DIRECT SPEECH

INDIRECT SPEECH – REPORTED SPEECH

DIRECT SPEECH
 • In direct speech, the actual words (with no
change) of speaker are quoted
• The exact words (or actual words) of the
speaker are enclosed in Inverted Commas or
Quotation Marks.
• There is always a comma or a colon after “said”
that introduces the spoken word
Example
• She says, "What time will you be home?"
• She said, "What time will you be home?"
and I said, "I don't know! "
• "There's a fly in my soup!" screamed
Simone.
• John said, "There's an elephant outside the
window."
INDIRECT SPEECH – REPORTED
SPEECH
 • In indirect speech, the actual words of the speaker are
changed.
• The reason for change in actual words is that the actual
words have been spoken by the speaker in past, hence
narrating it in the present will require change in the tense
of the actual words.
• The pronouns of the sentence are also changed
accordingly.
• The words of speaker are not enclosed in inverted commas
or quotation marks.
• The word ‘that’ will be used before the spoken-words of
the speaker.
Reporting
Verb

Direct
Indirect
Reported
Speech
 Reporting Verb
• The verb of the first sentence before the actual words of
the speaker is called a reporting verb.
• she said, he said, she says, they said, they say
• accused, admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised,
begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained, implied,
invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and
thought.
• Said, told and asked are the most common verbs used in
indirect speech.
 We use asked to report questions

Example
I asked Lynne what time the lesson
started.
 We use told with an object.

Example:
Lynne told me she felt tired.
 We usually use said without an object.
Example:
Lynne said she was going to teach online.

If said is used with an object we must include to ;

Example:
Lynne said to me that she'd never been to China.

!Note - We usually use told.

Example:
Lynne told me (that) she'd never been to China.
Reported Speech
The second sentence (actual words of speaker) that is
enclosed in Inverted Commas or Quotation Marks is
called a reported speech.

Examples:
• He said, “I got a job in college”
• She says, “I want to become a doctor”
• They said, “We play football in the playground”
Statement

Question

Command
 Words of the speaker (reported speech) are not enclosed
in Inverted Commas or Quotation Marks in Indirect Speech
Indirect Speech

Usage of word “that”

Change in tense of the reported

speech

Changes In Pronoun

Change In Time
 The conjunction “that” is always used between
reporting verb and reported speech in indirect
speech

Example:
• Direct Speech: He said, “I write a letter”.
• Indirect Speech: He said that he wrote a letter.
 Changing of Tense
• If the reporting verb (or first sentence) of direct speech is either Present tense
or Future tense, no change will be made in the reported speech for making
indirect speech.
• Only if the reporting verb (or first sentence) of direct speech belongs to the
Past tense, changes will be made in tense reported speech for making indirect
speech.

Examples:
• Direct Speech: He says, “I am playing cricket”.
• Indirect Speech: He says that he is playing cricket. (No change in tense)
• Direct Speech: She said, “I am watching a movie”.
• Indirect Speech: She said that she was watching a movie. (Tense changed)
 DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
Present Simple Tense Past Simple Tense
Present Progressive Tense Past Progressive Tense
Present Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Progressive Tense Past Perfect Progressive Tense
Past Simple Tense Past Perfect Tense
Past Progressive Tense Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense
Past Progressive Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Simple Tense (e.g. will) “would”
Future Progressive Tense (e.g. will be) “would be”
Future Perfect Tense (e.g. will have) “would have”
Future Perfect Progressive Tense (e.g. will have been) “would have been”
 Direct Speech Indirect Speech
V1 (eat) V2 (ate)
V2 (ate) Had + V3 (had eaten)
Am/is/are Was/were
Do/does Did
Do/does not Did not
Did not Had not + V3
Was/were Had been
Am/is/are + V-ing Was/were + V-ing
Was/were +V-ing Had been + V-ing
Has/have + V3 Had + V3
Will/shall/can/may/must Would/should/could/might/had to

