Direct and Indirect Speech

We can narrate something, said by someone else in two ways, either we repeat his / her words
or we convey the same meaning in our own words. The former mode of communication is
called direct speech, and the later is called indirect speech.
Example:
Direct: He said, “I am very angry.”
Indirect: He said that he was very angry.
In case of direct speech every sentence has two parts.
Reporting speech
The words, given outside the inverted commas are called reporting speech.
Reported speech
The words, within the inverted commas are called reported speech.
Example:
He said, “I am very angry.”
(Reporting speech) (Reported speech)

Rules
1. Change of Pronoun:
1. 1st person pronoun (I /We) changes to the subject of the reporting speech.
He says, “I have no money .”
(“He” is Subject of reported speech) (“I” is (subject) Pronoun of first person)
He says that he has no money.
2. 2nd person pronoun ( you) changes to the object of the reporting speech.
He says to me, “You are playing well”.
(“me” is Object of reporting speech) (“You” (sub) is pronoun of 2nd person.)
He tells me that I am playing well.
3. 3rd person pronoun (they, he she, it) do not change.
He says, “They play well”.
Third person pronoun. ( He, She, They)
He says that they play well.

Case Nominative case Possessive case Object case

1 st person I, we My, our Me, us
nd
2 person You Your You
rd
3 person He, she, they His, her, they Him, her, them
Example :
Bilal said to me, “ I have lost my pen”. (Direct narration)
Bilal told me that he had lost his pen. (Indirect narration
2. Change of the Verb:
If the verb of the reporting speech is in the present or in future, the tense or the verb of the reported
speech does not change.
Example:
Direct : He says, “ I am a poor but a humble man”.
Indirect : He says that he is a poor but a humble man.

Direct : He says to me, “ I like mangoes.”

Indirect : He tells me that he likes mangoes.

Direct : She will say, “ I sing a song.

Indirect: She will say that she sings a song.

Direct : He says. “I liked mangoes.”

Indirect: He says that he liked mangoes.

Direct : He says. “He was a good player of hockey.”

Indirect: He says that he was a good player of hockey.

If the reported speech expresses a universal truth, the tense will not be changed.
Example:
Direct : The teacher says, “ Honesty is the best policy”.
indirect : The teacher says that honesty is the best policy.

Direct: He says , “ Allah is present everywhere”.

Indirect: He says that Allah is present everywhere.

Direct : The teacher said, “ Earth revolves around the Sun.”

Indirect: The teacher said that earth revolves around the sun.

If there is “Say to” in the verb of reporting speech then it will change into “tell”. if there is
“says to” then it will change into tells. It there is “Say”, it will remain the same.
If the verb of the reporting speech is in the past tense, the reported speech will be
changed as below:
Changes will be as:
Tense change into
Present indefinite Past indefinite Tense
Present continuous tense Past continuous Tense
Present perfect tense Past perfect Tense
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous Tense
Tense
Past Indefinite Tense Past Perfect Tense
Past Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect continuous Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Tense
Will / shall would
Tonight that night
Today that day
Yesterday the previous day
Tomorrow the next day
The next day the following day

This that
These those

These those
Here there
Now then
Before ago
Was / were Had been
Is , are , am was , were
Has / have Had
Has been / Have been Had been
Can could
May might
Must had to
Good morning, farewell, good noon, greeting
Good day
Good night/ Remain same
 3. Omission of commas:
Inverted commas of direct narration will be changed as follows in indirect narration.
Simple sentence. Commas replaced by that
Negative sentences commas replaced by that
Optative sentences commas replaced by that
Exclamatory sentences commas replaced by that
Imperative sentences commas replaced by to
Interrogative sentences commas replaced by if / whether
(With Helping Verb)
Interrogative sentences commas are removed
( With What, How by no new word
Where,What,Who)
(open end / who )
The reporting verb changes as follows:
Sentence Reporting Reported
Simple said to Told
Said
Negative said to Told
Interrogative said to asked/ enquired.
Imperative said to advised/ requested/ ordered/
Demanded/ bade / forbade/
Commanded. According to the
sentence.
Optative said to wished / prayed
Exclamatory said to Exclaimed with joy/
Exclaimed with sorrow/
Exclaimed with wonder.
Use of let said/ said to Requested / proposed/
suggested
There are five kinds of sentences.
i.Assertive Sentences
ii.Optative Sentences
iii.Imperative Sentences
iv.Interrogative Sentences
v.Exclamatory Sentences

i. Change in Assertive Sentences

If there is “Said to” in the verb of reporting speech then it will change into “told”. If there is “said ”
then it will remain same.

