Direct and Indirect Speech
1. When the actual words spoken are quoted, it is called Direct Speech.
2. When we report without quoting the exact words spoken, it is called Indirect Speech.
For example: Ram said, “I am very busy now.” (Direct)
Ram said that he was very busy then. (Indirect)
Note: (i) In the direct speech, inverted commas are used to show the exact words of the speaker. In the indirect speech, it is not so.
(ii) In the indirect speech, the conjunction ‘that’ is used before the indirect statement.
(iii) The pronoun ‘I’ changes to ‘he’ or ‘she’ when converting from direct to indirect speech.
(iv) The verb ‘am’ changes to ‘was’ when converting from direct to indirect speech.
(v) The adverb ‘now’ changes to ‘then’ when converting from direct to indirect.
Remember
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, all present tenses of the direct speech are changed into the corresponding past tenses.
am/is → was will → would
are → were can → could
do/does → did
want/like/know/go, and so on → wanted/liked/knew/went, and so on
have/has → had
The simple past (did/saw/knew, and so on) can usually stay the same in indirect/reported speech
or can be changed to the past perfect (had done/had seen/had known, and so on)
For example: Harjot said, “I woke up feeling ill, so I didn’t go to school.” (Direct)
Harjot said that she woke up feeling ill, so she didn’t go to school. (Indirect/Reported)
Or
Harjot said she had woken up feeling ill, so she hadn’t gone to school. (Indirect/Reported)
(a) Simple present becomes simple past
For example
Direct : He said, “I am unwell.”
Indirect : He said that he was unwell.
(b) Present continuous becomes past continuous
For example
Direct : He said, “My master is writing letters.”
Indirect : He said that his master was writing letters.
(c) Present perfect becomes past perfect
For example
Direct : He said, “I have passed the examination.”
Indirect : He said that he had passed the examination.
(d) Simple past becomes past perfect
For example
Direct : He said, “The horse died in the night.”
Indirect : He said that the horse had died in the night.
If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tenses in direct speech do not change. We may,thus, rewrite the given examples putting the reporting verb in the present tense.
(a) He says he is unwell.
(b) He has just said his master is writing letters.
(c) He says he has passed the examination.
(d) He says the horse died in the night.
Situations
Words expressing nearness in time or place are changed into words expressing distance.
Word Changed as
now then
here there
this that
today that day
tomorrow the next day
yesterday the day before/the previous day
last night the night before/the previous night
Direct : He said, “I am glad to be here this evening.”
Indirect : He said that he was glad to be there that evening.
Statements
Reporting statements are introduced with reporting verbs, such as ‘say’ or ‘tell’/‘said’ or ‘told’.
Look at the following sentence.
The teacher said to me, “I have never seen a boy as lazy as you are.” (Direct)
When we report this statement, we connect the two clauses using ‘that’.
Now, read the following sentence.
- The teacher told me that he had never seen a boy as lazy as I was. (Indirect)
When transforming statements, check whether you have to change:
- pronouns
- tense
- place and time expression
Questions
In reporting questions, the indirect speech is introduced by verbs, such as ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’.
For example
Direct : He said to me, “What are you doing?”
Indirect : He asked me what I was doing.
When the question is not introduced by an interrogative word, the reporting verb is followed by ‘if ’ or ‘whether’.
For example
Direct : He said, “Will you listen to such a man?”
Indirect : He asked them if/whether they would listen to such a man.
Commands and Requests
The imperative mood is changed into the infinitive and verbs expressing command or request introduce the indirect speech.
For example
1. Direct : Ram said to Arjun, “Go away.”
Indirect : Ram ordered Arjun to go away.
2. Direct : He said to him, “Please wait here till I return.”
Indirect : He requested him to wait there till he returned.
Exclamations and Wishes
Words expressing exclamation or wish, introduce the indirect speech.
For example
Direct : Ela said, “How clever I am!”
Indirect : Ela exclaimed that she was very clever.
What is a Direct Speech? In a Direct Speech, the speaker’s own words are quoted without making any change. For example,
Ravi said, “Mohit has gone to Delhi.”
What is an Indirect Speech? in an Indirect Speech, the essence of the Speaker’s words is given. For Example,
Ravi said that Mohit had gone to Delhi.
Some Important Points
1. In a Direct Speech-
(a) The Speaker’s actual words are placed within inverted commas (“).
(b) His actual words start with a capital letter.
