Direct and Indirect

Speech
 Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech: Reporting the exact words of

the speaker is referred to as the Direct
Speech. They are always placed within
quotations.
Eg: She said, “I do not want to rest.”
The verb outside the quotations is called
the “Reporting verb”.
Indirect Speech: Reporting the words of the
speaker in your words, without quoting the
exact words is referred to as the Indirect
Speech. No quotations are used while
reporting the words of the speaker in the
indirect speech.
Eg: She said that she did not want to rest.
There are certain rules to be followed while
rewriting a sentence from the direct to the
indirect speech.
 Assertive sentences

1. When the Reporting verb is “said to X”,

it will change to “told X” .

2. The connecting word for assertive

sentences is “that”. It should be used
just before reporting the words of the
original speaker in the indirect speech.
3. When the Reporting verb is in the past
tense , the tense of the verb within
quotations will change into the
corresponding past tense. If the
Reporting verb is either in the present
or future tense , the tense of the verb
within quotations will remain the
same. If the reported speech
expresses some universal truth, the
tense of the verb within quotations
will not change.
4. The tense change will occur thus:
i. Simple present -- ----simple past
Eg: sings/sing ------- sang
ii. Present continuous------past continuous
Eg:is/are/am singing---- was/were singing
iii. Present perfect -------past perfect
Eg: has/have sung --------had sung
iv. Present perfect continuous-----past perfect
continuous
Eg:has/have/been singing-----had been singing
v. simple past tense ----past perfect tense
Eg: sang -----had sung
vi. past continuous tense---past perfect
continuous tense
Eg: was/were singing ----had been singing
vii. Past perfect ------remains as past perfect
tense
Eg: had sung -------had sung
Viii. Past perfect continuous -----remains the
same.
Eg: had been singing-----had been singing.
ix. Simple future ------past form of simple future
Eg: will/shall sing -------would sing
x. Future continuous -------past form of future
continuous
Eg: will be singing -------- would be singing
xi. Future perfect ------past form of future perfect
Eg: will/shall have sung-----would have sung
xii. Future perfect continuous----past form of future
perfect continuous
Eg: will have been singing-----would have been singing.

xiii. can -----could

xiv. may -------might
5. Adverbs and words showing nearness of time will change
as follows:
this--- that
these—those
here---there
ago---before
hence---thence
hither---tither
today/this day—that day
tonight---that night
tomorrow---the following day/the next day/the day after
yesterday---the day before/the previous day
last night---the previous night /the night before
next week---the following week
6. The pronouns will undergo necessary changes
according to its relation with the speaker.

Note: Rules 3,4,5 and 6 remain the same for all the four
kinds of sentences namely, Assertive, Imperative,
Interrogative and Exclamatory sentences.

Exercise: Rewrite the following sentences(Assertive

sentences) from the direct to the indirect speech.

1. The teacher said to the students, “You are well behaved

today.”
Ans: The teacher told the students that they were well
behaved that day.
2. He says, “I am ready.”
Ans: He says that he is ready. (Tense does not change
as the reporting verb is in the preset tense.)
3. He will say, “I am ready.”
Ans: He will say that he is ready.(Tense does not
change as the reporting verb is in the future tense.)
4. He said, “Man is mortal.”
5. He said that Man is mortal.(no change of tense as it
is a universal truth.)
6.He said, “I will do it.”
Ans: He said that he would do it.
7. She said to her friend, ”It is raining now.”
Ans: She told her friend that it was raining then.
8. You said to me, “ I was working on my project
last week.”
Ans: You told me that you had been working on
your project the week before.
9. He said, “The flood destroyed our fields.”
Ans: He said that the flood had destroyed their
fields.
10.The teacher said, “Arun, , you should try hard.”
Ans: The teacher told Arun that he should try
hard.
Rewrite the following sentences from the indirect to
the direct speech.

1.The gardener told the owner that he was watering the

plants.
Ans: The gardener said to the owner,” I am watering the
plants.”
2. The boy said that he would apologize for his mistake.
Ans: The boy said,” I will apologize for my mistake.”
3. She said that she had been working hard to crack the
exam.
4. He told me that he was glad to be there that evening.
5. Ramesh told his sister that she was late that day.
Imperative Sentences.

