Direct and Indirect Speech: Rules, Examples and Practice | English Grammar

 

Direct and Indirect Speech: Complete Rules, Examples and Practice

Direct and Indirect Speech is an important topic in English Grammar. It is also known as Reported Speech. This topic is useful for students who want to improve their English grammar and prepare for school and board examinations.

In this article, we will learn the meaning of Direct and Indirect Speech, important rules, tense changes, pronoun changes, modal auxiliaries, time and place expressions, different types of sentences, examples and practice questions.

What is Direct Speech?

Direct Speech gives the exact words spoken by a person. The exact words of the speaker are written inside quotation marks or inverted commas.

Example:

Rahul said, "I am tired."

Here, the exact words spoken by Rahul are given inside quotation marks. Therefore, this is Direct Speech.

What is Indirect Speech?

Indirect Speech reports what a person said without using the exact words of the speaker. Quotation marks are not used in Indirect Speech.

Example:

Rahul said that he was tired.

Here, the meaning of Rahul's statement is reported without repeating his exact words.

Direct Speech and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
The exact words of the speaker are given.	The meaning of the speaker's words is reported.
Quotation marks are used.	Quotation marks are not used.
The original words are retained.	Pronouns, tense and other words may change.

Parts of Direct Speech

Consider the following sentence:

Riya said, "I am studying English."

This sentence has two main parts:

1. Reporting Clause: Riya said
2. Reported Speech: "I am studying English."

The verb said is called the Reporting Verb.

Basic Structure of Direct Speech

Subject + Reporting Verb + "Reported Speech"

Example:

She said, "I am happy."

Basic Structure of Indirect Speech

Subject + Reporting Verb + Conjunction + Reported Speech

Example:

She said that she was happy.

Important Rules of Direct and Indirect Speech

While changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech, we should check the following points:

1. Identify the type of sentence.
2. Check the reporting verb.
3. Choose the correct conjunction.
4. Change the pronouns correctly.
5. Change the tense when required.
6. Change modal auxiliaries when required.
7. Change time expressions when necessary.
8. Change place expressions when necessary.
9. Remove quotation marks.
10. Check the final sentence carefully.

1. Change of Tense

If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech generally changes into the corresponding past form.

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Simple Present	Simple Past
Present Continuous	Past Continuous
Present Perfect	Past Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
Simple Past	Past Perfect
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect	Past Perfect
Will	Would

Simple Present to Simple Past

Direct: He said, "I play cricket."

Indirect: He said that he played cricket.

Direct: She said, "I like English."

Indirect: She said that she liked English.

Present Continuous to Past Continuous

Direct: He said, "I am reading a book."

Indirect: He said that he was reading a book.

Direct: Riya said, "I am studying."

Indirect: Riya said that she was studying.

Present Perfect to Past Perfect

Direct: He said, "I have completed my work."

Indirect: He said that he had completed his work.

Direct: She said, "I have finished my homework."

Indirect: She said that she had finished her homework.

Simple Past to Past Perfect

Direct: He said, "I bought a new book."

Indirect: He said that he had bought a new book.

Direct: She said, "I visited Delhi."

Indirect: She said that she had visited Delhi.

Past Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: He said, "I was studying English."

Indirect: He said that he had been studying English.

Will to Would

Direct: He said, "I will help you."

Indirect: He said that he would help me.

2. Change of Pronouns

Pronouns must be changed according to the speaker, listener and meaning of the sentence.

First Person Pronouns

First person pronouns such as I, me, my, mine, we, us and our generally change according to the subject of the reporting verb.

Direct: Riya said, "I am happy."

Indirect: Riya said that she was happy.

Direct: Rahul said, "I have completed my work."

Indirect: Rahul said that he had completed his work.

Second Person Pronouns

Second person pronouns such as you, your and yours generally change according to the object of the reporting verb.

Direct: He said to me, "You are intelligent."

Indirect: He told me that I was intelligent.

Direct: Mother said to Rahul, "You should study hard."

Indirect: Mother told Rahul that he should study hard.

Third Person Pronouns

Third person pronouns such as he, she, they, him, her and them generally remain unchanged unless the meaning requires a change.

Direct: He said, "She is my sister."

Indirect: He said that she was his sister.

3. Change of Time Expressions

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
now	then
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
yesterday	the previous day / the day before
tonight	that night
this week	that week
next week	the following week
last week	the previous week
ago	before

Example:

Direct: He said, "I will come tomorrow."

