direct speech rules examples

Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples

Are you having trouble understanding the difference between direct and indirect speech? Direct speech is when you quote someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. This can be a tricky concept to grasp, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to use both forms of speech with ease.

Direct and Indirect Speech

When someone speaks, we can report what they said in two ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is when we quote the exact words that were spoken, while indirect speech is when we report what was said without using the speaker’s exact words. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I love pizza,” said John. Indirect speech: John said that he loved pizza.

Using direct speech can make your writing more engaging and can help to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion. However, indirect speech can be useful when you want to summarize what someone said or when you don’t have the exact words that were spoken.

To change direct speech to indirect speech, you need to follow some rules. Firstly, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb. Secondly, you need to change the pronouns and adverbs in the reported speech to match the new speaker. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will go to the park,” said Sarah. Indirect speech: Sarah said that she would go to the park.

It’s important to note that when you use indirect speech, you need to use reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked” to indicate who is speaking. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is it?” asked Tom. Indirect speech: Tom asked what time it was.

In summary, understanding direct and indirect speech is crucial for effective communication and writing. Direct speech can be used to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion, while indirect speech can be useful when summarizing what someone said. By following the rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech, you can accurately report what was said while maintaining clarity and readability in your writing.

Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech

When it comes to reporting speech, there are two ways to go about it: direct and indirect speech. Direct speech is when you report someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. Here are some of the key differences between direct and indirect speech:

Change of Pronouns

In direct speech, the pronouns used are those of the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the pronouns have to be changed to reflect the perspective of the reporter. For example:

• Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John.
• Indirect speech: John said he was going to the store.

In the above example, the pronoun “I” changes to “he” in indirect speech.

Change of Tenses

Another major difference between direct and indirect speech is the change of tenses. In direct speech, the verb tense used is the same as that used by the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the verb tense may change depending on the context. For example:

• Direct speech: “I am studying for my exams,” said Sarah.
• Indirect speech: Sarah said she was studying for her exams.

In the above example, the present continuous tense “am studying” changes to the past continuous tense “was studying” in indirect speech.

Change of Time and Place References

When reporting indirect speech, the time and place references may also change. For example:

• Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” said Tom.
• Indirect speech: Tom said he would meet you at the park the next day.

In the above example, “tomorrow” changes to “the next day” in indirect speech.

Overall, it is important to understand the differences between direct and indirect speech to report speech accurately and effectively. By following the rules of direct and indirect speech, you can convey the intended message of the original speaker.

Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

When you need to report what someone said in your own words, you can use indirect speech. To convert direct speech into indirect speech, you need to follow a few rules.

Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks

The first step is to remove the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. This is because indirect speech does not use the exact words of the speaker.

Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker

To indicate that you are reporting what someone said, you need to use a reporting verb such as “said,” “asked,” “told,” or “exclaimed.” You also need to use a linker such as “that” or “whether” to connect the reporting verb to the reported speech.

For example:

• Direct speech: “I love ice cream,” said Mary.
• Indirect speech: Mary said that she loved ice cream.

Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb

When you use indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb.

• Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store.

Step 4: Change the Pronouns

You also need to change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the subject of the reporting verb.

• Direct speech: “Are you busy now?” Tina asked me.
• Indirect speech: Tina asked whether I was busy then.

By following these rules, you can convert direct speech into indirect speech and report what someone said in your own words.

Converting Indirect Speech Into Direct Speech

Converting indirect speech into direct speech involves changing the reported speech to its original form as spoken by the speaker. Here are the steps to follow when converting indirect speech into direct speech:

• Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb used in the indirect speech. This will help you determine the tense of the direct speech.
• Change the pronouns: The next step is to change the pronouns in the indirect speech to match the person speaking in the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “She said that she was going to the store,” the direct speech would be “I am going to the store,” if you are the person speaking.
• Change the tense: Change the tense of the verbs in the indirect speech to match the tense of the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “He said that he would visit tomorrow,” the direct speech would be “He says he will visit tomorrow.”
• Remove the reporting verb and conjunction: In direct speech, there is no need for a reporting verb or conjunction. Simply remove them from the indirect speech to get the direct speech.

Here is an example to illustrate the process:

Indirect Speech: John said that he was tired and wanted to go home.

Direct Speech: “I am tired and want to go home,” John said.

By following these steps, you can easily convert indirect speech into direct speech.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech are two ways to report what someone has said. Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by a person, while indirect speech reports the meaning of what was said. Here are some examples of both types of speech:

Direct Speech Examples

Direct speech is used when you want to report the exact words spoken by someone. It is usually enclosed in quotation marks and is often used in dialogue.

• “I am going to the store,” said Sarah.
• “It’s a beautiful day,” exclaimed John.
• “Please turn off the lights,” Mom told me.
• “I will meet you at the library,” said Tom.
• “We are going to the beach tomorrow,” announced Mary.

Indirect Speech Examples

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. It is often used in news reports, academic writing, and in situations where you want to paraphrase what someone said.

Here are some examples of indirect speech:

• Sarah said that she was going to the store.
• John exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
• Mom told me to turn off the lights.
• Tom said that he would meet me at the library.
• Mary announced that they were going to the beach tomorrow.

In indirect speech, the verb tense may change to reflect the time of the reported speech. For example, “I am going to the store” becomes “Sarah said that she was going to the store.” Additionally, the pronouns and possessive adjectives may also change to reflect the speaker and the person being spoken about.

Overall, both direct and indirect speech are important tools for reporting what someone has said. By using these techniques, you can accurately convey the meaning of what was said while also adding your own interpretation and analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech refer to the ways in which we communicate what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, using quotation marks to indicate that you are quoting someone. Indirect speech, on the other hand, involves reporting what someone has said without using their exact words.

How do you convert direct speech to indirect speech?

To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb, such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.” For example, “I love ice cream,” said Mary (direct speech) can be converted to “Mary said that she loved ice cream” (indirect speech).

What is the difference between direct speech and indirect speech?

The main difference between direct speech and indirect speech is that direct speech uses the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. Direct speech is usually enclosed in quotation marks, while indirect speech is not.

What are some examples of direct and indirect speech?

Some examples of direct speech include “I am going to the store,” said John and “I love pizza,” exclaimed Sarah. Some examples of indirect speech include John said that he was going to the store and Sarah exclaimed that she loved pizza .

What are the rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech?

The rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech include changing the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb and use appropriate reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.”

What is a summary of direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions and introduce a reporting verb.

You might also like:

• List of Adjectives
• Predicate Adjective
• Superlative Adjectives

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English lessons and resources

Direct speech writing rules in English

7th January 2019 by Andrew 14 Comments

In the above picture, Mark is talking to Jane. The words inside the blue box are the exact words that he speaks.

Here is how we express this:

This is direct speech. Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says.

In this English lesson, you will learn:

• The rules for writing direct speech.
• The correct punctuation.
• Vocabulary to report direct speech.

Reporting clause before the direct speech

The reporting clause of direct speech is the short clause that indicates who is talking. It is the clause that is outside of the inverted commas. It is therefore not the words being spoken.

We can write the reporting clause either before or after the direct speech. If the reporting clause is before the direct speech, we write it as follows:

Grammar rules – If the reporting clause is before the direct speech:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a full stop (.) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause before a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is before a question or exclamation:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause after the direct speech

If the reporting clause is after the direct speech:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a comma (,) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Reporting clause after a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is after a question or exclamation:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Advanced rules for direct speech

Sometimes we break up the direct speech into 2 parts:

The second part of the direct speech starts with a small letter if it is the same sentence as the first part of the direct speech.

The second part of the direct speech starts with a capital letter if it is a new sentence.

Vocabulary of direct speech

We have several names for the above punctuation marks:

Inverted commas Speech marks Quotation marks Quotes

Other reporting verbs

Here are some other useful reporting verbs:

reply (replied) ask (asked) shout (shouted) agree (agreed) comment (commented) admit (admitted)

They are often used for writing direct speech in books, newspapers and reports. It is more common to use them in reporting clauses after the direct speech.

“I really don’t like her dress,” she commented . “I don’t love you anymore,” he admitted .

Other English lessons

Private online English lessons How to pass the IELTS with a band 8 Adverbs of frequency Indefinite article “a” and “an” The prepositions FOR and SINCE All of our lessons

Direct speech video lesson

Reader Interactions

Matěj Formánek says

3rd November 2019 at 5:54 pm

How about this sentence: I know the satnav is wrong!” exclaimed Zena. – Why the subject and predicate are swapped? It’s sentence from textbook so I’m confused.

17th June 2020 at 4:07 pm

Can we write multiple sentences in direct speech that comes before reporting clause? In case if this is allowed, what punctuation mark should be used after the last sentence?

Example: “I entered the class room. As I did not find anybody there, I left the class room and went to buy a coffee.” explained the student to the teacher for his delay to come to the class.

Should the punctuation mark after the word coffee be comma instead of full stop?

Joaquim Barretto says

14th September 2020 at 1:25 pm

No full stop, but comma after the word coffee.

19th January 2021 at 2:34 pm

HI IM DAISY

courtney says

27th January 2021 at 12:07 pm

Clare Hatcher says

12th March 2021 at 9:55 am

Hello I like the layout of this – very clear. Just wondering if it is correct to use a comma in between two separate sentences in direct speech. I think that now in published material you find this instead. ‘I’m tired,’ she said. ‘Let’s stay at home.’ Would appreciate your thoughts Thanks

27th March 2021 at 8:54 am

If I wrote something with a comma at the end to continue speech like this:

“Hello,” he waved to the new student, “what’s you’re name?”

Do I have to use a capital letter even if I’m continuing with a comma or is it lowercase?

Sylvia Edouard says

30th September 2023 at 9:17 am

Yes, you need to use a capital letter as speech from someone has to start with a capital letter. Always.

15th April 2022 at 12:12 pm

which of the following is correct?

1. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document?”

2. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document,”? (comma inside)

3. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document.”? (full stop inside)

Jan Švanda says

7th September 2023 at 1:31 pm

I presume the quotation is there to specify the exact phrase (for the metadata entry). I also encounter this from time to time, when writing technical documentation. I believe in that case you should write the phrase as it is, proper grammar be damned; beautifully looking documentation is useless if it leads to incorrect results.

In this case, I don’t even think this is “direct speech”, the metadata entry isn’t walking around and saying things, the quotation mark is there to indicate precise phrase – similar to marking strings in programming languages. Because of this, I don’t think direct speech rules apply, or at least, they should take back seat. If the expected status includes full stop at the end, the sentence would be:

4. Should the status go missing when the metadata states “Sign & return document.”? (no comma before, since it is not a direct speech; full stop inside, as it is part of the quoted status)

From grammatical perspective the end looks a bit ugly, but again, if this should be technical documentation, that is less important than precision.

A person says

15th August 2022 at 7:16 pm

One extra thing: YOU MUST NOT USE THE WORD SAID IN A REPORTING CLAUSE. EVER. IT’S UNIMAGINATIVE.

no joke, it’s actually discouraged and even close to banned at my school

7th September 2023 at 1:49 pm

This is stupid. You shouldn’t use it in _every_ sentence, there should be variety, but outright banning it doesn’t make sense.

Case in point:

Book: ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Phrase to search: ‘,” said’ (comma, followed by quotation mark, followed by space, followed by word ‘said’). Number of occurrences: 211. Total number of ‘,”‘ (comma, followed by quotation mark) strings is 436, so “said” is used in almost 50% cases of direct speech of this type.

I don’t think it would be right for your school to ban Jane Austin, do you?

blaire says

30th March 2024 at 5:36 pm

How do you use names in direct speech?

Is it: “I really don’t like her dress,” Ashley said. or “I really don’t like her dress,” said Ashley.

I’ve seen both and I’m so confused which one is correct, please help me.

Andrew says

3rd April 2024 at 11:31 am

Hello and thanks for your comment and question.

After the direct speech, both are correct.

Before the direct speech, only the first one is correct:

Ashley said, “I really don’t like her dress.” (correct) Said Ashley, “I really don’t like her dress.” (wrong)

I hope that helps you. Andrew https://www.youtube.com/@CrownAcademyEnglish/

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17 Direct and Indirect Speech Rules for Conversion

Understanding direct and indirect speech conversion rules is crucial for clear and accurate communication. We will explore these rules with detailed examples to master this aspect of the English language in an easy way.

Have you ever found yourself confused about how to accurately report someone else’s speech or statements? If so, you’re not alone. Direct and indirect speech, also known as reported speech, can be tricky to navigate. 

But fear not! In this article, we will explore the world of direct and indirect speech conversion rules, guiding you through the intricacies of transforming spoken words into written form.

Let’s now discover the Direct and Indirect Speech Rules in this informative article. 

What is Direct Speech or Narration?

Direct speech is a form of reporting that presents someone’s exact words without any alterations. It is commonly enclosed in quotation marks, allowing readers to see the speaker’s statements precisely as they were uttered. For example:

Direct Speech: Riya says, “I shall not go to school.”

“I shall not go to school. ” – are actual words of Riya. So, it is in the Quotation Marks / Inverted Comma (“ ”) . This format of a sentence with commas and Quotation Marks / Inverted Commas is called Direct Speech where ‘Riya’ is the subject or speaker, ‘ says’ is the reporting verb, and ‘ I shall not go to school’ is called reported speech.

