Direct and Indirect Speech /Narrations)

English Language has two ways to narrate the spoken- words of a person. These two ways are as
follows:
1. Direct Speech
2. Indirect Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech are also called Direct and Indirect Narrations.

These two ways are usually used to convey a message (spoken-words) of one person to
another person. For example, you are at your college. Mr David, who is your teacher, says to
you, “I want to meet your parents. Where you come to home, you will inform your parents
in the following two ways:
Direct speech: Mr. David said, "I want to meet your parents".
Indirect Speech: Mr David said that he wanted to meet my parents.
These two ways are also used to simply narrate spoken- words (have no message to convey)
of one person to another. Here is another example. Suppose, you meet your friend Mr John,
in a market. Mr John says to you, "I bought a book for you'. When you come home, you may
say the words of Mr John to your brother in the Following two ways:
Direct Speech: Mr John said, "I bought a book for you'".
Indirect Speech: Mr John said that he had bought a book for me.
Understanding Direct and Indirect Speech- Differences

Direct Speech: In direct speech, the actual words (with no change) of speaker are
quoted. The exact words (or actual words) of the speaker are enclosed in Inverted Commas
or Quotation Marks, There is always a comma or a colon after "said" that introduces the
spoken words.
Example: He said, "I am going to School,”

Indirect Speech: In indirect speech, the actual words of the speaker are changed. The reason
for change in actual words is that the actual words have been spoken by the speaker in past,
hence narrating it in the present will require change in the tense of the actual words. The
pronouns of the sentence are also changed accordingly.
The words of speaker are not enclosed in inverted commas or quotation marks. The word
'that' will be used before the spoken-words of the speaker
Example:
Direct Speech: He said, "I am going to School,"

Indirect Speech: He said that he was going to school.

Converting Direct speech into Indirect Speech
Before learning the rules for conversion of Direct speech into Indirect Speech, you must
learn the following two components of a sentence of Direct Speech.

Reporting Speech/ Verb: The verb of the first sentence (i.e. she said, he said, she says,
they said, they say etc.) before the actual words of the speaker is called a reporting verb.
Examples:
She said, "l am listening to music".

He says, "You are an intelligent student".

You will say, "I need your help”.

Reported Speech/Verb: The second sentence (actual words of speaker) that is

enclosed in inverted Commas or Quotation Marks are called a reported speech.
Examples:
He said, "I got a job in college".
She says, "I want to become a doctor".
They said, "We play football in the playground".
Examples:

Direct Speech: She said, "I am watching a movie".

Indirect Speech: She said that she was watching a movie.

Direct Speech: He says, “I am playing cricket".

Indirect Speech: He says that he is playing cricket. (Tense changed) (No change in tense)

Rule No.4: Changes in Pronouns: The pronoun (or subject) of reported speech is
sometime changed according to the pronoun (or subject) or Object of the reported verb
(first sentence of Direct speech). The possessive pronouns (i.e. his, her, my, their, your etc.)
may also change according to subject or object of the first sentence.

Basic Rules for Indirect Speech:

Rule No.1. Words of the speaker (reported speech) are not enclosed in Inverted Commas or
Quotation Marks in Indirect Speech.
Rule No. 2. Usage of word "that": The conjunction "that" is always used between reporting
verb and reported speech in indirect speech.
Example:

Direct Speech: He said, "I write a letter".

Indirect Speech: He said that he wrote a letter.

Rule No. 3. Change in tense of the reported speech: A change is made in tense of reported speech
for changing a direct speech into indirect speech. If the reporting verb (or first sentence) of direct
speech is either Present tense or Future tense, no change will be made in the reported speech for
making indirect speech. Only if the reporting verb (or first sentence) of direct speech belongs to the
Past tense, changes will be made in tense reported speech for making indirect speech.

Examples:

Direct Speech: He said, "I eat two apples".

Indirect Speech: He said that he ate two apples.

Direct Speech: She said to me, "| like your book".

Indirect Speech: She said to me that she liked my book.

Rule No. 5. Change In Time: If there is time mentioned in the sentence of Direct speech, the time will
be changed in Indirect Speech. There are certain rules changing the time. I.e. not into then,
tomorrow into the next day, today into that day, yesterday into the previous day

Examples:

Direct Speech: She said, "I am buying a laptop today".

Indirect Speech: She said that she was buying a laptop that day.

Direct Speech: He said, "I need your now'.

Indirect Speech: He said that he needed my help then.

