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DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

1) Direct Speech
In direct speech, we convey the message of the speaker in his own actual words without
any change to another person.

2) Indirect Speech
In indirect speech, we convey the message of the speaker in our own words to another
person.

3) Procedure of changing direct speech into indirect speech

a) Remove comma and inverted commas.

b) Put "that" between the reporting and reported speeches.(it is optional to put "that"
between the reporting and reported speech)
c) Change the 1st letter of reported speech into small letter except for "I"
d) Change the words expressing nearness in time or places of the direct speech into its
appropriate words expressing distance as per table 1
e) Change the pronoun of the direct speech according to the rules described in table 2
f) Change the tense of the direct speech appropriately according to rules described in
table 3.

4) Rules for changing Direct into Indirect Speech

a) The past tense is often used when it is uncertain if the statement is true or when we are
reporting objectively.

Indirect Speech Conversion Direct Speech Condition

Present Tenses in the Direct Speech are If the reporting or principal verb is in the Past Tense.
changed into Past Tense.

If in direct speech you find say/says or will say.

Do Not Change Tense of reported

Direct speech the words within the quotation marks
Speech in Indirect Speech sentence
talk of a universal truth or habitual action.

The reporting verb is in a present tense.

b) When there are two sentences combined with the help of a conjunction and both sentences
have got different tenses. Then change the tenses of both sentences according to the rule.
c) Words expressing nearness in time or places are generally changed into words expressing
distance.
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TABLE 1
Direct Speech Word Indirect Speech Word

Here There

Today that day

this morning that morning

Yesterday the day before

Tomorrow the next day

next week the following week

next month the following month

Change of place and time Now Then

Ago Before

Thus So

Last Night the night before

This That

These Those

Hither Thither

Hence Thence

Come Go

5) Change in Pronouns
The pronouns of the Direct Speech are changed where necessary, according to their
relations with the reporter and his hearer, rather than with the original speaker. If we change
direct speech into indirect speech, the pronouns will change in the following ways.
TABLE 2
Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech

The first person of the reported She says, "I am in She says that she is in tenth class.
speech changes according to the tenth class."
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subject of reporting speech.

The second person of reported He says to them, He tells them that they have
speech changes according to the "You have completed completed their job.
object of reporting speech. your job."

The third person of the reported She says, "She is in She says that she is in tenth class.
speech doesn't change. tenth class."

6) Change in Tenses
The past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses do not change.
TABLE 3
Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Simple Present Changes "I always drink She said that she always drank
To coffee", she said coffee.
Simple Past

Present Continuous Changes "I am reading a He explained that he was reading

To book", he explained. a book
Past Continuous

Present Perfect Changes She said, "He has She said that he had finished his
To finished his work" work.
Past Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous "I have been to He told me that he had been to
Changes Spain", he told me. Spain.
To
Past Perfect Continuous

Simple Past Changes "Bill arrived on He said that Bill had arrived on
To Saturday", he said. Saturday
Past Perfect

Past Perfect Changes "I had just turned out He explained that he had just
To the light," he turned out the light.
Past Perfect (No Change In explained.
Tense)

Past Continuous Changes "We were living in They told me that they had been
To Paris", they told me. living in Paris.
Past Perfect Continuous
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Future Changes "I will be in Geneva He said that he would be in

To on Monday", he said Geneva on Monday.
Present Conditional

Future Continuous Changes She said, "I'll be using She said that she would be using
To the car next Friday." the car next Friday.
Conditional Continuous

7) Changes in Modals
Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech

CAN changes into COULD He said, "I can drive a car". He said that he could drive a
car.

MAY changes into MIGHT He said, "I may buy a He said that he might buy a
computer" computer.

MUST changes into HAD TO He said, "I must work hard" He said that he had to work
hard.

These Modals Do Not Change: Would, could, might, should, ought to.

Would They said, "we would apply for a They said that they would
visa" apply for visa.

Could He said, "I could run faster" He said that he could run
faster.

Might John said, "I might meet him". John said that he might meet
him.

Should He said, "I should avail the He said that he should avail
opportunity" the opportunity.

Ought to He said to me, "you ought to wait for He said to me that I ought to
him" wait for him.

8) Changes for Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences consist any of these four things:

a) Order
b) Request
c) Advice
d) Suggestion
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Most commonly used words to join clauses together are ordered, requested, advised and
suggested. Forbid(s)/ forbade is used for the negative sentences.
Mood of Sentence in Direct Speech Reporting verb in indirect verb

Order Ordered

Request requested / entreated

Advice advised / urged

Never told, advised or forbade (No need of "not" after

"forbade")

Direction Directed

Suggestion suggested to

Warning Warn

(If a person is addressed directly) Called

EXAMPLES:
Direct: The old woman said to the boy, ‘Please help me.’
Indirect: The old woman requested the boy to help her.

Direct: I said to him, ‘Love and obey your parents.’

Indirect: I advised him to love and obey his parents. OR I advised that he should love and obey
his parents.

Direct: The teacher said to the students, ‘Work hard.’

Indirect: The teacher advised the boys to work hard. OR The teacher suggested that the boys
should work hard.

Direct: Jim said to me, ‘Please lend me your pen.’

Indirect: Jim requested me to lend him my pen.

Direct: The doctor said to the patient, ‘Quit smoking.’

Indirect: The doctor advised the patient to quit smoking. OR The doctor suggested that the
patient should quit smoking.

Direct: The officer said to the clerk, ‘Do it immediately.’

Indirect: The officer ordered the clerk to do it immediately.
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Direct: The teacher said to the boy, ‘Come in, please.’

Indirect: The teacher allowed (or asked) the boy to come in.

