direct
indirect
reported clause
statement
-clause
question
clause clause
clause
command
-infinitive clause
Indirect speech: reporting statements
Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:
The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )
I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)
Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.
Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:
She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )
The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )
He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )
Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )
Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:
He asked me what I wanted.
Not: He asked me what I wanted?
The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:
She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.
Not: … who had we invited …
In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:
I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )
He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )
She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )
Not: She asked us what were we doing?
We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :
I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).
Not: I asked her when had it happened?
I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )
Not: I asked her where was the bus station?
The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )
Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?
Questions: wh- questions
Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:
The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )
The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )
We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :
They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )
The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )
Verbs followed by a to -infinitive
We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:
Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.
Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.
Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)
We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:
JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM
PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM
Present simple ( I work )
Reported speech
Reported speech: direct speech
In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:
Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?
Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.
‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.
direct speech | indirect speech |
not very happy at work.’ | not very happy at work. |
going home.’ | going home. |
be late.’ | be late. |
been working,’ she said. | . |
to make her so angry?’ he asked. | to make her so angry. |
In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.
direct | indirect | |
present simple | → | past simple |
present continuous | → | past continuous |
present perfect simple | → | past perfect simple |
present perfect continuous | → | past perfect continuous |
past simple | → | past perfect simple |
past continuous | → | past perfect continuous |
future (will) | → | future-in-the-past (would) |
past perfect | ↔ | past perfect (no change) |
The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:
Direct speech | Indirect speech |
| already left. |
Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.
direct speech | indirect speech | change | |
| be there,’ he promised. | be there. | becomes |
| need more money.’ I open it?’ she asked. | need more money. open it. | usually becomes in reported questions, becomes |
| see you at 2.30,’ he added. | see me at 2.30. | becomes |
| be back later,’ she said. wait in the hallway,’ he said. | be back later. wait in the hallway. | (possibility) becomes (permission) becomes |
| pay by 30th April.’ be awful to live in such a noisy place,’ she said. | pay by 30th April. be awful to live in such a noisy place. | (obligation) usually becomes (speculation) does not change |
| sell it for about 2,000 euros,’ he said. | sell it for about 2,000 euros. | no change |
| go there immediately,’ she said. | go there immediately. | no change |
| buy it if I had the money,’ he said. | buy it if he had the money. | no change |
| snow tonight,’ he warned. | snow that night. | no change |
| come till six o’clock,’ he said. | come till six o’clock. | no change |
We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:
He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )
He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )
Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:
She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )
The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )
We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:
He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)
She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)
He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)
She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)
Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.
direct | indirect | |
don’t want to shock people,’ Tom said. | said he didn’t want to shock people. | different speakers ( changes to ) |
’ll look after Toby,’ I said. | said I would look after Toby. | same speaker (no change) |
need to be here at nine o’clock,’ George told Beatrice. | told Beatrice she needed to be there at nine o’clock. | different speakers ( changes to ) |
hope you will join us tonight,’ I said to James. | told James I hoped he would join us that night. | same speaker (no change to ; changes to ) |
We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.
direct speech | indirect speech |
.’ | the next/following day. |
this moment in time.’ | . |
.” | . |
,’ the boy protested. | . |
direct | indirect | |
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The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:
She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .
Not: She always asks me where am I going .
We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:
I asked him what he was doing.
Not: I asked him what he was doing?
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English Grammar & Vocabulary
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13th June 2020 By Edify English Leave a Comment
Any word spoken by a speaker can be written in two different ways. Those two are direct and indirect speech. Direct Speech is when the speaker’s actual words are quoted and these words are put in inverted commas (“…..”) while Indirect Speech is when the speaker’s words are said indirectly with the same meaning without repeating the exact words. For Example, the statement in direct speech She said to me, “I am going to the park” changes into She told me that she was going to the park in indirect speech.
Basic Changes while changing from Direct speech to indirect speech
Example: He said to me, “I am happy” becomes He told me that he was happy
(The verb in the direct speech ‘am’ is converted into ‘was’.)
Example: He said to me, “I was happy” changes into He told me that he had been happy
Example: The peon said, “The professor is teaching in that classroom” changes into The peon said that the professor was teaching in that classroom.
Example: She said, “I have passed the test” becomes She said that she had passed the test.
Example: The teacher said, “The sun rises in the East” becomes The teacher said that the sun rises in the east in indirect speech.
Example: Samuel said, “I know the university’s address.” and the indirect speech for that is Samuel said that he knows the university’s address
Rules for converting Interrogatory sentences
Example: He said to her, “Will you marry me?” changes into He asked her whether she would marry him in the indirect speech.
Rules for Converting Imperative Sentences
Example: My father said to me, “prepare well for your examination” . It can be converted to My father advised me to prepare well for my examination.
Rules for Converting Exclamatory Sentences
Example: The coach said, “Hurrah! we won the match!” is changed as The coach exclaimed with joy that we had won the match.
These are the changes in helping verbs while changing from Direct and Indirect Speech
Am/ Is | Was |
Are | Were |
Have/ Had/ Did | had |
Do/ Does | Did |
Will | Would |
Shall | Should |
Can | Could |
May | Might |
Must | Had to |
Was/ Were | had been |
Should | Should |
Had | Had |
Would | Would |
Could | Could |
Note: There is no change in the helping verbs “would, should, could, might, had” in the direct speech and they remain the s ame in indirect speech as well.
Changes in Time and Place
This | That |
These | Those |
Here | There |
Now | Then |
Today | That Day |
Tonight | That Night |
Tomorrow | The next day/ The following day |
The Day after tomorrow | In two days |
The Day before yesterday | Two days before |
Ago | Before |
Next | The following |
Last | The previous |
Thus | So |
This Evening | That Evening |
Hence | Thence |
Cha nges in pronoun s
The changes in pronouns in indirect speech depends on the subject and the object of the reporting verb.
Example: She said, “I watched a movie” can be converted into She said that she had watched a movie . Hence, the first person in the direct speech “I” has become “she” based on the subject.
Had there been “he” instead of “she”, the first person in reported speech changes accordingly into “he”.
Example: She said to me, “You watched a movie” can be converted into She told me that I had watched a movie.
Example: I said to her, “He will play Chess” can be converted into I told her that he would play Chess.
Stay tuned for more examples of direct and indirect speech.
For an extensive material on tenses, Click here
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Olivia Drake
Direct and indirect speech are two different ways of reporting spoken or written language. Let’s delve into the details and provide some examples.
Direct speech refers to the exact words someone said, often (but not always) enclosed in quotation marks. It is also known as quoted speech or direct discourse. This method is useful when you want to convey someone’s words verbatim.
For example:
Sarah said, “I’m feeling very happy today.””It’s a beautiful day,” commented John.In these examples, the words within the quotation marks are exactly what the speaker said.
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech or indirect discourse, is when you report what someone said, but not in their exact words. You’re paraphrasing their words. When you use indirect speech, you don’t use quotation marks.
Sarah said that she was feeling very happy that day.John commented that it was a beautiful day.In these examples, you’re reporting the essence of what the speaker said, but not using their exact words.
It’s also worth noting that in indirect speech, verb tenses, pronouns, and words expressing time and place may need to change to reflect the shift in perspective.
Here is an example:
Direct speech: He said, “I am going to the store now.” Indirect speech: He said that he was going to the store then.
Notice how “am” changed to “was” and “now” changed to “then”. This is because the time and context have shifted from when the speaker originally spoke to when the speaker’s words were reported.
Click here if you want to read more about direct and indirect speech.
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Direct and indirect speech is often a confusing topic for English learners. The basic idea is this:
The critical difference is that direct speech uses the exact words spoken by a person, while indirect speech summarizes what was said. While the definition is simple, the challenge for English language learners is using the proper tenses when converting a phrase from direct to indirect and vice versa.
There are several occasions – in your professional and personal – where you might need to describe an action or event to others. For example, you might have to repeat the team leader’s instructions to your teammates at the workplace. In this scenario, you convert your team leader’s direct to indirect speech.
Knowing conversion rules can help you present or describe the event correctly without making any grammatical errors or spoken English blunders.
In this post, we walk you through the rules of converting direct to indirect speech, helping you speak English fluently online and offline.
The rule is simple: Use direct speech when you want to repeat what someone says as it is, and ensure that the spoken text is sandwiched between quotation (speech) marks.
John said, “I want to learn to speak English fluently.”
It’s common to see the direct speech in newspaper articles and books. For example,
The District Collector announced, “The Chief Minister will inaugurate the city centre next week.”
As you can notice, in direct speech, we use the verb say (said in the past tense) to denote what was spoken. You can also use related verbs like ‘asked,’ ‘replied,’ ‘told,’ ‘informed,’ ‘shouted,’ etc.
Indirect speech is also reported speech, as we use it to inform/repeat what someone else said. Using the two examples above, we can convert it into indirect speech as follows:
John said that he wanted to learn to speak English fluently.
The District Collector announced that the Chief Minister would inaugurate the city centre the week after.
Another example,
Direct Speech: “I feel cold.”
Indirect Speech: She says that she feels cold.
If you notice these examples carefully, you can see that the tense changes when converting from direct to indirect speech. To illustrate this point, in the following example, direct speech is in the present simple tense, while indirect speech is written in the simple past tense.
Direct Speech: “I live in the city centre.”
Indirect Speech: He said he lived in the city centre.
Similarly, other tenses follow similar rules when changing from direct to indirect speech. Use the following table to help you better understand the tense change rules:
Direct Speech | Tense | Indirect Speech | Tense |
The kids said, “We play football.” | Present Simple | The kids said that they played football. | Past Simple |
He said, “I’m having lunch.” | Present Continuous | He said that he was having lunch. | Past Continuous |
She said, “I have bought a new home.” | Present Perfect | She said that she had bought a new home. | Past Perfect |
The teacher said, “I have been teaching English for the last five years.” | Present Perfect Continuous | The teacher said she had been teaching English for the last five years. | Past Perfect Continuous |
The students exclaimed, “We won a prize.” | Past Simple | The students exclaimed that they had won a prize. | Past Perfect |
Jenifer said, “I was watching a movie.” | Past Continuous | Jenifer said that she had been watching a movie. | Past Perfect Continuous |
The project manager said, “We had resolved the issue.” | Past Perfect | The project manager said they had resolved the issue. | Past Perfect (Remains the same) |
The chef said, “I had been peeling onions since morning.” | Past Perfect Continuous | The chef said that he had been peeling onions since morning. | Past Perfect Continuous (Remains the same) |
Rahul said, “I will celebrate New Year’s Eve in Chennai.” | Future Simple | Rahul said he would celebrate New Year’s Eve in Chennai. | Note that “will” changes to “would” |
Neha said, “We will be waiting for you.” | Future Continuous | Neha said that they would be waiting for me. | Note that “will” changes to “would be” |
The scientist said, “We will have completed the mission in 2023.” | Future Perfect Continuous | The scientist said that they would have completed the mission in 2023. | Note that “will” changes to “would have” |
When converting direct to indirect speech, you must change modal verbs accordingly. Here are a few examples to help you understand better:
Direct Speech | Modal Verbs | Indirect Speech | Modal Verbs |
The kid said, “I can swim.” | Can | The kid said that she could swim. | “Can” changes to “could” |
Priya said, “I must go.” | Must | Priya said that she had to go. | “Must” changes to “had” |
Dad asked, “Shall we start?” | Shall | Dad asked if we should start. | “Shall” becomes “should” |
Sometimes it becomes necessary to change the time expressions when converting from direct to indirect speech. A few examples,
Here are a few examples of other typical time expressions and how they change:
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
Yesterday | The day before |
Now | At that time, then |
Today | That day, on Sunday/Monday, etc. |
Tonight | That night |
Last night | The night before |
Last month | The previous month |
This week | That week, last week |
Five minutes ago | Five minutes before |
In one hour | One hour later |
Like time expressions, you might also have to change words representing places when reporting indirect speech. For example,
Here are a few examples of other common place expressions and how they change:
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
here | There (or) the place |
this | that |
This pen | That pen |
In this room | In that room |
However, the place words only change when you report something from a different location.
Now that you’ve seen the rules to convert direct to indirect speech, it’s time to put them into practice. The most efficient way to improve English speaking is to practice what you’ve learned. Join online English-speaking practice classes to gain confidence and mastery in your daily conversations.
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A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Let’s have an example first.
Direct Speech
Tina | said | “Are you busy now?” |
Indirect Speech
Tina | asked | whether | I was busy then. |
List of Reporting verbs and linkers (list 1)
Said, told | That | |
1. Yes-no question 2. Wh-question | Asked, wanted to know, enquired | If / whether |
Asked, wanted to know, enquired | wh-word | |
1. Without ‘Let’ 2. With ‘Let’ | Told, ordered, advised, requested, asked | to / not to |
Suggested, proposed | that | |
Wished, prayed | that | |
Exclaimed in joy / sorrow / wonder / fear / disgust etc. | that |
Verbs of Reported speech (if the reporting verb is in past tense) (list 2) Direct speech → Indirect speech Am / is / are → was / were Was / were → had been Has / have → had Had → had had Shall / will → would Can → could May → might Must, should → must, should Verb1 → verb2 Verb2 → had + verb3
Change of time and place expressions in past tense (list 3) now → then ago → before today → that day yesterday → the previous day tomorrow → the next day last night → the previous night here → there this → that these → those
Narration change of interrogative sentence, narration change of imperative sentence, narration change of optative sentence, narration change of exclamatory sentence, narration change of vocatives, narration change of question tag.
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Direct and indirect speech grammar rules vary so you need to understand them. We'll start by looking at what each one is. Note that indirect speech is also commonly knows as reported speech.
Direct speech is when the words are given in exactly the way that the speaker said them. So in other words they are quoted with no change .
When presenting direct speech, the words are usually placed in quotation marks, with a comma after say(s) / said if it is used to present the speech. Say (s) / said can also be placed at the end of the quotation, in which case a comma comes before it.
Indirect speech is also known as reported speech . You may also see it referred to as indirect discourse or indirect narration .
Indirect speech is the reporting of what someone else said in your own words but without changing the meaning of what was said.
Reporting verbs are used to present indirect speech. The common ones are:
That is in brackets as it can be omitted from the sentence, whether spoken or written.
So the key difference between direct and indirect speech is that with direct speech the exact words are quoted but in indirect speech it is your own words .
Direct speech is fairly simple to use and understand as it involves just repeating what was said. There is not much to get confused about with the grammar, apart from getting say(s)/said correct.
But indirect or reported speech is more difficult so we will look at that in more detail now.
