Everest is the tallest mountain in the world” can change to “She said Mt.
Identify the verb tense used in the direct speech as the verb tenses will backshift when being changed to reported speech. Is it a statement, a command, or a question? When working with reported speech, it is helpful to have the students work through the sentence by identifying the following grammar aspects of the direct speech that is to be converted to reported speech.ġ. Even minor errors can make it difficult for the listener to understand when the action in the reported speech occurred. This practice is key because reported speech requires accuracy on the part of the speaker. The shifting tenses and changes to both pronouns and modal verbs take time to learn and practice to use effectively. Reported speech provides a challenge for most learners of English.