Could/might/should/would + V1/be Could/might/should/would + have+ V3/been

 Pronoun
• The pronoun (or subject) of reported speech is sometime changed
according to the pronoun (or subject) or Object of the reported
verb (first sentence of Direct Speech)
• The possessive pronouns (i.e. his, her, my, their, your etc) may also
change according to subject or object of the first sentence.
Examples:
• Direct Speech : He said, “ I eat two apples”.
• Indirect Speech : He said that he ate two apples.
• Direct Speech : She said to me, “ I like your book”.
• Indirect Speech : She said to me that she liked my book.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
I He / She
You She / HE / I
Him / Her / Them / Me
My His / Her
Our Their / Our
Your My / His /Her
 Time
If there is time mentioned in the sentence of Direct speech, the time will be
changed in Indirect Speech.

Tomorrow into the next day, today into that day, yesterday into the
previous day.
Examples:
• Direct Speech : She said, “I am buying a laptop today”.
• Indirect Speech : She said that she was buying a laptop that day.
• Direct Speech : He said, “I need your now”.
• Indirect Speech : He said that he needed my help then
 Direct Speech Indirect Speech
now then/at that time

today that day

yesterday the day before

Two days ago two days before

tomorrow the next day/the following day

the day after tomorrow in two days' time

next week/month/year the following week/month/year

last week/month/year the previous week/month/year

 PRESENT SIMPLE changes into PAST SIMPLE
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

She said, “I work in a hospital”. She said that she worked in a hospital.

They said, “We play Football”. They said that they played Football.

He said, “I love my parents”. He said that he loved his parents.

She said, “I don’t waste time”. She said that she didn’t waste time.
 PRESENT PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST
PROGESSIVE
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

He said, “I am waiting for someone”. He said that he was waiting for

someone.
I said, “She is driving a car”. I said that she was driving a car.
She said, “They are enjoying the She said that they were enjoying the
music”. music.
 PRESENT PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

She said, “ I have completed the She said that she had completed
work” the work.
John said, “I have won a prize”. John said that he had won a
prize.
He said, “She has washed the He said that she had washed the
shirts” shirts.
 PAST SIMPLE changes into PAST PERFECT
He said, “I started a Job”. He said that he had started a job.

She said, “I bought a new car She said that she had bought a new
yesterday”. car the day before.
They said, “We went to a market” They SAID they had gone to a market.

He said to me, “You didn’t help me” He said to me that I had not helped
him.
 PAST PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT
They said, “We had won the game” They said that they had won the
game.
He said, “I had gone to home”. He said that he had gone to home.

David said, “I had passed the exam”. David said that he had passed the
exam.
She said, “I had not received the She said that she had not received the
letter”. letter.
 FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE
WILL changes into WOULD
She said, “I will go to London”. She said that she would go to London.
He said, “I will start a new job”. He said that he would start a new job.

They said to me, “We will help you”. They said to me that they would help
me.
She said, “I will not waste time”. She said that she would not waste
time.
 Change the statements below from the Direct into
Reported Speech
1. Jane said: “I enjoy ice-skating.”
2. Peter said: “Steve can’t walk after the accident.”
3. Sarah told me: “I have never been abroad.”
4. Jason said to his father: “My friends are having a party soon.”
5. Rachel told the detective: “My husband was having a meeting at 3 pm.”
6. Lucy told her best friend: “Mark and I broke up. yesterday”
7. Stan said: “I will call Susan tomorrow”
8. Sam told his brother: “Our father saw a ghost two days ago.”
9. Penny said to her teacher: “I won’t come to school on Wednesday.”
10. Richard told his friends: “I must find the lost treasure.”
QUESTION
Comma and inverted commas will be removed

The conjunction “that” will not be used

the question sentence will be expressed in assertive (positive) form

Question mark (?) will not be used

The verb such as ‘say’ or ‘tell’ in direct speech is replaced with verb such ‘ask’ or
‘inquire’
QUESTION
Yes – No Question