View more examples of direct and indirect speech >>
With direct and indirect speech, there are three main things you need to be aware of when converting one to the other:
The tense of verbs when moving from direct to indirect speech do not necessarily change because if the circumstances of what someone said is the same, then it may be reported as that. For example:
However, as we are reporting what was said in the past, we often change the tense. This rule for this is related to backshifting, which means shifting back a tense. So the present will go back to the past. Some modals also change.
Here are examples using the previous examples of indirect speech, showing you how they look like in direct speech:
There are more details on the site about changing tenses in indirect / reported speech:
Learn more about changing tenses >>
Pronouns in indirect speech also need to be changed from what they were in the indirect speech, as well as of course adapting the first pronoun to fit the person who said the statement:
You may also need to change phrases referring to time, though this depends on the context and when you are reporting the speech.
With these examples you have to assume the speech is being reported at a time in the future so the phrases such as 'yesterday' or 'tomorrow' would not makes sense any more in terms of the reported speech.
Some different rules apply when turning direct speech using imperatives or commands into indirect speech. Check out the rules here:
Rules for Reported Speech Imperatives >>
This reported speech quiz gives you the chance to practice converting direct speech to reported speech, also known as indirect speech. This involves backshifting with the tenses.
In these examples of direct and indirect speech you are given a sentence in direct speech which is then connected to indirect speech.
Reported speech imperatives, also known as reported commands, follow a slightly different structure to normal indirect speech. We use imperatives to give orders, advice, or make requests.
Reported speech tenses may differ from the tense of the direct speech. The general rule for tenses in reported speech is that it changes to the past tense. This is called backshifting.
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Direct speech, changing the tense (backshift), no change of tenses, question sentences, demands/requests, expressions with who/what/how + infinitive, typical changes of time and place.
In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks , this is known as direct speech , or we can use indirect speech . In indirect speech , we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting verb or phrase such as ones below.
Learn the rules for writing indirect speech in English with Lingolia’s simple explanation. In the exercises, you can test your grammar skills.
Mandy is sitting in the café where James works. He tells her, “I work in this café almost every day. But yesterday I saw a famous TV presenter here for the first time. She was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting now.” |
A week later, Mandy is speaking to a friend on the phone, “I saw James at the café last week. He said that .” |
When turning direct speech into indirect speech, we need to pay attention to the following points:
If the introductory clause is in the simple past (e.g. He said ), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table). The term for this in English is backshift .
direct speech | indirect speech |
---|---|
simple present | simple past |
present progressive | past progressive |
simple past | past perfect simple |
present perfect simple | |
past perfect simple | |
past progressive | past perfect progressive |
present perfect progressive | |
past perfect progressive | |
future (going to) | was / were going to |
future (will) | conditional (would) |
conditional (would) |
The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change.
If the introductory clause is in the simple present , however (e.g. He says ), then the tense remains unchanged, because the introductory clause already indicates that the statement is being immediately repeated (and not at a later point in time).
In some cases, however, we have to change the verb form.
When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points:
We don’t just use indirect questions to report what another person has asked. We also use them to ask questions in a very polite manner.
When turning demands and requests into indirect speech, we only need to change the pronouns and the time and place information. We don’t have to pay attention to the tenses – we simply use an infinitive .
If it is a negative demand, then in indirect speech we use not + infinitive .
To express what someone should or can do in reported speech, we leave out the subject and the modal verb and instead we use the construction who/what/where/how + infinitive.
direct speech | indirect speech |
---|---|
today | that day |
now | then at that moment/time |
yesterday | the day before |
… days ago | … days before |
last week | the week before |
next year | the following year |
tomorrow | the next day the following day |
here | there |
this | that |
these | those |
The words say and tell are not interchangeable. say = say something tell = say something to someone
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Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of communicating what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. For example, if your friend said, “ I am going to the store ,” in reported speech, you might convey this as, “ My friend said he was going to the store. ” Reported speech is common in both spoken and written language, especially in storytelling, news reporting, and everyday conversations.
Reported speech can be quite challenging for English language learners because in order to change direct speech into reported speech, one must change the perspective and tense of what was said by the original speaker or writer. In this guide, we will explain in detail how to change direct speech into indirect speech and provide lots of examples of reported speech to help you understand. Here are the key aspects of converting direct speech into reported speech.
Reported speech: reporting verbs.
In reported speech, various reporting verbs are used depending on the nature of the statement or the intention behind the communication. These verbs are essential for conveying the original tone, intent, or action of the speaker. Here are some examples demonstrating the use of different reporting verbs in reported speech:
Reported speech: changing time and place references, reported speech: question format.
When converting questions from direct speech into reported speech, the format changes significantly. Unlike statements, questions require rephrasing into a statement format and often involve the use of introductory verbs like ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’. Here are some examples to demonstrate how questions in direct speech are converted into statements in reported speech:
Reported speech quiz.
Direct and indirect speech exercises and answers (2025) help learners understand the transformation between direct statements and reported speech, enhancing their comprehension and expression abilities.
We frequently employ direct and indirect speech in our everyday interactions to accurately convey what was said and summarize information efficiently.
Enhance your understanding of Direct and Indirect Speech with our extensive collection of over 200 exercises and corresponding answers.
Through practice in transforming quotations into reported speech, grasp the principles and methods involved, and refine your differentiation between direct and indirect speech.
Elevate your language proficiency and deepen your comprehension of English with our comprehensive set of over 200 Direct and Indirect Speech exercises and answers.
Direct speech is when the exact words spoken by a person are quoted within quotation marks. It provides a direct representation of what was said, maintaining the original wording and tone. Direct speech adds authenticity and immediacy to the narrative.
For example,
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, conveys someone else’s words without quoting them directly. Indirect speech offers a concise summary, enabling effective communication and storytelling.
Before delving into the direct and indirect speech exercises, consider how Tense , Pronouns , Time , and Place change when transitioning from direct to indirect speech and vice versa.
Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and answers, along with examples are given in the following for practice. It’s important for students as well as for competitive Exams. For practice and easy comprehension, Direct and indirect speech Exercises and answers have been arranged according to different rules in the following.
Exercises and answers with tense alterations facilitate practice and comprehension of verb tense transformations.
Change the mode of narration from direct Speech to indirect speech .
(1) He said , ‘I need some money.’ Ans: He said that he needed some money.
(2) She said, ‘I am waiting for him.’ Ans: She said that she was waiting for him.
(3) The boy said , ‘I have done my homework.’ Ans: The boy said that he had done his homework.
(4) You said, ‘The baby has been sleeping .” Ans: You said that the baby had been sleeping .
(5) You say, ‘I am always busy.’ Ans: You say that you are always busy.
(6) The child will say , ‘Mum knows everything.’ Ans: The child will say that Mum knows everything.
(7) He said , ‘I did it.’ Ans: He said that he had done it.
(8) She said, ‘He was talking .’ Ans: She said that he had been talking .
(9) The monk said , ‘Man will die .’ Ans: The monk said that man will die.
(10) He said , ‘The sun gives us light.’ Ans: He said that the sun gives us light.
Switch the narrative style from direct speech to indirect speech.
(1) He said to me, “I can’t recall your name.” Ans: He told me that he could not recall my name.
(2) Poulami says , “I am fine.” Ans: Poulomi says that she is fine.
(3) He said, “I did it.” Ans: He said that he had done it.
(4) “I know her address,” said Gopi. Ans: Gopi said that he knew her address.
(5) Ram said, “The earth is round.” Ans: Ram said that the Earth is round.
(6) “We planted it ourselves,” said the grandfather. Ans: The Gran Father said that they had planted it themselves.
(7) Debu said, “I have been playing rugby.” Ans: Debu said that he had been playing rugby.
(8) Purbasha said to me,” I am afraid of ghosts.” Ans: Purbasha told me that she was afraid of ghosts.
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Turn the following sentences from direct Speech to indirect speech .
(1) The boys said , “It has been raining since morning. We cannot play today.” Ans: The boys said that it had been raining since morning so they could not play that day.
(2) Anjan’s mother said, “Your father has left for Mumbai.” Ans: Anjan’s mother said that my father had left for Mumbai.
(3) My teacher said , “Practice makes a man perfect.” Ans: My teacher said that practice makes a man perfect.
(4) He says, “I go to the temple every morning.” Ans: He says that he goes to the temple every morning.
(5) He said to me, “I will not get down from the bus.” Ans: He told me that he would not get off the bus.
(6) Rita says to Mita, “I will go with you.” Ans: Rita tells Mita that she w ill go with her.
(7) The boy said to his friend, “I went to school yesterday.” Ans: The boy told his friend that he had gone to school the previous day.
(8) You said, “I was right.” Ans: You said that you had been right.
(9) “I ‘ll go to the top,” said the young lady. Ans: The young lady said that she would go to the top.
(10) I ‘ ve got my rules,” the conductor said to me. Ans: The conductor told me that he had got his rules.
Exercises and answers incorporating pronouns in direct and indirect speech facilitate learners’ understanding and application of pronoun changes in reported speech structures.
(1) You said, ‘ I never smoked.” Ans: You said that you never smoked.
(2) I said, ‘ I am always busy.” Ans: I said that I was alway busy
(3) I said to you , ‘ You look tired.” Ans: I said to you that you looked tired.
(4) You said to me , ‘ You are dependable.” Ans: You said to me that I was dependable.
(5) You said, “ He is right.” Ans: You said that he was right.
(6) I said, “ They will be late. Ans: I said that they w ould be late.
(7) He said to (Deep) , ‘ You told it so.” Ans: He said to Deep that he (Deep) had told it so.
(8) Mon said to Moon , “ You are naughty.” Ans: Mon said to Moon that she (Moon) was naughty.
Alter the narrative style from direct speech to indirect speech.
(1) He said to me, “ I have done the job.” Ans: He told me that he had done the job.
(2) Rohit said, “ I was absent yesterday.” Ans: Rohit said that he (Rohit) had been absent the previous day.
(3) The boy said, “ My father died two years ago.” Ans: The boy said that his father had died two years before.
(4) He said, “ My goal is to climb Mt Everest. “ Ans: He said that his goal was to climb Mount Everest.
(5) “ I shall certainly do nothing of this kind”, the woman. Ans: The woman said that she would certainly do nothing of that kind.
(6) The man said, “ I am exhausted.” Ans: The man said that he was exhausted.
(7) He said, “ I am washing my hands.” Ans: He said that he was washing his hands.
(8) Mother bird said to her little ones, “Today I will teach you how to fly.” Ans: Mother bird told her little ones that that day, she would teach them how to fly.
(9) Rita’s father says. “ I have done this for you. Ans: Rita’s father says that he had done that for her.
(10) Sumana said to her sister, “ I want to play with you.” Ans: Sumana told her sister that she wanted to play with her.
Exercises and answers on time and place expressions in direct and indirect speech aid learners in accurately conveying temporal and spatial information while mastering reported speech conventions.
Turn the following direct speech into indirect speech
(1) I said to you, “I wish to start business next year. “ Ans: I said to you that I wished to start business the following years.
(2) You said to them, “ Now I shall tell you a nice story.” Ans: You told them that then you would tell them a nice story.
(3) She said to him, “I bought the book yesterday. “ Ans: She told him that she had bought the book the previous day .
(4) He said to me, “I saw your sister two years ago . Ans: He told me that he had seen my sister two years before.
(5) He said to his son, “You may come with me tomorrow. Ans: He told his son that he (his son) might go with him the next day.
(6) He said to her, I’m talking to you now for your good.” Ans: He told her that he was talking to her then for her good.
(7) The girl said to me, My father died two years ago. “ Ans: The girl told me that her father died two years before.
Exception: But if ‘ now ‘, ‘ here ‘, ‘ this ‘ refer to things present before the speaker at the time of reporting, no change is needed.
(8) He said to me, ‘I have no friend here. ‘ Ans: He told me that he had no friend here.
(9) I said, ‘We cannot be happy in this world.’ Ans: I said that we cannot be happy in this world.
(10) She said, “ This is the house where I was born.” Ans: She said that this was the house where she was born.
Change the following sentences into indirect speech.
(1) The boy said to his father, “I had my tiffin in school yesterday. “ Ans: The boy told his father that he had had his tiffin in school the previous day .
(2) The captain informed, “The tournament was postponed last year. “ Ans: The captain informed us that the tournament was postponed the previous year .
(3) She said, “We have been living here for two years.” Ans: She said that they had been living there for two years.
(4) Arnab said to Ajit,” I am happy today .” Ans: Arna told Ajit that he was happy that day.
(5) My friend said to me, “We went to the zoo yesterday. “ Ans: My friend told me that they had gone to the zoo the previous day.
(6) The clerk said, “I’ll do the work now. “ Ans: Clark said that he would do the work then.
(7) Hiten said to Mihir, “I received this letter yesterday. “ Ans: Hiten told me that he had received that letter the previous day.
(8) Rajib said to me. “I shall go to the picture today. “ Ans: Rajiv told me that he would go to the picture that day.
(9) He said, “We are very happy here. “ Ans: He said that they were very happy there.
(10) The farmer said, “I’ll sow the seeds now. “ Ans: The farmer said that he will show the seats then.
(12) The man said to me, “I received your gift yesterday. “ Ans: The man told me that he had received my gift the previous day.
(15) I said to my friend, “You were present in the class yesterday. “ Ans: I told my friend that he had been present in the class the previous day.
Direct and indirect speech exercises and answers focusing on assertive sentences enable learners to grasp the nuances of reporting statements confidently and accurately.
Transform the following direct speech into indirect speech
(1) My aunt said, ‘Every mother loves her child.’ Ans: My aunt said that every mother loves her child.
(2) Mon said to me, ‘I shall go, but you will stay.’ Ans: Mon told me that she would go but I should stay.
(3) He said to his father, ‘I shall always carry out your order.’ Ans: He told his father that he would always carry out his order.
(4) She said, ‘I sang a song at today’s function.’ Ans: She said that she had sung a song at today’s function.
(5) He said to me, ‘You are wicked, so I shall not mix with you.’ Ans: He told me that I was wicked, so he would not mix with me.
Change the following sentences converting the direct speeches into indirect speeches.
(1) The teacher said to the boy, “You have forgotten the lesson.” Ans: The teacher told the boy that he had forgotten the lesson.
(2) The boy said, “I shall go out and play.” Ans: The boy said that he would go out and play.
(3) He said, “I am happy to be here today.” Ans: He said that he was happy to be there that day.
(4) They said, “We shall play the game again tomorrow.” Ans: They said that they would play the game again the next day.
(5) The boy said, “Two and two make four.” Ans: The boy said that two and two make four.
Change the form of narration from indirect speech into direct speech.
(1) She told them that she had lost her books and theirs too. Ans : “I have lost my books and yours too”, she told them.
(2) The princess says that she has lost her way. Ans: The princess says, “I have lost my way.”
