Direct and indirect speech
Introduction.
There two ways to convey a message of a person, or the words spoken by a person
to other person.
- Direct speech
- Indirect speech
Suppose
your friend whose name is John tells you in school, “I will give you a pen”.
You come to home and you want to tell your brother what your friend told you.
There are two ways to tell him.
Direct speech: John said, “I will give you a pen”.
Indirect Speech: John said that he would give me a pen.
In direct speech the original words of person are narrated (no change is made)
and are enclosed in quotation mark. While in indirect speech some changes are
made in original words of the person because these words have been uttered in
past so the tense will change accordingly and pronoun may also be changed
accordingly. In indirect speech the statement of the person is not enclosed in
quotation marks, the word “that” may be used before the statement to show that
it is indirect speech. Indirect speech is also called reported speech
because reported speech refers to the second part of indirect speech in which
something has been told by a person.
Reporting verb: The
verb first part of sentence (i.e. he said, she said, he says, they said, she
says,) before the statement of a person in sentence is called reporting verb.
Examples.
In all of the following example the reporting verb is “said”.
He
said, “I work in a
factory” (Direct
speech)
He
said that he worked in a
factory. (Indirect
speech)
They
said, “we are going to
cinema”
(Direct speech)
They
said that they were going to cinema.
(Indirect speech)
Reported Speech. The
second part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person
(which is enclosed in quotation marks in direct speech) is called reported
speech. For example, a sentence of indirect speech is, He said that he
worked in a factory. In this sentence the second part “he worked in a
factory” is called reported speech and that is why the indirect speech as a
whole can also be called reported speech.
Fundamental rules for indirect speech.
- Reported speech is not enclosed
in quotation marks.
- Use of word “that”: The word “that” is used as a conjunction between the
reporting verb and reported speech.
- Change in pronoun: The pronoun (subject) of the reported speech is changed
according to the pronoun of reporting verb or object (person) of reporting
verb (first part of sentence). Sometimes the pronoun may not change.
In
following example the pronoun of reported speech is “I” which will be changed
in indirect speech into the pronoun (Subject) of reporting verb that is “he”.
Example.
Direct speech: He said, “I am
happy”
Indirect Speech: He said that he
was happy.
Direct speech: I said to him,
“you are intelligent”
Indirect Speech: I said him
that he was intelligent. (“You” changed to “he” the
person
of object of reporting verb)
- Change in time: Time is changed according to certain rules like now to
then, today to that day, tomorrow to next day and yesterday to previous
day.
Examples.
Direct speech: He said, “I am happy today”
Indirect Speech: He said that he was happy that day.
- Change in the tense of reported
speech: If the first part of sentence
(reporting verb part) belongs to past tense the tense of reported speech
will change. If the first part of sentence (reporting verb part) belongs
to present or future tense, the tense of reported speech will not change.
Examples.
Direct speech: He said, “I am happy”
Indirect Speech: He said that he was happy. (Tense of
reported speech changed)
Direct speech: He says, “I am happy”
Indirect Speech: He said that he is happy. (Tense of
reported speech didn’t
change)
Change in tense is made according to rules of indirect speech which are given
in table below. click here
Table for change in tense of
reported speech for all TENSES.
TENSE
CHANGE - IN - INDIRECT SPEECH
Present simple tense into Past
simple
Present Continuous tense into Past
continuous
Present Perfect tense into Pas
perfect
Present Perfect Continuous into
Past perfect continuous
Past simple into Past Perfect
Past Continuous into Past Perfect
Continuous
Past Perfect into Past Perfect
Future simple, will into would
Future Continuous, will be into
would be
Future Perfect, will have into would
have
Examples.
|
DIRECT SPEECH
|
INDIRECT SPEECH
|
|
PRESENT TENSE
|
|
PRESENT
SIMPLE changes into PAST SIMPLE
|
|
He
said, “I write a letter”
She said, “he goes to school daily”
They said, “we love our country”
He said, “he does not like computer”
|
He
said that he wrote a letter.
