Direct and Indirect Speech Rules Examples and Exercises
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules Examples and Exercises
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules Examples and Exercises
exercises
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Indirect Speech: the message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in our own words.
1. All inverted commas or quotation marks are omitted and the sentence ends with a full
stop.
If the reporting verb is in the Present or Future Tense, the tenses of the Direct Speech do
not change.
The Tense in Indirect Speech is NOT CHANGED if the words within the quotation marks
talk of a universal truth or habitual action.
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a) Direct: They said, “We cannot live without water.”
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a) Direct: She said, "I'll be using the car next Friday.”
b) Indirect: She said that she would be using the car next Friday.
Modals that DO NOT Change: Would, Could, Might, Should, Ought to.
If sentence begins with auxiliary verb, the joining clause should be if or whether.
b) Indirect: He asked them whether they would come for the meeting.
If sentence begins with ‘wh’ questions then no conjunction is used as the "question-word"
itself act as joining clause.
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Tip 6: Command, Request, Exclamation, Wish
Commands and Requests
Indirect Speech is introduced by some verbs like ordered, requested, advised and
suggested. Forbid(s)/ forbade is used for the negative sentences. The imperative mood is
changed into the Infinitive.
Indirect Speech is introduced by some words like grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud.
Exclamatory sentence changes into assertive sentence and Interjections are removed.
The second person of reported speech changes according to the object of reporting
speech.
Now -- then
Here -- there
Ago -- before
Thus -- so
This -- that
These -- those
Hither-- thither
Come -- go
Hence -- thence
b) Indirect: She said that her father had come the day before.
Indirect: She says/will say that her father had come yesterday. (Here the reporting verb
‘says’ is in the present tense OR ‘will say’ is in future tense; hence the time expression
‘yesterday’ won’t change.)
Tip 9: Punctuation
The words that are actually spoken should be enclosed in quotes and begin with a capital
letter
Comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark must be present at the end of
reported sentences and are placed inside the closing inverted comma or commas.
If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, comma is used to
introduce the piece of speech, placed before the first inverted comma.
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Example: She shouted, “Stop talking!”
Example: “Thinking back,” she said, “he didn't expect to win.” (Comma is used to separate
the two reported speech and no capital letter to begin the second sentence).
3. Insert quotation marks, question mark, exclamation and full stop, as per the mood of
the sentence.
6. Change the past tense into present tense wherever the reporting verb is in the past
tense.
7. Convert the past perfect either into past tense or present perfect as found necessary.
Example
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#1:
Direct: The boy said, “I’m happy with my results.”
Indirect: The boy said that he is happy with his results. (Incorrect)
Indirect: The boy said that he was happy with his results. (Correct)
#2:
Direct: She said, “I have baked a cake.”
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Indirect: She said (that) she baked a cake. (Incorrect)
#3:
Direct: He said, “All people have equal rights.”
#4:
Direct: Roshni said, “I may meet him here”.
Indirect: Roshni said that she may meet him here. (Incorrect)
Indirect: Roshni said that she might meet him there. (Correct)
#5:
Direct: She says, “I will go to school tomorrow.”
Indirect: She says that she would go to school the day after. (Incorrect)
#6:
Direct: He said, “She is coming this week to discuss this.”
Indirect: He said that she was coming this week to discuss this. (Incorrect)
Indirect: He said that she was coming that week to discuss it. (Correct)
#7:
Direct: He said to them, “Will you come for dinner?”
#8:
Direct: The teacher said, “Be quiet and listen to my words.”
Indirect: The teacher said them to be quiet and listen to my words. (Incorrect)
Indirect: The teacher urged /ordered them to be quiet and listen to his words. (Correct)
#9:
Direct: The old man said, “Ah! I am ruined.”
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Indirect: The old man said that Ah he was ruined! (Incorrect)
Indirect: The old man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.
#10:
Indirect: The policeman enquired where we were going.
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