Indirect speech for Intre. and Modals

Indirect speech for Interrogative (question) sentence.

For changing interrogative (question) sentence into indirect speech we have to observe the nature of question and then change it into indirect speech according to it rules for indirect speech. A question can be of two types. One type which can be answered in only YES or NO and other type which needs a little bit explanation for its answer and cannot be answered in only YES or NO.

Examples
          Do you like music? (It can be answered in YES or NO)
          How are you? (It cannot be answered in YES or NO but it needs a little bit                                    explanation i.e, I am fine.)

Questions which can be answered in YES/NO.

To change questions (which can be answered in yes or no) into indirect speech, word “if” or “whether” is used before the question in indirect speech. Rules for change in tense of question sentences are same as for change in normal tenses in indirect speech but sentence will not start with the auxiliary verb of the tense. The word “that” is not used between reporting verb and reported speech as conjunction in indirect speech for question sentence. Question mark is not used in indirect speech.

Examples.
          Direct speech: He said to me, “do you like music?”
          Indirect Speech: He asked me if I liked music. (Not, did I like music)
          Or Indirect Speech: He asked me whether I liked music.
         
          Direct speech:  She said, “Will he participate in the quiz competition?”
          Indirect Speech: She asked me if he would participate in quiz competition.
          Direct speech: I said to him, “are you feeling well?”
          Indirect Speech: I asked him if he was feeling well.
          Direct speech: They said to me, “did u go to school?”
          Indirect Speech: They asked me if I had gone to school.
          Direct speech: He said to me, “Have you taken the breakfast?”
          Indirect Speech: He asked me if I had taken the breakfast

Question which cannot be answered in YES/NO.

To change such questions into indirect speech, the words “if” or “whether” is not used. The tense of the question is changed according to the rules for change in normal tenses in indirect speech but sentence will not start with the auxiliary verb of the tense. The word “that” is not used between reporting verb and reported speech as conjunction, in indirect speech for question sentence. Question mark is not used in indirect speech.

Examples.
             Direct speech: He said to me, “how are you?”
             Indirect speech: He asked me how I was. (Not, how was I)
             Direct speech: Teacher said to him, “what is your name?”
             Indirect speech: Teacher asked him what his name was.
             Direct speech: She said to him, “why did you come late?”
             Indirect speech: She asked him why he had come late.
             Direct speech: He said, “when will they come?”
             Indirect speech: He asked when they would come.
             Direct speech: She asked his son, “why are you crying?”
             Indirect speech: She asked her son why he was crying. 

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, “can, may, must,

                               Present modals are changed to past modals

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, “can, may, must, should, ought to”
CAN changes into COULD
He said, “I can drive a car” She said, “he can play a violin.” They said, “we can climb on a hill”	He said that he could drive a car. She said that he could play a violin. They said that they can climb on a hill.
MAY changes into MIGHT
He said, “I may buy a computer” She said, “he may visit a doctor.” They said, “they may go to zoo”	He said that he might buy a computer. She said that he might visit a doctor. They said that they might go to zoo.
MUST changes into HAD TO
He said, “I must work hard” She said, “they must carry on their work” I said to him, “you must learn the test-taking strategies”	He said that he had to work hard. She said that they had to carry on their work. I said to him that he had to learn the test-taking strategies.

 

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, should, ought to, might, would, and could”

 

               The modal will not change in indirect speech

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
THESE MODALS DO NOT CHANGE Would, could, might,  should, ought to”
Would
They said, “we would apply for a visa” He said, “I would start a business. She said, “I would appear in exam”	They said that they would apply for visa. He said that he would start a business. She said that she would appear in the exam.
Could
She said, “she could play a piano” They said, “we couldn’t learn the lesson” He said, “I could run faster”	She said that she could play a violin. They said they couldn’t learn the lesson. He said that he could run faster.
Might
He said, “guests might come” She said, “it might rain” John said, “I might meet him”	He said that guest might come. She said that it might rain. John said that he might meet him.
Should
He said, “I should avail the opportunity” She said, “I should help a him” They said, “we should take the exam”	He said that he should avail the opportunity. She said that she should help him. They said that they should take the exam.
Ought to
He said to me, “you ought to wait for him” She said, “I ought to learn method of study” They said, we ought to attend our classes”	He said to me that I ought to wait for him. She said that she ought to learn method of study. They said that they ought to attend their classes.