What is Indirect Speech or Narration?

Indirect speech , on the other hand, involves paraphrasing someone’s words and reporting them indirectly, without using quotation marks. It requires a few changes in structure, such as tense and pronoun shifts. Let’s convert the previous example of direct speech into indirect speech:

Indirect Speech: Riya says that she will not go to school.

Similarly, we can report the above-mentioned sentence without quoting Riya’s actual words but keeping the meaning the same. This Format of the sentence is called Indirect Speech . In this format, no Comma and no Quotation Mark / Inverted Comma are used. Only Full Stop ( . ) is used at the end of the sentence.

People also ask

Direct and Indirect Speech General Rules

Now, learn the general rules of direct and indirect speech with numerous examples to enhance your language skills. Understand the subtleties of transforming statements, questions, and commands from one form to another effortlessly.

A. Direct and Indirect Speech (Reporting Verbs) Rules

Different reporting verbs are used to introduce indirect speech. The choice of reporting verb can convey the speaker’s attitude towards the reported speech.

Changes in reporting verbs according to tense are one of the most important rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech.

Remember: If the reporting verbs are in the presen t or future tense, the tense of the verb in the reported speech is not changed .

Remember: If the reporting verbs are in the past t ense, the tense of the verb in the reported speech will be in the corresponding past tense.

Here are some commonly used reporting verbs:

Rule 1: Reporting verbs ‘Say’ and ‘Tell’

“Say” and “tell” are two frequently used reporting verbs. “Say” is generally followed by the reported speech, while “tell” is followed by the indirect object (the person being addressed).

Direct: He says , “I am your friend.”

Indirect: He says that he is your friend.

Direct: He said to me, “I’m going to the store.”

Indirect: She told me that he was going to the store.

Rule 2: Reporting Verb ‘Ask’ and ‘Inquire’

When reporting questions , “ask” and “inquire” are commonly employed reporting verbs.

Direct: He said to me, “Where are you going?”

Indirect: He asked where I was going.

Direct: She said , “When will the concert start?”

Indirect: She inquired , “When will the concert start?”

Rule 3: Reporting Verb Request, Advise, Order, and Beg

To report imperative sentences, “Request”, “Advise”, “Order”, and “beg” are often used.

Direct: He said to me, “Go home at once”

Indirect: He ordered me to go home at once.

Direct: She said , “Do not run in the sun”

Indirect: She advised not to run in the sun.”

B. Direct and Indirect Speech ( Tenses ) Rules

The second most important rule is the changes of Tenses for converting direct speech to indirect speech

When transforming direct speech into indirect speech, there are specific rules to follow regarding tense changes:

Rule 4: Reporting Verb Present Tense:

If the Reporting Verb is in the Present Tense, there is no change in the tense in the Reported Verb when Direct Speech is converted into Indirect Narration.

Direct: Arnab says , “The room is dark.”

Indirect: Arnab says that the room is dark.

Direct: Arnab says , “The room was dark.”

Indirect: Arnab says that the room was dark.

Direct: Arnab says , “I shall finish the work.”

Indirect: Arnab says that he will finish the work.

Rule 5: Reporting Verb Future Tense:

If the Reporting Verb is in the Future Tense, there is no change in the tense in the Reported Verb when Direct Speech is converted into Indirect Narration.

Direct: Arnab will say , “The room is dark.”

Indirect: Arnab will say that the room is dark.

Direct: Arnab will say , “The room was dark.”

Indirect: Arnab will say that the room was dark.

Direct: Arnab will say , “I shall finish the work.”

Indirect: Arnab will say that he will finish the work.

Rule 6: Reporting Verb Past Tense:

If the Reporting verb of the Direct Narration is in the Past Tense, the Present Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech of Direct Narration is changed into the corresponding Past Tense in Indirect Narration.

Direct Speech: Rohan said , “She works hard.”

Indirect Speech: Rohan said that she worked hard.

Direct Speech: Rohan said , “She is singing a song.”

Indirect Speech: Rohan said that she was singing a song.

Direct Speech: The guest said shouting, “We have arrived .”

Indirect Speech: The guest shouted that they had arrived .

Direct Speech: My sister said , “It has been raining hard for 3 days”.

Indirect Speech: My sister said that it had been raining hard for 3 days.

Direct Speech: Father said , “I visited the Taj yesterday.”

Indirect Speech: Father said that he had visited the Taj the previous day.

Direct Speech: The boys said , “They were traveling in the park.”

Indirect Speech: The boys said that they had been traveling in the park.

Direct Speech: The reporters commented, “The Kohinoor had been lost long ago”.

Indirect Speech: The reporters commented that the Kohinoor had been los t long ago.

D i rect Speech: Jyotsna said , “ She had been doing the work for 3 hours”.

Indirect Speech: Jyotsna said that she had been doing the work for 3 hours.

Rule: 7 Direct Indirect Speech (Universal Truth or Habitual Fact) Rules.

The Tense of the Verb remains unchanged in Indirect Narration in cases of General Statements of Facts , Universal Truths , Commonplace Occurrences , and Habitual or Repeated Actions . No real change occurs in these cases. Only there will be present Tense alone.

Direct: The boy said to his mother, “ The sun rises in the East”.

Indirect: The boy told his mother that the sun rises in the East. [ Universal Truth ]

Direct: The monk answered , “ Man is mortal”.

Indirect: The monk answered that man is mortal. [ Universal Truth ]

Direct: The teacher told the students, “ Perseverance always leads to success.”

Indirect: The teacher told the students that perseverance always leads to success.

3. Direct and Indirect Speech ( Changing of Pronouns) Rules

There are certain rules to follow regarding the changes of pronouns from direct speech to indirect speech:

Rule 8: Personal Pronouns

First person.

(a) If the subject of the reported speech of direct form is in the first person, the subject of the reported speech will be replaced by the subject of the reporting verb in indirect form, but the number must be the same. [ singular > singular and plural > plural ]

Direct: She says, “ I am ill today.”

Indirect: She says that she is ill that day.

Second Person

(b) If the subject of the reported speech in the Direct Form is in the second person, the subject of the reported speech will be replaced by the object of the reporting verb in the indirect form, but the number must be the same. [ singular > singular and plural > plural ]

Direct: He says to me , ” You can do this work.”

Indirect: He tells me that I can do that work.

Third Person

(c) If the subject of the reported speech of Direct Form is in the third person, there will be no change in the person of the Indirect Form.

Direct: I said, “ He will not wait for his friend.”

Indirect: I said that he would not wait for his friend.

Changing pronouns Chart

Rule 9: demonstrative pronouns.

In the case of demonstrative pronouns, replace them with appropriate pronouns in indirect speech.

Direct: “ This is my book,” she said.

Indirect: She said that it was her book.

4. Direct and Indirect Speech (Punctuation and Quotation Marks ) Rules

Understanding how to punctuate and use quotation marks correctly is crucial when dealing with direct and indirect speech. Here are some guidelines:

Rule 10: Comma and Reporting Verb

When introducing indirect speech with a reporting verb, use a comma to separate the reporting verb from the reported speech.

Example: She said, “I’ll be there on time.”

Rule 11: Question Mark to Full Stop

If the direct speech is a question, change the question mark to a full stop when converting to indirect speech.

Direct: He asked, “Are you coming to the party?”

Indirect: He asked if I was coming to the party.

Rule 12: Exclamation Mark to Full Stop

In cases where the direct speech has an exclamation mark, replace it with a full stop in indirect speech.

Direct: She exclaimed, “What a beautiful day!”

Indirect: She exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.

Direct to Indirect speech (Modals and Conditional Sentences) Rules

Indirect speech involving modals and conditional sentences requires careful attention to maintain accuracy:

Rule 13: Modals in Indirect Speech

When dealing with modals like can, could, will, would, may, might, shall, should, must, etc., use the appropriate past form in indirect speech.

Direct: She said , “I can swim.”

Indirect: She said that she could swim.

Rule 14: Conditional Sentences in Indirect Speech

In indirect speech, conditional sentences undergo specific changes, especially when they involve “will” or “would.”

Direct: He said , “I will help you.”

Indirect: He said that he would help me.

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules: (Modifying Words – Time, Place, Manner)

Adding modifying words or phrases can alter the meaning of the reported speech:

Rule 15: Reporting with Adverbs of Time

When using adverbs of time in indirect speech, adjust them to match the new timeframe.

Direct: “I will come tomorrow,” she said.

Indirect: She said that she would come the next day.

Rule 16: Reporting with Adverbs of Place

Similar to adverbs of time, adverbs of place need modification in indirect speech. 

Direct: ” I live here,” he said.

Indirect: He said that he lived there.

Rule 17: Reporting with Adverbs of Manner

We can also use Adverbs of manner in indirect speech, requiring appropriate adjustments.

Direct: “He ran quickly,” she said.

Indirect: She said that he ran quickly.

Time, Place, Manner, Distance, and Direction Chart

In Indirect Narration, words denoting Time, Place, Manner, Distance, and Direction used in the quoted speech are correspondingly changed to conform to the point of view of the Reporter. Thus, the sense of nearness is changed into that of Distance, and so on.

Place Chart

Manner chart, distance chart, direction chart, direct and indirect speech advanced rules.

It is necessary to know about the Direct Indirect Speech Advanced Rules to change the mode of narration from direct to indirect speech of different sentences. All five sentences of Direct Indirect Speech Conversion Rules are shown with proper examples below.

A. Assertive Sentence Conversion Rules

To convert Assertive sentences into indirect speech the following rules are applied.

(a) No comma and Inverted comma in Indirect Speech, only full stop at the end.

(b) Reporting Verbs changed from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech ; ‘say – say’, ‘says – says’, ‘said – said’, ‘said to – told’, ‘say to – tell’, ‘says to – tells’.

(c) Connective ‘that’ added before Reported Speech in indirect Narration.

Direct: He said to me, “I am ill.”

Indirect: He told me that he was ill.

B. Interrogative sentences Conversion rules

Forming indirect speech with questions necessitates some adjustments:

Reporting Yes/No Questions

When reporting yes/no questions, use “if” or “whether” and invert the subject and auxiliary verb in indirect speech.

Direct: “Will you be there?” he asked.

Indirect: He asked if I would be there.

Reporting Wh-Questions

For reporting wh-questions, maintain the question word and adjust the word order in indirect speech.

(a) ‘Tell’ and ‘say’ in Direct Narration are changed to ‘ask’, ‘enquire of’, ‘question’, ‘want to know’ etc. in Indirect Narration. (b) In place of introductory ‘that’. ‘if’ or ‘whether’ should be used. (c) In Indirect Narration a full stop (.) must be put in place of a question mark(?) at the end of the sentence. (d) In Direct Narration the Reported Speech begins with W-word or how, in Indirect Narration the same Wh-word or how is retained.

Direct: “Where are you going?” she asked.

Indirect: She asked where I was going.

Direct: The teacher said to me, “Why are you late?”

Indirect: The teacher asked me why I was late.

C. Imperative Sentences Conversion rules

The indirect speech also involves reporting imperatives, which are commands, requests, or advice:

Reporting Commands

When reporting commands, use the reporting verb “tell” and change the imperative verb to the corresponding infinitive.

Direct: The teacher said, “Open your books.”

Indirect: The teacher told the students to open their books.

Reporting Requests

For reporting requests, employ the reporting verb “ask” and convert the imperative verb to the corresponding infinitive.

Direct: She said, “Please help me with this.”

Indirect: She asked for help with that.

(a) Reporting verbs of Direct Speech changed into order or command, advise, or request according to sense in Indirect Speech. (b) ‘To’ is placed before Reported speech in Indirect Narration; for the negative imperative sentence ‘not to’ is used. (c) ‘not to’ can also be replaced by ‘forbid’, or ‘prohibit’. (d) ‘Let’ implies ‘suggestion’ or ‘proposal’; Reporting verb will be ‘suggest’ or ‘propose’ in Indirect Speech. ‘that’ is used before Reported speech in Indirect Narration (e) ‘Let’ without ‘suggestion’ or ‘proposal’; Reporting verb will be ‘tell’, or ‘wish’ according to sense in Indirect Speech. ‘that’ is used before Reported speech in Indirect Narration.

Direct: Mother said to me, “Don’t run in the sun.”

Indirect: Mother advised me not to run in the sun.

Direct: She said to me, “Let us go for a picnic.”

Indirect: She suggested that we should go for a picnic.

D. Optative Sentence Conversion rules

The following rules are used to change an optative sentence from direct speech to indirect speech

(a) Reporting verbs changed to ‘ wish ’, ‘ pray ’, and ‘ bless ’ in Indirect Speech.

(b) Linker, ‘ that ’ is placed before Reported speech in Indirect Narration.

Direct: The monk said to me, “ May God bless you.”

Indirect: The monk wished that God might bless me.

E. Exclamatory Sentences Conversion rules

(a) The reporting verb is changed into exclaim (in joy), exclaim (in grief), cried out (in sorrow), pray, wish, etc. (b) Examinations are turned into statements. (c) Interjections (Alas, Oh, Hurrah) are omitted. (d) ‘What’, and ‘How’ used in exclamation should be replaced by great, great, very, very much, and big.

Direct: The boys said, “Hurrah! we have won the match.”

