Mastering English Grammar: Reported Speech

Understanding Reported Speech in English Grammar

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is when we recount or relay what someone else has said. This typically involves a change in verb tense and pronouns when moving from direct to indirect speech.

One common example is when someone says, "I haven't been to the sales yet." To convert this direct speech into indirect speech, we need to make certain adjustments.

The Reported Speech Conversion

He said that _____ to the sales yet.

Question:

What is the correct form to complete the sentence?

Final answer:

To convert the direct speech 'I haven't been to the sales yet' into indirect speech, it becomes 'He said that he hadn't been to the sales yet,' demonstrating the backshifting of tenses in reported speech.

Explanation:

When reporting speech, it is necessary to change the tense and perspective when moving from direct to indirect speech. The statement 'I haven't been to the sales yet' when reported becomes 'He said that he hadn't been to the sales yet.'

This adjustment reflects the change in speaker and the time of speaking, a concept known as backshifting in English grammar.

The subject of this question is English. It is asking for the correct form of the verb to use in the given sentence: 'I haven't been to the sales yet'. The correct answer is 'he said that he hadn't been to the sales yet.' The past perfect tense is used because the action of not going to the sales occurred before the time of speaking. The words 'he said' indicate that the reported speech is in the past.