DIRECT VS.

INDIRECT SPEECH
Quoting the exact words of the speeker is called The Direct Speech.

David said, I am writing a letter now.

Reporting of what a speaker said without quoting his exact words is called Indirect
Speech.

David said that he was writing a letter then.

RULE 1: CHANGE THE ADVERBS OF NEARNESS FOR THOSE OF

DISTANCE
Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

now

then

here

there

here after

there after

this

that

these

those

ago

before

thus

so

to-day

that day

to-night

that night

last night

the previous night

yesterday

the day before (or)

the previous day

tomorrow

the next day (or)

the following day

last week

the week before (or)

the previous week

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

next week

the week after (or)

the following week

last month

the month before (or)

the previous month

next month

a month after

RULE 2 TENSES
TENSE CHANGE - IN - INDIRECT SPEECH
Present simple tense into Past simple
Present Continuous tense into Past continuous
Present Perfect tense into Pas perfect
Present Perfect Continuous into Past perfect continuous
Past simple into Past Perfect
Past Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect into Past Perfect
Future simple, will into would
Future Continuous, will be into would be
Future Perfect, will have into would have

Examples.

DIRECT SPEECH

INDIRECT SPEECH

PRESENT TENSE
PRESENT SIMPLE
He said, I write a letter

PAST SIMPLE

He said that he wrote a letter.

She said, he goes to school daily

He said that she went to school daily.

They said, we love our country

They said that they loved their country

He said, he does not like computer

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

changes into

He said that he did not like computer.

changes into

He said, he is listening to the music

PAST CONTINUOUS

He said that he was listening to the

music.

She said, I am washing my clothes

She said that she was washing her
They said, we are enjoying the

clothes.

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

weather

They said that they were not enjoying

the weather.

I said, it is raining
She said, I am not laughing

She said that she was not laughing.

PRESENT PERFECT

changes into

She said, he has finished his work

He said, I have started a job

PAST PERFECT

She said that he had finished his work.

He said that he had started a job.

I said, she have eaten the meal

They said, we have not gone to New
York.

I said that she had eaten the meal.

They said that they had not gone to New
York.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

CONTINUOUS

changes into

PAST PERFECT

He said, I have been studying since 3

He said that he had been studying since

Oclock

3 Oclock.

She said, It has been raining for three

She said that it been raining for three

days.

days.

I said, She has been working in this

I said that she had been working in this

office since 2007

office since 2007.

PAST TENSE
PAST SIMPLE

changes into

He said to me, you answered correctly

John said, they went to cinema
He said, I made a table
She said, I didnt buy a car

PAST CONTINUOUS

changes into

They said, we were enjoying the

PAST PERFECT

He said to me that I had answered

correctly.
John said that they had gone to cinema.
He said that he had made a table.
She said that she had not bought a car.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

They said that they had been enjoying.

weather
He said to me that he had been waiting
He said to me, I was waiting for you

for me.
I said that it had been raining.

I said, It was raining

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

She said, I was not laughing

PAST PERFECT

She said that she not been laughing.

changes into

PAST PERFECT

(tense does not change)

She said, She had visited a doctor

She said that she had visited a doctor.

He said, I had started a business

He said that he had started a business.

I said, she had eaten the meal

I said that she had eaten the meal.

They said, we had not gone to New

They said they had not gone to New

York.

York.

FUTURE TENSE
FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE
WILL changes into WOULD
He said, I will study the book

He said that he would study the book.

She said, I will buy a computer

She said that she would buy a computer.

They said to me, we will send you gifts They said to me that they would send
you gifts.
I said, I will not take the exam

I said that I would not take the exam.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

WILL BE changes into WOULD BE
I said to him that I would be waiting for
I said to him, I will be waiting for him him.
She said, I will be shifting to new

She said that she would be shifting to a

home

new home.

He said, I will be working hard

He said that he would be working hard.

He said, he will not be flying kite

She said that he would not be flying

kites.

