Direct – Indirect Speech.
( Reported Speech )
In reporting the speech of another, there are two forms in which we may put it
in Direct speech and Indirect speech or reported speech.
Direct Speech.
Direct speech gives the extract words of the speaker.
Indirect speech.
Indirect Speech or Reported speech gives the remarks of the speaker as quoted
by someone else.
Ravi said, “I am very busy now.”
Ravi said that he was very busy then.
In sentence - 1 the actual words of the speaker are quoted.
This is called “Direct Speech.”
In sentence – 2 we report what Ravi said without quoting his actual words.
We report his words indirectly. This is called “Indirect speech” or reported
speech.
In covering the above Direct Speech sentence into Indirect Speech
sentence we made the following changes.
The conjunction “that” is used to introduce the Indirect
statement.
The helping verb “am” is change to “was”
The pronoun “I” is changed to “he”
The adverb “now” is changed to “then”
The verbs “say” “says””said” that reports what is said
are called “reporting verbs”
If the reporting verb is in the Present Tense ( says / say ) the tenses of the Direct
speech do not change.
He says, “ I am not well” ( Direct Speech )
He says that he is not well. ( Indirect Speech)
He says,” I have passed my examination.” ( Direct
Speech)
He says that he has passed the examination.( Indirect
Speech)
Rules to be followed in changing Direct Speech into Indirect speech.
1. Tenses Change
Simple Present to Simple Past.
is / am was
are were
eat /eats ate
He said, “ I am not well”
He said that I was not well.
Present Continuous Past continuous
is writing was writing
are writing were writing
He said, “My mother is cooking rice.”
He said that his mother was cooking rice.
Present Perfect Past Perfect
has passed had passed
have passed had passed
He said, “I have gone to Colombo”
He said that he had gone to Colombo
Simple past Past Perfect
went had went
ate had eaten
He said, ” I wrote a short story.”
He said that he had written a short story.
Past continuous Past Perfect Continuous
was reading had been reading
were doing had been doing
He said,” I was writing a letter.”
He said that he had been writing a letter.
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
have been learning had been learning
Future Tense
will would
can could
shall should
may might
would, should, might, could - not be changed.
Past perfect Tense- not be changed
The Tense is not changed if the statement is a general
truth.
EG. He said, “The earth moves round the sun”( D. S.)
He said that the earth moves around the sun. ( I . S)
The pronoun of the Direct Speech is changed
Direct Indirect
I He / she
MY His / Her
Me Him / Her
You I / We
Your My / Our
You (object) Me / Us
We They
Our Their
Us Them
Direct Indirect
now then
this that
these those
here there
today that day
tomorrow the next day / following day
yesterday the previous day/ day before yester day
next week the following week
last week the previous week
For statements
o Inverted commas are removed
o The close begins with that
o Tense is changed
o Pronoun is changed
For Questions.
We do not use “ that” clause
We change the word order from question to affirmative. (“ wh” questions)
When there is no question word. ( question requires “yes” “ no” answers )” If” or
“ whether” is used in the reported speech.
For Commands.
We use a word of command like “told / ordered / asked/ requested /warned “
After the name we use “to” and the verb in infinitive.
For Negatives.
In negatives we use “ not to”
Change the following sentences into reported speech.
1. Anula said “ I am going to the school”
2. He said “I can’t draw beautiful pictures.
3. They said “we decorated our classroom well”
4. She said “ I am at home now”
5. My mother said “ I have prepared delicious food for you”
6. Sunil said “ we postponed our trip.”
