Direct and indirect speech

Introduction.
There two ways to convey a message of a person, or the words spoken by a person to other person.
1.

Direct speech

2.

Indirect speech

Suppose your friend whose name is John tells you in school, I will give you a pen. You come to home
and you want to tell your brother what your friend told you. There are two ways to tell him.
Direct

speech: John

Indirect

Speech: John

said,

said

will

that

give

he

would

you
give

a
me

pen.
a

pen.

In direct speech the original words of person are narrated (no change is made) and are enclosed in
quotation mark. While in indirect speech some changes are made in original words of the person
because these words have been uttered in past so the tense will change accordingly and pronoun may
also be changed accordingly. In indirect speech the statement of the person is not enclosed in
quotation marks, the word that may be used before the statement to show that it is indirect
speech. Indirect speech is also called reported speech because reported speech refers to the second
part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person.
Reporting verb: The verb first part of sentence (i.e. he said, she said, he says, they said, she says,)
before the statement of a person in sentence is called reporting verb.
Examples.

In

all

He said,
He said that
They said,

of

the

following

work
he

we

in

worked
are

example
a

They said that they were going to cinema.

reporting

factory

in

going

the

a
to

factory.
cinema

verb

is

said.

(Direct

speech)

(Indirect

speech)

(Direct

speech)

(Indirect speech)

Reported Speech. The second part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person
(which is enclosed in quotation marks in direct speech) is called reported speech. For example, a
sentence of indirect speech is, He said that he worked in a factory. In this sentence the second part
he worked in a factory is called reported speech and that is why the indirect speech as a whole can
also be called reported speech.

Fundamental rules for indirect speech.

1.

Reported speech is not enclosed in quotation marks.

2.

Use of word that: The word that is used as a conjunction between the reporting verb
and reported speech.

3.

Change in pronoun: The pronoun (subject) of the reported speech is changed according to
the pronoun of reporting verb or object (person) of reporting verb (first part of sentence).
Sometimes the pronoun may not change.

In following example the pronoun of reported speech is I which will be changed in indirect speech
into

the

pronoun

(Subject)

of

reporting

verb

that

is

he.

Example.
Direct

speech: He

Indirect

said,

Speech: He

Direct

speech: I

Indirect

Speech: I

am

said

said
said

to

him

that

that he was
him,

he

happy

was

the

you

intelligent.

happy.

are

(You

intelligent

changed

to

he

person of object of reporting verb)

1.

Change in time: Time is changed according to certain rules like now to then, today to that
day, tomorrow to next day and yesterday to previous day.

Examples.
Direct

speech: He

said,

am

happy

today

Indirect Speech: He said that he was happy that day.

1.

Change in the tense of reported speech: If the first part of sentence (reporting verb part)
belongs to past tense the tense of reported speech will change. If the first part of sentence
(reporting verb part) belongs to present or future tense, the tense of reported speech will not
change.

Examples.
Direct

speech: He

Indirect

Speech: He

Direct

said

said,
that

he

was

speech: He

Indirect

Speech: He

happy.

(Tense

says,

said

that

he

am
of

reported

I
is

happy.

happy
speech

am
(Tense

of

changed)
happy

reported

didnt

speech
change)

Change in tense is made according to rules of indirect speech which are given in table below. click
here
Click on the following links to study each aspect of Direct and Indirect Speech.
Direct
Table

for

Indirect

change
speech

and
in

tense
for

Indirect
of

reported
Interrogative

speech

Speech
for

(question)

all

TENSES.
sentence.

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, can, may, must, should, ought

to, might, would

could
Indirect

speech

for

exclamatory

and

imperative

sentences.

Changes in pronoun, time and adverbs in indirect speech.

Table for change in tense of reported speech for all TENSES.

TENSE

CHANGE

Present

IN

simple

Present

Perfect

simple

tense into Past

Perfect

Present

SPEECH

tense into Past

Continuous

Present

INDIRECT

continuous

tense into Pas

Continuous into Past

Past

perfect

perfect

continuous

simple into Past

Past

Perfect

Continuous into Past

Past

Perfect

Continuous

Perfect into Past

Future

Perfect

simple,

Future

Continuous,

will into would

will

be into would

be

Future Perfect, will have into would have

Examples.
DIRECT SPEECH

INDIRECT SPEECH

PRESENT TENSE
PRESENT SIMPLE
He

said,

She
They

said,

I
he

said,

write
goes

we

to

love

letter

school

daily

our

country

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
said,

he

She

said,

They

said,

we

is

listening

am
are

to

He
He

PAST SIMPLE
said

said

that
that

she

he
went

wrote

letter.

to

school

daily.

They said that they loved their country

He said that he did not like computer.

