Reported Speech

Direct & Indirect Speech
Direct speech – reporting the message of the speaker in the exact words as
spoken by him.
Direct speech example: Maya said ‘I am busy now’. Indirect speech:

reporting the message of the speaker in our own words
Indirect speech example: Maya said that she was busy then.
Rules for converting Direct into Indirect speech
To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are various
factors that are considered, such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place,
pronouns, tenses, etc. We will discuss each of these factors one by one.
Rule 1 – Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb
1. 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.
Direct to indirect speech example: Direct: She said, I am happy’. Indirect:

She said (that) she was happy.
1. In indirect speech, tenses do not change if the words used within

the quotes () talk of a habitual action or universal truth.
2. Direct to indirect speech example: Direct: He said, We cannot live without
air’. Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.
3. 1. The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting
verb is in the future tense or present tense.
4. Direct to indirect speech example: Direct: She says/will say, ‘I am going’
Indirect: She says/will say she is going.
Rule 2 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Present Tense
5. . Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect. Direct to indirect

speech example:
Direct: “I have been to Boston”, she told me. Indirect: She told me that
she had been to Boston.
6. Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous Direct to
indirect speech example:
Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained. Indirect: She explained
that she was playing the guitar.
7. Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect Direct to indirect
speech example:
Direct: He said, “She has finished her homework”. Indirect: He said that
she had finished her homework.
8. Simple Present Changes to Simple Past Direct to indirect speech
example: Direct: I am unwell”, she said. Indirect: She said that she was
unwell.
Rule 3 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Past Tense &

Future Tense
9. • Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect Direct to indirect speech

example:
Direct: He said, “Raman arrived on Sunday.” Indirect: He said that Raman
had arrived on Sunday.
10. . Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous Direct
to indirect speech example
Direct: *We were playing basketball”, they told me. Indirect: They told me
that they had been playing basketball.
11. . Future Changes to Present Conditional Direct to indirect

speech example
Direct: She said, I will be in India tomorrow.” Indirect: She said that she
would be in India the next day.
Rule 4 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Interrogative

Sentences
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 to indirect speech example
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: He said, ‘Will you come for the party’?

Indirect: He asked whether 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 doing’?

Indirect: He asked me what I was doing.
Rule 5
– Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion –
Changes in Modals
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

Check the examples:
• Direct: She said, ‘She can dance’.
• Indirect: She said that she could dance

Direct: She said, ‘I may buy a dress’. • Indirect: She said that she might
buy a dress.
Direct: Rama said, I must complete the assignment’. . Indirect: Rama
said that he had to complete the assignment. 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.
Rule 6 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Pronoun
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
Rule 7 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion –
Request, Command, Wish, Exclamation
• Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, Ordered,

suggested and advised. Forbid-forbade is used for Negative sentences.
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: Hari said to Ram, ‘Sit down’.
Indirect: Hari ordered Ram 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 am undone’.
Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.
Rule 8 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Change of Time
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 > 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 or month becomes following week/month
Rules of converting Indirect Speech into Direct SpeechThe following rules

should be followed while converting an Indirect speech to direct
speech:
1.Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct Tense.
2. Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the
Statement should be in capital letter.
3. Insert question mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark And full
stop, based on the mood of the sentence.
4. Remove the conjunctions like (that, to, if or whether) Wherever
necessary.
5. Where the reporting verb is in past tense in indirect, change It to
present tense in the direct speech.
6. Change the past perfect tense either into present perfect Tense or
past tense, as necessary

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Direct & Indirect Speech

Direct speech example: Maya said ‘I am busy now’. Indirect speech:

Rules for converting Direct into Indirect speech

Rule 1 – Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb

Direct to indirect speech example: Direct: She said, I am happy’. Indirect:

1. In indirect speech, tenses do not change if the words used within

Rule 2 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Present Tense

5. . Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect. Direct to indirect

Rule 3 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Past Tense &

9. • Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect Direct to indirect speech

11. . Future Changes to Present Conditional Direct to indirect

Rule 4 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Interrogative

No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech begins with a

• If a direct speech sentence begins with an auxiliary

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: He said, ‘Will you come for the party’?

• Reporting verbs such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired,

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: He said to me, ‘What are you doing’?

While changing direct speech to indirect speech, the modals used

3. Must becomes had to /would have to

• Direct: She said, ‘She can dance’.

• Indirect: She said that she could dance

Rule 6 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Pronoun

1. The first person in direct speech changes as per the subject of

Direct: He says, “She dances well.”

Indirect :He says that she dances well

Rule 7 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion –

Request, Command, Wish, Exclamation

• Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, Ordered,

Direct: She said to her ‘Please complete it’.

Indirect: She requested her to complete it.

Direct: Hari said to Ram, ‘Sit down’.

Indirect: Hari ordered Ram to sit down.

1. In Exclamatory sentences that express grief, sorrow, Happiness,

Direct: She said, ‘Alas! I am undone’.

Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.

Rule 8 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Change of Time

1. In direct speeches, the words that express nearness in time Or place

• Ago > before

• Today > that day

• Tomorrow > the next day

• This > that

• Yesterday > the day before

• These > those

• Hither > thither

• Next week or month becomes following week/month

Rules of converting Indirect Speech into Direct SpeechThe following rules

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