Direct and

Indirect
Speech
Chapter 65
 Direct Speech Indirect
Speech
● Direct speech ● If the speech is
consists of the words reported by
of the speech given another person
exactly as they were in his own
spoken and in the words, it
form of a quotation. becomes
● The speech is indirect or
introduced by a reported
reporting clause like speech
he said, she ● E.g. Ravi said
complained etc… that he was
● E.g. Ravi said, “I am very busy then
very busy now”
 The disciple said, “Master, how
many stars are there in the sky?”
⇐ Key Points
“How many stars in the sky?,”
● The reporting clause (he said, she
Read the following passage:

repeated the master in surprise.

“How can I know that? Ask me complained etc) can come before the
questions about things that are quotation, within the quotation or
before my eyes.” after the quotation
● When it occurs within or after the
“How many lashes are there on quotation, the reporting verb can be
your eyelids, Master?” asked the placed before the subject. For
disciple. example, repeated the master...
● If the subject of the reporting verb is
“That I will tell you with my cane,” a pronoun, the subject should come
replied the master. “By the way, before the verb
where were you yesterday?” he ● The full-stop is part of the sentence
asked after a pause. “Do you really and it comes within the quotation
want to know the number of lashes marks
on the eyelid? I’ll have your lashes
plucked and placed before you so
that you may count them.”
 The disciple asked his master how many
Let’s change teh passage into indirect

stars there were in the sky. The master,

who did not like this question, repeated its
opening phrase to show his disapproval
and asked him how he could know that. He
further told him to ask questions about
things that were before his eyes. The
speech

disciple then asked him how many lashes

there were on his eyelids. An angry master
told him that he would answer that
question with his cane. He asked him
whether he really wanted to know that. (or
did he really want to know that?) He
threatened his disciple that he would have
his eyelashes plucked and placed before
him so that he might count them.
 ● All quotation marks disappear when the speech is reported by
another person
● Pronoun changes to he/she as it is another person that is
reporting
Direct to Indirect Speech

● The tense of the verb changes, each verb moving back into the
corresponding past tense and past tenses moving farther into the
past
● While the assertive statements retain their form, both yes/no
questions and the wh-questions become indirect questions and
assume the form of statements
● Imperative sentences (requests and commands) become
infinitives( like to go, to sit etc…)
● Exclamatory expressions are suitably paraphrased in indirect
speech
● All expressions showing nearness in time or space become those
of distance. In reported speech, the adverb ‘yesterday’ becomes
‘the day before’
Rules for changing Direct speech to
Indirect
 The Tense Rules (Back Shift)
● If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, no change is made
in the tense of the verbs in the direct speech

E.g. He says, “I am unwell.” → He says that he is unwell.

He says, “My master is writing letters.” → He says his master is writing

letters.

She says, “I have passed the examination.” → She says she has passed the
examination.

She will say, “I cannot wait any longer” → She will say that she cannot wait
any longer.

He will say, “I wash my hair everyday.” → He will say that he washes his
hair everyday.
 The Tense Rules (Back Shift)
● If the reporting verb is in the past tense and if the direct speech is in the
present tense or past tense, the present tense verb moves into the
corresponding past tense and the past tense goes back into the
corresponding past in the past

● The pattern of change is indicated below:

1. Simple present becomes simple past

E.g. “I am not a citizen of Athens,” said Socrates. “I am a citizen of the

world.”

Socrates said that he was not a citizen of Athens. He was a citizen of

the world.
 The Tense Rules (Back Shift)
He said, “I am unwell.”

He said (that) he was unwell

She said, “I travel a lot in my job.”

She said that she travelled a lot in her job

2. Present continuous becomes past continuous

He said, “Workers are repairing the main road.”

He said that the workers were repairing the main road

She told me, “Be quiet. The baby is sleeping.”

She told me to be quiet because the baby was sleeping

 The Tense Rules (Back Shift)
3. Present perfect becomes past perfect

E.g. The teacher said, “I have evaluated all the answer books.”

The teacher said that he had evaluated all the answer books

She said, “They have always been very kind to me.”

She said that they had always been very kind to her.

He said, “I have passed the examination.”

He said that he had passed the examination

 The Tense Rules (Back Shift)
4. Present perfect continuous becomes past perfect continuous

E.g. She said, “I have been staying with the Smiths since my arrival
here.”

