DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

We may report the words of a speaker in two ways.

1. Direct Speech
We may quote the actual words of the speaker. This method is called Direct
Speech.
2. Indirect Speech
We may report what he said without quoting his exact words. This method is
called
Indirect Speech or Reported Speech.
Example:
Direct !linton said" #I am $ery %usy now.&
Indirect !linton said that he was $ery %usy then.
Direct 'e said" # my mother is writing letter.&
Indirect 'e said that his mother was writing letter.
How to chane Direct to Indirect Speech!
(
It will %e noticed that in Direct Speech" we use in$erted commas to mark off the
exact words of the speaker. In Indirect Speech we do not use the in$erted commas.
It will %e further noticed that in changing the a%o$e Direct Speech into Indirect
speech" certain changes ha$e %een made.
Th"#:
i. We ha$e used the con)unction *that+ %efore the Indirect Statement.
ii. The pronoun #I& is changed to #',&. -The .ronoun is changed in .erson/
iii. The $er% #am& is changed to #was&.
i$. The ad$er% #now& is changed to #then&.
R"le# $or chanin Direct into Indirect Speech:
0. When the reporting or principal $er% is in the .ast Tense" all the .resent Tenses
in the Direct Speech are changed into .ast Tense.
a. A #imple pre#ent ten#e %ecome# #imple pa#t ten#e.
Example:
Direct 'e said" #I am unwell.&
Indirect 'e said that he was unwell.
1
%. A pre#ent contin"o"# ten#e %ecome# a pa#t contin"o"#.
Example:
Direct 'e said" # my mother is writing letter.&
Indirect 'e said that his mother was writing letter.
c. A pre#ent per$ect %ecome# a pa#t per$ect:
0re you clear a%out the con$ersion of Direct to Indirect Speech2
Example:
Direct 'e said" #I ha$e passed the examination.&
Indirect he said that he had passed the examination.
d. A# a r"le the #imple pa#t ten#e in the Direct Speech %ecome# the pa#t
per$ect ten#e in Indirect Speech.
Example:
Direct 'e said" #'is horse died in the night.&
Indirect he said that his horse had died in the night.
N&TE:
The shall of the future is changed into should.
The will of the future is changed into would.
The can and may of the future are changed into could and might respecti$ely.
3
Statement#
If we want to say what other people said" thought or felt" we can use the direct and
indirect speech -reported speech/.
The direct speech "I like it," he said. "Irene is late," he thought. "I will pass the
exam," she hoped.
The reported speech He said he liked it. He thought that Irene was late. She
hoped she would pass the exam.
The reported speech is typically introduced %y $er%s such as say, tell, admit,
complain, explain, remind, reply, think, hope, offer, refuse etc. in the past tense.
He said (that) he didn't want it.
She explained that she had een at the seaside.
If these $er%s are in the past tense" we change the following
a/ $er% tenses and $er% forms
%/ pronouns
c/ the ad$er%s of time and place
A' (er% ten#e#
We change the tenses in the following way
4
.resent 5 past
"I ne!er understand you," she told me. " She told me she ne!er understood
me.
"#e are doing exercises," he explained. " He explained that they were
doing exercises.
.resent perfect 5 past perfect
"I ha!e roken the window," he admitted. " He admitted that he had roken
the window.
"I ha!e een waiting since the morning," he complained. " He complained
that he had een waiting since the morning.
.ast 5 past perfect
"She went to $ome," I thought. " I thought that she had gone to $ome.
"He was thinking of uying a new car," she said. " She said he had een
thinking of uying a new car.
Will 5 conditional
#ill changes into the conditional.
I will come on Sunday," he reminded me. " He reminded me that he would
come on Sunday.
6
http://wps.pearsoned.com/wps/media/objects/6524/6681325/Direct_and_indirect
_speech.pdf
7