1 'are you free this afternoon'she said. (into reported speech) 'dont you want to go?'(into indirect speech) 3. if i were you ... why i agrees with were not was pl clarify
please answer my queries
1. Reported Speech:
To convert the sentence "Are you free this afternoon?" into reported speech, we need to use reporting verbs (such as 'she said') and make necessary changes in the verb tense and pronouns. The reported speech would be:
She asked if I was free that afternoon.
In this case, "Are" changes to "was" because it is reported speech and we shift the tense back. Additionally, the pronoun "you" changes to "I" since we are reporting from our perspective.
2. Indirect Speech:
To convert the sentence "Don't you want to go?" into indirect speech, we use reporting verbs (such as 'she asked') and make necessary changes in the verb tense and pronouns. The indirect speech would be:
She asked if I wanted to go.
In this case, "Don't" changes to "didn't" because it is reported speech and we shift the tense back. Additionally, the pronoun "you" changes to "I" since we are reporting from our perspective.
3. "If I were you" vs. "If I was you":
The phrase "If I were you..." is a grammatically correct conditional statement used to express hypothetical or unreal situations. This construction is known as the 'subjunctive mood' and is common in English language.
In traditional grammar, the subjunctive form is used to express counterfactual or hypothetical statements, and in these cases, "were" is used in place of "was" for all persons (I, you, he/she/it, we, they). This is because "were" indicates that the situation presented is contrary to reality.
Example: If I were you, I would study harder.
However, in modern English, the use of "was" instead of "were" in the subjunctive mood is becoming more acceptable, especially in informal contexts. So, you may come across the phrase "If I was you..." in conversation and informal writing.
Example: If I was you, I would consider taking a break.
Both "If I were you" and "If I was you" are used, but "If I were you" is considered grammatically more correct in formal writing.