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

WILL HAVE changes into WOULD HAVE
He said, I will have finished the work

He said that he would have finished the

work.

She said, they will have passed the

examination

She said that they would have passed

the examination.

He said, I will have gone

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

He said that he would have gone.

RULE 3

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, can,

may, must,
Present modals are changed to past modals

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS,

can, may, must, should, ought to

CAN changes into COULD

He

said,

can

drive

She

said,

he

can

play

a
a

They said, we can climb on a hill

car He
violin. She

said
said

that

he

could

that

he

could

drive
play

a
a

car.
violin.

They said that they can climb on a hill.

MAY changes into MIGHT

He
She

said,
said,

I
he

may
may

buy

visit

They said, they may go to zoo

computer He said that he might buy a computer.

a

doctor. She said that he might visit a doctor.

They said that they might go to zoo.

MUST changes into HAD TO

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

He

said,

must

work

hard

She said, they must carry on their work

I said to him, you must learn the test-taking
strategies

He

said

that

he

had

to

work

hard.

She said that they had to carry on their

work.
I said to him that he had to learn the testtaking strategies.

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, should,

ought to, might, would, and could

The modal will not change in indirect speech

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

THESE MODALS DO NOT CHANGE

Would, could, might, should, ought to

Would

They said, we would apply for a visa They said that they would apply for visa.
He

said,

would

start

business. He said that he would start a business.

She said, I would appear in exam

She said that she would appear in the exam.

Could

She

said,

she

could

play

piano She said that she could play a violin.

They said, we couldnt learn the lesson They said they couldnt learn the lesson.

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

He said, I could run faster

He said that he could run faster.

Might

He
She

said,

guests

said,

it

might

come He

might

said

rain She

John said, I might meet him

said

that

guest

that

it

might
might

come.
rain.

John said that he might meet him.

Should

He said, I should avail the opportunity He said that he should avail the opportunity.
She

said,

should

help

him She

They said, we should take the exam

said

that

she

should

help

him.

They said that they should take the exam.

Ought to

He said to me that I ought to wait for him.

He said to me, you ought to wait for him
She said that she ought to learn method of
She said, I ought to learn method of study study.
They said, we ought to attend our classes

They said that they ought to attend their

classes.

Johnsi said, I must go now. (D.S)

Johnsi said that she had to go then. (I.S)
Exception to the above rule:
If the direct speech contains the Universal Truth, the tense of the direct speech remains
unchanged even if the reporting verb is in the past.
The teacher said, The sun rises in the East. (D.S)
The teacher said that the sun rises in the East. (I.S)

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

Statement (or) Assertive Sentence

Remove the quotation marks in the statement

Use the conjuction that

Change the reporting verb say to into tell

Change the reporting verb said to into told

Note :

He said that (correct)

He told me that (correct)

He told that (Incorrect)

Rule 4 Interrogative Sentence (Questions)

Remove the quotation marks and question mark in the interrogative sentence.

Use if or whether if the sentence inside the quotation marks begins with a helping
verb (Auxiliary verb).

Use the given interrogative word (what, when, where, why, who, whom, whose, which,
now etc.) if it does not begin with the helping verb.

Dont use that

Changing the reporting verb (say, said) into ask or enquire in its correct tense.

Omit helping verb like do, does, did. But dont omit them when they are with not.
1. Wont you help me to caary this box? said I to my friend. (D.S.)
I asked my friend if he would not help me to carry that box. (I.S.)
2. Mohan said to Stalin, Why did not you attend the meeting yesterday? (D.S.)
Mohan asked Stalin why he had not attended the meeting the day before. (I.S.)
3. How often do you go to the theatre? said David to John. (D.S.)
David asked John how often he went to the theatre. (I.S.)

4. Mohamed said to Sultan, Do you like mangoes? (D.S.)

Mohamed asked Sultan if he liked mangoes. (I.S.)

Questions which can be answered in YES/NO.

