Reporting and adapting communication

Reported speech communicates another person's message without necessarily reproducing every original word. Pronouns, time expressions and place references change according to the reporting situation. With a past reporting verb, a tense often shifts back, but a statement which remains true does not always require that shift. Say normally introduces the reported content, while tell normally needs the person who received the message.

A reported question uses statement word order after ask, not the order of a direct question. Yes-or-no questions commonly begin with if or whether; other questions retain an appropriate question word. Commands and requests can use an object plus a to-infinitive. Keep the original message accurate and do not invent an intention that the speaker did not express. Reporting well is a meaning task as much as a grammar task.

Use this General English lesson to make communication more independent and precise. Compare alternative ways of expressing a point and select the one which preserves its meaning. In source-based work, keep a claim separate from the evidence or qualification supporting it.

වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්‍ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.

A relative clause adds information about a noun. Who normally refers to people, which to things, and whose to possession. That can introduce many defining clauses. A defining relative clause identifies the person or thing, while a non-defining clause adds extra information about an already identified noun and is set off with commas. Do not use that in a standard non-defining relative clause.

Combining sentences is useful only if the relationship stays clear. Put the relative clause close to the noun it describes, and avoid repeating the same subject or object inside the clause. In some defining clauses, an object relative pronoun can be omitted, but a subject relative pronoun cannot simply disappear. Read the combined sentence aloud: if several clauses interrupt the main idea, two shorter sentences may communicate more effectively.

Use this General English lesson to make communication more independent and precise. Compare alternative ways of expressing a point and select the one which preserves its meaning. In source-based work, keep a claim separate from the evidence or qualification supporting it.

වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්‍ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.

Register is the choice of language suited to a situation, purpose and relationship. A message to a close friend can use contractions and shared background, while a formal report normally needs more explicit information and neutral wording. Neither style is automatically better; the appropriate choice depends on the reader. Tone also matters: a grammatical sentence may sound abrupt or dismissive if it ignores the relationship.

Adapting a message does not mean changing its facts. Keep dates, requests and essential meaning consistent while adjusting the greeting, vocabulary and amount of explanation. Avoid slang in a formal enquiry unless the task specifically requires it. Equally, do not make an everyday conversation sound unnatural by filling it with elaborate phrases. Read your message from the recipient's position and ask whether its purpose and expected response are clear.

Use this General English lesson to make communication more independent and precise. Compare alternative ways of expressing a point and select the one which preserves its meaning. In source-based work, keep a claim separate from the evidence or qualification supporting it.

වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්‍ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.