He said that she went to school daily.
They said that they loved their country
He said that he did not like
computer.
|
|
PRESENT CONTINUOUS changes into PAST
CONTINUOUS
|
|
He
said, “he is listening to the music”
She said, “I am washing my clothes”
They said, “we are enjoying the weather”
I said, “it is raining”
She said, “I am not laughing”
|
He
said that he was listening to the music.
She said that she was washing her clothes.
They said that they were not enjoying the weather.
She said that she was not laughing.
|
|
PRESENT
PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT
|
|
She
said, “he has finished his work”
He said, “I have started a job”
I said, “she have eaten the meal”
They said, “we have not gone to New York.
|
She
said that he had finished his work.
He said that he had started a job.
I said that she had eaten the meal.
They said that they had not gone
to New York.
|
|
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS changes into PAST PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
|
|
He
said, “I have been studying since 3 O’clock”
She said, “It has been raining for three days.”
I said, “She has been working in this office since 2007”
|
He
said that he had been studying since 3 O’clock.
She said that it been raining for three days.
I said that she had been working in this office since 2007.
|
|
PAST TENSE
|
|
PAST
SIMPLE changes into PAST PERFECT
|
|
He
said to me, “you answered correctly”
John said, “they went to cinema”
He said, “I made a table”
She said, “I didn’t buy a car”
|
He
said to me that I had answered correctly.
John said that they had gone to cinema.
He said that he had made a table.
She said that she had not bought a
car.
|
|
PAST CONTINUOUS changes into PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
|
|
They
said, “we were enjoying the weather”
He said to me, “ I was waiting for you”
I said, “It was raining”
She said, “I was not laughing”
|
They
said that they had been enjoying.
He said to me that he had been waiting for me.
I said that it had been raining.
She said that she not been laughing.
|
|
PAST PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT (tense does not
change)
|
|
She
said, “She had visited a doctor”
He said, “I had started a business”
I said, “she had eaten the meal”
They said, “we had not gone to New York.
|
She
said that she had visited a doctor.
He said that he had started a business.
I said that she had eaten the meal.
They said they had not gone to New York.
|
|
FUTURE TENSE
|
|
FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE
WILL changes into WOULD
|
|
He
said, “I will study the book”
She said, “I will buy a computer”
They said to me, “we will send you gifts”
I said, “I will not take the exam”
|
He
said that he would study the book.
She said that she would buy a computer.
They said to me that they would send you gifts.
I said that I would not take the
exam.
|
|
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
WILL BE changes into WOULD BE
|
|
I
said to him, “ I will be waiting for him”
She said,” I will be shifting to new home”
He said, “I will be working hard”
He said, “he will not be flying kite”
|
I
said to him that I would be waiting for him.
She said that she would be shifting to a new home.
He said that he would be working hard.
She said that he would not be flying kites.
|
|
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
WILL HAVE changes into WOULD HAVE
|
|
He
said, “I will have finished the work”
She said, “they will have passed the examination”
He said, “I will have gone”
|
He
said that he would have finished the work.
She said that they would have passed the examination.
He said that he would have gone.
|
Note: The tense
of reported speech may not change if reported speech is a universal truth
though its reporting verb belongs to past tense.
Examples.
Direct speech: He said,
“Mathematics is a science”
Indirect Speech: He said that
mathematics is a science.
Direct speech: He said, “Sun
rises in east”
Indirect Speech: He said that
sun rises in east. (Tense didn’t change because
reported
speech is a universal truth thought its reporting verb
belongs
to past tense)
Indirect speech for Interrogative
(question) sentence.
For changing interrogative (question) sentence into indirect speech we
have to observe the nature of question and then change it into indirect speech
according to it rules for indirect speech. A question can be of two types. One
type which can be answered in only YES or NO and other type which needs a
little bit explanation for its answer and cannot be answered in only YES or NO.
Examples
Do you like music?
