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Direct Indirect Speech Rules - Final

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86 views15 pages

Direct Indirect Speech Rules - Final

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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Direct and Indirect Speech:

Direct speech is known as repeating the exact words spoken and Indirect
speech is known as reporting the words.

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules


The changes of Direct and Indirect speech depend on some factors like
modals, reporting verb, place, time, tense, pronoun etc.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Can Could

May Might

Must Had to/ Would have to

Should Should

Might Might

Could Could

Would Would

Ought to Ought to

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises for Modals:


Look to the Direct and Indirect Speech examples with answers using modals.

1. He said, “I can cook food.”

He said that he could cook food.

2. They said, “We may go to Canada.”

They said that they might go to Canada.

3. She said, “I must finish the work on time.”

She said that she had to finish the work on time.

Modals that remain unchanged are: Should, might, could, would, ought to.

4. Kanika said, “I ought to avoid junk food.”

Kanika said that she ought to avoid junk food.

Changes as per Reporting Verb


According to the reporting verb, changes are made in the direct sentence or
the sentence in inverted commas.

If the reporting verb is in the past tense, then the direct sentence is changed in
its past tense.
The tense of direct speech remains unchanged when the reporting verb is in
the present or future tense.
If the direct sentence contains the universal truth, then it remains unchanged
in the Indirect Speech.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises for Reporting Verb

Below, there are Direct and Indirect Speech examples using reporting verb
changes.

1. Navin said, “He is young.”

Navin said that he was young.


2. Isha says, “I am pretty.”

Isha says that she is pretty.

3. Rohan will say, “I am tall.”

Rohan will say that he is tall.

4. They said, “The sun rises in the east.”

They said that the sun rises in the east.

Changes as per Tense


In the below table, that’s how tense changes into Indirect speech.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Present simple Past simple


(Subject +V1st + Object) (Subject +V2 + Object)

Present continuous Past Continuous


(Subject +is/am/are+V1 +ing+ Object) (Subject +was/were+V1 +ing+ Object)

Present perfect Past perfect


(Subject + has/have+V3+Object) (Subject+had+V3+Object)

Past simple Past perfect


(Subject+V2+Object) (Subject+had+V3+Object)

Past Continuous Past perfect continuous


(Subject +was/were+V1 +ing+ Object) (Subject +had been+V1 +ing+ Object)

Future simple Present Conditional


(Subject+ will/shall+V1+object) (Subject+ would+V1+object)
Future Continuous Conditional Continuous
(Subject +will/shall+be+V1 +ing+ Object) (Subject +would+be+V1 +ing+ Object)

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS PAST PERFECT CONTINIUOUS

FUTURE PERFECT WOULD/SHOULD HAVE BEEN

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINOUS WILL/SHALL HAVE BEEN

Direct and Indirect speech exercises for Tense

. Changes will always be made according to the given table only.


1. Heena said, “I walk.”

Heena said that she walked.

2. Deepak said, “I am having tea.”

Deepak said that he was having tea.

3. Ayesha said, “Honey has left for school.”

Ayesha said that Honey had left for school.

4. Vidisha said, “Ananya took pasta.”

Vidisha said that Ananya had taken pasta.

5. They told, “We were living in Paris.”

They told that they had been living in Paris.

6. Ramesh said, “I will go to Sri Lanka.”

Ramesh said that he would go to Sri Lanka.

7. Aishwarya Said, “They will be watering plants.”

Aishwarya said that they would be watering plants.

Changes in Place and Time


Words are changed in an Indirect Speech to replace nearness from distance.
In the table, we are sharing some words which are changed in Indirect speech.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Now Then

Here There

Today That day

Tomorrow The next day

Last week The previous week

This That

Tonight That night

Ago Before

Thus So

Hither Thither

Come Go

Hence Thence

Next Following

Changes of Interrogative Sentences


Here, we are sharing certain rules of Direct and Indirect speech for
interrogative sentences conversions.

The reporting verb said/said to is changed in asked, demanded, ordered,


enquired as per the nature of the sentence.
While a sentence starts with reporting verb then at the conversion time if
/whether is used as the joining clause.
In case the sentence starts from “Wh” question word, then no extra
conjunction is used.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises for Interrogative Sentences


We are applying the above rules in the given exercise below to make changes
in Direct and Indirect speech.

