Often, we do not quote or report speech directly. Instead, we do something called paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is when you tell basically what a person said, without using their exact words. In fact, by paraphrasing, you change their words.
Look at the example below.
"I like all kinds of fruits, but my favourite fruits are tropical fruits. I like bananas and pineapples. I find that tropical fruits are always sweeter."
If we were to use reported speech, it would look like this:
He said that he likes all kinds of fruits, but his favourite fruits are tropical fruits. He said that he likes bananas and pineapples. He said he finds that tropical fruits are always sweeter.
This is very long and awkward. It sounds like a police report! In most everyday speech or writing, you do not need to include all the little details. That's where paraphrasing is useful. Here is how you can change the quote by paraphrasing.
He said that although he likes many fruits, he enjoys tropical fruits like bananas and pineapples the most because they are sweeter.
That sounds a lot tidier and less awkward.
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