WHAT IS DIRECT AND INDIRECT

SPEECH ?
You can answer the question What did he say? in two ways:

• by repeating the words spoken (direct speech)

• by reporting the words spoken (indirect or reported speech).

 DIRECT SPEECH
• Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in
writing, we place the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no
change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW (for
example a telephone conversation), or telling someone later about a previous
conversation.
• EXAMPLES
• She says, "What time will you be home?"
• She said, "What time will you be home?" and I said, "I don't know! "
• "There's a fly in my soup!" screamed Simone.
• John said, "There's an elephant outside the window."
INDIRECT SPEECH
• Reported or indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we
normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like
'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported
words. Inverted commas are not used.
• She said, "I saw him." (direct speech)
• She said that she had seen him. (indirect speech)
'That' may be omitted:
She told him that she was happy. She told him she was happy.
What are the changes that take place
when we change from direct to
indirect?

1. CHANGE IN TENSE

2. CHANGE IN PRONOUNS

3. CHANGE IN TIME AND PLACE

CHANGE IN TENSES
Let us examine a sentence in Direct
speech
 Direct speech has to parts:

 First- outside the inverted commas

 Second- Inside the inverted commas.
 Example:
 He said, “ I am trying to solve the problem.”

 Reporting verb Reported speech

A simple rule
When there is past tense in reporting
verb then we change the tense in
the reported speech.(with some
exceptions)

When we have present or future

tense in reporting verb, we do not
change the tense in reports speech
in indirect form.
Something you need to know
 He said, “ I am trying to solve the problem.”
 Indirect form:

 He said that he was trying to solve the problem.

 Principal Clause subordinate clause

The Sequence of Tenses:
 When the Principal clause is in past tense then the subordinate
clause should also be in the past tense:

Principal Clause Subordinate Clause

He said That he was not guilty
He asked Whether he might go home.
She was so weak That she could not stand.

 Exceptions:
 1. When subordinate clause represent a universal truth, it may be
put in present tense even when the principal clause is in the past.
 Example:
 The preacher said that there is only one God.
 The teacher said that honesty is always the best policy.
Continued….

 2. When the subordinate clause comes after the Comparative

conjunction than, it may be put in any tense required by the context.
 Examples:
 He demanded a higher price than he can pay.
 He likes him better than he likes you.
Now read these sentences:
Present Future

I maintain that he is honest. I shall maintain that he is honest.

I maintain that he was honest. I shall maintain that he was honest.

I maintain that he will be honest. I shall maintain that he will be honest.

 When the verb in the principal clause is in the present or future

tense, the verb in the subordinate Clause may be in any Tense
that the context requires.
Now read these sentences:
 We start early lest we should miss the train.
 We started early lest we should miss the train.
 We shall start early lest we should miss the train.

 When the subordinate Clause comes after lest, the only auxiliary
that it may use is should, whatever be the tense of the verb in the
principal clause.
• 'Say' and 'tell'
• Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:
He said that he was tired.
• Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an
indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.
• 'Talk' and 'speak'
• Use these verbs to describe the action of communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.
• Use these verbs with 'about' to refer to what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.
 Tense Direct speech Reported speech Changed tense

She said that she swam in the

Simple present I swim in the ocean. Simple past
ocean.

He said that he was going to

Present continuous I was going to the Himalayas. Past continuous
the Himalayas.

She said that she had caught

Present perfect I have caught a few fishes. past perfect
a few fishes.

She said that she had gone to

Past simple I went to school in the morning. Past perfect
school that morning.

She said that she had been past perfect

Past continuous I was walking near the beach.
walking near the beach. continuous

He said that he had trekked

I had trekked the Himalayas this
Past perfect the Himalayas this time last Past perfect
time last year.
year.
 : direct to reported speech
Some word transitions from
that will come in handy
Is, am becomes was
Are becomes were
Has, have becomes had
Will becomes would
Can becomes could
would stays would
should stays should
May becomes might
Must stays must or becomes had to (matter of choice)
shall becomes should
Direct speech tense Indirect/Reported speech tense

Simple present simple past

present continuous past continuous

simple past past perfect

past continuous past perfect continuous

present perfect tense past perfect tense

past perfect tense past perfect tense

Change In Pronoun In Indirect
Speech
From direct speech into Indirect Speech, the
pronouns (subject or object) in a sentence are
changed.
Example:
He said, “I like music”.
He said that he liked music.

