Reported Speech | Direct and Indirect Speech
reported speech direct and indirect speech┬аchange into indirect speech┬аreported speech rules
Reported speech or indirect speech is a way of expressing what the other person (speaker) has said directly in the form of statements, questions, or greeting others by changing the format of the talks so that it becomes more clear, natural, and efficient for the listener , Logically, a transmitter of news does not report exactly every word uttered by someone. Direct speech is converted into Reported speech may be a statement (statement), imperative [command (command), invitation (invitation), request (demand)], yes/no question (questions), as well as information question (the question of information).
o Direct Speech is the spoken sentence directly from the speaker. Direct speech is a way to report what people have said or written, in the form of statements, questions, or other speech, quoting the exact words.
Reported Speech | Direct and Indirect speech
Direct Speech is the spoken sentence directly from the speaker. Direct speech is a way to report what people have said or written, in the form of statements, questions, or other speech, quoting the exact words.
Example :
- John Said, тАЬI am so happyтАЭ.
- They Said, тАЬWe have watched the football matchтАЭ.
Direct Speech
The message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in his own actual words without any change.
Example: David said, тАЬI am very busy now.тАЭ
At time we put the statement of a speaker without any changes. This is called Direct Speech. But, at times we put the statement of a speaker with some changes. This is called Indirect Speech.┬аIn Direct Speech we keep the statement within inverted (тАШтАжтАЩ), but inverted commas are not used in Indirect Speech.
More Direct Speech Example:
Carl said, тАШI will read the book.тАЩ
She says, тАЬWhat time will you be home?тАЭ
John said, тАЬThereтАЩs an elephant outside the window.тАЭ
Note:-
- The exact words (or actual words) of the speaker are enclosed in Inverted Commas or Quotation Marks.
- There is always a comma or a colon after тАЬsaidтАЭ that introduces the spoken words.
Indirect Speech
The message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in our own words.
Example: David said that he was very busy then
Reported or indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like тАШsayтАЩ, тАШtellтАЩ, тАШaskтАЩ, and we may use the word тАШthatтАЩ to introduce the reported words. Inverted commas are not used.
More Indirect Speech Example:
She said that she had seen him.
Carl said that he would read the book.
Notice the change in language and structure of the sentence in Indirect Speech. Now, the question arises-how these changes are made. There are certain rules for making these changes. For your conveniences, I will divide these rules into General and Special rules.
Note:-
- The word тАШthatтАЩ will be used before the spoken-words of the speaker.
- The pronouns of the sentence are also changed accordingly.
Change into Indirect Speech
But before understanding these rules, you need to know certain terms related to Direct and Indirect speech. (Points to remember)
Reporting Verbs And Verb Of The Reported Speech
Reporting Speech
First part of direct speech is called REPORTING SPEECH.
Examples:
He said, тАЬI am watching T.VтАЭ.
He says, тАЬYou are an honest personтАЭ.
Reported Speech
Second part of direct speech which are in inverted commas is called REPORTED SPEECH.
Examples:
Maria said, тАЬI got a new carтАЭ
She says, тАЬI want to become a teacherтАЭ
Reporting Verb
Verb of reporting speech is called RREPORTING VERB.
Reported Verb
Verb of reported speech is called REPORTED VERB.
Example:
Diana said to me, | тАЩI will help you.тАЩ |
(Reporting Verbs) | (Reporting Speech) |
Kinds of Sentences
There are five kinds of sentences:
- Assertive
- Imperative
- Interrogative
- Operative and
- Exclamatory
You need to keep at the back of your mind these kinds of sentences, because you have to change the sentence, which is within inverted commas, from direct to indirect according to rules. I will discuss it later on.
Reported Speech Rules GENERAL RULES:
Divide these rules into three categories:
- Change of personal pronoun.
- Change of tense.
- Miscellaneous changes.
Change of Personal Pronoun
Change of Personal Pronoun in Different Cases:
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
Personal Pronoun | Personal Pronouns |
I/You (subject) | She/he |
We/You (subject) | They |
Me/You (object) | him/her |
us/you (object) | them |
┬а | |
Possessive Pronoun/Determiners | Possessive Pronoun/Determiners |
my/your | his/her |
mine/your | his/hers |
our/your | their |
ours/yours | theirs |
┬а | |
Demonstrative Pronoun/Determiners | Demonstrative Pronoun/Determiners |
this | that |
these | those |
Persons (first/second/third) of pronoun in the inverted commas are changed according to certain rules while changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech.
We remember the word SON.
Subject | Object | No change |
тЖС | тЖС | тЖС |
1 | 2 | 3 |
тЖУ | тЖУ | тЖУ |
First Person | Second Person | Third Person |
Rule 1.
