Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech: Rules & Examples

Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech! Learn the Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech in English with useful grammar rules and example sentences.

Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech

In indirect speech, you need to be careful with personal pronouns. They need to be changed according to the situation. You need to know the context.
For example, there is possible confusion when you try to change reported speech to direct speech: 
  • She said she‘d been waiting for hours. (Is she one person or two different people?) 
  • I told them they would have to ask permission. (Are we talking about two groups of people or only one?)
Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech | GrammarPin

Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech

Rule #1

First person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. I, we) is changed according to the pronoun of reporting verb if pronoun in reporting verb is third person pronoun (i.e. he, she)

For example:

  • Direct speech: He said, “I don’t want to shock people
  • Reported speech: He said that he didn’t want to shock people.
  • Direct speech: They said, “we‘ll look after Liam.
  • Reported speech: They said that they would look after Liam.

Rule #2

First person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. I, we) is not changed if the pronoun (Subject) of reporting is also first person pronoun (i.e. I or we).

For example:

  • Direct speech: I said, “I do my homework.”
  • Reported speech: I said that I did my homework.
  • Direct speech: We said, “we buy our clothes.”
  • Reported speech: We said that we bought our clothes.

Rule #3

Second person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. you) is changed according to “object” of reporting verb.
For example:

  • Direct speech: He said to her, “you are cute.
  • Reported speech: He said to her that she was cute.
  • Direct speech: He said to me, “you are a generous person.
  • Reported speech: He said to me that I was a generous person.

Rule #4

Third person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. he, she, it) is not changed in indirect speech.
Examples:

  • Direct speech: They said, “She does not have the necessary qualifications.
  • Reported speech: They said that she did not have the necessary qualifications.
  • Direct speech: She said, “It is raining.
  • Reported speech: She said that it was raining.

Reported Speech: Useful Rules & Examples

Reported Speech in English

(Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech: Rules & Examples)

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yannick
yannick
3 years ago

I am happy to this explication

Madhu
Madhu
2 years ago

It’s a very desirous kind of results that i got from here. Thankyou?

mujeeb
mujeeb
2 years ago

he says ,” you are ill”.

mujeeb
mujeeb
2 years ago

chane the narration
he says ,”you are ill”.

HANGKHRAI BASUMATARY
HANGKHRAI BASUMATARY
10 months ago
Reply to  mujeeb

He says that you are ill.

babu
babu
6 months ago
Reply to  mujeeb

he says that i am ill

Gaurav Garima
Gaurav Garima
2 years ago

What if the direct speech is ‘He said ,”You are a generous person. ” what will be the reported speech

not important
not important
2 years ago
Reply to  Gaurav Garima

He said,”‘ i was a generous person.”‘

Kalpa
Kalpa
1 year ago
Reply to  not important

How to report these?
I looked the answer for these everywhere but couldnt find.

(1) Jhon said to Stephen, “you are a good man”

(2)Jhon said to Stephen, “I am a good man

HANGKHRAI BASUMATARY
HANGKHRAI BASUMATARY
10 months ago
Reply to  Kalpa

1) John told Stephen that he was a good man.

2) John told Stephen that he was a good man.

babu
babu
6 months ago
Reply to  Kalpa

1) John told Stephen that he is a good man.
2)John told Stephen about himself that he is a good man

Last edited 6 months ago by babu
Vishal
Vishal
1 year ago
Reply to  Gaurav Garima

Tatti khale

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