write a short note on direct and indirect speech

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.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech grammar rules vary so you need to understand them. We'll start by looking at what each one is. Note that indirect speech is also commonly knows as reported speech.

Definition of Direct Speech

Direct speech is when the words are given in exactly the way that the speaker said them. So in other words they are quoted with no change .

When presenting direct speech, the words are usually placed in quotation marks, with a comma after say(s) / said if it is used to present the speech. Say (s) / said can also be placed at the end of the quotation, in which case a comma comes before it.

Examples of Direct Speech:

He said, "Don't take the car without asking me".
John says, "I will help you with your work".
"We are prepared to revise the law if we can", they said.
The teacher said, "You must wear the proper uniform".

Definition of Indirect Speech

Indirect speech is also known as reported speech . You may also see it referred to as indirect discourse or indirect narration .

Indirect speech is the reporting of what someone else said in your own words but without changing the meaning of what was said.

Reporting verbs are used to present indirect speech. The common ones are:

say(s)/said (that)
told me (that)

That is in brackets as it can be omitted from the sentence, whether spoken or written.

Examples of Indirect Speech:

He said (that) he would definitely buy it.
Sheila told me (that) I had to come back in the afternoon.
The council said (that) they will try and clear the rubbish.
She told me (that) she was feeling unwell.

So the key difference between direct and indirect speech is that with direct speech the exact words are quoted but in indirect speech it is your own words .

Direct speech is fairly simple to use and understand as it involves just repeating what was said. There is not much to get confused about with the grammar, apart from getting say(s)/said correct.

But indirect or reported speech is more difficult so we will look at that in more detail now.

View more examples of direct and indirect speech >>

Direct and Indirect Speech Conversion

With direct and indirect speech, there are three main things you need to be aware of when converting one to the other:

Changes in Tense
Changes in Person and Pronouns
Changes in Time Phrases

Changing Tenses

The tense of verbs when moving from direct to indirect speech do not necessarily change because if the circumstances of what someone said is the same, then it may be reported as that. For example:

"I am feeling tired" (= Direct Speech )
Present Continuous
She said she is feeling tired (= Indirect Speech )

However, as we are reporting what was said in the past, we often change the tense. This rule for this is related to backshifting, which means shifting back a tense. So the present will go back to the past. Some modals also change.

Here are examples using the previous examples of indirect speech, showing you how they look like in direct speech:

Direct Speech

"I want to meet you later".
"You have to come back in the afternoon"
"We like it a lot"
"I have been mowing the lawn"

Indirect Speech

He said he wanted to meet me later.
Sheila told me I had to come back in the afternoon.
They said they liked it a lot.
He said he had been mowing the lawn.

There are more details on the site about changing tenses in indirect / reported speech:

Learn more about changing tenses >>

Changing Pronouns

Pronouns in indirect speech also need to be changed from what they were in the indirect speech, as well as of course adapting the first pronoun to fit the person who said the statement:

" I want to meet you later".
" You have to come back in the afternoon"
" We like it a lot"
" I have been walking with my wife"
He said he had been walking with his wife.

Changing Time Phrases

You may also need to change phrases referring to time, though this depends on the context and when you are reporting the speech.

With these examples you have to assume the speech is being reported at a time in the future so the phrases such as 'yesterday' or 'tomorrow' would not makes sense any more in terms of the reported speech.

She said, "I saw her yesterday ".
He said, "He will bring the book tomorrow ".
She said, "I'm going to London today ".
He said, "We need your assistance now ".
She said that she had seen her the day before .
He said that he would bring the book the next day .
She said she was going to London that day .
He said they needed my assistance then .

Imperatives

Some different rules apply when turning direct speech using imperatives or commands into indirect speech. Check out the rules here:

Rules for Reported Speech Imperatives >>

More on Reported Speech:

Reported Speech Imperatives: Reporting commands in indirect speech

Reported speech imperatives, also known as reported commands, follow a slightly different structure to normal indirect speech. We use imperatives to give orders, advice, or make requests.

Reported Speech Quiz - Practice forming indirect speech

This reported speech quiz gives you the chance to practice converting direct speech to reported speech, also known as indirect speech. This involves backshifting with the tenses.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

In these examples of direct and indirect speech you are given a sentence in direct speech which is then connected to indirect speech.

Reported Speech Tenses Chart: How to convert tenses

Reported speech tenses may differ from the tense of the direct speech. The general rule for tenses in reported speech is that it changes to the past tense. This is called backshifting.

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What is Direct and Indirect Speech with Examples?

Direct and indirect speech are two different ways of reporting spoken or written language. Let's delve into the details and provide some examples.

Direct Speech

Direct speech refers to the exact words someone said, often (but not always) enclosed in quotation marks. It is also known as quoted speech or direct discourse. This method is useful when you want to convey someone's words verbatim. For example: Sarah said, "I'm feeling very happy today." "It's a beautiful day," commented John. In these examples, the words within the quotation marks are exactly what the speaker said.

Indirect Speech

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech or indirect discourse, is when you report what someone said, but not in their exact words. You're paraphrasing their words. When you use indirect speech, you don't use quotation marks. For example: Sarah said that she was feeling very happy that day. John commented that it was a beautiful day. In these examples, you're reporting the essence of what the speaker said, but not using their exact words. It's also worth noting that in indirect speech, verb tenses, pronouns, and words expressing time and place may need to change to reflect the shift in perspective. Here is an example: Direct speech: He said, "I am going to the store now." Indirect speech: He said that he was going to the store then. Notice how "am" changed to "was" and "now" changed to "then". This is because the time and context have shifted from when the speaker originally spoke to when the speaker's words were reported. Click here if you want to read more about direct and indirect speech.

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Direct and Indirect Speech – 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: 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 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: rules and examples

Direct and indirect speech with rules and examples, download all the grammar lessons in one click $27 $19.

In English, to report someone’s words or their own words, you can use direct or indirect speech. These may include statements, questions, orders, advice…

When moving from direct to indirect style, it is often necessary to change personal pronouns, demonstrative and possessive pronouns according to who says what:

I → he / she
me → him / her
my → his / her
this → that
mine → his / hers
ours → theirs
our → their

Here are some examples:

Note: That is often implied in indirect speech. It is not mandatory to use it, so it is indicated in brackets in this lesson.

