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Reported Speech: Key Rules & Examples

Reported speech conveys what someone said without using their exact words, distinguishing between direct and reported speech. Key rules include changing pronouns, adjusting tenses, and modifying time and place words. Different types of sentences such as assertive, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory have specific reporting structures.

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11 views3 pages

Reported Speech: Key Rules & Examples

Reported speech conveys what someone said without using their exact words, distinguishing between direct and reported speech. Key rules include changing pronouns, adjusting tenses, and modifying time and place words. Different types of sentences such as assertive, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory have specific reporting structures.

Uploaded by

kiran saii
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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📘 REPORTED SPEECH – NOTES

1. Meaning

Reported (Indirect) Speech means telling what someone said without using their exact words.

Direct: She said, “I am tired.”


Reported: She said that she was tired.

2. Types of Speech

1. Direct Speech – Exact words, quotation marks used

2. Reported Speech – No quotation marks, meaning remains same

3. Basic Structure

Subject + Reporting Verb + (that / if / to) + Statement

Example:
He said that he was late.

4. Three Golden Rules (Must Remember)

A. Change of Pronoun

Pronouns change according to speaker and listener.

 “I am happy,” she said.


→ She said that she was happy.

 He said to me, “You are wrong.”


→ He told me that I was wrong.

Changes made with reference to time (tense)

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH


Present Tense Past Tense
Past Tense Past Perfect
Past Perfect Tense No change
Present Progressive Tense Past Progressive Tense
Past Progressive Tense Past Perfect Progressive Tense
Past Perfect Progressive Tense No change
Present Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense
Present Modal Tense Past Modal Tense
Past Modal Tense No change
Example:
“I will help you,” he said.
→ He said that he would help me.

🔔 Exception:
Universal truths do NOT change tense.
“The sun rises in the east.”
→ He said that the sun rises in the east.

C. Change of Time & Place Words

Direct Reported

now then

today that day

tomorrow the next day

yesterday the previous day

here there

this that

these those

5. Types of Sentences

1️⃣ Assertive (Statements)

Use: said that / told + object + that

“She said, ‘I am busy.’”


→ She said that she was busy.

2️⃣ Interrogative (Questions)

Rules:

 No question mark

 Use asked / enquired

 Use if / whether (Yes–No questions)

 Sentence becomes statement form

“He said, ‘Are you ready?’”


→ He asked if I was ready.
“She said, ‘Where do you live?’”
→ She asked where I lived.

3️⃣ Imperative (Orders / Requests)

Use: told / ordered / requested + to + verb

“He said, ‘Close the door.’”


→ He told me to close the door.

“She said, ‘Please help me.’”


→ She requested me to help her.

4️⃣ Exclamatory Sentences

Change to statement form.


Use: exclaimed / said with joy or sorrow

“He said, ‘What a great idea!’”


→ He exclaimed that it was a great idea.

🔑 ONE-LINE FORMULA:

Reported Speech = Pronoun Change + Tense Change + Time/Place Change

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