DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

(Reported Speech)
 DIRECT SPEECH
Saying exactly what someone has
said is called direct speech
(sometimes called quoted speech)
Here what a person says appears
within quotation marks ("...") and
should be word for word.
For example:
"I'm going to the cinema", he said.
 Indirect Speech

Indirect speech is also

called as reported
speech because it is
used by a person to
report someone’s
speech in his/her
own words.
For example:
He said he was
going to the
cinema.
CHANGING SPEECH
THE RULES !!
 RULE 1

Check the tense of the reporting

verb to decide whether the
corresponding tenses will change
or not (no backshift).
When reporting speech, the tense
usually changes. This is because
when we use reported speech, we
are usually talking about a time in
the past (because obviously the
person who spoke originally spoke
in the past). The verbs, therefore,
usually have to be in the past too.
(Backshift)
 RULE 2
If the reporting verb is in the
present tense, the tenses of
the Direct Speech do not
change. Thus,
Example: He says he is
unwell.
 RULE 3
When the reporting verb is in the
past tense, all present tenses of
the Direct Speech are changed
into the corresponding past
tenses.
 Direct speech Indirect speech

Present simple Past simple

She said, "It's cold.“ She said it was cold.
Present continuous Past continuous
She said, "I'm She said she was
teaching English teaching English
online." online.
Present perfect Past perfect
She said, "I've been She said she had
on the web since been on the web since
1999." 1999.
 Direct speech Indirect speech
Past simple Past perfect
She said, "I taught She said she had taught
online yesterday.“ online yesterday.
Past continuous Past perfect
She said, "I was continuous
teaching earlier." She said she had been
teaching earlier.
Past perfect
She said, "The Past perfect
lesson had already NO CHANGE
started when he
arrived."
 DIRECT INDIRECT
Am, is, are Was/were
Shall/will Should/would
Can Could
May Might
 RULE 4
Words expressing nearness in
time or place are generally
changed into words expressing
distance in case of both rule 2
and rule 3.
 Direct speech Indirect speech
this (evening) that (evening)
today That day
these (days) those (days)
now then
(a week) ago (a week) before
last weekend the previous weekend
here there
next (week) the following (week)
tomorrow the next/following day
 1. STATEMENT

HE SAID
HE SAID TO ME THAT REPORTED WORDS
HE TOLD ME
 STATEMENT EXAMPLE

DIRECT INDIRECT
They said to me: “we are They said to me that
going to visit Bogota they were going to
tomorrow.” visit Bogota the
following day.

Sebastian said: “I didn’t go to

Sebastian said that
school today.
he hadn’t gone to
school that day.
Anne told Mariathat
Anne told Maria: “My father
got angry with me last night.
her father had got
angry with her the
night before.
 STATEMENT Exception:
If the introductory sentence is in the Present Tense, there won’t be
any changes in the Reported (Indirect) speech .

DIRECT INDIRECT
Cindy says: “ I will come to Cindy says that she
your house tonight.” will come to my
house tonight
Ingrid says: “I have seen that Ingrid says that he
film two times.” has seen that film
two times.
“Jennifer says: “I meet my Jennifer says that
boyfriend every saturday.”
she meets her
boyfriend every
Jairo says: “I don’t like Saturday.
sports.”
Jairo says that he
doesn’t like sports.
 REPORTING
COMMANDS AND
REQUESTS
In reporting commands and
requests, the Indirect Speech is
introduced by some verb
expressing command or request,
and the imperative mood is
changed into the Infinitive.
 REPORTING
COMMANDS AND
REQUESTS
Example:
Direct speech:
“Go home!” Mary said.
Reported speech:
Mary said to go home.
HE ASKED ME
HE TOLD ME TO INFIVITIVE
 COMMAND EXAMPLE
DIRECT
The teacher asked me:
Open your book to page
65!”
Sofia asked Maria: “give
me a piece of paper”!
“Roberto told him: “call me
tonight!
INDIRECT
The teacher asked me
to open my book to
page 65.
Sofia asked Maria to
give her a piece of
paper.
Roberto told him to
call him that night.
HE ASKED ME
HE TOLD ME NOT TO INFIVITIVE
 COMMAND EXAMPLE

DIRECT INDIRECT
Camila asked Pedro: Don’t Camila asked Pedro
leave me alone anymore!” not to leave her
alone anymore.
Valeria asked Ismael: Valeria asked Ismael
“Don’t hurt me anymore”! not to hurt her
anymore.
“Santiago told them: Santiago told them
“Don’t disturb me! not to disturb him.
Let’s Practice…