Direct and Indirect SpeechIn this section, We are going to see how the conversion of Direct to Indirect Speech is done. We may report the words of a speaker in two ways.Federal Budget 2010Thursday, July 01, 2010Direct SpeechWe may quote the actual words of the speaker. This method is called Direct Speech.Indirect SpeechWe may report what he said without quoting his exact words. This method is called Indirect Speech or Reported Speech.

There are two speeches- Reporting Speech and Reported SpeechExample:

Direct: Ali said, I am very busy now. (Reporting Speech) (Reported Speech)

Indirect: Ali said that he was very busy then.

Change of Pronoun/possessive adjective in indirect speech The first person pronoun and possessive adjectives I, my, me, mine, We, our, us, ours of the reported speech change according to the person of the subject of the reporting speech.

He said, I am selling my car.He said that he was selling his car.

The second person pronoun /possessive adjectives, You, your, yours of reported speech change according to the person of the object of reporting speech.

He said to me, You have eaten meal.He told me that I had eaten meal.

The third person pronouns, he, she, it, they in the reported speech do not change.

He said to me, He is working in a small factory.He told me that he was working in a small factory.

When the reporting or principal verb is in the Past Tense, all the Present Tenses in the Direct Speech are changed into Past Tense.

Direct:He said, I have passed the examination. Indirect:he said that he had passed the examination.

Direct :He said, I am unwell.Indirect:He said that he was unwell.

The tenses will not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a universal truth.

Direct:The teacher said, The earth goes round the sun. Indirect:The teacher said that the earth goes round the sun.

If the reporting verb is in present tense, the tenses of the Reported Speech do not change.

Direct:He says, I have passed the examination. Indirect:he says that he has passed the examination.

Change of Tense

Direct IndirectPresent Indefinite Past Indefinite Do Did

Present Continuous Past ContinuousIs/are/am was/were

Present Perfect Past PerfectHas/have had

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect ContinuousHas been/have been had been

Past Indefinite Past PerfectWent had gone

Past Perfect Past Perfect

Had had

Can could

May might

Shall should

Will would

Change of Time and Place AdverbsNowThen

ItThat

TodayThat day

HereThere

ThisThat

This weekThat week

TheseThose

ThusSo

TomorrowThe following daythe next daythe day after

Next weekThe following weekthe next weekthe week after

YesterdayThe previous daythe day before

The day beforeyesterdayTwo days before

Last weekThe previous weekthe week before

AgoBefore

2 weeks ago2 weeks previously2 weeks before

TonightThat night

TodayThat day

Last SaturdayThe previous Saturdaythe Saturday before

Next SaturdayThe following Saturdaythe next Saturdaythe Saturday afterthat Saturday

The next dayThe following day

1. How the questions used in the Direct Speech are changed into Indirect Speech?

Use asked instead of said\said to. Change the interrogative form of sentence into positive form. Do not use That.

Direct:He said to me, What are you doing? Indirect:He asked me what I was doing.

Direct:A stranger asked me, Where do you live? Indirect:A stranger enquired where I lived.

2. Use asked instead of said\said to. Insert if or whether. Change the interrogative form of sentence into positive form.

Direct:He said, Will you listen to such a man? Indirect:He asked them whether they would listen to such a man.

Direct:His angry mother jeered, Do you suppose you know better than your father? Indirect:His angry mother jeered and asked whether he supposed that he knew better than his father.

3. How the Commands and the Requests in the Direct Speeches are changed into indirect Speeches?

CommandUse ordered/told/forbade instead of said/said to. Add objective pronouns like me, us him, her, them etc. Then use To and first form of verb.

Direct:Raja said to John, Go away. Indirect:Raja ordered John to go away.

Direct:He said to his peon, Get out. Indirect:He ordered his servant to get out.

PleaseUse request instead of said\said to. Add objective pronoun like me, us, hem, her etc. Then use To and first form of verb.

Direct:He said to Mary, Please wait here till I return. Indirect:he requested Mary to wait there till he returned.

4. How the Exclamation and the Wishes in the Direct Speeches are changed into Indirect Speeches?

Use exclaimed with joy/sorrow/wonder instead of said\said to. Use That.

Direct:He said, Alas! I failed in the exams. Indirect:he exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed in the exams.

Direct:He said, Hurrah! We have won the match. Indirect:He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

5. If the sentence of a reported speech begins with Let, the verb said of the reporting speech is changed into suggested. Use That and add Should after pronoun.

Direct:He said, Lets go for a walk. Indirect:He suggested that we should go for a walk.

Or

Indirect:He suggested going for a walk.

6. Conditional SentencesConditional sentence of Type I change its tense when the reporting verb in past tense. But conditional sentences of Type II & III do not change.

Type I: Direct:He said, if I work hard I will succeed in the exams. Indirect:He said that if he worked hard he would succeed in the exams.

Type II: Direct:He said, If I went to Lahore I would bring toys. Indirect:He said that if he went to Lahore he would bring toys.

Type III: Direct:He said, If I had been a doctor I would have helped the poor people. Indirect:He said that if he had been a doctor he would have helped the poor people.

7. Optative SentenceThese sentences usually begin with May in the reported speech. To change into indirect speech, use prayed instead of said\said to. Add That and convert may into might. Prayed for me, prayed to God.

Direct:He said, May God bless you. Indirect:He prayed that God might bless me.

8. Farewells GreetingsWhile converting greetings and farewells into indirect speech, we use such verbs greet, welcome, say (goodbye), bid (farewell) etc.

Direct:She said to me, Good Morning. Indirect:She greeted me.Zahid Ashraf