1. Ravi said, “What is Heena doing?”

Ravi asked me what Heena was doing.

2. Esha said, “Will she come for lunch?”

Esha asked if she would come for lunch.

3. The boy asked, “Where do you stay?”

The boy inquired where I stayed

Changes of Pronouns
While making the changes from Direct and Indirect speech, one should be
having knowledge of rules of changes in pronouns.

The first person in reported speech changes according to the subject of


reporting speech.
In Reported Speech change of the second person depends on the object of
reporting speech.
The third person remains unchanged.

You can check the table for the changes in pronoun.


Direct Speech Indirect Speech

I He/she

You He/she/they

We They

They They

He He

She She

It It

Us Them

Our Their

His His

Her Her

Its Its

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises for Changes in Pronoun

1. Vidya said, “I am a good girl.”

Vidya said that she was a good girl.

2. I told them, “You have finished your work.”


I told them that they had finished their work.

3. He said, “She is in Delhi.”

He said that she was in Delhi.

What is Direct & Indirect Speech?


Direct speech – reporting the message of the speaker in the exact words as spoken by
him.

Direct speech example: Maya said ‘I am busy now’.

Indirect speech: reporting the message of the speaker in our own words

Indirect speech example: Maya said that she was busy then.

Let us understand the direct and indirect rules with examples and for all tenses so that
you can apply them correctly, without making any mistakes in the exams.

Rules for converting Direct into Indirect speech

To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are various factors that
are considered, such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronouns, tenses, etc. We
will discuss each of these factors one by one.

Rule 1 – Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb


1. When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the present tenses are
changed to the corresponding past tense in indirect speech.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: She said, ‘I am happy’.

Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.

1. In indirect speech, tenses do not change if the words used within the quotes (‘’) talk of a
habitual action or universal truth.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: He said, ‘We cannot live without air’.

Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.

1. The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting verb is in the future
tense or present tense.
Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: She says/will say, ‘I am going’

Indirect: She says/will say she is going.

Rule 2 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Present


Tense
 Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: “I have been to Boston”, she told me.

Indirect: She told me that she had been to Boston.

 Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained.

Indirect: She explained that she was playing the guitar.

 Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: He said, “She has finished her homework“.

Indirect: He said that she had finished her homework.

 Simple Present Changes to Simple Past

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: “I am unwell”, she said.

Indirect: She said that she was unwell.

Rule 3 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Past


Tense & Future Tense
 Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: She said, “Irvin arrived on Sunday.”


Indirect: She said that Irvin had arrived on Sunday.

 Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: “We were playing basketball”, they told me.

Indirect: They told me that they had been playing basketball.

 Future Changes to Present Conditional

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: She said, “I will be in Scotland tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that she would be in Scotland the next day.

 Future Continuous Changes to Conditional Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: He said, “I’ll be disposing of the old computer next Tuesday.”

Indirect: He said that he would be disposing of the old computer the following
Tuesday.

Rule 4 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion –


Interrogative Sentences
 No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech begins with a question
(what/where/when) as the “question-word” itself acts as a joining clause.

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: “Where do you live?” asked the boy.

Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.

 If a direct speech sentence begins with an auxiliary verb/helping verb, the joining clause
should be if or whether.

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: She said, ‘Will you come for the party’?

Indirect: She asked whether we would come for the party.

 Reporting verbs such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired, asked, or demanded.

Direct to indirect speech example


Direct: He said to me, ‘What are you wearing’?

Indirect: He asked me what I was wearing.

Rule 5 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Changes


in Modals
While changing direct speech to indirect speech, the modals used in the sentences
change like:

1. Can becomes could


2. May becomes might
3. Must becomes had to /would have to

Check the examples:

 Direct : She said, ‘She can dance’.


 Indirect: She said that she could dance.
 Direct: She said, ‘I may buy a dress’.
 Indirect: She said that she might buy a dress.
 Direct: Rama said, ‘I must complete the assignment’.
 Indirect: Rama said that he had to complete the assignment.

There are modals that do not change – Could, Would, Should, Might, Ought to

 Direct: She said, ‘I should clean the house’


 Indirect: She said that she should clean the house.

Rule 6 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Pronoun


1. The first person in direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples-

Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”

Indirect: He says that he was in class Twelfth.

1. The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples –

Direct: She says to them, “You have done your work.”

Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.