(3) They say that they must keep their locality clean. Ans: They say, “We must keep our locality clean.”
(4) The girl says that those books are theirs, but that one is hers. Ans: The girl says, “These books are theirs, but this one is mine.”
(5) The Happy prince said that he had led the dance in the Great Hall. Ans: The Happy Prince said, “I led the dance in the great hall.”
Engage with interrogative sentences through direct and indirect speech exercises and answers to sharpen your ability to convey questions effectively within different narrative frameworks.
(1) Mother said to her, ‘Are you feeling feverish?’ Ans: Mother inquired of her if she was feeling feverish.
(2) ‘Was it not a piece of luck?’ said Slavator. Ans: Salvtor wanted to know if that was not a piece of luck.
(3) The host said to me, ‘Have all the guests arrived?’ Ans: The host asked me whether all the guests had arrived.
(4) I said, ‘Do you know who will preside over the meeting?’ Ans: I asked whether he knew who would be presiding over the meeting.
(5) I said to the boy, ‘Did you pass the examination?’ Ans: I asked the boy if had passed the examination.
(6) She said to him, ‘Which of the books do you want to buy? Ans: She asked him which of the books he wanted to buy.
(7) The king said, ‘Who is not ready to due for his land, my countryman?’ Ans: The king asked his countrymen who was not ready to due for his land.
(8) He said to her, ‘Whose type writer are you using? Ans: He inquired of her whose type- writer she was using.
(9) The girl said to the strang ‘Whom do you want to see? Ans: The girl asked the stranger whom he wanted to see.
(10) The teacher said to the student, ‘Why are you late regularly? Ans: The teacher asked the student why he was late regularly.
Turn the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.
(1) Bulbuli said to her friend, “Will you come tomorrow?” Ans: Bulbuli asked her friend if she would on the next day.
(2) The policeman said to the stranger, “What are you looking for?” Ans: The police asked the stranger what he was looking for.
(3) Nikhil said to me, “Why do you look sad? Ans: Nikhil asked me why I looked sad.
(4) I said to her, “Did you take tea ?” Ans: I asked her if she had taken tea.
(5) The girl said to her mother, “Will you give me your bangles ?” Ans: The girl asked her mother if she would give her her bangles.
(6) Father said to me, “Why are you so upset?” Ans: Father asked me why I was so upset.
Change the following indirect speech into Direct speech.
(1) She asked me if I had called her. Ans: She said to me, “Did you call me ?”
(2) He asked me if I was writing a letter. Ans: He asked me, “Are you writing a letter ?”
(3) The man asked the child how he had got there. Ans: “How did you get here, child ?”, the man said.
(4) The police asked me if I could show my identity card. Ans: The police said to me, “Can you show your identity card ?”
(5) He asked us if we were attending the meeting that day. Ans: He said to us, “Are you attending the meeting today?”
(6) I asked her if she had taken medicine. Ans: I said to her, “Did you take medicine ?”
(7) Raja asked Dipu if he would go to school that day. Ans: Raja said to Dipu, “Will you go to school today?
Master imperative sentences through direct and indirect speech exercises and answers, refining your skill in conveying commands and requests within diverse linguistic contexts.
Change the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.
(1) The teacher said, ‘Boys, go to your classes.’ Ans: The teacher ordered the boys to go to their classes.
(2) She said to him, ‘Please lend me your pen.’ Ans: She requested him to lend her his pen.
(3) The mother said to her son, ‘Wait here for me.’ Ans: The mother told her son to wait there for her.
(4) He said to me, ‘Go home at once.’ Ans: He advised me to go home at once.
(5) I said to my teacher, ‘Please explain the passage. Ans: I requested my teacher to explain the passage.
(6) The student said to the teacher, “Excuse me, sir.’ Ans: The student begged the teacher to excuse him.
(7) He said, ‘Friends, lend me your ears. Ans: Addressing them as friends, he requested them to lend him their ears.
(1) The teacher said to the students, “Keep quiet.” Ans: The teachers ordered the students to keep quiet.
(2) My teacher said to me. “Do not neglect your studies.” Ans: My teacher advised me not to neglect my studies.
(3) The man said to his son, “Always try to be honest.” Ans: The man advised it’s on to always try to be honest.
(4) Mother said to Raju, “Do not run in the sun.” Ans: Mother ordered Raju not to run in the sun.
(5) The man said to me, “Brother, please help me.” Ans: Addressing as a brother, the man requested me to help him.
(6) The students said, “Please allow us to play in the field.” Ans: The students requested to allow them to play on the field.
(7) He said to me, “Please give me some money.” Ans: He requested me to give him some money.
Change the following sentences from Indirect speech to Direct Speech of narration.
(1) He advised me not to waste my valuable time. Ans: He said to me, “Don’t waste your valuable time.”
(2) The grandson advised the children not to pluck flowers. Ans: The gardener said to the children, “Do not pluck flowers.”
(3) Tom forbade Sid to shake him. Ans: Tom said to Sid, “Don’t shake me.”
(4) The master ordered the servant to sort the door. Ans: The master said to the servant, “Shut the door.”
(5) The commander ordered the soldiers to stand at ease. Ans: The commander said to the soldiers, “Stand at ease.”
(6) Addressing as sethji, the vendor told him not to rob the poor. Ans: “Sethji, don’t rob the poor”, said the vendor.
(7) The doctor advised the patient to take proper vitamins to stay healthy. Ans: The doctor said to the patient, “Take proper vitamins to stay healthy.”
(8) The teacher ordered the students to do it then. Ans: The teacher said to the students, “Do it now.”
Enhance your understanding of direct and indirect speech through exercises and answers featuring the usage of “let,” allowing you to effectively report permissions, suggestions, or proposals in various contexts
Change the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech mode of narration.
(1) He said to her, ‘Let us go out for a walk,’ Ans: He proposed to her that they should go out for a walk.
(2) Mon said to Mohan, ‘Let us dis- cuss the matter,’ Ans: Mon suggested to Mohan that they should discuss the matter.
(3) The chairman said, ‘Let us put the motion to vote. Ans: The chairman proposed that they should put the motion to vote.
(4) I said to her, ‘Let us have some music,’ Ans: I proposed to her that we should have some music.
(5) ‘Let us hurry or we may miss the bus,’ said he, Ans: He urged all to hurry or they might miss the bus.
(6) She said, ‘Let me come in.’ Ans: She requested that she might be allowed to come in.
(7) He said, ‘Let her say whatever she likes.’ Ans: He said that she might say whatever she liked.
(8) He said, ‘Let me have a cup of coffee.’ Ans: He wished that he might have a cup of coffee.
(9) The player said to the captain, ‘Let me have a chance, please.’ Ans: The player requested the captain to let him have a chance.
(10) I said, ‘Let him work ever so hard, he cannot win the prize.’ Ans: He said that the visitor might be allowed to wait outside.
(1) Rahim said, “Let us decide the matter together.” Ans: Rahim suggested that they should decide the matter together.
(2) The boy said to me, “Let us play cricket.” Ans: The boy proposed that they should play cricket.
(3) He said, “Let me go home.” Ans: He wished that he might go home.
(4) He said to me, “Let him say whatever he likes.” Ans: He wished me that he might say whatever he liked.
(5) He shouted, “Let me go out. Ans: He shouted at me to go out.
Change the following sentences from indirect speech to direct speech mode of narration.
(1) She proposed that they should go to the cinema. Ans: She said, “Let us go to the cinema.”
(2) He suggested that they should drop the matter. Ans: He said, “Let us drop the matter”
(3) They suggested that they should make him give them their fears back. Ans: “Let’s make him give us our fares back,” they said.
(4) Shabnam proposed Chandni that they should go for a walk. Ans: “Let us go for a walk.” said Shabnam to Chandni.
(5) The leader suggested that they should hold a meeting the next day. Ans: The leader said, “Let’s hold a meeting tomorrow.”
Practice direct and indirect speech with exercises and answers focusing on optative sentences, enabling you to accurately report wishes, prayers, or blessings while honing your linguistic proficiency.
Change the following from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech.
(1) Mother said, ‘May you be happy.’ Ans: Mother wished that I might be happy.
(2) He said to you, ‘May God bless you.’ Ans: He prayed that God might bless you.
(3) She said, ‘Had I been there!’ Ans: She wished that she had been there.
(4) He said to me, ‘May you succeed.’ Ans: He wished that I might succeed.
(5) They said, ‘Long live the leader.’ Ans: They prayed that the leader might live long.
(6) He said to me, ‘May your mother recover soon. Ans: He wished that my mother might recover soon.
(7) The monk said, ‘May peace prevail.’ Ans: The monk hoped that peace would prevail.
(8) The boy siad, ‘Had I the wings of a bird.’ Ans: The boy wished that he could have the wings of a bird.
(1) I said to him, “May you be happy.” Ans: I wished that he might be happy.
(2) Mother said to me, “May God bless you.” Ans: Mother prayed that God might bless me.
(3) He said, “May his soul rest in peace.” Ans: He prayed that his soul might rest in peace.
(4) The girl said, “Oh, had I the wings of a dove.” Ans: The girl wished that she could have the wings of a dove.
(5) I said to him, “May you live long.” Ans: I wished him that he might live long.
Change the following from Indirect Speech to Direct Speech.
(1) Nilima wished me that I might recover soon. Ans: Nilima said to me, “May you recover soon.”
(2) Mother wished him that God might grant him a long life. Ans : Mother said to him, “May God grant you a long life.”
(3) The holy man wished that peace might prevail. Ans: The holy man said, “May peace prevail.”
(4) She wished that Mother Teresa might recover from illness soon. Ans: She said, “May Mother Teresa recover from illness soon.”
(5) He wished that he could bring his departed friend back to life. Ans: He said, “Oh, if I could bring my departed friend back to life.”
Engage in direct and indirect speech exercises focusing on exclamatory sentences to refine your ability in reporting strong emotions or exclamations accurately within different narrative frameworks.
(1) The supporters said, ‘Hurrah! we have won?’ Ans: The supporter exclaimed in joy that they had won.
(2) The girl said, ‘How wonderful love is!’ Ans: The girl exclaimed in joy that love is wonderful.
(3) The teacher said, ‘Bravo! Well done!’ Ans: The teacher applauded his students by saying that they had done well.
(4) ‘Alas! I am undone’, said the women. Ans: They women cried out in sorrow that she was undone.
(5) He said, ‘Good bye, my friends !’ Ans: He bade his friends good bye.
(6) The old man said to the youth, ‘Fie! You are such a coward.’ Ans: The old man exclaimed that it was shameful for the youth to be such a coward.
(7) ‘How dirty the house is!’ he observed. Ans: He exclaimed in irritation that the house was very dirty.
(8) ‘Good God! I am saved’, said he. Ans: He exclaimed in the name of merciful God that he was saved.
(1) The boys triumphantly said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.” Ans: The boys exclaimed in joy that they had won the match.
(2) The old man said to the girl, “May you be happy !” Ans: The old man wished the girl that she might be happy.
(3) He said, “What good news!” Ans: He exclaimed in joy that it was very good news.
(4) The children said, “How happy we were there!” Ans: The children gloomily said that they had been very happy there.
(5) He said to you. “May God bless you.” Ans: He wished you that God might bless you.
(6) My friend said to me. “What a fool you are!” Ans: My friend exclaimed in despair that she was a big fool.
(1) Piyali exclaimed in sorrow that she had lost her phone. Ans: “Alas! I have lost my phone”, said Piyali.
(2) Mother wished Roy that his dreams might come true. Ans: Mother said to Roy, “May your dreams come true.”
(3) The girl exclaimed that she had been very sensible. Ans: How insensible I have been!”, said the girl.
(4) The girl exclaimed in sorrow that she had torn her frock. Ans: The girl said, “Oh dear! I have torn my frock.”
(5) She exclaimed in sorrow that she was undone. Ans: She said, “Alas! I am undone.”
(6) They wished me happy birthday. Ans: They said to me. “Happy birthday!”
(7) The students bade their teacher good morning. Ans: “Good morning, Madam!”, said the students to the teacher.
A . Change the following into reported speech .
1. Rita says, “Kishore sang a song”.
2. The saint said, “Man is mortal”
3. You said, “we are learning our lesson’.
4. He said to me, “My father went to Mumbai last week.
5. I said to her, “Are you leaving tonight?”
6. He said to her, “Can you lend me your umbrella?”
7. She said, “I saw a tiger here’.
8. The principal said, “well done! my boys”.
9. She said, “Let them play.”
10. I said to Harsh, “Please help me.”
B. Change the direct speech into Indirect Speech
1. He asked me, “Where has he gone?”
2. The Prime Minister said, “National Integrity will be preserved at all costs.
3. She said, “My uncle came yesterday.”
4. Sheela said to us, “You must work hard.”
5. They said, “We trust in God.”
6. The officer said to him. “You will be dismissed if you do not attend the office in time.'”
7. He said to me “I am reading a book.”
8. He said, “Thanks for reminding me.’
9. She said,” Keep this room open.’
10. I said to him, “I went there on Tuesday.”
C. Choose the correct option .
1. I advised him ____________ it.
(a) to not do
(b) not to do
2. She told me ____________ careful.
(c) that be
3. She asked me if I ____________ my lunch.
(b) have eaten
(c) had eaten
4. She asked me ____________ going to the movies
(a) that I was
(b) if was I
(c) if I was
5. The dentist suggested ____________ get a new toothbrush.
(b) that I should
(c) me that I should
6. She said that no one ____________ me
(c) had called
7. He asked me ____________ to deserve such a cruel punishment.
(a) what had he done
(b) what he had done
(c) that he had done
8. He promised he ____________ do it by the end of the week.
9. She said that ____________ me before.
(a) she hadn’t met
(b) she did not meet
(c) she will not meet
10. I requested her____________ me.
(b) to help
(c) that help
1. The girl said that it ___________ to be there that evening.
(a) gave her great pleasure
(b) gives her great pleasure
(c) gives her great pleasure
2. The man said that he ___________ as soon as possible.
(a) must go
(b) had gone
(c) should be gone
3. She said that she ___________ to se any of them.
(a) does not want
(b) did not want
(c) had not wanted
4. The teacher says that if you work hard you ___________
(a) would pass
(b) will pass
5. He said that he ___________
(b) has won
(c) had won
6. He proposed that they ___________ for her return.
(a) shall wait
(b) will wait
(c) should wait
7. Alice exclaimed how clever ___________
(a) she was
(b) was she
(c) she has been
8. The young man asked which way she ___________
(a) has gone
(c) would go.
9. He asked me where ___________ going.
10. She requested them to wait there till she ___________
(a) returns
(b) returned
(c) will return
1. Ravi said, “I love this place”.
Ravi said _______________
2. “Do you like football?” He asked me.
