Indirect English ;)

[ProudToBeMuslim]

He said,"I eat apples."
He said that he eats apples.

He says,"I eat apples."
He says that he eats apples.

He said,"I ate apples."
He said that he ate apples.


Teachers, Please explain?
Thanks

PTBM

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by ProudToBeMuslim

He said,"I eat apples."
He said that he eats apples.

He says,"I eat apples."
He says that he eats apples.

He said,"I ate apples."
He said that he ate apples.


Teachers, Please explain?
Thanks

PTBM

The first sentence in each pair is a direct quote. The second sentence in each pair is reported speech. What is there to explain?

~R

[baqarah131]

The examples are correct. Choose whether "say" is past or present, and choose the right tense for "eat."
But the direct speech forms are very, very rarely used in speech, and aren't very common in writing either--unless the exact words are really significant: John Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you..."
Note that these two sentences sound the same when read aloud, but are different in meaning:
He said, "I ate apples."
He said I ate apples.
In the second sentence, it's the author of the sentence who supposedly ate the apples.
So you can speak good English and lead a happy and productive life without ever using direct speech.
best wishes
edward

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by baqarah131

Note that these two sentences sound the same when read aloud, but are different in meaning:
He said, "I ate apples."
He said I ate apples.

Another example:

He said, "You're an idiot!"
He said you're an idiot.

(In the first sentence there is likely to be a pause after said, and there might be other subtle differences between the two sentences.)

~R

[ProudToBeMuslim]

Originally Posted by RonBee

The first sentence in each pair is a direct quote. The second sentence in each pair is reported speech. What is there to explain?

~R

It's so nice of you to tell me that the first sentence in each pair is direct and second sentence in each pair is indirect speech otherwise I would have been thinking what are they.


PS: italic part of the sentense is to practice what Steven teaches me few weeks ago. :)

[ProudToBeMuslim]

Originally Posted by baqarah131

But the direct speech forms are very, very rarely used in speech, and aren't very common in writing either-
So you can speak good English and lead a happy and productive life without ever using direct speech.
best wishes
edward

Believe me I always avoid solving 'change following sentences into indirect speech' question in my English papers. I found solving Active/Passive Voice more confortable than Direct/Indirect.

Btw once can't get productive marks in English papers without ever using direct speech.

Thanks for your reply.

PTBM

[ProudToBeMuslim]

Originally Posted by RonBee

What is there to explain?

~R

Did I changed the tenses right?

[ProudToBeMuslim]

John Kennedy said, " Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."

John Kennedy said that one must not ask what his/her country can do for him/her but what he/she can do for their country. :)


John Kennedy was a wise person.

[ProudToBeMuslim]

Originally Posted by RonBee

Another example:

Ron said to Proud, "You are an idiot."

Ron said to Proud that she is an idiot.

Ron says, "Proud is an idoit."

Ron says that Proud is an idiot.

~R

You called me idiot.

[ProudToBeMuslim]

"Well Sir", said I to the doctor, "I shall see you again tomorrow morning."
I said to the doctor that I would see him again the next morning.


Father said to us. "All right, I allow you to go to the picture today."
Father said to us that we could go to the picture today.