Direct Speech & Indirect Speech

Direct Speech
The Direct Speech is the faithful relation of what we’ve heard.
Ex: Peter said:”I am busy”.
When a part of the sentence is between quotes (inverted commas), we say the phrase implies
the Direct Speech.
Indirect Speech
The Indirect Speech is the explanation of what we’ve heard.
Ex: Peter said that he was busy.
Rules:
⮚ (1) In order to connect the principal proposition to the subordinate one, generally we
replace the inverted commas and semi colons by “that” followed of the Reported
Speech form. Whereas others differ from one another by their specific connections.
Direct Speech Reported Speech
I/we he, she/they
My, mine/our, ours his, her, hers/their, theirs
You/your, yours I, me/my, mine, we, us/our, ours
You/your/yours he, she, they/his, her(s)/their (s) (tiers)
He, she/they he, she/they
His, her, hers/their, theirs his, her, hers/their, theirs

⮚ (2) If the verb of the principal proposition is at the Simple Present Tense, Simple Future
Tense or the Present Perfect Tense, the verb of the subordinate proposition does not
change.
Ex: Peter has said: “I am busy”🡪Peter has said that he is busy.
Direct Speech Reported Speech
Simple present tense simple past tense
Present continuous tense past continuous tense
Simple past tense past perfect tense
Present perfect tense “ “ “
Past perfect tense “ “ “
Past continuous tense “ “continuous tense
Will, can, may, must would, could, might, had to
Used to, might, could, should, would, ought stay the same in reported speech
Notice: point out that it is not always necessary to change the verb when you use
reported speech. If you are reporting something and you feel that it is still true, you do
not need to change the tense of the subordinate verb.
Ex: Tom said: “New York is bigger than London”. 🡪Tom said that New York is bigger than
(was) London.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

 Here there
Today yesterday
Tonight last night
This morning that morning
This that
Now then
Yesterday the previous day/before yesterday
Tomorrow the next day/the following day
Next week the following/coming week
Last week the previous week
A week ago before a week
Ago previously, formerly, before

⮚ (3) If the part between quotes begins by a simple infinitive verb, namely an incomplete
infinitive verb expressing the Imperative mood (affirmative or negative), at the reported
speech the verb should be used at the infinitive form.
Ex: he said to me: “come back later”. 🡪He told me to come back later.
Ex: He said to me angrily: “don’t stay here”. 🡪He told me angrily not to stay there.
⮚ (4) If it’s begun by an auxiliary such as: do, does, did, have, has, had, are, is, was, were,
can, could, may will, … the auxiliary must be changed into “if” or “whether” at the
reported speech.
Ex: she asked him: “do you live near here?” 🡪she asked him if he lived near here.
⮚ (5) If the subordinate is introduced by a question word (when, why, where, what, how,
which, who, whom, whose …), we conserve it and the phrase becomes affirmative.
Ex: John asked: “where does Mary live?” 🡪John asked where Mary lived.
Notice: when reporting shall, should questions, we can the infinitive form after the
question word (to + base form of the verb).
Ex: He asked: How much should we give them?” 🡪he asked how much to give them.
⮚ (6) We convert the verb “to say to” to the verb “to tell” at the reported speech when
the verb “to say” implies an indirect complement, namely it indicates the one they are
talking to. If it implies only a direct complement, we let it such it is.
Ex: he said to me: “get more rest”. 🡪He told me to get more rest.
 Practice sheet one

Turn into reported speech

1- He ordered: “pick it up!”
_he ordered to pick it
up._________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
2- He said to me angrily: “don’t speak until you’re spoken to!”
He told me angrily not to speak until I was spoken
to ._________________________________________________________________________________________________
__
3- Mom said: “get your hair cut!”
_mom said to get my hair cut
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
4- The teacher said: “you have been very quick”.
The teacher said that I had been very quick.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
5- The clerk said to the boss: “I will answer the phone”.
_the clerck told the boss that he would answer the
phone._____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____
6- The tourists said: “we like the Haitian beaches”.
The tourist said that they liked the
Haitianbeaches.__________________________________________________________________________________
________________
7- He asked: does she always wear silk stockings?”
_hw asked if she alwayswore slick
stockings._________________________________________________________________________________________
_________
8- Jim asked: “have you seen my new hat?”
____jim asked if I had seen his new
hat .______________________________________________________________________________________________
9- The customer asked the merchant: “are the grapes sour?”
The costumer asked the merchant if the grapes were
sour(sur)__________________________________________________________________________________________
________
10-Jean asked: “how many doughnuts can you get into your mouth at a time?”
Jean asked how many doughnut I could get into my mouth at a
time .______________________________________________________________________________________________
____
11-Daddy questioned us: “where has the servant put my briefs?”
Daddy questionedus where the servant had put his briefs
(slip)______________________________________________________________________________________________
______
12-She asked me: “why didn’t you come here anymore?”
 She asked me why I hadn't come there
anymore.__________________________________________________________________________________________
___________
13-Linda says: “I will pay my debts before the end of this school year”.
Linda says that she will pay her debts before the end of this
school_____________________________________________________________________________________________
________
14-Jonathan said: “I saw your mother last week”.
Honathan said that he had seen my mother the previous week
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
15-Teacher Samuel asked: “what time is it please?”
Teacher samuel asked what time it
was ._______________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

