SPEECH
SPEECH – DIRECT SPEECH AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Eg:
Raju said, “I am going to college now.”
Raju said that he was going to college then.
Direct Speech:
The actual words spoken by a person are said to be in Direct speech. These are
always enclosed in quotation marks.
Indirect Speech:
Without repeating the exact words of the speaker expressing the meaning of his
words in our own words is called Indirect speech.
Changes:
1. The comma (,) after the reporting verb ‘said’ is remove and
the suitable conjunction is added.
2. The quotation marks (“ ”) are to be removed.
3. The pronoun in the first or second person is normally
changed into third person as given below:
Change of verb:
The verb in the present tense (V1) is changed into past tense (V2). The verb in the past tense
(V2) is changed into past perfect tense (had + V3) as given below:
Changes in Time and Place:
DS IS
Now Then
Here There
This That
These Those
Today That day
Tonight That night
Tomorrow The next day / The following day
Yesterday The previous day / The day before
Ago Before
Last The previous
Next The following
Hence Thence
Changing assertive sentences (statements) into Indirect Speech:
Eg:
1. He said, “I am very busy now.”
He said that he was very busy then.
2. Sita said, “I am preparing for SSC.”
Sita said that she was preparing for SSC.
3. Ramana said, “I will go to Chennai tomorrow.”
Ramana said that he would go to Chennai the next day.
4. She said, “I have already finished my homework.”
She said that She had already finished her home work.
5. She said to me, “I wrote a novel last year.”
She told me that She had written a novel the previous year.
6. My friend said to me, “I am going to resign this job next week.”
My friend told me that he/she was going to resign that job
the following week.
7. She said to me, “ You alone can solve this problem.”
She told me that I alone could solve that problem.
8. She said to me, “ I was at home yesterday.”
She told me that she had been at home the previous day.
9. He said, “I bought this car yesterday.”
He said that he had bought that car the previous day.
10.Raju said, “ I want to become a doctor.”
Raju said that he wanted to become a doctor.
Exercise – 1
1. Suma said, “ I can speak five languages.”
Suma said that she could speak five languages.
2. Raju said, “I don’t want to marry this girl.”
Raju said that he didn’t want to marry that girl.
3. Ravi said, “I will pay the fee tomorrow.”
Ravi said that he would pay the fee the next day.
4. Varun said, “I will have got a job by this time next year.”
Varun said that he would have got a job by that time the following year.
5. Pavan said, “I have already seen this movie.”
Pavan said that he had already seen that movie.
6. She said to him, “I am in love with another guy.”
She told him that she was in love with another guy.
7. My friend said to me, “I saw your book here on the table yesterday.”
My friend told me that he/she had seen my book there on the table
the previous day.
8. She said to me, “You are disturbing me a lot.”
She told me that I was disturbing her a lot.
9. Looking at the papers the manager said, “These papers have already been signed.”
Looking at the papers the manager said that those papers had
already been signed.
10. The teacher said to the boy, “As you are late, I will not allow you into the class.”
The teacher told the boy that as he was late, he/she would
not allow him into the class.
Changing imperative sentences into indirect speech:
Reporting verb: Asked / Ordered / Requested / Advised
Conjunction: [NOT] TO
Eg:
1. My father said to me, “Get me a glass of water.”
My father asked/told me to get him a glass of water.
2. The teacher said to the boy, “Get out from here.”
The teacher ordered the boy to get out from there.
3. She said to me, “Please wait for sometime.”
She requested me to wait for sometime.
4. The doctor said to the patient, “Give up smoking.”
The doctor advised the patient to give up smoking.
5. The teacher said to the boy, “Don’t enter the class without my permission.”
The teacher ordered the boy not to enter the class without her permission.
6. She said to me, “Please don’t disturb me.”
She requested me not to disturb her.
Exercise
1. My friend said to me, “Post this letter on your way to college.”
My friend told/asked me to post that letter on my way to college.
2. Mother said to the servant, “Clean this room urgently.”
Mother ordered the servant to clean that room urgently.
3. A stranger said to me, “Please show me the way to the station.”
A stranger requested me to show him the way to the station.
4. My father said to me, “Don’t waste your valuable time.”
My father advised me not to waste my valuable time.
5. My friend said to me, “Join Everest for best coaching for SSC.”
My friend advised me to join Everest for best coaching for SSC.
6. Doshi said to his wife, “Please select one of these necklaces.”
Doshi requested his wife to select one of those necklaces.
Changing interrogative sentences (questions) into indirect speech:
Questions are two types-
1. Yes / No Type Questions
2. WH – Questions
A) Yes / No Type Questions:
Eg:
1. She said to me, “ Will you marry me?”
She asked me whether I would marry her.
2. He said to me, “Can you solve this problem?”
He asked me whether I could solve that problem.
3. Sita said to Gita, “Are you going to college now?”
Sita asked Gita whether she was going to college then.
4. My friend said to me, “Do you play cricket?”
My friend asked me whether I played cricket.
B) WH – Questions:
Eg:
1. She said to me, “When will you marry me?”
She asked me when I would marry her.
2. He said to me, “How can you solve this problem?”
He asked me how I could solve that problem.
3. Sita said to Gita, “Why are you going to college now?”
Sita asked Gita why she was going to college then.
4. My friend said to me, “Where do you play cricket?”
My friend asked me where I played cricket.
Exercise:
1. The interviewer said to him, “Have you got any experience in this field?”
The Interviewer asked him whether he had got any experience in that field.
2. My friend said to me, “What are you doing here?”
My friend asked me what I was doing there.
3. The Manager said to me, “Are you willing to work anywhere in India?”
The Manager asked me whether I was willing to work any where in India
4. He said to me, “Do you know Hindi?”
He asked me whether I knew Hindi.
5. The teacher said to Kamala, “Why were you absent yesterday?”
The teacher asked Kamala why she had been absent the
previous day.
Changing Exclamatory sentences into Indirect Speech:
Eg:
1. They said, “Hurray! We have won the match.”
2. The doctor said, “Alas! The patient is dead.”
3. She said, “How beautiful the garden is!”
4. The coach said to the boys, “Bravo! You have played well.”