Introductory verbs

To relate someone’s words to both direct and indirect speech, you need an introductory verb.

The two most frequent are tell and say, but there are many other possible ones like:

want to know

Say or tell ?

Be careful to distinguish SAY from TELL . The two verbs may have the same meaning, but their use is different. With TELL, the interlocutor is quoted: the name or pronoun is placed immediately after tell (tell somebody something).

With SAY, the interlocutor is not necessarily quoted; if he is, he is introduced by the preposition to ( say something to somebody ):

He says (that) he is English.
He tells me (that) he is English.

However, tell is used in some expressions without mentioning a contact person:

tell the truth
tell a story
tell the time

Note: the wording ‘ He said to me… ‘ is possible but seems clumsy. It is best to use ‘ He told me… ‘.

TIMES MODIFICATIONS

The shift to indirect speech leads to changes in the tense, depending on whether the verb is in the present tense or in the past tense.

If the introductory verb is in the present tense, the tense (or modal) does not change.

“I’m sorry.” → He says he is sorry.
“I hate driving” → He says he hates driving.

Be careful, if the statements reported are still true now you must not change the tense!

He said this morning (that) he hates driving. (= He still hates driving now).

If the introductory verb is in the past, the verb tense changes:

Examples of major changes in time:

The modals could, should, would, might, needn’t, ought to, used to don’t change when used with indirect speech.

Those who change are will → would, can → could, may → might :

I will come with you. → Tina promised she would come with me.
I can help you. → He said he could help me.
It may be a good idea. → I thought it might be a good idea.

* do not change

TIME, PLACE AND DEMONSTRATIVE MARKERS

Expressions of time, place and demonstratives change if the context of indirect speech is different from that of direct speech.

She said “I saw him yesterday.” → She said she had seen him the day before.

Orders and prohibitions to indirect speech

To relate an order or prohibition to indirect speech, verbs such as tell, order or forbid are used… Be careful, remember to replace Don’t by NOT when it is the main verb of the sentence!

For affirmative sentences, use to + infinitive

For negative sentences use not to + infinitive

Don’t worry! → He told her not to worry.
He said, “go to bed!” → He ordered the child to go to bed.
Don’t marry him! → She forbade me to marry him.
Please don’t be late. → She asked us not to be late.

Questions to the indirect speech

If there is an interrogative word like where/who/when/why… in direct speech, we keep it in indirect speech:

What are you doing? → She asked me what I was doing.
Who was that beautifl woman? → He asked me who that beautiful woman had been.
Where do you live? → He wanted to know where I lived.
“Why don’t you speak Spanish?” → He asked me why I didn’t speak Spanish.

If it is a closed-ended question or you have to answer yes/no, you use if or whether :

“Do you like chocolate?” → She asked me if I liked chocolate.
“Are you living here?” → She asked me if I was living here.
“Have you ever been to Paris?” → He asked me if I had ever been to Paris.

When the question contains a modal, it is preterite in the reported question:

How will he react? → He wondered how he would react.

Some examples of indirect questions:

I wondered what they were talking about.
I don’t know if they’ll come or not.

OTHER CHANGES

Expressions of advice such as must, should and ought are usually reported using the verbs advise or urge :

“You must read this book.” → He advised / urged me to read that book.

The expression let’s is usually reported using the verb suggest, with gerund or with should:

“Let’s go to the cinema.” → He suggested going to the cinema. OR He suggested that we should go to the cinema.

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Tags: Grammar

Direct and Indirect speech with examples and explanations

Welcome back, smart brains! This article will help you understand how direct speech and indirect speech (narration) work in the English language. What is a direct speech? What is an indirect speech? Why and how do we use direct and indirect speech? How to change direct speech to indirect speech? Going forward, we will know the answers to all these questions.

Whenever someone tells you something or shares something with you, there are two ways to narrate what the person said:

Direct speech
Indirect Speech

Let’s suppose you go to a mobile shop to buy a specific mobile phone. On reaching, one of the executives says, “We don’t have this phone.” You go back home. Your elder brother wants to know what happened. There are two ways to convey what the executive said to you.

Direct speech: One of the executives said, “We don’t have this phone.” (Quoting the exact words of the executive)

Indirect speech: One of the executives said that they did not have that phone. (Narrating the executive’s message in your own words)

What is direct speech?

Direct speech definition: It is a way to narrate what someone said using the speaker’s exact words. The reported speech (the speaker’s words) is placed within quotation marks, and it is offset using a comma.

What is indirect speech?

Indirect speech definition: In indirect speech, the original words of the speaker get changed. The pronoun/s, the tense, and the adverbs of time and place in the reported speech (the words of the speaker) get changed. These things, not always but often, are changed as the original message was delivered at some point in time in the past, but we narrate it after some time. That creates a time difference in receiving the message and narrating it to someone. Because of which we have to go back in the past to refer to the right time.

Direct speech: Sandhya said to me, “I love talking to you.” Indirect speech: Sandhya told me that she loved talking to me.

Note: The conjunction ‘ That ’ in the indirect speech can be eliminated too. The sentence is still correct without it.

Indirect speech: Sandhya told me she loved talking to me.

Note: Changing the tense of the reported speech in indirect speech is called back-shifting.

In the above example, when we are reporting the speaker’s words in indirect speech, we are backshifting the time(tense) of the action to further back. We backshift the tense as the speaker’s words might not fall true or be relevant at the time of narrating it to someone.

She loved talking to me at the time of delivering the message, but now, at the time of narrating to someone, this might not fall true. She might not love talking to me now. That is exactly why the tense is backshifted further back in the past to show the accurate time and action.

But when you are narrating the speaker’s message right after it is being said, you don’t need to backshift the tense as there is almost no difference between the time of receiving the speaker’s message and narrating it to someone.

Let’s suppose we were at a party. Sandhya and I were exchanging words. You were right there too. She said, “I love talking to you.” You didn’t hear it. You come to me and ask, “What did she say to you?”

