In Russian, when we change direct speech into indirect speech, there are some important changes to make, especially with pronouns. Knowing these changes can really help you speak more smoothly. Let’s break down the steps and rules so you can understand them easily.

1. Changing Pronouns

When switching from direct to indirect speech, the pronouns often need to change depending on who is talking.

a. First-Person Pronouns

• Direct Speech: Он сказал: «Я дома».
  (He said: “I am at home.”)
• Indirect Speech: Он сказал, что он дома.
  (He said that he was at home.)

Here, "я" (I) changes to "он" (he) in indirect speech.

b. Second-Person Pronouns

• Direct Speech: Она спросила: «Ты идёшь?»
  (She asked: “Are you going?”)
• Indirect Speech: Она спросила, идёте ли вы.
  (She asked if you were going.)

In this case, "ты" (you) turns into "вы" (you in a group or more formal), depending on the situation.

2. Contextual Adjustments

Pronouns should also match the context of the conversation.

a. Changing the Perspective

If the speaker talks about someone else:

• Direct Speech: Он говорит: «Ты забыл».
  (He says: “You forgot.”)
• Indirect Speech: Он говорит, что я забыл.
  (He says that I forgot.)

Here, "ты" (you) becomes "я" (I) to reflect the speaker's viewpoint.

3. Overview of Changes

Here’s a simple table showing the changes:

| Direct Speech Pronoun | Indirect Speech Pronoun | |-----------------------|-------------------------| | я (I) | он/она (he/she) | | ты (you, singular) | вы (you, plural/formal) | | он (he) | я (I) | | она (she) | он (he) | | мы (we) | они (they) | | вы (you, plural) | мы (we) |

4. Example Sentences

Here are some more examples to help you see the changes:

1. Direct Speech: Они сказали: «Мы экспериментируем».
   Indirect Speech: Они сказали, что они экспериментируют.
   (They said: “We are experimenting.” → They said that they were experimenting.)

2. Direct Speech: Он спрашивает: «Ты придёшь?»
   Indirect Speech: Он спрашивает, придёшь ли ты.
   (He asks: “Will you come?” → He asks if you will come.)

3. Direct Speech: Я сказал: «Ты мой друг».
   Indirect Speech: Я сказал, что он мой друг.
   (I said: “You are my friend.” → I said that he is my friend.)

5. Practice Exercise

Now it’s your turn! Change these direct speeches into indirect speeches:

1. Она сказала: «Я уехала».
2. Они спрашивают: «Вы пришли?».

By practicing these changes and using the table as a guide, you can become really good at changing direct speech into indirect speech in Russian!