First person (I, my, me, we, our, us) used in the reported speech should be changed according to the subject of the reporting verb. Example:
Direct: Apolline says, тАЩI will read the book.тАЩ
Indirect: Apolline says that she will read the book.
Explanation: first person (I) of the reported speech is changed according to the subject (Apolline) of the reporting verb.
- Subject is in the third person, singular number and nominative case, hence тАШsheтАЩ.
Direct:┬аYou say, тАЩI am in the right.тАЩ
Indirect: You say that you are in the right.
Rule 2.
Second person (you, your, etc.) used in the reported speech should be changed according to the object of the reporting verb.
Example:
Direct:┬аJennifer told me, тАШyou should read your book.тАЩ
Indirect: Jennifer told me that I should read my book.
Explanation: Second person (you, your) used in the reported speech is changed according to the object (me) of the reporting verb.
- тАШMeтАЩ is in objective case.
- тАШYouтАЩ is in nominate case.
- Nominative case of тАШmeтАЩ is тАШIтАЩ, hence тАШIтАЩ.
- тАШYourтАЩ is in possessive case. Possessive case of тАШmeтАЩ is тАШmyтАЩ, hence тАШmyтАЩ.
Direct: Mary says to Apolline, тАШyou have done your dutyтАЩ.
Indirect: Mary tells Apolline that she has done her duty.
Rule 3:
Third person used in the reported speech is not changed at all.
Example:
Direct:┬аAdina says, тАШ he will read his bookтАЩ.
Indirect: Adina says that he will read book.
Explanation: 3rd┬аperson (he, she) is not changed. Hence you find that they have been not changed while changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech.
Direct: Fatima says, тАШshe does not like old films.тАЩ
Indirect: Fatima says that she does not like old films.
Direct:┬аAshraf says. тАШThey have cheated us.тАЩ
Indirect: Ashraf says that they have cheated them.
CHANGE OF TENSE
It is very important to know how to change the tense of the reported speech. Let us know the rules.
Rule 1.
If the reporting verb is in present or future tense, you need not change tense of the verb of the reported speech. Example:
Rule 1 : If reporting verb in Present Tense or Future Tense, then verb of reported speech no change.
Rule 2 : Use ‘that’ in indirect speech.┬а
Note :
- If object and to not given then, say, says, will say no change in sentence. We don’t use tell or tells.
- If say to, says to, will say to given then, say, says, will say change in sentence. We use tell or tells.
Tell is a transitive verb means tell have object compulsory.
Example :
1. Direct : The father says to us, “Maria is a good girl.”
Indirect : The father tells us that Maria is a good girl.
2. Direct : They say to David, “New York is a big city.”
Indirect : They tell David that New York is a big city.
3. Direct: Maina says, тАШshe reads a book.тАЩ
Indirect: Maina says that she reads a book.
Explanation: as reporting verb (says) is in the present tense, tense of the reported speech has not been changed.
4. Direct: Maria has said.тАЩ She read a book.тАЩ
Indirect: Maria has said that she read a book.
5. Direct: Daina will say, тАШshe wrote the book.тАЩ
Indirect: Daina will say that she wrote the book.
Explanation: reporting verb (will) is in future tense, hence tense of the reported speech has not been changed.
Rule 2
If the reporting verb is in past tense and the verb of the reported speech is present or future tense, verb of the present or future tense in the reported speech is changed into corresponding past tense.
- Present Indefinite change into Past Indefinite
- Present Continuous change into past continuous.
- Present perfect change into Past perfect
- Present Perfect Continues change into Past Perfect Continues┬а
- Present Perfect continues change into Past Perfect Continues
- Can, will, may change into could would should might.
1. Present Indefinite change into Past Indefinite┬а
said тЖТ No change
said to тЖТ change into told┬а
Direct:┬аRobert said. тАШI will play.тАЩ
Indirect: Robert said that he would play.
Explanation: reporting verb (said) is in past tense, hence тАЩwillтАЩ in the reported speech has been changed into would.┬а┬а
Direct: James said, тАШ I am playing.тАЩ
Indirect: James said that he was playing.
Direct: John said, тАШI have played.┬а┬а
Indirect: John┬аsaid that he had played.
Direct: Henley, тАШI may play.тАЩ
Indirect: Henley┬аsaid that he might play.
Direct: Robert said, тАЭI may play.тАЭ
Indirect: Robert said that he might play.
Present Continuous change into past continuous
George said, тАЬI am going to schoolтАЭ.
George said that he was going to school.
Present Perfect change into Past Perfect
He said, тАЬI have studied EnglishтАЭ.
He said that he had studied English.
Surya said, тАЬI have done my home workтАЭ.
Surya said that he had done his home work.