(It can be answered in YES or NO)
How are you? (It
cannot be answered in YES or NO but it needs a little bit
explanation
i.e, I am fine.)
Questions which can be answered in YES/NO.
To change questions (which can be answered in yes or no) into indirect
speech, word “if” or “whether” is used before the question in indirect speech.
Rules for change in tense of question sentences are same as for change in
normal tenses in indirect speech but sentence will not start with the auxiliary
verb of the tense. The word “that” is not used between reporting verb and
reported speech as conjunction in indirect speech for question sentence.
Question mark is not used in indirect speech.
Examples.
Direct
speech: He said to me, “do you like music?”
Indirect
Speech: He asked me if I liked music. (Not, did I like music)
Or Indirect
Speech: He asked me whether I liked music.
Direct speech:
She said, “Will he participate in the quiz competition?”
Indirect
Speech: She asked me if he would participate in quiz competition.
Direct
speech: I said to him, “are you feeling well?”
Indirect
Speech: I asked him if he was feeling well.
Direct
speech: They said to me, “did u go to school?”
Indirect
Speech: They asked me if I had gone to school.
Direct
speech: He said to me, “Have you taken the breakfast?”
Indirect
Speech: He asked me if I had taken the breakfast
Question
which cannot be answered in YES/NO.
To change such questions into indirect speech, the words “if” or “whether”
is not used. The tense of the question is changed according to the rules for
change in normal tenses in indirect speech but sentence will not start with the
auxiliary verb of the tense. The word “that” is not used between reporting verb
and reported speech as conjunction, in indirect speech for question sentence.
Question mark is not used in indirect speech.
Examples.
Direct
speech: He said to me, “how are you?”
Indirect
speech: He asked me how I was. (Not, how was I)
Direct
speech: Teacher said to him, “what is your name?”
Indirect
speech: Teacher asked him what his name was.
Direct
speech: She said to him, “why did you come late?”
Indirect
speech: She asked him why he had come late.
Direct
speech: He said, “when will they come?”
Indirect
speech: He asked when they would come.
Direct
speech: She asked his son, “why are you crying?”
Indirect
speech: She asked her son why he was crying.
Indirect speech for sentence having
MODALS, “can, may, must,
Present
modals are changed to past modals
|
Direct
Speech
|
Indirect Speech
|
|
Indirect speech for sentence
having MODALS,
“can, may, must, should, ought to”
|
|
CAN changes into COULD
|
|
He said, “I can drive a car”
She said, “he can play a violin.”
They said, “we can climb on a hill”
|
He said that he could drive a car.
She said that he could play a violin.
They said that they can climb on a hill.
|
|
MAY
changes into MIGHT
|
|
He
said, “I may buy a computer”
She said, “he may visit a doctor.”
They said, “they may go to zoo”
|
He
said that he might buy a computer.
She said that he might visit a doctor.
They said that they might go to zoo.
|
|
MUST changes into HAD TO
|
|
He
said, “I must work hard”
She said, “they must carry on their work”
I said to him, “you must learn the test-taking strategies”
|
He
said that he had to work hard.
She said that they had to carry on their work.
I said to him that he had to learn the test-taking strategies.
|
Indirect speech for sentence having
MODALS, should, ought to, might, would, and could”
The
modal will not change in indirect speech
|
Direct Speech
|
Indirect Speech
|
|
THESE MODALS DO NOT CHANGE
Would, could, might, should, ought to”
|
|
Would
|
|
They
said, “we would apply for a visa”
He said, “I would start a business.
She said, “I would appear in exam”
|
They
said that they would apply for visa.
He said that he would start a business.
She said that she would appear in the exam.
|
|
Could
|
|
She
said, “she could play a piano”
They said, “we couldn’t learn the lesson”
He said, “I could run faster”
|
She
said that she could play a violin.
They said they couldn’t learn the lesson.
He said that he could run faster.
|
|
Might
|
|
He
said, “guests might come”
She said, “it might rain”
John said, “I might meet him”
|
He
said that guest might come.
She said that it might rain.