I tell you that she said that she loves talking to me. It is fairly unlikely for her to change her mind in just a few seconds. 😉

Examples of direct and indirect speech

Direct speech: She said to me, “It is raining outside.”
Indirect speech: She told me that it was raining outside.
Direct speech: “I bought my favorite phone yesterday,” he told me with excitement.
Indirect speech: He told me with excitement that he had bought his favorite car the previous day.
Direct speech: Max said, “This is my school.”
Indirect speech: Max said that that was his house. (You are not there in front of the school.)
Indirect speech: Max said that this was his house . (You are still there in front of the school.)

How to change direct speech to indirect speech?

Here are the changes you need to make in order to change a direct speech to indirect speech:

1. Remove quotation marks and the comma from the direct speech.

2. use the conjunction that before the reported speech. its use is optional though..

Direct speech: Sandhya said to me, “I love talking to you.”
Indirect speech: Sandhya told me that she loved talking to me.

3. Change the pronoun/s of the reported speech.

The subject (pronoun) of the reported speech (indirect speech) is changed according to the subject or the object of the introductory clause, and its object is changed according to the object of the introductory clause.

According to the subject

According to the object

Direct speech: The students said to me, “You were teaching amazingly well.”
Indirect speech: The students said that I had been teaching amazingly well.

These are some direct and indirect speech rules we need to master!

3.1 Backshift the tense

3.2 change the adverb of time and place, how to change direct speech to indirect speech in different tenses , 1. present simple to past simple tense.

When the direct speech is in the Present Simple tense , it is changed to the Past Simple tense in the indirect speech.

Direct indirect speech examples:

Direct speech: “I work with the top CEOs of the world,” he boasted.
Indirect speech: He boasted that he worked with the top CEOs of the world.
Direct speech: Sandhya told me, “You look amazing in this dress.”
Indirect speech: Sandhya told me that I looked amazing in that dress.
Direct speech: “The sun rises in the east,” my father informed us.
Indirect speech: My father informed us that the sun rises in the east.

NOTE : When what’s being said is still valid or related or universal, we don’t backshift the tense. In the third example, we have not changed the tense.

2. Present continuous to past continuous tense

When the direct speech is in the Present Continuous tense , it is changed to the Past Continuous tense in the indirect speech.

Direct speech: “You are making a lot of noise,” the teacher said angrily.
Indirect speech: The teacher said angrily that we were making a lot of noise.
Direct speech: She said, “I am getting married next month.”
Indirect speech: She said that I am getting married next month.

NOTE : The next month has not come yet. She narrated the message before the message gets irrelevant.

3. Present perfect tense to past perfect tense

When the direct speech is in the Present Perfect tense , it is changed to the Past Perfect tense in the indirect speech.

Direct speech: “I have finished the work,” Max said to me.
Indirect speech: Max told me that he had finished the work.
Direct speech: She said, “You have not helped me now.”
Indirect speech: She said that I had not helped her then.

4. Simple past tense to past perfect tense

When the direct speech is in the Simple Past tense, it is changed to the Past perfect tense in the indirect speech.

Direct and indirect speech examples:

Direct speech: “We finished the task on time,” he said to me.
Indirect speech: He told me that they had finished the task on time.
Direct speech: Rahul said to me, “I enjoyed working with you.”
Indirect speech: Rahul told me that he had enjoyed working with me.

5. Past continuous tense to past perfect continuous tense

When the direct speech is in the Past Continuous tense, it is changed to the Past Perfect Continuous tense in the indirect speech.

Direct speech: “He was sleeping here,” the lady told me.
Indirect speech: The lady told me that he had been sleeping here.

Modal auxiliary verbs in direct and indirect speech

Direct speech: “ You can’t beat me in a street fight,” He said to me.
Indirect speech: He told me that I could not beat him in a street fight.
Direct speech: “We will screw your career,” the company said.
Indirect speech: The company said that it would screw my career.
Direct speech: “We might visit you tomorrow, “my friends said to him.
Indirect speech: My friends said to him that they might visit him the next day.
Direct speech: “You may get the Job,” Ronny said to me.
Indirect speech: Ronny told me that I might get the job.
Direct speech: “I should start working on my communication skills,” He said in frustration.
Indirect speech: He said in frustration that he should start working on his communication skills.

Important points:

SAY can’t be followed by an indirect object without the preposition TO . TELL is followed by an indirect object.
He said me that I teach amazingly well. (Incorrect)
He said to me that I teach amazingly well. (Correct)
He told me that I teach amazingly well. (Correct)
Don’t backshift the tense of the reported speech if what’s been said is universally true or is still relevant at the time of narrating it to someone.
Direct speech: “He is my father,” Jon informed me.
Indirect speech: Jon informed me that he is his father.
Direct speech: “We are going to London in 2022,” She said.
Indirect speech: She said that they are going to London in 2020. (You are saying it in 2021).
Direct speech: Rahul said, “India is a democratic country.”
Indirect speech: Rahul said that India is a democratic country.

Now, we know what a direct and an indirect speech is in English. Feel free to share your question, doubt, or feedback in the comment section, and also, share the post with the people that need it.

For one-on-one classes, contact me at [email protected] .

Click here to learn how to change interrogative sentences into assertive sentences in reported speech!

Ashish Sharma

Ashish found his first love—the English language—a few years back. Since then, he has been immersed in the language, breaking down the language and teaching it to passionate English learners. He has a flair for listening to the English language (podcasts, sitcoms, stories), observing the nuances, and making it easy for English learners. He is known for breaking down complex English topics and making them easy to be understood.

2 thoughts on “Direct and Indirect speech with examples and explanations”

Direct speech: Max said, “This is my school.” Indirect speech: Max said that that was my house. (You are not there in front of the school.) Indirect speech: Max said that this is my house. (You are still there in front of the school.) please check! I think there is an error in indirect sentence as my must be change into his what I believe?!!!!!!\

Hello Imran, Thank you for pointing out the mistake. The verb tense ‘is’ was also needed to be backshifted in the past. It has been taken care of.

Direct & Indirect Speech

Back to: Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration)

Narration which is a mode of expression, through which the words of a speaker is reported, can be done in two ways. They are –

Direct Speech
Indirect Speech

In today’s lesson we are going to learn in depth about Direct and Indirect speech.