Pronoun

Change In Pronoun In Indirect Speech - Rules

To convert a direct speech into Indirect Speech, the pronoun (subject or object) a sentence is
changed. Here is a simple example:

Direct Speech: He said, “I like music'" - Indirect Speech: He said that he liked music.

In the above example, the pronoun (1) is changed to pronoun (he) in Indirect Speech. This sentence
has two parts: a reporting verb (e.g. He said) and a reported speech (e.g. I like music). The pronoun
of reported speech changed according to the pronoun of reporting verb of the sentence.

There are four easy rules for the change in pronoun in

Indirect Speech

Rule No.1: The 1st Person pronoun of reported Speech (e.g. We, I, Me, My, Mine, Us, or our) is
changed according to the Pronoun of the reporting verb if it is 3rd person Pronoun (i.e. She, He, It,
They, Their, her, his)

Examples:

Change In Pronoun in Indirect Speech - Rules

To convert a direct speech into Indirect Speech, the pronoun (subject or object) a sentence is
changed. Here is a simple example:

Direct Speech: He said, “I like music'" - Indirect Speech: He said that he liked music.

In the above example, the pronoun (1) is changed to pronoun (he) in Indirect Speech. This sentence
has two parts: a reporting verb (e.g. He said) and a reported speech (e.g. I like music). The pronoun
of reported speech changed according to the pronoun of reporting verb of the sentence.

There are four easy rules for the change in pronoun in

Indirect Speech

Rule No.1: The 1st Person pronoun of reported Speech (e.g. We, I, Me, My, Mine, Us, or our) is
changed according to the Pronoun of the reporting verb if it is 3rd person Pronoun (i.e. She, He, It,
They, Their, her, his)

Examples:

Rule No. 3:- The 2nd Person Pronoun (i.e. you, yours) of the reported Speech is changed according to
"object" of the reporting verb.

Examples:

Direct Speech: She said to me, "You are a brilliant student" -Indirect Speech: She said to me that I
was brilliant student.

She said to him, "You are a brilliant student"

Direct Speech:

Indirect Speech: She said to him that he was a brilliant student.

Direct Speech: She said to them, "you are brilliant students"

Indirect Speech: She said to them that they were brilliant students.

Direct Speech: He said to me, "Your shirts are beautiful.

Indirect Speech: He said to me that my shirts were beautiful.

Direct Speech: He said to them, "Your shirts are beautiful".

Indirect Speech: He said to them that their shirts are beautiful.

Direct Speech:

She said, "I will go to London".

She said that she would go to London.

He said, “I work in a factory".

He said that he work in a factory.

They said, "We have completed the work"

They said they had completed the

Indirect Speech: - Direct Speech:

Indirect Speech:

Direct Speech:

Indirect Speech: work.

Direct Speech:

Indirect Speech:

Direct Speech:

Indirect Speech:

He said, “My laptop is heavy"

He said that his laptop was heavy.

She said, "My son is cute'.

She said that her son was cute.

Rule No.2: The 1st Person pronoun of reported Speech (i.e. We, I, Me, Mine, Us, or our) is NOT
changed, if the

Pronoun of reporting verb is also 1st Person Pronoun (i.e. I, we)

Examples:

Direct Speech:

Indirect Speech:

Direct Speech:

Indirect Speech:

I said, "I had applied for a Job"

I said that l had applied for a Job.

We said, “We sing a song"

We said that we sang a song.

[08/07, 4:09 pm] +92 307 5716706: Rule No. 4:- The 3rd Person Pronoun (i.e. She, He, It,

They, His, Him, them, His) of the reported Speech will

NOT be changed in the Indirect Speech.

Examples:

Direct Speech: He said, "She will buy a pen'.

Indirect Speech: He said that she would buy a pen.

Direct Speech: She said, "They are singing a song"

Indirect Speech: She said that they were singing a song.

Direct Speech:

They said, "It is raining'.

Indirect Speech: They said that it was raining.

Direct Speech: You said, "She loves him'. -Indirect Speech: You said that she loved him.

Direct Speech: David said, "He works in a factory'

Indirect Speech: David said that he worked in a factory.

Direct Speech: He said, “She is waiting for them.

