‫‪DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH‬‬

‫المباشرة وغير المباشرة خطاب‬

• We may report the words of a speaker in two
ways:-
-- : ‫ونحن قد التقرير على حد تعبير أحد المتحدثين بطريقتين‬
i) We may quote his actual words. This is called
Direct Speech.
.‫ وهذا ما يسمى الكالم المباشر‬.‫ونحن قد اقتبس كلماته الفعلية‬
ii) We may report what he said without quoting
his exact words. This is called Indirect or
Reported Speech.
‫ وهذا ما‬.‫يجوز لنا التقرير ما قاله دون نقال عن كلماته بدقة‬
.‫يسمى الكالم غير المباشر أو المسجل‬
‫‪• Note: In Direct Speech, we use inverted‬‬
‫‪commas to mark off the exact words of the‬‬
‫‪speaker. In Indirect Speech we do not.‬‬
‫مالحظة ‪ :‬في الكالم المباشر‪ ،‬ونحن نستخدم الفواصل‬
‫المقلوب لالحتفال قبالة الكلمات الدقيقة للمتكلم‪ .‬في خطاب‬
‫غير المباشرة لم نفعل ذلك‪.‬‬
• Rules for changing Direct Speech into Indirect /
Reported Speech
‫ المسجل‬/ ‫قواعد لتغيير الكالم المباشر في الكالم غير المباشر‬
I. When the reporting or principal verb is in the past
tense, all present tenses of the Direct Speech are
changed into the corresponding Past Tenses.
A. Change in Tenses: ‫التغيير في األزمنة‬
i) A simple present becomes a simple past. ‫هدية‬
‫بسيطة يصبح الماضي البسيط‬
(Direct Speech) He said, ‘I am unwell.’
."‫ "أنا لست على ما يرام‬: ‫(الكالم المباشر) وقال‬
(Reported Speech) He said (that) he was unwell.
.‫(الكالم المسجل) وقال (ان) انه كان مريضا‬
 ii) A present continuous becomes a past
continuous.
‫الحاضر المستمر والمتواصل يصبح الماضي‬
(Ds) He said, ‘My teacher is writing letters.’
“.‫ "أستاذي هو كتابة الرسائل‬: ‫وقال‬
(Rs) He said (that) his teacher was writing letters.
‫وقال ان (ذلك) وكان أستاذه كتابة الرسائل‬
iii) A present perfect becomes a past perfect.
‫والكمال الحاضر يصبح مثاليا الماضي‬
(Ds) He said, ‘I have passed the examination.’
."‫وقال "لقد اجتاز االمتحان‬
(Rs) He said (that) he had passed the examination.
‫وقال (ان) انه اجتاز االمتحان‬
iv) - The shall of the Future Tense is changed into
should.
- The will of the Future Tense is changed into
would or should.
- As a rule, the simple past in the Direct
becomes the past perfect in the Reported
Speech.
(Ds) He said, ‘The horse died in the night.’
."‫وقال انه "الحصان توفي في ليلة‬
(Rs) He said that the horse had died in the night.
‫وقال ان الحصان قد مات في ليلة‬
B) The tenses may not change if the statement is still
relevant or if it is a universal truth. We can often
choose whether to keep the original tenses or change
them.
‫قد يتغير اذا لم يتوتر البيان ال تزال ذات الصلة أو إذا كان هناك حقيقة‬
‫ يمكننا أن نختار ما إذا كان في كثير من األحيان للحفاظ على‬.‫عالمية‬
.‫يتوتر األصلية أو تغييرها‬
(Ds) ‘I know her address,’ said Munir.
(Rs) Munir said he knows/knew her address.
(Ds) The teacher said, ‘The earth goes round the sun.’
."‫ ويذهب األرض حول الشمس‬،" ‫وقال المعلم‬
(Rs) The teacher said the earth goes / went round the sun.
‫ بمنوف الشمس‬/ ‫وقال المعلم في األرض يذهب‬
II. If the reporting verb is in the Present Tense, the
tenses of the Direct Speech do not change.
.‫ ويتوتر من الكالم المباشر ال تتغير‬،‫إذا كان الفعل اإلبالغ في المضارع‬

Examples:

(DS) He said, ‘I am unwell’.