He said, he does not like computer

He

changes into

changes into
the

PAST CONTINUOUS

music He said that he was listening to the music.

washing

my

clothes She said that she was washing her clothes.

enjoying

the

weather They said that they were not enjoying the

weather.
I

said,

it

is

raining

She said, I am not laughing

She said that she was not laughing.

PRESENT PERFECT
She

said,

he

He

said,

said,

has

finished

have

she

his

started

have

eaten

work

job

the

meal

She

said

that

He

said

that

he

had

he

finished

had

his

started

work.

job.

I said that she had eaten the meal.

They said that they had not gone to New York.

They said, we have not gone to New York.

PRESENT
PERFECT
CONTINUOUS

PAST PERFECT

changes into

CONTINUOUS

He said, I have been studying since 3 Oclock

She said, It has been raining for three days.
I said, She has been working in this office since
2007

changes

into

PAST

PERFECT

He said that he had been studying since 3

Oclock.
She said that it been raining for three days.
I said that she had been working in this office
since 2007.

PAST TENSE
PAST SIMPLE
He

said

to

me,

you

changes into

answered

John

said,

they

went

He

said,

made

to

correctly He said to me that I had answered correctly.

cinema John

said

that

they

had

gone

to

cinema.

table He said that he had made a table.

She said, I didnt buy a car

PAST CONTINUOUS

PAST PERFECT

She said that she had not bought a car.

changes into

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

They said, we were enjoying the weather They

said

that

they

had

been

enjoying.

He said to me, I was waiting for you He said to me that he had been waiting for me.
I
I

said,

It

was

She said, I was not laughing

PAST PERFECT

changes into

said

that

it

had

been

raining
She said that she not been laughing.

PAST PERFECT

(tense does not change)

raining.

She
He
I

said,

She

said,

said,

had

had

she

visited

started

had

a
a

eaten

doctor She
business He

the

meal I

They said, we had not gone to New York.

said
said

said

that
that
that

she
he
she

had

had

visited

started

had

a
a

eaten

doctor.
business.

the

meal.

They said they had not gone to New York.

FUTURE TENSE
FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE
WILL changes into WOULD
He
She

said,
said,

will

study

will

buy

the
a

book

computer

They said to me, we will send you gifts

He

said

that

he

She said that she

would

study

the

book.

would buy a computer.

They said to me that they would send you gifts.

I said that I would not take the exam.

I said, I will not take the exam

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

WILL BE changes into WOULD BE
I said to him, I will be waiting for him
She said, I will be shifting to new home
He

said,

will

be

working

He said, he will not be flying kite

hard

I said to him that I would be waiting for him.

She said that she would be shifting to a new
home.
He

said

that

he

would

be

working

hard.

She said that he would not be flying kites.

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

WILL HAVE changes into WOULD HAVE
He
She

said,

said,

will

have

they

will

finished
have

the
passed

work He said that he would have finished the work.

the She said that they would have passed the

examination

examination.

He said, I will have gone

He said that he would have gone.

Note: The tense of reported speech may not change if reported speech is a universal truth though its
reporting

verb

belongs

to

past

tense.

Examples.
Direct

speech: He

Indirect

Speech: He

Direct

said,
said

speech: He

Indirect

Speech: He

that

that

reported

is

Sun
sun

rises

speech

mathematics

said,

said

because
verb

Mathematics

is

is

rises
in

east.

universal

science
a

science.

in

east

(Tense

truth

didnt

thought

change

its

reporting

belongs to past tense)

Indirect speech for Interrogative (question) sentence.

For changing interrogative (question) sentence into indirect speech we have to observe the nature of
question and then change it into indirect speech according to it rules for indirect speech. A question
can be of two types. One type which can be answered in only YES or NO and other type which needs a
little

bit

explanation

for

its

answer

and

cannot

be

answered

in

only

YES

or

NO.

Examples
Do

you

How

are

like
you?

music?
(It

bit

(It

cannot

be

can

be

answered

in

answered
YES

or

in

NO

YES

but

it

or

needs

NO)
a

little

explanation i.e, I am fine.)

Questions which can be answered in YES/NO.

To change questions (which can be answered in yes or no) into indirect speech, word if or whether
is used before the question in indirect speech. Rules for change in tense of 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. The word that is not used between reporting verb and reported speech as
conjunction in indirect speech for question sentence. Question mark is not used in indirect speech.
Examples.
Direct

speech: He

Indirect
Or

Indirect

Direct
Indirect
Direct

Speech: He

said
asked

to
me

if

Speech: He

speech:

She

said,

Speech: She

asked

speech: I

said

asked
Will
me
to

if

me,

do

liked

music.

me

(Not,

whether

he

participate

he

would

him,

you

in

you

music?

did

liked

the

participate
are

like

in

quiz
quiz

like

music)
music.

competition?
competition.

feeling

well?