He asked me_______________
3. “I can’t drive a lorry”, he said.
He said _______________
4. “Be nice to your brother”, he said
He asked me _______________
5. “Don’t be nasty, “he said
He urged me _______________
6. “Don’t waste your money “she said,
She told the boys _______________
7. “What have you decided to do? “she asked
him. She asked him _______________
8. “I always wake up early”. he said,
He said_______________
9. “You should revise your lessons’, he said,
He advised the students _______________
10. “Where have you been? “he asked me
He wanted to know _______________
1. She said, “I went to cinema yesterday,”
She said _______________
2. You said, “I will do this for him.”
You said _______________
3. He said, “I am writing a test tomorrow,
4. She said, “I am not hungry now”,
5. They said, “We have never been here before.”
They said _______________
6. They said, “We were in London last week.”
7. He said, “They won’t sleep.”
8. “Have you been shopping?” he asked us.
9. She said, “It is very quiet here.
10. “I don’t speak Italian”, she said.
She said_______________
Susan: Why have you not brought my party dress? Jenny: I haven’t brought it because I had gone to my uncle’s house with my parents, so I forgot to keep it. Susan: Don’t give me silly excuses. I want to know the truth. Jenny: I am sorry Susan. I was chatting with my friends till late. I forgot that you needed it urgently today.
Susan asked Jenny (a) …………… Jenny said that she (b) …………… . Susan (c) …………… . Jenny said that she was sorry and further added that she was chatting with her friends till late and she had forgotten that Jenny needed it urgently that day.
Dilip: I’ve been watching the sea and there hasn’t been any trace of a ship. Ralph: I told you yesterday too that we’ll be rescued, so have patience. Dilip: Why do you ask me to keep quiet whenever I say something? Ralph: Have you ever said anything sensible?
Dilip said (a) ………… . Ralph replied (b) ………… and so asked him to have patience. Dilip angrily asked Ralph (c) ………… to which Ralph wanted to know (d) …………
1. Rita says that Kishore sang a song.
2. The saint said that the man is mortal.
3. You said that you were learning your lesson.
4. He hold me that his father had gone to Mumbai the previous week.
5. I asked her if she was leaving that night.
6. He asked her if she could lend him her umbrella.
7. She said that she had seen a tiger there.
8. The principal exclaimed with applause that the boys had done well.
9. She suggested that they should be allowed to play.
10. I requested Harsh to help me.
1. He asked me where he had gone.
2. The Prime Minister declared that the National Integrity would be preserved at all costs.
3. She said that her uncle had come the previous day.
4. Sheela told us that we must work hard.
5. They said that they trusted in God.
6. The officer warned him that he would be dismissed
if he did not attend the office in time.
7. He told me that he was reading a book.
8. He thanked me for reminding him.
9. She ordered to keep that room open.
10. I told him that I had gone there on Tuesday.
1. (b) not to do
2. (b) to be
3. (c) had eaten
4. (c) if I was
5. (b) that I should
6. (c) had called
7. (b) what he had done
8. (b) would
9. (a) she hadn’t met
10. (b) to help
1. (a) gave her great pleasure.
2. (a) must go
3. (b) did not want
4. (b) will pass
5. (c) had won
6. (c) should wait
7. (a) she was
8. (b) had gone
9. (a) I was
10. (b) returned
E. Complete the sentence in reported speech.
1. that he loved that place
2. whether I liked football
3. that he couldn’t drive a lorry
4. to be nice to my brother
5. not to be nasty
6. not to waste their money
7. what he had decided to do
8. that he always wake up early
9. to revise their lessons
10. where I had been
1. that she had gone to cinema the previous day.
2. that you would do that for him.
3. that he will be writing a test the next day.
4. that she was not hungry then.
5. that they had never been there before.
6. that they had been in London the previous week.
7. that they wouldn’t sleep.
8. whether we had been shopping.
9. that it was very quiet there.
10. that she didn’t speak Italian.
(a) why she had not brought her party dress
(b) hadn’t brought it as she had gone to her uncle’s house with her parents; so she had forgotten to keep it
(c) told her not to give silly excuses and further said that she wanted to know the truth.
(a) that he had been watching the sea and that there had not been any trace of a ship
(b) that he had told him the day before that they would be rescued
(c) why he asked him to keep quiet whenever he said something
(d) if he had ever said anything sensible
Q: what’s the purpose of the indirect speech.
A: Indirect speech allows us to convey someone else’s words without quoting them verbatim. It’s useful for summarizing and paraphrasing.
Q: Are tense changes mandatory in indirect speech?
A: Yes, tense changes are often necessary to accurately reflect the timing of the original statement.
Q: Can reporting verbs be used interchangeably?
A: While reporting verbs can be interchangeable to some extent, their nuances can impact the meaning of the reported speech.
Q: Is it possible to transform any direct speech into indirect speech?
A: Yes, most direct speech can be converted into indirect speech, although some cases may require adjustments.
Q: How can I identify indirect speech in a sentence?
A: Look for keywords like “said,” “asked,” or other reporting verbs, as well as changes in pronouns, tenses, and time expressions.
Q: Why is mastering direct and indirect speech important?
A: Mastering these skills enhances communication clarity, adds variety to language use, and fosters effective expression.
Direct and indirect speech exercises and answers are invaluable tools for effective communication. By honing this skill, you’ll not only convey information accurately but also showcase your language expertise. Remember that practice makes perfect, and the more you engage in these exercises, the more naturally you’ll incorporate them into your everyday language use.
Hedi Najafi earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Arizona State University. She also has an M.A. and B.A. in English Language and Literature. In addition, she has several certificates and certifications such as Tesol Ontario, Laubach Literacy of Canada Tutor Certificate, and Financial Markets from Yale. In addition to teaching in North America, Dr. Hedi Najafi has taught in many institutions of higher education around the world. She has been teaching ESL, English, General Education, and Educational Leadership courses for the past twenty years.
Jennifer taught 9th grade ELA and AP Literature for over 8 years. She has a dual master's in English Literature and Teaching Secondary Ed from Simmons University and a BS in Psychology. She is a full-time senior content writer and certified AP Test Reader.
Amy has taught and tutored college-level English; she has a master's degree from Colorado State University in rhetoric and composition.
Direct and indirect speech, what is direct speech, what is indirect speech, converting direct to indirect speech, lesson summary, direct v. indirect speech: activities, lesson comprehension questions.
Which of the following is not an attribute of direct speech?
Which of the following is not an attribute of indirect speech?
Which of the following is not the correct shift in tense from direct speech to indirect speech?
Change the sentences including direct speech below to indirect speech.
Selected Answers:
The direct speech always contains quotation marks, and by extension the quotation marks are followed by capital letters. However, indirect speech does not contain quotation marks.
The quotation and question marks must be removed from the direct speech. The pronouns must change, and agree with their antecedents. Also, backshift must be applied to the verbs. For example, He said, " I finished my homework." will change to He said he finished his homework.
This is an example of indirect speech:
Maria told me that every night she had dreams about strange creatures that sang to her.
When writers write about phrases or sentences a source has said, they can use either direct speech or indirect speech . Direct speech is used to repeat what someone else has said, and indirect speech is used to report on what someone else has said.
The following sections cover topics such as direct and indirect speech, direct speech examples, and reported speech examples.
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What is direct speech? Direct speech, sometimes called quoted speech, is the speech that is repeated verbatim or quoted from the original source. Direct speech is always placed inside quotations. Direct speech can be a statement, a question, or a request.
The table below shows examples of direct speech. Direct speech is placed in quotations.
Examples of Direct Speech |
---|
Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." |
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." |
Both these examples are examples of direct speech. The sentences are placed between two quotations.
Indirect speech, also referred to as reported speech, is the interpretation or modification of the words of the original source. Since indirect speech reports on the words of another source, it cannot be a question; it is always a statement. Moreover, there are no quotation marks around an indirect statement.
The following table shows reported speech examples. The direct speech examples in the previous section are presented in indirect speech examples.
Reported Speech Examples |
---|
Martin Luther King, Jr. said their lives began to end the day they became silent about things that mattered. |
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said injustice anywhere was a threat to justice everywhere. |
In these two examples, there are no quotations. The capital letter I in Injustice is replaced with lower case letter i: injustice in the indirect speech.
When converting direct speech to an indirect statement, writers must remember a few points. The first point is that while direct speech is a repetition of what the original source has said, indirect speech is a modification of what the original source has said. Therefore, the first step in rendering direct speech to indirect speech is to remove the quotation marks. Since there are no quotation marks in indirect speech, only the first letter of the sentence must be written in capital letter.
Next, the pronouns must agree with the antecedents in the indirect speech.
The following sections detail how tenses change in direct and indirect speech, and how questions and requests in direct speech change to statements in indirect speech.
When converting direct speech to indirect speech, writers must use a verb tense that is further back in the tense. This is called backshift. For example, if the verb in the direct speech is play , after applying backshift, it will change to played in the indirect speech.
The following table shows verbs in the direct speech, and their backshift in the indirect speech.
Direct Speech Verb Examples | Indirect Speech Verb Examples (Backshift) |
---|---|
work/works: simple present | worked: simple past |
can: present | could: past |
is/are working | was/ were working |
was/were working | had been working |
worked: simple past | had worked: past perfect |
had worked: past perfect | had worked: past perfect (No backshift is possible in this case.) |
Indirect speech is also called indirect statement; therefore, indirect speech cannot be in the form of a question. Writers need to have the following points in mind when rendering direct questions to indirect statements.
1. An indirect statement needs to contain a verb such as to ask, to inquire , or to question . The use of such verbs shows that the direct speech had been in the form of a question.
2. Quotation marks must be removed.
3. For yes/no questions if must be inserted in the indirect speech.
4. For other kinds of questions, the question word should stay; however, the order of the sentence must become subject verb object .
5. Backshift must be applied to the verb to adjust the verb tense in the indirect speech.
6. The question mark must be removed.
The table below shows examples of direct questions, indirect statements, and explanations.
Direct Question | Indirect Statement | Explanations |
---|---|---|
The clerk said, "How many packages do you have?" | The clerk inquired how many packages we had. | is not a yes/no question; therefore, the question words, , stay in place. The verb (used for questions) is removed. There are no quotation or question marks in the indirect statement. The indirect speech contains the verb to show that the direct speech was a question. |
Jason said, "Are tomatoes fruits?" | Jason asked if tomatoes were fruits. | This is a yes/no question. So, is inserted in the sentence. The word order after is ). There are no quotation or question marks in the indirect statement. The indirect speech contains the verb . |
When converting a direct request to an indirect request, writers need to pay attention if the request is a request with an indicator such as please , or if it is a command or order. If the request contains a word such as please , the backshift verb in the indirect speech can be a verb such as asked . If the request is a command or an order, then the backshift verb can be a verb such as told or ordered . Also, writers need to change the pronouns accordingly. For example, your must change to my or our .
The following table shows examples of direct and indirect requests. Explanations are also provided.
Direct Requests | Indirect Requests and Explanations |
---|---|
"Stop using your phone at the dinner table." | She told me to stop using my phone at the dinner table. There are no quotation marks in the indirect speech; is written in lower case. Since is a command, the verb used in the indirect speech is . is replaced by . Backshift has been applied to the verb i.e., . |
"Please buy some fruits on your way home." | She asked me to buy some fruits on my way home. There are no quotation marks in the indirect speech. The word is removed from the indirect speech; it is replaced by in the indirect speech. The pronoun is changed to . Backshift has been applied to the verb i.e., . |
When writers repeat words or phrases directly from a source, they are using direct speech . When writers modify or report on words or phrases of a source, they are using indirect speech . While there are quotation and question marks in the direct speech, indirect speech does not have any quotation or question marks.
For yes/no questions, the word "if" must be inserted in the indirect speech. However, for other questions, the question word stays in place. The verb tense is further back in the indirect speech; backshift must be applied to the verbs when converting direct speech to indirect speech. For example, "want" in direct speech will become "wanted" in indirect speech.
Background on communication.
Spoken and written communication is like one big game of telephone. Sometimes we hear the original tale, and other times we hear a retelling of the story. In this lesson, we're going to explore what that means by studying the difference between direct and indirect speech and learning proper grammar techniques for both.
Direct speech , also known as quoted speech, consists of words or phrases that are taken directly from the source. These words are quoted or written exactly as the words were originally spoken.
With regard to direct speech, there is no interpretation or annotation; the words are taken directly from one source and repeated to another. In other words, we take the words directly from the speaker and repeat them exactly as they were originally stated.
Here are some examples of direct speech:
In these examples, the direct speech is shown in quotations, which signifies that the speech is taken directly from the source with no alterations.
Indirect speech , also known as reported speech, is when words or phrases are reported in our own words. The original words are modified and/or interpreted as opposed to being quoted.
When talking about indirect speech, we use words that refer to something that has already happened. To do so, we are speaking in the past tense and are summarizing, modifying, or synthesizing what has already been said.
Here are some examples of indirect speech:
When we use direct speech, we are repeating what was said. When we use indirect speech, we're reporting what was said. Let's now look at some specific examples to learn how to change speech from direct to indirect. These examples will also reinforce the difference between direct and indirect speech.
1. Changing From Present Tense to Past Tense
When converting speech from direct to indirect, you must change the present tense verbs to the past tense and remove any quotation marks or commas.
Direct Speech (Present Tense) | Indirect Speech (Past Tense) |
---|---|
Jenn says, ''I love watching TV.'' | Jenn said she loved watching TV. |
2. Changing From Simple Past Tense to Past Perfect Tense
What if the direct speech is already written in the past tense? If the sentence is written in simple past tense, you just remove the punctuation and change the verb to past perfect to make it indirect speech.
Direct Speech (Simple Past Tense) | Indirect Speech (Past Perfect Tense) |
---|---|
Lana said, ''I saw him at the mall.'' | Lana said she had seen him at the mall. |
3. Changing Speech in the Form of a Question
What if direct speech is in the form of a question? For example: ''Do you want to go on a trip to Europe?'' To make a direct question indirect, follow the same tense change rules as before, add ''asked me'' to signify reporting a question, and keep the question word.
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
''Do you want to go on a trip to Europe?'' | She asked me if I wanted to go on a trip to Europe. |
Do you see the changes? The sentence was changed to past tense, and the word ''want'' was changed to wanted to signify what was asked in the original question. Let's try one more example.
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
Lisa asked, ''What did you eat for lunch?'' | Lisa asked me what I ate for lunch. |
To change this question to indirect speech, we changed the verb to past tense and kept the question word.