Direct: He said, “I love my country.”

Indirect: He said that he loved his country.

Direct: He said to his friend, “He is suffered from fever.

Indirect: He told his friend that he was suffered from fever.

Direct: I said to him, “You have drawn a picture.”

Indirect: I told him that he had drawn a picture.

Direct She said to me, “ I have been reading novel since 2001.”
Indirect: She told me that she had been reading novels since 2001.

Direct: He said, “I wrote a letter yesterday.”

Indirect: He said that he had written a letter the previous day .

Direct: They said to us, “we were not making a noise.”

Indirect: They told us that they had not been making a noise.

Direct: He said, “I had been writing a letter for many days”

Indirect: He said that he had been writing a letter for many days.

ii. Change in Interrogative sentences

Statements where Questions are asked.
When sentence is in interrogative and direct speech and starts with “ which, who , what, how,
why,” the verb will be change with inquired and asked and that will not be used.
Example:
Direct: I said to him, “What is your name?”
Indirect: I asked him what his name was.

Direct: He said to the boy, “Why are you weeping?”

Indirect: He inquired the boy why he was weeping.

If interrogative sentences start with “helping verb/ Auxiliary verb” The statement will be changed
with if or whether.
Example:
Direct: He said to the teacher, “Do you think my essay is good?”
Indirect: He asked the teacher if he thought his essay was good.

Direct : He said to me, “ Have you written my name?”

Indirect: He asked me if I had written his name.

iii. Change in Imperative Sentences

Command and request
In indirect speech , command and request are introduced with an infinitive that will be changed
into told , ordered, commanded, requested , suggested etc, according to the sense.

Example:
Direct : He said to his servant, “ Fetch me a glass of water.”
Indirect : He ordered his servant to fetch a glass of water.

Direct : He said to the peon, “ Ring the bell.”

Indirect : He ordered the peon to ring the bell.

Direct : The student said to the teacher , “ Please accept my application.”

Indirect : The student requested the teacher to accept his application.

iv. Optative sentences

In these sentences after "that "use word 'prayed' or 'wished'.
Example:
Direct: He said, “May you live long”.
Indirect He prayed that I might live long.

Direct: He said to me, “May you succeed!”

Indirect: He wished for me that I might succeed.

v. Exclamatory sentences
In these sentences use word “exclaimed with joy”, “exclaimed with sorrow”
“Exclaimed with surprise” “Exclaimed with wonder” “Exclaimed with grief”
instead of said or said to.
Example:
Direct: He said , “ What a beautiful piece of art.”
Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that a piece of art was very beautiful.

Direct: He said, "What a beautiful doll it is!"

Indirect: He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful doll.

Direct: He said, “Alas! We have lost the match.’

Indirect: He exclaimed with sorrow that they had lost the match.

Change in “Let” Sentences:

In these sentences, suggestion, propose or order is given. The word
“said to” will replace with Suggested, Proposed or ordered.
If “let” is used in connection with permission, we used suggest, propose etc, and after
them “to” and verb are used as usual. “May or might or should” can also be used.
If “let us” is used , we use propose and suggest and after them may, might, or should
is used commas are replaced by that .
At times, “let” is used for order or warning and used with other pronouns. In indirect
speech, warned, ordered, threatened are used after them “to” is used and “verb”
remain same.

Direct speech: Usman said, “Let me do my work”!

Indirect speech: Usman requested them to let him do his work.

Direct speech: She said to her friend, “Let us play hockey”.

Indirect speech: she proposed to her friend that they should play hockey.

Direct : He said , “ let us go for a walk.”

Indirect: He proposed that they should go out for a walk.

3. Omission of commas:
Inverted commas of direct narration will be changed as follows in indirect narration.
Simple sentence. Commas replaced by That
Negative sentences commas replaced by That
Optative sentences commas replaced by That
Exclamatory sentences commas replaced by That
Imperative sentences commas replaced by To
Interrogative sentences commas replaced by if / whether
(With Helping Verb)
Interrogative sentences commas are removed
( With What, How by no new word
Where,What,Who)
(open end / who )
The reporting verb changes as follows:
Sentence Reporting Reported
Simple said to Told
Said
Negative said to Told
Interrogative said to asked/ required.
Imperative said to advised/ requested/ ordered/
Demanded/ bade / forbade/
Commanded. According to the
sentence.
Optative said to wished / prayed
Exclamatory said to Exclaimed with joy/
Exclaimed with sorrow/
Exclaimed with wonder.
Use of let said/ said to Requested / proposed/
Suggested