Indirect: He said that he would come the next day.

4. Change of Place Expressions

Direct	Indirect
here	there
this	that
these	those

Direct: He said, "I live here."

Indirect: He said that he lived there.

Types of Sentences in Direct and Indirect Speech

There are five important types of sentences commonly used in Direct and Indirect Speech:

1. Assertive Sentences
2. Interrogative Sentences
3. Imperative Sentences
4. Exclamatory Sentences
5. Optative Sentences

1. Assertive Sentences

An assertive sentence makes a statement or gives information. It may be affirmative or negative.

In Indirect Speech, that is commonly used as the conjunction.

Direct: He said, "I am busy."

Indirect: He said that he was busy.

Direct: Riya said, "I like mathematics."

Indirect: Riya said that she liked mathematics.

Direct: Rahul said, "I have finished my homework."

Indirect: Rahul said that he had finished his homework.

Negative Assertive Sentence

Direct: He said, "I do not like coffee."

Indirect: He said that he did not like coffee.

2. Interrogative Sentences

An interrogative sentence asks a question.

There are two main types of questions:

1. Yes/No Questions
2. Wh-Questions

Yes/No Questions

In Yes/No questions, if or whether is generally used in Indirect Speech.

Direct: He said to me, "Are you ready?"

Indirect: He asked me if I was ready.

Direct: She said to Rahul, "Do you know the answer?"

Indirect: She asked Rahul whether he knew the answer.

Wh-Questions

In Wh-questions, the question word such as what, where, when, why, who or how is retained.

Direct: He said to me, "Where do you live?"

Indirect: He asked me where I lived.

Direct: She said to him, "Why are you crying?"

Indirect: She asked him why he was crying.

Direct: The teacher said to the student, "What are you doing?"

Indirect: The teacher asked the student what he was doing.

Important: In Indirect Questions, use statement word order.

Correct: He asked me where I lived.

Incorrect: He asked me where did I live.

3. Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences express commands, orders, requests, advice or instructions.

Depending on the meaning, reporting verbs such as ordered, told, requested, advised and instructed may be used.

Command or Order

Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Open your books."

Indirect: The teacher told the students to open their books.

Direct: The officer said to the soldiers, "March forward."

Indirect: The officer ordered the soldiers to march forward.

Request

Direct: She said to me, "Please help me."

Indirect: She requested me to help her.

Direct: He said to his friend, "Please lend me your pen."

Indirect: He requested his friend to lend him his pen.

Advice

Direct: The doctor said to me, "Take rest."

Indirect: The doctor advised me to take rest.

Direct: Mother said to me, "Work hard."

Indirect: Mother advised me to work hard.

Negative Imperative

For negative commands or requests, not to is generally used.

Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Do not make noise."

Indirect: The teacher told the students not to make noise.

Direct: Mother said to me, "Do not waste your time."

Indirect: Mother advised me not to waste my time.

4. Exclamatory Sentences

Exclamatory sentences express strong feelings such as joy, sorrow, surprise, admiration or regret.

Reporting verbs such as exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with sorrow and exclaimed with surprise may be used according to the meaning.

Joy

Direct: He said, "Hurrah! We have won the match."

Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Sorrow

Direct: She said, "Alas! My friend is dead."

Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that her friend was dead.

Admiration

Direct: He said, "What a beautiful painting!"

Indirect: He exclaimed with admiration that it was a very beautiful painting.

5. Optative Sentences

Optative sentences express a wish, prayer, blessing or curse.

Reporting verbs such as wished, prayed, blessed and cursed may be used according to the meaning.

Wish

Direct: He said, "May you succeed!"

Indirect: He wished that I might succeed.

Prayer

Direct: She said, "May God help you!"

Indirect: She prayed that God might help me.

Modal Auxiliaries in Direct and Indirect Speech

Modal auxiliaries are helping verbs that express ability, possibility, permission, necessity, obligation, advice or intention.

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
can	could
may	might
will	would
shall	should / would
must	had to
could	could
might	might
should	should
would	would
ought to	ought to

Can to Could

Direct: He said, "I can swim."

Indirect: He said that he could swim.

Direct: Riya said, "I can speak English."

Indirect: Riya said that she could speak English.

May to Might

Direct: She said, "I may come tomorrow."

Indirect: She said that she might come the next day.

Will to Would

Direct: He said, "I will help you."

Indirect: He said that he would help me.

Must to Had to

When must expresses necessity or obligation, it generally changes to had to.

