DIRECT AND

INDIRECT
SPEECH

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 CONVERSATION

I will do my homework
myself.

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Rahul said, “ I will do my homework
myself.” DIRECT
SPPECH

Rahul said that he would do

his homework himself.

EC T
D IR H
I N EC
S P E

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DIRECT SPEECH
Rahul said, “ I will do my homework myself.”
Reported verb
Reported speech

INDIRECT SPEECH

Rahul said that he would do his homework

himself.

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 Check the tense of the REPORTING VERB
1

Make the other changes

5 2 Identify the SUBJECT
STEPS

Backshift the TENSE 4 3 Identify the TENSE

D:- Rahul said, “ I am very busy now.”

I:- Rahul said that he was very busy then.

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Rules for the change of TENSES.
1. If REPORTING VERB is in PRESENT or FUTURE tense the tenses in
the reported speech remains UNCHANGED.
EXAMPLES

Pankaj says, “ The teacher did not lose temper.”

Pankaj says that the teacher did not lose temper.

The Principal has said, “ Mrs. Chawla is an excellent teacher.”

The Principal has said that Mrs. Chawla is an excellent teacher.

Mrs. Chawla will say, “ Class X students need extra attention.”

Mrs. Chawla will say that class X students need extra attention.

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II. If the REPORTING VERB is in the PAST tense then tenses in the reported
speech will change in the corresponding PAST tense.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH

Simple Present Simple Past
Present Continuous Past Continuous
Present Perfect Past Perfect
Simple Past Past Perfect
Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect No change

Will/ Shall Would / Should
May / Can Might / Could
would/ should/ might/ could/ No change
ought to/ used to
Must Had to [present obligation]
Would have to [ future
obligation]
Must [ permanent command/
prohibition]
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 DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
is/ are/ am was/ were
is/ are/ am + verb–ing was/ were + verb-ing
has/ have had
was/ were had been
was/ were + verb-ing had been verb- ing
had had

a) The captain said, “ The aircraft will be taking off in a few minutes.”
The captain said that the aircraft would be taking off in a few minutes.
b) Anil said, “ The fog is playing havoc with the flight schedules.”
Anil said that the fog was playing havoc with the flight schedules.
c) He said, “ The horse died at night.”
He said that the horse had died at night.

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Exceptions :
1. If the reported speech expresses a universal truth, a scientific,
mathematical or geographical fact or a habitual fact, its tenses remain
unchanged.

a) Father said, “ Honesty is the best policy.”

Father said that honesty is the best policy.
b) The teacher said, “ If an iron plate is left exposed, it soon gets rusted.”
The teacher said that if an iron plate is left exposed, it soon gets rusted.
c) The teacher said, “ The earth goes round the sun.”
The teacher said that the earth goes round the sun.

II. If the reported speech describes a state of affairs which remains unaltered
when the speech is reported, its tenses remain unchanged.

a) The manager said, “ Mr. Panday does not want to leave his present job till
his retirement.”
The manager said that Mr. Panday does not want to leave his present job
till his retirement.

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Expressions of TIME and PLACE in
INDIRECT SPEECH.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
this/ these that/ those
here there
now then
ago before
last the previous….
the…. before….
next the next….
the following…..
the… after….
today / tonight that day/ that night
yesterday the previous day
the day before
tomorrow the next day / the following
day / the day after
last night the previous night
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 EXAMPLES

a) She said, “ This letter arrived today.”

She said that that letter had arrived that day.
b) The shopkeeper said to me, “ We received these
goods only two days ago.”
The shopkeeper told me that they had received those
goods only two days before.
c) He said, "I like this song.“
He said that he liked that song.
d) She said, “I’m seeing my brother tomorrow.”
She said that she was seeing her brother the next day.

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Rules for the change of PRONOUNS and
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES.
I. Pronouns and Possessive adjectives of the first person ( I, we my, mine,
myself, we, us, our, ours, ourselves) are changed according to the subject
of the reporting verb.
EXAMPLES
I said, “ I will do my work myself.”
I said that I would do my work myself.

You said, “ I will do my work myself.”

You said that you would do your work yourself.