4. Direct and Indirect Reported Requests
We have talked about reported statements and questions, but what if someone has a request? For example: ''Please don't click your pen during the exam.'' To change this direct request to indirect speech, we use the phrase ''asked me'' and then fill in the request.
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
''Please don't click your pen during the exam.'' | He asked me not to click my pen during the exam. |
Here's another example:
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
''Johnny, go to the store and get milk.'' | She told Johnny to go to the store and get milk. |
In this case, we used the phrase ''told Johnny to'' and completed filling in the original request.
Whether you are repeating or reporting what someone has said, there are grammatical rules for both. First, ask yourself if you are repeating what someone has said, which is considered direct speech , or if you are reporting what someone has said, which is indirect speech . When converting from direct to indirect speech, you must change the tense and remove quotation marks. For example:
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There are many occasions in which we need to describe an event or action that happened, and very often that includes repeating what someone said. Such occasions can include a social situation as well as in a work email or presentation. In order to describe what people said there are two different types of speech – direct speech and indirect speech (or reported speech).
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When we want to describe what someone said, one option is to use direct speech . We use direct speech when we simply repeat what someone says, putting the phrase between speech marks:
It is very common to see direct speech used in books or in a newspaper article. For example:
As you can see, with direct speech it is common to use the verb ‘to say’ (‘said’ in the past). But you can also find other verbs used to indicate direct speech such as ‘ask’, ‘reply’, and ‘shout’. For example:
When we want to report what someone said without speech marks and without necessarily using exactly the same words, we can use indirect speech (also called reported speech). For example:
When we report what someone says in the present simple, as in the above sentence, we normally don’t change the tense, we simply change the subject. However, when we report things in the past, we usually change the tense by moving it one step back. For example, in the following sentence the present simple becomes the past simple in indirect speech:
All the other tenses follow a similar change in indirect speech. Here is an example for all the main tenses:
The same rule of moving the tenses one step back also applies to modal verbs. For example:
As an alternative to using ‘say’ we can also use ‘tell’ (‘told’ in the past) in reported speech, but in this case you need to add the object pronoun. For example:
Sometimes it’s necessary to change the time expressions when you report speech, especially when you are speaking about the past and the time reference no longer applies. For example:
Here are some other examples:
When you report a question you need to change the interrogative form into an affirmative sentence, putting the verb tense one step back, as with normal reported speech.
There are two types of questions that we can report – questions that have a yes/no response, and questions that begin with a question word like ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘who’ etc. When we report a yes/no question, we use ‘if’. For example:
As you can see, in the reported version of the question, ‘do’ is eliminated because it is no longer a question, and the verb ‘live’ becomes ‘lived’.
For questions starting with question words like ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘who’, etc., we report the question using the question word but change the interrogative form to the affirmative form. For example:
When we report a question we normally use the verb ‘ask’. As with the verb ‘to tell’, the verb ‘to ask’ is normally followed by an object pronoun, though it is possible to omit it.
When you give someone an order, you use the imperative form, which means using just the verb without a subject. For example:
To report an order we use ‘tell’ and the infinitive of the verb. For example:
When you make a request, you normally use words like ‘can’, ‘could’, or ‘will’. For example:
To report a request, we use the verb ‘to ask’ and the infinitive form of the verb. For example:
Now you’ve seen how we use direct and indirect speech , practice using them yourself. An excellent and easy way to see how they are used is by reading a short story in English or a news article online, because stories and articles contain many examples of reported speech.
One of the most common things we do in our everyday language is to compare things. How do we make comparatives and superlatives in English? Learn more here.
The most common way of comparing is to use comparative adjectives that express a superior difference. Learn more about comparatives here!
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Direct and Indirect Speech are the two ways of reporting what someone said. The use of both direct and indirect speech is crucial in effective communication and writing. Understanding the basics of direct and indirect speech is important, but mastering the advanced techniques of these two forms of speech can take your writing to the next level. In this article, we will explore direct and indirect speech in detail and provide you with a comprehensive guide that covers everything you need to know.
Table of Contents
Direct speech is a way of reporting what someone said using their exact words. Direct speech is typically enclosed in quotation marks to distinguish it from the writer’s own words. Here are some examples of direct speech:
In direct speech, the exact words spoken by the speaker are used, and the tense and pronouns used in the quote are maintained. Punctuation is also important in direct speech. Commas are used to separate the quote from the reporting verb, and full stops, question marks, or exclamation marks are used at the end of the quote, depending on the tone of the statement.
Indirect speech is a way of reporting what someone said using a paraphrased version of their words. In indirect speech, the writer rephrases the speaker’s words and incorporates them into the sentence. Here are some examples of indirect speech:
In indirect speech, the tense and pronouns may change, depending on the context of the sentence. Indirect speech is not enclosed in quotation marks, and the use of reporting verbs is important.
The structure of direct and indirect speech is different. Direct speech is presented in quotation marks, whereas indirect speech is incorporated into the sentence without quotation marks. The tenses and pronouns used in direct and indirect speech also differ. In direct speech, the tense and pronouns used in the quote are maintained, whereas, in indirect speech, they may change depending on the context of the sentence. Reporting verbs are also used differently in direct and indirect speech. In direct speech, they are used to introduce the quote, while in indirect speech, they are used to report what was said.
Converting direct speech to indirect speech involves changing the tense, pronouns, and reporting verb. Here are the steps involved in converting direct speech to indirect speech:
Here is an example of converting direct speech to indirect speech:
Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John. Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store.
Converting indirect speech to direct speech involves using the same tense, pronouns, and reporting verb as the original quote. Here are the steps involved in converting indirect speech to direct speech:
Here is an example of converting indirect speech to direct speech:
Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store. Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John.
Using direct and indirect speech effectively can add depth and complexity to your writing. Here are some advanced techniques for using direct and indirect speech:
Blending direct and indirect speech involves using both forms of speech in a single sentence or paragraph. This technique can create a more engaging and realistic narrative. Here is an example:
“Sarah said, ‘I can’t believe it’s already winter.’ Her friend replied that she loved the cold weather and was excited about the snowboarding season.”
In this example, direct speech is used to convey Sarah’s words, and indirect speech is used to convey her friend’s response.
Reported questions are a form of indirect speech that convey a question someone asked without using quotation marks. Reported questions often use reporting verbs like “asked” or “wondered.” Here is an example:
“John asked if I had seen the movie last night.”
In this example, the question “Have you seen the movie last night?” is reported indirectly without using quotation marks.
Direct speech can be used to convey emotion more effectively than indirect speech. When using direct speech to convey emotion, it’s important to choose the right tone and emphasis. Here is an example:
“She screamed, ‘I hate you!’ as she slammed the door.”
In this example, the use of direct speech and the exclamation mark convey the intense emotion of the moment.
Direct and indirect speech are important tools for effective communication and writing. Understanding the differences between these two forms of speech and knowing how to use them effectively can take your writing to the next level. By using advanced techniques like blending direct and indirect speech and using direct speech to convey emotion, you can create engaging and realistic narratives that resonate with your readers.
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We often convey a message or give information about what someone said, thought or felt to somebody else. In order to do this you can use the grammar structure named direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech. Indeed this structure can be a source of confusion for ESL learners because they mix it with active and passive voice . Read the whole article to know about direct and indirect speech rules.
To learn more about direct and indirect speech click here.
Initially we will look at direct and indirect speech, then look at how to convert speech from direct to indirect or vice-versa.
Direct Speech / Quoted Speech Saying or quoting exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech) Here what a person says appears within quotation marks (“…”) a nd should be word for word.
Indirect Speech / Reported Speech Saying or reporting what someone said without quoting his exact words is called indirect speech. Here we don’t use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and does not have to be word for word.
Reporting Verb The verb in the first part of sentence (i.e. say, said, tell, admit, complain, explain remind, reply think, hope, offer, refuse etc.) before the statement of a person in sentence is called reporting verb.
How to Change Direct Speech into Indirect Speech?
If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting, and adverb of nearness should be put into those of distance.
Note: If something is said and reported at the same time, then the time expression can remain the same.
A) If the reporting verb is in present or future (i.e say, says or will say) then don’t change the tense that you can find within the quotation marks.
B) If reporting verb is in the past tense. the tense of the verbs in the reported speech or indirect speech must be generally changed. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too.
Tense Change As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense. Present Simple › Past simple
Present continuous › Past continuous
Present perfect › Past perfect
Present perfect continuous › Past perfect continuous
Past simple › Past perfect
Past perfect › Past perfect
Past perfect continuous › Past perfect continuous
Modal verb forms also sometimes change: Will › would
Can › could
Must › had to
May › might
Note – There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.
If indirect speech the words within quotation marks talk of a universal truth or habitual action or when a sentence is made and reported at the same time and the fact is still true then the tense inside the quotation marks is not changed at all.
You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event.
We have to change the pronouns to keep the same meaning of a sentence.
Note: Sometimes we have to use a noun instead of a pronoun, otherwise the new sentence is confusing consider the examples below:
(If we only make mechanical changes, then the new sentence can have different meaning)
Rule 9. Reported Speech of Interrogative Sentences 1. Remove the quotation marks and question mark in the interrogative sentence. 2. Use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ if the sentence inside the quotation marks begins with a helping verb (Auxiliary verb). 3. Use the given interrogative word (what, when, where, why, who, whom, whose, which, now etc.) if it does not begin with the helping verb. 4. Don‘t use ‘that’ 5. Changing the reporting verb (say, said) into ‘ask, want to know wonder or inquire’ in its correct tense. 6. Omit helping verb like ‘do, does, did’. But don’t omit them when they are with ‘not’.
In yes/no questions we use if or whether in questions. If is more common and whether is more formal.
1. Remove the quotation mark in an Imperative sentence. 2. Use ‘to’ if it is an affirmative sentence. (without don‘t) 3. Use ‘not to’ if the sentence begins without Don‘t. 4. Don‘t use ‘that’ 5. Omit the word ‘please’. Use the word ‘request’ instead of ‘say’. 6. If the direct speech contains a request or a command, the reporting verb (say, said) change to tell, request, order, command etc. in its correct tense. 7. The commands, requests and advice mostly have the same form in English: verb + object + infinitive (advise, ask, beg, forbid, order, persuade, recommend, tell, urge, warn etc.).
Negative: + object + not + infinitive.
Rule 12. Reported Speech of Advice If it contains advice the reporting verb changes into advised.
1. Change the exclamatory sentence into statement or assertive 2. Remove the quotation marks and exclamatory mark. 3. Use the conjunction ‘that’ 4. Omit the interjections such as Oh, O, Alas, how, what, hurrah. 5. Add the word ‘very’ to the adjective or adverb if necessary. 6. If the verb is not given, use ‘Be’ form verb (is, was, are, were, am) in its correct tense according to the subject. 7. Change the reporting verb (say, said) to ‘exclaim joyfully’ 8. Use ‘exclaim’ sorrowfully for sorrowful incidents.
In reported speech, the word that is often used, however it is optional. We recommend you no to use it because in some cases we don’t use ‘That’ in reported speech like: question, command request and order, so its better not to use it.
In direct speech, various punctuation conventions are used to separate the quoted words from the rest of the text: this allows a reader to follow what’s going on. Here are the basic rules: A) We use inverted commas (also called quotation marks, quotes or speech marks) to indicate direct speech. Double quotes (“) are preferred in American English, while single quotes (‘) are more common in British English:
B) Every time a new speakers says something, you should start a new paragraph:
C) There should be a comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark at the end of a piece of speech. This is placed inside the closing inverted comma or commas.
D) If the direct speech is broken up by information about who is speaking, you need a comma (or a question mark or exclamation mark) to end the first piece of speech and a full stop or another comma before the second piece (before the inverted comma or commas):
Conclusion: I hope that the points that I have mentioned above about direct and indirect speech may prove beneficial for people learning English. All you need to do is to understand the crucial rules of direct and indirect speech, and don’t mix it with passive and active voice.
Check out Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises With Answers
If you would like to know more about direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech, check out more in the book below.
The use of so, too, either, and neither, the most advanced use of gerund and infinitive, past gerund, 20 comments.
hello! I’m Abdullah and I want to ask a question related to indirect and direct speech.what would be the indirect sentence of this this speech: “I fell fed up” says trevor
Hello dear Abdullah. When the reporting verb (He says)is in simple present tense, then we don’t go one tense back,so the statement won’t be changed in this case and remains the same in reported speech.
Helo ,,pls let me know about one thing…if there is no object in reporting speech and “you” is used in reporting speech ,,in which pronoun v have to change “you”,,???
Tashakkur, bisyar malumati bud 🙂
You are welcome dear Raza.
This article is beneficial…thnkxx
You are welcome.
Very helpful thank you soooo muchhhh
I want a clarification for the following sentence. “Would you post this letter when you go out?”she said. She asked if I would post that letter when I go out . OR She asked if I would post that letter when I went out.
Change the narration. 1.’I must leave at once’ I said,’because i must not be late’ 2 .Tariq said the police could not prove that the man had been murdered .
very helpful understanding direct and indirect speech thank you very soooooo muuuuccccchhhh
You are welcome Mr. Moueez
Thank you . It’s really helpful
Welcome dear.
Useful article thank you.
Hope it is useful and informative.
Tomorrow is my English exam and this page is very helpful
Thank you Rahema. We always try to help people enhance their skills in four models: Listening, Speaking, Reading and writing.
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What are direct and indirect speech? Read on to learn the differences (with examples).
Direct speech is exactly what it sounds like—text that reports the exact thoughts expressed by a person in their original form. It is often enclosed in quotation marks so that the reader understands that the quoted text is the speaker's original narrative.
Using direct speech can be a powerful way to create an emotional impact in your writing. It can also help to create a more intimate connection between the characters and the reader. When used sparingly, direct speech can be a very effective tool in your writing arsenal.
Indirect speech is also known as reported speech, indirect narration, or indirect discourse. In grammar, when you report someone else’s statement in your own words without any change in the meaning of the statement, it is called indirect speech.
Quoting a person’s words without using his own word and bringing about any change in the meaning of the statement is reported speech. Look at the following sentences:
Direct Speech: She says, “I am a little bit nervous.” Indirect Speech: She says that she is a little bit nervous.
In the first sentence, the writer conveys the girl's message using her actual words (e.g., “I am a little bit nervous.”). In the second sentence, the writer conveys her message but in his own words without changing the meaning. Thus, direct and indirect speech each report a person's statement in different ways.
This article will cover the following topics:
Examples of direct speech converted to indirect speech.
Indirect speech is often used in academic writing, as well as in business and legal contexts. It can be used to report what someone has said, without directly quoting them. Indirect speech is less formal than direct speech, and can be used to make a point without Attribution.