Let’s begin with –

Table of Contents

What is Direct speech?

Direct speech is the direct expression of a speaker’s word. It means that in direct speech, the words of a speaker is presented as it is without making any kind of change.

Bhim said, “I like sweet.”
Krishna says, “I can play flute.”
The teacher said, “Let’s learn narration.”

Rules of direct speech –

Direct speech can be divided into two parts –

Reporting clause.
Reported clause.

Also, in reporting clause a verb is included. The verb is called reporting verb.

Superman said, “I am the strongest.”

Here the part ‘Superman said’ is reporting clause and ‘said’ is reporting verb. The part – “I am the strongest” is reported clause.

Other examples –

Nitu says, “I am a girl.”

Reporting clause – Nitu says Reporting verb – says Reported clause –“I am a girl.”

Mother said, “God is good.”

Reporting clause – Mother said Reporting verb – said Reported clause – “God is good.”

In direct speech punctuation marks (,) (“…”) are used. The reported clause is put inside a quotation mark (“…”).

The reporting clause and the reported clause is divided by a comma. The comma is put after a reporting verb.

The peacock said, “I am the most beautiful bird in the world.” The reported clause – ‘I am the most beautiful bird in the world’, is put inside a quotation mark. And a comma is used after ‘said’, the reporting verb.

Direct speech can end with full stop (.), a question mark (?), an exclamation mark (!). The final punctuation mark is kept inside the quotation mark.

Abhi asked, “Do you speak English?”
Rupa said, “What a beautiful picture!”
Rabi told, “I am learning narration.”

What is Indirect speech?

Indirect speech is also a type of narration. It is different from Direct speech in the way that it does not present the actual words of the speaker. Although the actual meaning of the speaker’s words remain same, the way of presenting them changes.

Bhim said that he liked sweet.
Krishna says that he can play flute.
The teacher proposed that we should learn narration.

Notice how these examples are also given in the direct speech. Although the subject of the sentences remains same, the way of presenting them has changed.

Rules of Indirect Speech:

Indirect speech like Direct speech also have reporting verb and clause and reported clause.

The sun says that he rises from the east.

Here ‘The sun says’ is reporting clause which contains the reporting verb – says. And ‘he rises from the east’ is reported clause.

Unlike Direct speech, Indirect speech uses conjunction (that, whether, if).

The tree tells that he gives oxygen.

Here we can see the reporting clause and the reported clause is connected with the conjunction ‘that’.

No punctuation marks like comma or quotation mark is used in Indirect speech.

Rabi said that he was studying.

You can see from the above example that no punctuation mark is used. The reported clause is not put inside a quotation mark.

Indirect speech always ends with full stop. Even in case of Imperative, exclamatory, assertive and interrogative sentence, it ends with a full stop.
Doraemon asked if you needed a gadget. [Indirect speech in interrogative sentence.]
Rahul exclaimed with joy that he had got a job. [Indirect speech in exclamatory sentence.]
The moon says that she lives in the sky. [Indirect speech in assertive sentence.]
Megha suggested that we should sleep. [Indirect speech in imperative sentence.]

write a short note on direct and indirect speech

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Narration - Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

What is Narration?

Narration as the name suggests is a way of narrating or telling something one heard to someone else. The narration chart or ways of speaking differs in the way the speaker phrases the sentences. It can be spoken directly as is called direct speech or in an indirect manner or indirect speech which is also called reported speech. The narration rules and direct and indirect speech rules are a great way to understand this part of English grammar.

Reported speech or Indirect Speech

What is Reported Speech?

Reported speech is narration or indirect speech. Direct speech is a statement that is written exactly as it is spoken. To show exactly what is said, we always use quotation marks in such a sentence whereas in reported speech different words or parts of speech like conjunction ‘that’ or preposition ’if’ are used to convey the same meaning. Let us take a look at direct and indirect speech examples

Direct speech: Anika said, “I am going to buy a dress”.

Reported speech: Anika said that she is going to buy a new dress.

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules Chart

Let us look at a basic chart of the direct and indirect speech that will help us understand the rules of converting one type to another easily. The basic characteristic of this chart is that it requires an understanding of the Subject noun, pronoun, its reporting verb and speech clause and conjunction.

Example: He said, “I want to go see a movie”.

Reported Speech Rules

1. The first rule is to pick a reporting verb and time frame or tense in the sentence.

What time did the speech take place? The reporting verb is in the present tense when dealing with current, repeated, or recent events. "He says he's hungry, so let's grab a bite to eat."

Choose the past tense for recounting a less recent speech. Depending on the situation, the reporting verb can also be told, or other verbs such as ordered, stated, or reported. You can use verbs like asked or requested when reporting queries.

A terrified girl

Direct Speech: Sheena asked, “Marie did you have a bad dream?”

Indirect Speech: Sheena asked if Marie had a bad dream.

2. The second rule is to alter your point of view.

That is, I transform into he, she, or they. Karan said, "I drank the orange juice." becomes, "Karan said that he drank the orange juice."

Drinking Juice

The girls said, “We are going tomorrow.’’ becomes, "They said they are going tomorrow."

3. Decide whether or not to use "if" or "that."

It's a choice when reporting on a question, another conjunction, if, is required or not.

She asked, ”Do you know how to play tennis.”

"She asked me if I knew how to play tennis."

Talking on the phone

4. Move the tense backwards, if the sentence is in the present tense, then reporting verb will be in the past tense.

Example: Karina said, "I have repaired my bicycle."

Karina said she had repaired her bicycle.

Repair Shop

Practice Exercise

1. State whether the sentences are true or false

A. We use quotation marks in indirect speech.

Quotation Marks

B. In the indirect or reported speech, we always use ‘that’ after the speaker’s name.

This or That

3. Reported speech is also called direct speech.

Reported speech

B. Change the following sentence into direct or indirect speech.

1. “We should go to the beach together,” said Priya.

Ans: Priya said that they should go to the beach together.

2. She said that Rahul had arrived on Wednesday.

Ans: She said, “Rahul arrived on Wednesday.”

