0
0

Change of Pronouns

Introduction

In Direct and Indirect Speech, pronouns play a key role because they change according to who is speaking and to whom the speech is reported. Understanding how pronouns shift helps maintain the correct meaning of the original sentence when converted into Indirect Speech.

This pattern is crucial because a wrong pronoun change can completely alter the meaning of the statement.

Pattern: Change of Pronouns

Pattern

Pronouns in reported speech change according to the “person rule” - based on the subject and object of the reporting verb.

  • 1st person (I, we) → changes according to the subject of the reporting verb.
  • 2nd person (you) → changes according to the object of the reporting verb.
  • 3rd person (he, she, they) → no change.

Step-by-Step Example

Question

Convert the following into Indirect Speech:
She said to me, “You are my best friend.”

Options:
A. She told me that I was her best friend.
B. She told me that he was her best friend.
C. She said that I was her best friend.
D. She told me that you are my best friend.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the reporting verb and reported speech.

    Reporting verb = said to (changes to told); Reported speech = “You are my best friend.”

  2. Step 2: Remove quotation marks and add 'that'.

    → She told me that you are my best friend.

  3. Step 3: Apply pronoun rule (2nd person).

    Since 'you' refers to the object 'me', change you → I.

  4. Step 4: Adjust other pronouns.

    'my' (belongs to the speaker) → 'her'.

  5. Step 5: Backshift tense as the reporting verb is past.

    'are' → 'was'.

  6. Final Answer:

    She told me that I was her best friend. → Option A

  7. Quick Check:

    'You' refers to listener (me) → 'I'; 'my' refers to speaker (she) → 'her' ✅

Quick Variations

1. If reporting verb’s object is different, pronouns change accordingly.

2. When no object is given, assume general reference and keep pronoun logical.

3. Common exam trap: forgetting to change possessive pronouns (my → his/her; your → my/our).

Trick to Always Use

  • Step 1: Identify the subject and object of the reporting verb.
  • Step 2: Apply the person rule:
    • 1st person → subject
    • 2nd person → object
    • 3rd person → no change
  • Step 3: Recheck possessive and reflexive pronouns too.

Summary

Summary

  • Pronoun changes depend on the relation between speaker (subject) and listener (object).
  • First and second person pronouns are flexible; third person pronouns remain unchanged.
  • Always cross-check possessive words like my, your, our after conversion.
  • In the example, “You are my best friend.” became “I was her best friend.” - both person and possession shifted correctly.

Practice

(1/5)
1. Convert into Indirect Speech:<br><br>He said to me, “I am proud of you.”
easy
A. He told me that he was proud of me.
B. He said that he was proud of you.
C. He told me that I was proud of him.
D. He said that he is proud of me.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify reporting verb and pronouns.

    Reporting verb = 'said to' → 'told'; Reported speech = “I am proud of you.”

  2. Step 2: Apply pronoun rule.

    'I' refers to the speaker (he) → 'he'; 'you' refers to the listener (me) → 'me'.

  3. Step 3: Backshift tense.

    'am' → 'was' because reporting verb is past.

  4. Step 4: Combine sentence.

    He told me that he was proud of me.

  5. Final Answer:

    He told me that he was proud of me. → Option A

  6. Quick Check:

    'I' → 'he', 'you' → 'me', and present → past ✅
Hint: Change 1st and 2nd person pronouns based on who speaks and who listens.
Common Mistakes: Leaving 'you' unchanged.
2. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:<br><br>She said to him, “You are a good boy.”
easy
A. She told him that he was a good boy.
B. She told him that you were a good boy.
C. She said that he was a good boy.
D. She told him that I was a good boy.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify elements.

    Reporting verb = 'said to' → 'told'; Reported = “You are a good boy.”

  2. Step 2: Apply pronoun rule.

    'You' refers to the listener (him) → 'he'.

  3. Step 3: Backshift tense.

    'are' → 'was'.

  4. Step 4: Combine sentence.

    She told him that he was a good boy.

  5. Final Answer:

    She told him that he was a good boy. → Option A

  6. Quick Check:

    'You' → 'he'; 'are' → 'was' ✅
Hint: ‘You’ changes to match the object of reporting verb.
Common Mistakes: Forgetting to backshift 'are' to 'was'.
3. Convert into Indirect Speech:<br><br>Ravi said to me, “I will help you.”
easy
A. Ravi told me that I would help him.
B. Ravi told me that he will help me.
C. Ravi told me that he would help me.
D. Ravi told me that he helps me.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify key elements.

    Reporting verb = 'said to' → 'told'; Reported = “I will help you.”

  2. Step 2: Apply pronoun rule.

    'I' refers to speaker (Ravi) → 'he'; 'you' refers to listener (me) → 'me'.

  3. Step 3: Backshift tense.

    'will' → 'would'.

  4. Step 4: Combine sentence.

    Ravi told me that he would help me.

  5. Final Answer:

    Ravi told me that he would help me. → Option C

  6. Quick Check:

    'I' → 'he'; 'you' → 'me'; 'will' → 'would' ✅
Hint: In 'said to' → 'told', apply both pronoun and tense changes together.
Common Mistakes: Forgetting to change 'will' → 'would'.
4. Convert into Indirect Speech:<br><br>I said to her, “You have hurt me.”
medium
A. I told her that you had hurt me.
B. I told her that she had hurt me.
C. I said that she hurt me.
D. I told her that she has hurt me.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify reporting elements.

    Reporting verb = 'said to' → 'told'; Reported = “You have hurt me.”

  2. Step 2: Apply pronoun rule.

    'You' refers to the listener (her) → 'she'.

  3. Step 3: Backshift tense.

    'have hurt' → 'had hurt'.

  4. Step 4: Combine sentence.

    I told her that she had hurt me.

  5. Final Answer:

    I told her that she had hurt me. → Option B

  6. Quick Check:

    'You' → 'she'; 'have hurt' → 'had hurt' ✅
Hint: Pronoun 'you' becomes 'he/she' depending on the object of reporting verb.
Common Mistakes: Leaving tense unchanged or using 'has' instead of 'had'.
5. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:<br><br>They said, “We love our country.”
medium
A. They said that they loved their country.
B. They said that we loved their country.
C. They told that they love their country.
D. They said that they love their country.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Locate pronouns and tense.

    Reporting verb = 'said'; Reported speech = “We love our country.”

  2. Step 2: Apply pronoun rule.

    'We' → 'they'; 'our' → 'their'.

  3. Step 3: Backshift tense.

    'love' → 'loved'.

  4. Step 4: Combine final sentence.

    They said that they loved their country.

  5. Final Answer:

    They said that they loved their country. → Option A

  6. Quick Check:

    'We' → 'they'; 'our' → 'their' and present → past shift applied correctly. ✅
Hint: Possessive pronouns also change with person rule.
Common Mistakes: Keeping 'our' unchanged or forgetting tense backshift.

Mock Test

Ready for a challenge?

Take a 10-minute AI-powered test with 10 questions (Easy-Medium-Hard mix) and get instant SWOT analysis of your performance!

10 Questions
5 Minutes