Direct: He said, "I must finish my work."

Indirect: He said that he had to finish his work.

However, when must expresses a strong conclusion, it may remain unchanged.

Direct: He said, "She must be tired."

Indirect: He said that she must be tired.

When Does the Tense Not Change?

1. Reporting Verb in Present or Future Tense

If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported speech generally remains unchanged.

Direct: He says, "I am busy."

Indirect: He says that he is busy.

Direct: She will say, "I am ready."

Indirect: She will say that she is ready.

2. Universal Truth

If the reported speech expresses a universal truth, scientific fact or permanent fact, the tense generally remains unchanged.

Direct: The teacher said, "The Earth revolves around the Sun."

Indirect: The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

Direct: The teacher said, "The Sun rises in the east."

Indirect: The teacher said that the Sun rises in the east.

Important Reporting Verbs

Meaning	Reporting Verb
Statement	said, told
Question	asked, enquired
Order	ordered, commanded
Request	requested, begged
Advice	advised
Suggestion	suggested
Joy	exclaimed with joy
Sorrow	exclaimed with sorrow
Wish	wished
Prayer	prayed

Said and Told

Said can be used without an object.

Example: He said that he was tired.

When said to is followed by an object, it is commonly changed to told in Indirect Speech.

Direct: He said to me, "I am tired."

Indirect: He told me that he was tired.

Direct: She said to Rahul, "You are late."

Indirect: She told Rahul that he was late.

Remember: We normally do not say "He told that..." without an object. Use "He told me that..." or another appropriate object.

How to Change Direct Speech into Indirect Speech

1. Read the complete sentence carefully.
2. Identify the reporting verb.
3. Identify the type of sentence.
4. Choose the correct reporting verb.
5. Remove quotation marks.
6. Use the appropriate conjunction.
7. Change the pronouns.
8. Change the tense when required.
9. Change modal auxiliaries when required.
10. Change time and place expressions when required.
11. Check the final sentence for correct grammar.

Solved Examples

Example 1: Assertive Sentence

Direct: Riya said, "I am learning English."

Indirect: Riya said that she was learning English.

Example 2: Yes/No Question

Direct: He said to me, "Do you like cricket?"

Indirect: He asked me if I liked cricket.

Example 3: Wh-Question

Direct: She said to him, "Where do you live?"

Indirect: She asked him where he lived.

Example 4: Command

Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Keep quiet."

Indirect: The teacher told the students to keep quiet.

Example 5: Request

Direct: He said to me, "Please help me."

Indirect: He requested me to help him.

Example 6: Advice

Direct: The doctor said to me, "Take regular exercise."

Indirect: The doctor advised me to take regular exercise.

Example 7: Exclamation

Direct: He said, "Hurrah! We have won the match."

Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Example 8: Universal Truth

Direct: The teacher said, "Water boils at 100°C."

Indirect: The teacher said that water boils at 100°C.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Keeping quotation marks

Incorrect: He said that "he was tired."

Correct: He said that he was tired.

Mistake 2: Using question word order

Incorrect: He asked me where did I live.

Correct: He asked me where I lived.

Mistake 3: Wrong use of Told

Incorrect: He told that he was busy.

Correct: He told me that he was busy.

Mistake 4: Forgetting Pronoun Changes

Direct: Riya said, "I am happy."

Incorrect: Riya said that I was happy.

Correct: Riya said that she was happy.

Mistake 5: Forgetting Tense Changes

Direct: He said, "I am busy."

Correct: He said that he was busy.

Practice Questions – Set 1

Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech.

1. He said, "I am tired."
2. She said, "I like English."
3. Rahul said, "I will help you."
4. Riya said, "I can solve this problem."
5. He said, "I may come tomorrow."
6. She said to me, "Are you ready?"
7. He said to me, "Where do you live?"
8. The teacher said to the students, "Open your books."
9. Mother said to me, "Work hard."
10. He said, "Hurrah! We have won the match."

Answers – Set 1

1. He said that he was tired.
2. She said that she liked English.
3. Rahul said that he would help me.
4. Riya said that she could solve that problem.
5. He said that he might come the next day.
6. She asked me if I was ready.
7. He asked me where I lived.
8. The teacher told the students to open their books.
9. Mother advised me to work hard.
10. He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Practice Questions – Set 2

1. Ravi said, "I have completed my homework."
2. She said, "I was reading a book."
3. He said, "I must finish this work."
4. The