(c) There is a comma after the reporting verb.
(d) At the end of his actual words, a full stop or a question mark or a sign of exclamation is put according to the need of the sentence.
(e) The tense of the speaker’s words remains the same.
2. In an Indirect Speech-
(a) Inverted commas are not used.
(b) Only the first letter of the sentence starts with a capital letter.
(c) There is no comma after the reporting verb.
(d) Conjunctions like that, to, if/whether are used to link the reporting verb and the reported speech.
(e) At the end of the sentence, only a full stop is put. Question marks are not allowed.
(f) The tense of the speaker’s words undergoes a change.
Note: If the speaker’s words express a habitual action, a universal truth, a scientific statement, a proverb or a permanent truth, the tense of the speaker’s words remain the same.
Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech
1. Tense And Verb Forms
(a) Simple Present-Simple Past
Direct: Rahul said to me, “I am your friend.”
Indirect: Rahul told me that he was my friend.
(b) Present Continuous-Past Continuous
Direct: Rahul said, “I am playing.”
Indirect: Rahul said that he was playing.
(c) Present Perfect- Past Perfect
Direct: Rahul said, “I Have done my work.”
Indirect: Rahul said that he had done his work.
(d) Present Perfect Continuous – Past Perfect Continuous
Direct: Rahul said, I have been playing since morning.
Indirect: Rahul said that he had been playing since morning.
(e) Simple Past – Past perfect
Direct: Rahul said, I did my work.
Indirect: Rahul said that he had done his work.
(f) Past Continuous- Past perfect Continuous
Direct: Rahul said, I was doing my work.
Indirect: Rahul said that he had been doing his work.
2. Change of Time, Place
Words showing nearness of time and place change into words showing distance,
time and place.
Now-then
Ago-before
This-that
These- those
Here- there
Today- that day
Tomorrow- the following day/the next day
Yesterday-the previous day/ the day before
Last night- the previous night
Last week- the previous week
Will- would
May- night
Can- could
3. Change of Pronouns
S - First person according to subject
O - Second person according to object.
N - Third person no change.
4. Change of Different Kinds of Sentences
(a) Questions
(I) Wh questions: The questions beginning with which, when, where, why, how,
whose, etc. do not need any conjunction. For example,
He said to me, which book were you reading last night? (Direct)
He asked me which book I had been reading the previous night. (Indirect)
(II) Yes/No questions: The question that begin with helping verbs like is, am, are, was, were, will, shall, do, does, it, has, have, had, etc, that the conjunction if or whether. For example,
The teacher said to children, Have you finished your work? (Direct)
The teacher asked the children it they had finished their work. (Indirect)
(b) Commands :
(i) The imperative sentences or commands take the conjunction to.
(ii) The reporting verb said or said to changes into ordered, commanded, advised or requested. For example:
The doctor said to the patient, Take this tablet daily. (Direct)
The doctor advised to patient to take that tablet daily. (Indirect)
The master said to the servant, Bring me a glass of milk. (Direct)
The master ordered the servant to bring him a glass of milk. (Indirect)
(c) Exclamations :
(i) The reporting verb said is changed into exclaimed, exclaimed with joy exclaimed with sorrow, exclaimed with wonder, wished or prayed etc.
(ii) The conjunction that is used to introduce the reported speech. For example,
He said, What a beautiful painting! (Direct)
He exclaimed with wonder that it was a beautiful painting. (Indirect)
The boys said, Hurrah! We have won the match. (Direct)
The boys exclaimed with joy that they had won the match. (Indirect)
(d) Sentences beginning with Let :
(i) The man said to the servant, let the children play. (Direct)
The man asked the servant to let the children play. (Indirect)
(ii) She said to her friend, Let us go for a picnic. (Direct)
She proposed to her friends that they should go for picnic. (Indirect)
(iii) The Principal said to the peon, Dont let the children enter my study.
The Principal ordered the peon not to let the children enter his study. (Indirect)
Solved Example
Read the conversation below and complete the report that follows.
Lady : What a beautiful painting! Is it for sale?
Shopkeeper : No, maam. This painting is not for sale.
The lady exclaimed with appreciation (a)………………………… and inquired the
shopkeeper (b) ………………………….. . The shopkeeper answered in the negative
informing the lady that(c)………………………………
Ans. (a) that was a beautiful painting
(b) if that was for sale
(c) that painting was not for sale
