Direct and Indirect

Speech
She said, “…”

She said that …

He said, “…?”

He asked ….
So you know she said that I am not going
to take you in the team anyway.

What? I don’t understand. Who isn’t

going to take whom in the team?

What did she say exactly?

She said to me, “it doesn’t matter. I am not

going to take you in the team anyway.”

Ohh… so she said that she wasn’t going

to take you in the team anyway.

Yeah! Pretty much!

 Direct Speech
• The message of the speaker is conveyed directly without any change in
their words.

• Eg - Trump said, “This has been the worst trade deal in the history of
trade deals, maybe ever”.
When you help your friend in the exam,
but when you ask for help,
they complain to the invigilator.
 Indirect Speech

• The message of the speaker is reported, while making changes to the

original words used by the speaker.

• Eg - Radha said, “I am not aware of the situation”.

Radha said that she was not aware of the situation.

• Because indirect speech is reporting what the speaker said, it is also

known as ‘Reported Speech’.
 How to report a speech (Direct to indirect)?

• What the speaker has said, has to be changed to avoid confusion.

• If required, pronoun has to be changed.
• Tense is changed according to the original statement.
• ‘that’ is added*.
• Choosing what verb to use in reported speech -
A simple statement - said.

A question - asked.

An instruction - instructed.

A command/ order - order / told

 How to report a speech (Direct to indirect)?

The officer said, “We have some information about the robber.”

• Pronoun change : we becomes ‘they’

• Tense change : have - had
• Reporting verb - said, announced, informed.

The officer informed that they had some information about the robber.
 How to report a speech (Direct to indirect)?

Interrogative form

Vikram said to her, “What are you doing?”

• Pronoun change : you becomes ‘she’

• Tense change : are doing - was doing
• Reporting verb - asked, inquired.

Vikram asked her what she was doing.

 How to report a speech (Direct to indirect)?

YES or NO type questions

Vikram said to her, “Are you awake?”

• Pronoun change : you becomes ‘she’

• Tense change : are - was
• Reporting verb - asked, inquired.

Vikram asked her if she was awake.

For YES or NO questions, use ‘if’

 How to report a speech (Direct to indirect)?

Imperative form

The priest said to us, “Don’t make noise.”

• Reporting verb - told, ordered, instructed.

The priest told us not to make noise.

Eg - The mother said to her children, “Bring a glass of water for the
guests”

The mother instructed her children to get a glass of water for the guests.
 Conventions for reporting - TENSES

• If the reporting verb is in present/ future tense, the tense of the quote
doesn’t change.

Eg - He says, “I am unwell.”

He says that he is unwell.

Eg - They will say, “We didn’t know.”

They will say that they didn’t know.

Eg - She states, “There will be no water shortage.”

She states that there will be no water shortage.

 Conventions for reporting - TENSES

• If the quote is a universal truth, the tense doesn’t change.

Eg - They said, “The earth is round.”

They said that the earth is round.

Eg - He stated, “The sun rises in the east.”

He stated that the sun rises in the east.

Eg - Raghav said, “Human beings are rational creatures.”

Raghav claimed that human beings are rational creatures.

 Conventions for reporting - TENSES

• When the reporting verb is in past tense, the tense of the quote changes.
Eg - He said, “I don’t want to appear in court.”

He said that he didn’t want to appear in court.

Eg - She said, “There are no vacancies left.”

She announced that there were no vacancies left.

Eg - He said to the students, “We have a guest lecture.”

He informed the students that they had a guest lecture.

 How tenses change

• Present continuous - past continuous.

Eg - She said, “I am eating.”

She said that she was eating.

• Present perfect - past perfect.

Eg - Rama said, “I have not completed the assignment.”

Rama admitted that she hadn’t completed the assignment.

• Present perfect continuous - past perfect continuous

Eg - He replied, “I have been working as a journalist for a long time”.

He replied that he had been working as a journalist for a long time.

 How tenses change

• Will - would
Eg- Raghav said, “I will reach Delhi on 13th”.

Raghav said that he would reach Delhi on 13th.

• Will be - would be
Eg - The chef said to us, “I will be cooking for you.”

The chef said that he would be cooking for us.

 How tenses change

• Can - could
Eg- Heena said, “I can do the task.”

Heena confirmed that she could do the task.

• May - might
Eg - Tom replied, “I may go out for lunch.”

Tom replied that he might go out for lunch.

 Conventions for reporting

• Change in time and place.

Now - then

Here - there

These - those

This - that

Today - that day

Tomorrow - the next day

Come - go

Next week/ month - following week/ month

Possessive pronouns also change.

 Conventions for reporting

Eg - He said, “Anand is here.”

He informed that Anand was there.

Eg - She said, “These flowers are for my mother.”

She said that those flowers were for her mother.

Eg - He shouted, “I need to leave now.”

He shouted that he needed to leave then.

 Exercise

1. He said, “This is a beautiful painting.”

2. They will say, “We will send it tomorrow.”

3. The students said, “We want a holiday.”

4. The employee said, “I am collecting my stuff now.”

5. She said to me, “Will you apply for the scholarship?”

6. The mother said to the child, “Don’t eat chips.”

7. Robbie said, “How will the world battle global warming?”

8. He says, “I am going to enrol for the course.”