She said, “I will go to London”.

She said that she would go to London.

Have you observed these changes?

A SIMPLE RULE-
SON-123 formula

SON
1 2 3
Ist Person 2nd Person 3rd person
Rule #1

First person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. I, we) is

changed according to the Subject of reporting verb if
pronoun in reporting verb is third person pronoun
(i.e. he, she)
For example:
Direct speech: He said, “I don’t want to shock people”
Reported speech: He said that he didn’t want to shock people.
Direct speech: They said, “we‘ll look after Liam.”
Reported speech: They said that they would look after Liam.
Rule #2

First person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. I, we) is

not changed if the pronoun (Subject) of reporting is
also first person pronoun (i.e. I or we).
For example:
Direct speech: I said, “I do my homework.”
Reported speech: I said that I did my homework.
Direct speech: We said, “we buy our clothes.”
Reported speech: We said that we bought our clothes.
Rule #3

Second person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. you) is

changed according to “object” of reporting verb.

For example:
Direct speech: He said to her, “you are cute.”
Reported speech: He said to her that she was cute.
Direct speech: He said to me, “you are a generous person.“
Reported speech: He said to me that I was a generous person.
Rule #4

Third person pronoun in direct speech (i.e. he, she, it) is

not changed in indirect speech.

Examples:
Direct speech: They said, “She does not have the necessary qualifications.“
Reported speech: They said that she did not have the necessary qualifications.
Direct speech: She said, “It is raining.“
Reported speech: She said that it was raining.
Change in Time and Place in Indirect
Speech - Rules
 RULES
Now –> Then
For example:
Direct speech: “The children are playing outside now.”
Reported speech: He said that the children were playing outside then.
Today –> That day
For example:
Direct speech: “I’ve got a piano lesson today.”
Reported speech: She said that she had got a piano lesson that day.
Here –> There
For example:
Direct speech: “Put the box here.”
Reported speech: He told us to put the box there.
This –> That
For example:
Direct speech: “I shall be very busy this week.”
Reported speech: She said she would be very busy that week.
Tomorrow –> The following day/ The next day/ The day after
For example:
Direct speech: “I will leave for New York tomorrow.”
Reported speech: She said that she would leave for New York the next day.
Next week –> The following week/ The next week/ The week after
For example:
Direct speech: “I have an appointment next week.”
Reported speech: She said that she had an appointment the following week.
Yesterday –> The previous day/ The day before
For example:
Direct speech: “Our English teacher quizzed us yesterday.”
Reported speech: They said their English teacher had quizzed them the day before.
Last week –> The previous week/ The week before
For example:
Direct speech: “We had an awful earthquake last week.”
Reported speech: They told us that he had had an awful earthquake the previous week.
Ago –> Previously/ Before
For example:
Direct speech: “The letter came a few days ago.”
Reported speech: He said the letter had come a few days before.
Tonight –> That night
For example:
Direct speech: “I’m going for a beer with Karl tonight.”
Reported speech: He said that he was going for a beer with Karl that night.
Reported Questions
 BASIC RULES
1. When you are changing a question from direct
speech into indirect speech, you follow the same
kinds of rules as for statements.
2. The only differences are that you need to use a
different word to introduce the reported speech,
and the word order of the question becomes like
that of a statement.
3. You end the sentence with a full stop, not a
question mark.
To report a question, we use verbs such as:
inquire, wonder, want to know, ask…

Only ask can take an indirect object.

