Direct and Indirect Speech

Statements

Direct He said, “I will come again.”

Indirect He said that he would come again.

Questions

Direct He asked,“How are you?”

Indirect He asked (inquired) how I was.

Direct He asked,"Do you know the way?"

Indirect He asked if I knew the way.

Direct He asked,"Are you ready?”

Indirect He asked whether I was ready.

Orders and Requests

Direct He said, “Sit down.”

Indirect He told me to sit down.

Direct He said,“Get out!”

Indirect He ordered me to get out.

Direct She said,“Lend me a pen.”

Indirect She asked me to lend her a pen.

Direct He said,“Please tell me the time.”

Indirect He asked me politely (kindly)to tell him the time.

Direct She said,"Please help me.”

Indirect She requested me to help her.

Wishes

Direct He said,“God save the King."

Indirect He prayed that God might protect the king.

Direct He said,“Long may you live".

Indirect He prayed that my life might be long.

Exclamation

Direct They shouted,"Hurray!”

Indirect They shouted joyfully (in triumph).

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Direct He said,“Bravo!”
Indirect He cried out approvingly.

Note: As a rule it is better to leave such expressions in the Direct

Form, for they can only be expressed clumsily in the Indirect Form.
When we change Direct Speech into Indirect Speech, the following rules should
be followed:

Verbs. Present and Future Tenses:

1. When the reporting Verb(said, etc.)is in the Past Tense, all Present and
Future tenses in the Direct Form must be changed into the past tenses in
the Indirect Form, eg

Direct He said,“I am thirsty."(Present Tense)

Indirect. He said that he was thirsty.(Past Tense)

Direct. He said,,"I am reading."(Present Continuous)

Indirect. He said that he was reading.(Past Continuous)

Direct. He said,“I have made it.”（Present Perfect)

Indirect. He said that he had made it.(Past Perfect)

Direct. He said,“I shall see her.”（Future Tense)

Indirect. He said that he would see her.(Future in the Past)

Note: When a statement of fact that is always true is put into the Indirect Form,
the
tense of the Verb is, does not, change.
e.g.
Direct. He said, “The world is round."
Indirect. He said that the world is round.

Quotations
The Verb in a Quotation is not changed e.g.

Direct. He said, “ Time is money.”

Indirect. He said that time is money.

The following changes are also made:

shall - should
will – would
may-might
can -could
has-had

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2. Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives
The Pronoun is changed in Person from First and Second to Third. Thus:

I becomes he or she.
We becomes they
You becomes he, him, her or them
e.g.
Direct. “I have finished my work.”
Indirect. He said that he had finished his work.

Direct. ＂You have done your work well."

Indirect. He told them that they had done their work well.

3. Adjectives and Adverbs

We change

- This - that
- These - those
- Now - then
- Today - that day
- last night -on the previous night
- tomorrow- the next day, the day after
- here – there
- yesterday- the previous day
- thus-so, (in) that way

Task 1: Rewrite the sentences in direct speech.

1. Ben asked Amanda if she was attending the conference in Paris.

Ben asked, “are you attending the conference in Paris?’’ to Amanda.

2. Amanda said that she would not miss it for the world.
Amanda said, ‘’ i will not miss it for the world”.

3. The man asked whether that was an acceptable compromise.

The man asked, “is that an acceptable compromise?”

4. Mother said that she had had a motorcycle just like mine in her younger days.
Mother said, “I have had a motorcycle just like yours in her younger days.

5. John said that he had been smoking heavily until the doctors had found a
tumour
in his lung.
John said, “I have been smoking heavily until the doctors have found a tumour
in my lung.

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 Task 2: Rewrite the sentences in reported speech.

1. “These chairs need not be stacked in a corner,” said John.

John said that, those chairs need not to be stacked in a corner.

2. Ben advised, “Amanda, do not drop out of university as you only have one
more
year to complete
Ben advised Amanda not to drop out of university as she only had one more
year to complete.

3. “My body aches,” said the patient, “and I have had a fever since Wednesday.”
The patient said that , his body ached, and had a fever since Wednesday.

4. “If you can make this shot, "said Greg, “I will treat you to dinner."
Greg said that he would treat me to dinner, if I could make that shot.

5. The teacher asked, “Why were you running in the corridor?”

The teacher asked, why were you running in the corridor?

Task 3: Change the following sentences or questions into reported speech.

1. The tourist said, “I don't like spicy food at all!"

The tourist said that he didn’t like spicy food at all.
2. Mr. Lim told his students, "The moon gets its light from the sun"
Mr. Lim told his students that the moon gets its light from the sun.