Indirect: The boy exclaimed in joy that they had won the match.

Solved Exercises Direct and Indirect Speech

Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

Q: Ratan said to Anita, “I don’t like your brother”.

Ans: Ratan told Anita that she did not like her brother.

Q: The hermit said to the boys, “God is present everywhere.”

Ans: The hermit told the boys that God is present everywhere.

Q: :He said to you, “You shouldn’t play in my garden.”

Ans: He told you that you should not play in his garden.

Q: The class teacher said to the students. “The inspector will visit our school today.”

Ans: The class teacher told the students that the inspector would visit their school that day.

Q: He said to me, “I don’t believe you.”

Ans: He told me that he didn’t believe me.

Q: She said to her son, “I’ve often told you not to play with fire.”

Ans: She told her son that she had often told him not to play with fire.

Q: Sitesh said to Lina, “I want you to go to Patna with me.”

Ans: Sitesh told Lina that he wanted her to go to Patna with him.

Q: “We can’t be quite happy in life,” he said.

Ans: He said that they couldn’t be quite happy in life.

Q: He said, “The Muslims bury their dead.”

He said that the Muslims bury their dead.

Q: “You’ve overcooked the steak again, Mary”, he said.

Ans: He told Mary that she had overcooked the steak again.

Q: Ramen said to Bina, “I’m going to your house this, week.”

Ans: Ramen told Bina that he was going to her house that week.

Q: He said, “We will discuss this tomorrow.”

Ans: He said that they would discuss that the next day

Turn the following sentences into direct speech.

Q: 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.

Q: He said to you, “I was much struck by your eloquence.”

Ans: He told you that he had been much struck by your eloquence.

Q: We remarked, “God is gracious.”

Ans: We remarked that God is gracious.

Q: I said to my mother, “I shall always obey you.”

Ans: I told my mother that I should always obey her.

Q: He said to Gopal, “You were a mere boy when I saw you last.”

Ans: He told Gopal that he was a mere boy when he had seen him last.

Q: I said to him, “The sky is blue.”

Ans: I told him that the sky is blue.

Q: He said to me, “You will feel the consequences.”

Ans: He told me that I should feel the consequences.

Q: She said to you, “I am not angry with you.”

Ans: She told you that she was not angry with you.

Q: I said to them, “You have done wrong.”

Ans: I told them that they had done wrong.

Q: He said, “I visit the temple every day.”

Ans: He said that he visited the temple every day.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Direct and Indirect Speech

Q : what is the key difference between direct and indirect speech.

Ans: The main difference lies in the quoting style. Direct speech involves repeating someone’s exact words, while indirect speech reports what was said without quoting verbatim.

FAQ 2: Is it always necessary to backshift the tense in indirect speech?

Ans: While backshifting is common, some exceptions exist, especially in cases where the statement’s truth remains constant.

FAQ 3: How do I handle multiple speakers in indirect speech?

Ans: When reporting multiple speakers, use appropriate reporting verbs and introduce each person’s dialogue in a logical sequence.

FAQ 4: Can I mix direct and indirect speech in the same sentence?

Ans: Combining direct and indirect speech in a sentence is possible, but it requires precision to avoid confusion.

FAQ 5: What are some reporting verbs commonly used in indirect speech?

Ans: Reporting verbs like “said,” “told,” “asked,” “claimed,” and “explained” are frequently employed.

FAQ 6: How can I ensure my writing maintains a natural flow when switching between direct and indirect speech?

Ans: Focus on maintaining consistency in style and verb tense to ensure a smooth transition between direct and indirect speech.

FAQ 7: How do I identify direct and indirect speech in a sentence?

Ans: Direct speech is usually enclosed within quotation marks and directly quotes someone’s words. Indirect speech, on the other hand, reports those words without quotation marks, often using reporting verbs like “said,” “told,” “asked,” etc.

FAQ 8: Can reporting verbs change the meaning of indirect speech?

Ans: Yes, the choice of reporting verbs can convey the speaker’s attitude or emotions towards the reported speech. Different reporting verbs can modify the meaning slightly.

FAQ 9: What are the common reporting verbs for indirect speech?

Ans: Common reporting verbs for indirect speech include “say,” “tell,” “ask,” “inquire,” “explain,” “describe,” and more.

FAQ 10: How do I change tenses in indirect speech?

Ans: The tense in indirect speech is generally shifted back one step. For example, present simple becomes past simple, present continuous becomes past continuous, and so on.

FAQ 11: Is it essential to use quotation marks in indirect speech?

Ans: No, quotation marks are not used in indirect speech as they report the speech without directly quoting it.

FAQ 12: Can you give an example of indirect speech in narratives?

Ans: Certainly! In the story, he said, “I love you,” to which she replied that she loved him too.

FAQ 14: Can we omit the reporting verb in indirect speech?

Ans: It is possible to omit the reporting verb in some cases, especially in informal contexts, but including it adds clarity and structure to the reported speech.

FAQ 15: Do all tenses change in indirect speech?

Ans: Most tenses change in indirect speech, but the changes depend on the context and the tense of the original statement.

FAQ 16: Can you provide more examples of direct and indirect speech transformations?

Ans: Certainly! Here are a few more examples:

Direct: “I am reading a book,” she said. Indirect: She said that she was reading a book.

Direct: “We have completed the project,” they exclaimed. Indirect: They exclaimed that they had completed the project.

FAQ 17: How can I practice using direct and indirect speech effectively?

Ans: Practice by converting direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa using various reporting verbs, tenses, and pronouns. Additionally, read books or articles and identify the reported speech used by the authors.

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Direct Speech or Quoted Speech

Introduction to direct speech or quoted speech.

Direct Speech, also known as Quoted Speech, is a common grammatical construction used in both written and spoken language. This tutorial serves as a comprehensive guide to mastering this important literary device. Let's start by understanding what direct speech is.

Table of Contents

Understanding Direct Speech

Direct speech refers to the exact wording of someone's comments or speech as it was spoken. In written text, direct speech usually appears in quotation marks or inverted commas to denote that the words were spoken or written by another person. The actual text of direct speech punctuated with a speech tag, which identifies the speaker and might provide additional context.

• John said, "I love playing football."

In this example, "I love playing football," is the direct speech, and "John said," is the speech tag.

Formatting Direct Speech

Following are some standard rules regarding the formatting and punctuating of direct speech:

Rule 1: Opening and Closing Quotation Marks

Always use opening and closing quotation marks to indicate the start and end of the direct speech portion of the sentence. These could be double (“ ”) or single (‘ ’) quotation marks, depending on the convention of the media or publication.

• "I am going home," said Maria.

Rule 2: Speech Tag Placement

The location of the speech tag can change, depending on the context and the intended effect. It can either be placed before, in between, or after the direct speech.

• She said, "I am tired."
• "I am," he said, "very hungry."
• "Let's go to the park," suggested Tim.

Rule 3: Capitalization and Punctuation

In direct speech, every new spoken line starts with a capital letter. Also, when the speech tag is at the end of the sentence, the quoted sentence should end with a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark but not with a period.

• John said, "Please pass the salt."
• "Where are we going?" asked Mary.
• "What a beautiful view!" exclaimed Susan.

Understanding the Speech Tag

The speech tag typically has two parts: the noun (or noun phrase) that refers to the speaker and the reporting verb (e.g., "said", "asked", "whispered") that characterizes the mode of speech. It's also possible to add adverbial modifiers to describe the manner of speech.

• "I can't wait to play the game," Tom said excitedly.

Overriding Rules in Direct Speech

While the rules mentioned above can guide you in punctuating most direct speeches correctly, some exceptions or overriding rules can alter punctuation and capitalization. Here are some examples:

Rule 1: Interrupted Speech

If the speech tag interrupts the direct speech, both parts of the speech would begin with a lowercase letter, assuming they form a single sentence.

• "I can't," she whispered, "stand to see him upset."

Rule 2: Consecutive Sentences

When a character speaks consecutive sentences, start the second one with a capital letter.

• "Please leave," she said. "I need to be alone."

Concluding Remarks

Mastering direct speech or quoted speech can enhance your writing skills tremendously, helping you write compelling dialogue and effectively integrate quotes in your work. By following the guidelines set in this tutorial, you'll be well on your way to using direct speech like a pro. Happy writing!

Practice Exercises:

• Rewrite the following sentences with appropriate use of quoted speech:
• Sam said that he was too tired to study.
• Jane thought that it was a splendid idea.
• He didn't know where she was going.
• Use direct speech to write a conversation between two characters about their weekend plans.

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Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

English grammar direct and indirect speech rules, what is direct and indirect speech.

We often have to give information about what people say or think. In order to do this, we can use direct or quoted speech or indirect or reported speech .

Direct Speech

Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech).

For example:

• She said, “Today’s lesson is on presentations.” Or “Today’s lesson is on presentations,” she said.

Indirect speech

Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech or Narration ), doesn’t use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn’t have to be word for word. Thus, in indirect speech, we convey the speaker’s message in our own words.

• Direct Speech: He said, “I’m going to the cinema”.
• Indirect Speech: He said that he was going to the cinema.

Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart

Reported speech does not go back a tense if it is already in the past perfect (there is no further back it can go), and some modal verbs also do not change.

Direct and Indirect speech Examples for Tense

1. Simple Present to Simple Past

• Direct: He said, “The boy goes home.” Indirect: He said that the boy went home.

2. Present Continuous to Past Continuous

• Direct: Ram said, “I am reading a book.” Indirect: Ram said that he was reading a book.

3. Present Perfect to Past Perfect

• Direct: The girl said, “I have lost my pen.” Indirect: The girl said that she had lost her pen.

4. Present Perfect Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

• Direct: He said, “Ram has been going.” Indirect: He said that Ram had been going.

5. Past Indefinite to Past Perfect

• Direct: Mother said, “I bought a watch for you.”
• Indirect: Mother said that she had bought a watch for him.

6. Past Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

• Direct: Raju said, “I was repairing a car.” Indirect: Raju said that he had been repairing a car.

7. Future Tense (shall/will) to future in the Past (should/would)

• Direct: The teacher said, “I shall give you notes.” Indirect: The teacher said that he would give them notes.

8. Conditional to Perfect Conditional Direct:

• Direct: He said, “If I had the money I could buy the car.” Indirect: She said that if he had the money he could have bought the car.  

9. Past Perfect Tense: No Change

• Direct: She said, “I had gone to Bhagalpur.” Indirect: She said that she had gone to Bhagalpur.

10. Auxiliary Verbs (would, should, might, could, ought, must) —  No Change

• Direct: He said, “I would like to take milk.” Indirect: He said that he would like to take milk.
• Direct: The boy said, “The teacher could have solved it in no time.” Indirect: The boy said that the teacher could have solved it in no time.
• Direct: He said, “The boy must apologise to the teacher.” Indirect: He said that the boy must apologise to the teacher.

Changes of Interrogative Sentences

• Toni said, “What is Luna doing?” Toni asked me what Luna was doing.
• Luna said, “Will she come for lunch?” Luna asked if she would come for lunch.
• The boy asked, “ Wh ere do you stay?” The boy inquired where I stayed

Things are slightly more complicated with imperatives

Time and place references.

• I went to the theatre last night . He said he had gone to the theatre the night before .
• I’m having a party next weekend . He said he was having a party the next weekend .
• I’m staying here until next week . He said he was staying there until the following week.
• I came over from London 3 years ago . He said he had come over from London 3 years before.

When verbs don’t follow the rules?

• You’ve invited someone for dinner at your house, and the phone rings. It’s them! They say:
• (on the phone) “I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to be a bit late. There’s a lot of traffic.”
• After you finish speaking on the phone, you say to someone else:
• That was Juan. He said he thinks he’s going to be late because there’s a lot of traffic.

Another example:

• A friend says to you: “Maria’s ill. She’ s got chickenpox!”
• You say to someone else: Laura said that Maria’ s ill. She’ s got chickenpox.
• However, the following day you see Maria at the beach. You’re surprised and say to her:
• Laura said that you were ill. She said you had chickenpox.

This has to change to the past because it isn’t true . Maria obviously isn’t ill .

• A friend is telling you about the horrible weather: “It started raining heavily when I left work.” (This is where things get confusing):
• He said it had started raining heavily when he had left work (it sounds horrible and the sentence is almost nothing but verbs).
• He said it had started raining heavily when he left work (is wrong because it means it was already raining when he left work)
• He said it started raining heavily when he left work (is the best version because it is accurate, short, and there is no confusion because of the time context)

Generally speaking, the past simple and continuous don’t always need to be changed if:

Rules for Universal Truth, Habitual Facts, etc.

• Direct: My friend said, “I am an early riser.” Indirect: My friend said that he is an early riser.
• Direct: Father said, “Man is the only animal that cooks his food.” Indirect: Father said that man is the only animal that cooks his food.
• Direct: The teacher said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Indirect: The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.
• Direct: The teacher said, “The earth moves around the sun.” Indirect: The teacher said that the earth moves around the sun.
• Direct: Sarla said, “When Ram was reading Sham was writing.” Indirect: Sarla said that when Ram was reading Sham was writing.
• Direct: The teacher said, “Akbar died in 1605 AD.” Indirect: The teacher said that Akbar died in 1605 AD.
• Direct: The speaker said, “Gentlemen, I will tell you what is going there.” Indirect: The speaker told his audience (those present) that he would tell them what was going there
• Direct: He said, “I hope, friends, you will support me.” Indirect: He said that he hoped they would support him.
• Direct: He said, “I would rather she played.” Indict: He said that he would rather she played.
• Direct: He said, “If I  were rich, I would settle in Mumbai. Indirect: He said that if he were rich, he would settle in Mumbai.
• Direct: He said. “When we lived/were living in Chennai, we often visited Rameshwarm” Indirect: He said that when they lived/ were living in Chennai, they often visited / had visite Rameshwarm

Rules for the Change of Pronouns

If the direct speech has a pronoun, its person is changed, when necessary, to refer in the indirect to the same individual as it does in the direct.