John said that he might meet him.
|
|
Should
|
|
He
said, “I should avail the opportunity”
She said, “I should help a him”
They said, “we should take the exam”
|
He
said that he should avail the opportunity.
She said that she should help him.
They said that they should take the exam.
|
|
Ought to
|
|
He
said to me, “you ought to wait for him”
She said, “I ought to learn method of study”
They said, we ought to attend our classes”
|
He
said to me that I ought to wait for him.
She said that she ought to learn method of study.
They said that they ought to attend their classes.
|
Indirect speech for
exclamatory and imperative sentences.
Indirect speech of imperative sentence.
A sentence which expresses command, request, advice or suggestion is called
imperative
sentence.
For example,
• Open the door.
• Please help me.
• Learn your lesson.
To change such sentences into indirect speech, the word “ordered” or
“requested” or “advised” or “suggested” or “forbade” or “not to do” is added to
reporting verb depending upon nature of imperative sentence in reported speech.
Examples.
Direct
speech: He said to me, “please help me”
Indirect
Speech: He
requested me to help him.
Direct
speech: She said to him, “you should work hard for exam”
Indirect
Speech: He
suggested him to work hard for exam.
Direct
speech: They said to him, “do not tell a lie”
Indirect
Speech: They said to him
not to tell a lie.
Direct
speech: He said, “open the door”
Indirect
Speech: He
ordered to open the door.
Direct
speech: The teacher said to student, “do not waste time”
Indirect
Speech: The teacher
advised the students not to waste
time.
Direct
speech: He said, “please give me glass of water”
Indirect
Speech: He
requested to give him a glass of water.
Direct
speech: Doctor said to me, “Do not smoke”
Indirect
Speech: Doctor
advised me not to smoke.
Direct
speech: The teacher said to him, “Get out”
Indirect
Speech: The teacher
ordered him to get out.
Indirect speech of exclamatory sentences.
Sentence which expresses state of joy or sorrow or wonder is called
exclamatory sentence.
For example.
• Hurrah!
We won the match.
• Alas!
I failed the test.
• Wow!
What a nice shirt it is.
To change such sentences, the words “exclaimed with joy” or “exclaimed with
sorrow” or “exclaimed with wonder” is added in the reporting verb depending
upon the nature of exclamatory sentence in indirect speech.
Examples.
Direct speech: He said, “Hurrah!
I won a prize”
Indirect Speech: He
exclaimed
with joy that he had won a prize.
Direct speech: She said, “Alas!
I failed in exam”
Indirect Speech: She
exclaimed
with sorrow that she failed in the exam.
Direct speech: John said, “Wow!
What a nice shirt it is”
Indirect Speech: John
exclaimed
with wonder that it was a nice shirt.
Direct speech: She said,
“Hurrah! I am selected for the job”
Indirect Speech: She
exclaimed
with joy that she was selected for the job.
Direct speech: He said, “Oh no!
I missed the train”
Indirect Speech: He
exclaimed
with sorrow that he had missed the train.
Direct speech: They said, “Wow!
What a pleasant weather it is”
Indirect Speech: They
exclaimed
with wonder that it was a pleasant weather.
Changes in pronoun in Indirect
Speech.
The pronoun (subject) of the reported speech is changed according to
the
pronoun of reporting verb or object (person) of reporting verb (first part
of sentence). Sometimes the pronoun may not change.
1. First person pronoun in reported speech i.e. I, we, me, us, mine, or our, is
changed according to the pronoun of reporting
verb if pronoun in reporting verb is third person
pronoun i.e. he, she, it, they, him, his, her, them or their.
Examples.
Direct speech: He
said, “I live in New York”
Indirect speech: He
said that he lived in New York.
Direct speech: They
said, “we love our country”
Indirect speech: They
said that they loved their country
2. First person pronoun in reported speech i.e. I, we, me, us, mine, or our, is
not changed if the pronoun (Subject) of reporting is
also first person pronoun i.e. I or we.
Examples.
