Direct and Indirect speech

There are two ways in

which we can report what
a person has said.
A sentence is said When the words of the
to be in direct speaker are reported in
speech when the one’s own words, the
words of the sentence is in indirect
speaker are or reported speech.
reproduced exactly
as they had been
spoken. The woodcutter
exclaimed that it was
The woodcutter the big,bad wolf.
Direct Speech
In direct speech, the words used by the speaker are enclosed
within quotation marks (‘...’)

The verb preceeding the quoted words is called the reporting verb.

The reporting verb is followed by a comma.

The first word within the inverted commas begins with a capital
letter.

The teacher said, ‘ We will go the science fair’

Indirect Speech
In a sentence in indirect speech,

The reporting verb is followed by that.

The reported speech is not placed within inverted commas.

The reported speech is changed in such a way thatbits pronouns and

tenses are suitable for the reporter.

The teacher said that they would go to the science fair.

Changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

While changing a sentence in direct speech to Indirect Speech, several

things are changed.
● The tense
● Pronouns
● Modals
● Reporting verbs
● Indicators of time and place
Change of Tense
When direct speech is changed to Indirect Speech, changes in tense occur
depending on the reporting verb and the words of the speaker.

If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the
verb in indirect speech is not changed at all.

He says, ‘I am going to school.’

He says that he is going to school.

He will say, ‘I am studying.’

He will say that he is studying.

If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the verb in the
reported speech is changed to a corresponding form of the past tense.

1. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE becomes SIMPLE PAST

He said, ‘I play football.’

He said that he played football.

She said, ‘I love drinking coffee.’

She said that she loved drinking coffee.

They said, ‘We are very tired.’

NOTE:
For universal truths, the tense of
the quoted words does not change.
Galileo said, ‘The earth moves
around the sun.’
Galileo said that the moves around
the sun
2. PRESENT CONTINOUS becomes PAST CONTINUOUS

He said, ‘I am writing an essay.’

He said that he was writing an essay.

She said, ‘ I am cooking dinner.’

She said that she was cooking dinner.

They said, ‘They are waiting for the bus.’

3. PRESENT PERFECT becomes PAST PERFECT

He said, ‘I have written an essay.’

He said that he had written an essay.

Tanima said, ‘ I have reached home.’

Tanima said,’ that she had reached home.’

They said, ‘We have completed our homework.’

4. SIMPLE PAST becomes PAST PERFECT

He said, ‘I wrote a letter.’

He said the he had written a letter.

She said, ‘I watched a dance programme on TV.’

She said that she had watched a dance programme on TV.

They said, ‘We waited for a long time for the bus to arrive.’
5. PAST CONTINUOUS becomes PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

He said, ‘I was writing an essay.’

He said that he had written an essay.

Farad said, ‘I was playing with my brother.’

Farad said that he had been playing with his brother.

They said,’We were waiting for the bus since afternoon. ‘

6. PAST PERFECT AND PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS remain
unchanged

He said, ‘The storm had damaged the roads.’

He said that the storm had damaged the roads.

She said, ‘ I had been dancing. ‘

She said that she had been dancing.

He said,’ I had met Rajiv once before.’

7 FUTURE CONTINUOUS changes to WOULD BE+ING form of the verb.

She said, ‘ We will be studying in the evening.’

She said that they would be studying in the evening.

He said, ‘I will write a letter.’

He said that he would write a letter.

Shall-should/would

Can- could

May-migjt
The tense of the reported speech remains
unchanged in the following situations:

● When reported speech conveys general truth.

She said, ‘The weather in London is very

unpredictable. ‘
She said that the weather in London is very
unpredictable
The teacher said, ‘Carbon monoxide is a
poisonous gas.
● When the information is relevant at
the time of it being reported.

The airport officer said, ‘The flights are

being delayed because of fog and low
visibility.’
The airport officer said that the flights
are being delayed because of fog and
low visibility
Change of Modals
He asked,’ Can I take the corner seat?’

He asked if he could take the corner seat.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH

Can Could
Romi asked, ‘May I get a cup of
Will Would
tea?’
May Might
Romiley asked if she might get
Shall Should
a cup of tea. Must Had to
● When the reported speech
contains 2 clauses, both in the
past tense.
My mother said, ‘I could not
come to pick you up as I was in a
meeting.’
My mother said that could not
come to pick me up as she was in
Change of Pronouns
● If the speaker is in 1st person, the pronouns remain
unchanged. (In indirect speech)
I said, ‘I am bored’
I said that I was bored.
● If the speaker is in 2nd person, the pronouns are
changed to second person.
You said, ‘I have a new bag.’
You said that you had a new bag.
● If the speaker is in 3rd person, the pronouns are changed to 3rd
person.
She said, ‘I have a headache.’
She said that she had a headache.
● YOU, YOUR, AND YOURS are changed according to the person of
the addressed person in indirect speech.
She said to me,’ Your mother was looking for you.’
She said to me that my mother was looking for me.
She said to him,’Your mother was looking for you.’
She said to him that his mother was looking for him.
Demonstrative pronouns

This — That

These — Those

Tarun said,’I was absent on this day.’