• Soni said, “ I am a good girl.” Soni said that she was a good girl.
• I told them, “ You have finished your work.” I told them that they had finished their work.
• He said, “ She is in Delhi.” He said that she was in Delhi.
• Direct:  He said, “I can cross this river.” Indirect:   He said that he could cross that river.
• Direct:  You said. “I can cross this river.” Indirect:   You said that you could cross that river.
• Direct:  I said, “I can cross this river.” Indirect:  I said that I could cross that river.

You also need to be careful with  personal pronouns . They need to be changed according to the situation. You need to know the context.

For example , there is possible confusion when you try to change reported speech to direct speech:

• She  said  she ’d been waiting for hours. (Is ‘ she ‘ one person or two different people?)
• I told  them they  would have to ask permission. (Are we talking about two groups of people or only one?)

Direct and Indirect Speech: The Ultimate Guide

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

What is Direct Speech?

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:

• “I am going to the store,” said John.
• “I love ice cream,” exclaimed Mary.
• “The weather is beautiful today,” said Sarah.

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.

What is Indirect Speech?

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:

• John said that he was going to the store.
• Mary exclaimed that she loved ice cream.
• Sarah said that the weather was beautiful that day.

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.

Differences Between Direct and Indirect Speech

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.

How to Convert Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

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:

• Remove the quotation marks.
• Use a reporting verb to introduce the indirect speech.
• Change the tense of the verb in the quote if necessary.
• Change the pronouns if necessary.
• Use the appropriate conjunction if necessary.

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.

How to Convert Indirect Speech to Direct Speech

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:

• Remove the reporting verb.
• Use quotation marks to enclose the direct speech.
• Maintain the tense of the verb in the quote.
• Use the same pronouns as the original quote.

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 advanced techniques for using direct and indirect speech:

Blending 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.

Using Reported Questions

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.

Using Direct Speech to Convey Emotion

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.

• When should I use direct speech?
• Direct speech should be used when you want to report what someone said using their exact words. Direct speech is appropriate when you want to convey the speaker’s tone, emphasis, and emotion.
• When should I use indirect speech?
• Indirect speech should be used when you want to report what someone said using a paraphrased version of their words. Indirect speech is appropriate when you want to provide information without conveying the speaker’s tone, emphasis, or emotion.
• What are some common reporting verbs?
• Some common reporting verbs include “said,” “asked,” “exclaimed,” “whispered,” “wondered,” and “suggested.”

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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Direct and Indirect Speech – Rules and Examples

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

• The comma ( , )after the reporting verb is removed and the conjunction that is added in the indirect speech.
• If the direct speech contains ‘said to’ , it will be converted into ‘told’ in the indirect speech.
• The quotation marks (Inverted commas) are to be removed in the indirect speech.
• I becomes He/ She
• We becomes they
• You becomes He / She/ They
• Me becomes Him/ he r (Depending on the gender in the direct speech)
• My becomes His/ Her .
• Our becomes their
• Us becomes them
• Your becomes His/ her/ their .

Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and Indirect Speech

• Rule 1: The Verb in the simple present tense in the direct speech changes into the simple past tense in 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’.)

• Rule 2: The verb in the simple past tense becomes past perfect tense in indirect speech.

Example: He said to me, “I was happy”   changes into  He told me that he had been happy

• Rule 3: A present continuous tense in direct speech becomes past continuous tense in indirect speech. 

Example: The peon said, “The professor is teaching in that classroom”   changes into  The peon said that the professor was teaching in that classroom. 

• Rule 4: If the direct speech contains present perfect tense, it changes into the past perfect tense in indirect speech.

Example: She said, “I have passed the test” becomes She said that she had passed the test.

• Rule 5: If the direct speech contains a statement talking about a universal truth or a factual statement, there will be no change of tense in indirect speech. 

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

• Rule 6: While converting interrogative sentences, the verb ‘said to’ becomes ‘asked’ and if/ whether will come in the place of ‘that’. The connecting word ‘that’ will not be used in indirect speech. Also, the interrogation mark (?) is not repeated in the indirect speech.

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

• Rule 7: During the conversion of imperative sentences, the verb “said to” is changed into ordered, advised, requested, suggested, proposed, etc. depending on the situation.  Also, the connecting word ‘that’ is not used. Instead of that, ‘ to’ is used before the reporting verb.

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

• Rule 8: For exclamatory sentences, the verb is converted into: exclaimed with joy or sorrow or with surprise, wished, prayed, applauded,/ etc. The exclamatory words and the exclamation are not mentioned anymore in the indirect speech. For example,

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

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 

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” based on the subject.

Had there been “he” instead of “she”, the first person in reported speech changes accordingly into “he”.

• Rule 2: The second person in reported speech changes based on the object of the reporting verb.

Example: She said to me, “You watched a movie” can be converted into She told me that I had watched a movie.

• Rule 3 : The third person in the reported speech remains unchanged.

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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Direct and Indirect Speech Examples: Direct Speech Rules

What is direct and indirect speech? In English there are two ways of explaining what someone has said: Direct speech (quoted speech) or indirect speech (reported speech). Direct speech: He said, “I will play football today”. Indirect speech: He told us that he would be playing football today. In these examples, direct and indirect speech are in  bold . Check out our direct and indirect speech infographic below.

Direct and Indirect Speech Sentence Examples

Practice direct and indirect speech in sentences. Direct speech is when the words are reported in the same way that the speaker said them. Indirect speech is the reporting of what someone else uttered but without changing the meaning of what was said. Have a go and make your own sentences with the direct and indirect speech poster above and sentences below.

• Direct speech sentences :
• He said, “I’m happy.”
• She said, “I’ve been to England three times.”
• He said, “We will travel to Cuba in June.”
• She said, “The new film was a spectacle.”
• Indirect speech sentences:
• He said that he was happy.
• She said that she had been to England three times.
• He said that he would travel to Cuba in June.
• She said that the new film was a spectacle.

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Direct and Indirect Speech

Table of Contents

What is Speech (Narration):

If we want to describe the speech of some other people with other people in our own words, that speech is called a Reported speech or Narration.

Types of Speech

In the English language, there are certain ways to express the spoken words between two people.

The speech has two main types, Direct speech , and Indirect speech , respectively.

These two ways of narration of spoken words are also called Direct and Indirect speech, also known as Direct and Indirect narrations. 

Direct and indirect speech is majorly used in any conversations, scripts, or any biographies, etc. where one or more than one person converses with each other.

Direct speech:

It is also called straight speech or quoted speech, which is spoken or written directly in the text by the speaker, writer, or the first person, who is going to speak with anyone with him.

The spoken statements of the speaker normally come under the inverted commas notation, and a speaker who speaks these sentences may come like “he said/he said that.”

The speaker’s words or statements are mentioned in a single phrase pattern or direct discussion.

Indirect speech:

An Indirect speech is also called a reported speech, or secondary speech means the speech, which has spoken indirectly.

It is simply an overlook statement that is used to say about the incident that has happened in the past time.

The actual words of the speaker changed into the past tense and the sentence, and hence the reported speech of the direct speech does not come inside the inverted commas.

Reporting speech:

A person who is going to report the speech or a speech that comes in the first part of the direct speech is called a reporting speech.

• He says , “He cooks food”.

Reported speech:

Reported speech is a speech that is always in an inverted comma or quotation marks.

It is a second part of the direct speech sentence.

• He says,  “He cooks food.”

Reporting verb:

The verb, which is used in a reporting speech to report something in a direct speech, is called a reporting verb.

• Zoya  said , “I want to go there.”

Reported verb:

The verb which comes inside the reported speech is called reported verb, respectively.

• Zoya said, “I  want  to go there.”

As we start writing any direct and indirect conversation, we often use reported verbs like  “say, tell, ask, inform, instruct, claim, suggest, enquire, etc.”

These reported verbs, whenever used in direct or indirect speech, change into the past simple form like  said, told, asked, informed, instructed, claimed, suggested, enquired, etc.

But the verbs used in a speech between the inverted commas will remain as it is.

Examples of direct and indirect speech:

• Indirect speech: John said that she was looking so beautiful.
• Indirect : He said that he was not a culprit.
• Indirect : He said that she was working on that project.
• Indirect : The teacher asked if he completed his homework. 
• Indirect : She says that she is an artist.
• Indirect : Sam told me that he was not coming with me.
• Indirect : He says that she is working on that project.

Some basic rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech:

Rule 1 : “no inverted commas.”.

The reported speech does not come into inverted commas or quotation in an indirect speech.

Example: Direct: He said, “I have completed my assignments yesterday.”

    Indirect: He said that he had completed his assignments the previous day.

Rule 2: use of “that” conjunction

Using the conjunction word “that” in-between the reporting speech and reported speech in an indirect speech.

Example: 

• He said, “I have completed my assignment yesterday.”
• He said  that  he had completed his assignment the previous day.

Rule 3: Change of tense

While writing a direct speech into an indirect speech, we have to change the tense of the reported speech because whatever we are writing in indirect speech has already happened in the past timing.

• If the tense of a reporting speech of direct speech is in the present tense or future tense , then the tense of the reported speech in indirect speech will not change. It may be in the present tense, past tense, or future tense, respectively.
• Indirect : He says that he is going to school. (no change in tense)
• Indirect : She says that she  will not come  with me. (no change in tense)
• Indirect : He says that he  wrote  a letter. (no change in tense)

If the tense of the reporting verb of direct speech is in the past tense, then the tense will change according to these criteria.

For the present tense:

Simple present tense will change into simple past tense..

Direct: He said, “They come to meet me.”

Indirect: He said that they came to meet him.

Present continuous tense will change into past continuous tense.

Direct: She said, “They are coming to meet me.”

Indirect: She said that they were coming to meet her.

Present perfect tense will change into past perfect tense.

Direct: He said, “They have come to meet me.”

Indirect: He said that they had come to meet him. 

Present perfect continuous tense will change into past perfect continuous tense.

Direct: She said, “They have been coming to meet me.”

Indirect: She said that they had been coming to meet her. 

For the past tense:

Simple past tense will change into the past perfect tense.

Direct: He said, “They came to meet me.”

Indirect: He said that they had come to meet him.

Past continuous tense will change into past perfect continuous tense.

Direct: She said, “They were coming to meet me.”

Indirect: She said that they had been coming to meet her.

Past perfect tense and past perfect continuous tense will remain the same.

Direct: He said, “They had come to meet me.”

Direct: She said, “They had been coming to meet me.”

For the future tense:

There are no changes in the future tense sentences; only shall/will may change into would, can change into could.

• Direct: She said, “Can you come tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that could he come on the next day

• Direct: He said, “I will never forgive you.”

Indirect: He said that he would never forgive me.

Rule 4: Changing the pronoun

The pronoun used as an indirect subject speech sometimes needs to be changed accordingly in indirect speech as of the reported verb of the direct speech.

• The pronoun used for representing the first person in reported speech changes based on the subject of the reporting speech in a direct speech.
• The pronoun used for representing the second person in reported speech changes based on the report’s object in a direct speech.
• The pronoun used for representing the third person remains the same in the reported speech.
• Direct: He said, “ I  am going to school.”
• Indirect: He said that  he  is going to school.
• Direct: She says, “ I  will not come with  you .”
• Indirect: She says that  she  will not come with  me .
• Direct: They said, “ we  are eating our tiffin box.”
• Indirect: They said that  they  were eating  their  tiffin box.

Rule 5: Changing the time

The mentioned time (not the timing) in a direct speech sentence will have to change in indirect speech like   now  becomes  then, tomorrow  becomes  the next day, yesterday  becomes  the previous day, today  becomes  that day, later  becomes  soon. 

• Direct: He told, “He is coming from Tokyo  today .”
• Indirect: He told me that he was coming from Tokyo  that day .
• Direct: She asked, “Will the parcel reach by  tomorrow  or not?”
• Indirect: She asked whether the parcel will reach by  the next day  or not.
• Direct: “The teacher has given some assignments  yesterday ”, he reminds me.
• Indirect: He reminds me that the teacher had given some assignments on  the previous day.

Conversion of statements from direct speech into Indirect speech:

Assertive sentences:.

Assertive sentences are simple statements that may be affirmative or negative.

If we are going to convert assertive sentences from direct speech into indirect speech, we have to replace “said” with “told” sometimes.

Here, the subject in direct speech refers to someone in his talk.

• Direct: He said to me, “she is working on this project.”

Indirect: He told me that she was working on that project.

• Direct: She said to me, “I’m going for a long drive.”

Indirect: She told me that she was going for a long drive.

Imperative sentences:

Imperative sentences are statements that deliver a command, order, request, appeal, or advice.