Present Perfect Continues change into Past Perfect Continues
Direct. : Robert said to us, “Mary has been playing cricket for two hours.”
Indirect. : Robert told us that Mary had been playing cricket for two hours.
He said, тАЬI have been studying EnglishтАЭ.
He said that he had been studying English.
Past Indefinite change into Past Perfect┬а
This rule is the most important one and students generally commit mistakes due to not understanding this rule clearly. Let me try to make it simple to help you in making your conception clear.
If both reporting verb┬аand┬аreported speech┬аare in Past Tense, change should be made as follows:
If the reporting verb is in past tense and┬аreported speech┬аis in past indefinite, it (reposted speech) should be changed into past perfect. Example:
Direct : Leo said to me, “She wrote a letter.”
Indirect. : Leo told me that she had written letter.
Direct : Isla said to the teacher ,”Ava completed her homework.”
Indirect : Isla told the teacher that Ava completed her homework.
Past Continuous change into Past Perfect Continuous
If the reporting verb is in past tense and┬аreported speech┬аis not past imperfect, it should be changed into past perfect continuous. Example:
Direct : George said to Rohan, “Ava was playing cricket in the street.”
Indirect : George told Rohan that Ava had been playing cricket in the street.
Direct : The police man said to him, “Two brothers were quarrelling on the road.”
Indirect : The police man told him that two brothers had been quarrelling on the road.
Past Perfect No change
If the reporting verb is in past tense and┬аreported speech┬аis in past perfect or past perfect continuous, no change is to be made in the tense of the reported speech. Examples:
Direct: Alexander said, тАШ I had committed a mistake.тАЭ
Indirect: Alexander that he had committed a mistake.
Exception:
- If a universal truth or habitual fact or a proverb is stated in the reported speech, it (reported speech) shall not be changed even if the reporting verb is in past tense. Example:
(a)┬а┬аDirect: An old man said, тАЬthe earth revolves round the sun.тАЭ (Universal truth)
Indirect: An old man said that the earth revolves round the sun.
(b)┬а┬аDirect: Amanda said to me, тАЬI write with my left hand.тАЭ (Habitual fact)
Indirect: Amanda told me that he writes his left hand.
(c)┬а┬аDirect: Father said, тАЬA bad carpeted quarrels with his tools.тАЭ (Proverb)
Indirect: Father said that the sun rises in the east.
(d)┬а Direct: The teacher said,тАЭ The sun rises in the east.тАЭ (Universal truth)
Indirect: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
(e)┬а┬аDirect: Father said, тАЬTruth triumphs at the end.тАЭ (Proverb)
Indirect: Father said that truth triumphs at the end.
- If тАШto (infinitive), would, could, should, must, might, ought toтАЩ are used in the reported speech, they are not changed. Example:
Direct: He said, тАШStudents must obey their teachers.тАЭ
Indirect: He said that students must obey their teachers.
Will, Shall change into would, should
1. Direct. : Byron said to Mira, “Alma will not go.”
Indirect. : Byron told Mira that Alma would not go.
2. Direct. : I said to Amy, “I shall be swimming in the river.”
Indirect. : I told Amy that I should be swimming in the river.
may change into might and can change into could
1. Direct. : Rozy said to Salma, “It may rain.”
Indirect : Rozy told Salma that it might rain.
2. Direct. : A boy said to his father, “Amy can run fast.”
Indirect. : A boy told his father that Amy could run fast.
Could, should, would, ought, might and must тЖТ No change
MISCELLANEOUS CHNAGES
This | тЗТ | That |
These | тЗТ | Those |
Now | тЗТ | Then |
Here | тЗТ | There |
Today | тЗТ | That day |
Tonight | тЗТ | That night |
This week | тЗТ | That week |
Thus | тЗТ | So |
Come | тЗТ | Go |
Yesterday | тЗТ | Previous day |
Tomorrow | тЗТ | Next day |
Next week | тЗТ | Following week |
Last | тЗТ | Previous |
SPECIAL RULES
Now, We will discuss special rules. Different rules are applicable for different sentences for changing them from direct to indirect speech. I will take up each sentence one by one.
ASSERTIVE SENTENCE
- If there is an object after reporting verb, change тАШsay toтАЩ int тАШtellтАЩ, тАШsays toтАЩ into тАШtellтАЩ, тАШsaid toтАЩ into тАШtoldтАЩ. If there is no object after the reporting verb, do not change the verb.
Remember тАШtoтАЩ is not used after tell(s) or told.
- Remove comma and inverted commas, and use тАШthatтАЩ in place of the opening quote.
- If object of the reporting verb is found in reported speech instead of reporting verb itself, make it object of the reporting verb. Example:
Direct: Amanda said, тАШFather, I am pleased with youтАЭ.
