There two ways to convey the words spoken by a person to other person.

1. Direct speech
2. Indirect speech
Suppose your friend whose name is Hamid 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 : Hamid said, “I will give you a pen”.
Indirect Speech : Hamid said that he would give me 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.

The verb (i.e. He said, She said, He says, They said, She says,) before the statement of a person
in sentence is called reporting verb.
In all of the following examples, the reporting verb is “said”.
He said, “I work in a factory” (Direct speech)
He said that he worked in a factory. (Indirect speech)
They said, “We are going to cinema” (Direct speech)
They said that they were going to cinema. (Indirect speech)
The verbs said, told and asked are the most common verbs used in indirect speech. We
use asked to report questions.
I asked Siti what time the lesson started.
We use told with an object.
Siti told me she felt tired.
Note that me here is the object.
We usually use said without an object.
Siti said she was going to teach online.
If said is used with an object we must include to.
Siti said to me that she'd never been to China.
There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked. These include accused,
admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologized, begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained,
implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and thought.

The 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.

Structure for the TOEFL – Faisal Umri

 1. No Quotation Marks
Reported speech is not enclosed in quotation marks.
2. Use of “that”
The word “that” is used as a conjunction between the reporting verb and reported speech.
3. Change of 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.
4. Change in the 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.
5. Change in the Tense
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.

DIRECT INDIRECT

Present Simple changes into Past Simple

He said, “I write a letter” He said that he wrote a letter.

Present Continuous changes into Past Continuous

He said, “I am writing a letter” He said that he was writing a letter.

Present Perfect changes into Past Perfect

He said, “I have written a letter” He said that he had written a letter.

Present Perfect Continuous changes into Past Perfect Continuous

He said, “I have been writing a letter” He said that he had been writing a letter.

Past Simple changes into Past Perfect

He said, “I wrote a letter” He said that he had written a letter.

Past Continuous changes into Past Perfect Continuous

He said, “I have been writing a letter” He said that he had been writing a letter.

Past Perfect changes into Past Perfect

He said, “I had written a letter” He said that he had written a letter.

Future Simple changes into Past Future

He said, “I will write a letter” He said that he would write a letter.

Future Continuous changes into Past Future Continuous

He said, “I will be writing a letter” He said that he would be writing a letter.

Future Perfect changes into Past Future Perfect

He said, “I will have written a letter” He said that he would have written a letter.

Note that the tense of reported speech may NOT change if reported speech is a universal truth
though its reporting verb belongs to past tense.
Structure for the TOEFL – Faisal Umri
 Direct Speech He said, “Mathematics is a science”
Indirect Speech He said that mathematics is a science.
Direct Speech He said, “Sun rises in east”
Indirect Speech He said that sun rises in east.
Tense didn’t change because the above reported speech is a universal truth though its reporting
verb belongs to past tense.

DIRECT INDIRECT

this (evening) changes into that (evening)

today changes into yesterday

these (days) changes into those (days)

now changes into then

(a week) ago changes into (a week) before

last weekend changes into the weekend before last/the previous weekend

here changes into there

next (week) changes into the following (week)

tomorrow changes into the next/following day

A question can be of two types i.e. Yes-No Question (answered with Yes or No) and Information
Question (answered with explanation).
Do you like music? (It can be answered in Yes or No)
How are you? (It cannot be answered in Yes or No but it needs a little bit
explanation i.e. I am fine.)

To change Yes-No Questions into indirect speech, words “if” or “whether” is used before the
question in indirect speech. The word “that” is not used.
Direct Speech He said to me, “Do you like music?”
Indirect Speech He asked me if I liked music.
He asked me whether I liked music.
Direct Speech I said to him, “Are you feeling well?”
Indirect Speech I asked him if he was feeling well.
I asked him whether he was feeling well.
Direct Speech They said to me, “Did you go to school?”
Indirect Speech They asked me if I had gone to school.
They asked me whether I had gone to school.

Structure for the TOEFL – Faisal Umri

To change Information Questions into indirect speech, we still use the Question Words found in
the direct speech. Words “if”, “whether”, or “that” are not used.
Direct Speech He said to me, “How are you?”
Indirect Speech He asked me how I was.
Direct Speech Teacher said to him, “What is your name?”
Indirect Speech Teacher asked him what his name was.
Direct Speech She said to him, “Why did you come late?”
Indirect Speech She asked him why he had come late.
Direct Speech She asked him, “When will you go hometown?”
Indirect Speech She asked him when he would go hometown.
Direct Speech I asked Tono, “Who broke the window?”
Indirect Speech I asked Tono who had broken the window.

DIRECT INDIRECT

CAN COULD
changes into
He said, “I can drive a car.” He said that he could drive a car.

MAY MIGHT
changes into
He said, “I may buy a car.” He said that he might buy a car.

MUST HAD TO
changes into
He said, “I must work hard.” He said that he had to work hard.

DIRECT INDIRECT

SHOULD remains SHOULD

She said, “I should help him.” She said that she should help him.

OUGHT TO remains OUGHT TO

He said, “You ought to wait for him.” He said that I ought to wait for him.

MIGHT remains MIGHT

He said, “Guests might come.” He said that guests might come.

WOULD remains WOULD

He said, “I would apply for a visa.” He said that he would apply for visa.

COULD remains COULD

She said, “I could play the piano.” She said that she could play the piano.

