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Rules of Indirect Speech

The document discusses the key differences between direct and indirect speech. Direct speech reports the exact words spoken, using quotation marks. Indirect speech reports the general idea in our own words. When changing direct speech to indirect speech, verb tenses and pronouns change according to specific rules. For example, present tenses change to past tenses, the first person changes based on the subject of the reporting speech, and the second person changes based on the object of the reporting speech. Certain words indicating proximity in time or place also change to words indicating greater distance.

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MEHROZ ALI
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86 views3 pages

Rules of Indirect Speech

The document discusses the key differences between direct and indirect speech. Direct speech reports the exact words spoken, using quotation marks. Indirect speech reports the general idea in our own words. When changing direct speech to indirect speech, verb tenses and pronouns change according to specific rules. For example, present tenses change to past tenses, the first person changes based on the subject of the reporting speech, and the second person changes based on the object of the reporting speech. Certain words indicating proximity in time or place also change to words indicating greater distance.

Uploaded by

MEHROZ ALI
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is Direct & Indirect Speech?

Direct speech – reporting the message of the speaker in the exact words as spoken by him.

Maya said ‘I am busy now’.

Indirect speech: reporting the message of the speaker in our own words

Maya said that she was busy then.

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.

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

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

Simple present into simple past, Present continuous into past continuous, present perfect into
past perfect, and simple past into past perfect, past continuous into past perfect continuous, past
perfect into past perfect, future tense ( the word Will will be replaced with would).

The subject of reported speech will be changed according to some rules. If the subject of
reported speech is 1st person pronoun, it will be changed as per subject of reporting speech.

He said to me, ‘I live in Karachi.’

He told me that he lived in Karachi.

If the subject of reported verb is 2nd person pronoun, it will be changed as per object of reporting
speech.

He said to me, ‘You explained it very well.’

He told me that I had explained it very well.’

If the subject of reported verb is 3rd person pronoun, it will remain same.That as a conjunction
will be used to connect both reporting speech and reported speech.

She said to me, ‘He has done my work.’

She told me that he had done her work.’

 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, ‘Will you come for the party’?
Indirect: She asked whether/if 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.
While changing direct speech to indirect speech, the modals used in the sentences change like:

1. Can becomes could


2. May becomes might
3. Must becomes had to /would have to

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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

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

Direct speech to indirect speech examples –


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

 Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, ordered, suggested and
advised. 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.

1. 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 have lost the pen’.


Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she had lost the pen.
She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost the pen.
1. 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/ the previous day
 These become those
 Hither becomes thither
 Come becomes go
 Hence becomes thence
 Next week or month becomes following week/month
Examples:
Direct: He said, ‘His friend came yesterday.’
Indirect: He said that his friend had come the day before/ the previous day.

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

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