1. The third person of direct speech doesn’t change.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples –


Direct: He says, “She dances well.”

Indirect: He says that she dances well.

Rule 7 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion –


Request, Command, Wish, Exclamation
 Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, ordered, suggested and advised.
Forbid-forbade is used for negative sentences. Therefore, the imperative mood in the
direct speech changes into the Infinitive in indirect speech.

Direct: She said to her ‘Please complete it’.

Indirect: She requested her to complete it.

Direct: Hamid said to Ramid, ‘Sit down’.

Indirect: Hamid ordered Ramid to sit down.

1. In Exclamatory sentences that express grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud, Interjections are
removed and the sentence is changed to an assertive sentence.

Direct: She said, ‘Alas! I am undone’.

Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.

Rule 8 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion –


Punctuations
1. In direct speech, the words actually spoken should be in (‘’) quotes and always begin with a
capital letter.

Example: She said, “I am the best.”

1. Full stop, comma, exclamation or question mark, are placed inside the closing inverted
commas.

Example: They asked, “Can we sing with you?”

1. If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, a comma is
used to introduce the speech, placed before the first inverted comma.

Direct speech example: He shouted, “Shut up!”

Rule 9 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Change


of Time
1. In direct speeches, the words that express nearness in time or place are changed to words that
express distance in indirect speech. Such as :

 Now becomes then


 Here becomes there
 Ago becomes before
 Thus becomes so
 Today becomes that day
 Tomorrow becomes the next day
 This becomes that
 Yesterday becomes the day before
 These become those
 Hither becomes thither
 Come becomes go
 Hence becomes thence
 Next week or month becomes following week/month.

Rules of converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech


The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct
speech:

1. Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct tense.
2. Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital
letter.
3. Insert question mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark and full stop, based on the mood of
the sentence.
4. Remove the conjunctions like (that, to, if or whether) wherever necessary.
5. Where the reporting verb is in past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct
speech.
6. Change the past perfect tense either into present perfect tense or past tense, as necessary.

Exercises:

1) John said, ‘I am very busy now.’


John said that he was very busy then.
2) He said, ‘The horse has been fed.’
he said that the horse had been fed.
3) ‘I know her name and address,’ said John.
John said that he knew her name and address.
4) ‘German is easy to learn,’ she said.
She said that German was easy to learn.
5) He said, ‘I am writing letters.’
He said that he was writing letters.
6) ‘It is too late to go out,’ Alice said.
Alice said that it was too late to go out.
7) He said to me, ‘I don’t believe you.’
He said to me that he didn’t believe me.
8) He says, ‘I am glad to be here this evening.’
He says that he was glad to be there that evening.
9) He said to me, ‘What are you doing?’
He asked me what I was doing.
10)‘Where is the post office?’ asked the stranger.
The stranger asked where the post office was.
11)He said, ‘Will you listen to me?’
He asked if I would listen to him.
12)John said to Peter, ‘Go away.’
John ordered peter to go away.
13)She said to me, ‘Please wait here till I return.’
She requested me to wait there till I return.
14)‘Call the witness,’ said the judge.
The judge ordered to call the witness.
15)The speaker said, ‘Be quiet and listen to my words.
The speaker ordered to be quiet and listen to his words.
16)Rahul told to me, “When are you leaving?”
Rahul asked me when I was leaving.
17)“Where do you live?” the stranger asked Aladdin.
The stranger asked where I
18)The teacher said to Shelly, “Why are you laughing?”
19)Dhronacharya said to Arjun, “Shoot the bird’s eye.”
20)“Call the first convict,” said the jury.
21)“Call the ambulance,” said the man.
22)Bruce said to me, “I shall do the work.”
23)My mother said to me, “You were wrong.”
24)Mr Richard said to me, “Please wait here till I return.”
25)The captain said to me, “Bravo! You have played well.”
26)Raj said, “Alas! My pet died.”
27)Ruchi said, “I may go there.”
28)Bucky said to Steve, “Do you hear me?”
29)The boy said, “Let me come in.”
30)Granny said to me, “May God bless you.”

Phonemes:
In linguistics it is a smallest unit of speech, distinguishing one word from another.
I.e. tap, tab, tag, tan.
Consonants:
Consonant sound represents closure of vocal track.

Vowels:
Vowel sound represents the opening of vocal tracks.

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