DIRECT AND

INDIRECT SPEECH

Created by : Lia Yulianti Ramdhani, S.Pd.

 Definition
Direct Speech is when the speaker’s actual words are quoted
and these words are put in inverted commas (“…..”).
Exxample: She said to me, “I am going to the park”

Indirect Speech is when the speaker’s words are said indirectly

with the same meaning without repeating the exact words.
Exxample: She told me that she was going to the park in
indirect speech.
 Basic Changes while changing from Direct speech to
indirect speech
The comma ( , )after the reporting verb is removed and the conjunction that is
added in the indirect speech.
If the direct speech contains ‘said to’, it will be converted into ‘told’ in the indirect
speech.
The quotation marks (Inverted commas) are to be removed in the indirect speech.
The pronoun in the first/second person in direct speech is generally changed into
the third person in the indirect speech.

01 02 03 04 05

I becomes He/ Me becomes Him/ My becomes Us becomes

She You becomes her (Depending on His/ Her. them
We becomes He / She/ the gender in the
Our becomes Your becomes
they They direct speech)
their His/ her/ their.
Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and
Indirect Speech
01 Rule 1 03 Rule 3
The Verb in the simple present tense in the direct A present continuous tense in direct speech
speech changes into the simple past tense in becomes past continuous tense in indirect speech.
indirect speech Example: The peon said, “The professor is teaching
Example: He said to me, “I am happy” becomes in that classroom” changes into The peon said that
He told me that he was happy the professor was teaching in that classroom.
(The verb in the direct speech ‘am’ is converted
into ‘was’.)

04 Rule 4
02 Rule 2 If the direct speech contains present perfect
The verb in the simple past tense becomes
tense, it changes into the past perfect tense in
past perfect tense in indirect speech.
indirect speech.
Example: He said to me, “I was happy” changes
Example: She said, “I have passed the test”
into He told me that he had been happy becomes She said that she had passed the test.
Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and
Indirect Speech
05

If the direct speech contains a statement talking

R about a universal truth or a factual statement,
u there will be no change of tense in indirect speech.
Example: The teacher said, “The sun rises in the
l
East” becomes The teacher said that the sun rises
e in the east in indirect speech.
Example: Samuel said, “I know the university’s
5 address.” and the indirect speech for that is
Samuel said that he knows the university’s
address
Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and
Indirect Speech
06
Rules for converting Interrogatory sentences.
While converting interrogative sentences, the
R
verb ‘said to’ becomes ‘asked’ and if/ whether will
u come in the place of ‘that’. The connecting word
l ‘that’ will not be used in indirect speech. Also, the
e interrogation mark (?) is not repeated in the
indirect speech.
6 Example: He said to her, “Will you marry me?”
changes into He asked her whether she would
marry him in the indirect speech.
Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and
Indirect Speech
07 Rules for Converting Imperative Sentences
During the conversion of imperative sentences, the
R verb “said to” is changed into ordered, advised,
u requested, suggested, proposed, etc. depending on
l the situation. Also, the connecting word ‘that’ is not
e used. Instead of that, ‘to’ is used before the reporting
verb.
7
Example: My father said to me, “prepare well for your
examination”. It can be converted to My father
advised me to prepare well for my examination.
Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and
Indirect Speech
08
Rules for Converting Exclamatory Sentences
R
For exclamatory sentences, the verb is converted into:
u
exclaimed with joy or sorrow or with surprise, wished,
l
prayed, applauded,/ etc. The exclamatory words and the
e
exclamation are not mentioned anymore in the indirect
speech. For example,
8 Example: The coach said, “Hurrah! we won the match!” is
changed as The coach exclaimed with joy that we had
won the match..
These are the changes in helping verbs while changing from Direct and Indirect Speech
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Am/Is Was
Are Were
Have/Had/Did Had
Do/Does Did Note: There is no change in
Will Would
the helping verbs “would,
Shall Should
should, could, might, had” in
Can Could
the direct speech and they
May Might
remain the same in indirect
Must Had to
Was/Were Had been
speech as well.
Should Should
Had Had
would Would
Could Could
 Changes in Time and Place
This That
These Those
Here There
Now Then
Today That day
Tonight That night
Tomorrow The next day/The following day
The day after tomorrow In two days
The day before yesterday Two days before
Ago Before
Next The Following
Last The previous
Thus so
This evening That evening
Hence Thence
 01
The first person of reported speech
R
changes based on the subject of the
Changes in pronouns u reporting verb.
l Example: She said, “I watched a
The changes in pronouns in movie” can be converted into She
e said that she had watched a movie.
indirect speech depends on
Hence, the first person in the direct
the subject and the object of speech “I” has become “she” based on
1
the reporting verb. the subject.

Had there been “he” instead of “she”,

the first person in reported speech
changes accordingly into “he”.
Changes in pronouns
The changes in pronouns in indirect speech depends
on the subject and the object of the reporting verb.
02

The second person in reported speech changes

R
u based on the object of the reporting verb.
l Example: She said to me, “You watched a movie”
e
can be converted into She told me that I had
2 watched a movie.
 Changes in pronouns
The changes in pronouns in indirect speech depends on the subject and the
object of the reporting verb.
03

R The third person in the reported speech

u
remains unchanged.
l
e Example: I said to her, “He will play Chess” can
be converted into I told her that he would play
3 Chess.
THANK YOU