It can also be used to report speech without having to worry about whether or not the exact words were used. There are a few things to keep in mind when using indirect speech.
First, it’s important to make sure that the meaning of the original quote is not changed. Second, indirect speech often uses different verb tenses than direct speech, so it’s important to be aware of that.
During the process, you will come across many important terms that you need to know better so that you can convert any direct speech into indirect speech easily and without any hassle. Consider the following examples from the previous section:
Now consider the different grammatical aspects of both.
Direct vs. indirect speech: the key differences defined
Before you continue, you must commit these rules of indirect speech to memory:
Direct Speech: He says, “I am ill.” Indirect Speech: He says that he is ill. Direct Speech: She says, “She sang a song.” Indirect Speech: She says that she sang a song. Direct Speech: You say, “I shall visit London.” Indirect Speech: You say that you will visit London.
If the reporting verb is in the past tense , then the reported verb will be changed per the following criterion.
Present indefinite tense is changed into past indefinite tense. For example:
Direct Speech: They said, “They take a walk every day.” Indirect Speech: They said that they took a walk every day.
Present continuous is changed into past continuous tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They are taking a walk every day.” Indirect Speech: They said that they were taking a walk every day.
Present perfect is changed into the past perfect tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They have taken a walk.” Indirect Speech: They said that they had taken a walk.
Present perfect continuous tense is changed into past perfect continuous tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They have been taking a walk since morning.” Indirect Speech: They said that they had been taking a walk since morning.
Past indefinite is changed into past perfect tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They took a walk.” Indirect Speech: They said that they had taken a walk.
Past continuous tense is changed into past perfect continuous tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They were taking a walk.” Indirect Speech: They said that they had been taking a walk.
No changes are necessary to change into past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses.
Direct Speech: They said, “They had taken a walk.” Indirect Speech: They said that they had taken a walk.
In future tense, no changes are made except shall and will are changed into would .
Direct Speech: They said, “They will take a walk.” Indirect Speech: They said that they would take a walk.
Changes in tense: how to change direct speech into indirect speech and vice versa
Word in Direct Speech | Word in Indirect Speech | Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|---|---|
This | That | He says, “I want to buy this book.” | He says that he wants to buy that book. |
These | Those | He says, “I want to buy these books.” | He says that he wants to buy those books. |
Here | There | She says, “Everybody was here.” | She says that everybody was there. |
Now | Then | They say, “It’s ten o’clock now.” | They say that it’s ten o’clock then. |
Sir | Respectfully | They said, “Sir, the time is over.” | They said respectfully that the time was over. |
Madam | Respecfully | They said, "Madam, the time is over." | They said respectfully that the time was over. |
Today | That Day | She said, “I am going to London today.” | She said that she was going to London that day. |
Yesterday | The Previous Day | She said, “I visited Oxford University yesterday.” | She said that she had visited Oxford University the previous day. |
Tomorrow | Following Day or Next Day | She said, “I am going to London tomorrow.” | She said that she was going to London the next day. |
Tonight | That Night | She said, “I am going to see him tonight.” | She said that she was going to see him that night. |
Good Morning, Good Evening, Good Day | Greeted | She said, “Good morning, Sir David.” | She greeted Sir David. |
Remember the above rules of indirect speech - they'll come in handy when you need to convert direct speech into indirect speech. It's a crucial skill to have, so make sure you commit these rules of indirect speech to memory.
The following examples of indirect speech further illustrate the finer points of this important communication tool. As you can see, the rules of indirect speech are not difficult to master. With a little practice, you'll be able to deftly navigate any conversation.
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
She says, “I eat an apple a day.” | She says that she eats an apple a day. |
He will say, “My brother will help her.” | He will say that his brother will help her. |
We said, “We go for a walk every day.” | We said that we went for a walk every day. |
You say, “I went to London yesterday.” | You say that you went to London the previous day. |
He said, “My father is playing cricket with me.” | He said that his father was playing cricket with him. |
They said, “We have completed our homework.” | They said that they had completed their homework. |
She said, “I have been waiting for him since last morning.” | She said that she had been waiting for him since last morning. |
She said, “I bought a book.” | She said that she had bought a book. |
They said, “We were celebrating Eid yesterday.” | They said that they had been celebrating Eid the previous day. |
We said, “We had been waiting since morning.” | We said that we had been waiting since morning. |
He said to me, “I will not give you any medicine without prescription.” | He said to me that he would not give me any medicine without a prescription. |
Rafiq said, “I shall leave for London tomorrow.” | Rafiq said that he would leave for London the next day. |
She said, “I shall be visiting my college tomorrow.” | She said that she would be visiting her college the following day. |
They said, “It will have been snowing since morning.” | They said that it would have been snowing since morning. |
Sentences that make a statement are called assertive sentences. These sentences may be positive, negative, false, or true statements. To convert assertive sentences into indirect narration, use the rules mentioned above, except the verb said is sometimes replaced with told . Look at the following examples:
Direct Speech: She says, “I am writing a letter to my brother.” Indirect Speech: She says that she is writing a letter to her brother. Direct Speech: She says, “I was not writing a letter to my brother.” Indirect Speech: She says that she was not writing a letter to her brother. Direct Speech: She said to me, “I am writing a letter to my brother.” Indirect Speech: She told me that she was writing a letter to her brother.
Imperative sentences give an order or direct command. These sentences may come in the form of advice, appeal, request, or order. Either a period or exclamation point is used at the end of the sentence, depending on the forcefulness of the speaker. For example:
To convert these types of sentences into indirect speech, follow the rules below along with the above-mentioned rules.
The reporting verb is changed according to reported speech into order if the sentence gives a direct command. For example:
Direct Speech: The teacher said to me, “Shut the door.” Indirect Speech: The teacher ordered me to shut the door.
The reporting verb is changed according to reported speech into request if the sentence makes a request. For example:
Direct Speech: He said to me, “Shut the door.” Indirect Speech: He requested me to shut the door.
The reporting verb is changed according to reported speech into advise if the sentence gives a piece of advice. For example:
Direct Speech: He said to me, “You should work hard to pass the exam.” Indirect Speech: He advised me that I should work hard to pass the exam.
The reporting verb is changed according to reported speech into forbade if the sentence prevents someone from doing something. For example:
Direct Speech: He said to me, “Not to smoke.” Indirect Speech: He forbade me to smoke.
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
We said to him, “Mind your own business.” | We urged him to mind his own business. |
She said to him, “Consult a doctor.” | She suggested him to consult a doctor. |
He said to me, “Write it again.” | He asked me to write it again. |
You said to your father, “Please grant him leave for some time.” | You requested your father to grant him leave for some time. |
My mother said to me, “Never tell a lie.” | My mother forbade me to tell a lie. |
Sentences that ask questions are called interrogative sentences. Every interrogative sentence ends with a question mark. For example:
To convert interrogative sentences into indirect speech, follow the following rules along with the above-mentioned rules:
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
I said to her, “When do you do your homework?” | I asked her when she did her homework. |
We said to him, “Are you ill?” | We asked him if he was ill. |
You said to me, “Have you read the article?” | You asked me if I had read the article. |
He said to her, “Will you go to the Peshawar Radio Station?” | He asked her if she would go to the Peshawar Radio Station. |
She says, “Who is he?” | She says who he is. |
Rashid said to me, “Why are you late?” | Rashid asked me why I was late. |
The sentences that express our feelings and emotions are called exclamatory sentences. Exclamation marks are used at the end of an exclamatory sentence. For example:
To change exclamatory sentences into indirect speech, follow the rules below along with the above-mentioned rules:
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
He said, “Hurray! I have won the match.” | He exclaimed with great joy that he had won the match. |
She said, “Alas! My brother failed in the test.” | She exclaimed with great sorrow that her brother had failed in the test. |
They said, “What a beautiful house this is!” | They exclaimed that that house was very beautiful. |
I said, “How lucky I am!” | I said in great wonder that I was very lucky. |
You said to him, “What a beautiful drama you writing! | You said to him in great wonder that he was writing a beautiful drama. |
Optative sentences express a hope, prayer, or wish. Usually, there is an exclamation mark at the end of an optative sentence. For example:
To change optative sentences into indirect speech, follow the rules below along with the above-mentioned rules:
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
---|---|
He said to me, “May you live long!” | He prayed that I might live long. |
My mother said to me, “May you succeed in the test!” | My mother prayed that I might succeed in the test. |
She said, “Would that I were rich!” | She wished she had been rich. |
I said to him, “Would that you were here on Sunday!” | I wished he had been there on Sunday. |
You said to me, “ May you find your lost camera.” | You prayed that I might find my lost camera. |
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2014 Muhammad Rafiq
Iqra on August 31, 2020:
Thank you so much. This one article was enough to cover all the information.
Perry on August 31, 2020:
How do we change,
1.He buys a camera .
2.I wrote a letter
Nn on August 28, 2020:
Very well explain, thanks
Muhammad Yasin on August 28, 2020:
Very well explain .thanks
Selvam on August 25, 2020:
He said "Oh!I see"
Nishanthi on August 24, 2020:
Well organized. I Learnt a lot.
Thank you so much.
Yogesh on August 24, 2020:
Amna Mohammad on August 23, 2020:
Very well explained
Sheku sesay socrates on August 19, 2020:
This work is highly in order.
Nanda Kumar on August 19, 2020:
Shooqa on August 16, 2020:
Very good I learn a lot
Akif Ullah on August 14, 2020:
Great work!! Thanks for such a brief explaination.
ebuka on August 13, 2020:
i like it to
ebuka on August 12, 2020:
Diddi Sathish on August 06, 2020:
Very useful information in a systematic way. Really appreciable work. Thank you very much
MB Kargbo on August 06, 2020:
This is wonderful!
My Geography teacher said,'The earth is round'.
Help me with this, Sir and what's the concept that justifies this.
Haile on July 30, 2020:
Much usefull
Yogeshwar on July 27, 2020:
Ans of Zoya's question:
Father, "We shall go for a picnic tomorrow".
Children said, " Can we go to Gulmarg?"
Zoya on July 23, 2020:
Father suggested that they should go for a picnic the next day. Children asked if they
could go to Gulmarg. ( Change from indirect to direct speech)
gael on July 23, 2020:
can you change this to indirect:
He said to her, ‘What a hot day!
Opel on July 18, 2020:
The teacher forbade me to play with fire
Asim Baig on July 15, 2020:
Very easy to comprehend. Explained every concept / rules in a very nice manner.
Ahmed on July 10, 2020:
Sir kindly change this sentence into indirect
The teacher said, I have often told you don,t play with fire.
Muhammad Rafiq (author) from Pakistan on July 10, 2020:
Rohit said that he had been playing PUBG.
Vishu bhai on July 10, 2020:
Change it to indirect
Rohit said,"I was playing PUBG"
Muhammad Rafiq (author) from Pakistan on July 09, 2020:
Binanda asked what the time was.
Swagata on July 08, 2020:
Plz change the narration
Binanda said, what is the time now?
It's good but i have a question binanda said that, what is the time now
333 on July 07, 2020:
Hi on July 07, 2020:
theres a typo erro
Onyema chibuike on June 29, 2020:
Thank you very much
I have learnt a good lesson from your article
Muhammad Rafiq (author) from Pakistan on June 27, 2020:
This sentence cannot be changed into indirect speech as it is lacking in an essential part, which is called Reporting Speech. Without a Reporting Speech, we cannot convert it into Indirect Speech. Please, read the article thoroughly.
KarisChyoma on June 27, 2020:
* on June 27, 2020:
Thank you very much it was fantastic
Mee Nge on June 27, 2020:
How to change ' Who are my parent' to indirect speech?
Zoha on June 25, 2020:
Kindly change into indirect
1.He Will says to us, you can not play with me,
2.we shall say to you, they have lost our pens.
3.we Said, from where do these things come.
Muhammad Rafiq (author) from Pakistan on June 22, 2020:
My girlfriend asked whether she liked horror films.
Huma naz on June 22, 2020:
Direct:- My girlfriend asked, “Do you like horror films?”
Indirect:- ???
Pucchu on June 21, 2020:
Adhi on June 21, 2020:
It's very use full for me
Apple on June 21, 2020:
excellent explanation i learned neatly by this explanation thank you for giving this beautiful explanation .
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Parvej khan on June 07, 2020:
Yoy told ajay that he to day cooking he rich that day
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THANKS FOR LETTING US KNOW
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It helped me thank you sir/ madam.
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It's helpful
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It's very useful
Thanks so much
aayshs on May 30, 2020:
This page is very useful.thank you very much.now I am clear in directed speech.
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Devansh malik on May 27, 2020:
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Muhammad Rafiq (author) from Pakistan on May 19, 2020:
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I like it no i love it
Muhammad Rafiq (author) from Pakistan on May 15, 2020:
Thanks for your comments. I am glad it helped you.
Freedom Mutanda on May 15, 2020:
A very good step by step lesson. I have been teaching English as a second language for 27 years but there are some nuances of teaching I obtained here. Thank you a lot.
Bakana on May 09, 2020:
How about if the reported part is on the beggining of sentence while the reportin is on the end
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Abhijith on April 25, 2020:
I got even scared after seeing this
Deepann5th standard on April 21, 2020:
Super l don't under stand anything
jill on April 19, 2020:
It is really useful sentences transformed in indirect speech without any mistake
Santosh dange on April 16, 2020:
It is really useful sentences transformed in indirect speech without any mistake thanks
Unknown on April 16, 2020:
I hate it, just joking I love it
hirosh on April 16, 2020:
Reported speech is just a category in English Grammar to get the sentences directly or indirectly
Usman Zafar on April 09, 2020:
If the reporting speech is having the reporting verb at it its start, then if is used in place of that.
I Could Not Understood It Please Help Me What Does It Mean?
Anonymous on April 07, 2020:
Thanks a lot, it was very helpful
Senimanjale on April 07, 2020:
The lesson is good because it teach us
Muhammad Rafiq (author) from Pakistan on April 02, 2020:
ډيره مننه احمد خان وزير چې تاسو زما مقاله خوښه کړه. مهرباني وکړه دا مقاله له خپلو ملګرو سره شريک کړه. مننه!
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A precise and Meaningfull Substances relating to direct and Indirect narration@Thank U sir Alot As Such Sites are hardly available which can lead U soon to a great thoughts out of critical juncture.
Soman jan on April 01, 2020:
Thank u so much.... It is very usefull and easy.... Jazak Allah❤❤
Junaid Ahmad khan on March 30, 2020:
Dear Amit@the student replied respectfully that he knew that.
nirakar sagar on March 28, 2020:
it was nice informative thanks
Amit on March 26, 2020:
My question_ "I know that, sir" replied the student
rajni on March 24, 2020:
it's really wonderful and will help me a lot to give confidence in using indirect speech in writing as well as communication. thanks a lot for your efforts.
mehak on March 23, 2020:
its helpful
Yasir on March 23, 2020:
Muhammad Rafiq (author) from Pakistan on March 18, 2020:
Thanks Taurine Tarakia for your comments. I am glad it helped you.