Direct: He said to me, ‘Post this letter at once.’

Indirect: He ordered me to post that letter at once.

Direct: I said to the children, ‘Do not make a noise.’

Indirect: I forbade the children to make a noise. (NOT I forbade the children not to make a
noise.)

Direct: I said to her, ‘Don’t mention his name.’

Indirect: I forbade her to mention his name.

Direct: I said to the child, ‘Do not look down into the well.’
Indirect: I warned the child not to look down into the well.

Direct: He said to me, ‘Wait here till I return.’

Indirect: He asked me to wait there till he returned.

9) Exclamatory Sentences
Exclamatory sentences expresses emotions. Interjections such as Hurrah, wow, alas, oh, ah
are used to express emotions. The word "that" is used as join clause.

Rules for conversion of Exclamatory Direct Speech Sentences into Indirect Speech
Sentences

a) Interjections are removed.

b) Exclamation mark changes into full stop.
c) Exclamatory sentence changes into assertive sentence.
d) W.H words like , "what" and "how" are removed and before the adjective of reported
speech we put "very"
e) Changes of "tenses" , "pronouns" and "adjectives" will be according to the previous
rules.

Mood of Sentence in Direct Speech Reporting verb in indirect verb

sorrow in reported speech Exclaimed with sorrow/ grief/ exclaimed sorrowfully

or cried out

happiness in reported speech exclaimed with joy/ delight/ exclaimed joyfully

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surprise in reported speech exclaimed with surprise/ wonder/ astonishment"

appreciation and it is being expressed Applauded

strongly

EXAMPLES:
Direct: The boy said, ‘Hurrah! We have won the match.’
Indirect: The boy exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Direct: The old man said, ‘Alas! I have lost my purse.’

Indirect: The old man exclaimed with sorrow that he had lost his purse.

Direct: The child said, ‘What a beautiful sight!’

Indirect: The child exclaimed with delight that it was a very beautiful sight. OR The child
exclaimed with delight that the sight was very beautiful.

Direct: The girl said, ‘How beautiful the girl is!’

Indirect: The girl exclaimed with delight that the rainbow was very beautiful.

Direct: The candidate said, ‘How difficult the problem is!’

Indirect: The candidate exclaimed with disapproval that the problem was very difficult.

Direct: The students said to the teacher, ‘Good morning, Teacher!’

Indirect: The students respectfully wished their teacher good morning.

Direct: ‘How glad I am,’ said Alice, ‘to meet my friend here.’
Indirect: Alice exclaimed with delight that she was very glad to meet her friend there.

Direct: The Emperor said, ‘Alas! Our foes are too strong!’
Indirect: The Emperor exclaimed with sorrow that their foes were too strong.

Direct: ‘Hurrah!’ cried the boy, ‘I have won a prize.’

Indirect: The boy exclaimed with delight he had done a prize.

10) Interrogative Sentences

Interrogative sentences are of two types:

a) Interrogative with auxiliaries at the beginning.

b) Interrogatives with who, where, what, when, how etc., i.e. wh questions.

Rules for conversion of Interrogative Direct Speech Sentence into Indirect Speech
Sentences
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Changes Direct Speech Indirect Speech Condition

Condition

Reporting Verb said/ said to Asked, enquired or demanded.

If sentence begins joining clause should be if or whether.

with auxiliary verb
Joining Clause
If sentence begins then no conjunction is used as "question-
with "wh" questions word" itself act as joining clause.

Punctuation Question Mark Full Stop

sentences is do/does is removed from sentence.

expressing positive
feeling

Helping Verbs if 'No' is used in do/does is changed into did.

interrogative
sentences

Did or has/have Had

EXAMPLES:

Direct: I said to him, ‘Who are you?’

Indirect: I asked him who he was.

Direct: The mother said to the daughter, ‘Do you know where John is?’
Indirect: The mother asked the daughter whether she knew where John was.

Direct: ‘Have you anything to say on behalf of the accused?,’ said the judge to the lawyer.
Indirect: The judge enquired of the lawyer if he had anything to say on behalf of the accused.

Direct: She said to me, ‘Are you coming with us?’

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Indirect: She asked me if I was going with them. OR She asked them if I was coming with
them.

Direct: She said to me, ‘Are you unwell?’

Indirect: She asked me if I was unwell.

Direct: She said to him, ‘Am I to wait for you till eternity?’
Indirect: She enquired of him if she was to wait for him till eternity.

Direct: I said to him, ‘Were you present at the meeting yesterday?’

Indirect: I asked him whether he had been present at the meeting the day before (or the
previous day).

Direct: The woman asked the stranger, ‘Should I help you?’

Indirect: The woman asked the stranger whether she should help him.

11) Punctuation Direct Speech.

In direct speech, various punctuation conventions are used to separate the quoted
words from the rest of the text: this allows a reader to follow what's going on.
Here are the basic rules:

RULES EXAMPLES

The words that are actually spoken should be enclosed in 'He's very clever, you
inverted commas know.'

Start new paragraph every time when a new speaker says 'They think it's a more
something. respectable job,' said Joe.
'I don't agree,' I replied

Comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark must be 'Can I come in?' he asked.
present at the end of reported sentences. This is placed inside the 'Just a moment!' she
closing inverted comma or commas. shouted.
'You're right,' he said.

If direct speech comes after the information about who is Steve replied, 'No problem.'
speaking, comma is used to introduce the piece of speech, placed
before the first inverted comma.
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If the direct speech is broken up by information about who is 'You're right,' he said. 'It
speaking, comma (or a question mark or exclamation mark) is feels strange.'
used to separate the two reported speech 'Thinking back,' she said,
'he didn't expect to win.'