She said that she had been staying with the Smiths since her arrival
there

5. Simple past becomes past perfect

E.g. He said, “A tragic incident happened yesterday.”

He said that a tragic incident had happened the day before

She told me, “We lived in China for five years.”

She told me that they had lived in China for five years
 The Tense Rules (Back Shift)
6. Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous

E.g. He said, “She was watering the roses when I saw her.”

He said she had been watering the roses when he saw her

He said, “I was walking down the road when I saw the incident.”

He said he had been walking down the road when he saw the incident

7. Past perfect and past perfect continuous do not change

8. All the four future tenses also change while being converted into indirect
speech. But practically the only change is that ‘will’ becomes ‘would’ in the
indirect speech
 The Tense Rules (Back Shift)
Note:

● The tense rules have a few exceptions.

● If the present tense verb in the direct speech refers to a permanent
condition or to something that is still true, it can be retained in the
present tense or changed into the corresponding past tense

“Nothing can harm a good man’s reputation”, said Socrates.

Socrates said that nothing can/could harm a good man’s reputation

However, if we use past tense in such a sentence, it may suggest that the
reporter doubts whether it is true.

He said, “I have two houses.”

If we say, He said he had two houses, the sentence would vaguely suggest
that the claim need not be believed.
 The Tense Rules (Back Shift)
Note:

● You should not blindly follow the rule that all past tense verbs should
move into the corresponding past in the past. Sometimes it is better to
retain the simple past verb without changing the tense.
Reporting Questions, Commands, and Exclamations (pg 165-166)

Questions

1. In reporting questions, the Indirect Speech is introduced by some

verbs such as asked, inquired etc…
2. When the question is not introduced by an interrogative word (i.e. for
yes/no questions), the reporting verb is followed by ‘whether’ or ‘if’
3. Normal word order is used in reported questions, that is, the subject
comes before the verb and it is not necessary to use do or did.

D: He said to me, “What are you doing?”

I: He asked me what I was doing.

D: “Where do you live?”, asked the stranger

I: The stranger enquired where I lived.

Reporting Questions, Commands, and Exclamations

Questions
D: The policeman said to us, “Where are you going?”

I: The policeman enquired where we were going.

D: He said, “Will you listen to such a man?”

I: He asked them whether they would listen to such a man

D: “Do you suppose you know better than your own father?”
jeered his angry mother.

I: His angry mother jeered at him and asked whether he

supposed that he knew better than his own father.
 Reporting Questions, Commands, and Exclamations
Commands and Requests

1. In reporting commands and requests, the Indirect Speech is

introduced by some verb expressing command or request, and the
imperative mood is changed into the infinitive

D: Rahul said to Arjun, “Go away.”

I: Rahul ordered Arjun to go away.

D: He said to him, “Please wait here till I return.”

I: He requested him to wait there till he returned.

D: “Call the witness first,” said the judge.

I: The judge commanded them to call the witness first.

Reporting Questions, Commands, and Exclamations
Commands and Requests

D: He shouted, “Let me go.”

I: He shouted to them to let him go.

D: He said, “Be quite and listen to my words.”

I: He urged them to be quite and listen to his words.

 Reporting Questions, Commands, and Exclamations
Exclamations and Wishes

1. In reporting exclamations and wishes the Indirect Speech is

introduced by some verb expressing exclamation or wish. (exclaimed,
applauded, wished…)
2. Hurrah!, Ha! → Express Joy

Alas!, Oh! → sorrow, regret or realisation

Bravo! → applause

What!, Oh!, How! → surprise

Pooh!, Pshaw → contempt

(exclaimed joyfully, sorrowfully, sadly, with delight, with joy)

 Reporting Questions, Commands, and Exclamations
Exclamations and Wishes

D: He said, “Alas! I am undone.”

I: He exclaimed sadly that he was undone

D: Alice said, “How clever I am!”

I: Alice exclaimed that she was very clever.

D: He said, “Bravo! You have done well.”

I: He applauded him, saying that he had done well.

D: “So help me, Heaven!” he cried, “I will never steal again.”

I: He called upon Heaven to witness his resolve never to steal again.