Practice sheet two

Turn into reported speech
1- Bob said to me: “I speak English fluently”.
_Bob told me that he spoke english fluently.
_____________________________________________________________________________
2- “I know those guys”, Jacqueline said.
___jacquelind said that she knew those
guys.__________________________________________________________________________
_
3- The teacher reminded us: “turn in your paper next week”.
__the teacher reminded us to turn in our paper next
week ._________________________________________________________________________
___
4- Davis said: “How long will you stay in New York”?
_david said how long I would stay in New York.
_____________________________________________________________________________
5- “Who is going to help me with the work”? Tom asked the men.
Tom asked the men who was going to help him with the
work_.________________________________________________________________________
_____
6- “Do we have to collect our homework today”? I said to Mr. Samuel.
_i told mr samuel if we had to collect our homework yesterday.
_____________________________________________________________________________
7- “Get away from those wires”! The watchman shouted at the boy.
______________________________________________________________________________
8- You said to him: “when did you buy that book”?
_you told him when he had bought that
book._________________________________________________________________________
____
9- Roger said:”I will go to Boston soon”.
__roger said that he would go to Boston
soon._________________________________________________________________________
__
10- Mr. Smith said:”I must work tonight”.
Mr Smith said that he had to work last
night__________________________________________________________________________
____
11- The announcer said:”don’t cross the green light”.
___the announcer not to
cross__________________________________________________________________________
_
12- Mary says:”I also have to work tonight”.
__mary says that she also has to work tonight.
____________________________________________________________________________
13- He cried over me angrily:”don’t make the same mistake again”.
_he cried over me angrily to not make the same mistake again.
_____________________________________________________________________________
14- Daddy has said:”I really love your mom”.
_daddy has said he really loves my mom
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
15- Mr. Pompilus asked us:”have you taken the other two courses yet”?
Mr pompilus asked us if we had taken the other two courses
yet._____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____
 Practice sheet three
⮚ Paraphrase each one of the following sentences.
1- They advised employing part-time workers.
Resp-____________________________________________________________________________
2- Did the idea interest you?
Resp-____________________________________________________________________________
3- Maria bought a picture frame.
Resp-____________________________________________________________________________
4- This is the man who saved your wife.
Resp-____________________________________________________________________________
5- Jean hit the ball with fierce yesterday.
Resp-____________________________________________________________________________
⮚ Put the following into indirect speech, avoiding as far as possible the verbs say, ask
and tell and choosing instead from the following:
accept, accuse, admit, advise, agree, apologize, assure, beg, call, complain,
congratulate, deny, exclaim, explain, give, hope, insist, introduce, invite,
offer, point out, promise, protest, refuse, remark, remind, suggest, thank,
threaten, warn, wish.
1- He said, 'Don't walk on the ice; it isn't safe.'
2- 'Miss Brown, this is Miss White. Miss White, Miss Brown,' he said.
3- 'Here are the car keys. You'd better wait in the car,' he said to her.
4- 'Please, please, don't tell anyone,' she said. I won't, I promise,' I said.
5- 'Come in and look round. There's no obligation to buy,' said the shopkeeper.
6- If you don't pay the ransom, we'll kill the boy,' said the kidnappers.
7- I won't answer any questions,' said the arrested man.
8- 'He expects a lot of work for very little money,' complained one of the typists.
9- I wish it would rain,' she said.
10- 'You pressed the wrong button,' said the mechanic. 'Don't do it again. You might have a
nasty accident.'
11- 'Your weight's gone up a lot!' I exclaimed. 'I'm afraid it has,' she said sadly.
12- 1 hope you'll have a good journey,' he said. 'Don't forget to send a card when you
arrive.'

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________