Verbal Ability

English
Dierect & Indirect
Speech
 Direct and Indirect Speech
There are two ways to convey the message of a person, or the words spoken by a person to
another person.
(1) Direct Speech.
(2) Indirect Speech
Eg: 1. Direct Speech: Ravi said, “I will give you a pen”.
2. Indirect Speech: Ravi said that he would give me a pen.

(A) Direct Speech: In Direct Speech the words of the speaker is exactly said in his words. What a
speaker says, his words are mentioned within the quotation marks (“…………”). The speaker’s words
should be unaltered.
Eg: She said, “Travelling is my hobby.” Or ‘Travelling is my hobby.’, she said.

(B) Indirect Speech: In Indirect Speech the words of the speaker is not exactly said in his words.
What a speaker says, his words are not mentioned within the quotation marks. The speaker’s words
will be altered slightly.
Eg: She said that Travelling was one of her hobbies.
Reporting Verb: The verb in the first part of a sentence, (i.e. he said, she said, he says, they said, she says), before
the statement of a person in the sentence is called ‘Reporting Verb’.
Eg: They said to her, “We won the match.”

Reported Verb: The second part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person (which is enclosed in
quotation marks in direct speech) is called ‘Reported Verb’.
Eg: They said to her, “We won the match.”

Some Important Rules:

First of all ascertain the tense of the ‘Reporting verb’.
(a) If the reporting verb is in present or future tense. The tense of reported speech remains unchanged.
(b) If the reporting verb changes as following.

Eg: 1. (Direct): Ravi says, “I play chess on Fridays.”

(Indirect): Ravi says that he plays chess on Fridays.
Reporting Verb in Reporting Verb in
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Say Say

Says Says

Say to Tell

Says to Tells

Will say Will say

Will say to Will tell

Said Said
 Changes in “Personal Pronouns”

(a) First Person Pronoun (I, We) According to subject to reporting verb.
Eg: D.S: Raju said, “I speak Tamil.”
I.S: Raju said that he spoke Tamil.

(b) Second Person Pronoun (You) According to object of reporting verb.

Eg: D.S: Rajesh said to Padma, “You invited me.”
I.S: Raju told Padma that she had invited him.

(c) Third Person Pronouns (He, She, It, They) No change.

Eg: D.S: Rajan said, “She drinks Coffee in the canteen.”
I.S: Raju said that she drank Coffee in the canteen.
 Tenses of Reported Speech

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Simple Present Tense Simple Past Tense

Present Continuous Tense Past Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Simple Past Tense Past Perfect Tense

Past Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense

 Change in Future Sentences and Modal Verbs
Shall / Will Should / Would A.V
Shall be / Will be Should be / Would
Shall have / Will have Should have / Would have
Shall have been/ Will have been Should have been / Would have been

Can Could

May Might

Could / Should / Would / Might No Change

 Direct Speech Indirect Speech
This That
These Those
a Here There
Hence Thence
Now Then
Ago Before
Thus So
HIther Thither
Today That day

Tomorrow The next day

Yesterday The previous day

Last week/month/year The previous week/month/year

The last fort night The previous fort night

The day before yesterday The day before the previous day
 Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect

1. When the reporting or principal verb is in the past tense, all present tenses of the direct are changed
into the corresponding past tenses. Thus,
(a) A simple present becomes a simple past.
( Direct) Ram said, “I am happy”.
( Indirect) Ram said that he was happy.

(b) A present continuous becomes a past continuous.

( Direct) He said, “My younger brother is writing an essay”.
( Indirect) He said that his younger brother was writing an essay.

(c) A present perfect becomes a past perfect.

( Direct) He said, “I have completed my homework
(Indirect) He said that he had completed his homework.

a
 2. If the reporting verb is in the present tense or future tense, the tenses of the direct speech do not change.

E Eg: 1. (Direct): Ravi says, “I play chess on Fridays.”

(Indirect): Ravi says that he plays on Fridays.

3. The pronouns of the direct speech are changed, where necessary, so that their relations with the
reporter and its listener rather than with the original speaker are indicated.

E.g. 1. (Direct): He said to me, “I don’t believe in you.”

(Indirect): He told me he didn’t believe in me.

2. ( Direct): They I said to him, “ We don’t smoke.”.

( Indirect) : They told him that they didn’t smoke.

a
Exclamations and Wishes:

In reporting exclamations and wishes the indirect speech is introduced by some verb expressing
exclamation or wish.

Eg: 1. (Direct): He said, “Alas! I am deeply hurt.”

(Indirect): He exclaimed sadly that he was deeply hurt.

2. (Direct): Meena said, “How brave you are”!

(Indirect): Meena exclaimed that I was very brave.

3. (Direct): Rakesh said, “Bravo! You have done well.”

(Indirect): Rakesh applauded him, saying that he had done well.

4. (Direct): “So help me heaven!” he cried, I will never steal again.

(Indirect): He called upon Heaven to witness his resolve never to steal again.
Interrogatives:

In reporting interrogatives, the indirect speech is introduced by some such verbs as asked, enquired etc.

When the question is not introduced by an interrogative word, the reporting verb is followed by
whether or if.

Eg: 1. (Direct): He said to me, “What are you doing?”

(Indirect): He asked me what I was doing.

2. (Direct): “Where do you live?” asked the stranger.

