Lecture# 8: Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech quoting the exact words of the speaker using quotation marks
Example: She said, “I saw him.”
She said reporting verb
“I saw him” reported speech
Indirect Speech reporting of what a speaker said
1. “that” is used but sometimes optional
Example: He told me that he lived in Pasig.
2. “if” is used for questions
Example: He asked me if I would come to the party.
3. “say or said” when there is no indirect object:
D.S. He said, “I am tired.”
I.S. He said that he was tired.
4. “tell or told” when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
D.S. He said to me, “I am tired”
I.S.  He told me that he was tired.

Reporting Verbs
admit advise announce
claim complain confirm
declare explain insist
mention promise* ropose
say suggest warn*

Rules in changing Direct and Indirect Speech

1. If the verb in the reported speech is stating a universal truth, a habit, a constant situation, the tense of that verb
does not change.
Examples:
The teacher said,” The sun rises in the east.”
The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
2. If Reporting Verb is in the Past Tense, the tense of the verb must be generally changed.
Example:
“She writes a poem”, she said.
She said that she wrote a poem.
3. If Reporting Verb is in the Present Tense, the tense of the verb does not change.
Example:
“She writes a poem”, she says.
She says that she writes a poem.

4. Changing Modals
will-> would
can-> could
may-> might
must-> had to
5. These Modals Do Not Change:
Would, could, might, should, ought to

6. Expressions of time if reported on a different day

 this (evening) > that (evening)
 today > that day
 this morning> that morning
 these (days) > those (days)
 Yesterday > the day before/ the previous day
 now > then
 here > there
 This> That
 These > Those
 (a week) ago > (a week) before
 next (week) > the following (week)
 tomorrow > the next/following day

Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech

Rule #1. First person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. I, we) is changed according to the third person pronoun (he, she) of
the reporting verb
Examples:
 Direct speech: She said, “I will look after Liam.”
 Indirect Speech: She said that she would look after Liam.

Rule #2. First person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. I, we) is not changed if the pronoun (Subject) of reporting is also first
person pronoun (i.e. I or we).
Examples:
 Direct speech: I said, “I do my homework.”
 Reported speech: I said that I did my homework.

Rule #3. Second person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. you) is changed according to “object” of reporting verb.
Examples:
 Direct speech: He said to her, “You are cute.”
 Reported speech: He told her that she was cute.

 Direct speech: She said to me, “You are nice.”

 Reported speech: She told me that I was nice.

Rule #4. Third person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. he, she, it) is not changed in indirect speech.
Examples:
 Direct speech: They said, “She does not have the necessary qualifications.“
 Reported speech: They said that she did not have the necessary qualifications.

Changing the Tenses

Simple present Simple past
"I always drink coffee", she said She said that she always drank coffee.
Present continuous Past continuous
"I am reading a book", he explained. He explained that he was reading a book
Simple past Past perfect
"Bill arrived on Saturday", he said. He said that Bill had arrived on Saturday.
Present perfect Past perfect
"I have been to Spain", he told me. He told me that he had been to Spain.
Past perfect Past perfect
"I had just turned out the light," he explained. He explained that he had just turned out the light.
 Yes/ No Questions
Formula for those starting with an auxiliary verb : Subject + asked + object + if / whether + changed Person + changed
tense +.

Examples :
1. Direct Speech: The bookseller said to me, “Do you want to buy these books?".
Indirect Speech: The bookseller asked me if I wanted to buy those books.

2. Direct Speech: She asked me, “Do you know the way to the market?".
Indirect Speech: She asked me if I knew the way to the market.

3. Direct Speech: Mother said to the boy, “Did you lock the front door?".
Indirect Speech: Mother asked the boy if he had locked the front door.

4. Direct Speech: The teacher said to Kavitha, “Did you bring your text book?".
Indirect Speech: The teacher asked Kavitha whether she had brought her text book.

Question words

This type of question is reported by using 'ask' (or another verb like 'ask') + question word + clause. The clause contains
the question, in normal word order and with the necessary tense change.

Examples:
Direct speech
"What is your name?" he asked me.
"How old is your mother?", he asked.
The policman said to the boy, "Where do you live?"
"What time does the train arrive?" she asked.
"When can we have dinner?" she asked.
Peter said to John, "Why are you so late?"
Indirect speech
He asked me what my name was.
He asked how old her mother was.
The policeman asked the boy where he lived.
She asked what time the train arrived.
She asked when they could have dinner.
Peter asked John why he was so late.

Practice Exercise:
Change the following Direct Speech into Indirect Speech:

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

1. I said, "I like sweets today".
2. She says,"He is singing well".
3. He said, "I have done my work yesterday".
4. I declared, "I killed the rat last month".
5. She mentioned, "I have been working hard".
6. He said to me, "You can do it".
7. We said, "We are quite happy now".
8. She said to her, "My mother cooks well."
9. I said," He is sleeping".
10. I say, "I am happy".
11. Maria announced, “He is a boy.”
12. Goku said, “I'm studying English a lot at the
moment.”
13. Seno reassured me, ”I can come tonight.”
14. They said, “We've lived here for a long time.”
15. He said, “I really wish I had bought that new car.”