It depends on the speaker, how he delivers the message to the other person.

• Sit properly!
• Stand by my side!
• Come closer!

While converting these types of sentences cum statements from direct speech to indirect speech, we have to check the type of sentence, whether it is a command, order, request, or else.

• Direct: The teacher said to me, “Sit properly!”

Indirect: The teacher ordered me to sit properly.

• Direct: The Boss said to an office boy, “Bring one coffee for me.”

Indirect: The Boss commanded an office boy to bring a coffee for him.

Indirect: The teacher requested me to sit properly.

• Direct: The bartender said to me, “try this drink.”

Indirect: The bartender advised me to try that drink.

Interrogative sentences:

An interrogative sentence is a sentence which interrogates or ask questions.

Each interrogative sentence ends with an interrogative sign or a question mark sign “?”.

• What is your name?
• Can you do me a favor?
• Why are you laughing in the classroom?

While writing interrogative sentences from direct speech into indirect speech,

• the reporting verb “said” in the direct speech is changed into “asked” in the indirect speech because it asks the question to another person.
• If any reporting verb comes first in the reporting speech, then “If” is used despite “that.”
• In a reporting speech, if any wh-type question words are present, then no other words will be used, and the sentence ends with a full stop sign instead of a question mark.
• Indirect: He asked me what was my name.
• Indirect: She asked if he could do her a favor.
• Indirect: The teacher asked him why he was laughing in the classroom.

Exclamatory sentences:

Exclamatory sentences are those sentences that show emotions, feelings and ends with an exclamation mark!

• Congratulations! You have a baby girl.
• I am extremely sorry for your loss!
• Most welcome!

If any interjection comes in an exclamation sentence, then the exclamation sign removes in an indirect speech, and an exclamatory sentence gets converted into an assertive sentence.

The replacement of reporting verb “said” with  exclaimed with (great wonder, sorrow, joy) exclaimed (joyfully, sorrowfully)

Replace with  very  or  very great , if words like  how  or  what  comes at the beginning of the reported speech.

• Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that I had a baby girl.
• Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that she felt sorry for my loss.
• Indirect: They exclaimed with joy that most welcome.

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Reported speech: direct speech

Direct speech is a representation of the actual words someone said. A direct speech report usually has a reporting verb in the past simple. The most common reporting verb is said . The reporting clause may come first or second.

The reporting clause may sometimes come in the middle of the reported clause, especially in literary styles:

“No,” she said , “I’ve never seen it before.”

‘Was it,’ he asked , ‘the first time you had spoken to Mrs Dalton?’

We can use adverbs with the reporting verb to describe the way someone said something. This is more common when the reporting clause comes second:

“I will not accept it!” he said angrily .

‘Can I speak to the doctor?’ she asked rather nervously .

Reported speech: punctuation

Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses

Direct speech: inversion of subject and reporting verb

In narratives, especially novels and short stories, when the reporting clause comes second, we often invert the subject (s) and reporting verb (v):

“Things have always been the same in this village,” [V] said [S] the old man .

‘Hold on! I’m coming!’ [V] cried [S] Maurice .

Direct speech: present simple and continuous reporting verbs

Informal narratives.

In informal conversation, we sometimes use the present simple in the reporting clause. This makes the direct speech more vivid and dramatic:

So then this guy says , “I’ve got something for you. Come over here.” And he picked up a box and he says , “Open that.”

We can make the direct speech even more vivid and dramatic by using the present continuous. This is very informal:

And he’s looking at me and he ’s asking , “Who are you?” and I said, “I’m your nephew” and he ’s mumbling , “I don’t know you. I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

In very informal conversation, people sometimes use says as a reporting verb for all persons ( I, you, she, he, we, they ):

She says , ‘What’s going on here?’ and I says , ‘Nothing. There’s nothing happening – everything’s okay.’

Many speakers consider the above examples to be incorrect. This applies especially to the use of says with all persons.

Newspaper headlines

We also use the present simple in newspaper headlines. This makes the reported words more dramatic:

‘I WON’T RESIGN,’ SAYS MINISTER

Say or tell ?

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Direct To Indirect Speech: Complete Rules With Examples

Direct and indirect speech is often a confusing topic for English learners. The basic idea is this:

• In direct speech, we quote a person’s exact words. For example, Meera said, “I can speak English fluently.”
• In indirect speech, we do not quote the person’s exact words but provide a summary of what was said. For example, Meera said that she could speak English fluently.

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.

Why Should You Learn Direct To Indirect Speech Rules?

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.

How To Use Direct Speech?

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.

How To Use Indirect Speech?

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.

Tense Change Rules: Direct To Indirect Speech

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:

Modal Verbs: Direct To Indirect Speech

When converting direct to indirect speech, you must change modal verbs accordingly. Here are a few examples to help you understand better:

Changing Time Expressions: Direct To Indirect Speech

Sometimes it becomes necessary to change the time expressions when converting from direct to indirect speech. A few examples,

• 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:

Changing Place Expressions: Direct To Indirect Speech

Like time expressions, you might also have to change words representing places when reporting indirect speech. For example,

• Direct speech: “It’s raining here.”
• Indirect speech: She said that it was raining there.

Here are a few examples of other common place expressions and how they change:

However, the place words only change when you report something from a different location.

Over To You

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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Direct and Indirect Speech (Examples & Rules)

• Post author: Skillslelo
• Post published: May 22, 2021
• Post category: English Grammar
• Post comments: 0 Comments

Suppose, yo u w a n t to tell somebody what your friend Riya   said. There are two ways of doing this : Direct Speech and Indirect speech.

The first way, You can repeat Riya’s exact words without change :

Riya said, ‘I’m feeling ill.’

This type of reporting is called direct speech. 

Direct speech refers to the direct quotation of something that someone else said.

It is sometimes known as quoted speech b ecause we use   quotation marks to show direct speech.

American English uses double quotation marks ( “ ” ), while British English typically uses single quotation marks ( ‘ ’ ).

The second way,  you can use indirect speech :

Riya said that she was feeling ill.

When we tell other people what someone else told us without directly quoting that person, it is called indirect speech .

Indirect speech is also known as reported speech or indirect quotation .

In the reported speech, we write or present in our own words what someone else said .

Reporting and Reported Clause

Both direct speech and indirect consist of reporting clause and reported clause.

Reporting Verbs

We use reporting verbs to introduce the information that was spoken previously.

Both direct and indirect speech use reporting verbs .

The most common so-called “reporting verbs” are say , tell and ask .

1. Tell (Reporting Verb)

When we use tell , we need to use another person’s name or a personal pronoun as an indirect object after tell . ( tell somebody…). We don’t use to after tell .

For Example:

He told me he was sad. (Not “ told to me ”)

2. Say (Reporting Verb)

We can use to me etc after say if we want to, but we can’t say “ He said me. ” 

3. Ask (Reporting Verb)

We can use to me etc after ask if we want to. “ Are you comfortable? ” He asked me. 

Other reporting verbs include ask, instruct, explain, mention, suggest, claim, and many more.

Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

There are many rules for conversion from direct speech to indirect speech. These rules are as below:

1. Change in Punctuation

A direct speech can have : Question mark (?), Mark of Exclamation (!), or full stop (.) at the end of a sentence.

But reported speech has only full stop (.) at the end of the sentences.

Direct: He said, “Is he unhappy?” Indirect: He said if he was unhappy .

Direct: He said, “What a beautiful flower!” Indirect: He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful flower.

2. Change In Pronouns

Pronouns should be kept in mind when you change the narration from direct to indirect.

The change in pronouns of reported speech depends on the view of the reporter. See rules;

1. Change the 1st person (I, me, my, etc) according to the subject of the reporting verb.

See examples; 

Direct: She said, “ I had done my duty for my family and myself .

Indirect: She said that she had done her duty for her family and herself .

Direct: You said, “ I will have completed my homework in class.”

Indirect: You said that you would have completed your homework in your class.

2. Change the 2nd person (you, your, etc) according to the object of the reporting verb.

For Example;

Direct: He said to her, “ You had prepared your plan yourself.”

Indirect: He told her that she had prepared her plan herself.

Direct: She said to me, ” You know your enemies.”

Indirect: She told me that I knew my enemies.

 If the object is not there then imagine a boy or a girl and change accordingly.

Direct: He said, “You will do your work yourself.”

Here I imagine a girl, then

Indirect: He said that she would do her work herself.

3. No change in 3rd person (he, she, her, etc)

Direct: You said, “ She is writing a novel.”

Indirect: You said that she was writing a novel.

3. Change in Tense  A fter Past Reporting Verbs  

1. simple present -> simple past.

In general, the present form in direct speech changes to the past form in reported speech:

Direct: She said, “ I need help .”

Indirect: She said that she needed help .

2. Present Progressive –> Past Progressive

Direct: She said,  “ My English is getting better. “

Indirect: She said that her English was getting better .

3. Present Perfect -> Past Perfect

Direct: She said, “ I have read the book. “ Indirect: She said that she had read the book .

4. Past -> Past Perfect

Direct: She said, “ Neha grew up in Kenya. “ Indirect: She said that Neha had grown up in Kenya .

5. Will -> Would

Direct: They said, “The exam will be difficult.” Indirect: They said that the exam would be difficult.

6. Can -> Could

DIRECT: I can fly! INDIRECT: Poor chap – he thought he could fly.

6. May -> Might

Direct: They said, “We may come back early.” Indirect: They said that they might come back early.

7. Past Perfect Tenses do not change.

Direct: He said, “ I arrived late because I had lost the address.” Indirect: He said that he had arrived late because he had lost the address.

8. Would, Could, etc: No change

Past modal verbs are usually unchanged in indirect speech.

Direct: He said, “It would be nice if we could meet.” Indirect: He said that it would be nice if we could meet.

3. Reporting Verb in Present or Future

After present and future reporting verbs, tenses are usually the same as in the original ( No Change )

Direct: He will say, ” I don’t want to play any more. “

Indirect: He will say that he doesn’t want to play any more .

Direct: He says, “ Harry will be crossing the river . “

Indirect: He says that Harry will be crossing the river .

4. General Truth and Habitual Action

In the case of universal truth, general truth, and habitual actions , tense should not be changed. So the verb will be the same.

Direct: The teacher said, “ Man is mortal .”

Indirect: The teacher said that man is mortal .

Direct: He  said, “ The sun rises in the east . “

Indirect: He said that the sun rises in the east .

5. Wh-Word Questions (What/When/Who etc)

Use ‘asked’ in place of ‘said’ and helping verb after the subject in the indirect speech.

Direct: You said , “What has she prepared?”

Indirect: You asked what she had prepared.

6. Yes-No Questions 

When a yes-no question  is reported indirectly, if or whether is used. 

Direct: They said , “Is he trying to expose the secret?”

Indirect: They asked if he was trying to expose the secret.

Direct: He said , ” Will they get up early?”

Indirect: He asked if they would get up early. 

7. Orders, Requests, or Advice

When we report orders, requests, or advice, we can use the infinitive form of the verbs that the other person has said.

Imperatives (orders):

Direct Speech: The teacher said,  “Stand up straight!”

Indirect Speech: The teacher said to stand up straight.

Direct speech: He said, “Can you take me to the airport, please?” Reported speech: He asked me to take him to the airport.

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Home » Direct and Indirect Speech Rules and Examples

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules and Examples

Have you ever wondered how we can share what someone said in different ways? Well, that’s where Direct and Indirect Speech come into play. These are two ways of reporting what someone else has said. Let’s break it down simply. Direct Speech is like repeating someone’s words exactly as they said them. For example, if your friend says, “I love ice cream, ” in direct speech, you’d say, “My friend said, ‘I love ice cream. ‘” You use quotation marks to show it’s the exact words.

Now, in Indirect Speech , you don’t repeat the words exactly. You tell what was said in your own words . So, if your friend’s statement is, “ I love ice cream, ” in indirect speech, you’d say, “My friend said that she loves ice cream. ” No quotation marks here.

To get this right, there are some simple rules to follow. When changing from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech , you might need to adjust the verb tenses and pronouns. For instance, if your friend said, “I’m going to the park,” in indirect speech, it becomes, “ My friend said that she was going to the park .” You see how “ am ” changed to “was” because it’s in the past.

These rules help make sure our conversations and stories make sense. And don’t worry, we’ll explore more examples and situations to make it even easier to understand. So, stay with us as we dive deeper into the world of Direct and Indirect Speech .

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone else has said. They are used to convey the words or thoughts of another person. Here are the definitions for both:

Direct Speech:

Direct speech, also known as quoted speech, involves repeating the exact words that someone has spoken. It is usually enclosed in quotation marks and is often used to provide a person’s statements or thoughts as they were originally expressed. For example:

• She said, “I will be there at 3 o’clock.”

In this example, the words spoken by “ She ” are directly quoted and enclosed in quotation marks.

Indirect Speech (Reported Speech):

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is a way of conveying what someone has said or thought without repeating their exact words. In indirect speech, the statement is reported as a paraphrase or summary, and it is typically introduced by verbs like “ said ,” “ told ,” or “ asked .” When using indirect speech, the tense, pronouns, and other elements may change to reflect the reporting context. For example:

• She said that she would be there at 3 o’clock.