Indirect Speech: He said that she was waiting for them

Tenses

Indirect Speech for all Tenses - Rules

DIRECT SPEECH CHANGES - INTO INDIRECT SPEECH

Present Simple Tense into Past Simple Tense

Present Progressive Tense into Past Progressive Tense

Present Perfect Tense into Past Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Progressive Tense into Past Perfect Tense

Past Simple Tense into Past Perfect Tense

Past Progressive Tense into Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Tense (The tense remains unchanged)

Past Perfect Progressive Tense (The tense remains unchanged)

Future Simple Tense (e.g. will) into "would"

Future Progressive Tense (e.g. will be) into "would be'

Future Perfect Tense (e.g. will have) into "would have"

Future Perfect Progressive Tense (e.g. will have been) into "would have been"

Explanatory and imperative

Indirect Speech for Imperative & Exclamatory

Sentences

Indirect Speech for Indirect Speech for Imperative:

A sentence that expresses a command, a request, an advice or a suggestion is called an imperative

sentence.

Here are some examples:

Open the door. (Command) (Request) (Advice) (Command)

Please help me.

Quit smoking - Don't make a noise.

As imperative sentences have a command (or an order), a request, an advice or a suggestion, to

change them into

Indirect Speech, some specific verbs (i.e. requested, order, advised, forbade, suggested) replace the
verbs (e.g. said, told) of reporting verb.

Indirect Speech for Exclamatory sentences:

A sentence that expresses a state of sorrow, joy or wonder, is known as exclamatory sentence.

Examples: (state of joy)

Hurrah! I won the competition.

Alas! I couldn't qualify the exam. (State of sorrow) -Wow! What a beautiful car. (state of wonder)

An exclamatory sentence expresses state of joy, sorrow or wonder, to change them into Indirect
Speech, specific words (i.e. exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with sorrow, exclaimed with wonder) are
added to the sentence. Read the following examples.

Direct Speech:

They said, "Hurrah! We won the game"

Indirect Speech: They exclaimed with joy that they had won the game.

Direct Speech: He said, “Alas! I failed the test".

Indirect Speech: He exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed the test.

Examples - Direct Speech:

She said to me, "Please help me"

Indirect Speech: She requested me to help her.

Direct Speech: time

Indirect Speech: Teacher advised him not to waste his time.

Direct Speech: He said to her, "Please lend me your

Camera for one day"

Teacher said to him, "Do not waste your

He requested her to lend him her camera

Indirect Speech: for one day.

Direct Speech:

Doctor said to him, "Avoid unhealthy food"

Indirect Speech: Doctor advised him to avoid unhealthy food.

Direct Speech: the room

The Boss said to the employee, "Get out of

The Boss ordered the employee to get out

He said to his servant, "Clean the room'.

Indirect Speech: of the room. “Direct Speech:

Indirect Speech:

He ordered his servant to clean the room.

Question

Direct Speech:

He said, “Hurrah! I bought a nice shirt".

He exclaimed with joy that he bought a nice

Indirect Speech: shirt.

Direct Speech: is.

She said, "Wow! What a beautiful flower it

Indirect Speech: She exclaimed with wonder that what a beautiful flower it was.

Direct Speech:

She said, "Oh! | lost my purse:"

Indirect Speech: She exclaimed with sorrow that he had lost her purse. - Direct Speech: David said to
him, “How intelligent you are!"

Indirect Speech: David exclaimed with wonder that how intelligent he was.

[08/07, 4:09 pm] +92 307 5716706: Indirect Speech for question sentences- Rules

The basic rules for converting Direct Speech (question sentences) into Indirect Speech are as follows:
Examples are at the end. 1. Comma and inverted commas will be removed. 2. The conjunction "that"
will not be used in Indirect

Speech (In question sentences) the conjunction "that" is used in Indirect speech of all positive
sentences,
3. In indirect speech, the question sentence will be expressed in assertive (positive) form instead of
interrogative form. Interrogative sentence: Direct speech is replaced with verb such 'ask' or "inquire'
4. Question mark (?) will not be used in indirect speech of 5. The verb such as 'say' or 'tell' (e.g. he
said or she said) in (e.g. he asked, she inquired) in indirect speech.

The above rules are common for all question-sentences.

Apart from these common rules, there are a few specific rules which apply according to the type of
question in sentence.
Examples:

Do you like a mango? (Such a question can bee answered by saying only YES or No)

What are you doing? (Such a question cannot be answered by Yes or No but it requires a bit
explanation i.e. I am listening to music.)

The specific rules according to type of question are as follows:

Questions that can be answered with "YES or NO"

To make indirect speech of such questions, the word "if" or "whether" will be used in Indirect
Speech. Both the words "if" or "whether" can be used interchangeably.