Unit 25

Direct and Indirect Speech

Objective: To learn about Direct and Indirect speech.
Direct and Indirect speech
Direct speech: It is the actual words of the speaker.
E.g. John said, He is good.

Indirect speech: It is called as the reported speech.
E.g. John said that he was good.

Rules for converting from Direct speech to Indirect speech:
Meaning should not change
Identify the type of sentence [Statement, Question, Instruction/ Request, Exclamatory sentence]
Introduce a suitable conjunction
Type of sentence Conjunction
Statement That
Exclamatory That
Question If/ Whether [Yes/ No question]
Instruction/ Request Askedto/ askednot to

When the R.V is in the Past tense, change the tense as follows.
Direct speech Indirect speech
Simple Present Simple Past
Present Continuous Past Continuous
Present Perfect Past Perfect
Simple Past Past Perfect
Will/ Can/ Shall/ May Would/ Could/ Should/ Might
Note: If the R.V is in the Present tense, do not change the tense.

For universal truths and facts, it is up to us to keep the same tense or change it.
When the R.V is in the Past tense, change the words showing nearness to words at a distance.
Direct speech Indirect speech
Now Then
Here There
Ago Before
This That
These Those
Today That day
Tomorrow The next day/ the day after
Tonight That night
Yesterday The previous day, the day before
Last night The previous night, the night before

Change the pronoun wherever necessary.

Statements:
Conjunction (that)
Change the reporting verb as follows.
Direct speech Indirect speech
Say(s) Say(s)
Say(s) to Tell(s)
Said Said
Said to Told

E.g. Pollock said, I like coffee.
Pollock said that he liked coffee.

Meera said to Kamala, Raja is writing a letter.
Meera told Kamala that Raja was writing a letter.

Sam said to Joseph, I have finished the work.
Sam told Joseph that he had finished the work.

Callaghan said, The horse died last night.
Callaghan said that the horse had died the previous night.

Tom said to Ahmed, I will do it
Tom told Ahmed that he would do it.

Exclamatory sentences:
Conjunction (that)
Change the reporting verb as follows.
Direct speech Indirect speech
Say(s) Exclaim(s)
Said Exclaimed

E.g. Raja said, Wow! What a beautiful place it is!
Raja exclaimed that it was a very beautiful place.

Anwar said to Ijaz, How sweet you are!
Anwar exclaimed to Ijaz that he was so sweet.
Note: If the word How or What is in the direct speech, change it into So or Very.

Instructions/ Requests:
No change in tense.
Conjunction (to/ not to).
Change the reporting verb as follows.
Direct speech Indirect speech
Say(s) to Instructs, orders, requests, pleads
Said to Instructed, ordered, requested, pleaded

Positive sentence:
E.g. David said to Lisa, Stand up.
David ordered Lisa to stand up.

George said to Levis, Please write it.
George requested Levis to write it.

Negative sentence:
E.g. Martha said to Felix, Dont do it.
Martha instructed Felix not to do it.

Jenny said to Gokul, Please dont smoke.
Jenny requested Gokul not to smoke.

Questions:
Change the reporting verb as follows.
Direct speech Indirect speech
Say(s) to Ask(s)
Said to Asked

Wh questions:
No Conjunction
Change the subject and the verb
E.g. Richard said to Sam, Where do you live?
Richard asked Sam where he lived.

Glenn said to Raj, How did you write?
Glenn asked Raj how he had written.

Yes/ No questions:
Conjunction (If/ Whether)
Change the subject and the verb.

E.g. Sylvia said to Roja, Can you come with me?
Sylvia asked Roja whether she [Roja] could come with her[Sylvia].

Jim said to Jack, Do you write novels?
Jim asked Jack whether he [Jack] wrote novels.