0% found this document useful (0 votes)
93 views6 pages

Grammar Rules With 10 Tips On Using Direct

The document provides 10 tips for converting direct speech to indirect speech in English grammar. It explains the basic rules for changing verb tenses, pronouns, time and place words. For example, it notes that present tense verbs change to past tense when the reporting verb is in the past tense. It also gives examples to illustrate the correct way to change direct quotes to indirect speech while following the specified rules.

Uploaded by

ShinggoSantoso
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
93 views6 pages

Grammar Rules With 10 Tips On Using Direct

The document provides 10 tips for converting direct speech to indirect speech in English grammar. It explains the basic rules for changing verb tenses, pronouns, time and place words. For example, it notes that present tense verbs change to past tense when the reporting verb is in the past tense. It also gives examples to illustrate the correct way to change direct quotes to indirect speech while following the specified rules.

Uploaded by

ShinggoSantoso
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Grammar Rules with 10 Tips on using

Direct & Indirect Speech


Looking for Questions instead of tips? - You can directly jump to English
Grammar Test Questions on Direct and Indirect Speech

What is Direct & Indirect Speech?

Direct Speech: the message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in his own actual words without any
change.
Indirect Speech: the message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in our own words.
Example on Process of Conversion from Direct to Indirect Speech
a)    Direct: Radha said, “I am very busy now.”
b)    Indirect: Radha said that she was very busy then.
1.    All inverted commas or quotation marks are omitted and the sentence ends with a full stop.
2.    Conjunction ‘that’ is added before the indirect statement.
3.    The pronoun ‘I’ is changed to ‘she’. (The Pronoun is changed in Person)
4.    The verb ‘am’ is changed to ‘was’. (Present Tense is changed to Past)
5.    The adverb ‘now’ is changed to ‘then’.

Are you engaged in a Job Search? - You can get your Resume/ CV reviewed for
free and then apply for jobs/ internships.

Tips on Direct and Indirect Speech:

Tip 1: Conversion Rules as per the Reporting Verb


When the reporting or principal verb is in the Past Tense, all Present tenses of the direct are changed into
the corresponding Past Tenses.
a)    Direct: He said, “I am unwell.”
b)    Indirect: He said (that) he was unwell.
If the reporting verb is in the Present or Future Tense, the tenses of the Direct Speech do not change.
a)    Direct: He says/will say, “I am unwell.”
b)    Indirect: He says/will say he is unwell.
The Tense in Indirect Speech is NOT CHANGED if the words within the quotation marks talk of a universal
truth or habitual action.
a)    Direct: They said, “We cannot live without water.”
b)    Indirect: They said that we cannot live without water.
Tip 2: Conversion Rules of Present Tense in Direct Speech
Simple Present Changes to Simple Past
a)    Direct: "I am happy", she said.
b)    Indirect: She said that she was happy.
Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous
a)    Direct: "I am reading a book", he explained.
b)    Indirect: He explained that he was reading a book.
Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect
a)    Direct: She said, "He has finished his food“.
b)    Indirect: She said that he had finished his food.
Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect
a)    Direct: "I have been to Gujarat", he told me.
b)    Indirect: He told me that he had been to Gujarat.

Tip 3: Conversion Rules of Past & Future Tense


Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect
a)    Direct: He said, “Ira arrived on Monday."
b)    Indirect: He said that Ira had arrived on Monday.
Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous
a)    Direct: "We were living in Goa", they told me.
b)    Indirect: They told me that they had been living in Goa.
Future Changes to Present Conditional
a)    Direct: He said, "I will be in Kolkata tomorrow."
b)    Indirect: He said that he would be in Kolkata the next day.
Future Continuous Changes to Conditional Continuous
a)    Direct: She said, "I'll be using the car next Friday.”
b)    Indirect: She said that she would be using the car next Friday.

Tip 4: Changes in Modals


CAN changes into COULD
a)    Direct: He said, "I can swim."
b)    Indirect: He said that he could swim.
MAY changes into MIGHT
a)    Direct: He said, "I may buy a house.”
b)    Indirect: He said that he might buy a house.
MUST changes into HAD TO/WOULD HAVE TO
a)    Direct: He said, "I must work hard.”
b)    Indirect: He said that he had to work hard.
Modals that DO NOT Change: Would, Could, Might, Should, Ought to.
a)    Direct: He said, "I should face the challenge.”
b)    Indirect: He said that he should face the challenge.

Tip 5: Conversion of Interrogative


Reporting Verb like ‘said/ said to’ changes to asked, enquired or demanded
a)    Direct: He said to me, “What are you doing?”
b)    Indirect: He asked me what I was doing.
If sentence begins with auxiliary verb, the joining clause should be if or whether.
a)    Direct: He said, “Will you come for the meeting?”
b)    Indirect: He asked them whether they would come for the meeting.
If sentence begins with ‘wh’ questions then no conjunction is used as the "question-word" itself act as
joining clause.
a)    Direct: “Where do you live?” asked the girl.
b)    Indirect: The girl enquired where I lived.

