EXAMPLES OF DEGREES OF COMPARISON
In this article, I have provided many examples and rules on Degrees of comparison.
Assertive sentence:
1) Universal truths and proverbs do not change their tense structure. Even the the reporting verb is in the past.
Direct speech: The teacher said, "The Earth is spherical in shape".
Indirect speech: The teacher said that the Earth is spherical in shape.
Direct speech: My mother said, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder".
Indirect speech: My mother said that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
2) "Said to" becomes "told".
Direct speech: He said to me, "I am going to complete the work within the stipulated time".
Indirect speech: He told me that he was going to complete the work within the stipulated time.
Direct speech: He said to her, "I will help you if you follow my instructions until the success is achieved".
Indirect speech: He told her that he would help her if she followed his instructions until the success was achieved.
Direct speech: I said to him, "can you complete the work within the time?"
Indirect speech: I asked him if/whether he could complete the work within the time.
(or)
I wanted to know if/whether he could complete the work within the time.
Direct speech: They said to him, "Are you playing the match?"
Direct speech: I said to him, "I am going for a movie", "will you accompany me?"
Direct speech: My father said to me, "if you wake up early, you can complete the work".
Note: When reporting verb changes its next form, if it has both helping verb and main verb, helping verb should change and main verb remains same. If there is no helping verb, main verb changes to its next form.
3) The verb "tell" cannot be used without using its object (when used in active voice).
Incorrect
|
Correct
|
She told that she
might attend the meeting.
|
She said that she
might attend the meeting.
|
He told that he was
going to complete work.
|
He said that he was
going to complete work.
|
4) The verb "tell" does not take any preposition before its object.
Incorrect
|
Correct
|
He told to her that
he could be at the venue on time.
|
He told her that he
could be at the venue on time.
|
She told to me that
she was going to Vizag.
|
She told me that she
was going to Vizag.
|
He told to his
parents that he wanted to study science.
|
He told his parents
that he wanted to study science.
|
5) The verb which contains the subject should change to its next form. But the verb which has no subject does not change.
Direct speech: He said to her, "I will help you if you follow my instructions until the success is achieved".
Indirect speech: He told her that he would help her if she followed his instructions until the success was achieved.
Interrogative sentence:
a) Questions beginning with a "helping verb".
Direct speech: I said to him, "can you complete the work within the time?"
Indirect speech: I asked him if/whether he could complete the work within the time.
(or)
I wanted to know if/whether he could complete the work within the time.
1) Difference between "if" and "whether".
Rules:
- When there is only one option in a question, the linking word can be either if or whether. But "if" is the better option.
- When there are two options in a question, whether is the right option.
Direct speech: They said to him, "Are you playing the match?"
Indirect speech: They asked him if/whether he was playing the match. (or)
They wanted to know if/whether he was playing the match.
Direct speech: They said to him, "Are you playing the match or not?"
Indirect speech: They asked him whether he was playing the match or not. (or)
They wanted to know whether he was playing the match or not.
2) Using both assertive and interrogative sentences together.
Direct speech: I said to him, "I am going for a movie", "will you accompany me?"
Indirect speech: I told him that I was going for a movie and wanted to know if he would accompany me.
3) The conjunction "that" and "if" can be used together in the assertive sentence. But it is not possible in the interrogative sentence.
Direct speech: My father said to me, "if you wake up early, you can complete the work".
Indirect speech: My father told me that if I woke up early I could complete the work.
Direct speech: My father said to me, "can you complete the work?".
Indirect speech: My father asked me if I could complete the work.
b) Questions beginning with a "question word".
Direct speech: I said to her, "why are you crying?" Indirect speech: I asked her why she was crying. or
I wanted to know why she was crying.
1) Using two kinds of questions together:
Direct speech: They said to her, "where are you?" and "can you reach the venue on time?"
Indirect speech: They asked her where she was and wanted to know if she could reach the venue on time.
2) When there is do does did helping verb in a question it should be mingled with its main verb.
Direct speech: He said to me, "Do you know English?"
Indirect speech: He asked me if I knew English. (or) He wanted to know if I knew English.
Direct speech: I said to him, "when did you buy the book?"
Indirect speech: I asked him when he had bought the book. (or) I wanted to know when he had bought the book.
Imperative sentence:
Direct speech: The commander said to the the soldiers, "Be alert as the enemy is fast approaching.
Indirect speech: The commander commanded the soldiers to be alert as the enemy was fast approaching.
Direct speech: The beggar said to me, "please help me".
Indirect speech: The beggar requested me to help him.
Direct speech: The police officer said to the thief, "Don't be involved in any crime again.
Indirect speech: The police officer warned the thief not to be involved in any crime again.
Direct speech: The doctor said to the patient, "Go for a walk every morning".
Indirect speech: The doctor advised the patient to go for a walk every morning. (or)
The doctor suggested to the patient that he should go for a walk every morning. (Here suggested followed by to).
Indirect speech: My friend told me to stay at home until he came back.
Direct speech: A stranger said to me, "show me the way to the railway station".
Indirect speech: A stranger asked me to show him the way to the railway station.
Indirect speech: The commander commanded the soldiers to be alert as the enemy was fast approaching.
Direct speech: The beggar said to me, "please help me".
Indirect speech: The beggar requested me to help him.
Direct speech: The police officer said to the thief, "Don't be involved in any crime again.
Indirect speech: The police officer warned the thief not to be involved in any crime again.
Direct speech: The doctor said to the patient, "Go for a walk every morning".
Indirect speech: The doctor advised the patient to go for a walk every morning. (or)
The doctor suggested to the patient that he should go for a walk every morning. (Here suggested followed by to).
Using the verbs "told" and "asked" in the imperative sentence.
Direct speech: My friend said to me, "stay at home until I come back.Indirect speech: My friend told me to stay at home until he came back.
Direct speech: A stranger said to me, "show me the way to the railway station".
Indirect speech: A stranger asked me to show him the way to the railway station.
Conclusion:
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