Direct And Indirect Speech

Direct Speech: the message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in his own actual words without any
change.
Indirect Speech: the message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in our own words.
Example on Process of Conversion from Direct to Indirect Speech
a) Direct: Radha said, “I am very busy now.”
b) Indirect: Radha said that she was very busy then.
1. All inverted commas or quotation marks are omitted and the sentence ends with a full stop.
2. Conjunction ‘that’ is added before the indirect statement.
3. The pronoun ‘I’ is changed to ‘she’. (The Pronoun is changed in Person)
4. The verb ‘am’ is changed to ‘was’. (Present Tense is changed to Past)
5. The adverb ‘now’ is changed to ‘then’.

INDIRECT SPEECH FOR ALL TENSES

DIRECT SPEECH CHANGES - INTO INDIRECT SPEECH
Present Simple Tense into Past Simple Tense
Present Progressive Tense into Past Progressive Tense
Present Perfect Tense into Past Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Progressive Tense into Past Perfect Tense
Past Simple Tense into Past Perfect Tense
Past Progressive Tense into Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense (The tense remains unchanged) Past Perfect Progressive Tense (The tense remains
unchanged)
Future Simple Tense (e.g. will) into “would” Future Progressive T ense (e.g. will be) into “would be”
Future Perfect Tense (e.g. will have) into “would have” Future Perfect Progressive Tense (e.g. will have
been) into “would have been”

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH

PRESENT TENSE
PRESENT SIMPLE changes into PAST SIMPLE
She said “I work in a hospital”. She said that she worked in a hospital.
They said “We play Football”. They said that they played Football.
He said “I love my parents”. He said that he loved his parents.
She said “I don’t waste time”. She said that she didn’t waste time.
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST PROGESSIVE
He said, “I am waiting for someone”. He said that he was waiting for someone.
I said, “She is driving a car”. I said that she was driving a car.
She said, “They are enjoying the music”. She said that they were enjoying the music.
David said, “I am not going to College”. David said that he was not going to College.
PRESENT PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT
She said, “ I have completed the work” She said that she had completed the work.
John said, “I have won a prize”. John said that he had won a prize.
He said, “She has washed the shirts” He said that she had washed the shirts.
David said, “I have not met her”. David said that he had not met her.
PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
She said, “I have been working in a factory for She said that she had been working in a factory
two years. for two years.
David said, “he has been waiting for his brother David said that he had been waiting for his
for three hours” brother for three hours.
They said, “We have been living in America since They said that they had been living in America
2013”. since 2013.
PAST TENSE
PAST TENSE PAST SIMPLE changes into PAST PERFECT
He said, “I started a Job”. He said that he had started a job.
She said, “I bought a new car”. She said that she had bought a new car.
They said, “We went to a market” They that they had gone to a market.
He said to me, “You didn’t help me” He said to me that I had not helped him.
PAST PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
He said, “I was writing a poem” He said that he had been writing a poem.
The kids said, “We were playing a game”. The kids said they had been playing a game.
They said, “We were watching a movie”. They said they had been watching a movie.
She said, “I was not making a noise”. She said that she had not been making a noise.
PAST PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT (No change in tense)
They said, “We had won the game” They said that they had won the game.
He said, “I had gone to home”. He said that he had gone to home.
David said, “I had passed the exam”. David said that he had passed the exam.
She said, “I had not received the letter”. She said that she had not received the letter.
FUTURE TENSE
FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE WILL changes into WOULD
She said, “I will go to London”. She said that she would go to London.
He said, “I will start a new job”. He said that he would start a new job.
They said to me, “We will help you”. They said to me that they would help me.
She said, “I will not waste time”. She said that she would not waste time.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE WILL BE changes into WOULD BE
He said to me, “I will be waiting for you”. He said to me that he would be waiting for me.
David said, “I will be making tea”. David said that he would be making tea.
She said, “I will be feeding my kids”. She said that she would be feeding her kids.
They said, “We will not be driving a car. They said that they would not be driving a car.
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE WILL HAVE changes into WOULD HAVE
She said, “I will have cooked the food”. She said that she would have cooked the food.
He said, “I will have cleaned the room”. He said that he would have cleaned the room.
David said, “I will have called a Doctor”. David said that he would have called a Doctor
auxiliary + verb name simple past
He said, "Do you go to school every day?" He asked me if I went to school every day.*
He said, "Where do you go to school?" He asked me where I went to school.
imperative infinitive
He said, "Go to school every day." He said to go to school every day.

