Prepared by – Farzana Hassan

Direct Indirect Speech

What is Speech?
In English Language there are two ways of conveying what someone else
has said – ‘Direct/ Quoted Speech’ and
• Indirect/ Reported Speech
What is Direct Speech?
• Direct/ quoted speech, involves quoting the exact words uttered by the
person, within inverted commas or quotation marks.
• Example:- Anne said “I will be coming home tonight”
What is Indirect Speech?
• Indirect/ reported speech is the dialogue or speaking without using the exact
words the speaker had used or the quotation marks.
• Example – She said that she would be coming home that night
How do we change Direct Speech to Indirect
Speech??
How to use Indirect Speech?
• When we use indirect speech, we are usually talking about the past.
• Therefore, verbs usually change to the past tense in indirect speech
• For Example –
Change of Tenses from Direct to Indirect Speech
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Present Simple Tense Past Tense

She said, “It’s cold.” She said it was cold.

Present Continuous Tense Past Continuous Tense

She said, “I’m Teaching English online.” She said she was teaching English online

Present Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense

She said, “I have been on the web since 1999.” She said she had been on the web since 1999

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense

She said, “I have been teaching English for seven years.” She said she had been teaching English for seven years.

Past Tense Past Perfect Tense

She said, “I taught online yesterday.” She said she had taught online yesterday.

Past Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense

She said, “I was teaching earlier.” She said she had been teaching earlier.
Change of Tenses from Direct to Indirect Speech
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Past Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense (No change)

She said, “The lesson had already started when he arrived.” She said the lesson had already started when he arrived.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense (No change)
She said, “I had already been teaching for five minutes.” She said she had already been teaching for five minutes.
Future Tense, will Past Tense, would
She said, “I will help you with the work.” She said she would help with the work.
Future Perfect Tense, will be Past Tense, would be
He said, “I will be going to the party with Tim.” He said, he would be going to the party with Tim.
Future Continuous Tense, will have Past Tense, would have
She said, “I will have the cake ready in time.” She said she would have the cake ready in time.

Past Tense, would have been

Future Perfect Continuous Tense, will have been
He said they would have been finished with the
He said, “They will have been finished with the preparations.” preparations.
Changes in Time, Adjectives and Adverbs
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Today That day
Tonight That night
Tomorrow The next day/ the following day
Last night Previous night/ the night before
The day after tomorrow In two day’s time
Yesterday The day before
The day before yesterday Two days before/ two days to go
Next week/ month/ year The following week/ month/ year
This week/ month/ year That week/ month/ year
Last week/ month/ year The week/ month/ year before
Now Then
Ago Before
Here There
This That/ the
That Those/ the
Some Other Things to take note of when changing from Direct to Indirect Speech:
1. Indirect speech sentences using present and future tenses – If the original speaker’s is
speaking in present and future, then the reported speech will be in present and future also. In
other words, the tense is unchanged. For Example -
• Direct Speech: John said, “The sun rises from the east.”
• Indirect Speech: John said that the sun rises from the east.

2. Modal verbs such as would, should, could, might, ought to, must, etc. remain unchanged.
For Example –
• Direct Speech: Sam said, “I must do my homework now.”
• Indirect Speech: Sam said that he must do his homework then.

3. Wh- Questions – When changing direct speech containing what, when, where, who, whom,
why and how question to indirect speech –
• Put the subject before the verb
• Change the pronoun ‘you’ to ‘I’
• Join the clauses using what, when, where, who, whom, why and how
• Adjust the 2nd verb to the time frame of the 1st verb
Examples of WH-Questions –
1. Whom
• Direct Speech: My friend said, “Whom did you call?”
• Indirect Speech: My friend asked whom I called.
2. Where
• Direct Speech: My friend said, “Where have you been?”
• Indirect Speech: My friend asked where I had been.
3. What
• Direct Speech: He asked me, “What did she say?”
• Indirect Speech: He asked me what she said.
4. When
• Direct Speech: He asked me, “When are you leaving?”
• Indirect Speech: He asked me when was I leaving.
5. Who
• Direct Speech: He asked me, “Who is coming for dinner?”
• Indirect Speech: He asked me who was coming for dinner.
6. How
• Direct Speech: He asked me, “How many times have you seen that movie?”
• Indirect Speech: He asked me how many times I had seen that movie.
7. Why
• Direct Speech: He asked me, “Why is she here?”
• Indirect Speech: He asked me why she had been here.
Change of Pronouns from Direct to Indirect

1. If subject of the direct speech is in 1st person, then it will change according to the subject of
the reported verb. For Example –
• Direct Speech: He said to me, “I like coffee”
• Indirect Speech: He told me that he likes coffee

2. If the subject of the direct speech is in 2nd person, then it will change according to the object
of the reporting verb. For Example –
• Direct Speech: He said to me, “You look happy.”
• Indirect Speech: He told me that I looked happy.