Thanks Karzai for your comments.
Aanete Taurine Tarakia on March 17, 2020:
Great thanx to this special site cause it did really help me with creating an appropriate lesson plan on indirect and direct speech for tomorrow for my major assignment. The information conveys many different and crucial elements of those two modes of speeches which luckily had brought me into a better state of understanding of this particular field of knowledge.
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Sarah on March 15, 2020:
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its very explanatory
BETEN on March 12, 2020:
Indirect speech is a report on what someone else said or wrote without using that person's exact words (which is called direct speech). It's also called indirect discourse or reported speech .
In direct speech , a person's exact words are placed in quotation marks and set off with a comma and a reporting clause or signal phrase , such as "said" or "asked." In fiction writing, using direct speech can display the emotion of an important scene in vivid detail through the words themselves as well as the description of how something was said. In nonfiction writing or journalism, direct speech can emphasize a particular point, by using a source's exact words.
Indirect speech is paraphrasing what someone said or wrote. In writing, it functions to move a piece along by boiling down points that an interview source made. Unlike direct speech, indirect speech is not usually placed inside quote marks. However, both are attributed to the speaker because they come directly from a source.
In the first example below, the verb in the present tense in the line of direct speech ( is) may change to the past tense ( was ) in indirect speech, though it doesn't necessarily have to with a present-tense verb. If it makes sense in context to keep it present tense, that's fine.
Keeping the present tense in reported speech can give the impression of immediacy, that it's being reported soon after the direct quote,such as:
An action in the future (present continuous tense or future) doesn't have to change verb tense, either, as these examples demonstrate.
Indirectly reporting an action in the future can change verb tenses when needed. In this next example, changing the am going to was going implies that she has already left for the mall. However, keeping the tense progressive or continuous implies that the action continues, that she's still at the mall and not back yet.
With a past-tense verb in the direct quote, the verb changes to past perfect.
Note the change in first person (I) and second person (your) pronouns and word order in the indirect versions. The person has to change because the one reporting the action is not the one actually doing it. Third person (he or she) in direct speech remains in the third person.
In free indirect speech, which is commonly used in fiction, the reporting clause (or signal phrase) is omitted. Using the technique is a way to follow a character's point of view—in third-person limited omniscient—and show her thoughts intermingled with narration.
Typically in fiction italics show a character's exact thoughts, and quote marks show dialogue. Free indirect speech makes do without the italics and simply combines the internal thoughts of the character with the narration of the story. Writers who have used this technique include James Joyce, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Henry James, Zora Neale Hurston, and D.H. Lawrence.
In this article, we will cover important rules of direct and indirect speech, relevant for the English Language section of various competitive exams.
Aspirants of various Government exams such as SSC, RRB, IBPS, Insurance, etc. must go through the concept and rules of direct – indirect speech carefully, as the English language is a part of the syllabus for most of these exams.
Direct speech – reporting the message of the speaker in the exact words as spoken by him.
Direct speech example : Maya said ‘I am busy now’.
Indirect speech : reporting the message of the speaker in our own words
Indirect speech example: Maya said that she was busy then.
Let us understand the direct and indirect rules with examples and for all tenses so that you can apply them correctly, without making any mistakes in the exams.
Direct And Indirect Speech Rules PDF:- Download PDF Here
Rules for converting Direct into Indirect speech
To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are various factors that are considered, such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronouns, tenses, etc. We will discuss each of these factors one by one.
Direct to indirect speech example:
Direct: She said , ‘I am happy’.
Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.
Direct to indirect speech example:
Direct: He said, ‘We cannot live without air’.
Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.
Direct: She says/will say, ‘I am going’
Indirect: She says/will say she is going.
Direct: “I have been to Boston”, she told me.
Indirect: She told me that she had been to Boston.
Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained.
Indirect: She explained that she was playing the guitar.
Direct: He said, “She has finished her homework“.
Indirect: He said that she had finished her homework.
Direct: “I am unwell”, she said.
Indirect: She said that she was unwell.
Direct: She said, “Irvin arrived on Sunday.”
Indirect: She said that Irvin had arrived on Sunday.
Direct to indirect speech example
Direct: “We were playing basketball”, they told me.
Indirect: They told me that they had been playing basketball.
Direct: She said, “I will be in Scotland tomorrow.”
Indirect: She said that she would be in Scotland the next day.
Direct: He said, “ I’ll be disposing of the old computer next Tuesday.”
Indirect: He said that he would be disposing of the old computer the following Tuesday.
To ace the verbal ability section, it is important to have a clear conceptual knowledge of Direct and Indirect Speech, their usage and applications in English language. Therefore, candidates can go through the video on Direct and Indirect Speech rules in English Language, given below for better understanding-
For the preparation of the English language section in a better way, it is important that you go through the following topics thoroughly.
Candidates are advised to check the General English for Competitive Exams page for more articles on rules for English grammar, list of idioms and phrases, synonyms & antonyms, etc.
Direct: “ Where do you live?” asked the boy.
Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.
Direct: She said, ‘W ill you come for the party’?
Indirect: She asked whether we would come for the party.
Direct: He said to me, ‘What are you wearing’?
Indirect: He asked me what I was wearing.
Candidates can also check the links given below to understand the concept of word formation in English and to learn the common words in English Language that appear in most of the competitive exams-
While changing direct speech to indirect speech, the modals used in the sentences change like:
Check the examples:
There are modals that do not change – Could, Would, Should, Might, Ought to
Direct speech to indirect speech examples-
Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”
Indirect: He says that he was in class Twelfth.
Direct speech to indirect speech examples –
Direct: She says to them, “You have done your work.”
Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.
Direct: He says, “She dances well.”
Indirect: He says that she dances well.
Direct: She said to her ‘Please complete it’.
Indirect: She requested her to complete it.
Direct: Hamid said to Ramid, ‘Sit down’.
Indirect: Hamid ordered Ramid to sit down.
Direct: She said, ‘Alas! I am undone’.
Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.
Aspirants are well aware that English is an important component of the syllabus of various competitive exams and it is important to be clear with the basic concepts. Therefore, given below are a few articles to clarify the confusion between usage of common but confusing words in the English Language.
More such concept-wise, subject-wise differences can be found on the 100 Difference between Articles page linked here.
Example: She said, “I am the best.”
Example: They asked, “Can we sing with you?”
Direct speech example : He shouted, “Shut up!”
Direct speech example: “Thinking back,” he said, “she didn’t expect to win.” (Comma is used to separate the two direct speeches and no capital letter to begin the second sentence).
Direct: He said, ‘His girlfriend came yesterday.’
Indirect: He said that his girlfriend had come the day before.
Direct: He says/will say, ‘My girlfriend came yesterday.’
Indirect: He says/will say that his girlfriend had come the day before.
Video – Direct & Indirect Speech in English Grammar
The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct speech:
The significance of knowing the rules of direct and indirect speech for the English language section of various competitive exams can only be understood by knowing the type of questions asked in the examination, based on the same.
Given below are samples of direct and indirect speech questions asked in the English language section of various government examinations:
Q.1. Find out the correct indirect speech for the given sentence.
She said,’ I have baked a cake’
Answer (2) She said that she had baked a cake.
Q.2. Choose the correct sentence.
Aviral said, ‘What a beautiful rainbow it is’.
Answer (4) Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.
Q.3. The correct indirect speech for ‘This world’, she said, ‘is full of sorrow. Wish that I were dead’. is?
Answer (1) She observed that the world is full of sorrow. She wished to be dead
Q.4. The policeman said, ‘Where are the weapons?’
Answer (3) The policeman enquired where were the weapons.
Q.5. The man said, ‘Ah! I am ruined.’
Answer (4) The man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.
To prepare well for the English section, it is essential to practise and revise regularly for conceptual clarity. Hence, go through the exercise on Direct and Indirect Speech Questions and Answers in the given link.
For more variety and scope of direct and indirect speech questions asked in the English section of various competitive exams, go through Previous Year Question Papers PDF with Solutions .
Candidates can also check the variations and scope of questions asked in the competitive exams on the other relevant topics of English language below:
Check the Verbal Ability page to get more Question and Answer articles based on different general English topics.
Candidates who are preparing for the upcoming government exams must carefully go through the concept of Direct and Indirect speech rules, as candidates tend to score the least in the English Language section of these exams.
Aspirants of various government exams can refer to the detailed exam syllabus in the links given below:
For further questions or information regarding competitive exams, study material or best books for preparation, candidates can turn to BYJU’S.
Government Exams Related Links | |
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Blogs / Character / Indirect Characterization: What it is and How to Use it in Literature
Indirect Characterization is a helpful tool that authors can use to add complexity to their characters. This method of storytelling unveils characters in a literary context that doesn’t explicitly tell the reader what they are like. This can be achieved by the words and actions of the characters or their private thoughts, as well as how the other characters treat them. Alternatively, direct characterization gives those details through overt description.
It is important to develop depth with a character so readers are eager to discover more. Indirect characterization does this by demonstrating qualities as they would be experienced. Picture it like meeting a person in real life. You learn about them gradually, and you make your mind up about them along the way. This way of learning about a character feels much more natural.
While indirect characterization is very helpful to build a fleshed out character, there are downsides if it is overused without direct information. Indirect characterization gives a picture to the reader that lets them decide what to think. The reader has freedom in how they perceive characters, but important details can slip through the cracks.
If crucial details are not prioritized, there is a risk of the reader being misled or confused. Also, descriptions of the character can appear over-saturated with superfluous information. Your approach should form a complex character but not overwhelm the reader with details.
Characterization in literature is how a writer develops and communicates a character. Their thoughts, physical appearance, and habits are how the characters are brought to life.
Indirect and direct characterization are two techniques in which characterization can be broken down. Both types of characterization can be an asset to writers, but here we’re going to focus on indirect characterization.
The tool of character revelation that shows the reader the character’s traits through dialogue, physical appearance, thoughts, and what the character does and how it affects others. This is usually done gradually to present the character in a less direct way.
The tool of character building that spells out the character using implicit detail rather than showing the character to the reader. This can be useful to an author especially when they want to emphasize details that are crucial to the character and the story.
Indirect characterization through action.
The actions a character makes can clue the reader into their motivations. This can be demonstrated through their mannerisms as well as their physical actions.
If a character is shaking while speaking in front of others, this might tell the reader that they are nervous when talking to people and may lack self confidence.
An example of physical actions being used to express indirect characterization is a character offering their seat to someone on the bus. This could imply that they are polite and take notice of others around them.
You want to ask yourself what the actions say to the reader about the character. Why do they give up their seat on the bus? Is to look good to others or because they are genuinely kind. You can reveal your character’s intentions by showing them in action.
How a character presents themselves can be very telling. The writer’s description shows something about the character.
For instance, describing the character as having “large alluring eyes and shiny black hair” can hint at the character being attractive and healthy. The appearance of the character can also give a hint to their inner psyche.
An example of this would be to describe a character with chewed up nails and wild eyes. These physical signs might suggest severe stress or panic. This type of indirect characterization can also be indicative of occupation, such as if the character is wearing a well made suit or a polo shirt with the company name on it.
With these physical details a reader can begin to build a picture in their mind of who the character is.
The reader has a front row seat to the usually hidden thought life of someone else. The reader is privy to the character’s fantasies and inner musings that they may not reveal to others. What does the character think about that they don’t tell others? This can unveil secrets and important details about the characters and the story. How do they think of others around them? Do they constantly judge others against themselves, or do they feel invisible to people? This could reveal private feelings of loneliness, arrogance, or fear that are important building blocks to who they are.
The speech of a character can be another useful type of indirect characterization.
Whether the character speaks softly or loudly, frequently, or not at all can be indicative of a character’s disposition. If a character is shy this is shown in the way they softly talk to others or perhaps stutter over their words. A nervous disposition and fear of other people could be behind this.
The actual content of the character’s dialogue is another telling way to illustrate their intent and personality. Do they use eloquent language when speaking to others? This could infer that they are well educated or that they want to show they are smarter than everyone else. Asking why they use the words that they do could be as important as what they say.
Lastly, a character’s effect on others can be a source of indirect characterization for the reader. This type of indirect characterization can tie together dialogue as well as action.
If you have a character that is initially warmly received by peers, only for them to begin whispering once they turn their back, you immediately get a sense of the dynamic without it being explicitly stated. This could reveal that they don’t respect the other character enough to pretend to like them when they’re around. The reader can ascertain what kind of person they are by how other characters react to them whether they are in a scene with them or not.
Now that you have been introduced to the 5 types of indirect characterization, some examples from a famous work of fiction will help to drive the concept home. The beloved classic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin offers many examples of Indirect characterization in literature.
Elizabeth meeting Darcy for the first time at the Meryton ball is an example of indirect characterization through speech. When Mr. Bingly tells Mr Darcy he should dance, he responds with:
“I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, Unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this it would be insupportable.”
Mr. Darcy reveals that he believes himself above the present company and that he doesn’t like to dance with strangers. As this is the first time his character is shown, this line is very telling to the reader about what he thinks of himself and others.
Another event from the scene at the Meryton ball also presents an example of indirect characterization through action. Unlike Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingly is shown to be likable because of what he does as shown in this phrase:
“Mr. Bingly had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room, he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves.”
By introducing himself to people, dancing with different partners, and being friendly, he reveals his outgoing disposition to the reader.
An example of indirect characterization through appearance is when Elizabeth makes the trek to Bingly’s estate on foot to visit her sick sister. Having walked through mud, the state of her clothing is very shocking to Miss Bingley, and she remarks back to her sister:
“… I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep in mud, I am absolutely certain; and the gown which had been let down to hide it not doing its office.”
Miss Bingley is disgusted that Elizabeth would appear this way. This line reveals how much Miss Bingley values presentation, but more importantly it shows the protagonist’s lack of concern for how she might appear to others. She is more determined to see her sister than to impress anyone with her clothes.
A character’s personality can also be displayed in their thoughts. Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice reveals his inner musings of Mr. Collins:
“Mr. Bennet’s expectations were fully answered. His cousin was as absurd as he had hoped, and he listened to him with the keenest enjoyment, maintaining at the same time the most resolute composure of countenance, and, except in an occasional glance at Elizabeth, requiring no partner in his pleasure.”
This example shows Mr. Bennet as having a humorous personality and thinks of some of the other characters as a source of amusement.
