SUBH-E-OMID

EDUCATIONAL CENTER
Direct and indirect

speech

Prepared by:Qasim Arman

There are two ways to convey a message of a person.

1)Direct speech 2)Indirect speech

1.Direct speech: In direct speech you repeat the exact words of the
speaker and you bring no changes.

Note: It is made of two parts.

A:Reporting speech: It contains subject and a reporting verb.
B:Reported speech: It contains the exact words of the speaker.
EX:Ali said”,I am too tired.”
Note:If reporting speech is used at the end then comma is used
inside inverted commas

EX:Ali said”,I love you.” EX: ”I love you.” Said Ali

1.Indirect speech: in indirect speech you bring changes in the

exact words of the speaker with the following changes.

1. No comma is used after the reporting speech.

2. Quotation marks or inverted commas are removed.
3. The conjunction (That) is used between the two speeches
4. The tense sequence is changed
Tenses changes
1. Simple present tense Simple past tense

2. Present continuous tense Past continuous tense

3. Present perfect tense Past perfect tense

4. Present perfect continuous tense Past perfect continuous tense

5. Simple past tense Past perfect tense

6. Past continuous tense Past perfect continuous tense

7. Past perfect tense Past perfect tense

8. Simple future tense Will change to Would

9. Future continuous tense Will Be change to Would Be

10. Future perfect tense Will have change to Would have

Present modals are changed to past modals
1.Can Could
2.May Might
3.Must Had to

The modals will not change in indirect speech

1.Would Would
2.Could Could
3.Might Might
4.Should Should
Examples of tenses
1.Simple present tense EX:She said,”I write a letter.”
EX: She said that she wrote a letter.

2.Present continuous tense

EX: He said,”I am cleaning the room.”
EX: He said that he was cleaning the room.

3.Present perfect tense

EX: Ali said,”I have beaten wali.”
EX: Ali said that he had beaten wali.

4. Present perfect continuous tense

EX: He said,”I have been washing the clothes.”
EX: He said that he had been washing the clothes

5.Simple past tense

EX: Wali said,”I slept late.”
EX: Wali said that he had slept late.
continuous of examples
6.Past continuous tense EX: They said,”We were robbing the rings.”
EX: They said that they had been robbing the rings.

7.Past perfect tense

EX: He said,”I had gone to school.”
EX: He said that he had gone to school.

8.Simple future tense

EX: You said,”I will call ali.”
EX: You said that you would call ali.

9.Future continuous tense

EX: I said,”I will be teaching english.”
EX: I said that I would be teaching English.

10. Future perfect tense

EX: He said,”I will have made a table.”
EX: He said that he would have made a table.
Present modals examples
1.Can EX: You said,”I can call ali.”
EX: You said that you could call ali.

2.May EX: You said,”I may call ali.”

EX: You said that you might call ali.

3.Must EX: You said,”I must call ali.”

EX: You said that you had to call ali.
unchangeable modals examples
1.Would EX: You said,”I would call ali.”
EX: You said that you would call ali.

2.Could EX: You said,”I could call ali.”

EX: You said that you could call ali.

3.Might EX: You said,”I might call ali.”

EX: You said that you might call ali.

4.Should EX: You said,”I should call ali.”

EX: You said that you should call ali.
Changing pronoun
The pronoun (subject) of the “reported speech” is changed according to the pronoun of
reporting speech or object (person) of reporting verb (first part of sentences). Sometimes the
pronoun may not change.

Diffrence between tell and say

In reported statements we can use either say or tell the meaning is the same but the grammer is
different.

Say:With (say) we cant use the object.it is directly followed by (that)clause.

EX:Ali said that he cleaned the house.
Tell:With (tell) we need the object noun or pronoun then (that)clause.
EX:Ali told me that he cleaned the house.
Note:say can be used with an object but a preposition is used before the object.
EX:Ali said to me that he cleaned the house.
Rules for changing yes\no questions
1. To change questions(which can be answered in yes or no) in to indirect speech word “if” or
“whether” is use before the question in indirect speech.

2. Rules for change in tense of a question sentences are same as for change in normal tenses in
indirect speech but sentence will not start with the auxiliary verb of the tense.

3. The word “that” is not used between reporting verb and reported speech as conjunction in
indirect speech for question sentence.

4. Question mark is not used in indirect speech.

EX: He said to me,”Do you like music?”

EX: He asked me if liked music. (not did I like music)

EX: I said to him,”Are you feeling well?”

