DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH – RULES AND EXERCISES

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

What is Direct Speech?	What is Indirect Speech?
When we report the exact words spoken by a person, we use Direct Speech.	When we report the meaning of someone’s words without using their exact words, we use Indirect Speech.
Example: Riya said, “I am tired.” The exact words spoken by Riya are: “I am tired.” These words are placed inside quotation marks (” “).	Direct: Riya said, “I am tired.” Indirect: Riya said that she was tired.
Structure: Reporting Clause + Reporting Verb + Quoted Speech Example: Riya said, “I am tired.” Riya → Speaker said → Reporting verb “I am tired.” → Reported/quoted words	Notice: Quotation marks are removed. I → she am → was that is added. The sentence becomes grammatically connected.

DIRECT VS INDIRECT SPEECH

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Exact words are used.	Meaning is reported.
Quotation marks are used.	No quotation marks.
Comma is generally used before quotation.	Comma is removed.
Pronouns may remain unchanged.	Pronouns usually change.
Tense may change.	Tense may change according to rules.
Example: He said, “I am busy.”	He said that he was busy.

PARTS OF DIRECT SPEECH

Part	Meaning	Example
Reporting Subject	Person who speaks	Riya said…
Reporting Verb	Verb used to report speech	Riya said…
Reporting Object	Person spoken to	Riya said to me…
Reported Speech	Actual words	“I am tired.”

Example:

Riya said to me, “I am tired.”

Element	Answer
Reporting Subject	Riya
Reporting Verb	Said
Reporting Object	Me
Reported Speech	I am tired

Reporting Clause

Reporting Clause consists of Reporting Subject, Reporting Verb and Reporting Object

Rahul said to me

This tells us:

• Who spoke?
• To whom?
• What reporting verb was used?

Reported Speech

“I am going to Delhi tomorrow.”

This contains the actual words spoken.

MOST IMPORTANT BASIC RULES

When changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech, check these four things:

RULE 1: REPORTING VERB

Reporting Verb: Basic Changes

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
said	said
said to	told
said to	Asked if the statement is a question
said to	Ordered If the statement is a command
said to	Requested if the statement is a request
said to	Advised if the statement is an advice
said to	warned if the statement is a warning
said to	suggested if the statement is a suggestion
said	exclaimed if the statement is an exclamation
said	wished if the statement is a wish
said	prayed if the statement is a prayer

RULE 2: PRONOUNS

Pronoun in Direct Speech	Usually changes according to
First person : I, me, my, mine, we, us, our	Reporting subject
Second person : you, your, yours	Reporting object
Third person : he, she, it, they, them, their	Usually no change

Memory Rule:

First Person → According to the SUBJECT of reporting verb

Second Person → According to the OBJECT of reporting verb

Third Person → Usually remains unchanged

Pronoun Examples

Direct	Indirect
Riya said, “I am happy.”	Riya said that she was happy.
Riya said to me, “I will help you.”	Riya told me that she would help me.
Rahul said to Priya, “You are kind.”	Rahul told Priya that she was kind.
They said, “We are ready.”	They said that they were ready.
He said, “They are my friends.”	He said that they were his friends.

Demonstrative Words

Direct	Indirect
this	That
these	Those
this book	that book
these books	those books

Example:

Direct: “I like this book.”

Indirect: He said that he liked that book.

RULE 3: TENSE CHANGES

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense usually moves one step backwards.

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Present Simple	Past Simple
I play.	I played.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous
I am playing.	I was playing.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect
I have played.	I had played.
Present Perfect Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
I have been playing.	I had been playing.
Past Simple	Past Perfect
I played.	I had played.
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
I was playing.	I had been playing.
Past Perfect	No change
I had played.	I had played.
Past Perfect Continuous	No change
I had been playing.	I had been playing.

Present Tense Changes

Direct	Indirect	Example
am/is/are	was/were	“I am happy.” → He said that he was happy.
V1/V1+s	V2	“I play.” → He said that he played.
am/is/are + V:ing	was/were + V:ing	“I am reading.” → He said that he was reading.
has/have + V3	had + V3	“I have eaten.” → He said that he had eaten.
has/have been + V:ing	had been + V:ing	“I have been working.” → He said that he had been working.

Past Tense Changes

Direct	Indirect	Direct	Indirect
V2	had + V3	“I went.”	He said that he had gone.
was/were + V:ing	had been + V:ing	“I was going.”	He said that he had been going.
had + V3	No change	“I had gone.”	He said that he had gone.
had been + V:ing	No change	“I had been going.”	He said that he had been going.