(Indirect) : The stranger enquired where I lived.

3. (Direct): My uncle said to us, “Where are you going?”

(Indirect): My uncle enquired Where we were going.
Commands and Requests:

In reporting commands and requests, the indirect speech is introduced by some verb expressing
command or request and the imperative mood is changed into the infinitive.

Eg: 1. (Direct): Krishna said to Arjun, “Go away”.

(Indirect): Krishna ordered Arjun to go away.

2. (Direct): He said to him, “Please wait here till I return”.

(Indirect): He requested him to wait there till he returned.

3. (Direct): “Call the first witness”, said the judge.

(Indirect): The judge commanded them to call the first witness.

4. (Direct): He shouted, “Let me go.”

(Indirect): He shouted to them to let him go.
 Exam Pattern - Questions

1.In the following questions, sentence has been given in Direct/Indirect Speech. Out of the four
alternatives suggested select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect/Direct
Speech..

1. Kiran asked me, “Did you see the cricket match on television last night?”
(a) Kiran asked me whether I saw the cricket match on television the earlier night.
(b) Kiran asked me whether I had seen the cricket match on television the earlier night.
(c) Kiran asked me did I see the cricket match on television last night.
(d) Kiran asked me whether I had seen the cricket match on television last night.

2. David said to Anna, “Mona will leave for her native place tomorrow.”
(a) David told Anna that Mona will leave for her native place tomorrow.
(b) David told Anna that Mona left for her native place the next day.
(c) David old to Anna that Mona be leaving for her native place tomorrow.
(d) David told Anna that Mona would leave for her native place the next day.
3. I said to him, “Why are you working so hard?”
(a) I asked him why he was working so hard.
(b) I asked him why was he working so hard.
(c) I asked him why he had been working so hard.
(d) I asked him why had he been working so hard.

4. He said to her, “What a cold day!”

(a) He told her that it was a cold day.
(b) He exclaimed that it was a cold day.
(c) He exclaimed sorrowfully that it was a cold day.
(d) He exclaimed that it was a very cold day

5. The tailor said to him, “Will you have the suit ready by tomorrow evening?”
(a) The tailor asked him that he will have the suit ready by the next evening.
(b) The tailor asked him that he would had the suit ready by the next evening.
(c) The tailor asked him if he would have the suit ready by the next evening.
(d) The tailor asked him if he will like to have the suit ready by the next evening.
6. He said to the interviewer, “Could you please repeat the question?”
(a) He requested the interviewer if he could please repeat the question.
(b) He requested the interviewer to please repeat the question.
(c) He requested the interviewer to repeat the question.
(d) He requested the interviewer if he could repeat the question.

7. He said, “Be quiet and listen to my words.”

(a) He urged them to be quiet and listen to his words.
(b) He urged them and said be quiet and listen to words.
(c) He said they should be quiet and listen to his words.
(d) He said you should be quiet and listen to my words.

8. He said to me, “I have often told you not to play with fire.”
(a) He said that he has often been telling me not to play with fire.
(b) He told me that he had often told me not to play with fire.
(c) He reminded me that he often said to me not to play with fire.
(d) He said to me that he often told me not to play with fire
9. The Captain said to his men, “Stand at ease.”
(a) The Captain urged his men to stand at ease.
(b) The Captain wanted his men to stand at ease.
(c) The Captain told his men that they should stand at ease.
(d) The Captain commanded his men to stand at ease.

10. The poor examinee said, “O God, take pity on me.”

(a) The poor examinee prayed God to take pity on him.
(b) The poor examinee, invoking God implored him to take pity on him.
(c) The poor examinee exclaimed that God take pity on him.
(d) The poor examine asked God to take pity on him.

11. Jagdish said, “We passed by a beautiful lake when we went on a trip to Goa.”
(a) Jagdish said that they passed by a beautiful lake when they had gone on a trip to Goa.
(b) Jagdish said that they had passed by a beautiful lake when they went on a trip to Goa.
(c) Jagdish said that they had passed by a beautiful lake when they had gone on a trip to Goa.
(d) Jagdish said they passed by a beautiful lake when they went on a trip to Goa.
 Exam Pattern - Questions

2. Select one the following wrong options given below.

1. (a) Newton said / (b) that / (c) for every action, / (d) there was an equal and opposite reaction. / (e) No error

2. (a) My Daddy always says / (b) that / (c) getting up early in a morning / (d) is a good habit./ (e) No error

3. (a) She said that / (b) they hadn’t / (c) spoke to their parents / (d) for six years. / (e) No error

4. (a) The doctor asked / (b) the patient / (c) that, what he had eaten / (d) for breakfast that day. / (e) No error

5. (a) Rahul asked me / (b) who had given me / (c) the book the day before. / (d) the previous day. / (e) No error
6. (a) He told us / (b) that the car had come / (c) and they should / (d) started soon. / (e) No error

7. (a) The secretary said that / (b) the matter was / (c) being tracked / (d) at the highest level. / (e) No error

8. (a) Sukumar shouted / (b) john does not to / (c) drive / (d) so fast. / (e) No error

9. (a) Teja said / that / (b) he thought, / (c) it was going / (d) to rains. / (e) No error

10. (a) The boy exclaimed / (b) that / (c) he had / (d) done well. / (e) No error

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