3. If the subject of the direct speech is in 3rd person, then there will be no change. For Example –
• Direct Speech: He said to me, “She has already left.”
• Indirect Speech: He told me that she had already left.
Indirect Speech of Exclamatory Sentences
• Sentences which expresses state of joy or sorrow or wander is called
exclamatory sentence. To change such sentences, the words “exclaimed with
joy” or “exclaimed with sorrow” or “exclaimed with wonder” is added in the
reporting verb depending upon the nature of exclamatory sentence.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
He said “Hurrah! I won a prize.” He exclaimed with joy that he
had won a prize
She said “Alas! I failed in She exclaimed with sorrow that
exam.” she had failed in exam.
John said “Wow! What a nice She exclaimed with wander that
shirt it is.” it was a nice shirt.
Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentence
• A sentence which expresses command, request, advice or suggestion is called
imperative sentence. To change such sentences into indirect speech, the word “ordered”
or “requested” or “advised” or “suggested” or “forbade” or “not to do” is added to
reporting verb depending upon nature of imperative sentence in reported speech.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
He said to me, “Please help me.” He requested me to help him.

She said to him, “You should work hard He suggested him to word hard for the
the exam.” exam.
They said to him, “Do not tell a lie.” They forbad him to not tell a lie.

He said, “Open the door.” He ordered to open the door.

The teacher said to the student, “Do not The teacher advised the student to not
waste time.” waste time
Indirect Speech for Interrogative (Question) Sentence
• For changing interrogative (question) sentence into indirect speech we have to observe the
nature of question and then change it into indirect speech according to it rules for indirect
speech. A question can be of two types:-
• One type which can be answered in only YES or NO and
• Other type which needs a little bit more explanation for its answer and cannot be answered in
only YES or NO.
• For Example –
• Direct Speech: They said to me, “Did you go to school?”
• Indirect Speech: They asked me if I had gone to school.

• Direct Speech: John asked her, “Are you coming?”

• Indirect Speech: John asked if/ whether she was coming.

• Direct Speech: Thomas asked, “Where is Mary?”

• Indirect Speech: Thomas asked where Mary was.
A. Change the following sentences from Direct to Indirect speech –

1. The maid said, ‘All the windows have been washed thoroughly.’

2. The mother said to her daughter, ‘I’m proud of your achievements.’

3. The traveler asked the boy, ‘Does this road lead to the inn?’

4. The doctor said to the patient, ‘Take your medicines without fail.’

5. The clever fox said to the foolish crow, ‘Will you sing a song for me?’

6. The manager said to the customers, ‘The staff is on an indefinite strike’.

7. The young girl asked the man, ‘Will you do me a favour?’

8. The fisherman said, ‘I haven’t caught any fish today.’

9. Mary said, ‘I go for a walk every morning.’

10. The actor said, ‘My new film is due for release next month.’
Answer Key: -

1. The maid said that all the windows had been washed thoroughly.

2. The mother told her daughter that she was proud of her achievements.

3. The traveler asked the boy if that road led to the inn.

4. The doctor advised the patient to take his medicines without fail.

5. The clever fox asked the foolish crow if she would sing a song for him.

6. The manager told the customers that the staff was on an indefinite strike.

7. The young girl asked the man if he would do her a favour.

8. The fisherman said that he hadn’t caught any fish that day.

9. Mitra said that she goes / went for a walk every morning.

10. The actor said that his new film was due for release the following month.
B. Change the following sentences from Indirect to Direct speech –

1. Miriam asked me what I wanted from her.

2. Peter admitted that he had never met us.

3. They told us they would start the voyage the following day.

4. I replied that I had been trying to mend it since the morning.

5. I advised my guests not to go out late at night.

6. Bob said that at one o'clock he had been doing nothing.

7. The lecturer asked me not to interrupt her in the middle of her lecture.

8. Sam wondered if they had arrived to the cinema on time.

9. They explained that they had closed down the previous year.

10. He claimed that someone had screamed in the garden.

Answer Key –

1. Miriam asked me, “What do you want from me?”

2. “I have never met you," admitted Peter.

3. They told us, “We will start the voyage tomorrow.”

4. I replied, “I have been trying to mend it since the morning.”

5. I advised my guests, “Do not go out late at night.”

6. Bob said, “At one o'clock I was doing nothing.”

7. The lecturer asked me, “Do not interrupt me in the middle of my lecture.”

8. “Did they arrive to the cinema on time?” wondered Sam.

9. They explained, “We closed down last year.”

10. He claimed, “Someone screamed in the garden."

Thank You