In this example, the original statement is reported indirectly, and the tense and pronouns have been adjusted to fit the reporting context. Both direct and indirect speech are essential tools in written and spoken language to relay information from one person to another, and the choice between them depends on the context and the speaker’s intention.

Rules of Direct Speech

Use quotation marks:.

• Enclose the spoken words within double quotation marks (” “) .

Punctuation:

• Place punctuation marks (commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points) inside the closing quotation mark when they are part of the quoted material.
• For example: She said, “I’ll be there on time.”

Capitalization:

• Begin the quoted speech with a capital letter , regardless of how the original sentence began.

Reporting Verb:

• Introduce the quoted speech with a reporting verb (e.g., said, asked, replied, shouted) that describes how the words were spoken.

Maintain the Speaker’s Words:

• Reproduce the speaker’s words as accurately as possible, including any grammatical errors or informal language if they are part of the original speech.

Use Ellipsis (…) When Omitting Words:

• If you need to omit part of the quoted speech, use an ellipsis (three dots: …) to indicate the omission.

Avoid Changing the Speaker’s Words:

• Do not alter the speaker’s words in a way that changes their intended meaning. However, you can add clarifications or explanations in brackets if needed.

Maintain Verb Tenses:

• Keep the verb tenses of the quoted speech as they were spoken. For instance, if the speaker said, “I am going,” you should maintain “ am going ” without changing it to “ was going .”

Maintain Pronouns:

• Keep the pronouns used by the speaker consistent with the original statement. If the speaker said, “I will do it,” maintain “ I ” and “ it .”

Here’s an example of a sentence using direct speech that follows these rules:

She said, “I can’t believe I aced the test, but I’m really happy!”

In this example, the quotation marks, capitalization, punctuation, and verb tenses have been appropriately applied to accurately represent the speaker’s words.

Rules of Indirect Speech ( Reported Speech )

Start the reported speech with an appropriate reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked, explained, etc.) to indicate that someone is reporting what was said.

Change of Pronouns:

Change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the perspective of the reporting sentence. For example, if the original statement is “ I am happy,” and you want to report it, you might say, “ She said she was happy .”

Tense Changes:

Adjust the verb tenses to reflect the change in time from the original statement to the reported speech. The general rules for tense changes are as follows:

• Present Simple → Past Simple : “I like coffee.” → She said she liked coffee.
• Present Continuous → Past Continuous : “I am watching TV.” → He said he was watching TV.
• Present Perfect → Past Perfect : “I have seen that movie.” → They said they had seen that movie.
• Past Simple → Past Perfect : “I went to the store.” → She said she had gone to the store.

Reporting Time and Place:

Change any words or expressions that refer to time or place to reflect the perspective of the reporting sentence. For example , change “ today ” to “ that day ” or “ here ” to “ there .” 

Modal Verbs:

When using modal verbs in reported speech, change them as follows:

• “can” → “ could “
• “may” → “ might “
• “must” → “ had to “
• “will” → “ would “
• “shall” → “ should “

Reporting Questions:

When reporting questions, use the word “ if ” or “ whether ” to introduce the reported question. Change the word order and use the appropriate question word if necessary. For example , “Are you coming?” becomes “ She asked if I was coming .”

Imperative Sentences:

Report imperative sentences using the verb “ to ” or “ that .” For example , “Close the door” becomes “ She told me to close the door ” or “ She said that I should close the door .”

Direct Speech in Quotes:

Enclose the reported speech in quotation marks if desired, but this is not always necessary in indirect speech.

Use a comma to separate the reporting verb from the reported speech. Also, use a period at the end of the reported speech or a question mark if it was originally a question.

No Change in Modifiers:

Do not change the modifiers or adverbs in the reported speech unless they are related to time, place, or demonstratives.

Tense Changes Rules in Reported Speech:

Tense changes in reported speech, also known as indirect speech, are a fundamental aspect of English grammar. They involve shifting the verb tenses when you report what someone else has said. The key to using the correct tense changes in reported speech is to understand the relationship between the original statement and its reported version. Let’s break down how tense changes work:

Present Simple in Reported Speech:

• Direct Speech: She says, “I like chocolate.”
• Reported Speech: She says that she likes chocolate.

In this case, the present simple tense in the direct speech (“I like”) changes to the past simple tense (“she likes”) in the reported speech.

Past Simple in Reported Speech:

• Direct Speech: He said, “I visited Paris.”
• Reported Speech: He said that he visited Paris.

Here, the past simple tense in the direct speech remains the same in the reported speech (“visited”).

Present Continuous in Reported Speech:

• Direct Speech: They say, “We are working on a project.”
• Reported Speech: They say that they are working on a project.

The present continuous tense in the direct speech (“are working”) changes to the past continuous tense (“they are working”) in the reported speech.

Past Continuous in Reported Speech:

• Direct Speech: She said, “I was studying all night.”
• Reported Speech: She said that she had been studying all night.

The past continuous tense in the direct speech (“was studying”) changes to the past perfect continuous tense in the reported speech (“had been studying”).

Present Perfect in Reported Speech:

• Direct Speech: He says, “I have finished my homework.”
• Reported Speech: He says that he has finished his homework.

The present perfect tense in the direct speech (“have finished”) remains the same in the reported speech.

Past Perfect in Reported Speech:

• Direct Speech: They said, “We had already eaten.”
• Reported Speech: They said that they had already eaten.

The past perfect tense in the direct speech (“had already eaten”) remains unchanged in the reported speech.

Future Tenses in Reported Speech:

• Direct Speech (will): She says, “I will meet you tomorrow.”
• Reported Speech (will): She says that she will meet you tomorrow.
• Direct Speech (going to): He said, “I am going to travel next week.”
• Reported Speech (going to): He said that he is going to travel next week.

In these examples, future tenses ( both “will” and “going to “) usually remain the same in reported speech.

Remember that the tense changes in reported speech are necessary to accurately convey what someone else has said. It’s important to understand the original context and the relationship between the reporting verb and the reported statement to make the correct tense shifts.

Tense Changes in reported Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech Examples

Direct Speech : She said, “ I am happy.”

Indirect Speech:  She said that she was happy.

Direct Speech :  He asked, “ How old are you?”

Indirect Speech:  He asked her how old she was.

Direct Speech :  Mary exclaimed, “ I won a prize!”

Indirect Speech:  Mary exclaimed that she had won a prize.

Direct Speech :  John told his friend, “I like ice cream.”

Indirect Speech:  John told his friend that he liked ice cream.

Direct Speech :  They shouted, “Let’s go to the park!”

Indirect Speech:  They shouted to go to the park.

Direct Speech :  Sarah whispered, “I need help.”

Indirect Speech:  Sarah whispered that she needed help.

Direct Speech :   Peter cried, “I’m scared of the dark.”

Indirect Speech:  Peter cried that he was scared of the dark.

Direct Speech :  The teacher said, “Read the book.”

Indirect Speech:  The teacher said to read the book.

Direct Speech :  Tom yelled, “Stop the car!”

Indirect Speech:  Tom yelled to stop the car.

Direct Speech :  Jane laughed, “That joke is funny.”

Indirect Speech:  Jane laughed and said that the joke was funny.

Direct Speech :  He requested, “Please pass the salt.”

Indirect Speech:  He requested to please pass the salt.

Direct Speech :  Lisa sighed, “I want to sleep.”

Indirect Speech:  Lisa sighed and said that she wanted to sleep.

Direct Speech :  Alex chuckled, “Your drawing is good.”

Indirect Speech:  Alex chuckled, telling them that their drawing was good.

Direct Speech :  Maryam smiled, “Thanks for the gift.”

Indirect Speech:  Maryam smiled and t hanked them for the gift.

Direct Speech :  The coach commanded, “Run faster!”

Indirect Speech:  The coach commanded to run faster.

Direct Speech :  David asked, “Where is the library?”

Indirect Speech:  David asked where the library was.

Direct Speech :  She mentioned, “I have a cat.”

Indirect Speech:  She mentioned that she had a cat.

Direct Speech :  The boy said, “I can ride a bike.”

Indirect Speech: The boy said that he could ride a bike.

Direct Speech :  He advised, “Don’t eat too much candy.”

Indirect Speech:  He advised them not to eat too much candy.

Direct Speech :  Sarah begged, “ Don’t leave me.”

Indirect Speech:  Sarah begged them not to leave her.

Direct and Indirect Speech Questions

Direct: “She said, ‘I am happy.'” Indirect: a) She said she is happy. b) She said she was happy.

Direct: “He asked, ‘Do you like ice cream?'” Indirect: a) He asked if I like ice cream. b) He asked if I liked ice cream.

Direct: “They said, ‘We are playing in the park.'” Indirect: a) They said they are playing in the park. b) They said they were playing in the park.

Direct: “She said, ‘I will visit my friend.'” Indirect: a) She said she will visit her friend. b) She said she would visit her friend.

Direct: “He asked, ‘Have you finished your homework?'” Indirect: a) He asked if I finished my homework. b) He asked if I had finished my homework.

Direct: “Mary said, ‘I can swim.'” Indirect: a) Mary said she can swim. b) Mary said she could swim.

Direct: “Tom asked, ‘Did you watch the movie?'” Indirect: a) Tom asked if I watched the movie. b) Tom asked if I had watched the movie.

Direct: “She said, ‘Please close the door.'” Indirect: a) She said please close the door. b) She said to close the door.

Direct: “He exclaimed, ‘Wow, what a lovely day!'” Indirect: a) He exclaimed wow, what a lovely day. b) He exclaimed that what a lovely day.

Direct: “The teacher said, ‘Bring your books to class.'” Indirect: a) The teacher said to bring your books to class. b) The teacher said to bring their books to class.

Direct: “She asked, ‘Are you coming with us?'” Indirect: a) She asked if I am coming with them. b) She asked if I was coming with them.

Direct: “They said, ‘We have a dog.'” Indirect: a) They said they have a dog. b) They said they had a dog.

Direct: “He said, ‘I will be there at 3 PM.'” Indirect: a) He said he will be there at 3 PM. b) He said he would be there at 3 PM.

Direct: “She asked, ‘Do you like chocolate?'” Indirect: a) She asked if I like chocolate. b) She asked if I liked chocolate.

Direct: “They said, ‘We are going to the zoo.'” Indirect: a) They said they are going to the zoo. b) They said they were going to the zoo.

Direct: “He said, ‘I can play the guitar.'” Indirect: a) He said he can play the guitar. b) He said he could play the guitar.

Direct: “She asked, ‘Have you finished your lunch?'” Indirect: a) She asked if I finished my lunch. b) She asked if I had finished my lunch.

Direct: “They said, ‘We will come to your party.'” Indirect: a) They said they will come to my party. b) They said they would come to my party.

Direct: “He asked, ‘Did you watch the game?'” Indirect: a) He asked if I watched the game. b) He asked if I had watched the game.

Direct: “She said, ‘I am cooking dinner.'” Indirect: a) She said she is cooking dinner. b) She said she was cooking dinner.

Direct: “Tom said, ‘I have a red ball.'” Indirect: a) Tom said he has a red ball. b) Tom said he had a red ball.

Direct: “She asked, ‘Will you help me with this?'” Indirect: a) She asked if I help her with that. b) She asked if I would help her with that.

Direct: “They said, ‘We know the answer.'” Indirect: a) They said they know the answer. b) They said they knew the answer.

Direct: “He said, ‘I want to go to the park.'” Indirect: a) He said he wants to go to the park. b) He said he wanted to go to the park.

Direct: “She asked, ‘Did you buy the book?'” Indirect: a) She asked if I bought the book. b) She asked if I had bought the book.

Direct: “They said, ‘We can swim in the pool.'” Indirect: a) They said they can swim in the pool. b) They said they could swim in the pool.

Direct: “He said, ‘I am playing with my toys.'” Indirect: a) He said he is playing with his toys. b) He said he was playing with his toys.

Direct: “She asked, ‘Did you call the teacher?'” Indirect: a) She asked if I called the teacher. b) She asked if I had called the teacher.

Direct: “They said, ‘We may go to the park tomorrow.'” Indirect: a) They said they may go to the park tomorrow. b) They said they might go to the park tomorrow.

Direct: “He said, ‘I will meet you at the café.'” Indirect: a) He said he will meet me at the café. b) He said he would meet me at the café.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise

Direct: “She said, ‘I am going to the store.'” Indirect:

Direct: “He asked, ‘Do you like ice cream?'” Indirect:

Direct: “They exclaimed, ‘What a beautiful sunset!'” Indirect:

Direct: “She said, ‘I will call you later.'” Indirect:

Direct: “He asked, ‘Have you finished your homework?'” Indirect:

Direct: “Mary said, ‘I can swim.'” Indirect:

Direct: “Tom asked, ‘Did you watch the movie?'” Indirect:

Direct: “She said, ‘Please close the door.'” Indirect:

Direct: “He exclaimed, ‘Wow, what a lovely day!'” Indirect:

Direct: “The teacher said, ‘Bring your books to class.'” Indirect:

Direct: “She asked, ‘Are you coming with us?'” Indirect:

Direct: “They said, ‘We have a dog.'” Indirect:

Direct: “He said, ‘I will be there at 3 PM.'” Indirect:

Direct: “She asked, ‘Do you like chocolate?'” Indirect:

Direct: “They said, ‘We are going to the zoo.'” Indirect:

Direct: “He said, ‘I can play the guitar.'” Indirect:

Direct: “She asked, ‘Have you finished your lunch?'” Indirect:

Direct: “They said, ‘We will come to your party.'” Indirect:

Direct: “He asked, ‘Did you watch the game?'” Indirect:

Direct: “She said, ‘I am cooking dinner.'” Indirect:

Direct: “Tom said, ‘I have a red ball.'” Indirect:

Direct: “She asked, ‘Will you help me with this?'” Indirect:

Direct: “They said, ‘We know the answer.'” Indirect:

Direct: “He said, ‘I want to go to the park.'” Indirect:

Direct: “She asked, ‘Did you buy the book?'” Indirect:

Direct: “They said, ‘We can swim in the pool.'” Indirect:

Direct: “He said, ‘I am playing with my toys.'” Indirect:

Direct: “She asked, ‘Did you call the teacher?'” Indirect:

Direct: “They said, ‘We may go to the park tomorrow.'” Indirect:

Direct: “He said, ‘I will meet you at the cafe.'” Indirect:

Indirect: She said she was going to the store.

