DIRECT & INDIRECT SPEECH
• Direct speech - reporting the message of the
speaker in exact words as spoken by him.
• Indirect speech: reporting the message of the
speaker in our own words.
• Direct speech example: Rama said ‘I am busy
now’.
• Indirect speech example: Rama said that he was
very busy then.
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are
various factors that are considered such as reporting verbs, modals, time,
place, pronoun, tense, etc. we will take up all the factors one by one.
Rule #1 - Direct to Indirect Speech Conversion - Reporting Verb
1. When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the
present tenses are changed to corresponding past tense in indirect
speech. Direct to indirect speech example:
● Direct: she said, “I am happy.”
● Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.
2. In indirect speech tenses do not change if the words used within the
quotes (“ ”) talk of a habitual action or universal truth. Direct to indirect
speech example:
● Direct: He said, “we cannot live without air.”
● Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.
3. The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting verb is in
future tense or present tense. Direct to indirect speech example:
● Direct: She says/will say, “she is going.”
● Indirect: She says/will say she is going.
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Rule #2 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
conversion - Present Tense
1. Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.
Direct: “I have been to Boston”, She told me. ●
Indirect: She told me that she had been to Boston.
2. Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous
Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained.
Indirect: She explained that she was playing the
guitar.
3. Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect
Direct: He said, “she has finished her homework”.
Indirect: He said that she had finished her
homework.
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
4. Simple Present Changes to Simple Past
Direct: “I am unwell”, she said.
Indirect: She said that she was unwell.
Rule #3 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
conversion - Past Tense & Future Tense
1. Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect
Direct: She said, “Irvin arrived on Sunday.”
Indirect: She said that Irvin had arrived on Sunday.
2. Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect
Continuous
Direct: “We were playing basketball”, they told me.
Indirect: They told me that they had been playing
basketball.
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
3. Future Changes to Present Conditional
Direct: She said, “I will be in Scotland tomorrow.”
Indirect: She said that she would be in Scotland
the next day.
4. Future Continuous Changes to Conditional
Continuous
Direct: He said, “I'll be disposing the old
computer next Tuesday.”
Indirect: He said that he would be disposing the
old computer next Tuesday
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Rule #4 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion -
Interrogative Sentences
1. No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech begins
with a question (what/where/when) as the "question-word"
itself acts as a joining clause.
Direct: “Where do you live?” asked the boy.
Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.
2. If a direct speech sentence begins with auxiliary verb/helping
verb, the joining clause should be if or whether.
Direct: She said, “will you come for the party?”
Indirect: She asked whether we would come for the party.
3. Reporting verbs such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired,
asked, or demanded.
Direct: He said to me, “what are you wearing?”
Indirect: He asked me what I was wearing.
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Rule #5 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion -
Changes in Modals
1. While changing direct speech to indirect speech the modals
used in the sentences changes like: ● Can becomes Could ●
May becomes Might ● Must becomes had to /Would have to
● Direct: She said, “She can dance.”
● Indirect: She said that she could dance.
● Direct: She said, “I may buy a dress.”
● Indirect: She said that she might buy a dress.
● Direct: Rama said, “I must complete the assignment.”
● Indirect: Rama said that he had to complete the assignment.
2. There are Modals that do not change like - Could, Would,
Should, Might, Ought to. Direct speech to indirect speech
● Direct: She said, “I should clean the house.”
● Indirect: She said that she should clean the house.
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Rule #6 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion -
Pronoun
1. The first person in the direct speech changes as per the
subject of the speech.
● Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”
● Indirect: He said that he was in class Twelfth.
2. The second person of direct speech changes as per the
object of reporting speech.
● Direct: She says to them, “You have done your work.”
● Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.
3. The third person of direct speech doesn't change.
● Direct: He says, “She dances well.”
● Indirect: He says that she dances well.
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Rule #7 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Request, Command, Wish, Exclamation
1. Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, ordered, suggested and advised.
Forbid-forbade is used for the negative sentences. Therefore, the imperative mood in direct speech
changes into the Infinitive in indirect speech.
● Direct: She said to her, “Please complete it.”
● Indirect: She requested her to complete it.
● Direct: Hamid said to Ram, “Sit down.”
● Indirect: Hamid ordered Ram to sit down.
2. In Exclamatory sentences that express (grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud) Interjections are
removed and the sentence is changed to an assertive sentence.
● Direct: She said, “Alas! I am undone.”
● Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.
Rule #8 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Punctuations
1. In direct speech the words actually spoken should be in (“ ”) quotes and always begin with a capital
letter. Example: She said, “I am the Best.”
2. Full stop, Comma, exclamation or question mark, are placed inside the closing inverted commas.
Example: They asked, “Can we sing with you?”
3. If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, comma is used to introduce
the speech, placed before the first inverted comma. Direct speech example: He shouted, “Shut up!”
Direct speech example: “Thinking back,” he said, “she didn't expect to win.” (Comma is used to
separate the two direct speeches and no capital letter to begin the second sentence).
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Rule #9 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Change of Time
1. In direct speeches, the words that express nearness in time or place are changed to words that
express distance in indirect speech. Such as:
● Now becomes then
● Here becomes there
● Ago becomes before
● Thus becomes so
● Today becomes that day
● Tomorrow becomes the next day
● This becomes that
● Yesterday becomes the day before
● These becomes those
● Come becomes go
● Hence becomes thence
● Next week Or month becomes following week/month
examples:
● Direct: He said, “His girlfriend came yesterday.”
● Indirect: He said that his girlfriend had come the day before.
2. The time expression does not change if the reporting verb is in present tense or future tense.
RULES OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Rules for converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech
The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech:
1. Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct tense.
2. Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital letter.
3. Insert question mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark and full stop, based on the mood of the
sentence.
4. Remove the conjunctions like (that, to, if or whether) wherever necessary.
5. Where the reporting verb is in past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct
speech.
6. Change the past perfect tense either into present perfect tense or past tense as necessary.
Examples:
● Indirect: She asked whether she was coming to the prom night.
● Direct: She said to her, “Are you coming to the prom night?”
● Indirect: The girl said that she was happy with her result.
● Direct: The girl said, “I am happy with my result.”
PRACTICE QUESTION
1. The designer said to her, “will you have the dress ready by
tomorrow evening?”
2. They said, “Let us come in”.
3. Reshma said to Priya, “Why are you sketching on the wall?”
4. ‘Jacob fell as he’d have wished’, the father said.
5. Arya said to Tara, “David will leave for his mother’s place
tomorrow.”
6. The Professor said that nobody could solve the problem.
7. She said, “Why didn’t you send a friend request to me?”
8. The judge commanded them to call the accused in the court.
9. The instructor asked Ronny if he was ready for the race.
10. Manager said to Shekher, “Why didn't you attend the meeting
yesterday?”