Lastly, the effect a character has on others is seen in this line where the likability of Wickam is displayed:
“Mr. Wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye was turned, and Elizabeth was the happy woman by whom he finally seated himself;…”
The attention that Wickham receives shows that not only is he attractive, but he is pleased to be the center of attention.
In addition to utilizing the five types of indirect characterization, there are some tips you’ll want to keep in mind. Successful character building blends both direct and indirect characterization. Consider using direct characterization to make important details clear to the reader, then indirect to expand on them as you move on in the story.
The use of a character’s setting can be a great way to incorporate indirect characterization. For instance if the character’s home is predominantly decorated in pink and porcelain china, writers can show that the character likes a traditional style of decor and favors a specific shade over others.
If a writer wants to indirectly emphasize a character trait, they can reiterate a character trait that they want to stick out. Perhaps the writer wants to convey that a character is afraid of small spaces. Instead of the character spelling this out, this could be shown through repetition. The character could have trouble breathing when entering an elevator then shown as anxious when forced to enter a small hallway. This is a great way to deliver important details that stick out in the memory of a reader.
Indirect characterization is a great storytelling tool that can actualize characters that feel real. Writers can employ the five types of indirect characterization to portray characters as complex and three dimensional. Enjoy experimenting with this helpful tool to bring your characters to life.
Learning French can be exciting even as you begin with basic conversational phrases and find yourself progressing quickly. As you pick up more vocabulary, you’ll aspire to more sophisticated ways of expressing your ideas. Creating your own sentences unlocks a whole new level of language proficiency. To reach that next step in your language learning, you’ll want to understand the basics of how a sentence is put together.
Learning some language concepts, such as French parts of speech, can help you build your sentences and speak French with confidence . No language learning journey looks the same, but Rosetta Stone has features for every learner, so you can create a personalized experience that is both fun and engaging.
What are french parts of speech.
Parts of speech are categories of words that have specific functions in a sentence. Knowing which category to use and how they connect together can help you build a sentence that expresses your idea clearly—and also sounds correct. Certain parts of speech work together, follow an order, and influence the meaning of the sentence.
Being familiar with the parts of speech in French can help when you’re studying French grammar rules. This guide will help clarify the important French parts of speech so you can feel confident knowing how to construct sentences in French.
English has eight parts of speech , according to Britannica. Some grammarians group them differently, but we will cover these eight basic categories of parts of speech in the French language as well.
noun | indicates the person, place, thing, or idea | |
pronoun | replaces a noun | |
article | precedes a noun and gives you information about gender, number, and more | |
verb | indicates action or state of being | |
adjective | describes a noun | |
adverb | modifies or describes a verb or an adjective | |
conjunction | links words or clauses | |
preposition | tells the relationship between nouns or pronouns |
In many French vocabulary lists and dictionaries, you’ll see the French word followed by some extra letters or abbreviations. It might look like one of these examples:
The “nf” or “n.f. ” refers to “noun, feminine.” This is useful to distinguish the noun magie (magic) from the adjective magique (magical). It’s a quick way to know the French part of speech the word belongs to when you need quick help.
There are also commonly used abbreviations for other parts of speech and characteristics.
If hearing the word “noun” brought to mind the common definition “person, place, thing, or idea,” then you’re on the right track already! Here are a few more features of nouns in French:
Nouns are usually accompanied by a déterminant (determiner). These can be typical articles (a, an, the) or other words like (each, some, this, my).
Singular or plural nouns are used to demonstrate the number of persons, places, things, or ideas.
Nouns have grammatical gender of either masculine or feminine. The gender can change the meaning of the noun, which is why it’s important to learn their gender and not just the meaning.
Serving two purposes, nouns can function as subjects or objects in a sentence.
This popular Romance language has several different types of French pronouns , which are used to replace a noun in order to avoid repetition. Your reader or listener can get annoyed pretty quickly if you repeat a name or noun excessively while you tell a story. Compare these examples in English:
Subject pronouns are often one of the French parts of speech learners will memorize. You can use subject pronouns to replace a noun when it is the subject of the sentence. Remember, not all nouns are grammatically the subject, so you’ll have to ask “who or what is doing the verb, or the action?” to determine the subject.
Nous mangeons beaucoup de pizza. = We eat a lot of pizza.
Who eats a lot of pizza? “We” do. So “we” is the subject pronoun.
I | |
you (singular, informal) | |
he / she/ one / we (informal) | |
we | |
you (formal, plural) | |
they |
Reflexive verbs are used when the subject of the verb receives the action of the verb. To accomplish this in English we sometimes use words like “myself.” Sometimes the reflexive pronoun doesn’t translate to English at all, as French has lots of verbs that are used reflexively.
myself | |
yourself | |
himself / herself / oneself | |
ourselves | |
yourself / yourselves | |
themselves |
Direct object pronouns replace the noun as the object of the sentence, receiving the action of the verb. Compare how different this is to the subject pronoun.
La pizza est ma nourriture favorite. Je la mange tous les jours. = Pizza is my favorite food. I eat it every day.
me | |
you | |
himher | |
us | |
you (formal, plural) | |
them |
Indirect object pronouns are used in place of nouns when they are the indirect object in the sentence. The indirect object answers the question “to whom/what” or “for whom/what” is the action happening.
to / for me | |
to / for you | |
to / for him / her | |
to / for us | |
to / for you (formal, plural) | |
to / for them |
Relative pronouns are connectors in French. They link related thoughts, and are used like relative pronouns in English, to introduce a dependent clause. Their English translations will depend on the context and function in the sentence.
Other relative pronouns include:
Articles belong to the category of déterminants (determiners), which comprise a few useful parts of speech in French. Indefinite, definite, and partitive articles give you important information about the noun, such as its grammatical gender and number. It also indicates whether it’s a specific noun or object or a generalization.
L’article défini (the definite article) is the French equivalent of the English word “the.” Use this to specifically refer to an item.
L’article indéfini (the indefinite article) is the same as the English word “a” or “some.” Use this to refer to a non-specific object or subject.
L’article partitif (the partitive article) is a way to say “some” for uncountable words.
Let’s take a look at the differences between these types of articles.
While you might order un fromage (a whole round of cheese) or du fromage (some quantity of cheese), and be happy with either, these articles aren’t always interchangeable. Some differences in use matter!
Verbs are the action of the sentence and one of the most crucial French parts of speech. Verbs come in many different forms and give you important information in the sentence such as the mood and tense.
The mood could be indicative, subjunctive, conditional, or imperative:
The tense can tell you when the action occurs in the main timeframes of past, present, and future.
Subject-verb agreement is an important concept to know when learning to form French sentences. The verb needs to agree or match with the subject, meaning a plural subject needs a plural verb (dogs eat vs dog eats). Conjugating the verb form can follow regular patterns or can break the rules unpredictably. These “rule-breakers” are called irregular verbs, and this includes many of the most common verbs in French . Here are several ways to conjugate the verb “do.”
Adjectives modify or describe nouns and pronouns, and just like verbs, an adjective needs to agree or match the noun it describes in both grammatical gender (masculine and feminine) and number (singular and plural). French adjectives follow rules about placement and agreement.
Due to French gender rules , many adjectives have four different forms, although there can be even more when considering spelling variations.
In French, possessive adjectives are another déterminant (determiner) that also functions like an adjective, matching the grammatical gender and number of the singular noun that follows. This works differently than the English possession of “his” vs “her.” There is also a plural possessive adjective, as well as spellings that change before vowel sounds.
L’adjectif démonstratif (demonstrative adjective)
Demonstrative adjectives belong in the déterminant category as well. They answer the question “to which are you referring?” These are equivalent to English words like “this,” “that,” or “those.” They also agree with the noun that follows in both grammatical gender and number and can replace an article.
French conjunctions are an essential part of speech in French that serves to link more than one word or clause. They can be coordinating, meaning they link the same part of speech; subordinating, meaning they make one clause dependent on the other; or the conjunction can even be a phrase.
Some common French conjunctions are:
Adverbs modify or describe a verb or an adjective. You are probably most familiar with adverbs that end in “-ly” in English, like “rapidly” or “certainly.” Many French adverbs can be formed by using the suffix “-ment,” as in rapidement or certainement .
There are adverbs of place, position, manner, degree, time, frequency, and more. Some of the most common are:
Last but not least in our list of French parts of speech are prepositions. These useful words precede a noun or pronoun in order to show things like direction or location.
It’s not especially useful to try to memorize rules for using prepositions as their use is highly idiomatic. While some French prepositions can be learned as a direct translation, it is often better to learn them as a part of a phrase.
Some common prepositions are:
However, the translation often gets more complicated when you put these useful words into a sentence! Each of these uses of à has a different meaning in context.
The more French you learn in context, the more French parts of speech begin to make sense. Knowing the difference between an adjective and an adverb, for example, can help you sound more natural. Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method is the most intuitive way to learn a new language, helping you first comprehend then use parts of speech in French seamlessly to form sentences of your own, just as you did when learning to speak as a child.
Jamie Edwards is a Spanish and French teacher and loves learning and writing about Italian. Her “places to explore” list never gets shorter because she always wants to return! Her sights are set on Scotland and Italy next.
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If a sentence is expressed exactly as it came out of the mouth of the person who said it, it becomes a direct speech. However Indirect Speech (also called reported speech) refers to transmitting a sentence that someone has said. It is often used in daily language. For example, Susan told me she ate pizza yesterday. (Indirect Speech) Susan said ...
Indirect: He inquired how I was. 9. Direct: "I will help you," she promised. Indirect: She promised that she would help me. 10. Direct: "I didn't see him yesterday," Tom confessed. Indirect: Tom confessed that he hadn't seen him the day before. 11. Direct: "I am going to the market," Alex said.
Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech. Change of Pronouns. Change of Tenses. Change of Time and Place References. Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech. Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks. Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker. Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb. Step 4: Change the Pronouns.
The speech which is quoted above in actual words ("I am tired" is called the Reported Speech and the verb ("says") that introduces speech is called the Reporting Verb.The above speech is called Direct Speech.. Indirect Speech Examples. On the other hand, when the speech is reported in the form of a narrative, without quoting the speaker's actual words, it is called Indirect speech or ...
Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
2. Examples of Indirect Speech. Basic Examples. Here's a simple conversion: Direct: John said, "I am going to the store.". Indirect: John said that he was going to the store. Complex Examples. For a more complex sentence: Direct: "I can't believe it," she whispered, "but I saw a unicorn in the garden.".
Cha nges in pronoun s. The changes in pronouns in indirect speech depends on the subject and the object of the reporting verb. Rule 1: The first person of reported speech changes based on the subject of the reporting verb. Example: She said, "I watched a movie" can be converted into She said that she had watched a movie.Hence, the first person in the direct speech "I" has become "she ...
Here is an example: Direct speech: He said, "I am going to the store now.". Indirect speech: He said that he was going to the store then. Notice how "am" changed to "was" and "now" changed to "then". This is because the time and context have shifted from when the speaker originally spoke to when the speaker's words were ...
Direct speech: Sheila said, "I am meeting my brother tomorrow.". Indirect speech: Sheila said that she was meeting her brother the following day. Here are a few examples of other typical time expressions and how they change: Direct Speech. Indirect Speech. Yesterday. The day before. Now.
A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Let's have an example first. Tina said to me, "Are you busy now?" [direct speech] Tina asked me whether I was busy then. [indirect speech] Direct Speech. Speaker. Reporting verb. Direct speech ...
So the key difference between direct and indirect speech is that with direct speech the exact words are quoted but in indirect speech it is your own words . Direct speech is fairly simple to use and understand as it involves just repeating what was said. There is not much to get confused about with the grammar, apart from getting say (s)/said ...
Introduction. In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks, this is known as direct speech, or we can use indirect speech.In indirect speech, we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed.Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting verb or phrase such as ones below.
Direct: "I will help you," she promised. Reported: She promised that she would help me. Direct: "You should study harder," he advised. Reported: He advised that I should study harder. Direct: "I didn't take your book," he denied. Reported: He denied taking my book. Direct: "Let's go to the cinema," she suggested.
Here are the steps on how to do so: 1. Eliminate the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. The quotation marks are the primary indication of a direct speech. Therefore, it is crucial to take them out if you are forming an indirect one. 2. Retain the tense of the reporting verb and add the word "that" after it.
Exercise 3: Turn the following sentences from direct Speech to indirect speech. (1) The boys said, "It has been raining since morning. We cannot play today." Ans: The boys said that it had been raining since morning so they could not play that day. (2) Anjan's mother said, "Your father has left for Mumbai." Ans: Anjan's mother said that my father had left for Mumbai.
For example, if the verb in the direct speech is play, after applying backshift, it will change to played in the indirect speech. The following table shows verbs in the direct speech, and their ...
Direct speech: "I'm seeing my brother tomorrow.". Indirect speech: She said she was seeing her brother the following day. Here are some other examples: Direct speech: "I had a headache yesterday.". Indirect speech: You said you'd had a headache the day before yesterday. Direct speech: "It's been raining since this afternoon.".
Here is an example of converting indirect speech to direct speech: Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store. Direct speech: "I am going to the store," said John. Advanced Techniques for Using Direct and Indirect Speech. Using direct and indirect speech effectively can add depth and complexity to your writing. Here are some ...
Teacher said if we concentrate we would learn about direct and indirect speech. Rule 8. Reported Speech of Time-Clauses. Ali: "When I was staying in Quetta I met my best friend.". He said that when he was staying in Quetta he met his best friend. Rule 9.
Now consider the different grammatical aspects of both. Reporting Speech: The first part of the direct speech is called reporting speech (she says). Reported Speech: The second part of the sentence, which is enclosed in inverted commas or quotation marks, is called reported speech (I am a little bit nervous). Reporting Verb: The verb of the reporting speech is called the reporting verb (says).
Future Tense. An action in the future (present continuous tense or future) doesn't have to change verb tense, either, as these examples demonstrate. Direct speech: Jerry said, "I'm going to buy a new car." Indirect speech: Jerry said (that) he's going to buy a new car. Direct speech: Jerry said, "I will buy a new car."
Rule 1 - Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion - Reporting Verb. When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the present tenses are changed to the corresponding past tense in indirect speech. Direct to indirect speech example: Direct: She said, 'I am happy'. Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.
Indirect Characterization Examples. Now that you have been introduced to the 5 types of indirect characterization, some examples from a famous work of fiction will help to drive the concept home. The beloved classic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin offers many examples of Indirect characterization in literature. Speech in Pride and Prejudice
English has eight parts of speech, according to Britannica. Some grammarians group them differently, but we will cover these eight basic categories of parts of speech in the French language as well. French. English. Function. le nom / le substantif. noun. indicates the person, place, thing, or idea. le pronom.