quotation marks.
An example of direct speech is: Tina said, "I don't think we can make it."
<h3>What is indirect speech?</h3>
We have indirect speech when we use our own words to tell others what someone said. Here, no quotation marks are used. Also, changes are made to the sentence:
Verb tenses are used in the past form of the original ones.
Subjects are adapted to show who said what.
Time expressions also change to the past. For example: today - that day; now - then.
Let's take the example above again: Tina said, "I <u>don't think we can</u> make it." If we change it into indirect speech, it becomes: Tina said <u>she didn't think they could</u> make it.
