Direct and Indirect

Speech
Rules for conversion to Indirect
Speech
Examples
This is what is Direct Speech...
 This is what is Indirect Speech..

Pronoun changes

He suggested that they went to the movie.

Conjunction Verb changes

 Important Points to be Remembered for
Conversion
Rules
Time Person Tense of the Verb Place
Indirect
Direct Speech Indirect Speech Direct Speech Direct Speech Indirect Speech Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Speech
now then/at that time I he/she Present Tense Past Tense here there
last night the previous night my his/her eg. go/goes went
next week the following week we they Past Tense Past Perfect
tonight that night our their eg. went had gone
today that day Present Perfect Past Perfect
tomorrow the next/following day eg. has gone had gone
the day before/the previous
yesterday Past Perfect Past Perfect
day
had gone (no
this week/month that week/month eg. had gone
change)
Present
last week the week before/ month Past Continuous
Continuous
ago before/earlier is/am/are going was/were going
 Change in Tenses
Examples

Simple present Simple past

“I always drink coffee”, she said She said that she always drank coffee.
Present continuous Past continuous
“I am reading a book”, he explained. He explained that he was reading a book
Simple past Past perfect
“Bill arrived on Saturday”, he said. He said that Bill had arrived on Saturday
Present perfect Past perfect
“I have been to Spain”, he told me. He told me that he had been to Spain
Past perfect Past perfect
“I had just turned out the light,” he explained. He explained that he had just turned out the light.
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
They complained, “We have been waiting for hours”. They complained that they had been waiting for hours.
Table Reference: https://english4today.com/grammar-topic/tense-changes-with-reported-speech/
 Modal Verbs in Direct Speech

direct speech indirect speech change

will ‘We will be there,’ he promised. He promised they would be there. will becomes would

She said, ‘I shall need more money.’ She said she would need more shall usually becomes would
shall ‘Shall I open it?’ she asked. money. in reported
She asked if she should open it. questions, shall becomes should

He added that he could see me at

can ‘I can see you at 2.30,’ he added. 2.30. can becomes could

‘I may be back later,’ she said. She said she might be back later. may (possibility) becomes might
may ‘You may wait in the hallway,’ he said. He said we could wait in the hallway. may (permission) becomes could

She said, ‘You must pay by 30th April.’ She said we had to pay by 30th April. must (obligation) usually becomes had
must ‘It must be awful to live in such a noisy She said it must be awful to live in to
place,’ she said. such a noisy place. must (speculation) does not change

Table Reference: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/reported-speech-indirect-speech

Interrogative Sentences :
• Helping Verb ( Do, Does, Has, Have, Did, can , may ,shall etc)
• Rule: Don’t use these words again in the indirect speech sentence ……
rather we will use ‘If’/ ‘whether’……..
• Eg. He said to me, “Do you visit temple?”
• He asked me if I visited temple.
• W/H family…… we have to use these words again in the indirect
speech sentence
• He said to me , “ What’s your name?”
• He asked me what my name was.
Imperative sentences
• When we have Command , request, order, suggestion, advice etc.
• Use the emotion of the sentence in the indirect speech
• Eg. The teacher said to the students, “ Switch on your camera”
• The teacher ordered the students to …………………………………….
• Please = requested
• Kindly= requested
• Quickly = command etc
(!)
• For exclamatory sentences always remember to use the emotion
with…… He/ She/….. Exclaimed with……………..that……….
• Eg. The old lady said, “ oh! I missed the bus again.”
• The old lady exclaimed with sorrow / sadly that she had missed the
bus again
When Tense of the sentence remain unchanged:
1. Universal truth:
eg. Meena said, “ The Sun rises in the East.”
Meena said that the Sun rises in the East.
2. Historical Facts :
eg. The teacher said to me, “ India became free in 1947.”
The teacher told me that India became free in 1947.
3. Habitual Action:
eg. Ram said to me, “ I wake up early in the morning.”
Ram told me that he wakes up early in the morning.
4. Reported verb in Present Tense / Future Tense:
eg. He says, “…………………….”
He says that………………………………
They will say , “………………………………”
They will say…………………………………
The teacher said to me, “ I like to eat fruits everyday.”
The teacher told me that she likes to eat fruits everyday.

The father said , “ Honesty is the best policy.”

The father said that honesty is the best policy.

My mother said to me, “ India got independence in 1947.”

My mother told me that India got independence in 1947.

My brother says , “ I need to meet you.”

My brother says that he needs to meet you.
 Sentences are given in direct speech.
Change them into indirect speech-

1. The teacher said to the boys, ‘Have you done

your homework?’

2. The little girl asked the man, ‘Will you help

Exercise- (For me?’

Practice) 3. Janaki said, ‘I have been reading this book.’

4. Mother said to the daughter, ‘Go and change

your dress.’

5. Suman said, ‘I had read this book before I gave

it to you.’

6. The officer told the clerk, ‘Bring me that file.’

 7. Jane asked, ‘Have you read that book?’

8. Mala asked, ‘Where is your watch?’

9. Sanjeev said, ‘I watched this movie last week.’

Exercise 10. Mother asked, ‘What is the matter?’

Contd..
11. The teacher said , “Honesty is the best policy.”

12. Riya said, “Wow! The bouquet is beautiful.”

13. The boy shouted, “Hurray! We are going for

an excursion.”