REPORTED SPEECH (INDIRECT SPEECH) – SIMPLE RULES
1. Change the Reporting Verb
• said to → told
• said → said
• says → says
• say → say
• ask/asked → for questions
Example:
Direct: He said to me, "I am happy."
Indirect: He told me that he was happy.
2. Remove Quotation Marks
Replace commas and quotation marks with “that” for statements.
Example:
Direct: She said, "I like chocolates."
Indirect: She said that she liked chocolates.
3. Change of Tense (Backshift Rule)
If the reporting verb is in the past, change tenses accordingly:
• Present Simple → Past Simple
Example: "I eat rice." → He said that he ate rice.
• Present Continuous → Past Continuous
Example: "I am eating." → She said she was eating.
• Present Perfect → Past Perfect
Example: "I have finished." → He said he had finished.
• Past Simple → Past Perfect
Example: "I wrote a letter." → She said she had written a letter.
• Will → Would
Example: "I will go." → He said he would go.
• Can → Could
Example: "I can swim." → She said she could swim.
4. Change of Pronouns
Pronouns change based on speaker and listener:
• I → he/she
• You → me/him/her
• My → his/her
• We → they
Example:
Direct: He said, "I lost my bag."
Indirect: He said that he had lost his bag.
5. Change of Time and Place Words
• now → then
• today → that day
• tomorrow → the next day
• yesterday → the previous day
• here → there
• this → that
• these → those
Example:
Direct: She said, "I will go tomorrow."
Indirect: She said that she would go the next day.
RULES FOR QUESTIONS
6. WH-Questions
• Do not use "that"
• Keep the WH-word (what, where, when, why, how)
Example:
Direct: She said, "Where are you going?"
Indirect: She asked where I was going.
7. Yes/No Questions
• Use if or whether
Example:
Direct: He said, "Do you like tea?"
Indirect: He asked if I liked tea.
RULES FOR IMPERATIVES (COMMANDS & REQUESTS)
8. Commands → use “told to”
Direct: He said, "Close the door."
Indirect: He told me to close the door.
9. Requests → use “requested to”
Direct: She said, "Please help me."
Indirect: She requested me to help her.
RULE FOR EXCLAMATIONS
10. Use expressions like exclaimed with joy/sorrow/surprise
Example:
Direct: He said, "What a beautiful day!"
Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that it was a beautiful day.
QUICK SUMMARY (CRAM NOTES)
• said to → told
• remove quotation marks → add "that"
• tenses shift to past
• pronouns change based on speaker/listener
• time/place words change (now → then, today → that day, etc.)
• questions → WH-word / if
• commands → to + verb