Direct and Indirect Speech for

Class 6
Jump ahead to:
 Direct and Indirect Speech for Class 6
 What is Direct Speech?
 Examples of Direct Speech For Class 6
 What is Indirect Speech?
 Examples of Indirect speech For Class 6
 Rules For Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech
 1. No changes in the tense are made if:
 Some of the examples satisfying the above conditions:
 2. Changes in tenses
 3. Changes in Modals
 4. Changes in time expressions and Adverbs
 Miscellaneous Exercise on Direct & Indirect Speech for class 6
 Summary

What is Direct Speech?

Definition: In this form of speech, the sentences are framed by the
words that are spoken by the speaker, there is no change in the
words the same words are being reported in the sentence. The
words spoken by the speaker are put into quotation marks or in
double inverted commas (” “).  In other words, when we repeat the
words of the speaker it is said to be direct speech.
Examples of Direct Speech For
Class 6
1. He said, “I will go to Mumbai tomorrow”.
2. Satyam said, “I will be there at 2 pm”.
3. Sheelu conveyed, “I am going out today”.
4. “I had a pain in my stomach yesterday”.
5. “Where do you stay”?
From the above examples, it can be figured out that the
words are exactly reported by another person hence they are
said to be direct speech.
What is Indirect Speech?
Definition: In Indirect narration, the sentences are designed in
such a type, the words that are used by the person are not the
same as the speaker said or conveyed. Indirect speech is also
known as reported speech. It generally talks about the past.
Examples of Indirect speech For
Class 6
1. Ram said that he had bought a new car.
2. She said that she will not come to the party.
3. He said that he is living in France.
4. Gargi said that she need help with her homework.
5. She said that she had been waiting for Ram for an hour.
In the above examples, it can be noticed that the words are
not the same as the speaker said, hence they fall in the
category of indirect speech.
Rules For Changing Direct Speech
into Indirect Speech
Let us learn some of the rules for changing direct speech into
indirect speech for different tenses.
1. No changes in the tense are made if:
1. Reporting verb is in the present tense.
2. If the reported words are true at the time of reporting.
3. If reported speech reports universal truth.
Some of the examples satisfying the above conditions:
1. Ram says, “I have just arrived”. (Direct Speech)
Ram says that he has just arrived. (Indirect Speech)
2. Radha said, “I am going tomorrow”. (Direct Speech)
Radha said that she is going tomorrow. (Indirect
Speech)
3. The sunsets in the west. (Direct Speech)
The sunsets in the west. (Indirect Speech)
2. Changes in tenses
When the reporting is in the past tense, the tense in the
indirect speech changes as follows:
i. Simple present changes into simple past.
ii. Present continuous changes to past continuous.
iii. Present perfect changes to past perfect.
iv. Present perfect continuous changes to past perfect
continuous.
v. Simple past changes to past perfect.
vi. Past continuous to Past perfect continuous.
vii. In Future tense will changes to would.
 1. Ritu said, “I drink hot tea”. (Direct Speech)
Ritu said that she drank hot tea. (Indirect Speech)
2. Shyam said, “I am reading a novel. (Direct Speech)
Shyam told me that he was reading a novel. (Indirect
Speech)
3. Radha said to me, “I have spent my holidays in
Paris. (Direct Speech)
Radha said that she had spent her holidays in
Paris. (Indirect Speech)
4. Rachna said, “I have been waiting for him for two
hours. (Direct Speech)
Rachna complained that she had been waiting for him for
two hours. (Indirect Speech)
5. He said, “My mother arrived on Saturday”. (Direct
Speech)
He said that his mother had arrived on
Saturday. (Indirect Speech)
6. They said to me, “We were living in America”. (Direct
Speech)
They said that they had been living in
America. (Indirect Speech)
7. Richa said, “I will be in the mall”. (Direct Speech)
Richa said that she would be in the mall. (Indirect
Speech)
3. Changes in Modals
Some of the modals change not all modal verbs change. The
modals that changes are as follows:
i.) Will changes to would
1. Rachel said, “We will be there”. (Direct Speech)
Rachel said that they would be there. (Indirect
Speech)
2. Priya said to me, “I will go shopping”. (Direct Speech)
Priya said that she would go shopping. (Indirect
Speech)
ii.) Shall change to would ( in questions shall change to should)
1. She said, “I shall need more money for
shopping. (Direct Speech)
She said that she would need more money for
shopping. (Indirect Speech)
iii.) can change to could
1. He said, “I can run 2 km”. (Direct Speech)
He said that he could run 2 km. (Indirect Speech)
 2. Vivek said, “I can swim fast”. (Direct Speech)
Vivek said that he could swim fast. (Indirect Speech)
iv.) may changes to might (if there is a possibility)
otherwise may change to could (if it shows permission)
1. Vishal said, “I may come to play “. (Direct Speech)
Vishal said that he might come to play. (Indirect
Speech)
2. He said, “You may wait in the guest room”. (Direct
Speech)
He said that we could wait in the guest room. (Indirect
Speech)
4. Changes in time expressions and
Adverbs
Some of the common words that change while converting
direct speech into indirect speech.
 Today changes to that day/the same day.
 Tomorrow changes to the next day/ the following
day.
 Yesterday changes to the day before/ the previous
day.
 Now changes to then.
 Ago changes to before.
 Here changes to there.
 This changes to that.
1. He said, “I will be going to Paris tomorrow”. (Direct
Speech)
He said that he would be going to Paris the next day/the
following day. (Indirect Speech)
2. Raju said, “We were planning to go Shimla
today”. (Direct Speech)
Raju said that they had been planning to go to Shimla
that day/the same day. (Indirect Speech)
Miscellaneous Exercise on Direct &
Indirect Speech for class 6
Convert the sentences from direct speech to indirect speech
given below.
1. The teacher said, “Nobody can answer the questions”.
2. The traffic police asked the man, “Do not park your
vehicle here”.
3. The guide said, “You shall go to see the fort”.
4. The Judge said, “Call the victim in the court”.
 5. The Principal said, “All the boys are playing in the
garden.
6. Ram said, “I like this song”.
7. She said, “I don’t speak Marathi”.
8. Raman said, “I never make mistakes”.
9. He said. “the film has begun at 6 pm”.
10. Chetan said, “I like the book”.
Answer:
1. The teacher said that nobody could answer the
questions.
2. The traffic police asked the man that not to park his
vehicle there.
3. The guide suggested that we should go to see the fort.
4. The Judge commanded that call the victim in court.
5. The Principal said that all the boys were playing in the
garden.
6. Ram said that he liked that song.
7. She said that she didn’t speak Marathi.
8. Raman said that he never made mistakes.
9. He said that the film had begun at 6 pm.
10. Chetan said that he liked the book

Summary