DIRECT
AND
INDIRECT SPEECH
Get going
Teacher: Please send me the list by evening.
Rama: Alright, ma’am.
Now, report this dialogue in your own words. Choose the correct option.
Option 1: The teacher asked Rama, ‘Please send me the list
by evening.’
Option 2: The teacher asked Rama to send her the list
by evening.
REMEMBER
Answer: Both the options are correct.
• Option 1 is in direct speech. It quotes the exact words of the speaker.
• Option 2 is in indirect speech. It reports what the speaker said without using the
actual words. That’s why this method is also called reported speech.
MORE EXAMPLES
Direct speech: Rohit said, ‘I am listening to rock music.’
Indirect speech: Rohit said that he was listening to rock music.
Direct speech: Sheena said, ‘I have been studying in this school for two years.’
Indirect speech: Sheena said that she had been studying in that school for two years.
Remember: General rules for changing direct speech into indirect speech
Rule 1: Remove the quotation marks from the direct speech.
Rule 2: Use reporting verbs such as ‘told’, ‘said’, ‘mentioned’ to
introduce the report speech.
Rule 3: Use the conjunction ‘that’ after the reporting verb.
Rule 4: Change the pronouns.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
I he/she
you he/she/they
me him/her
us them
you we/us
my his/her
mine his/hers
your our
our their
Rule 5: Change the adverbs of nearness into those of distance.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
now then
here there
this that
these those
today that day
yesterday the day before
tomorrow next day
last week/month previous week/month
Rule 6: If the reporting verb is in the past tense (said), change the tense.
Examples:
Tense in direct Tense in indirect Example sentence in Reported speech
speech speech direct speech
Simple present Simple past Mohit said, ‘ I love Mohit said that he loved
mangoes.’ mangoes.
Present Past continuous Rani said, ‘ I am having Rani said that she was
continuous my dinner now.’ having her dinner then.
Present perfect Past perfect Gurpreet said, ‘I have Gurpreet said that he had
painted these pictures.’ painted those pictures.
Present perfect Past perfect Rati said, ‘I have been Rati said that she had been
continuous continuous trimming these hedges.’ trimming those hedges.
Seema said, ‘I will go to the Seema said that she would go
will/shall would
party.’ to the party.
Arun said, ‘ I may not be able to Arun said that he might not be
may might
meet you tomorrow.’ able to meet me tomorrow.
‘Can you pass me the pen’, she She asked me if I could pass her
can could
asked me. the pen.
Kritika said, ‘You must speak to Kritika said that I must speak to
must must/had to
your parents about this.’ my parents about that.
Special Rules for Imperative Sentences
1) Remove the quotation marks.
2) Use ‘to’ if it is an affirmative sentence. (without don‘t)
3) Use ‘not to’ if the sentence begins with ‘Don‘t’.
4) Don‘t use ‘that’ and ‘please’.
5) If the direct speech contains a request or a command, the reporting verb (say, said)
change to tell, request, order, command, etc.
Examples:
‘Don‘t talk in the class,’ said the teacher to the students.
The teacher asked the students not to talk in the class.
‘Please give me something to eat’, said the child to her mother.
The child requested her mother to give her something to eat.
’Go away’, said he to her.
He ordered her to go away.
Special Rules for Interrogative Sentences (Questions)
1. Remove the question mark.
2. Use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ if the sentence inside the quotation marks begins
with a helping verb.
3. Use the given interrogative word (what, when, where, why, who, whom,
whose, which, now, etc.) if it does not begin with the helping verb.
4. Don‘t use ‘that’.
5. Change the reporting verb (say, said) into ‘ask’ or ‘enquire’ in its correct
tense.
Example:
‘Will you give a present to Roma?’ I said to Prakash.
I asked Prakash if he would be giving a gift to Roma.
Special rules for Exclamatory Sentences
1. Change the exclamatory sentences into statements.
2. Remove the quotation marks and exclamatory mark.
3. Use the conjunction ‘that’.
4. Omit the interjections such as Oh, O, Alas,H, What, Hurrah.
5. Add the word ‘very’ to the adjective or adverb if necessary.
6. Change the reporting verb (say, said) to ‘exclaimed’.
Example:
‘O, what a beautiful film that was!’ said Rupa.
Rupa exclaimed joyfully that it was a very beautiful film.
A few riders
If the direct speech contains a universal truth, the tense of the direct speech
remains unchanged even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.
• The teacher said, ‘The sun rises in the East’.
• The teacher said that the sun rises in the East.
If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tenses in the direct speech
do not change.
• Arun says, ‘Mr Singh is a good teacher.’
• Arun says that Mr Singh is a good teacher.
Test Yourself
Change the following direct speech into indirect.
1. ‘Are you going to meet Seema?’ Romi asked me.
2. ‘Please call me after 8 p.m.,’ Riya said to her assistant.
3. Anamika said, ‘How difficult this chapter is!’
4. ‘Stop throwing the tiles.’ Ratul said to the workmen.
5. The man said to me, ‘Could you please tell me the way to the nearest ATM?’
6. The king said to the wizard, ‘What is the best trick you can perform?’
7. ‘My right shoulder is frozen,’ Disha admitted to the doctor.
8. Mohan said to his teacher, ‘ I have been working on the new idea.’
9. The shopkeeper said, ‘We don’t stock spiral books.’
10. Manu said to Harish, ‘ Can you pick us up on the way?’
Test Yourself
Change the following indirect speech into direct.
1. I told Uncle Ken that I wanted a new basketball jersey.
2. The old man man cried out whether nobody would get him water.
3. I asked my friend if she wanted to go to the mall the following day.
4. Mother exclaimed that her bracelet was missing.
5. The police officer ordered the driver to show his driving license.
6. Farhan said that he would be attending a wedding in Ajmer
the following week.
7. Rosie asked me whether I had prepared for the exam.
8. My science teacher says acid combines with base to make water.
