DIRECT INDIRECT

SPEECH
Addition to News Item’s material
DIRECT SPEECH (QUOTED SPEECH)
• The actual words of speaker are quoted as it is without any change.
The exact words of speaker are enclosed in inverted commas or
quotation marks.
INDIRECT SPEECH (REPORTED
SPEECH)
• Reports what a speaker said without using the exact words
• When we report what another person has just said, we usually do not
use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech) but reported (indirect
speech)
• In reporting
speech, the
tense usually
changes. This
because
when we use
reports
speech, we
usually
talking about
a time in the
past
 BASIC RULES OF INDIRECT
SPEECH
• Words of the speaker (reported speech) are not enclosed in inverted
commas or quotation marks
• Usage of the word “that” : The conjunction “that” is always used
between reporting verb and reported speech in direct speech.
example:
direct speech: He said, “I write a letter”.
Indirect speech: He said that he wrote a letter.
• Change in the Tense of the reported speech
A change is made in the tense of the reported for changing a direct
speech into an indirect speech.
Example:
Direct speech: she said, ”I am watching a movie”.
Indirect speech: she said that she was watching a movie.
Tense changed
Direct speech:
He says, “I am playing cricket”.
Indirect speech: He says that he is playing cricket.
NO CHANGE IN TENSE
• Changes in Pronoun
The pronoun of reported speech is something changed according to the
pronoun or the object of the reported verb.
Example:
Direct speech: He said, “I eat two apples”.
Indirect speech: He said that he ate two apples.
• Change in Time
If there’s a specific time mentioned in the sentence of a direct speech,
the time will be changed in indirect speech
Example:
Direct speech: she said, “I am buying a laptop today”.
Indirect Speech: She said that she was buying a laptop that day.
INDIRECT SPEECH FOR
INTERROGATIVE (QUESTION)
SENTENCES - RULES
• Comma and inverted commas will be removed.
• The conjunction “that” will not be used in indirect speech. The
conjunction “that” is used in indirect speech of all positive sentences.
• In indirect speech, the question sentence will be expressed in an
assertive (positive) form instead of interrogative form.
• Question mark (?) will not be used in the indirect speech of
interrogative sentence.
• The verb such as ‘say’ or ‘tell’ (e.g. he said/she said) in direct speech is
replaced with verb such as ‘ask’ or ‘inquire’ (e.g. he asked/she
inquired) in indirect speech.
• There are two types of question-sentences:
1. Question which can be answered with yes or no
2. Question which cannot be answered only with YES or NO but
requires a detailed answer.

Examples:
a. Do you like a mango? (can be answered by saying only YES/NO)
b. What are you doing? (cannot be answered by YES/NO but requires a
bit explanation)
The specific rules according to the type of
question are as follows:
1. Question make the indirect speech of such question, the word “if” or
“whether” will be used in indirect speech. Both the words “if” or
“whether” can be used interchangeably.
2. Question which cannot be answered only with YES or NO.
To make the indirect speech of such questions, the word “if” or
“whether” will not be used. The question is changed into assertive
(positive) form and simply placed after the reporting verb.
INDIRECT SPEECH FOR MODALS:
• A modal is a verb that combines with another verb to indicate mood
or tense. A modal, also known as a modal auxiliary or modal verb,
expresses necessity, uncertainty, possibility, or permission.

Some modals in reported speech also shift back in time just like tenses
do.
INDIRECT SPEECH FOR MODALS
e.g., Might, Should, Would, Could, Ought to
These modals are not changed and remain the same in indirect speech
INDIRECT SPEECH FOR IMPERATIVE
SENTENCES
• Imperatives sentence is a sentence which express command, request,
advice, or suggestion is called imperative sentence.
Example:
• Open the door
• Please help me
• Learn your lesson
• Reported speech imperatives differ in structure to other reported speech
sentences. Imperatives are:
• Commands: Keep quiet! • Requests: Please close the window
• Advice: Go and lie down • Suggestions: Take the test next year instead
REPORTED SPEECH IMPERATIVES
• STRUCTURE: Reporting
verb(e.g. ask, tell) +
noun/pronoun + to invinitive
• EXAMPLE: She asked me to
come later
Here some further examples using the imperative sentences,
showing them in direct speech and indirect speech.
• DIRECT SPEECH/ QUOTED • INDIRECT SPEECH/REPORTED
SPEECH: SPEECH:
• She said, “Keep quiet!” • She instruct me to keep quiet
• “Please close the window”, the • The teacher asked me to close
teacher said the window
• He told her, “ Go and lie down” • He told her to go and lie down
• She said, “ Take the test next year • She advised them to take the test
instead” next year instead
• Note
• The past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses do not change.
• In complex sentence the verb in the time clause may not change;
• Bill: I was reading a book when I heard the crash.
• Bill said that he had been reading a book when he heard the crash.
• Jeff: All right, I’ll do it.
• Jeff agreed to do it.

• Customer: Well, I think I’d rather not to buy this car.

• The customer decided not to buy that car.