Direct & Indirect speech
There are two ways of reporting what people say.
One is direct speech. We use the direct speech to the actual words used by another person. We indicate direct speech by the use of quotation marks.
The other is indirect speech. We use indirect speech to report what another person says or said. In Indirect speech, we make changes in pronouns, adverbs tenses etc.
Ex. John said, “I’m washing clothes.
John said (that) he was washing clothes.
Pronoun changes in Indirect speech:-
First person pronouns (I, my, me, own, us) are changed according to who the speaker is:
Hari said, “ I have taken tea”.
Hari said that he had taken tea.
Second person pronoun (you, your) are changed according to the listener or the person who is addressed.
Ravi said to him, “Your father is waiting for you”.
Ravi told him that his father was waiting for him.
Third person pronouns (he, she, it, they, him, her, then, his, their) remain unchanged. My English teacher said, “All students must bring their books.”
My English teacher said that all students must bring their books.
Adverbial changes in Indirect Speech:-
Adverbials of time & place change in indirect speech as follows:-
DIRECT INDIRECT
DIRECT INDIRECT
This / that These / those
Here There
Today That day
Tonight That night
Yesterday The previous day
Tomorrow The next day
Last week The previous week

Reporting verb
1. If the reporting verb is in the present, the tenses and adverbials of the reported speech are usually the same as those used in the original statement.
Ex. He says, “I’m going to college.
He says that he is going to college.
2. When the reporting verb is in the past, we usually move the reported clauses one tense back.
As a general rule, we should follow these.
DIRECT Speech INDIRECT Speech
Writes Wrote
Is writing Was writing
Has / Have written Had written
Wrote Had written

Shall / will write

Should / would write

Can / may

Could / might


He said, “He is sleeping.”
He said that he was sleeping.
Interrogative sentences Yes – no questions
We use asked enquired, as the reporting verb.
We use if or whether after the reporting verb.
The word order of yes – no questions is changed to the statement word order.
Ex. He told me, “Are you reading this book?”
He asked me if I was reading that book.
Wh – questions :
We use ‘asked, enquired, wanted to know as the reporting verb.
The Wh – word (what, why, how etc.) is used as a link between the reporting verb and reported speech.
The word order of wh – question is changed to statement word – order.
Ex. He said to me, ‘When are you going to Mumbai”?
He asked me when I was going to Mumbai.
The Imperative

We report the imperative with a suitable verb + to infinitive. The reporting verb can be ask, tell, request, advise etc. When we report a negative imperative we put not or never before the to - infinitive.
Ex. He said to me, “Please open the door.
He requested me to open the door.
He said to me, “Don’t open the door’.
He asked / told me not to open the door.
Exercise: (Mixed level)
Change the following into indirect speech:
1. He said, “I am living in Delhi.”
2. Rakesh said, “I don’t know what she’ll do.
3. The teacher said, “I will teach you. English tomorrow.”
4. Govind said, “He woke up at 8’o clock yesterday.”
5. He said to me, “Did you write this letter?”
6. Raju said, “Is it raining outside?”
7. Hari said, “Have you seen this film?”
8. Rahul said, “What are you looking for?”
9. He said, “When will dinner be ready?”
10. The teacher said, “How did you go home?”
11. He said to me, “Don’t wait for me.”
12. He said to me, “Wait here till I come.”
13. The doctor said to the patient, “ Don’t take cold water.”
14. My brother said to me, “ I am very thirsty. Get me a glass of water please.”
15. The shopkeeper said, “May I help you? We have got some fresh dry fruit today”.
 

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