EX: I asked him if he was feeling well.
Rules for changing w.H questions
1. To change W.H question in to indirect speech, the word “if” or “whether” is not used.

2. The tense of the question is changed according to the rules for change in normal tenses in
indirect speech but sentence will not start with the auxiliary verb of the tense.

3. The word “that” is not used between reporting verb and reported speech as conjunction in
indirect speech for question sentence.

4. Question mark is not used in indirect speech.

EX: He said to me,”How are you?”

EX: He asked me how I was.(not How was I)

EX: He said,”When will they come?”

EX: He asked when they would come.
Changing Imperative sentences
A sentences which expresses command,request,advice or suggestion is called imperative
sentences.

Note: To change such sentences into indirect speech, the word “ordered” or “requested” or
“advised” or “suggested” or “not to do” is added to reporting verb depending upon nature of
imperative sentence in reported speech.

EX: He said to me,”please help me” EX:He said,”Open the door”

EX: He requested me to help him. EX: He ordered to open the door.

EX: The teacher said to him,”Get out” EX:Doctor said to me,’Do not smoke”
EX: The teacher ordered him to get out. EX: Doctor advised me not to smoke.
Changing Exclamatory sentences
A sentence which expresses state of joy or sorrow or wonder is called Exclamatory sentence.

Note: To change such sentences the word “exclaimed with joy” or “exclaimed with sorrow” or
“exclaimed with wonder” is added in the reporting verb depending upon the nature of
exclamatory sentence in indirect speech.

EX: He said,” Hurrah! I won a prize.”

EX: He exclaimed with joy that he had won a prize.

EX: He said,” oh no! I missed the train.”

EX: He exclaimed with sorrow that he had missed the train.

EX: She said,” Alas! I failed in exam.”

EX: She exclaimed with sorrow that she had failed in the exam.
Changing optative sentences
1.”May” will change to “Might” and it will come after the reported subject.

2.The verb of reported speech will remain unchanged.

3.The exclamation mark will change to full stop.

4.”THAT” comes between the speeches.

5. The reporting verb sometimes changes into “prayed” and sometimes into “prayed for”.

Note: If the object of reporting speech is related with subject of reported speech, the
reporting verb changes into ,prayed,.

Note: If the object of reporting speech is not related with the subject of reported speech, the
reporting verb changes into prayed and the object of reporting speech is omitted.

EX: He said to me,” May you recover soon!” EX: He said to me,” May he recover soon!”
EX: He prayed for me that I might recover soon. EX: He prayed that he might recover soon.
Note: If there is a wish\desire in a sentence, the following changes will take place.
1.The reporting verb changes into “wished”.

2. The tenses ,here and now words and pronouns will change according to the previous rules.

3. “that” comes between the two speeches.

4. The exclamation mark changes into full stop.

EX: She said,” May you succeed!”

EX: She prayed that I might succeed.

EX: He said,” May she pass the exam!”

EX: He prayed that she might pass the exam.
The rules of changing “Here and Now words”
1. This That
2. These Those
3. Now Then
4. Tomorrow The next day
5. The day after tomorrow In two days time
6. Yesterday The previous day
7. The day before yesterday Two days before
8. Today That day
9. Tonight That night
10. Last night The previous night
11. Here There
12. Ago Before
13.Sir and Madam Respectfully
14. Godd morning\evening\afternoon Greeted
15. Good night\Good bye\ Fare well don’t change
16.Hello,Hallo,yes,No,alright,Hi Are removed
17. Next(Sunday,month,week,year etc.) the following\ The next
18.Last (Night,Week,Sunday, Month,Year etc.) The previous
EX: Ali said,”Nadir will come today.”
EX: Ali said that Nadir would come that day.

EX: He said,”I played well yesterday.”

EX: He said that he had played well the previous day.

Important rules
Situations under which formal sequence of tenses is not allowed.

A universal fact
EX: Our teacher said,”Allah is the most merciful.”
EX: Our teacher said that Allah is the most merciful.

A general fact
EX: Ali said,”She is young and beautiful.”
EX: Ali said that he is young and beautiful.
A past historical events
EX: My father said,”Doc Najeeb was the president of Afghanistan.”
EX: : My father said that Doc Najeeb was the president of Afghanistan.

Improbable conditional clause

EX: Our teacher said,”If you studied hard,you will pass the test.”
EX: Our teacher said that If I studied hard, I would pass the test.

Real conditional clause

EX: Her father said,”If it rains,The picnic will be cancelled.”
EX: : Her father said that If it rains,The picnic will be cancelled.

BEST LUCK!