Reported Speech: CMAT Verbal Ability Study Note
Introduction to Reported Speech
In the CMAT Verbal Ability section, English grammar questions regularly test your ability to convert sentences from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech (and vice versa). Mastering these transformations is one of the easiest ways to secure marks, provided you understand the systematic changes in tenses, pronouns, and time/place indicators.
Direct Speech repeats the exact words spoken by a person, enclosed in quotation marks:
He said, "I am preparing for the CMAT."
Indirect (Reported) Speech reports the essence of what someone said without using their exact words or quotation marks:
He said that he was preparing for the CMAT.
The Core Pillars of Conversion
To successfully convert direct speech into indirect speech, you must apply three fundamental shifts: Tense shifts, Pronoun shifts, and Time/Place adverbial shifts.
1. Tense Shifts (Backshifting)
When the reporting verb (e.g., said, told, declared) is in the past tense, the tenses of the reported clause shift backward in time.
| Direct Speech Tense | Indirect Speech Tense |
|---|---|
| Simple Present ($V_1 / V_5$) | Simple Past ($V_2$) |
| Present Continuous ($is/am/are + V_4$) | Past Continuous ($was/were + V_4$) |
| Present Perfect ($has/have + V_3$) | Past Perfect ($had + V_3$) |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| Simple Past ($V_2$) | Past Perfect ($had + V_3$) |
| Past Continuous ($was/were + V_4$) | Past Perfect Continuous ($had:been + V_4$) |
| Past Perfect / Past Perfect Continuous | No Change |
| Future (will / shall) | Conditional (would / should) |
| Can / May | Could / Might |
2. Pronoun Shifts (The "SON" Rule)
To change pronouns correctly, use the simple SON formula:
- S (Subject): First-person pronouns (I, we) change according to the Subject of the reporting verb.
- O (Object): Second-person pronouns (you) change according to the Object of the reporting verb.
- N (No Change): Third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they) undergo No Change.
3. Time and Place Adverbial Shifts
Words expressing nearness in time or place are converted into words expressing distance:
- Now $\rightarrow$ Then
- Today $\rightarrow$ That day
- Yesterday $\rightarrow$ The day before or The previous day
- Tomorrow $\rightarrow$ The next day or The following day
- Here $\rightarrow$ There
- This / These $\rightarrow$ That / Those
- Ago $\rightarrow$ Before
Handling Different Sentence Types
CMAT questions often feature interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory sentences. Each type requires a specific reporting verb and conjunction.
Assertive (Declarative) Sentences
- Reporting Verb: Change said to to told. Keep said as said if there is no object.
- Conjunction: Use that to connect the clauses.
- Example: She said to me, "I have finished my project." $\rightarrow$ She told me that she had finished her project.
Interrogative (Question) Sentences
- Reporting Verb: Use asked, enquired, or demanded.
- Conjunction:
- For Yes/No questions (starting with auxiliary verbs), use if or whether.
- For Wh- questions (starting with what, why, how, etc.), use the Wh- word itself as the connector (do not use that).
- Word Order: Change the question form into an assertive form (Subject + Verb, instead of Verb + Subject). Remove the question mark.
- Example 1: He asked, "Are you coming?" $\rightarrow$ He asked if I was coming.
- Example 2: She asked, "Where is the exam center?" $\rightarrow$ She asked where the exam center was.
Imperative (Commands, Requests, Advice) Sentences
- Reporting Verb: Use ordered, requested, advised, forbade, or suggested.
- Conjunction: Do not use that. Instead, use the infinitive structure to + $V_1$ (or not to + $V_1$ for negative commands).
- Example: The teacher said, "Do not make noise." $\rightarrow$ The teacher ordered us not to make noise. (OR The teacher forbade us to make noise.)
Crucial Exceptions: When NOT to Shift Tenses
Do not automatically backshift the tense of the reported speech in these exam-tested situations:
- Universal Truths or Scientific Facts: If the statement inside quotes remains permanently true.
- Direct: The teacher said, "The Earth revolves around the Sun."
- Indirect: The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun. (Tense does not change to revolved).
- Present/Future Reporting Verb: If the reporting verb is in the present tense (says, tells) or future tense (will say).
- Direct: He says, "I am fine."
- Indirect: He says that he is fine. (Tense remains present).
- Habitual Actions: Regular routines or habits.
- Direct: She said, "I wake up early every morning."
- Indirect: She said that she wakes up early every morning.
CMAT Multiple-Choice Traps
Watch out for these common tricks designed to mislead you in the exam options:
- The "Told To" Trap: Option choices frequently contain "He told to me...". In English, told must be followed directly by an object without the preposition to (e.g., He told me).
- The Question Word Order Trap: For indirect questions, CMAT options often keep the question structure (e.g., He asked me where was my house). The correct structure must be assertive (e.g., He asked me where my house was).
- Double Past Perfect Trap: Simple past ($V_2$) changes to past perfect ($had + V_3$). If the direct sentence is already in past perfect, do not change it further.
Practise these conversions regularly to identify correct options instantly using elimination techniques. Focus on checking the reporting verb, the conjunction, and the tense sequence in each option.