3. “You have to eat vegetables,” said my mother.

Vegetable Basket

Ans: My mother said that I had to eat vegetables.

Do it Yourself

A. Is the following sentence in direct or indirect speech?

1. Radha said that there were many people waiting in front of the ticket counter.

Ticket Counter

2. She said, “My friends always help me with my studies.”

Kids Studying

3. Dia says that there is no water in the glass.

Empty Glass

B. Convert the following sentences into direct or indirect speech.

1. Arun said, “Nitin works very hard.”

2. She said that many elephants were crossing the road.

3. Arun asked, “why do you look so happy?”

A Happy Boy

FAQs on Narration - Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

1. What is reported speech?

Reported speech is how we represent other people's speech or what we say ourselves. Reported speech is also called indirect speech. Let us learn using direct and indirect speech examples. Direct speech repeats the words exactly as one says, or as we recall them: Mahira said "I didn't realise it was midnight,". Whereas the other category indirect speech is where the reporting speech is used, like Mahira said that she didn’t realise it was midnight.

2. Is narrating the same as giving an indirect speech?

Indirect speech is also known as reported speech or narration. As a result, we express the speaker's message in our own words in indirect speech. Indirect speech is always in the past tense because it is used to report what someone may have said. We can convey that someone's speech is being described without using inverted commas by introducing the sentence with the word "that."

3. Can the word ‘should’ be changed in indirect speech?

When reported, will, can and shall become would, could, and should. In English, the word will is used to make statements regarding the future. Will becomes would when reporting this type of statement.

English Grammar Here

Direct and Indirect Speech With Examples and Detailed Explanations

Transferring the sentence that someone else says is called indirect speech . It is also called reported speech . Usually, it is used in spoken language. If the transmitted action is done in the past, the sentence becomes the past tense.

He said; the newspaper is very interesting.
He said the newspaper was very interesting.

Time changes in indirect speech;

He said; I live in Island.
He said he lived in Island.
He said; I am reading book.
He said he was reading book.
He said; I visited France three times.
He said he had visited France three times.
He said; I went to holiday last year.
He said he had gone to holiday the year before.
He said; I already eaten meat.
He said he had already eaten meat.
He said; I am going to find a new girlfriend.
He said he was going to find a new girlfriend.
He said; I will give my mother a call.
He said he would he would give his mother a call.
He said; I have been working on that agency for over two years.
He said he had have been working on that agency for over two years.
He said; I can come tonight with my brother.
He said he could come that night with his brother.
He said; I have to done this work tonight.
He said had to done this work that night.
He says the newspaper is interesting.
He has said that he reads the newspaper every day.
He will say that he reads the newspaper every day.

If the subject is always referring to an action that maintains its correctness, then the broad time is used.

The sun rises in the east sets in the west and this is an unchanging rule.

While the speech is being transferred, it is necessary to change the pronoun so that it becomes compatible with the object in the sentence.

She said, I want to go to Paris.
She said she wanted to go to Paris.

When we pass a sentence indirectly, some words in the sentence change. This change is made in order not to distort the meaning in the sentence.

Jake said; I will buy the new car tomorrow.
Jake said that he would buy the new car the next day.

Changes in time of adverbs;

Today-the next day
Tonight-that night
The day after tomorrow-in two days time
Next week/year -following week/year
Yesterday-the day before
The day before yesterday-two days before

Here is Direct, Indirect(Reported) Speech Chart, Example Sentences

Adverbs in English, How, How Much, Where, How Often, When

+200 Prepositional Phrase Examples in English

23 Helping Verbs, Definition and Example Sentences

About the author.

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, Rules, Chart and Exercises

Direct and Indirect speech are ways of narrating the speech of someone to some other person following certain rules. This article covers its types, rules, examples and some exercises on the same.

Table of Contents

Direct and Indirect Speech: In English Grammar, direct and Indirect speech are used in instances when we wish to repeat or convey a speech or statement of some other person. Both direct and indirect speech describes what a third person said or conveyed in the past. Indirect speech is more commonly employed unless it’s a direct quotation, which is consistently enclosed in double quotation marks. Whereas indirect speech is used when you want to convey someone’s statement using your own precise words. It’s worth highlighting that indirect speech is consistently expressed using verbs like “said,” “told,” or “asked.”

Direct and Indirect Speech

There are two types of reported speech in English grammar, they are Direct and Indirect speech. Both speech conveys the speech or statement which was told by some other person. To explain any event, action or scenario we generally convey the sentences quoted by someone in the form of direct and indirect speech. In order to clearly differentiate and make people understand easily, we have detailed the two types of reported speech with examples and exercises below.

Direct Speech

Direct speech is the mode of expression that directly presents the words spoken or quoted by a third person. Generally, direct speech is written inside quotation marks (“”). The quotation is used to differentiate the speech of the third person that has happened in the past. Thus direct speech conveys statements or conversations of someone in the past tense but quoted inside the quotation marks in the present or future tense.

Kiran said, “I am doing my work.”
They said, ” We will go for the function.”
He asked,”Can I make this?”

Indirect Speech

Indirect Speech is used when we convey what someone said in our own words without repeating the actual text of that person. Instead of using quotation marks, the conjunction word, ‘that’ is used. Thus speaker’s words and sentences are reframed into our own words in Indirect speech. Some examples of indirect speech are:

Direct speech: Kiran said, “I am doing my work.”
Indirect speech: Kiran said that she is doing her work.
Direct speech: They said, ” We will go for the function.”
Indirect speech: They said that they would go to the function.
Direct speech: He asked, “Can I make this?”
Indirect speech: He asked whether he can make that.

Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech

There are certain rules and regulations followed while converting a simple direct speech into indirect speech. Certain factors such as Verbs, Tenses, Modals, time, place, and pronouns are also considered while changing. The following are the rules applied when you convert direct speech to indirect speech in English grammar.

Rule-1 : Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb

The reporting verb is an important factor to note when changing a direct to an indirect sentence. When the reporting verb is past tense, then the verb inside the quotation is also changed to past when changing a sentence from direct to indirect speech. Examples:

Direct: He said,’ I am sad.’
Indirect: He said that he was sad.

