Direct and Indirect Speech
Direct Speech: In direct speech, we report the words of a speaker by repeating the actual words.
Indirect Speech: In indirect speech we give the substance of the words used by the speaker, not the actual
words.
Rules
1. Change of tense
2. Change of pronouns
3. Change of expressions of time and place
4. Change in construction of a sentence
Tense
Reporting speech in present tense = reported speech will retain its tense
He says, “I am a good musician.”
He says that he is a good person.
Reporting speech in past tense = reported speech will be converted into past tense
He said, “I am a good musician.”
He said that he was a good musician.
Reporting speech in past tense + reported speech in past tense = reported speech will be changed to past
perfect tense
He said, “He was a good musician.”
He said that he had been a good musician.
No change in the reported speech if it is related to some universal truth, even if the reporting speech is in past
tense.
He said, “The Sun sets in the west.”
He said that the Sun sets in the west.
Pronouns
The first person in the reported speech changes according to the subject in the reporting speech.
She says, “I am ill.” She said, “I am ill.”
She says that she is ill. She said that she was ill.
The second person in the reported speech changes according to the object of the reporting speech.
He says to me, “You are ill.”
He tells me that I am ill.
There is no change in the third person in the reported speech.
He said to her, “You are ill.”
He told her that she was ill.
Expressions of Time and Place
This That Can Could
These Those May Might
Here There Shall Should
Now Then Will Would
Today That day Ago Before
Tomorrow The next day Last night The previous
night
Yesterday The previous day
Construction of a Sentence
1. Assertive Sentences
2. Interrogative Sentences
3. Imperative Sentences
4. Exclamatory Sentences
Assertive Sentences
1. Commas replaced by ‘that’
2. ‘Say’ can be changed to ‘tell’
I said to him. “I do my duty”
I told him that I did my duty.
Interrogative Sentences
1. ‘Say/Said’ changes to ‘ask/asked’
2. No use of ‘that’ in the indirect speech.
3. If the sentence contains ‘have, will, did, does, do’, ‘if’ or ‘whether’ will be used.
4. Converted into simple statements instead of questions.
He said, “Where are you going?” He said, “Have you eaten lunch?”
He asked where she/he/I was going. He asked if she/he/I had eaten lunch.
Imperative Sentences
1. “Say” changes to “request/order/command”.
2. “To” added before the verb.
3. In negative sentences, “do not” is changed to “not to”.
4. Object usually added when it is not given.
5. “Let” is usually changed to “should”.
He said, “Ahmed, sit down.” He said, “Let us go to the river.”
He order Ahmed to sit down. He proposed that they should go to the river.
Exclamatory Sentences
Exclamatory words like alas, hurrah etc. change to that with literal meaning.
Exclamatory sentences should be first converted into simple sentences and then to indirect/direct speech.
He said, “Hurrah, we have won.”
He exclaimed with joy that they had won.