DIRECT AND INDIRECT

SPEECH
B.COM 1ST YEAR
BY GEETA JAIN
 Direct and Indirect Speech
• Rules for changing direct in to indirect speech
 Indirect Speech Conversion Direct Speech Condition
Present Tenses in the Direct Speech are If the reporting or principal verb is in the
changed into Past Tense. Past Tense.

If in direct speech you find say/says or

will say.

Do Not Change Tense of reported Direct speech the words within the
Speech in Indirect Speech sentence quotation marks talk of a universal truth
or habitual action.
The reporting verb is in a present tense.
 Direct Speech Word Indirect Speech Word
Here There
Today that day
this morning that morning
Yesterday the day before
Tomorrow the next day
next week the following week
CHANGE OF PLACE next month the following month
AND TIME Now Then
Ago Before
Thus So
Last Night the night before
This That
These Those
Hence Thence
Come Go
CHANGE IN PRONOUNS
Rules` Direct Speech Indirect Speech

The first person of the She said, “I will go to London” She said that she would go to
reported speech changes He said, “I work in a factory” London.
according to the pronoun of He said that he worked in a
reporting speech. factory
st
The 1 person pronoun of I said, “ I had applied for a I said that I had applied for a
reported speech is NOT job.” job.
changed, if the pronoun of the We said, “We sing a song” We said that we sang a song
st
reporting verb is also 1
person pronoun
nd
The 2 person pronoun of the She said to him, “You are a She said to him that he was a
reported speech is changed brilliant student” brilliant student
according to the “OBJECT” of He said to me, “ Your shirts are He said to me that my shirts
the reporting verb beautiful” are beautiful
 rd
The 3 person pronoun He said, “She is waiting He said that she was
of the Reported Speech for them” waiting for them
will not be changed in the
Indirect Speech
 Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Simple Present Changes "I always drink coffee", she She said that she always drank
To said coffee.
Simple Past

Present Continuous Changes "I am reading a book", he He explained that he was

To explained. reading a book
Past Continuous

Present Perfect Changes She said, "He has finished his She said that he had finished
To work" his work.
Past Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous "I have been waiting here for He told me that he had been
Changes two hours", he told me. waiting there for two hours
To
Past Perfect Continuous

Simple Past Changes "Bill arrived on Saturday", he He said that Bill had arrived
To said. on Saturday
Past Perfect
Past Perfect Changes "I had just turned out the light," he He explained that he had just turned
To explained. out the light.
Past Perfect (No Change In Tense)

Past Continuous Changes "We were living in Paris", they told They told me that they had been
To me. living in Paris.
Past Perfect Continuous

Future Changes "I will be in Geneva on Monday", he He said that he would be in Geneva
To said on Monday.
Would

Future Continuous Changes She said, "I'll be using the car next She said that she would be using the
To Friday." car next Friday.
Would
 CHANGE IN MODALS
Rules Direct Speech Indirect Speech
CAN changes into COULD He said, "I can drive a car". He said that he could drive a car.
MAY changes into MIGHT He said, "I may buy a computer" He said that he might buy a
computer.
MUST changes into HAD TO He said, "I must work hard" He said that he had to work hard.
These Modals Do Not Change: Would, could,
might, should, ought to.
Would They said, "we would apply for a They said that they would apply
visa" for visa.
Could He said, "I could run faster" He said that he could run faster.
Might John said, "I might meet him". John said that he might meet him.
Should He said, "I should avail the He said that he should avail the
opportunity" opportunity.
Ought to He said to me, "you ought to wait He said to me that I ought to wait
for him" for him.
Changes for IMPERATIVE SENTENCES
Mood of Sentence in Direct Speech Reporting verb in indirect verb
Order ordered
Request requested
Advice advised / urged
Direction Directed
Suggestion suggested to
(If a person is addressed directly) called
 Examples…..
• D – She said to me, “Please help me”
• I- She requested me to help her.
• D- Teacher said to him, “ Do not waste your time.”
• I- Teacher advised him not to waste his time.
• D- He said to her, “please lend me your camera for a day”
• I- He requested her to lend him her camera for one day.
• D- Doctor said to him, “avoid unhealthy food”
• I - Doctor advised him to avoid unhealthy food
• D- The boss said to the employee, ‘get out of the room”
• I – The Boss ordered the employee to get out of the room
• D- He said to his servant, “clean the room”
• I – He ordered his servant to clean the room
Changes for EXCLAMATORY SENTENCES

• Exclamatory sentences change in to assertive sentences

• Interjections are removed
• Exclamation mark changes into full stop
• Wh words changes into adjectives like great and very
• The foreigner said, “What a man Obama is!” (direct)
• The foreigner exclaimed in wonder that Obama was a great man. (indirect)
• Change of "tenses“ and "pronouns" will be according to the previous rules.
 Mood of Sentence in Direct Reporting verb in indirect
Speech verb
sorrow in reported speech Exclaimed with sorrow/ grief/
exclaimed sorrowfully or cried out
happiness in reported speech exclaimed with joy/ delight/ exclaimed
joyfully
surprise in reported speech exclaimed with surprise/ wonder/
astonishment"
appreciation and it is being expressed applauded
strongly
She exclaimed with wonder that it was a beautiful flower.

David exclaimed with wonder that he was very intelligent.

• “What a lousy student you are” said the teacher
• The teacher exclaimed surprisingly that the student was very lousy.
 Changes for INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
Changes Direct Speech Condition Indirect Speech Condition
Reporting Verb said/ said to Asked, enquired or demanded.

If question begins with auxiliary reporting verb is followed by ‘if’ or

verb was , were, do, does etc ‘whether’
Joining Clause If sentence begins with "wh" then no conjunction is used as
questions "question-word" itself act as joining
clause.

Punctuation Question Mark Full Stop

Say/says to; will say (to); said Ask/asks ;asked

Reporting Verb The gentleman said,“Where The gentleman asked where the
is the market?” (direct) market was. (indirect)
 Rules for conversion from Indirect to Direct

• Use the reporting verb, "say" or "said to" in its correct tense.
• Remove the conjunctions "that, to, if or whether etc". wherever necessary.
• Insert quotation marks, question mark, exclamation and fullstop, wherever necessary.
• Put a comma before the statement.
• Write the first word of the statement with capital letter.
• Change the past tense into present tense wherever the repoting verb is in the past tense.
• Convert the past perfect either into past tense or present perfect as found necessary.
• Be careful about the order of words in the question.
• He asked me what I was doing. (Indirect)
• He said to me, “What are you doing?”(Direct)
• He asked if that was his pen.(Indirect)
• He said “Is this your pen?” (Direct)
• Rama ordered Arjun to go away.(Indirect)
• Rama said to Arjun, “Go away.”(Direct)
• He requested him to open the door for him.(Indirect)
• He said to him, “Please, open the door for me.”(Direct)
• He said to me that I was/am his best friend.(Indirect)
• He said to me, “You are my best friend.”(Direct)
 Indirect (Conjunction) Direct (Kind of Sentence)
That Statement (or) Exclamatory sentence

to, not to Imperative

requested + to Begin the imperative sentence with "please"

if or whether Interrogative sentence (Helping Verb + Subject + Main Verb

+ ...?)

What, When, How etc., (Wh or How + Helping Verb + Subject + Main Verb + ...?)