An exception is for cases like a universal truth, the tenses remain the same.

Teena said” The sun rises in the east”.
Teena said that the sun rises in the east.

If the reporting verb is in present/future tense, then the tense remains the same as in direct speech.

Direct: She says/will say, ‘I am coming.’
Indirect: She says/will say she is coming.

Rule 2: Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Tenses

If the sentences inside quotes in direct speech are present tense, it is changed to past tense when changed to indirect speech. The rule in the following table is applied while changing tenses from direct speech to reported speech.

Examples of change in Tenses

Rule 4: Direct to Indirect speech Conversion Interrogative sentences

If a sentence starts with a question word like what, when, and why in direct speech, the question word itself acts as the joining class.

Direct speech: “Where do you live ?” Asked the boy.
Indirect Speech: The boy enquired where I lived.

Rule 5: Direct to Indirect Speech Conversion Change in Modals

Modal verbs are those verbs that are preceded by another verb, which is the main verb. Can, May, and Must are some examples of Modals. Modals that won’t change are Could, would, should, ought to, might. While changing direct to indirect speech, the Modals change as below:

Can become could
May becomes Might
Must becomes had to (or) would have to
Direct: She said,” She can sing.”
Indirect: She said that she could sing.
Direct: She said,” I should cook the lunch”
Indirect: She said that she should cook the lunch.

Rule 6: Direct to Indirect speech conversion – pronoun

The first person in Direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech

Direct: He said, “I am in grade sixth.”
Indirect: He said that he was in grade sixth.

The second person of Direct speech changes as per the object of the indirect speech.

Direct: She says to them, “You have achieved your goal.”
Indirect: She tells them that they have achieved their goal.

If the third person is mentioned in the Direct speech, it does not change in reported speech.

Direct: He says, “She sings well.”
Indirect: He says that she sings well.

Rule 7: Direct to indirect speech conversion – Request, Command, Wish and Exclamation.

The imperative words in direct speech change into Infinitives in indirect speech.

Direct: She said to her ‘Please remove it’.
Indirect: She requested her to remove that.

Exclamation

Direct: She said, ‘Alas! I am undone.
Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.

Rule 8: Direct to indirect speech conversion – punctuations

In Direct speech, the words spoken must start with(“) and ends with(.) inside the double inverted commas. All symbols such as question marks, full stops or exclamatory marks should be placed inside the quotes.

They said. “We are the best”
She asked, “Can I come with You?”
He uttered, “Keep Quiet!”

Rule 9: Direct to indirect speech conversion – Change of time

While converting direct speech to Indirect speech, there are certain words to be noted that cannot be used as such in indirect speech. These words get modified into new words which are enlisted below:

Now becomes Then
Ago becomes before
Thus becomes So
Today becomes That day
Tomorrow becomes the next day
Yesterday becomes the day before
This becomes that
These become those
Come becomes go
Hence becomes thence
Next week or next month becomes the following week or month
Direct: He says/will say, ‘My girlfriend came yesterday.’
Indirect: He says/will say that his girlfriend had come the day before.

Rules for 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
Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital
Insert question marks, quotation marks, exclamation marks and full stops, based on the mood of the
Remove the conjunctions like (that, too, if or wh ether) wherever necessary .
Where the reporting verb is in the past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct
Change the past perfect tense either into the present perfect tense or past tense, as necessary .

Direct and Indirect Speech – Some Exercises

The following are some exercises that students can practice while preparing for their revision tests or board exams.

Q.1. Find out the correct indirect speech for the given sentence.

She said,’ I have cooked this meal.’

She said that she cooked this meal
She said that she had cooked that meal.
She said that I cooked that meal.
She said that she had cooked this meal.

Answer (2) She said that she had cooked that meal.

Q.2. Choose the correct sentence.

Sanjay said, ‘What a beautiful painting it is’.

Sanjay exclaimed wonderfully that the painting was very beautiful.
Sanjay exclaimed with wonder that the painting was very beautiful.

Answer (4) Sanjay exclaimed with wonder that the painting was very beautiful.

Q.3. The correct indirect speech for She asked, “What is the cost of these books?”

She enquired what was the cost of those books.
She inquired what was the cost of these books.
She enquired what is the cost of those books.
She questioned what was the cost of those books.

Answer (1) She enquired what was the cost of those books.

Q.4. The man said, ‘Oh God! I missed the train today.’

The man cried that he missed the train that day.
The man exclaimed in grief that he missed the train today.
The man said that oh God! he missed that day.
The man exclaimed with sorrow that he missed the train that day.

Answer (4) The man exclaimed with sorrow that he missed the train that day.

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Direct and Indirect speech-FAQs

Q1. what are direct and indirect speech in english.

Ans. Direct speech is a speech that describes what a third person has conveyed or quoted in a direct manner. Generally, direct speech is written inside quotation marks ("").Indirect Speech is used when we convey what someone said in our own words without repeating the actual text of that person.

Q2. In which speech conjunctions are used and what is the purpose?

Ans. The conjunctions are used in Indirect speech. The speaker's words and sentences are reframed into our own words in Indirect speech using conjuctions as connecting words.

Q3. What are modals and what is the significance of using modals?

Ans. Modal verbs are those verbs that are preceded by another verb, which is the main verb. Can, May, and Must are some examples of Modals. While converting direct to indirect speech Can becomes could, May becomes Might, Will becomes Would. Modals that won’t change are Could, would, should, ought to, might.

As Team Lead- Content Writer, I take on leadership within our content creation team, overseeing the development of error-free educational content. My primary responsibility is to produce and analyse high-quality content educating and informing the aspirants about upcoming government exams published on our website. I have more than 6 years experience in content writing wherein 3.5 years of experience in ed-tech content writing.

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Direct And Indirect Speech

Back to: English Language Primary 6

You are welcome to today’s class!!

We are excited to have you join our class!!

In today’s English class, we will be learning about Direct And Indirect Speech

From the word Direct and Indirect, you can take a guess as to what we are about to learn today.

When we talk about Direct, you should first imagine how you usually have conversations with your friends, including how you discuss interesting things.

By definition, Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between quotation marks (” “) and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that’s being said, or telling someone later about a previous conversation.

