Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Vs Indirect
Speech
Or
Reported Speech
Direct and Indirect Speech
 Use indirect speech to repeat something
without using the speakers original words.
 Don’t use quotation marks when writing
indirect speech
 The reporting verb (say, tell, etc) is usually
in the simple past (SAID, TOLD, etc) for
both direct and indirect speech
 Use the verb TELL/TOLD if the listener is
mentioned
– Sarah told me to meet her as soon as possible.
Some changes
 1. Change of pronouns & Possessives
Direct Speech
John said, “I am coming.”
Indirect Speech
John said that he was coming.
Direct: Bill told Jill, “This is my new car.”

Indirect: Bill told Jill that was his new car.
2. Change of tenses
 Direct Speech
 John said, “I am coming.”
 Indirect Speech
 John said that he was coming.
Verb tense change
 Simple present --- simple past
 Present progressive --- past progressive
 Simple past --- past perfect
 Present perfect --- past perfect
The verb tense change is
optional when reporting:
 Something someone has just said:
– I said I’m tired.
 Something that is still true:
– Mom said the bank wants a check.
 A general truth or scientific law:
– The teacher told the students that water
boils at 100 degree Celcius.
Modals change
 Will --- would
 Can --- could
 May --- might
 Must --- had to
Some modals do not change in indirect speech

(should, could, might, ought to)
Ex: “You should listen to her,” he told me.
He told me that we should listen to her.
NOTES:
 Do not change verbs in present and past
unreal conditionals.
Example:
“If I had money, I would lend you some,” said Bill.
Bill said if he had money, he would lend me some.
“If I hadn’t lost my bike, I would have joined the

fun bike,” said Bill.
Bill said if he hadn’t lost his bike, he would have
joined the fun bike.
 If the reporting verbs are in the present
tense (commonly used in newspaper
reports), do not change the verb tense
in indirect speech
– The Olympic athlete says she runs two
miles everyday.
– More than 50% respondents tell the
surveyor that they agree with the new bill.
3. Change of situations
Direct Speech
John said, “I did this exercise last
night.”
Indirect Speech
John said that he had done that
exercise the previous night.
•'last night' becomes 'the previous night'
•other examples are as follows :
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
this that
here there
now then
today that day
yesterday the day before / the previous
day
tomorrow the next day/ the following
day
last week
the week before / the
previous week
next month
the following month
ago
before
Instructions, commands,
requests, and invitations
 Direct instruction:
“Close the door,” said John.
 Indirect instruction:
John told me to close the door.
 Direct command:
– “Drop your gun!”
 Indirect command:
– The cop told the criminal to drop the gun.
 Direct request:
– “Would you please pick me up at 7?”
 Indirect request:
– She asked him to pick her up at 7.
 Direct invitation:
– “Could you join us to the meeting?”
 Indirect invitation:
– The manager invited us to join her to the
meeting.
Negative instruction, command,
and request
 Negative direct instruction
– “Don’t eat that fruit.”
 Negative indirect instruction
– Mom told me not to eat that fruit.
 Negative direct request
– “Please don’t turn on the lamp.”
 Negative indirect request
– She asked me not to turn on the lamp.
Change into indirect speech
 Jane told Kate: “I visited my parents at the
weekend”
 Jane told Kate (that) she had visited her
parents at the weekend.
 Phil said to May: “I won’t see you tomorrow”

 Phil said to May (that) he would not see her the
following day.
 Mom told Brian: “Clean your bedroom this
morning.”
 Mom told Brian to clean his bedroom that
morning.
 Dad told Claire: “Don’t open the window

since it is cold outside.
 Dad told Claire not to open the window
since it was cold outside.
Indirect Questions
Direct
1 John asked her, “Are you coming?” (yes/no question)
2 John asked, “Where is Mary?” (W-H question)
Indirect
1 John asked if / whether she was coming.
2 John asked where Mary was.
If/whether >> ‘apakah’

‘whether’ is more formal than ‘if’
 She asked, “When will Mary leave?”
– She asked me when Mary would leave.
 Jim asked Tom, “Do you drink coffee?”

– Jim asked Tom whether/if he drank coffee.
Request Vs. Question
 Request
– Sam: “Can you pass the salt, Bill?”
– Sam asked Bill to pass the salt.
 Question
– Sam: “Can you handle the problem, Bill?”
– Sam asked Bill if/whether he could handle
the problem.
More examples of WH-questions
 My friend said, "Where are you going?"

 My friend asked where I was going.
 My friend said, " Whom did you call?"

 My friend asked whom I had called.
 My friend asked, " Whom was I calling?"
 My friend asked whom I had been
calling.
 My friend said, " Where have you

been?"
 My friend asked where I had been.
 He asked me, "What did she say?"
 He asked me what she had said.
 He asked me, "When are you

leaving?"
 He asked me when I was leaving.
 He asked me, "Who is coming for dinner?"
He asked me who was coming for dinner.
 He asked me, "How many times have you

seen that movie?"
 He asked me how many times I had seen that

movie.
 He asked me, “How much is the price?"
 He asked me how much the price was.
 He asked me, “Why does Annie cancel her

trip today?"
 He asked me why Annie canceled her trip

that day.
Yes-no questions
 He asked me, “Will you be able to finish the
task on time?”
 He asked me whether/if I would be able to
finish the task on time.
 She asked me, “Have you been to Manila?”

 She asked me whether/if I had been to Manila.
 He asked me, “Should I pick you up at
the airport tomorrow?”
 He asked me whether/if he should pick
me up at the airport the next day.
 She asked me, “Are you going to attend

the inauguration tonight?”
 She asked me whether/if I was going to
attend the inauguration tonight/that night.
Back to indirect questions, write
on a piece of paper
 Write 5 W-H questions and 3 yes-no questions that you
are going to ask to one of your classmates.
– What did you have for breakfast?
 Ask your friends to change the questions into indirect
questions and to give his/her answers
Example:
Riley writes 8 questions to Jason.
After reading Riley’s questions, Jason will answer/write:
– Q: Riley asked me what I had had for breakfast.
– A: I had cereal for breakfast.

Direct and Indirect Speech

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Direct and Indirect Speech

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Direct Vs Indirect

Direct: Bill told Jill, “This is my new car.”

Some modals do not change in indirect speech

“If I hadn’t lost my bike, I would have joined the

 Phil said to May: “I won’t see you tomorrow”

 Dad told Claire: “Don’t open the window

If/whether >> ‘apakah’

 Jim asked Tom, “Do you drink coffee?”

 My friend said, "Where are you going?"

 My friend said, " Whom did you call?"

 My friend said, " Where have you

 He asked me, "When are you

He asked me who was coming for dinner.

 He asked me, "How many times have you

 He asked me how many times I had seen that

 He asked me how much the price was.

 He asked me, “Why does Annie cancel her

 He asked me why Annie canceled her trip

 She asked me, “Have you been to Manila?”

 She asked me, “Are you going to attend

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