Indirect

Speech: I

Direct

asked

speech: They

Indirect

said

Speech: They

Direct

speech: He

him
to
me

to

he

me,

asked

said

if

did
if

me,

was
u

Have

had
you

feeling
go

well.

to

gone
taken

school?

to
the

school.
breakfast?

Indirect Speech: He asked me if I had taken the breakfast

Question which cannot be answered in YES/NO.

To change such questions into indirect speech, the words if or whether is not used. 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. The word that is not used between
reporting verb and reported speech as conjunction, in indirect speech for question sentence. Question
mark

is

not

used

in

indirect

speech.

Examples.
Direct

speech: He

Indirect
Direct

speech: He

said
asked

speech: Teacher

Indirect
Direct
Indirect
Direct

said

speech: She

Direct

how
to

asked

how
was.

him,

what
what

(Not,
is
his

are

you?

how

was

your

I)

name?

name

was.

him,

why

did

you

come

late?

him

why

he

had

come

late.

said,

when

asked
asked

him

to

speech: He
speech: She

me,

asked

said

speech: He

Indirect

me

speech: Teacher
speech: She

to

when

his

son,

will

they

they

would

come.

you

crying?

why

are

come?

Indirect speech: She asked her son why he was crying.

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, can, may,

must,
Present modals are changed to past modals

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech
Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS,

can, may, must, should, ought to

CAN changes into COULD
He

said,

can

drive

She

said,

he

can

play

a
a

car He
violin. She

said
said

that

he

could

that

he

could

drive
play

a
a

car.
violin.

They said, we can climb on a hill

They said that they can climb on a hill.

MAY changes into MIGHT

He
She

said,

said,

may

he

buy

may

computer He

visit

doctor. She

They said, they may go to zoo

said
said

that

he

that

might

he

buy

might

visit

computer.
a

doctor.

They said that they might go to zoo.

MUST changes into HAD TO

He

said,

must

work

hard He

said

that

he

had

to

work

hard.

She said, they must carry on their work She said that they had to carry on their work.
I said to him, you must learn the test-taking I said to him that he had to learn the test-taking
strategies

strategies.

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, should, ought

to, might, would, and could
The modal will not change in indirect speech
Direct Speech

Indirect Speech
THESE MODALS DO NOT CHANGE

Would, could, might, should, ought to

Would
They
He

said,
said,

we
I

would
would

apply

for

start

visa They

business. He

She said, I would appear in exam

said
said

that
that

they
he

would

would

apply

start

for

visa.

business.

She said that she would appear in the exam.

Could
She

said,

They

said,

she
we

could
couldnt

He said, I could run faster

play
learn

a
the

piano She
lesson They

said
said

that

she

could

they

couldnt

play

learn

He said that he could run faster.

the

violin.
lesson.

Might
He

said,

She

guests

said,

might

it

come He

might

said

rain She

John said, I might meet him

that

said

guest

that

it

might
might

come.
rain.

John said that he might meet him.

Should

He

said,

She

said,

should
I

avail

should

the

opportunity He said that he should avail the opportunity.

help

him She

They said, we should take the exam

said

that

she

should

help

him.

They said that they should take the exam.

Ought to
He said to me, you ought to wait for him He said to me that I ought to wait for him.
She said, I ought to learn method of study She said that she ought to learn method of study.
They said, we ought to attend our classes

They said that they ought to attend their classes.

Indirect speech for exclamatory and imperative sentences.

Indirect speech of imperative sentence.
A sentence which expresses command, request, advice or suggestion is calledimperative sentence.
For

example,
Open

the

Please

door.

help

Learn

me.
your

lesson.

To change such sentences into indirect speech, the word ordered or requested or advised or
suggested or forbade or not to do is added to reporting verb depending upon nature of
imperative

sentence

in

reported

speech.

Examples.
Direct
Indirect
Direct
Indirect

speech: He

said

to

me,

Speech: He requested me
speech: She

said

to

please
to

him,

you

Speech: He suggested him

to

should
work

help
help

work
hard

hard

me
him.

for
for

exam
exam.

Direct

speech: They

Indirect

said

Speech: They

Direct

to
said

speech: He

Indirect

him,

do

to

speech: The

said,

Indirect

teacher

Speech: The

Direct

to

said,

please

Speech: He requested to

Direct

speech: Doctor

Indirect

said

speech: The

teacher

lie.
door

open

the

door.

do

him

not

waste

time

to

waste

time.

not

me

glass

of

water

glass

of

water.

me,

Speech: Doctor advised me

Direct

the

give
to

lie

open

students

give

to tell

student,

teacher advised the

speech: He

Indirect

said

tell

him not

Speech: He ordered to

Direct

not

Do

not

not

said

smoke

to

to

smoke.

him,

Get

out

Indirect Speech: The teacher ordered him to get out.

