DIRECT INDIRECT SPEECH

What is Direct
and Indirect
Speech?
 Direct Speech
When we want to describe what someone said, one option is to use direct speech.
It allows writers to authentically capture the voices and personalities of their
characters,
making dialogue more engaging and impactful. We use direct speech when we
simply
repeat what someone says, putting the phrase between speech marks:

Paul came in and said, “I’m really hungry.”

It is very common to see direct speech used in books or in a newspaper article. For
example:

The local MP said, “We plan to make this city a safer place for
everyone.”
As you can see, with direct speech it is common to use the verb ‘to say’
(‘said’ in the past).
But you can also find other verbs used to indicate direct speech such
as ‘ask’, ‘reply’, and ‘shout’.
For example:

• When Mrs. Diaz opened the door, I asked, “Have you seen Lee?”
• She replied, “No, I haven’t seen him since lunchtime.”
• The boss was angry and shouted, “Why isn’t he here? He hasn’t
finished that report yet!”
Examples of Direct Speech in Writing

Charles Dickens Jane Austen Ernest Hemingway

"It was the best of times, it was "I declare after all there is no "The sun also rises, and the sun
the worst of times." enjoyment like reading!" goes down, and hastens the
place where it arose."
 Indirect Speech

When we want to report what someone said without speech

marks and without necessarily using exactly the same words,
we can use indirect speech (also called reported speech).
For example:
Direct speech: “We’re quite cold in here.”
Indirect speech: They say (that) they’re cold.
When we report what someone
says in the present simple, as in
the previous sentence, we
normally don’t change the tense,
we simply change the subject.

However, when we report things in

the past, we usually change the
tense by moving it one step back.
For example, in the following
sentence the present simple
becomes the past simple in
indirect speech:

Direct speech: “I have a new car.”

Indirect speech: He said he had a
new car.
 Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

Rule #1 - Direct to Indirect Speech Conversion - Reporting Verb

1. When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the
present tenses are changed to corresponding past tense in indirect
speech.

Example:

Direct: She said, “I am happy.”

Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.
2. In indirect speech tenses do not change if the words used within the
quotes (“ ”) talk of a habitual action or universal truth.

Example:

Direct: He said, “we cannot live without air.”

Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.
3. The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting
verb is in future tense or present tense.

Example:

Direct: She says/will say, “she is going.”

Indirect: She says/will say she is going.
Rule #2 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion -
Tense
Rule #3 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Interrogative Sentences
1. 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.

Example:

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

Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.

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

Example:

Direct: She said, “will you come for the party?”

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

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

Example:

Direct: He said to me, “what are you wearing?”

Indirect: He asked me what I was wearing.
Rule #4 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion -
Pronouns
Rule #5 - 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 the negative
sentences. Therefore, the imperative mood in direct speech changes into
the Infinitive in indirect speech.

Examples:

Direct: She said to her, “Please complete it.”

Indirect: She requested her to complete it.

Direct: Hamid said to John, “Sit down.”

Indirect: Hamid ordered John to sit down.

In Exclamatory sentences that express (grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud)

Interjections are removed and the sentence is changed to an assertive
sentence.

Example:

Direct: He said, “Alas! I am undone.”

Indirect: He exclaimed sadly that he was broke.
 Rule #6 - 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, 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 #7 - 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:
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
Today That day
Tonight That night
Now Then
Yesterday The day before/ the previous day
Last night The night before
Two days ago/ The day before yesterday Earlier/ two days before
Tomorrow The following day/ the next day
The day after tomorrow In two days’ time
Next year/ week The following year/ week
Last year/ week The previous year/ week
An year ago The previous year

Examples:
Direct: He said, “His girlfriend came yesterday.”
Indirect: He said that his girlfriend had come the day before.

NOTE: The time expression does not change if the reporting verb is in present tense or
future tense.
 Rules 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
Examples:

1. Indirect: She asked whether

she was coming to the prom
night.

Direct: She said to her, “Are

you coming to the prom night?”

2. Indirect: The girl said that she

was happy with her result.

Direct: The girl said. “I am

happy with my result.”
1. She said, “I am going to the store.”

A. She said that she is going to the store.

B. She said that she was going to the store.
C. She said that she will go to the store.
D. She said that she goes to the store.

2. John asked, “Have you finished your homework?”

E. John asked if I had finished my homework.

F. John asked if I have finished my homework.
C. John asked whether I had finished my homework.
D. John asked whether I have finished my homework.

3. They said, “We will meet you at the park.”

E. They said that they will meet me at the park.

F. They said that they would meet me at the park.
G. They said that they are meeting me at the park.
H. They said that they meet me at the park.
4. He said, “I am learning French.”

A. He said that he is learning French.

B. He said that he was learning French.
C. He said that he has been learning French.
D. He said that he had learned French.

5. The teacher said, “You must complete your assignments

on time.”

E. The teacher said that I must complete my assignments on

time.
F. The teacher said that I had to complete my assignments
on time.
G. The teacher said that I must have completed my
assignments on time.
H. The teacher said that I will complete my assignments on
time.

6. She said, “I cannot find my keys.”

I. She said that she could not find her keys.

J. She said that she cannot find her keys.
K. She said that she could not find my keys.
 ANSWER KEY

1.B
2.A
3.B
4.B
5.B
6.A