Come along as we look at some examples of Direct speech.

My mother said, “What time will I be home?” and I answered, “I am not sure.”

Like our definition suggests, the direct speech in the example was written in quotation marks. This consists of both “What time will I be home” and “I am not sure.”

Let’s take another example:

I said, “What is the noise all about?”

In this example we have only one direct speech which is “What is the noise all about?”

However, for Indirect Speech, you can imagine it to be the opposite of direct speech. For Indirect Speech, it is described as a reporter speech which is usually used to talk about the past. That way, we end up changing the tense.

Let’s take some examples of indirect speech.

She said, “I saw him.” (direct speech) will change to:
She said that she had seen him. (indirect speech)

From this example a direct speech was changed to indirect speech by changing the ‘saw’ to ‘seen.’

Another example is: She told him she was happy.

In both examples we did not have quotation marks because they are basically being reported.

Summarily, you can easily identify a direct speech through quotation marks, while an indirect speech is through the tenses in the sentence.

Identify how you can differentiate between a direct and indirect speech.

Reading Assignment

Cite five examples of a Direct Speech

Weekend Assignment

What other name can you call an indirect speech?
Using a telephone conversation between two friends, convert six direct speeches to indirect speeches.

We hope you enjoyed today’s class as always. In our next class, we will be learning new words alongside their meaning.

If you have any questions, kindly drop them in the comment section.

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Direct and indirect speech

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When using indirect or reported speech, the form changes. Usually indirect speech is introduced by the verb said , as in I said , Bill said , or they said . Using the verb say in this tense, indicates that something was said in the past. In these cases, the main verb in the reported sentence is put in the past. If the main verb is already in a past tense, then the tense changes to another past tense; it can almost be seen as moving even further into the past.

Verb tense changes also characterize other situations using indirect speech. Note the changes shown in the chart and see the table below for examples. With indirect speech, the use of that is optional.

The situation changes if instead of the common said another part of the very to say is used. In that case the verb tenses usually remain the same. Some examples of this situation are given below.

Another situation is the one in which modal constructions are used. If the verb said is used, then the form of the modal, or another modal that has a past meaning is used.

While not all the possibilities have been listed here, there are enough to provide examples of the main rules governing the use of indirect or reported speech. For other situations, try to extrapolate from the examples here, or better still, refer to a good grammar text or reference book.

Some other verbs that can be used to introduce direct speech are ask, report, tell, announce, suggest, and inquire. They are not used interchangeably; check a grammar or usage book for further information.

Updated September 11, 2023 by Digital & Web Operations, University Relations ( [email protected] )

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English Grammar

How to Teach Direct and Indirect Speech

Last Updated: October 19, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Lynn Kirkham . Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 58,470 times.

Direct and indirect speech, also known collectively as reported speech, refer to the ways in which a person can report what someone else has said to them. To effectively teach reported speech to your students, it’s important that you first explain what these terms mean and how they should be used. Then, you can use various games and activities to help your students understand and accurately use direct and indirect speech.

Explaining Direct and Indirect Speech

Step 1 Define direct speech so your students will understand what it means.

For example, if your boss asks you “What did you have for dinner last night?” while you’re at work and later, you tell your spouse, “My boss asked me today, ‘What did you have for dinner last night?’,” you have reported what your boss asked you using direct speech.

Step 2 Explain the definition of indirect speech and how it's different from direct speech.

For example, if your boss asks you “What did you have for dinner last night?” while you’re at work and later, you tell your spouse, “My boss asked me what I had for dinner last night,” you’ve used indirect speech to report what your boss asked you.
Indirect speech often is marked by the word "that" before the clause containing what the other person said.

Step 3 Clarify how verb tenses change from direct to indirect speech.

When using direct speech to report, the tenses of the verbs within the quotations do not change, since direct speech involves an exact recitation of the original words spoken.
Simple present tense direct speech changes to simple past tense indirect speech. For example, “She said ‘I am happy’” becomes “She said that she was happy.”
Present continuous direct speech changes to past continuous tense in indirect speech. For example, “He said, ‘I am reading a book’” becomes “He said he was reading a book.”
Simple past tense direct speech changes to past perfect tense in indirect speech. For example, “She said, ‘Meagan arrived on Tuesday’” becomes “She said that Meagan had arrived on Tuesday.”
Past continuous tense direct speech changes to past perfect continuous tense indirect speech. For example, “They said, ‘We were living in Paris’” changes to “They said they had been living in Paris.” [4] X Research source

Step 4 Explain that verb tense never changes for universal truths.

For example, when converted to indirect speech, the direct speech sentence “They said, ‘We can’t live without water’” becomes “They said that we can’t live without water” because the words spoken are a universal truth.

Using Activities to Teach Reported Speech

Step 1 Have your students rephrase sentences using reported speech.

For example, you could read out the sentence, “I don’t like muffins.” The student should then report this information back to you, stating it first in direct speech (“you said, ‘I don’t like muffins’”), followed by indirect speech (“you said you don’t like muffins”).

Step 2 Ask your students to report on each other’s answers to your questions.

The sentences can be statements, questions, or a mix of both.
For example, you could write “Do we know each other?” on an index card. Hand this card to one student and have them read it to a second student. Then, ask the second student to report what the first student read to them. The second student should then respond using direct speech (“She asked me, ‘Do we know each other?’”) or indirect speech (“She asked me if we know each other”).
You can make this activity a bit more fun by telling the students to pretend they are at a party where everyone must circulate and talk to each other. [8] X Research source

Step 4 Get your students to correct a story using reported speech.

For example, write “I live in a big house” on the board. Then, tell a short story stating “I bought a new dining table but it was too big for my small apartment so I had to get another one.” The students will interrupt you after stating that you live in a small apartment. You can then have the students ask for clarification using direct (“But didn’t you say, “I live in a big house”?) or indirect speech (“Didn’t you say you lived in a big house?”). [10] X Research source

Step 5 Play reported speech telephone for a fun learning activity.