When Tense Does NOT Change

Situation	Example
Reporting verb is present	He says, “I am busy.” → He says that he is busy.
Reporting verb is future	He will say, “I am busy.” → He will say that he is busy.
Universal truth	He said, “The Earth moves.” → He said that the Earth moves.
Past perfect	“I had finished.” → He said that he had finished.
Modal already in past form	“I could swim.” → He said that he could swim.

RULE 4: TIME/ PLACE CHANGES

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
now	then
today	that day
tonight	that night
yesterday	the previous day / the day before
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
last night	the previous night
last week	the previous week
last month	the previous month
last year	the previous year
next week	the following week
next month	the following month
next year	the following year
ago	before
here	there
this	that
these	those
thus	so
come	go : depending on context

IMPORTANT TRAP : “TODAY”

Direct:

He said, “I am busy today.”

If reporting is on the same day:

→ He said that he was busy today.

If reporting is on another day:

→ He said that he was busy that day.

So context matters.

Special Time Expressions

Direct	Indirect
the day before yesterday	two days before
the day after tomorrow	two days later
two days ago	two days before
a week ago	a week before
last Sunday	the previous Sunday
next Sunday	the following Sunday

MODAL VERB CHANGES

Direct	Indirect
will	would
shall	would/should
can	could
may	might
must	had to* (*Must requires attention to meaning and context).
could	could
would	would
should	should
might	might
ought to	ought to

TYPE OF SENTENCES AND REPORTING VERBS USED

Statement Rules

Structure:

Subject + said + that + statement

Direct	Indirect
He said, “I am tired.”	He said that he was tired.
She said, “I like music.”	She said that she liked music.
They said, “We are ready.”	They said that they were ready.

“SAID” vs “TOLD”

Direct	Correct Indirect
He said, “I am busy.”	He said that he was busy.
He said to me, “I am busy.”	He told me that he was busy.
He told me, “I am busy.”	He told me that he was busy.
Incorrect: He told that he was busy.	Incorrect

Golden Rule:

TELL needs an object.

Correct: He told me.

Incorrect: He told.

QUESTIONS: MASTER TABLE

Question Type	Connector	Example
Yes/No question	if/whether	He asked if I was ready.
What question	what	He asked what I wanted.
Why question	why	He asked why I was late.
Where question	where	He asked where I lived.
When question	when	He asked when I would come.
Who question	who	He asked who had called.
Which question	which	He asked which book I wanted.
How question	how	He asked how I had solved it.

Yes/No Questions

Formula:

asked + object + if/whether + subject + verb

Direct	Indirect
“Are you ready?”	He asked me if I was ready.
“Do you know him?”	He asked me if I knew him.
“Can you swim?”	He asked me if I could swim.
“Will you come?”	He asked me if I would come.
“Have you finished?”	He asked me if I had finished.

WH Questions

Formula:

asked + object + WH word + subject + verb

Direct	Indirect
“Where do you live?”	He asked where I lived.
“Why are you crying?”	He asked why I was crying.
“When will you come?”	He asked when I would come.
“What are you doing?”	He asked what I was doing.
“How did you solve it?”	He asked how I had solved it.

Question Word Order: BIG EXAM TRAP

Direct Question	Incorrect Indirect	Correct Indirect
Where are you going?	Incorrect: where was I going?	Correct:  where I was going
Why are you crying?	Incorrect: why was I crying?	Correct:  why I was crying
What do you want?	Incorrect: what did I want?	Correct:  what I wanted
When will you come?	Incorrect: when would I come?*	Correct:  when I would come

*The issue is not the modal itself; the problem is maintaining question word order.

Golden Rule:

Indirect question = Statement word order

Command / Order

Formula:

ordered/told + object + to + V1

Direct	Indirect
“Open the door.”	He told me to open the door.
“Sit down.”	He ordered me to sit down.
“Work hard.”	He advised me to work hard.
“Follow me.”	He told me to follow him.

Negative Commands

Formula:

reporting verb + object + not to + V1

Direct	Indirect
“Do not run.”	He told me not to run.
“Don’t shout.”	He told me not to shout.
“Never lie.”	He advised me never to lie.
“Don’t touch it.”	He warned me not to touch it.

Request

Direct Expression	Indirect Reporting Verb
Please…	requested
Kindly…	requested
Please help me.	requested me to help him.
Please wait.	requested me to wait.
Please give me some water.	requested me to give him some water.

Advice

Direct	Indirect
“Work hard.”	He advised me to work hard.
“Take rest.”	The doctor advised me to take rest.
“Eat healthy food.”	The doctor advised me to eat healthy food.
“Do not smoke.”	The doctor advised him not to smoke.

Warning

Direct	Indirect
“Don’t touch the wire.”	He warned me not to touch the wire.
“Don’t go there.”	He warned me not to go there.
“Be careful.”	He warned me to be careful.