Indirect: He asked if I liked ice cream.

Indirect: They exclaimed what a beautiful sunset.

Indirect: She said she would call me later.

Indirect: He asked if I had finished my homework.

Indirect: Mary said she could swim.

Indirect: Tom asked if I had watched the movie.

Indirect: She asked to close the door.

Indirect: He exclaimed that what a lovely day.

Indirect: The teacher said to bring my books to class.

Indirect: She asked if I was coming with them.

Indirect: They said they had a dog.

Indirect: He said he would be there at 3 PM.

Indirect: She asked if I liked chocolate.

Indirect: They said they were going to the zoo.

Indirect: He said he could play the guitar.

Indirect: She asked if I had finished my lunch.

Indirect: They said they would come to my party.

Indirect: He asked if I had watched the game.

Indirect: She said she was cooking dinner.

Indirect: Tom said he had a red ball.

Indirect: She asked if I would help her with that.

Indirect: They said they knew the answer.

Indirect: He said he wanted to go to the park.

Indirect: She asked if I had bought the book.

Indirect: They said they could swim in the pool.

Indirect: He said he was playing with his toys.

Indirect: She asked if I had called the teacher.

Indirect: They said they might go to the park tomorrow.

Indirect: He said he would meet me at the café.

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• Government Exam Articles

Rules For Direct And Indirect Speech For English Language

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.  

What is Direct & Indirect Speech?

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

Direct And Indirect Speech Rules

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.

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.

• In indirect speech, tenses do not change if the words used within the quotes (‘’) talk of a habitual action or universal truth.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: He said, ‘We cannot live without air’.

Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air. 

• The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting verb is in the  future tense or present tense . 

Direct: She says/will say, ‘I am going’

Indirect: She says/will say she is going.

Rule 2 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Present Tense  

• Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.

Direct: “I have been to Boston”, she told me.

Indirect: She told me that she had been to Boston.

• Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous

Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained.

Indirect: She explained that she was playing the guitar.

• Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect

Direct: He said, “She has finished her homework“.

Indirect: He said that she had finished her homework.

• Simple Present Changes to Simple Past

Direct: “I am unwell”, she said.

Indirect: She said that she was unwell.

Rule 3 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Past Tense & Future Tense

• Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect

Direct: She said, “Irvin arrived on Sunday.”

Indirect: She said that Irvin had arrived on Sunday.

• Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: “We were playing basketball”, they told me.

Indirect: They told me that they had been playing basketball.

• Future Changes to Present Conditional

Direct: She said, “I will be in Scotland tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that she would be in Scotland the next day.

• Future Continuous Changes to Conditional Continuous

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.

• Tenses rules
• Conjunctions rules
• Prepositions Rules
• List of Prefix and Suffix With Examples
• Active And Passive Voice Rules
• List of Homophones/Homonyms
• List of Synonyms and Antonyms

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.

Rule 4 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Interrogative Sentences

• No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech begins with a question (what/where/when) as the “question-word” itself acts as a joining clause.

Direct: “ Where do you live?” asked the boy.

Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.

• If a direct speech sentence begins with an auxiliary verb/helping verb, the joining clause should be if or whether.

Direct: She said, ‘W ill you come for the party’?

Indirect: She asked whether we would come for the party.

• Reporting verbs such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired, asked, or demanded.

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-

• English Root Words
• Most asked English Vocabulary Words

Rule 5 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Changes in Modals

While changing direct speech to indirect speech, the modals used in the sentences change like:

• Can becomes could
• May becomes might
• Must becomes had to /would have to 

Check the examples:

• Direct : She said, ‘She can dance’.
• Indirect: She said that she could dance. 
• Direct: She said, ‘I may buy a dress’.
• Indirect: She said that she might buy a dress.
• Direct: Rama said, ‘I must complete the assignment’.
• Indirect: Rama said that he had to complete the assignment.

There are modals that do not change –  Could, Would, Should, Might, Ought to

• Direct: She said, ‘I should clean the house’
• Indirect: She said that she should clean the house.

Rule 6 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Pronoun

• The first person in direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples-

Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”

Indirect: He says that he was in class Twelfth.

• The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech.

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.

• The third person of direct speech doesn’t change .

Direct: He says, “She dances well.”

Indirect: He says that she dances well.

Rule 7 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Request, Command, Wish, Exclamation

• Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, ordered, suggested and advised. Forbid-forbade is used for negative sentences. Therefore, the imperative mood in the direct speech changes into the Infinitive in indirect speech.

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.

• In Exclamatory sentences that express grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud,  Interjections are removed and the sentence is changed to an assertive sentence .

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.

Rule 8 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Punctuations

• In direct speech, the words actually spoken should be in (‘’) quotes and always begin with a capital letter.

Example: She said, “I am the best.”

• Full stop, comma, exclamation or question mark, are placed inside the closing inverted commas.

Example: They asked, “Can we sing with you?”

• If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, a comma is used to introduce the speech, placed before the first inverted comma.

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).

Rule 9 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Change of Time

• In direct speeches, the words that express nearness in time or place are changed to words that express distance in indirect speech. Such as :
• Now becomes then                  
• Here becomes there
• Ago becomes before                
• Thus becomes so
• Today becomes that day         
• Tomorrow becomes the next day
• This becomes that                 
• Yesterday becomes the day before
• These become those              
• Hither becomes thither
• Come becomes go                     
• Hence becomes thence
• Next week or month becomes following week/month

Direct: He said, ‘His girlfriend came yesterday.’

Indirect: He said that his girlfriend had come the day before.

• The time expression does not change if the reporting verb is in the present tense or future tense .

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

Rules of converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech

The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct speech:

• Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct tense.
• Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital letter.
• Insert question mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark and full stop, based on the mood of the sentence.
• Remove the conjunctions like (that, to, if or whether) wherever necessary.
• Where the reporting verb is in past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct speech.
• Change the past perfect tense either into present perfect tense or past tense, as necessary.
• Indirect: She asked whether she was coming to the prom night.
• Direct: She said to her, “Are you coming to the prom night?”
• Indirect: The girl said that she was happy with her result.
• Direct: The girl said. “I am happy with my result.”

Direct-Indirect Speech – Sample Questions For the English Language

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’

• She said that she baked a cake
• She said that she had baked a cake.
• She said that I baked a cake.
• She said that she had bake 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’.

• Aviral exclaimed wonderfully that the scenery was very beautiful.
• Aviral said with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.
• Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery is very beautiful.
• Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.

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?

• She observed that the world is full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
• She said that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
• She observed that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
• She observed that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to die.

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?’

• The policeman inquired where was the weapons.
• The policeman enquired where are the weapons.
• The policeman enquired where were the weapons.
• The policeman questioned where were the weapon.

Answer (3) The policeman enquired where were the weapons.

Q.5. The man said, ‘Ah! I am ruined.’

• The man cried that he was in ruined.
• The man exclaimed in grief that he was ruin.
• The man said that Ah, he is ruined.
• The man exclaimed with sorrow that he was 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:

• One Word Substitution Questions & Answers
• Tenses Questions And Answers
• Idioms and Phrases Questions and Answers
• Synonyms Questions And Answers

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.

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Direct and Indirect Speech: Get to Know the Rules and Application with Examples

There are many times when we need to describe a recent action or event, and this frequently includes repeating what someone said. A social situation, as well as a work presentation or email, are examples of such occasions. There are two types of speech used to describe what people said: direct sentence and indirect sentence (or reported speech).

Continue reading to learn more about these forms and how to improve your English storytelling abilities.

Direct and Indirect Speech

For English learners, the distinction between direct and indirect sentences can be perplexing. Let’s start by defining some terms and learn some definitions, then look at how to discuss what someone said and how to switch from direct to indirect and indirect to direct sentences.

You know how to answer the question, “What did she achieve?” in two varied ways:

by repeating (direct sentence) or reporting (reporting) the words spoken (indirect or reported sentence).

Direct Speech with Examples

The exact words spoken are repeated or quoted in sentences. When we use direct sentences in writing, we put the words spoken between quotation marks (” “) and leave them alone. We could be reporting something that is currently being said (for example, a phone conversation) or telling someone about a previous conversation later.

“What time will you be at the mall?” she inquires.

“What time will you be at home?” she inquired. “I don’t know!” I replied.

Simone screamed, “There’s a cockroach in my soup!”

“There’s a camel outside the window,” John said.

Also Read: How Do You Communicate Well in an Interview? Learn Some Latest Methods to Succeed

Indirect Speech with Examples

When we use indirect or reported sentences to talk about the past, we usually change the tense of the words we say. We use reporting verbs like ‘tell,’ ‘say,’ and ‘ask,’ and we may introduce the reported words with the word ‘that.’ There are no inverted commas in this sentence.

“I saw him,” she said. She stated that she had seen him (direct sentence). (spoken in a roundabout way)

It is possible to omit “that”:

She expressed her love to him.

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

Direct and indirect speech exercises for modals.

Look at the modals-based answers in the examples.

# “I can cook,” he stated.

He claimed that he could prepare meals.

# “We might go to Canada,” they said.

They expressed an interest in visiting Canada.

# “I have to finish the work on time,” she stated.

She stated that she needed to complete the project on time.

Should, would, could, might, and ought to are the only modals that haven’t changed.

# “I should avoid junk food,” Kanika said.

Kanika advised her to stay away from junk food.

Changes as Per Reporting Verb

Changes are made in the direct sentence or the sentence inverted commas, depending on the reporting verb.

# The direct sentence is changed to the past tense if the reporting verb is in the past tense.

# When the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of speech remains unchanged.

# If the sentence contains the universal truth, the Indirect Speech does not change it.

We’ve included examples with reporting verb changes below.

# “He is young,” Navin said.

Navin stated that he was in his early twenties.

# “I am pretty,” Isha declares.

Isha thinks she’s attractive.

# “I am tall,” Rohan will say.

Rohan will tell you that he is a tall man.

# “The sun rises in the east,” they said.

The sun is said to rise in the east.

Also Read: How to Write a Professional Email? Complete Guide to Effective and Professional Email Writing

Changes as Per Tense

Using the table above, check the tense of the examples. Changes will always be made in accordance with the table provided.

# “I walk,” Rosy said.

Rosy stated that she went for a walk.

# “I’m having tea,” Raj explained.

Raj stated that he was enjoying a cup of tea.

# “Honey has gone to school,” Tina said.

Honey had gone to school, according to Tina.

# “Ananya took pasta,” Neha explained.

Ananya had taken pasta, according to Neha.

# “We were living in Korea,” they explained.

They stated that they had previously resided in Korea.

# “I’m going to Sri Lanka,” Ramesh declared.

Ramesh has stated that he will travel to Sri Lanka.

# “They’ll be watering plants,” Kareena said.

They would be watering plants, according to Kareena.

Changes in Place and Time

Also Read: How to be Fluent in English? Check Out the Best Cost-Effective Methods to Ace this Foreign Language

Changes of Interrogative Sentences

For interrogative sentence conversions, we’ll go over some rules.

# According to the nature of the sentence, the reporting verb said/said to is replaced with asked, demanded, ordered, or enquired.

# When a sentence begins with a reporting verb, if /whether is used as the joining clause during conversion.

# If the sentence begins with the question word “Why,” no additional conjunction is used.

In the exercise below, we’ll use the above rules to make changes to Direct and Indirect.

# “What is Tina doing?” Ravi inquired.

Ravi inquired as to what Tina was up to.

# “Will she come for lunch?” Anu inquired.

Anu inquired as to whether she could join us for lunch.

# “Where do you stay?” the boy inquired.

The young man wanted to know where I stayed.

Change of Pronouns

When switching between direct and indirect, one should be aware of the rules for changing pronouns.

# According to the subject of reporting speech, the first person in reported speech changes.

# The change of the second person in reported speech is determined by the object of the reporting speech.

# The third person is unaffected.

# “I am a good girl,” Vidya said.

Vidya described her as a good girl.

# “You have completed your work,” I told them.

I informed them that they had completed their task.

# “She is in Delhi,” he said.

He stated that she was currently in Delhi.

Also Read: What is Communication? Why is it Important? Let’s Learn Communication Skills for Perfection!

Speech Conversation

The first person in direct speech shifts depending on the topic.