For example, ask the first student “What are you doing this summer?” and have them answer to a second student “I am going to the beach.” Then, have the second student report to a third student on what the first student said using direct speech (“John said, “I’m going to the beach”). The third student will then report to a fourth student using indirect speech (“Katie said that John said that he’s going to the beach”) and so on until all the students have had a turn.

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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 With Examples and Explanations

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NARRATION-3 DIRECT/INDIRECT SPEECH [INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE] By |ENGLISH MADE EASY|
NARRATION -4| DIRECT INDIRECT SPEECH (EXCLAMATORY & IMPERATIVE SENTENCES) ENGLISH MADE EASY

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Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples
Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech. Change of Pronouns. Change of Tenses. Change of Time and Place References. Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech. Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks. Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker. Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb. Step 4: Change the Pronouns.
Direct and Indirect Speech: The differences explained
So the key difference between direct and indirect speech is that with direct speech the exact words are quoted but in indirect speech it is your own words . Direct speech is fairly simple to use and understand as it involves just repeating what was said. There is not much to get confused about with the grammar, apart from getting say (s)/said ...
Direct and Indirect Speech (Grammar Rules and Great Examples)
Now, let us specify the rules in converting direct speech to indirect speech. Here are the steps on how to do so: 1. Eliminate the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. The quotation marks are the primary indication of a direct speech. Therefore, it is crucial to take them out if you are forming an indirect one. 2.
What is Direct and Indirect Speech with Examples?
Here is an example: Direct speech: He said, "I am going to the store now." Indirect speech: He said that he was going to the store then. Notice how "am" changed to "was" and "now" changed to "then". This is because the time and context have shifted from when the speaker originally spoke to when the speaker's words were reported.
Direct and Indirect Speech
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.
Direct and Indirect Speech
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 ...
Direct and Indirect Speech: The Ultimate Guide
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.
Direct To Indirect Speech: Complete Rules With 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: Direct Speech. Indirect Speech. Yesterday. The day before. Now.
Direct vs. Indirect Speech
Direct and Indirect Speech. When writers write about phrases or sentences a source has said, they can use either direct speech or indirect speech. Direct speech is used to repeat what someone else ...
Direct and Indirect speech: rules and examples
Note: That is often implied in indirect speech. It is not mandatory to use it, so it is indicated in brackets in this lesson. Introductory verbs. To relate someone's words to both direct and indirect speech, you need an introductory verb. The two most frequent are tell and say, but there are many other possible ones like: ask reply warn answer
Narration: Direct and Indirect speech
Direct speech: Sandhya said to me, "I love talking to you.". Indirect speech: Sandhya told me that she loved talking to me. According to the object. Direct speech: The students said to me, "You were teaching amazingly well.". Indirect speech: The students said that I had been teaching amazingly well.
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules and Examples
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules. If the Reporting Verb is in the Present or Future Tense, the tense of the verb in the Reported Speech is not changed at all. e.g. Direct: He says, "Saima is a blogger." Indirect: He says that Saima is a blogger." If the Reporting Verb is in the Past Tense, the tense of the verb in the reported speech is changed to one or the other of the four forms of ...
Direct and Indirect Speech for Beginners
Mother said, "God is good.". Reported clause - "God is good.". In direct speech punctuation marks (,) ("…") are used. The reported clause is put inside a quotation mark ("…"). The reporting clause and the reported clause is divided by a comma. The comma is put after a reporting verb.
Narration
Reported speech is narration or indirect speech. Direct speech is a statement that is written exactly as it is spoken. To show exactly what is said, we always use quotation marks in such a sentence whereas in reported speech different words or parts of speech like conjunction 'that' or preposition 'if' are used to convey the same meaning.
Direct and Indirect Speech
Direct speech: As noted earlier, the actual words uttered by a person (with no change) are quoted. Therefore, the exact words of the speaker are enclosed in inverted commas or quotation marks.In the sentence, a comma is also added after the word 'said' that introduces the spoken words.. Example. He said, " I am going to school ".. Indirect speech: In indirect speech, the actual words ...
Direct and Indirect Speech With Examples and Detailed Explanations
Direct speech is the ones that the person establishes himself / herself. Usually used in writing language such as novels, stories etc. Transferring the sentence that someone else says is called indirect speech. It is also called reported speech. Usually, it is used in spoken language. If the transmitted action is done in the past, the sentence ...
English Grammar Direct and Indirect Speech Rules
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.
Direct and Indirect speech, Rules, Chart and Exercises
Rule 8: Direct to indirect speech conversion - punctuations. In Direct speech, the words spoken must start with (") and ends with (.) inside the double inverted commas. All symbols such as question marks, full stops or exclamatory marks should be placed inside the quotes. Examples:
Grammar (Direct and Indirect Speech)
Now, consider the following examples: Direct speech: He said, 'We have enough rooms for all of you.'. Indirect speech: The man informed us / told us that they had enough rooms for all of us. Direct speech: Tade says, 'We have lectures every Friday.'. Indirect speech: Tade says that they have lectures every Friday.
Direct And Indirect Speech
By definition, Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said, or telling someone later about a previous conversation.
Direct and indirect speech
AU is Canada's Open University, offering open and flexible distance learning with world-class online courses, undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and professional development options. A look into direct and indirect speech and how its used.
How to Teach Direct and Indirect Speech: 9 Steps (with Pictures)
2. Ask your students to report on each other's answers to your questions. First, ask one student a question. Once they answer, ask another student to report what the first student said using direct speech. Then, ask a third student to report what the first student said using indirect speech.
Rules For Direct And Indirect Speech For Competitive Exams
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.

Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples

Direct and Indirect Speech

Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech

Change of Pronouns

Change of Tenses

Change of Time and Place References

Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks

Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker

Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb

Step 4: Change the Pronouns

Converting Indirect Speech Into Direct Speech

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech Examples

Indirect Speech Examples

Frequently Asked Questions

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Direct and Indirect Speech

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Examples of Direct Speech:

Definition of Indirect Speech

Examples of Indirect Speech:

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Changing Tenses

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

Changing Pronouns

Changing Time Phrases

Imperatives

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Reported Speech Imperatives: Reporting commands in indirect speech

Reported Speech Quiz - Practice forming indirect speech

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Reported Speech Tenses Chart: How to convert tenses

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