Structure for the TOEFL – Faisal Umri

A sentence which expresses command, request, advice or suggestion is called Imperative
Sentence.
Open the door.
Please help me.
Learn 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.
Direct Speech He said to me, “Please help me.”
Indirect Speech He requested me to help him.
Direct Speech She said to him, “You should work hard for exam.”
Indirect Speech She suggested him to work hard for exam.
Direct Speech They said to him, “Do not tell a lie.”
Indirect Speech They warned him not to tell a lie.
Direct Speech He said, “Open the door.”
Indirect Speech He ordered to open the door.
Direct Speech The teacher said to student, “Do not waste time.”
Indirect Speech The teacher advised the students not to waste time.
Direct Speech He said, “Please give me glass of water.”
Indirect Speech He requested to give him a glass of water.
Direct Speech Doctor said to me, “Do not smoke.”
Indirect Speech Doctor advised me not to smoke.
Direct Speech The teacher said to him, “Get out.”
Indirect Speech The teacher ordered him to get out.

Sentence which expresses state of joy or sorrow or wonder is called exclamatory sentence.
Hurrah! We won the match.
Alas! I failed the test.
Wow! What a nice 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.
Direct Speech He said, “Hurrah! I won a prize”
Indirect Speech He exclaimed with joy that he had won a prize.
Direct Speech She said, “Alas! I failed in exam”
Indirect Speech She exclaimed with sorrow that she failed in the exam.
Direct Speech John said, “Wow! What a nice shirt it is”
Indirect Speech John exclaimed with wonder that it was a nice shirt.
Direct Speech She said, “Hurrah! I am selected for the job”
Indirect Speech She exclaimed with joy that she was selected for the job.
Direct Speech He said, “Oh no! I missed the train”
Indirect Speech He exclaimed with sorrow that he had missed the train.
Direct Speech They said, “Wow! What a pleasant weather it is”
Indirect Speech They exclaimed with wonder that it was a pleasant weather.

Structure for the TOEFL – Faisal Umri

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 changed according
to the pronoun of reporting verb if pronoun in reporting verb is third person pronoun i.e. he,
she, it, they, him, his, her, them or their.
Direct Speech He said, “I live in New York”
Indirect Speech He said that he lived in New York.
Direct Speech They said, “We love our country”
Indirect Speech They said that they loved their country
2. First person pronoun in reported speech i.e. I, we, me, us, mine, or our, is not changed if the
pronoun (Subject) of reporting is also first person pronoun i.e. I or we.
Direct Speech I said, “I write a letter”
Indirect Speech I said that I wrote a letter.
Direct Speech We said, “We completed our work”
Indirect Speech We said that we completed our work.
3. Second person pronoun in reported speech i.e. you, yours is changed according to the person
of object of reporting verb.
Direct Speech She said to him, “You are intelligent”
Indirect Speech She said to him that he was intelligent.
Direct Speech He said to me, “You are late for the party”
Indirect Speech He said to me that I was late for the 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.
Direct Speech They said, “He will come”
Indirect Speech They said that he would come.
Direct Speech You said, “They are waiting for the bus”
Indirect Speech You said that they were waiting for the bus.

Exercises

Change to indirect speech.

1) Tom said, "I want to visit my friends this weekend."
a. Tom said he wants to visit his friends that weekend.
b. Tom said he wanted to visit his friends that weekend.
c. Tom said he wanted to visit his friends this weekend.
2) Jerry said, "I'm studying English a lot at the moment."
a. Jerry said he was studying English a lot at that moment.
b. Jerry said he was studying English a lot at the moment.
c. Jerry said I was studying English a lot at that moment.
3) They said, "We've lived here for a long time."
a. They said they have lived there for a long time.
b. They said they lived here for a long time.
c. They said they had lived there for a long time.

Structure for the TOEFL – Faisal Umri

4) He asked me, "Have you finished reading the newspaper?"
a. He asked me if had I finished reading the newspaper.
b. He asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
c. He asked me if I finished reading the newspaper.
5) "I get up every morning at seven o'clock.", Peter said.
a. Peter said he got up every morning at seven o'clock.
b. Peter said I got up every morning at seven o'clock.
c. Peter said he had got up every morning at seven o'clock.
6) Susan reassured me, "I can come tonight."
a. Susan told me I could come that night.
b. Susan told me she could come that night.
c. Susan told me she could come tomorrow evening.
7) She said, "I really wish I had bought that new car."
a. She told me she really wished she bought that new car.
b. She told me she really had wished she had bought that new car.
c. She told me she really wished she had bought that new car.
8) Jack said, "He must be guilty!"
a. Jack said he must have been guilty.
b. Jack said he must have be guilty.
c. Jack said he must has been guilty.
9) Cheryl asked her, "How long have you lived here?"
a. Cheryl asked her how long she has lived there.
b. Cheryl asked her how long she lived there.
c. Cheryl asked her how long she had lived there.
10) He said, "I must get going. Otherwise, I'm going to be late."
a. He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.
b. He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, I was going to be late.
c. He told me he has to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.

Change to indirect speech.

1.) She said, "I've worked here since I left my last job."
Indirect Speech ______________________________________

2.) You said, "I will help you!"

Indirect Speech ______________________________________

3.) She asked me, "When are we going to leave?"

Indirect Speech ______________________________________

4.) Peter said, "I may bring someone with me to the party."
Indirect Speech ______________________________________

5.) My friend said, "I will have finished my homework by the time you arrive."
Indirect Speech ______________________________________

6.) Mark asked me, "Why do you want to study Russian?"

Indirect Speech ______________________________________

Structure for the TOEFL – Faisal Umri

7.) Marcia said, "I have been waiting for you for over an hour."
Indirect Speech ______________________________________

8.) Alison said, "I had eaten before you arrived."

Indirect Speech ______________________________________

9.) Lenny sang, "I want to get away, I want to fly away.”
Indirect Speech ______________________________________

10.) Jason asked me, "Are you coming with me?"

Indirect Speech ______________________________________

Structure for the TOEFL – Faisal Umri