Direct and Indirect speech

There are two ways of reporting the speech of a person

 Direct speech
 Indirect speech

1. Mohan said, ‘I want to become a doctor.

2. Mohan said that he wanted to become a doctor

In the first sentence we actually quote the words of Mohan. What Mohan said was put between
inverted Commas or quotation marks.

This from of speech is called Direct Speech. The verb that comes before the inverted Comma is called
the reporting verb.

In the second sentences we do not give the exact words of the speaker but report the substance of his
speech in our own words. No inverted commas or quotations are used.

This from of speech is called indirect Speech or Reported Speech.

IN DIRECT SPEECH
The actual words of the speaker are always put in inverted commas and it begins with a Capital
Letter

Commas and inverted commas are used to separate the words of the speaker from the
Reporting verb

DIRECT SPEECH:
The speech reported is not placed within inverted Commas.

No Comma after the Reporting verb is never changed.

Question marks and Exclamation marks are not used.

Imperative, interrogative and exclamatory sentences are turned into Assertive sentences.

Rules for changing Direct Speech into indirect speech

1. The tense of the verb in the reported speech does not change when the Reporting Verbs in
present Tense and future tense.

Eg:- 1.She says ,’John gets irritated’.

She says that john gets irritated .

 2.She says ,’john get irritated’.

She says that john got irritated .

3.She says ,’john will get irritated’

She says that john will get irritated

4.Sumi will say,’john told a story.’
Sumi will say that, john told a story