Direct and indirect sentences

He said: I need a glass of coffee. (direct speech) He said that he needed a glass of coffee. (indirect speech)

John exclaimed exclaimed John I need more water,

he exclaimed but not *exclaimed he

Changes that are normally made in converting from direct to indirect speech
a. Change present tense verbs into the past tense (to match the reporting verb). b. Change 1st person and 2nd person pronouns into the 3rd person. c. Sometimes change pointer words like this, now, here, tomorrow, into that, then, there, the next day, etc.

Direct and indirect speech

Direct speech It is cold, she said. He said, I am teaching English in room 102. They said that, we have been in Yogya since 2000. She said, I have been studying English for 10 years. Indirect speech She said that it was cold. He said that he was teaching English in room 102. They said that they had been in Yogya since 2000. She said that she had been studying English for 10 years.

He said, I went to Jakarta several weeks ago.

He said that he had gone to Jakarta several weeks ago.

DIRECT They said, we were having dinner earlier. She said, I had started the lesson when they came.

INDIRECT They said they had been having dinner earlier. NO CHANGE

NO CHANGE.

He said, I had already taken the map before you called me.

Indirect speech using modals

direct Will He said, I will visit my grandmother on Sunday. Can She said, I can speak Korean well. indirect Would He said he would visit his grandmother on Sunday. Could She said she could speak Korean well.

Must They said, we must wait for the official announcement.

Shall She said, I shall have lunch on my own. May He said, You may take three more credits.

Had to They said they had to wait for the official announcement.
Should She said she should have lunch on her own. Might He said I might take three more credits.

exercises
He said, I am going to take a day off. She said, I am really starving. They said, We are on a great journey. He said, I am working on an amazing project. 5. They said, We arrived early when we were in college. 6. She said, I visited my parents few days ago. 1. 2. 3. 4.

7. They said, We have been waiting for an hour. 8. He said, I have been fixing this bike for two days. 9. She said, I will buy three bars of chocolate. 10. He said, I must go earlier. 11. They said, you can call us whenever you want.

sources
http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/re portedspeech.htm Leech, Geoffrey and Jan Svartvik. 1981.

A Communicative Grammar of English. Essex: Longman Group

Limited.