The rules to follow while changing an imperative

sentence from the direct to the indirect speech
are,
1. The reporting verb changes to “requested (or)
advised (or) ordered” in the indirect speech
when the sentence within quotes is an imperative
sentence in the direct speech.
2. The connecting word for imperative sentences
is “to + verb”. It should be placed just before
reporting the words of the original speaker in the
indirect speech.
3. All other rules related to tense, adverbs,
pronouns and words denoting nearness of time ,
remain the same as that of Assertive Sentences.
Note: In case of a suggestion or a proposal in an
imperative sentence, the reporting verb becomes
“suggested” or “proposed” and the connecting
word becomes “that”.
Eg: He said to us, “ Let us have some coffee.”
Ans: He proposed (or suggested) to us that we
should have some coffee.
Exercise: Rewrite the following sentences from the
direct to the indirect speech.
1. He said to Leena, “Lend me your pen, please.”
Ans: He requested Leena to lend him her pen.
2. Raj said to me, “Work consistently.”
Ans: Raj advised me to work consistently.
3. “ Call the accused,” said the judge.
Ans: The judge ordered them to call the accused.
4. The mother said to her son, “Do not waste time.”
Ans: The mother advised her son not to waste time.
5. He said,” Let us take him to the doctor.”
Ans: He suggested that they should take him to the
doctor.
Rewrite the following sentences from the indirect to the
direct speech:
1. The doctor advised the patient not to eat too many
sweets.
Ans: The doctor said to the patient, “Do not eat too many
sweets.”
2. He requested me to let him go.
Ans: He said to me,” Let me go , please.”
3. The Police Inspector ordered the criminals not to leave
the room.
Ans: The Police Inspector said to the criminals, “Do not
leave the room.”
4. The Captain suggested that they should
have a race.
Ans: The Captain said, “ Let us have a
race.”
5. The beggar requested the man to give
him something to eat.
Ans: The beggar said to the man,” Give me
something to eat, please.”
Interrogative Sentences

Rules to be followed while changing interrogative

sentences from the direct to the indirect speech.

1. The Reporting verb for interrogative sentences is

either “asked “ or “enquired of”.
2. There is no connecting word for “WH” questions
like “What, How, When, etc”. However “Yes or No”
questions like “Are, Can,Have, Is, etc” have the
connecting word, “if or whether”.
3. While the question form is changed to the Assertive form
in the indirect speech, the subject should be placed before
the verb.
4. The question mark at the end of the sentence is converted
to a full stop.
5. The other rules related to tense, adverbs, pronouns and
words denoting nearness of time, remain the same as that of
Assertive sentences.
Examples.
1. Amar said to me,” Why do you not go home?”
Ans: Amar asked me why I did not go home.
2. “ Have you anything to say?” said the judge to the counsel.
Ans: The judge asked the counsel if he had anything to say.
 Exercise: Rewrite the following sentences from the
direct to the indirect speech.
1. The teacher said to a boy, “Can you tell me in detail
the cause of the Great War?”
2. The lamb said to the wolf, “ How can I make the water
muddy when it is flowing down to me from your side?”
3. Sam said to his mother, “How were books written in
olden days?”
4. He said to me, “Did you know the way to Raj’s
house?”
5. She said to me, “Why did you write to me such an
insulting letter?”
Rewrite the following sentences from the Indirect to the
Direct speech.
1. She asked me why I believed in spiritualism.
2. The passenger asked if the train was late that day.
3. Mohan asked David if he had been at School the day
before.
4. He asked if there was no possibility of stopping the
police.
5. The preacher enquired of the congregation how they
could be happy with so many desires.
 Exclamatory Sentences
Rules to be followed while changing the Exclamatory
Sentences from the direct to the indirect speech.
1. The reporting verb for an exclamatory sentence while
changing it from the direct to the indirect speech is
“exclaimed with joy” or “exclaimed with sorrow” or
“exclaimed with regret” when there is an interjection in
the direct speech like “Hurrah!”, “Alas”, “Oh!”,
“Bravo!”(applauded ),etc.
2. When there is no interjection in the direct speech, then
the reporting verb is only” exclaimed”.
3. The connecting word for all exclamatory sentences is
“that”.
4. The exclamatory form is changed
into a statement and the exclamatory
mark is replaced by a full stop.

5. The other rules related to tense,

adverbs and words denoting the
nearness of time , remain the same.
Examples:
1. They said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.”
Ans: They exclaimed with joy that they had won the
match.
2. “What a horrible accident it is!” he said.
Ans: He exclaimed that it was a horrible accident.

Exercise :a. Rewrite the following exclamatory

sentences from the direct to the indirect speech.
1. She said,” Alas! He is dead.”
2. She said, “ What a pity! you did not come.”
3. The child said, “Hurrah! My mother has returned.”
b. Rewrite the following exclamatory sentences
from the indirect to the direct speech.

1. The Emperor exclaimed with sorrow that their

foes were too many to be defeated.

2. The boy exclaimed that it had been a pleasant day.

3. Bob exclaimed that he was very glad that day.

THE END