Tarun said that he had been absent on that day .

Vicki said, ‘These are my toys.’

Vicki said that Those were his toys.

Change of Reporting Verb
Depending on the meaning conveyed by the sentence in direct speech,
direct speech, different reporting verbs are used in indirect speech to
replace words like said and told.

The Queen said to her advisor, ‘Go fetch me a map of the kingdom.’

The Queen ordered her adviser to go and fetch her a map of the kingdom.

Sam said to his brother, ‘You should wake up early and go for a jog.’

Sam advised his brother to wake up early and go for a jog.

FUNCTION IN DIRECT SPEECH REPORTING VERB IN INDIRECT
SPEECH

Order Ordered

Request Requested,pleaded, implored

Advice Advised, urged

Prohibition Forbade

Direction Directed

Suggestion Suggested

Warning Warned, cautioned

Addressing someone directly Called

● The reporting verbs told and asked are never
followed by the word to.

He asked me, ‘What is the time?’ He asked

to me X

I told him, ‘It is 6 pm.’ I told to him X

● If the reporting verb said has a object, it is always

followed by the word to
He said to me, ‘Are you alright?’ He said meX
Use of Say and Tell
We use say as the reporting verb when we focus on the words of the speaker.

We use tell when we convey what the speaker has said to somebody.

Namrata said to me, ‘I am exhausted after the long commute.’

Namrata told me that she was exhausted after a long and tiring commute.

Sheetal said to me, ‘I am happy to get a chance to work with the children.’

Sheetal told me that she was happy to get a chance to work with children.
 My father said to me, ‘I have been going to the telephone exchange
everyday to a lodge complaint.’

The teacher said to us, ‘You should attempt the second question even if
you find it difficult. ‘
Reporting Assertive Sentences
When we report assertive sentences, the reporting verb said is changed to told .

As mentioned before, we may also use other reporting verbs like advised, asked, answered,
admitted, confessed or remarked instead of said.

The doctor said to me, 'We all need balanced nutrition to function properly.

The doctor told me that we all need balanced nutrition to function properly.

The teacher said to the parent, 'Let the child study the chapter in sections before moving on to the
next chapter.'

The teacher advised the parent to let the child study the chapter in sections before moving on to
the next chapter.
My father said to the driver,’Drive to the museum.’

Our chemistry teacher said, ‘Don’t try these experiments at home.’

Reporting Interrogative Sentences
When we report interrogative sentences, the reporting verb said changes to asked or
enquired.
We may also use words like wanted to know or wondered.
We also use whether/if OR question word (who, where, what, when, how,whose)
in the sentence to begin the words of the speaker.
The guide said to Sanjay, 'Have you been on a Himalayan trek before?
The guide asked Sanjay (or enquired of Sanjay) whether he had been on a Himalayan trek
before.
My unce said to Akshay, 'How do you plan to deliver books to the remote corners of India?)
My unde wanted to know how Akshay planned to deliver books to the remote corners of
lndia
Sara asked the children, ‘Do you want to help me bake cupcakes?’

The girls looked at the hungry child and said to their mother, ‘May we
offer him some fruits?’
Reporting Imperative Sentences
Whe we report imperative sentences, the reporting verb said changes to
asked, requested,advised,ordered or encouraged, according to the
tone of the sentence.

Raj said to the librarian, ‘Please let me keep the book for another week.’

Raj requested the librarian to let him keep the book for another week.

Ms Roy said to her students, ‘’You could give saplings as return gifts on your
birthdays.’

Ms Roy encouraged her students to give saplings as return gifts on their

birthdays.
We never use to after the
reporting verb requested.

We requested him to let us

use the auditorium for dance
practice.
We requested to him to let us
use the auditorium. X
Divya said to her friend, ‘Please hold my bag.’

My father said, ‘Apologise to your sister immediately.’

Reporting Exclamatory Sentences

When we report exclamatory sentences, the reporting verb said changes to exclaimed,
wished or cried.

We also add adverbs like happily, sadly, angrily, anxiously lor phrases like exclaimed
with happiness after the reporting verb depending on the emotion that the sentence
conveys.

Pakhi said, ‘Hurrah! I came first in the exam.’

Pakhi exclaimed joyfully that she had come first in the exam.

Deepak exclaimed,’What a clever boy Ravi is!’

Deepak exclaimed that Ravi was a very clever boy.

I told Lisa, ‘What a brilliant player you are!’

Ms Kim said, ‘What an unfair judgment!’

GOOD BYE…
FOR NOW

(Muahahahaa)