Tip 6: Command, Request, Exclamation, Wish


Commands and Requests
Indirect Speech is introduced by some verbs like ordered, requested, advised and suggested. Forbid(s)/
forbade is used for the negative sentences. The imperative mood is changed into the Infinitive.
a)    Direct: Rafique said to Ahmed, “Go away.”
b)    Indirect: Rafique ordered Ahmed to go away.
c)    Direct: He said to her, “Please wait.”
d)    Indirect: He requested her to wait.
Exclamations and Wishes
Indirect Speech is introduced by some words like grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud. Exclamatory sentence
changes into assertive sentence and Interjections are removed.
a)    Direct: He said, “Alas! I am undone.”
b)    Indirect: He exclaimed sadly that he was broke.

Tip 7: Change of Pronouns


The first person of the reported speech changes according to the subject of reporting speech.
a)    Direct: She said, “I am in ninth class.”
b)    Indirect: She says that she was in ninth class.
The second person of reported speech changes according to the object of reporting speech.
a)    Direct: He says to them, "You have completed your job.”
b)    Indirect: He tells them that they have completed their job.
The third person of the reported speech doesn't change.
a)    Direct: He says, "She is in tenth class.”
b)    Indirect: He says that she is in tenth class.
Tip 8: Change of Place and Time
Words expressing nearness in time or place in Direct Speech are generally changed into words expressing
distance in Indirect Speech.
Now -- then                  
Here -- there
Ago -- before                
Thus -- so
Today -- that day         
Tomorrow -- the next day
This -- that                 
Yesterday -- the day before
These -- those              
Hither-- thither
Come -- go                     
Hence -- thence
Next week/month -- following week/month
a)    Direct: She said, “My father came yesterday.”
b)    Indirect: She said that her father had come the day before.
c)    Direct: She says/will say, “My father came yesterday.”
Indirect: She says/will say that her father had come yesterday. (Here the reporting verb ‘says’ is in the
present tense OR ‘will say’ is in future tense; hence the time expression ‘yesterday’ won’t change.)

Tip 9: Punctuation
The words that are actually spoken should be enclosed in quotes and begin with a capital letter
Example: He said, “You are right.”
Comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark must be present at the end of reported sentences
and are placed inside the closing inverted comma or commas.
Example: He asked, “Can I come with you?”
If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, comma is used to introduce the piece
of speech, placed before the first inverted comma.
Example: She shouted, “Stop talking!”
Example: “Thinking back,” she said, “he didn't expect to win.” (Comma is used to separate the two
reported speech and no capital letter to begin the second sentence).

Tip 10: Conversion of Indirect to Direct Speech


1.    Use the reporting verb, "say" or "said to" in its correct tense.
2.    Remove the conjunctions "that, to, if or whether etc" wherever necessary.
3.    Insert quotation marks, question mark, exclamation and full stop, as per the mood of the sentence.
4.    Put a comma before the statement.
5.    Write the first word of the statement with capital letter.
6.    Change the past tense into present tense wherever the reporting verb is in the past tense.
7.    Convert the past perfect either into past tense or present perfect as found necessary.
Example
a)    Indirect: He asked whether he is coming.
b)    Direct: He said to him, “Are you coming?”

Are you interested in getting Certificates to boost your Resume? Participate in


our Online Grammar and Aptitude Contests. It only takes 20 mins. All participants
get Participation Certificates while the top 100 winners get Amazon Cash
Vouchers every week. Participate NOW!

Spot the Errors:

Each of the following sentences will contain a mistake in the usage of Direct and Indirect Speech. See if
you can spot that mistake.

#1:
Direct: The boy said, “I’m happy with my results.”
Indirect: The boy said that he is happy with his results. (Incorrect)
Indirect: The boy said that he was happy with his results. (Correct)

#2:
Direct: She said, “I have baked a cake.”
Indirect: She said (that) she baked a cake. (Incorrect)
Indirect: She said (that) she had baked a cake. (Correct)

#3:
Direct: He said, “All people have equal rights.”
Indirect: He said that all people had equal rights. (Incorrect)
Indirect: He said that all people have equal rights. (Correct)

#4:
Direct: Roshni said, “I may meet him here”.
Indirect: Roshni said that she may meet him here. (Incorrect)
Indirect: Roshni said that she might meet him there. (Correct)

#5:
Direct: She says, “I will go to school tomorrow.”
Indirect: She says that she would go to school the day after. (Incorrect)
Indirect: She says that she will go to school tomorrow. (Correct)

#6:
Direct: He said, “She is coming this week to discuss this.”
Indirect: He said that she was coming this week to discuss this. (Incorrect)
Indirect: He said that she was coming that week to discuss it. (Correct)

#7:
Direct: He said to them, “Will you come for dinner?”
Indirect: He said to them will they come for dinner? (Incorrect)
Indirect: He asked them whether they would come for dinner.(Correct)

#8:
Direct: The teacher said, “Be quiet and listen to my words.”
Indirect: The teacher said them to be quiet and listen to my words. (Incorrect)
Indirect: The teacher urged /ordered them to be quiet and listen to his words. (Correct)

#9:
Direct: The old man said, “Ah! I am ruined.”
Indirect: The old man said that Ah he was ruined! (Incorrect)
Indirect: The old man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

#10:
Indirect: The policeman enquired where we were going.
Direct: The policeman enquired where are you going. (Incorrect)
Direct: The policeman said, “Where are you going?” (Correct)

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy