Common Misconceptions in Reported Speech

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In SSC exams, where there are direct questions to convert direct speech into indirect speech and vice-versa, you cannot afford to skip or make mistakes. Similarly, there is no scope for error in Banking & Insurance exams, where you have to attempt error spotting, phase replacement, etc.

The rules of Reported Speech can be very confusing sometimes. This article will address the common misconceptions related to Reported speech in a very simple way. Read on to learn the Rules for Converting Direct Indirect Speech, Spotting Errors in Reported Speech sentences, etc. What’s more, by the end of this article, you will be able to able to write flawless essays and letters too!

Now let us look at the Common Misconceptions in Reported Speech.

Misconception #1: Direct speech is not the reporting of speech

Actually, direct speech is reporting of speech by repeating exactly the actual words of the speaker. But it is not the reported speech! It is the “quoted speech“.

Misconception #2: Indirect speech always includes ‘that’

‘That’ is omitted while reporting questions and commands:

He asked me, “Where are you going?”
He asked me where I was going. → Correct
He asked me that where I was going. → Incorrect

Misconception #3: Indirect speech is ‘always’ changing the tense to its past form

We use past tense in indirect speech to indicate that what we are saying has happened in the past.

But a statement which is true can be reported in the present tense.

Irin: My name is Irin. → She said her name is Irin.
(Her name is Irin still at this point in time.)

Teacher: The sun rises in the east. → The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
(Today also the sun rose in the east.)

While talking about a future event, backshift to past tense is not required.

“I will help you with this project”, Professor promised. → Our Professor promised that he will help us with this project. (What matters here is the time when the promise will come true – future.)

Misconception #4: ‘Will’ becomes ‘would’, ‘can’ becomes ‘could’, and then ‘shall’ must be changed to ‘should’.

‘Ryan said (that) he should be there’ means he feels he must be there; it is more like an obligation or necessity.

In reported questions, shall changes to should. In reported statements, shall changes to would.

Misconception #5: May always changes to might

‘May’ indicates his possibility of being at that place. When ‘may’ is used to indicate the possibility of something, it becomes ‘might’ in indirect speech.

Here, ‘may’ indicates asking permission. In such cases, ‘may’ becomes ‘could’ in indirect speech.

“You may wait here,” his secretary said. → His secretary said (that) I could wait in the hallway.