(RS) He says he is unwell.

(Ds) He said, ‘I have passed the examination.’

(RS) He says, he has passed the examination.
III.The pronouns of the Direct Speech are changed
when necessary.
‫يتم تغيير الضمائر من الكالم المباشر عند الضرورة‬

Examples:

(DS) He said to me, ‘I don’t believe you’

(RS) He said he didn’t believe me.

(DS) She said to him, ‘I don’t believe you’.

(RS) She said she didn’t believe him.
IV.Words expressing nearness in time or place are
generally changed into words expressing distance.
‫عموما يتم تغيير الكلمات التعبير عن القرب في أي زمان أو مكان الكلمات‬
.‫في التعبير عن المسافة‬
Now becomes then
Here “ there
Ago “ before
Thus “ so
Today “ that day
Tomorrow “ the next day
Yesterday “ the day before
Last night “ the night before

Example:
(DS) He said, ‘I am glad to be here in this evening’.
(RS) He said that he was glad to be there that evening.
 Questions
V. In reporting questions the Indirect Speech is
introduced by some such verbs as asked, inquired, etc.
‫في اإلبالغ عن األسئلة هو عرض الكالم غير المباشر من قبل بعض األفعال‬
.‫ الخ‬،‫مثل سأل واستفسر‬

Examples:

(DS) He said to me, ‘What are you doing?’

(RS) He asked me what I was doing.

(DS) ‘Where do you live?’ asked the stranger.

(RS) The stranger inquired where I lived.
 Commands and Requests
VI.In reporting commands and requests, the Indirect
Speech is introduced by some verb expressing
command or request.
‫ وتقديم ذلك الكالم غير المباشر من قبل‬، ‫في إبالغ األوامر والطلبات‬
.‫بعض الفعل معربا عن األمر أو الطلب‬
Examples:

(DS) Ahmed said to Mona. ‘Go away.’

(RS) Ahmed ordered Mona to go away.

(DS) He said to him, ‘Please wait here till I return.’

(RS) He requested him to wait there till he returned.

(DS) The teacher said, ‘Be quiet and listen to my words’.

(RS) The teacher commanded them to be quiet and listen to his words.
 Exclamations and Wishes
VII.In reporting exclamations and wishes the Indirect
Speech is introduced by some verb expressing
exclamation or wish.
‫في اإلبالغ عن التعجب ورغبات وقدم الكالم غير المباشر من قبل بعض‬
.‫الفعل التعبير عن التعجب أو ترغب في ذلك‬

Examples:

(DS) Eman said, ‘How clever I am!’

(RS) Eman exclaimed that she was very clever.

(DS) He said, ‘Bravo ! You have done well.’

(RS) He applauded him, saying that he had done well.
Exercise 1
Turn the following into Indirect Speech:-

1. He said to me, ‘I have often told you not to play with

fire.’
2. ‘You have all done very badly!’ remarked the teacher.
3. They wrote, ‘ It is time we thought about settling this
matter.’
4. The teacher promised, ‘If you will come before lecture
tomorrow, I will explain it.’
5. She wrote, ‘I am waiting and watching and longing for
my son’s return.’
Answers:
1. He reminded me that he had often told me not to
play with fire.
2. The teacher remarked that they had all done it very
badly.
3. They wrote that it was time they had thought
about settling the matter.
4. The teacher promised that he would explain it if
they would come before the lecture the next day.
5. She wrote that she was waiting and watching and
longing for her son’s return.
Exercise 2:

Turn the following into Indirect Speech (questions

type)

1. ‘What do you want?’ he said to her.