3. "Are you guys going for Peter's party?" asked Jason.

Jason asked , if they were going for peter’s party.

4. "You must not talk during the test!" the teacher warned his students.
The teacher warned his students, not to talk during the test.

5. "Sheila, have you read 'Pride and Prejudice' yet?" asked Karina.
Karina asked Sheila if she had read ‘Pride and Prejudice’, yet.

6.“Would anyone like some more tea?" the hostess asked her guests.
The hostess asked her guests if anyone would like to have some more tea.

7. "Why are so many students absent today?" asked the teacher.

The teacher asked, why so many students were absent today.

8. "You should have returned this book last Monday, Reena!" said the librarian.
The librarian told Reena that she should return her book last Monday.

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9. Linda promised her mother, "I will never be rude to you again."
Linda promised her mother that she would never be rude to her again.

10. Mrs. Lee reminded her pupils, "Don't forget to hand in your history project by
noon tomorrow"
Mrs. Lee reminded her pupils not to forget to hand in their history project by
noon the following day."

Task 4: Change the following statements into direct speech.

1. Karina told me that she wasn't feeling well.

Karina told me , “ I am not feeling well”.

2. Mr. Maniam asked Mr. Wong when his son would return from Japan.
Mr. Maniam asked, “Mr. Wong when will your son return from Japan?

3. The gardener informed Mrs. Wong that he had just seen a snake in the garden
shed.
The gardener said,” Mrs. Wong, I have just seen a snake in the garden
Shed’’.

4. Karim asked his sister, Aini, whether she could lend him RM150.
Karim asked his sister, “Aini, could you lend me RM150?

5. Zul advised Tony to eat less and exercise more.

‘’Tony, you must eat less and exercise more, said Zul.

6. Jason asked his mother whether she was still angry with him.
“Mother, are you still angry with me?” asked Jason.

7. The old woman kept screaming that she had been robbed.
“Help! Ive been robbed”, the old woman kept screaming.

8. Mrs. Lee thanked her students for the beautiful bouquet of flowers they had
bought her.
“ Thank you for the beautiful bouquet of flowers you have bought me!” said Mrs
Lee to her students.

9. The policeman ordered the motorcyclist to show him his driving license.
“ Show me your driving license” the policeman ordered the motorcyclists.

10. The teacher told the students that she would be taking them to the zoo the
following Saturday.
“ I will be taking you to the zoo next Saturday”, said the teacher to the
students.
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 Task 5: Change the following into indirect speech.

1. "I met Shah Rukh Khan at a shopping mall yesterday," Kiran told me.
Kiran told me that he had met Shah Ruk Khan at a shopping mall the previous
day.

2. "Are these flowers for me?" Trina asked Murthi.

Trina asked Murthi whether those flowers were for her’’.

3. Alex said, "I lost my wallet somewhere here."

Alex said that he had lost his wallet somewhere there.

4. My mother reminded me, "Switch off the computer after I had used it"
My mother reminded me to switch off the computer after I had used it. it"

5. 'The document, which you asked me to photocopy for you, is on your table'
Simon told me.
Simon told me that 'The document, I had asked him to photocopy for me,was
on your table.

6. Hui Peng said, "I visited my sister in Melbourne two months ago."
Hui Peng said that, "she had visited her sister in Melbourne two months
before.

7.'"I will show you to your table, Madam, "the waiter told Mrs. Wong.
The waiter told Mrs. Wong that he would show I will show her to your table.

8."Put on your raincoat now," ordered my father.

My father ordered me to put on my raincoat immediately.

Task 6: Identify the errors and rewrite the sentences correctly.

Example

All villagers are reminded please be prepared in case of sudden flash floods.
All villagers are reminded to be prepared in case of sudden flash floods.

1. Mr. Patel asked Mahid why looked upset.

Mr. Patel asked Mahid why he looked upset.

2. The firemen ordered everyone please evacuate the building immediately.

. The firemen ordered everyone to evacuate the building immediately.

3. Our parents reminded us locking the gate before leaving our home.
. Our parents reminded us to lock the gate before leaving our home.

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4. Mrs. Zahida said that the capital city of Spain was Madrid.
Mrs. Zahida said that the capital city of Spain is Madrid.

5. Yesterday, a stranger asked me where do I live.

Yesterday, a stranger asked me where I live.

6. I asked Tina when will you return my phone call?

I asked Tina when she would return my phone call?

7. Karim's grandfather advised him please quit smoking.

Karim's grandfather advised him to quit smoking.

8. The sales representative persistently persuaded our parents come buy his
company's products.
The sales representative persistently persuaded our parents to come and buy
his company's products.