Indirect speech of exclamatory sentences.

Sentence which expresses state of joy or sorrow or wonder is called exclamatory sentence.
For

example.
Hurrah!

We

Alas!

won

Wow!

the

failed

What

match.

the

nice

test.

shirt

it

is.

To change such sentences, the words 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.
Examples.
Direct
Indirect
Direct

speech: He

said,

Hurrah!

Speech: He exclaimed
speech: She

with

said,

joy that
Alas!

Indirect

Speech: She exclaimed

with

Direct

speech: John

Wow!

Indirect

Speech: John exclaimed

said,

Direct

speech: She

Indirect

Speech: She exclaimed

Direct
Indirect
Direct

speech: He

said,
said,

Speech: He exclaimed
speech: They

said,

with
Hurrah!
with
Oh
with
Wow!

won
he
she

am

What

was
I

sorrow that
a

failed

in

the

was

pleasant

it

is

nice

shirt.

for

the

job

selected
had

exam.

for

missed
he

prize.
exam

shirt

selected

she

no!

it

in

nice

wonder that

prize

won

failed

What

joy that

had

sorrow that

the

the

missed
weather

Indirect Speech: They exclaimed with wonder that it was a pleasant weather.
Click on the following links to study each aspect of Direct and Indirect Speech.

job.
train

the

train.
it

is

Direct
Table

for

and

change

Indirect

in

tense

speech

Indirect
of

reported

for

speech

Interrogative

Speech
for

all

TENSES.

(question)

sentence.

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, can, may, must, should, ought

to, might, would

could
Indirect

speech

for

exclamatory

and

imperative

sentences.

Changes in pronoun, time and adverbs in indirect speech.

Changes in pronoun in Indirect Speech.

The pronoun (subject) of the reported speech is changed according to the
pronoun of reporting verb or object (person) of reporting verb (first part of sentence). Sometimes the
pronoun

may

not

change.

1. First person pronoun in reported speech i.e. I, we, me, us, mine, or our, is
the pronoun of reporting verb if pronoun in reporting verb

changed according to

is third person pronoun i.e. he, she, it,

they, him, his, her, them or their.

Examples.
Direct

speech: He

said,

Indirect

speech: He

Direct

speech: They

Indirect

speech: They

said

live

that

he

said,

in
lived

we

said

that

New
in

love
they

New

York.

our

loved

country

their

2. First person pronoun in reported speech i.e. I, we, me, us, mine, or our, is not
pronoun (Subject) of reporting is also first person pronoun i.e. I or

York

country

changed if the

we.

Examples.
Direct

speech: I

Indirect

speech: I

Direct

speech: We

Indirect

speech: We

said,

said

that

said,
said

write
I

we

wrote
completed

that

letter

we

letter.

our

work

completed

our

3. Second person pronoun in reported speech i.e. you, yours is changed according

work.

to the person of

object of reporting verb.

Examples.
Direct
Indirect
Direct
Indirect

speech: She

said

speech: She
speech: He
speech: He

said
said
said

to
to

to

me,

to

me

him,
him
you
that

you

are

that

he

are

late

was

late

intelligent

was
for
for

intelligent.
the
the

party
party.

4. Third person pronoun in reported speech i.e. he, she, it, they, him, his, her, them

or their, is not

changed in indirect speech.

Examples.
Direct

speech: They

Indirect

said,

speech: They

Direct

speech: You

he

said

said,

will

that

they

he

are

come

would

waiting

for

come.
the

bus

Indirect speech: You said that they were waiting for the bus.

Changes in time and adverbs in indirect speech.

Time

and

adverbs

are

changed

in

indirect

speech.

Examples.
Direct

speech: He

Indirect

speech: He

Direct

said,
said

I
that

speech: She

will
he

would

said,

Indirect

speech: She

Direct

speech: He

buy

buy

said

book

am

that

said,

tomorrow

the next
happy

she

book

was

like

day.
now

happy then.
this

book

Indirect speech: He said that he liked that book.

Common Rules
Today changes

to that

Tomorrow changes

to the

Yesterday changes

to the

day/the
next
day

same

day

day/the

following

day

before/the

previous

day

Next

week/month/year changes

to the

following

week/month/year

Last

week/month/year changes

to the

previous

week/month/year

Now/just changes

to then

Ago changes

to before

Here changes

to there

This changes to that

Click on the following links to study each aspect of Direct and Indirect Speech.
Direct
Table

for

Indirect

change

and
in

tense

speech

for

Indirect
of

reported
Interrogative

speech

Speech
for

(question)

Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, can, may, must, should, ought

all

TENSES.
sentence.

to, might, would

could
Indirect

speech

for

exclamatory

Changes in pronoun, time and adverbs in indirect speech.

and

imperative

sentences.