She said, “ I will do my work myself.”

She said that she would do her work herself.

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II. Pronouns and Possessive adjectives of the second person ( you, your,
yours, yourself, yourselves) are changed according to the object of the
reporting verb.

EXAMPLES

Aditya said to me, “ Your painting will win you the first prize.”
Aditya told me that my painting would win me the first prize.

Aditya said to you, “ Your painting will win you the first prize.”
Aditya told you that your painting would win you the first prize.

Aditya said to him, “ Your painting will win you the first prize.”
Aditya told him that his painting would win him the first prize.

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III. Pronouns and Possessive adjectives of the third person ( he, his, him,
himself, she, her, hers, herself, it, its, itself, they, them their, theirs and
themselves) remain unchanged.

EXAMPLES

The manager said, “ Mr. Basu has clearly expressed his views, so nobody
should question him.”
The manager said that Mr. Basu had clearly expressed his opinions , so
nobody should question him.

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 ASSERTIVE SENTENCES
The reporting verb said should be changed into told if it is followed by an
object; if there is no object leave it unchanged.
Example:
She said, “ This is my pen.” She said that that was her pen.
She said to Ram, “ This is my pen.” She told Ram that that was her pen.
That is used as a conjunction.
tenses, pronouns and possessive adjectives and words denoting nearness
of time or place are changed according to the usual rules.
Depending on the context of the reported speech, some other words that
can be used as reporting verb in place of said are: add, deny, admit, agree,
reply, remark, argue, shout, claim, boast, object, suggest, remark, remind,
insist, mutter, promise, answer, assure, complain, explain, point out.
Example:
The shopkeeper said to Rahul, “ Sir, I have been fair with my customers in
my dealings.”
The shopkeeper assured Rahul that he had been fair with his customers
in his dealings.
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INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
The reporting verb said is changed to ask, enquire, want to know, demand,
etc. Enquire and demand are followed by the preposition of.
The interrogative form is changed into the assertive form. Do not put
question mark(?) in the indirect speech.
No conjunction is used if the sentence begins with question word like who,
whose, whom, which, what, when, where, why, how, how much, etc.
If or whether is used as a conjunction if the sentence begins with an auxiliary
verb.
tenses, pronouns and possessive adjectives and words denoting nearness of
time or place are changed according to the usual rules.
Example:
1. The teacher said to Shivani, “ Which lines of this poem have you not
understood?”
The teacher asked Shivani which lines of that poem had she not
understood.
II. He said to Rina, “ Are you not being hasty in your decisions?”
He asked Rina if she was not being hasty in her decisions.

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IMPERATIVE SENTENCES
The reporting verb said is changed into order, request or advise.
Order can also be expressed by the words---- order, command, tell, charge,
etc.
Request can also be expressed by the words---- request, beg, ask, implore,
entreat, desire, beseech, solicit, etc.
Advice can also be expressed by the words--- advise, urge, exhort, etc.
Besides these words forbid, persuade, incite, etc can also be used
depending on the context.
The verb of the direct speech is changed into infinitive.
If the direct speech begins with the words do not, the word not is placed
before the to-infinitive.

Example:

1. I said to my friend, “Please help me to arrange these books on the

shelf.”
I requested/ asked my friend to help me to arrange those books on the
shelf.
II. The doctor said to the patient, “ Take plenty of water.”
The doctor advised the patient to take plenty of water
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EXCLAMATORY SENTENCES
The reporting verb said is changed to exclaim with joy/ sorrow/ fear/ anger,
etc, applaud, regret, curse, cry out depending on the tone of exclamation.
In case of opative sentences(wishes) the reporting verb said is changed to
wish, pray, long for, yearn, earnestly desire, etc.
The exclamatory/ opative sentence is changed to an assertive sentence in
the indirect speech. Do not put the exclamatory sign(!) in the indirect
sentence.
The conjunction that is used to introduce the reported speech.
Interjections and exclamations are omitted.
Example:

1. “ Hurray! I’ve won the contest” she said.

She exclaimed with joy that she had won the contest.
II. The captain said to the goalkeeper, “ Bravo! Well done”
The captain applauded the goalkeeper.

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