1.DIRECT_AND_INDIRECT_SPEECH

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
REPORTED SPEECH
Direct Speech
Anne said to Sam, “I am busy now.” --- [Actual words of the speaker are mentioned]
Subject Reporting verb Object Reported speech
Indirect Speech
Anne told Sam that she was busy then. --- [Gist of the speaker’s words is mentioned]
Reporting verb Conjunction
In Direct Speech
1. The Reported Speech is put in within Inverted Commas.
2.The Reporting Verb is separated from the Reported Speech by a comma.
3. The first word of the Reported Speech begins with a capital letter.
4. In Reported Speech we can use any tense by the sense and any kind of sentence.
In Indirect speech
1. Inverted commas are not used.
2.The comma separating the Reported Verb from the Reported Speech is removed.
3. The Reported Speech is introduced by some Conjunction. [that, if, ...]
4. The Reporting Verb changes according to the sense / kind of sentence in the reported
speech.
5. The tense of the Reporting Verb is never changed.
6. All kinds of sentences change into Assertive Sentences / Statements.
Question mark (?), Exclamation mark (!) and words like ‘ Hurrah!’, ‘ Alas!’, ‘Oh!’,‘ Please ’
etc. are omitted.
I. CHANGE OF REPORTING VERB:

Direct Speech - Indirect Speech
1. Assertive Sentences - say / says - say / says
says to - tells
will say - will say
said - said
said to - told
2. Interrogative Sentences - - asked / enquired / questioned
3. Imperative Sentences - - requested / ordered / wished / advised /
suggested / congratulated
4. Exclamatory Sentences - - exclaimed with joy / sorrow / grief / pain /
surprise / contempt.
II. USE OF CONJUNCTION :

1. Assertive Sentences - ‘that’ is used
2. Interrogative Sentences – 1.Explanatory Questions [beginning with Interrogative word like
who, whose, which , where, when, how etc ] – No Conjunction
is used.
2. Yes / No questions [beginning with helping verbs like Do,
Does, Did, Will, Have, Has, Can, May, etc. ] - if / whether is
used.
3. Imperative Sentences - ‘to’ is used.
4. Exclamatory Sentences - ‘ that’ is used.
III. CHANGE OF PRONOUNS :

I Person pronoun in the reported speech is changed according to the subject of the reporting
verb..
II Person pronoun in the reported speech is changed according to the object of the reporting
verb.
III Person pronoun in the reported speech remains unchanged.
Eg. Sam said to his mom , “I forgot my book in school.”
Subject object
Sam told his mom that he had forgotten his book in school.
IV. CHANGE OF TENSE:
Present Tense changes to Past Tense
Past Tense changes to Past Perfect Tense
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
1. Simple present tense Simple past tense
2. Present continuous tense Past continuous tense
3. Present perfect tense Past perfect tense
4. Present perfect continuous tense Past perfect continuous tense.
5. Simple past tense Past perfect tense
6. Past continuous tense. Past perfect continuous tense
7. Past perfect tense Remains unchanged – Past perfect tense
8. Past perfect continuous tense Remains unchanged – Past perfect continuous tense.
Exception to rule of change of tense :

1. If there is universal truth, habitual action, past historical fact, laws and rules or
imaginary conditional clause or proverbs / quotations in the reported speech , the tense of
the verb is never changed.
Eg.1. The teacher said, “ The earth rotates round its axis.” – Geographical truth.
The teacher said that the earth rotates round its axis.
2. I said , “I am an early bird .” – Habitual action.
I said that I am an early bird.
3. Abhi said , “ If I were you I would help her .” – Imaginary conditional clause.
Abhi said that if he were me, he would help her.
2. If the Reporting Verb is in Present tense or Future tense , the tense of the verb in the
Reported Speech does not change.
1. Raj says, “ She has brought a fair name to her family.”
Raj says that she has brought a fair name to her family.
2. He is saying, “ I am suffering from fever.”
He is saying that he is suffering from fever.
3. She will say, “ Somu will tell a lie.”
She will say that Somu will tell a lie.
V. CHANGE OF VERBS:
Is / am - was
Are - were
Has / have - had
Do / does - did
Will - would
Shall - should
Can - could
May - might
Must - had to
Should - would [ only if it comes after I, we ]
VI. CHANGE IN WORDS INDICATING NEARNESS IN TIME AND SPACE :

This that
These those
Ago before
Last night the previous night / the night before
Today that day
Now then
Tomorrow the next day
Yesterday the previous day / he day before
Tonight that night
Next week the following week
Come go
Here there
Hence thence
Hither thither
Thus so
VII. ‘LET’ SENTENCES :

1. When ‘let’ in the sentence expresses proposal or suggestion , the reporting verb is changed
into proposed or suggested and ‘let’ is replaced by ‘should’ .
Eg. She said, “ Let us enjoy boating in the river, friends.”
She suggested to her friends that they should enjoy boating in the river.
2. If ‘let’ in the sentence expresses allow or persuade, it is changed into phrases as ‘might be
allowed’ or ‘to let’.
Eg. The teacher said to Kishan, “ Let Ali read the lesson.”
The teacher suggested Kishan that Ali might be allowed to read the lesson.
The teacher ordered Kishan to let Ali read the lesson.
3. When ‘let’ in the sentence expresses a condition or supposition, it is changed into ‘might’.
Eg. The Principal said, “Let him work so hard that he wins a scholarship.”
The Principal said that he might work so hard that he won a scholarship.

1.DIRECT_AND_INDIRECT_SPEECH

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DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

I. CHANGE OF REPORTING VERB:

II. USE OF CONJUNCTION :

III. CHANGE OF PRONOUNS :

Exception to rule of change of tense :

VI. CHANGE IN WORDS INDICATING NEARNESS IN TIME AND SPACE :

VII. ‘LET’ SENTENCES :

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