English Grammar

Direct 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 If the reporting or principal verb is in the Past
are changed into Past Tense. Tense.
Do Not Change Tense of reported If in direct speech you find say/says or will
Speech in Indirect Speech sentence say.
 Indirect Speech Conversion Direct Speech Condition
Direct speech the words within the quotation
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.
3. Words expressing nearness in time or places are generally changed into words
expressing distance.

Direct Speech Word Indirect 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
Change of place and time Now Then
Ago Before
Thus So
Last Night the night before
This That
These Those
Hither Thither
Hence Thence
Come Go

5.
6. 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 reported speech
She says, "I am in tenth She says, "I am in tenth
changes according to the subject of
class." class."
reporting speech.
The second person of reported speech He says to them, "You He tells them that they
changes according to the object of have completed your have completed their
reporting speech. job." job.
The third person of the reported speech She says, "She is in She says that she is in
doesn't change. tenth class." tenth class.

7. Change in Tenses
The past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses do not change.

Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech

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

8. Changes in Modals
Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech
CAN changes into
He said, "I can drive a car". He said that he could drive a car.
COULD
MAY changes into He said, "I may buy a He said that he might buy a
MIGHT computer" computer.
MUST changes into
He said, "I must work hard" He said that he had to work hard.
HAD TO
These Modals Do Not Change: Would, could, might, should, ought to.
They said, "we would apply for They said that they would apply
Would
a visa" for visa.
Could He said, "I could run faster" He said that he could run faster.
John said that he might meet
Might John said, "I might meet him".
him.
He said, "I should avail the He said that he should avail the
Should
opportunity" opportunity.
He said to me, "you ought to He said to me that I ought to wait
Ought to
wait for him" for him.

9.
10. 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
told, advised or forbade (No need of "not" after
Never
"forbade")
Direction directed
Suggestion suggested to
Warning warn
(If a person is addressed directly) called

11. 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.

. 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

Exclaimed with sorrow/ grief/ exclaimed sorrowfully
sorrow in reported speech
or cried out
happiness in reported speech exclaimed with joy/ delight/ exclaimed joyfully
surprise in reported speech exclaimed with surprise/ wonder/ astonishment"
appreciation and it is being expressed
applauded
strongly
12. Interrogative Sentences
Interrogative sentences are of two types:

0. Interrogative with auxiliaries at the beginning.

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

B. 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
said/ said to Asked, enquired or demanded.
Verb
If sentence begins with
joining clause should be if or whether.
Joining auxiliary verb
Clause If sentence begins with then no conjunction is used as "question-
"wh" questions word" itself act as joining clause.
Punctuation Question Mark Full Stop
sentences is expressing
do/does is removed from sentence.
positive feeling
Helping
if 'No' is used in
Verbs do/does is changed into did.
interrogative sentences
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.

13. 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 EXAMPLES
The words that are actually spoken should be enclosed in 'He's very clever, you
 inverted commas know.'
'They think it's a more
Start new paragraph every time when a new speaker says respectable job,' said
something. Joe.
'I don't agree,' I replied
'Can I come in?' he
Comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark must be asked.
present at the end of reported sentences. This is placed inside 'Just a moment!' she
the closing inverted comma or commas. shouted.
'You're right,' he said.
If direct speech comes after the information about who is
Steve replied, 'No
speaking, comma is used to introduce the piece of speech,
problem.'
placed before the first inverted comma.
'You're right,' he said. 'It
If the direct speech is broken up by information about who is
feels strange.'
speaking, comma (or a question mark or exclamation mark) is
'Thinking back,' she said,
used to separate the two reported speech
'he didn't expect to win.'

14. 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.

0. Use the reporting verb, "say" or "said to" in its correct tense.
1. Remove the conjuctions "that, to, if or whether etc". wherever necessary.
2. Insert quotation marks, question mark, exclamation and fullstop, wherever
necessary.
3. Put a comma before the statement.
4. Write the first word of the statement with capital letter.
5. Change the past tense into present tense wherever the repoting verb is in the past
tense.
6. Convert the past perfect either into past tense or present perfect as found necessary.
7. 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 + ...?)