2. He said, ‘How’s your father?’
3. ‘Are you coming home with me?’ he asked.
4. He enquired, ‘When do you intend to pay me?’
5. He said to us, ‘Why are you all sitting about
there doing nothing?’
6. ‘Do you really come from Libya?’ said the prince.
7. The poor man exclaimed, ‘ Will none of you help
me?’
8. ‘Which way did she go?’ asked the young man.
9. Aladdin said to the magician, ‘What have I done to
deserve so severe a blow?’
10. ‘Don’t you know the way home?’ asked I.
11. ‘Do you write in a good hand?’ he said
12. ‘Have you anything to say on behalf of the
prisoner?’ said the judge finally.
Answers:
1. He asked her what she wanted.
2. He asked how my (her/his) father was.
3. He asked whether I was going home with him.
4. He enquired when I intended to pay him.
5. He asked us why we were all sitting about there doing nothing.
6. The prince asked whether I really came from Libya.
7. The poor man exclaimed whether none of them would help him.
8. The young man asked which way she had gone.
9. Aladdin asked the magician what he had done to deserve so
severe a blow.
10.I asked whether he did not know the way home.
11. He asked whether I wrote a good hand.
12.The judge finally asked whether he (she) had anything to say
on behalf of the prisoner.
Exercise 3:

Turn the following into Indirect Speech (Commands &

Requests)

1. ‘Bring me a glass of milk,’ said the husband to the

wife.
2. ‘Sit down, boys,’ said the teacher.
3. ‘Stop!’ shouted the officer to his men.
4. ‘Take off your hat,’ the king said to the man.
5.The teacher said to him, ‘Do not read so fast.’
6. He said to me, ‘Wait until I come.’
7. ‘Hurry up,’ he said to his servant, ‘do not waste
time.’
8. ‘Run away, children,’ said the mother.
9. He said, ‘Daughter, take my golden jug, and
fetch me some water from the well.’
10. ‘Go down to the bazaar. Bring me some oil and
a lump of ice.’ ordered his master.
Answers:
1. The husband asked the wife to bring a glass of milk.
2. The teacher told the boys to sit down.
3. The officer shouted to his men to halt.
4. The king ordered the man to take off his hat.
5. The teacher advised him not to read so fast.
6. He asked me to wait until he came.
7. He told his servant to hurry up and not to waste time.
8. Their mother told the children to run away.
9. He asked his daughter to take his golden jug and fetch him
some water from the well.
10.His master ordered him to go down to bazar and bring him
some oil and a lump of ice.
Exercise 4
Turn the following into Indirect Speech (Exclamations &
Wishes)
1. ‘ What a stupid fellow you are!’ he angrily remarked.
2. He said, ‘My Allah! I am ruined.
3. He said, ‘ Alas! our foes are too strong.’
4. She said, ‘What a lazy boy you are! How badly you have
done your work!’
5. ‘How smart you are!’ she said.
6. He said, ‘Oh! That’s a nuisance.’
7. He said, ‘How cruel of him!’
8. She said, ‘What a pity you did not come!’
Answers:-
1. He angrily remarked that I was a very stupid fellow.
2. He exclaimed sadly that he was ruined.
3. He exclaimed sadly that their foes were too strong.
4. She remarked that I was a very lazy boy and that I
had done my work very badly.
5. She admired that I was very smart.
6. He exclaimed that it was a nuisance.
7. He remarked that it was very cruel of him.
8. She exclaimed that it was a great pity I had not
come.
 CONVERSION OF INDIRECT
(REPORTED) SPEECH INTO DIRECT
SPEECH

Examples:
1. (RS) He inquired whether his name was not
Ahmed.
(DS) He said to him, ‘Is not your name Ahmed?’
2. (RS) He asked me if I would accompany him.
(DS) He said to me, ‘Will you accompany me?’
Exercise 1:
Put the following in to Direct Speech:-

1. He asked Salem to go with him.

2. I told them to be quiet.
3. He asked his father when the next letter would come.
4. Fatima said that she wanted to be a teacher.
5. Ahmed asked me what had become of Faraj.
6. I told him that I had not seen him for months.
7. I wrote that I would visit him next day.
8. He observed that he had never liked doing that.
Answers
1. He said to Salem, “Come with me.”
2. “ Be quiet” I said to them.
3. “When will the next letter come?” he said to his
father.
4. Fatima said “ I want to be a teacher.”
5. Ahmed said to me, “What has become of Faraj?”
6. “I have not seen him for months,” I said to him.
7. I wrote, “I shall visit him tomorrow.’
8. He observed, “I have never liked doing that.”
1. Rules for changing Direct Speech into Indirect
(reported) speech with regard to the tenses.

2. Rules for changing Direct Speech into Indirect

(reported) speech with regard to questions,
commands and Requests, Exclamations and
Wishes. Write an example for each one.