Direct speech: I
said, “I write a letter”
Indirect speech: I
said that I wrote a letter.
Direct speech: We
said, “we completed our work”
Indirect speech: We
said that we completed our work.
3. Second person pronoun in reported speech i.e. you, yours is changed
according to the person of object of reporting verb.
Examples.
Direct speech: She
said to him, “you are intelligent”
Indirect speech: She
said to him that he was intelligent.
Direct speech: He
said to me, “you are late for the party”
Indirect speech: He
said to me that I was late for the party.
4. Third person pronoun in reported speech i.e. he, she, it, they, him, his,
her, them or their, is not changed in indirect
speech.
Examples.
Direct speech: They said, “he will
come”
Indirect speech: They said that he
would come.
Direct speech: You said, “they are
waiting for the bus”
Indirect speech: You said that they
were waiting for the bus.
Changes in time and adverbs in
indirect speech.
Time and adverbs are changed in indirect speech.
Examples.
Direct speech: He
said, “I will buy a book tomorrow”
Indirect speech: He
said that he would buy a book the
next day.
Direct speech: She
said, “I am happy now”
Indirect speech: She
said that she was happy
then.
Direct speech: He
said, “I like this book”
Indirect speech: He
said that he
liked that book.
Changes in pronoun in Indirect
Speech.
The pronoun (subject) of the reported speech is changed according to
the
pronoun of reporting verb or object (person) of reporting verb (first part
of sentence). Sometimes the pronoun may not change.
1. First person pronoun in reported speech i.e. I, we, me, us, mine, or our, is
changed according to the pronoun of reporting
verb if pronoun in reporting verb is third person
pronoun i.e. he, she, it, they, him, his, her, them or their.
Examples.
Direct speech: He
said, “I live in New York”
Indirect speech: He
said that he lived in New York.
Direct speech: They
said, “we love our country”
Indirect speech: They
said that they loved their country
2. First person pronoun in reported speech i.e. I, we, me, us, mine, or our, is
not changed if the pronoun (Subject) of reporting is
also first person pronoun i.e. I or we.
Examples.
Direct speech: I
said, “I write a letter”
Indirect speech: I
said that I wrote a letter.
Direct speech: We
said, “we completed our work”
Indirect speech: We
said that we completed our work.
3. Second person pronoun in reported speech i.e. you, yours is changed
according to the person of object of reporting verb.
Examples.
Direct speech: She
said to him, “you are intelligent”
Indirect speech: She
said to him that he was intelligent.
Direct speech: He
said to me, “you are late for the party”
Indirect speech: He
said to me that I was late for the party.
4. Third person pronoun in reported speech i.e. he, she, it, they, him, his,
her, them or their, is not changed in indirect
speech.
Examples.
Direct speech: They said, “he will
come”
Indirect speech: They said that he
would come.
Direct speech: You said, “they are
waiting for the bus”
Indirect speech: You said that they
were waiting for the bus.
Changes in time and adverbs in
indirect speech.
Time and adverbs are changed in indirect speech.
Examples.
Direct speech: He
said, “I will buy a book tomorrow”
Indirect speech: He
said that he would buy a book the
next day.
Direct speech: She
said, “I am happy now”
Indirect speech: She
said that she was happy
then.
Direct speech: He
said, “I like this book”
Indirect speech: He
said that he liked
that book.
Common
Rules
Today changes to
that day/the same day
Tomorrow changes to
the next day/the following day
Yesterday changes to
the day before/the previous day
Next week/month/year changes to
the following
week/month/year
Last week/month/year changes to
the previous
week/month/year
Now/just changes to
then
Ago changes to
before
Here changes to
there
This changes to
that
Today changes to
that
day/the same day
Tomorrow changes to
the next day/the following day
Yesterday changes to
the day before/the previous day
Next week/month/year changes to
the following
week/month/year
Last week/month/year changes to
the previous
week/month/year
Now/just changes to
then
Ago changes to
before
Here changes to
there
This changes to
that