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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

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

4. Rules for changing Direct into Indirect Speech

1. 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 If the reporting or principal verb is in

Speech are changed into Past the Past Tense.
Tense.

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Indirect Speech Conversion Direct Speech Condition

If in direct speech you find say/says

or will say.

Do Not Change Tense of Direct speech the words within the

reported Speech in Indirect quotation marks talk of a universal
Speech sentence truth or habitual action.

The reporting verb is in a present

tense.

2. 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.
3. Words expressing nearness in time or places are generally changed into
words expressing distance.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Word 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

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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.

Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech

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

The second person of reported He says to them, He tells them that

speech changes according to the "You have completed they have completed
object of reporting speech. your job." their job.

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

6. Change in Tenses
The past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses do not change.

Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech

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

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

Changes he explained. reading a book
To
Past Continuous

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

Present Perfect "I have been to Spain", He told me that he had

Continuous Changes he told me. been to Spain.
To
Past Perfect
Continuous

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

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

Past Continuous "We were living in Paris", They told me that they had
Changes they told me. been living in Paris.
To
Past Perfect
Continuous

Future Changes "I will be in Geneva on He said that he would be in

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

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

7. Changes in Modals

Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech

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

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

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

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

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

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

Might John said, "I might meet John said that he might meet
him". 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 He said to me that I ought to

to wait for him" wait for him.

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8. Changes for Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences consist any of these four things:

Order
Request
Advice
Suggestion

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 Reporting verb in indirect verb

Speech

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 called

directly)

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.
1. Exclamatory sentence changes into assertive sentence.
2. Interjections are removed.
3. Exclamation mark changes into full stop.
4. W.H words like , "what" and "how" are removed and before
the adjective of reported speech we put "very"
5. Changes of "tenses" , "pronouns" and "adjectives" will be
according to the previous rules.

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Mood of Sentence in Direct Reporting verb in indirect verb

Speech

sorrow in reported speech Exclaimed with sorrow/ grief/ exclaimed

sorrowfully or cried out

happiness in reported speech exclaimed with joy/ delight/ exclaimed

joyfully

surprise in reported speech exclaimed with surprise/ wonder/

astonishment"

appreciation and it is being applauded

expressed strongly

10. Interrogative Sentences

Interrogative sentences are of two types:

1. Interrogative with auxiliaries at the beginning.

2. Interrogatives with who, where, what, when, how etc., i.e. wh questions.
Rules for conversion of Interrogative Direct
Speech Sentence into Indirect Speech Sentences
A.
There are some rules to change direct to Indirect speech of
Interrogative sentence:

RULES

Changes Direct Speech Indirect Speech Condition

Condition

Reporting said/ said to Asked, enquired or

Verb demanded.

If sentence begins joining clause should be if or

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

Punctuation Question Mark Full Stop

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sentences is do/does is removed from

expressing positive sentence.
feeling
Helping
if 'No' is used in do/does is changed into did.
Verbs
interrogative
sentences

Did or has/have Had

Helping verbs (is, am, are, was, were) are used after the subject.
Adverbs and pronouns are converted according to the table 1 and table
2 respectively.

11. Punctuation in 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 'He's very clever, you
in inverted commas know.'

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

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

If direct speech comes after the information about who Steve replied, 'No
is speaking, comma is used to introduce the piece of problem.'
speech, placed before the first inverted comma.

If the direct speech is broken up by information about 'You're right,' he said.

who is speaking, comma (or a question mark or 'It feels strange.'
exclamation mark) is used to separate the two reported 'Thinking back,' she
speech said, 'he didn't expect
to win.'

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12. Rules for conversion of Indirect Speech to Direct Speech

To change from Indirect to Direct Speech, keep the rules of the Direct
Speech are applied in the reverse order.

1. Use the reporting verb, "say" or "said to" in its correct tense.
2. Remove the conjuctions "that, to, if or whether etc". wherever
necessary.
3. Insert quotation marks, question mark, exclamation and fullstop,
wherever necessary.
4. Put a comma before the statement.
5. Write the first word of the statement with capital letter.
6. Change the past tense into present tense wherever the repoting verb is
in the past tense.
7. Convert the past perfect either into past tense or present perfect as
found necessary.
8. Be careful about the order of words in the question.

The following table will enable to find the kind of sentence:

Indirect Direct (Kind of Sentence)

(Conjunction)

That Statement (or) Exclamatory sentence

to, not to Imperative

requested + to Begin the imperative sentence with "please"

if or whether Interrogative sentence (Helping Verb + Subject + Main

Verb + ...?)

What, When, How (Wh or How + Helping Verb + Subject + Main Verb + ...?)
etc.,

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