Notes On Exclamatory and Interrogative Sentences - Reported Speech - CBSE Class 9 English Grammar

How to change Exclamatory Sentences into Indirect Speech? :

1. Reporting verb SAID / SAID TO should be changed into EXCLAIMED.
2. Use the conjunction word THAT.
3. Change that into a Statement.
4. When WHAT or HOW is followed by an adjective, use VERY but when WHAT is followed by a noun use GREAT.
5. HOW is usually followed by an Adjective (not by a Noun).
6. Change of Personal Pronoun, Tense and Special words.
7. Remove commas, quotation marks and exclamation mark.

 Formula : Subject + exclaimed + that + other subject (from Reported Speech) + verb (by changing the tense) + very + adjective (or great + noun)+ ….

Examples :
1. They said, “Hurrah! We have won the match”.
    They exclaimed joyfully that they had won the match.
2.She said, “What a tall building!”
   She exclaimed joyfully that it was a tall building.


                                          Interrogative Sentences

When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points:

  • As in a declarative sentence, we have to change the pronouns and the time and place information, and set back the tense (backshift).

  • Instead of that (as in a declarative sentence), we use the question word. If there is no question word, we use whether/if instead.

  • Besides this, we also need to use an indirect question in indirect speech. This means that after the question word or after whether/if, we simply write a declarative sentence (subject-verb etc.).

  • The helping verb do etc., from the direct speech construction is removed.

Type

Example

With question word

(WH question)

Direct speech

“Where is the new mall located?”

Indirect speech

He asked me where was the new mall located.

Without question word(YES/NO type questions)

Direct speech

“Do you like ice creams?”

Indirect speech

He asked me whether/if I liked ice creams.

Summary

How to change Exclamatory Sentences into Indirect Speech? :

1. Reporting verb SAID / SAID TO should be changed into EXCLAIMED.
2. Use the conjunction word THAT.
3. Change that into a Statement.
4. When WHAT or HOW is followed by an adjective, use VERY but when WHAT is followed by a noun use GREAT.
5. HOW is usually followed by an Adjective (not by a Noun).
6. Change of Personal Pronoun, Tense and Special words.
7. Remove commas, quotation marks and exclamation mark.

 Formula : Subject + exclaimed + that + other subject (from Reported Speech) + verb (by changing the tense) + very + adjective (or great + noun)+ ….

Examples :
1. They said, “Hurrah! We have won the match”.
    They exclaimed joyfully that they had won the match.
2.She said, “What a tall building!”
   She exclaimed joyfully that it was a tall building.


                                          Interrogative Sentences

When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points:

  • As in a declarative sentence, we have to change the pronouns and the time and place information, and set back the tense (backshift).

  • Instead of that (as in a declarative sentence), we use the question word. If there is no question word, we use whether/if instead.

  • Besides this, we also need to use an indirect question in indirect speech. This means that after the question word or after whether/if, we simply write a declarative sentence (subject-verb etc.).

  • The helping verb do etc., from the direct speech construction is removed.

Type

Example

With question word

(WH question)

Direct speech

“Where is the new mall located?”

Indirect speech

He asked me where was the new mall located.

Without question word(YES/NO type questions)

Direct speech

“Do you like ice creams?”

Indirect speech

He asked me whether/if I liked ice creams.

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