[මෙම පාඩම පසුව සිංහලට පරිවර්තනය කර, පළ කරනු ඇත!]

{This Lesson would be translated into Sinhalese & published later!}

This kind of speech gives us the actual words of something said. For example:—

I am tired now, so I am going to bed.*

This sentence contains two statements, both in the Present Tense, but the second with future meaning. When we turn these two statements into Indirect Speech, that is, when we report them, the verbs remain in the Present Tense:

He says that he is tired now, so he is going to bed.

Now look at the following statement:—

I shall be tired by that time, and shall go to bed.

In reported speech this becomes:—

He says tie will be tired by that time, and will go to bed.

From this you see that when the actual words spoken are in the Future Tense, those in the reported statement remain in the Future Tense.

Now let us report the foregoing sentences with the reporting verb in the Future Tense, that is: He will say instead of He says. They will then become:

(a) He will say that he is tired then, and so he is going to bed.

(b) He will say that he will be tired by that time and will go to bed.

Here you see that when the actual words spoken are in the Present Tense, the verbs in the reported statement are also in that tense. And when the actual words spoken are in the Future Tense, the verbs in the reported statement are also in that tense.

*Remember that in English the Present Tense is very frequently used with a Future Meaning. 

For example:

I am going to Anuradhapura next week. 

When I go to Anuradhapura I will buy you that book.