Informative
Question
• David said to me, “Do you like coffee?”
• He said to me, “Will you help me?”
• She said to me, “Can I use your Phone?”
• They told me, “Have you gone to London?”
• He said to me, “Did you meet your friend?”
• John said to her, “Will you buy the book?”
• He said to me, “What are you doing?”
• She said to me, “What is your name?”
• David said to me, “How are you?”
• They said to me, “where have you gone?”
• Teacher told her, “Why did you fail the exam?
• I said to her, “What were you eating?”
• He said to her, “How will you help me?”
• The student said, “How can I buy this book?”
• They said, “How is the weather?”
• Questions that can be answered with “YES or NO”

To make indirect speech of such questions, the word

“if” or “whether” will be used in Indirect Speech.
Both the words “if” or “whether” can be used
interchangeably.
 Direct Speech Indirect Speech

David said to me, “Do you like coffee?” David asked me if I liked coffee.

He said to me, “Will you help me?” He asked me if I would help him.

She said to me, “Can I use your Phone?” She asked me if she could use my Phone.

They told me, “Have you gone to They asked me if I had gone to London.
London?”
He said to me, “Did you meet your He asked me if I had met my friend.
friend?”
John said to her, “Will you buy the book?” John asked her whether she would buy the

book.
Make reported questions in the present. Look at the example.
• e.g.: Is this my birthday cake?
• Peter asked Mary if that was his birthday cake.
1. “Will you send me an e-mail?” Marty to Kim
2. “Were you driving your car when you had an accident?” The police to Mr Lloyd
3. “Did you give up smoking last month?” The doctor to Mrs Smith
4. “Have you done the washing up?” Mum to me
5. “Can’t you phone your mother at home?” The teacher to Tim
6. “Do you like sleeping?” I to Greg
7. “Has your house been redecorated?” My neighbour to me
8. “Were you punished for being late?” Mum to Ben
9.“Do I have to mow the lawn in our garden today?” Tom to his wife
10. “Are they taking the dog for a walk now?” Kate to me
• Question that cannot answered with only “yes or no”
• To make indirect speech of such questions, the word “if” or
“whether” will not be used.

The question is changed into assertive (positive) form

and is simply placed after the reporting verb
 Direct Speech Indirect Speech

He said to me, “What are you doing?” He asked me what I was doing.

She said to me, “What is your name?” She asked me what my name was.

David said to me, “How are you?” David asked me how I was.

They said to me, “where have you gone?” They asked me where I had gone.

Teacher told her, “Why did you fail the exam? Teacher asked her why she had failed the exam.

I said to her, “What were you eating?” I asked her what she had been eating.

He said to her, “How will you help me?” He asked her how he would help her.

The student said, “How can I buy this book?” The student asked how he could buy this book.

They said, “How is the weather?” The asked how the weather was.
• Make reported questions in the present. Look at the example.
• e.g.: Who is this flower for?
• Mary asked Peter who that flower was for.
1. “What’s your name?” The officer to Sam
2. “How could you drive here in this storm?” Linda to the writer
3. “Why are you wearing this awful shirt?” The boss to Mr Grey
4. “When will the lunch be ready?” Tina to her mum
5.“How did you try to cope with this problem?” The psychologist to Sylvie
6. “Where did you find this great book?” The teacher to Jack
7. “Where are you from?” Mike to Sam
8. “How many apples have you eaten today?” Mum to Paul
9. “What can I do for you?” The greengrocer to Mrs Hill
10. “Where is my tie?” Dad to the children
Imperative
•Open the door. (command)
•Please help me. (request)
•Quit smoking. (advice)
•Don’t make a noise. (command)
• When we want to report an order or request, we can use a verb like
'tell' with a to-clause: He told me to go away.

• The pattern is verb + indirect object + to-

clause.

• The indirect object is the person spoken to. Other verbs used to
report orders and requests in this way are: command, order, warn,
ask, advise, invite, beg, teach, & forbid.
 Direct speech Indirect speech

The doctor said to me, "Stop smoking!". The doctor told me to stop smoking.

"Get out of the car!" said the policeman. The policeman ordered him to get out of
the car.

"Could you please be quiet," she said. She asked me to be quiet.

The man with the gun said to us, "Don't The man with the gun warned us not to
move!" move.