*Note than when a Yes/No question is being asked in direct speech, then a construction
with if or whether is used. If a WH question is being asked, then use the WH to introduce the clause.
Also note that with indirect speech, these are examples of embedded questions.
The situation changes if instead of the common said another part of the very to say is used. In that
case the verb tenses usually remain the same. Some examples of this situation are given below.
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
simple present + simple present simple present + simple present
He says, "I go to school every day." He says (that) he goes to school every day.
present perfect + simple present present perfect + simple present
He has said, "I go to school every day." He has said (that) he goes to school every day.
past progressive + simple past past progressive + simple past
He was saying, "I went to school every day." He was saying (that) he went to school every day.
 past progressive + past perfect
He was saying (that) he had gone to school every day.
future + simple present future + simple present
He will say, "I go to school every day." He will say (that) he goes to school every day.
Another situation is the one in which modal constructions are used. If the verb said is used, then the
form of the modal, or another modal that has a past meaning is used.
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
can could
He said, "I can go to school every day." He said (that) he could go to school every day.
may might
He said, "I may go to school every day." He said (that) he might go to school every day.
might
He said, "I might go to school every day."
must had to
He said, "I must go to school every day." He said (that) he had to go to school every day.
have to
He said, "I have to go to school every day."
should should
He said, "I should go to school every day." He said (that) he should go to school every day.
ought to ought to
He said, "I ought to go to school every day." He said (that) he ought to go to school every day.

Conversion of Interrogative
Reporting Verb like ‘said/ said to’ changes to asked, enquired or demanded
a) Direct: He said to me, “What are you doing?”
b) Indirect: He asked me what I was doing.
If sentence begins with auxiliary verb, the joining clause should be if or whether.
a) Direct: He said, “Will you come for the meeting?”
b) Indirect: He asked them whether they would come for the meeting.
If sentence begins with ‘wh’ questions then no conjunction is used as the "question-word" itself act as joining
clause.
a) Direct: “Where do you live?” asked the girl.
b) Indirect: The girl enquired where I lived.

Command, Request, Exclamation, Wish

Commands and Requests
Indirect Speech is introduced by some verbs like ordered, requested, advised and suggested. Forbid(s)/ forbade
is used for the negative sentences. The imperative mood is changed into the Infinitive.
a) Direct: Rafique said to Ahmed, “Go away.”
b) Indirect: Rafique ordered Ahmed to go away.
c) Direct: He said to her, “Please wait.”
d) Indirect: He requested her to wait.
Exclamations and Wishes
Indirect Speech is introduced by some words like grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud. Exclamatory sentence
changes into assertive sentence and Interjections are removed.
a) Direct: He said, “Alas! I am undone.”
b) Indirect: He exclaimed sadly that he was broke.
Change of Pronouns
The first person of the reported speech changes according to the subject of reporting speech.
a) Direct: She said, “I am in ninth class.”
b) Indirect: She says that she was in ninth class.
The second person of reported speech changes according to the object of reporting speech.
a) Direct: He says to them, "You have completed your job.”
b) Indirect: He tells them that they have completed their job.
The third person of the reported speech doesn't change.
a) Direct: He says, "She is in tenth class.”
b) Indirect: He says that she is in tenth class.

Change of Place and Time

Words expressing nearness in time or place in Direct Speech are generally changed into words expressing
distance in Indirect Speech.
Now -- then
Here -- there
Ago -- before
Thus -- so
Today -- that day
Tomorrow -- the next day
This -- that
Yesterday -- the day before
These -- those
Hither-- thither
Come -- go
Hence -- thence
Next week/month -- following week/month
a) Direct: She said, “My father came yesterday.”
b) Indirect: She said that her father had come the day before.
c) Direct: She says/will say, “My father came yesterday.”
Indirect: She says/will say that her father had come yesterday. (Here the reporting verb ‘says’ is in the
present tense OR ‘will say’ is in future tense; hence the time expression ‘yesterday’ won’t change.)