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 Speech are If the reporting or principal verb is in the Past
changed into Past Tense. Tense.
Do Not Change Tense of reported Speech in Direct speech the words within the quotation
Indirect Speech sentence marks talk of a universal 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.

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

Indirect Speech Word Direct Speech 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
Now Then
Ago Before
Thus So
Last Night The Night Before
This That
These Those
Hither Thither
Hence Thence
Come Go

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 She says, "I am in tenth class." She says, "I am in tenth class."
reported speech changes
according to the subject of
reporting speech.
The second person of reported He says to them, "You have He tells them that they have
speech changes according to completed your job." completed their job.
the object of reporting speech.
The third person of the She says, "She is in tenth She says that she is in tenth
reported speech doesn't class." class.
change.

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

Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Simple Present Changes "I always drink coffee", she said She said that she always drank coffee.
To Simple Past
Present Continuous Changes "I am reading a book", he explained. He explained that he was reading a book
To Past Continuous
Present Perfect Changes She said, "He has finished his work" She said that he had finished his work.
To Past Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous Changes "I have been to Spain", he told me. He told me that he had been to Spain.
To Past Perfect Continuous
Simple Past Changes "Bill arrived on Saturday", he said. He said that Bill had arrived on Saturday
To Past Perfect
Past Perfect Changes "I had just turned out the light," he He explained that he had just turned out
To Past Perfect (No Change In explained. the light.
Tense)
Past Continuous Changes "We were living in Paris", they told They told me that they had been living in
To Past Perfect Continuous me. Paris.
Future Changes "I will be in Geneva on Monday", he He said that he would be in Geneva on
To Present Conditional said Monday.
Future Continuous Changes She said, "I'll be using the car next She said that she would be using the car
To Conditional Continuous Friday." next Friday.

7. Changes in Modals

1. Changes in Modals

Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech

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

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

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

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

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

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

Might John said, "I might meet him". John said that he might meet him.

Should He said, "I should avail the opportunity" He said that he should avail the opportunity.

Ought to He said to me, "you ought to wait for him" He said to me that I ought to wait for him.

2. Changes for Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences consist any of these four things:

o Order
o Request
o Advice
o 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

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 Never told, advised or forbade (No need of "not" after "forbade")

Direction directed

Suggestion suggested to

Warning warn

(If a person is addressed directly) called

3. 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.

A. Rules for conversion of Exclamatory Direct Speech Sentences into Indirect Speech
Sentences
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.

Mood of Sentence in Direct Speech Reporting verb in indirect verb

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

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 / astonishment"

appreciation and it is being expressed strongly applauded

4. Interrogative Sentences
Interrogative sentences are of two types:

Interrogative with auxiliaries at the beginning.

Interrogatives with who, where, what, when, how etc., i.e. wh questions.

Rules for conversion of Interrogative Direct Speech Sentence into Indirect Speech Sentences

There are some rules to change direct to Indirect speech of Interrogative sentence:

RULES

Changes Direct Speech Condition Indirect Speech Condition

Reporting Verb said/ said to Asked, enquired or demanded.

If sentence begins with auxiliary verb joining clause should be if or whether.

If sentence begins with "wh" questions then no conjunction is used

Joining Clause
as "question-word" itself act as

joining clause.

Punctuation Question Mark Full Stop

Helping Verbs sentences is expressing positive feeling do/does is removed from sentence.

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 if 'No' is used in interrogative sentences do/does is changed into did.

Did or has/have Had

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

5. 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

The words that are actually spoken should be enclosed in inverted commas

Start new paragraph every time when a new speaker says something.

Comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark must be present at the end of reported sentences.

This is placed inside the closing inverted comma or commas.

If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, comma is used to introduce the piece

of speech, placed before the first inverted comma.

If the direct speech is broken up by information about who is speaking, comma (or a question mark or

exclamation mark) is used to separate the two reported speech

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6. 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 conjunctions "that, to, if or whether etc.". wherever necessary.
3. Insert quotation marks, question mark, exclamation and full stop, 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 reporting 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 (Conjunction) Direct (Kind of Sentence)

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