Direct and Indirect Speech
What is Direct and Indirect Speech?
The words of a speaker can be reported in two ways:
- Using the direct words of the speaker
- Reporting what the speaker said
Direct speech involves quoting the exact words of the speaker.
Indirect (Reported) speech is used to report what a person said.
- Use quotation marks to open and close direct speech.
- Place a comma before the quotation marks.
Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech
| Tenses | |
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| Simple PresentShe said, “It’s snowing.” | Simple PastShe said that it was snowing. |
| Present ContinuousShe said, “I’m teaching Geography.” | Past ContinuousShe said that she was teaching Geography. |
| Present Perfect ContinuousShe said, “I’ve been teaching Geography for five years.” | Past Perfect ContinuousShe said that she had been teaching Geography for five years. |
| Simple PastShe said, “I taught quilling yesterday.” | Past PerfectShe said that she had taught quilling yesterday. |
| Past ContinuousShe said, “I was an athlete earlier.” | Past Perfect ContinuousShe said that she had been an athlete earlier. |
| Past PerfectShe said, “The workshop had already started when they arrived.” | Past PerfectShe said that the workshop had already started when they arrived. |
| Past Perfect ContinuousShe said, “I’d already been speaking for five minutes.” | Past Perfect ContinuousShe said that she’d already been speaking for five minutes. |
- Use the present tense in indirect speech to report facts and universal truths.
- Direct Speech: “My name is Soham,” he said.
- Indirect Speech: He said that his name is Soham.
- Use the present tense to report a future event in indirect speech.
- Direct Speech: “Next week’s session is on time management,” she said.
- Indirect Speech: She said next week’s session will be on anger management.
Rules for Changing Modal Auxiliaries in Indirect Speech
| Modals | |
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| willShe said, “I will buy groceries tomorrow.” | wouldShe said that she would buy grocery tomorrow. |
| canShe said, “I can donate books online.” | couldShe said that she could donate books online. |
| mustShe said, “I must have a library for the children.” | had toShe said that she had to have a library for the children. |
| shallShe said, “What shall we make today?” | shouldShe asked what we should make today. |
| mayShe said, “May I start on a new page?” | mightShe asked if she might start on a new page. |
There is no change to could, would, should, might and ought to. | |
Rules for Changing Expressions of Time
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| this (evening) | that (evening) |
| Kamal said, “Can we meet this evening?” | Kamal asked if they could meet that evening. |
| today | that( very) day |
| The teacher said, “I need the assignment today.” | The teacher said that she needed the assignment that very day. |
| yesterday | day before/previous day |
| “Didn’t I warn you yesterday?” said the boss. | The boss asked whether or not he warned him the day before. |
| these (days) | those (days) |
| Phillip sighed, “There is no sense of honour these days.” | Phillip sighed that there was no sense of honour those days. |
| (a week) ago/ last week | (a week) before |
| Jigar said, “I called you a week ago.” | Jigar stated that he called me a week before. |
| last weekend | previous weekend |
| Meena said, “We went out last weekend.” | Meena said that they went out the previous weekend. |
| here | there |
| Bob said, “Stand here!” | Bob ordered him to stand there. |
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| next (week) | following (week) |
| They asked me, “Can you join us next week?” | They asked me if I could join them the following week, |
| tomorrow | next/following day |
| “Let us go to the park tomorrow” said my friend. | My friend proposed that we go to the park the next day. |
Direct to Indirect Speech – Types of Sentences
The reporting verb ‘said’ is changed according to the following rules from direct to indirect speech.
Examples
Direct Speech: Soniya said, “I am going to visit grandma next week.”
Indirect Speech: Soniya said that she was going to visit grandma the following week.
Direct Speech: Jalpa said, “Amit, please give my pencil box back.”
Indirect Speech: Jalpa requested Amit to give her pencil box back.
Direct Speech: Mother said to me, “What will you eat for dinner? Buy some fresh vegetables on your way back home.”
Indirect Speech: Mother asked me what I would eat for dinner and asked me to buy some fresh vegetables on my way back home.
Direct Speech: Noorie said, “Tejal, what have you brought for lunch?”
Indirect Speech: Noorie asked Tejal what she had brought for lunch.
Direct Speech: Jeevan asked Nitin, “Where are you going for vacation? Nitin said, “I am going to Sikkim.” Indirect Speech: Jeevan asked Nitin where he was going for vacation. Nitin replied that he was going to Sikkim.
Direct Speech: Jatin said, “I hope Sunil recovers soon from his illness.”
Indirect Speech: Jatin wished that Sunil might recover soon from his illness.
Direct Speech: The teacher said to the students, “You will be taken to the laboratory after five minutes for your practical exam.”
Indirect Speech: The teacher told the students that they would be taken to the laboratory after five minutes for their practical exam.
Direct Speech: “Excuse me. Do you know the way to the ticket counter?” the tourist asked Chetan. Chetan said, “Yes. First take the escalator and then the first right.”
Indirect Speech: The tourist asked Chetan if he knew the way to the ticket counter. Chetan told him to take the escalator and then the first right.
Direct Speech: Mahesh told Namrata, “I have signed a new contract.”
Indirect Speech: Mahesh told Namrata that he had signed a new contract.