Examples:
Direct speech: “Have you got a computer?“
Reported speech: He wanted to know whether I had a computer.
Reported Speech for Yes/No Questions
We use “if” or “whether” to introduce a “yes-no
question”.
Example:
Direct speech: “Did you receive my e-mail?“
Reported speech: The teacher asked me if I had received his e-
mail. OR The teacher asked me whether I had received his e-
mail.
You introduce questions where there is a choice in
the same way - more usually by using “whether”
than by using “if“.
Example:
Direct speech: I asked, “Is it John’s phone or Richard’s?”
Reported speech: I asked whether it was John’s
phone or Richard’s.
Reported Speech for (Wh- Questions)
You introduce questions that begin with who, why, what,
how, when, where… by using the word which begins the
question in direct speech.

Examples:
Direct speech: She asked, “Where did he stay?”
Reported speech: She asked me where he had stayed.
Direct speech: She asked, “When will you go back to London?“
Indirect speech: She asked when he would go back to London.

You often mention the person who is being asked the

question, by using a pronoun (him, her, them, etc.) or by
mentioning their name.

Examples:
I asked him if he ate meat.
She asked Michael when he would go back to Japan.
Reported Commands, Advice and
Requests
RULES
1. Reported Orders, Commands, Advice and Requests are
formed using the to-infinitive and not to-infinitive.

2. The reporting verbs for the orders/ commands/

requests are: order, shout, demand, warn, beg,
command, tell, insist, advise, beseech, threaten,
implore, ask, propose, forbid…

3. When we change from direct to indirect speech, the

pronoun and tense changes are also needed.
 Examples
Direct speech: “Open the door!”
Reported speech: He ordered me to open the door.

Direct speech: “Don’t answer the phone.”

Reported speech: She told me not to answer the phone.

Direct speech: “Don’t be back late.”

Reported speech: He ordered me not to be back late.

Direct speech: He said to me “Come with me.”

Reported speech:He told me to go with him.
Direct speech: He said to me, “Don’t lie to me.”
Reported speech: He told me not to lie to him.

Direct speech: “Turn the music down! I’m trying to get to

sleep.“
Reported speech: He told us to turn the music down as he
was trying to get to sleep.

Direct speech: “I think you should leave now. It’s very late.”
Reported speech: She ordered us to leave as it was very late.

Direct speech: Teacher said to him, “Do not waste your time”.
Reported speech: Teacher advised him not to waste his time.
Reported Exclamatory sentences
 RULES
An exclamatory sentence expresses state of
joy, sorrow or wonder, to change them into
Indirect Speech, specific words (i.e. exclaimed
with joy, exclaimed with sorrow. exclaimed
with wonder) are added to the sentence.
Some examples of exclamatory sentences:
Hurrah! I won the competition. (state of joy)
Alas! I couldn't qualify the exam. (state of sorrow)
Wow! What a beautiful car. (state of wonder)
Direct speech: They said, "Hurrah! We won the game"
Indirect Speech: They exclaimed with joy that they had won the game.

Direct speech: He said, "Alas! I failed the test".

Indirect Speech: He exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed the test.

Direct speech: He said, "Hurrah! I bought a nice shirt".

Indirect Speech: He exclaimed with joy that he had bought a nice shirt.

Direct Speech: She said, "Wow! What a beautiful flower it is".

Indirect Speech: She exclaimed with wonder that what a beautiful flower it was.

Direct Speech: She said, “Oh! I lost my purse.”

Indirect Speech: She exclaimed with sorrow that he had lost her purse.

Direct Speech: David said to him, “ How intelligent you are!”

Indirect Speech: David exclaimed with wonder that how intelligent he was.
STEP BY STEP METHOD TO CHANGE
FROM DIRECT TO INDIRECT
STEP -1 Identify if the sentence is affirmative, interrogative
or imperative. Use the rules accordingly.

STEP -2 See if any tense change is required in the reported

speech. Do it following the rules.

STEP-3 Identify all the required pronoun changes.

Do it following the rules.

STEP-4 Identify all the changes related to time and place.

Do it following the rules.

STEP-5 Do all the punctuation changes required.

 Exercises from Thomson
and Martinet exercise book
Pages 110 to 124 from the soft copy
(PDF) of Exercise book-1

Pages 112 to 130 from the soft copy

(PDF) of Exercise book-2
 SAIRAM
ALL THE BEST