DIRECT AND

INDIRECT
SPEECH
JEB
LEARNING COMPETENCY

Change direct to
indirect speech
and vice versa
 DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Direct Speech – original words of person are
narrated and are enclosed in a quotation mark.
e.g. Thomas said, “I will call you tomorrow.”

Indirect Speech – original words of person are

reported observing some changes and are not
enclosed in a quotation mark.
e.g. Thomas said that he would call me the next
day.
We use indirect speech or
reported speech when we want to
repeat what someone said
previously.

I will call you

tomorrow. He said that he
would call me
the next day.
Speech reports consist of two parts: the
reporting clause and the reported
clause.

The woman mentioned that she would be

Reporting clause late.
Reported clause
Rules in Changing Direct
Speech to
Indirect/Reported
Speech
 RULE 1

Use of conjunction ‘that’ before the

indirect speech except in case of
imperative sentences and exclamatory
sentences.
e. g. Hari said, “I am very tired.”
Hari said that he was very tired.
 RULE 2

Change in pronouns of first and

second person in direct speech to third
person in indirect speech taking into
account the gender of the subject.

e. g. Ram said, “I am very busy.”

Ram said that he was very busy.
 RULE 3
If reporting verb is in Present or
Future Tense, the tense of the verb in
the reported speech is not changed.
e. g. He says, “I am busy”.
He says that he is busy.
He will say, “I was busy.”
He will say that he was busy.
 RULE 4

If reporting verb is in the Past Tense,

the tense of the verb in the reported
speech is also changed into one of the
forms of the past tense. Thus the verb
changes as per norms given below.
 RULE 4
a. The Present Simple Tense becomes
Past Simple Tense

e. g. He said, “I play football every

evening.”
He said he played football every evening.
RULE 4
b. Present Continuous becomes Past
Continuous
e. g. He said, “I am playing football.”
He said he was playing football.
c. Present Perfect becomes Past Prefect
e. g. He said, “I have played football for
two years.”
He said he had played football for
two years.
RULE 4
d. Present Perfect Continuous becomes Past
Perfect Continuous
e. g. He said, “I have been playing football for
two years.”
He said he had been playing football for two
years.

e. Future becomes Conditional

e. g. He said, “I shall play football next year.”
He said he would play football next year.
 RULE 4
f. Future Perfect becomes Conditional
Perfect
e. g.
He said, “I shall have played football for
two years next June.”
He said he would have played football
for two years next June.
 EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE RULES:

(a) If reported speech expresses universal truth or

habitual fact, the tense of the verb in the reported
speech is not changed into the corresponding past.
He said, “Earth goes round the Sun.”
He said that Earth goes round the Sun.

“German is easy to learn,” he said.

He said German is/ was easy to learn.
 EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE RULES:
(b) The reporting verb ‘say’ is changed into ‘tell’
according to the object of reporting speech.
Direct Speech: “We shall go on a picnic,” he said to me.
Indirect Speech: He told me they would go on a picnic.

Direct Speech: The teacher said to the boys, “You should

do your work regularly.”
Indirect Speech: The teacher told the boys that they
should do their work regularly.
 CHANGING INTERROGATIVE
SENTENCES:
In reporting questions, the indirect speech is
introduced by such verbs as asked, inquired, wonder,
wanted to know.

(a) If the answer to the question is either yes or no,

we use ‘whether‘ or ‘if’.
He said, “Will you listen to such a man?”
He asked them whether they would listen to such a
man.
 CHANGING INTERROGATIVE
SENTENCES:

b) In negative statement we use ‘do’ and ‘did’. The

same is used in negative indirect questions.

“Don’t you like to play football?” Hari asked Ram.

Hari asked Ram if he didn’t like to play football.
 CHANGING IMPERATIVE
SENTENCES:
In reporting an imperative sentences like a
command or request, the reporting verb ‘say’ or
‘tell’ is changed to a verb expressing a command,
advice or request.
e.g.
Word used in Commands: order, bid, warn
Word used in Request: request, implore
Word used in Proposal: advise, proposed, suggest
Word used in Prohibit: forbid
Word used in Entreaty: entreat, pray, beg
(c) ‘That’ is commonly not used. If it is used then
instead of ‘to’, ‘should’ is placed before the
imperative.
(d) The imperative mood is changed into the
infinitive.
(e) Rules for change of pronoun must be observed,
e.g. He said to me, “Please give me your book.”
He requested me to give him my book.
 CHANGING EXCLAMATORY
SENTENCES:

When the Direct Speech is introduced by some

verb expressing exclamation or wish as, exclaim, cry,
wish, confess etc., all interjections are omitted, but
their force is kept by suitable adverbs or expressive
words.
 CHANGING EXCLAMATORY
SENTENCES:
The conjunction ‘that’ is used after the reporting
verb.
e.g. “Alas! Sohan has failed in his exams,” said
Rohan.
Rohan exclaimed with sorrow that Sohan had failed
in his exams.
 CHANGING EXCLAMATORY
SENTENCES:
Exclamatory words ‘what’ or ‘how’ are changed into
very, highly, greatly according to the sense.
e.g. “What a nice day it is,” she said.
She exclaimed that it was a very nice day.

The teacher said, “Bravo! You have done very well.”

The teacher applauded us saying that we had done
very well.
 CHANGING EXCLAMATORY
SENTENCES:
Rani said, “How clever I am.”
Rani exclaimed that she was very clever.

“So help me Heavens!” he cried. “I will never steal

again.”
He called upon heavens to witness his resolve never
to steal again.
Direct Speech Reported Speech
here There
today that day
this morning that morning
yesterday the day before
tomorrow the next day
next week the following week
Next month The following month
Now Then
Ago Before
Thus So
Direct Speech Reported Speech
Last night The night befor
This That
These Those
Hither Thither
Hence Thence
Come Go
Directions: Copy and
answer the following
in your Activity
Notebook.
 ACTIVITY

Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

A. STATEMENTS
1. I say, “I want to sleep.”
2. He says, “I like sweets.”
3. John said, “I will meet the doctor.”
4. They said, “We are starting now.”
5. Mother said to me, “I was waiting for you for a
long time.”
Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
B. WH-QUESTIONS
1. I said to you, “What do you want?
2. You said to me, “Why do you come to school late?”
3. She said to you, “What time does the train arrive?”
4. I said to my brother, “Where were you this
morning?”
5. The teacher said to Sarah, Who were you waiting
for?”
Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
C.YES-NO QUESTIONS
1. Sarah said to her sister, “Do you always get up early?”
2. Father said to children, “Have you prepared well for
the test?”
3. Kamal said to the driver, “Can you take me to the
lawyer now?”
4. The policeman said to me, “Are you in such a hurry
to cross the road?”
5. Jaya said to the watchman, “Did you find the key?”
Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
D. IMPERATIVE STATEMENTS
1. He said to me, “Please help me.”
2. He said, “Open the door.”
3. The teacher said to the students, “Do not
waste time.”
4. He said, “Please give me a glass of water.”
5. Doctor said to me, “Do not smoke.”
Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
E. EXCLAMATORY STATEMENTS
1. He said, “Hurrah! I won a prize.”
2. She said, “Alas! I failed the exam.”
3. John said, “Wow! What a nice shirt it is.”
4. She said, “Hurrah! I am selected for the job.”
5. He said, “Oh no! I missed the train.”
 I. MASTERY ON CHANGING DIRECT
SPEECH TO INDIRECT SPEECH
Sentences are given in the direct speech.
Change them into the indirect speech.
1. He said, “I have got a toothache.”
2. Manu said, “I am very busy now.”
3. “Hurry up,” she said to us.
4. “Give me a cup of water,” he told her.
5. She said, “I am going to college.”
 MASTERY ON CHANGING DIRECT
SPEECH TO INDIRECT SPEECH
6. She said to me, “Thank you.”
7. Raju said, “Gautam must go
tomorrow.”
8. Geetha says, “My father is an Engineer.”
9. He said, “I have passed the physical
test.”
10. She said to me, “You are my only
friend.”
II. MASTERY ON CHANGING INDIRECT
SPEECH TO DIRECT SPEECH
Sentences are given in the indirect speech. Change
them into the direct speech.
1. She told her mother that she was going to the
market.
2. His friends told me that they would go home the
following Sunday.
3. The teacher told Mark he had been very regular
in his work.
4. Marc told me that he had finished his work.
 MASTERY ON CHANGING INDIRECT
SPEECH TO DIRECT SPEECH
5. The teacher said the Earth moves around the
sun.
6. He said that she was not going home that day.
7. He asked me if I had brought the pens.
8. The boy asked me if that was the place we
visited.
9. The judge told the witness to tell the truth.
10. The prisoner begged the judge to forgive him.