REPORTED SPEECH
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH.
REPORTED SPEECH
• Reported speech is when we tell someone what
another person said. To do this, we can use
direct speech or indirect speech.
DIRECT SPEECH
• Direct speech is a sentence in which the exact
words spoken are reproduced in speech
marks (also known as quotation marks or
inverted commas).
General rules of direct speech.
• Each new character's speech starts on a new line.
• Speech is opened with speech marks.
• Each line of speech starts with a capital.
• The line of speech ends with a comma, exclamation mark or
question mark.
• A reporting clause is used at the end
(said Jane, shouted Paul, replied Mum).
• A full stop goes after the reporting clause.
Examples,
• Tom said, “I have a dog.”
• The fisherman said, “I am going to catch a fish.”
• Manasi said, “I am ill today.”
• Debi said, “I will go to Calcutta tomorrow.”
• Rakesh told Amit, “We were listening to music.”
• “How old is your mother?", he asked.
INDIRECT SPEECH
• Indirect speech is speech which tells you what
someone said, but does not use the person's
actual words: for example, 'They said you didn't
like it', 'I asked her what her plans were', and '
Citizens complained about the smoke'.
Examples,
• He said that he was living in Paris.
• She said she had taken Spanish lessons before.
• She says the exam is very difficult.
• Mary said, “My husband went with me to the show
yesterday.”
• He said he had gone to London the week before.
• He said he could swim when he was four.
CHANGING DIRECT SPEECH TO
INDIRECT SPEECH.
• Below, we are sharing the rules to make changes from
Direct to Indirect speech. The changes of Direct and
Indirect speech depend on some factors like modals,
reporting verb, place, time, tense, pronoun etc. You
can check the complete information of changes in
Direct and Indirect speech.
MODALS.
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
Can Could
May Might
Must Had to/Would have to
Should Should
Might Might
Could Could
Would Would
Ought to Ought to
REPORTING VERB
• According to the reporting verb, changes are made in the
direct sentence or the sentence in inverted commas.
• If the reporting verb is in the past tense, then the direct
sentence is changed in its past tense.
• The tense of direct speech remains unchanged when the
reporting verb is in the present or future tense.
• If the direct sentence contains the universal truth, then it
remains unchanged in the Indirect Speech.
HOW VERBS CHANGE IN INDIRECT
SPEECH.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Present simple Past simple
(Subject +V1st + Object) (Subject +V2 + Object)
Present continuous Past Continuous
(Subject +is/am/are+V1 +ing+ Object) (Subject +was/were+V1 +ing+ Object)
Present perfect Past perfect
(Subject + has/have+V3+Object) (Subject+had+V3+Object)
Past simple Past perfect
(Subject+V2+Object) (Subject+had+V3+Object)
Past Continuous Past perfect continuous
(Subject +was/were+V1 +ing+ Object) (Subject +had been+V1 +ing+ Object)
Future simple Present Conditional
(Subject+ will/shall+V1+object) (Subject+ would+V1+object)
Future Continuous
Conditional Continuous
(Subject +will/shall+be+V1 +ing+
(Subject +would+be+V1 +ing+ Object)
Object)
EXAMPLES
Phrase in direct speech Equivalent in reported speech
Simple present Simple past
"I always drink coffee", she said She said that she
always drank coffee.
Present continuous Past continuous
"I am reading a book", he He explained that he was
explained. reading a book
Simple past Past perfect
"Bill arrived on Saturday", he He said that Bill had arrived on
said. Saturday.
Present perfect Past perfect
"I have been to Spain", he told He told me that he had been to
me. Spain.
Past perfect Past perfect
"I had just turned out the light," He explained that he had just
he explained. turned out the light.
CONT’ Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
They complained, "We have They complained that they had
been waiting for hours". been waiting for hours.
Past continuous Past perfect continuous
"We were living in Paris", they They told me that they had
told me. been living in Paris.
Future Present conditional
"I will be in Geneva on He said that he would be in
Monday", he said. Geneva on Monday.
Future continuous Conditional continuous
She said, "I'll be using the car She said that she would be
next Friday". using the car next Friday.
Changes in place and time.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Now Then
Here There
Today That day
Tomorrow The next day
Last week The previous week
This That
Tonight That night
CONT’
Ago Before
Thus So
Hither Thither
Come Go
Hence Thence
Next Following
Examples,
1."I'm going to the store today," he said. (Direct speech)
- He said he was going to the store that day. (Indirect speech)
2."I'll see you tomorrow," she said. (Direct speech)
-She said she would see me the next day . (Indirect speech)
3."I finished my work yesterday," he said. (Direct speech)
- He said he had finished his work the day before. (Indirect
speech)
Changes of pronouns.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
I He/she
You He/she/they
We They
They They
He He
She She
CONT’
It It
Us Them
Our Their
His His
Her Her
Its Its
Examples.
[Link] said, “I am a good boy.”
Peter said that he is a good boy.
2.I told them, “You have finished your work.”
I told them that they had finished their work.
[Link] said, “She is in Delhi.”
He said that she was in Delhi.