Indirect: Amanda told father that she was pleased with him.
- Change pronouns┬аand tense of the verb of reported speech according to the rules discussed previously.
Solved examples:
Direct: Amanda said, тАЬI had done my workтАЭ.
Indirect: Amanda said that he had done his work.
Direct: Amanda said to me, тАЬI cannot help you in your work.тАЭ
Indirect: Amanda told me that he could not help me in my work.
Direct:┬аThe thief said, тАШI am innocent.тАЭ
Indirect: The thief said that he was innocent.
Direct: Amanda said to me, тАШI shall help you in your work.тАЭ
Indirect: Amanda told me that he would help me in my work.
Direct: My father said, тАШI am going to London.тАЭ
Indirect: My father said that he was going to London.
Direct: My father says, тАЬI will go to London.тАЭ
Indirect: My father says that he will go to London.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE
- Change the reporting verb тАШsay(s) toтАЩ or тАШsaid toтАЩ into тАШasksтАЩ or тАШaskedтАЩ.
- If the reported speech begins with helping verb (is, am, are, was, were, do, does, did, has, have, had, will, would, can, could, shall, should, may, might, must), remove the inverted commas and use тАШifтАЩ or тАШwhetherтАЩ to join the reporting verb and reported speech.
- If the reported speech begins with w-family words, i.e. тАШwho, whose, whom, when, where, which, what, why, howтАЩ, remove the inverted commas but do not use the conjunction тАШifтАЩ or тАШwhetherтАЩ.
- Helping verb should be put after the subject of the reported speech.
- Remove the question mark and put full stop in its place.
Solved examples:
Direct: Philip said to Amanda, тАЬWill you help me?
Indirect: Philip asked Amanda if he would help him.
Direct: Amanda said to Felix, тАЬWho teaches you English?тАЭ
Indirect: Amanda asked Felix who taught him English?
Direct: Stella said to Adina, тАЬIs coffee ready for me?тАЭ
Indirect: Stella asked Adina if coffee was ready for her.
Direct: Amanda said to Abdul, тАЬHave you finished your work?тАЭ
Indirect: Amanda asked Abdul if he had finished his work.
IMPERATIVE SENTENCE
- Change reporting verb into тАШorder, advise, request, warn, forbid, prohibitтАЩ according to the meaning of the reported speech.
- Remove the inverted commas and use тАШtoтАЩ to join the reporting verb and reported speech.
- In case of negative imperative replace тАШdoтАЩ with тАШnot toтАЩ and тАШsaid toтАЩ with тАШforbadeтАЩ, leaving тАШnotтАЩ.
IMPERATIVE SENTENCE Solved examples:
Direct: Alexander said to Cathenna, тАШDo not speak a lie.тАЩ
Indirect: Alexander advised Cathenna not to speak a lie.
Direct: Father said o me, тАШDo not go to the cinema.тАЭ
Indirect: Father forbade me to go to the cinema.
Direct: Cathenna said to her friend, тАШLat me go home early.тАЩ
Indirect: Cathenna requested her friend to let her go home early.
Direct: The teacher told us, тАШDonтАЩt cryтАЩ.
Indirect: The teacher forbade us to cry. Or The teacher ordered us not to cry.
OPTATIVE SENTENCE
- Change the reporting verb into тАШcurse/bless/pray/wishтАЩ according of the reported speech.
- In the reported speech, keep the subjects before its verb.
- Sign of exclamation should be changed into full stop.
OPTATIVE SENTENCE Solved examples
Direct: The beggar said to me, тАЬMay you live long!тАЭ.
Indirect: The beggar prayed that I might live long.
Direct: He told me, тАЬMay you die!тАЭ
Indirect: He cursed that I might die.
EXCLAMATORY SENTENCE
- Reporting verb should be changed in the following manner:
Said (change into) |
if exclaimed with sorrow | Ah! Alas |
if exclaimed with Joy | Aha! Ha! Hurrah! | |
if exclaimed with regret | Sorry | |
if exclaimed with surprise | Oh! What! How! | |
if exclaimed with contempt | Pooh! | |
if applauded | Bravo! |
- ┬аInverted commas should be replaced by that.
- Sign of exclamation should be changed into full stop.
- тАШWhatтАЩ and тАШHowтАЩ used in the reported speech should be replaced with very or great.
EXCLAMATORY SENTENCE Solved examples:
Direct: Alexander said ,тАЩ what a fine place it is!тАЩ
Indirect: Alexander exclaimed with joy that it was a fine place.
Direct: Cathenna said, тАШHurrah! We have won the match.тАЩ
Indirect: Cathenna exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
Direct: James said, тАШAlas! We have lost the match.тАЭ
Indirect: James exclaimed with sorrow that they had lost the match.