 Reporting Assertive Sentences (Statements)
1. While reporting a statement, choose a proper reporting verb.
2. Commonly used reporting verbs → say, tell, agree, mention, think
etc…

Less commonly used reporting verbs → complain, deny, grumble

(complain about something in a bad-tempered way), speculate(to
form a theory without evidence), answer, argue …

3. The reporting verb is followed by a ‘that clause’ (noun clause)

4. *The conjunction ‘that’ in this noun clause can be left out in the case
of the common reporting verbs but *never use a noun clause without
‘that’ in the case of less common reporting verbs.

The conjunction ‘that’ is not to be omitted if there is any phrase

coming between the reporting verb and the noun clause

He said after thinking for a while that he was really sorry.

 Reporting Assertive Sentences (Statements)
● Some reporting verbs can be used with or without an object

The management has promised (us) to take back all the

retrenched employees

● A few verbs of this kind are advise, teach and warn

5. Some reporting verbs like inform, remind, reassure, assure, and

persuade are always followed by an object

We notified the bank that the fixed deposit was to be removed

6. The difference between the two types of verbs is illustrated by ‘tell’

and ‘say’.

Tell is always followed by an object without ‘to’ before ‘that clause’.

 Reporting Assertive Sentences (Statements)
Tell is preferred if the person to whom something is spoken is
indicated.

E.g. John told the teacher that he had brought all the exercises.

● ‘Say’ can be used with or without an object (that is, with or without a
to + noun before the ‘that clause’).

Verbs like admit, announce, agree etc… are to be used in this way.

E.g. She said (that) she could swim when she was four.
 Do Modal Auxiliaries Change?

● Some of the modal auxiliaries change when Direct Speech is

converted into Indirect speech
● Will/shall → would

May → might

Can → could

Shall → becomes would usually

In questions, shall becomes should

Must → If must shows compulsion or necessity, it changes to ‘had

to’; otherwise it remains without change

Could, might, ought to, used to - do not change

 Do Modal Auxiliaries Change?

D: The warden told John, “You must be back by 7 o’clock.”

I: The warden told John that he had to be back by 7 o’clock.

D: The teacher said, “You must always keep the traffic rules.”
I: The teacher said that we must always keep the traffic rules.
(it shows no necessity but a permanent ruling)
 Pronouns, Demonstratives and Adverbs of Time and Place
● Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time and place usually
change in indirect speech

Pronouns:

E.g.D: “I enjoy working in my garden,” said Bob.

I: Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden.

D: “We played tennis for our school,” said Alina.

I: Alina told me that they had played tennis for their school.
Pronouns, Demonstratives and Adverbs of Time and Place
Demonstratives:

D: Sarah said, “We like it here.”

Sarah said that they liked it there.

Words and phrases that show nearness in time or space:

today→ that day

yesterday→ the day before

tomorrow → the next day

Last week → the preceding week

Last night → the night before

Pronouns, Demonstratives and Adverbs of Time and Place
here → there

these→ those

now→ then

ago→ before

thus→ so

E.g. He said, “I am glad to be here this evening.”

He said that he was glad to be there that evening

 Convert Direct to Indirect
1. He said to him, “Is not your name Ahmed?”

He inquired whether his name was not Ahmed.

2. As the stranger entered the town, he was met by a policeman, who

asked, “Are you a traveller?” “So it would appear,” he answered
carelessly.

As the stranger entered the town, he was met by a

policeman, who asked him if he was a traveller. He replied
carelessly that it would appear so.
 Convert Direct to Indirect

3. The traveller said, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn?”
“Yes,” said the peasant, “do you want one in which you can spend the
night?” “No,” replied the traveller, “I only want a meal.”

The traveller asked the peasant if he could tell him the way
to the nearest inn. The peasant replied that he could, and
asked whether the traveller wanted one in which he could
spend the night. The traveller answered that he did not
wish to stay there, but only wanted a meal.
 1. Make sure that you change all the
pronouns appropriately as to show the
changed relationship.
2. In changing the tenses of the verbs, always
keep in mind the exception rules.
3. Make sure that you have changed all the
expressions showing nearness in the
proper way.
Some tips

4. Sometimes you have to add something by

way of explanation. Sometimes you may
have to expand a one-word response into
a sentence.
5. Use the most appropriate reporting verb.
Different sentences (assertive, question,
commands and exclamatory) require
different reporting verbs. Avoid the
common mistakes in the use of ‘say’, ‘tell’
and ‘ask’.