Examples of direct and indirect-

“I am in Twelfth grade,” he said flatly.

Indirect: He claims to have been in Twelfth grade.

The object of reporting speech affects the second person of direct speech.

Examples of direct speech to indirect speech –

“You have completed your work,” she tells them flatly.

She tells them that they have completed their work in an indirect manner.

Direct speech’s third person does not change.

Examples of direct to indirect–

“She dances well,” he says flatly.

He says she dances well in an indirect way.

Hopefully this article gave you a clear view of how to use direct and indirect speech in your daily grammar.

We have gone over important rules of indirect and direct speech in this article, which are relevant to the English grammar of various competitive exams.

Because the English language is a part of the syllabus for most of these exams, aspirants for RRB, SSC, IBPS, Insurance, and other government exams should carefully review the concept and rules of direct – indirect speech.

Candidates studying for upcoming government exams should pay close attention to the concept of Direct and Indirect speech rules, as the English Language section of these exams is where candidates tend to score the lowest.

You also have the choice to download the Fluent Life app on your mobile phone for customized personal lectures where you get instant feedback on your performance and can resolve all your queries.

Also Read: Who Needs Presentation Skills training? Effective Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

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Direct and Indirect Speech

Introduction to Direct and Indirect Speech

The distinction between Direct and Indirect Speech may be confusing for some students. Often when we need to explain an incident or action, it involves quoting what someone said. A social situation, as well as a work email or presentation, are examples of such instances. There are two forms of Speech used to explain what other people say: direct Speech and indirect Speech (or reported Speech).

Direct Speech

The same words spoken are quoted indirect Speech. If we use Direct Speech in writing, we bring the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and leave them alone. We may be reporting something that is being said (for example, a phone conversation) or asking someone about a previous conversation later.

Nirmal said, "There's a dog outside the window."

Mahima says, "What time will you be home?"

Supriya said, "I don't know!"

Indirect Speech

When we use reported or Indirect Speech to speak about the past, we generally change the tense of the words we say. We use reporting verbs like 'say,' 'tell,' and 'ask,' and we can introduce the reported words with the word 'that.' There are no inverted commas in this sentence.

For Example,

Mahima said that she had seen him.

Nirmal said he was looking forward to playing in the match on Saturday.

Children often mix up Direct and Indirect Speech. We need a way to say the difference between what someone is claimed to have said and what they said when we're writing. What did she say if you asked her? You may respond in one of two ways:

“I don’t like pizza,” Siddi said. (Direct Speech)

Siddi says she doesn’t like pizza. (Indirect Speech)

Note how Speech marks (“...”) are used in Direct Speech to indicate precisely what was said. Speech labels are located at the beginning and end of the actual words spoken. The words 'Siddi said' are not in Speech marks because they were not spoken aloud; rather, they are a way for the writer to express who was speaking to the reader.

The past tense is often used in reported Speech. This is because the words have already been spoken, and the writer is simply reporting on what has already been saying. It's critical to think about what was said and convert it to the past tense.

Direct and Indirect Narration Rules

Following are the steps to convert the Direct/Indirect Speech and also let’s discuss Direct and Indirect Speech tenses rules in detail.

Step 1: Write down the reporting verb that is used to determine the Indirect Speech's tense.

Step 2: Change the position and time to reflect the speaker's actual location and time.

Step 3: For both the object and the subject, use the correct pronoun.

Step 4: Make sure the sentence has the correct structure and word order.

Now we'll go through each of these measures in greater depth.

Step 1: Choosing the Verb's Tense and Conversion

Case 1: Nirmal said, ‘I go to the gym every day.

Case 2: Nirmal says, ‘I go to the gym every day.’

The verb ‘say' is used in both of the instances above to express the action of speaking. In addition, the reporting verb say is used in the past tense in the first case – said. In case 2, however, the reporting verb is in the present tense.

As a consequence, all verbs must be in the relevant past tense here. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, this is often followed. Thus, Nirmal said, ‘I go to the class every day will change to Nirmal said that he went to the gym every day.

The second rule is that the tense is not changed whether the reporting verb is in the future or present tense. So, Nirmal says, ‘I go to the class every day will be changed to Nirmal says that he goes to the class every day.

Step 2: Changes are Made to the Word That Communicates Place, Time, and Connection.

The time or place specified in the sentence should be changed to match the current time or position.

On 21st, May 2015: ‘I will come tomorrow,’ Sriram said.

On 21st, May 2015, Sriram said that he would come the next day.

Step 3: The Subject and Object Pronouns are Chosen Separately.

Case 1: Saurav will say to his friends, “I have started learning psychology” will change to Saurav will tell his friends that he has started learning psychology.

In this case, the speaker and the reporter are the same people. As a consequence, the pronoun should be the first person pronoun.

Case 2: Ma’am said to me, “I hope you will bring the geometry to my next class” will changed to Ma’am hoped that I would bring the geometry to her next class.

The speaker is ma'am, and the reporter is the student. As a consequence, the ma'am pronoun should be in the third person. The reporter's pronoun should also be in the first person.

Remember that we do not change the tense of the reporting verb within the quotation marks when it is in the present or future tense.

When using English, you'll want to use both direct and indirect Speech regularly, so make sure you're familiar with both and can use them correctly. Direct Speech isn't always an accurate representation of what someone has said. Using inverted commas before and after the quotation, you may quote from other texts similarly. Instead of using the verb "to tell," consider using a verb like "to compose," "to state," or "to define." You may convey what is being reported using a variety of verbs; for example, while "to say" is widely used, you may also want to use "to tell" to explain something that has been told to you. Keeping a small diary of what has been said around you is an important way to practise – explain what people have said and try to write a few examples of each form.

FAQs on Direct and Indirect Speech

1. What is Direct and Indirect Speech with Examples?

The same words spoken are quoted in the direct speech. If we use direct speech in writing, we bring the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and leave them alone. We are talking about the present moment and we are talking about the original content. Direct Speech: “I'm seeing my brother tomorrow.” or “I’ll call them tomorrow”

While reporting if we are changing the words without changing the meaning of the sentence then it is called indirect speech. Here the present tense is converted into past tense. Here the sentence of the speaker is summarized without changing the meaning and reported.

Indirect Speech: She said she was seeing her brother the following day. Or She said that it was hot.

2. What are Simple Rules for Conversion of Indirect Speech to Direct Speech? 

Both inverted commas and quotation marks should be eliminated. Put a full stop at the end of the sentence. Shift the present tense of the verb within the inverted commas/quotation marks to the corresponding past tense. Shift it to the past perfect tense if it's in the simple past tense.

Step 1: change the tenses from present to past 

Present Tense: I like chocolates

Past Tense: she said that she liked chocolates 

Step 2: Change the sentences from simple past to past perfect

Present: He arrived on Tuesday

Past: He said that he had arrived on Tuesday

Step 3:  while converting future tense, ‘will’ changes to would

Present: I will be attending the wedding.

Past: She said that she would be attending the wedding.

Step 4: change the present continuous tense to the past continuous tense.

Present:   We are eating dinner

Past: They said that they were eating dinner.

Step 5: Change the  Present Perfect Tense into Past Perfect Tense

Present: She has finished her task.

Past: She said that she had finished her task.

Step 6: Change the Past Progressive Tense into the Perfect Continuous Tense

Present: My husband was cooking

Past: She said that her husband had been cooking.

Step 7:   And also remember past perfect and past perfect progressive doesn't change.

Step 8: And also the future Progressive Tense changes into “would be”. The Future Perfect Tense changes into “would have”.The Future Perfect Progressive Tense changes into “would have been”. 

And also follow these simple rules.

The conjunction ‘that’ is used in indirect speech.

The pronoun ‘I’ has to be changed according to the person.

The verb “am" is changed to “was".

For converting to Indirect speech, the words representing nearness will be changed to the words representing distance like the adverb “now” will be converted to the word “Then”, here now represent the nearness in time while ‘then’ represent distance.

3. What are the Examples of Direct Speech?

Few examples of Direct speech are:

Nirmal said, "There's a dog outside the window."

Mahima says, "What time will you be home?"

Supriya said, "I don't know!"

I like chocolates.

Where do you live in?

Where are you?

I play basketball

I do yoga every morning

Can you pass me the bottle, please?

I brought a new pen

I will shift to Mumbai

She had worked hard.

My mom is preparing sweets

Don’t talk to me 

I play chess every day

Ananth is dancing on the floor

I like Sachin Tendulkar

She plays the guitar very well

4. Differentiate between Direct and Indirect Speech.

5. Give some examples for indirect speech.

She said that she liked chocolates

He said that he played basketball

She asked me to be on time

Neha said that her parents were very well.

He said that he played chess every day

She told me that she liked Sachin Tendulkar

She told me that she had been to the USA.

She said that she had finished her task.

he said that he would come to the party by 8 PM

She said that she hadn’t seen Nupur recently. 

She asked me to bring her dress the next day

He asked us not to be late.

They told that they were ready for competition

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• Reported Speech /

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules & Examples [Download Exercise PDF]

• Updated on  
• Dec 14, 2023

Owing to the nuances of the systems involved, English may be a very difficult language to master. But once you get hold of the fundamentals, you can be a pro. It’s these rules that will help you create a solid base. And we all know what these fundamentals are and what every language’s base is. It’s grammar , indeed. The rest of the journey becomes much easier once you get a good grip on the grammar. So, today, we’re going to talk about one of those basic rules, an important part of English grammar , i.e., Direct and Indirect Speech rules and examples. 

MUST READ! Reported Speech: Definition, Rules, Usage with Examples, Tips, Exercises for Students

What is Direct and Indirect Speech?

First and foremost, you need to note that both Direct and Indirect Speech are an extended body of Reported Speech. To elaborate, you can refer to them as Reported Speech as well. So, let’s see how direct and indirect speech are different from each other in terms of usage from the description below.

Also Check: 50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises

6 Important Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

Now, comes the most tricky yet crucial stage of mastering this grammatical tool, which is learning in depth about all the Direct and Indirect Speech rules. It will not only aid you in dealing with a Reported speech at the school level but will also ease your preparation routine whenever you choose to take up a competitive exam or an English proficiency test in the future.

1. Rules for Changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

The rules for changing a direct speech into indirect is the easiest amongst the other guidelines you would find hereon. After all, you can achieve an Indirect speech sentence only by following these general rules:

• Remove the quotation marks and the “ said ” or “ told ” from the direct speech.
• Change the pronouns and possessive adjectives according to the speaker and the reporting verb.
• Change the tense of the verb according to the time of the reporting verb.

Although, these were the rules you would require to follow almost wherever you use a reported speech. But, there is more to Direct and Indirect speech rules than meets the eye.

Also Read: Best English Grammar Books: To Master Your Proficiency

2. Rules for Changing Reported Speech Interrogative

Just like the above-mentioned, to change the reported speech of questions or interrogative sentences you need to keep these changes in mind:

• Change the yes/no question into a statement with “ if ” or “ whether .”
• Change the wh-question into a statement with a wh-word .

3. Rules of Changes in Tenses

Next comes the task of knowing what would be the impact on tense under the direct and indirect speech rules. So, here you go:

Let’s check the following examples for a better understanding of the changes in tenses under the umbrella of reported speech:

Direct : Reema says, “I am going out.” Indirect : Reema says that she is going out.

Direct : Ramesh said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Indirect : Ramesh said that honesty is the best policy.

Direct : Vishnu said, “India gained independence in 1947.” Indirect : Vishnu said that India gained independence in 1947.

Direct : Akshat will say, “I want a slice of cake.” Indirect : Akshat will say that he wants a slice of cake.

Direct : Reena said, “I am writing a novel.” Indirect : Reena said that she was writing a novel.

Direct : Ayushi said, “I was working on my project.” Indirect : Ayushi said that she had been working on her project.

Also Read: Figures of Speech with Examples, PDF

4. Modals Rules in Reported Speech

 Whereas, the rules for changes in Modals of reported speech go in the following manner:

Examples of Changes in Modal:

Direct : “I can speak five languages.”

Indirect : He said that he could speak five languages.

Direct : “I may go to London next week.”

Indirect : She said that she might go to London next week.

5. Changes in Pronouns

So far, you must have observed that multiple changes are going on when you change direct speech to Indirect speech. But did you note the change in subjects, or to be more specific changes of pronouns in the process? If not, then check the following table and learn it to use it effortlessly.

6. Changes in Time and Place

Last but not the final rule under the realm of reported speech, you would be required; to make these changes in time and places while transitioning from direct to indirect speech:

👉 Now : Then

👉 Here : There

👉 Today : That day

👉 Tonight : That Night

👉 Tomorrow : The next day

👉 Yesterday : The last day

👉 Last week : The previous week

👉 This : That

👉 Ago : Before

👉 Thus : So

👉 Hither : Thither

👉 Come : Go

👉 Hence : Thence

👉 Next : Following

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise PDF

You can also explore exciting reads on Tenses here!

This was all about the Direct and Indirect Speech rules and more. Hope you understand the concept and where it’s used. You can also follow Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.

Harshita is a creative writer cum literature enthusiast in pursuit to extend her learnings of overseas and Indian education sectors to the masses, through her well-curated articles. You may also find her emerging in prose writing or reading Toni Morrison when not writing stuff related to education.

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