Examples.
Direct speech: He said to me, do you like music?
Indirect Speech: He asked me if I liked music. (Not, did I like music)
Or Indirect Speech: He asked me whether I liked music.
Direct speech: She said, Will he participate in the quiz competition?
Indirect Speech: She asked me if he would participate in quiz competition.

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

Direct speech: I said to him, are you feeling well?
Indirect Speech: I asked him if he was feeling well.
Direct speech: They said to me, did u go to school?
Indirect Speech: They asked me if I had gone to school.
Direct speech: He said to me, Have you taken the breakfast?
Indirect Speech: He asked me if I had taken the breakfast

Question
YES/NO.

which

cannot

be

answered

in

Examples.
Direct speech: He said to me, how are you?
Indirect speech: He asked me how I was. (Not, how was I)
Direct speech: Teacher said to him, what is your name?
Indirect speech: Teacher asked him what his name was.
Direct speech: She said to him, why did you come late?
Indirect speech: She asked him why he had come late.
Direct speech: He said, when will they come?
Indirect speech: He asked when they would come.
Direct speech: She asked his son, why are you crying?
Indirect speech: She asked her son why he was crying.

RULE 5 Exclamatory Sentence

Change the exclamatory sentence into satement or Assertive

Remove the quotation marks and exclamatory mark.

Use the conjunction that

Omit the interjections such as Oh, O, Alas, how, what, hurrah.

Add the word very to the adjective or adverb if necessary.

If the verb is not given, use Be form verb (is, was, are, were, am) in its correct tense
according to the subject.

Change the reporting verb (say, said) to exclaim joyfully

Use exclaim sorrowfully for sorrowful incidents.

1. O, what a beautiful flower that is! said she. (D.S.)
She exclaimed joyfully that that was a very beautiful flower. (I.S.)
2. What a horrible sight! we all exclaimed. (D.S.)
We all exclaimed that it was a very horrible sight. (I.S.)
3. Alas! I have broken my brothers watch said he.
He exclaimed sorrowfully that he had broken his brothers watch. (I.S.)
4. How beautiful she is! said Boon. (D.S.)
Boon exclaimed joyfully that she was very beautiful. (I.S.)

DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

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DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

EXERCISES

II. Look at the following examples of Direct and Indirect Speech:

1. He said, John will be in London on Tuesday..
___________________________________________________________
2. I never eat meat, he explained.
___________________________________________________________
3. He said, I wish I knew..
___________________________________________________________
4. She says, I shall be there..
___________________________________________________________
5. He said, She is coming this week.
___________________________________________________________
6. He said, I bought this pearl for my mother..
___________________________________________________________
7. He said, Where is she going?.
___________________________________________________________
8. He said, Lucy, when is the next bus..
___________________________________________________________
9. Is anyone there? she asked.
___________________________________________________________
10. The mother said, Lie down, David..
___________________________________________________________
11. He said, Dont move, boys.
__________________________________________________________
12. He said, Please say nothing about this..
___________________________________________________________

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DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SPEECH

ANSWERS

II. Look at the following examples of Direct and Indirect Speech:

1. He said, John will be in London on Tuesday..
He said that John would be in London on Tuesday.
2. I never eat meat, he explained.
He explained that he never ate meat.
3. He said, I wish I knew..
He said that He wished he knew.
4. She says, I shall be there..
She said that she will be there.
5. He said, She is coming this week..
He said that she was coming that week.
6. He said, I bought this pearl for my mother..
He said that he had bought that pearl for his mother.
7. He said, Where is she going?.
He asked where she was going.
8. He said, Lucy, when is the next bus..
He asked Lucy when the next bus was.
9. Is anyone there? she asked.
She asked if anyone was there.
10. The mother said, Lie down, David..
The mother asked David to lie down.
11. He said, Dont move, boys.
He asked the boys not to move.
12. He said, Please say nothing about this..
He asked her to say nothing about that.

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