Suggestion

Direct	Indirect
“Let us go.”	He suggested that we should go.
“Let’s play.”	He suggested that they should play.
“Let us help him.”	He suggested that they should help him.
“Why don’t we go?”	He suggested that they should go.

Alternative:

suggested + V:ing

He suggested going to the park.

Avoid in school exams:

Incorrect: He suggested me to go.

SENTENCES STARTING FROM: “LET”

Direct “Let” Meaning	Indirect Structure
Let us = suggestion	suggested that…should
Let me = request/permission	requested/asked to be allowed
Let him = permission/allowing	allowed him to… / said that he should be allowed
Let them = permission	allowed them to…

Examples:

Direct	Indirect
“Let us go.”	He suggested that they should go.
“Let me go.”	He requested me to let him go.
“Let him come in.”	He said that he should be allowed to come in.

Exclamatory Sentences

Emotion	Reporting Verb
Happiness	exclaimed with joy
Sorrow	exclaimed with sorrow
Surprise	exclaimed with surprise
Admiration	exclaimed with admiration
Regret	exclaimed with regret
Anger	exclaimed with anger

Exclamation Words

Direct Word	Meaning
Hurrah!	Joy
Alas!	Sorrow
Wow!	Surprise/admiration
Oh!	Surprise/sorrow depending on context
Ah!	Satisfaction/surprise depending on context
Bravo!	Appreciation/admiration

Exclamation Examples

Direct	Indirect
“Hurrah! We won!”	He exclaimed with joy that they had won.
“Alas! He is dead!”	He exclaimed with sorrow that he was dead.
“What a beautiful painting!”	He exclaimed with admiration that it was a very beautiful painting.
“How foolish I have been!”	He exclaimed with regret that he had been very foolish.

Optative Sentences

These express a wish, prayer, blessing, or curse.

Meaning	Reporting Verb
Wish	wished
Prayer	prayed
Blessing	blessed
Curse	cursed

Examples:

Direct	Indirect
“May you succeed!”	He wished that I might succeed.
“May God bless you!”	He prayed that God might bless me.
“May you live long!”	He wished that I might live long.

Special Expressions

Direct Expression	Indirect
Thank you.	thanked
Congratulations!	congratulated
Sorry.	apologised
Good morning.	wished/greeted
Good evening.	wished/greeted
Welcome!	welcomed
Bravo!	applauded/congratulated
Yes.	agreed
No.	refused/denied : depending on context

Promise, Offer, Threat, Refusal

Direct Meaning	Reporting Verb	Example
Promise	promised	He promised to help me.
Offer	offered	He offered to help me.
Threat	threatened	He threatened to punish me.
Refusal	refused	He refused to help me.
Agreement	agreed	He agreed to help me.

Universal Truth

When the statement is a universal truth/general scientific fact, tense generally does not change.

Direct	Correct Indirect
“The Earth revolves around the Sun.”	He said that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
“The Sun rises in the east.”	He said that the Sun rises in the east.
“Water boils at 100°C.”	He said that water boils at 100°C.
“Two and two make four.”	He said that two and two make four.

The “Do/Does/Did” Trap

In indirect questions, do/does/did usually disappear.

Direct	Indirect
Where do you live?	He asked where I lived.
What does she want?	He asked what she wanted.
Why did he leave?	He asked why he had left.
Do you know him?	He asked if I knew him.
Did you see him?	He asked if I had seen him.

Negative Questions

Direct:

He said to me, “Don’t you know him?”

Indirect:

He asked me if I did not know him.

Depending on context, the negative meaning must be preserved.

Questions Beginning with “Shall”

These require attention to meaning.

Direct	Possible Indirect
“Shall I open the door?”	He asked if he should open the door.
“Shall we go?”	He asked if they should go.
“Shall I help you?”	He offered to help me / asked whether he should help me.

“Would You…” : Usually a Request

Direct:

He said to me, “Would you help me?”

Indirect:

He asked me to help him.

Depending on context:

He asked me whether I would help him.

“Could You…” : Request

Direct:

She said to me, “Could you open the door?”

Indirect:

She requested me to open the door.

“Why Don’t You…” : Context Matters

It can express:

• suggestion
• criticism
• question

Example:

“Why don’t you take a break?”

→ He suggested that I should take a break.

“Must” : Exam Table

Meaning of MUST	Possible Indirect Form
Obligation	had to
Necessity	had to
Strong rule	had to
Logical conclusion	may remain must
General/permanent necessity	may remain must

Example:

“I must finish this work.”

→ He said that he had to finish that work.

MOST COMMON EXAM TRAPS

Trap	Wrong	Correct
Told without object	He told that…	He told me that…
Question order	why was I late	why I was late
Question + that	asked that where	asked where
Yes/No question	asked that	asked if/whether
Negative command	told me don’t go	told me not to go
Suggestion	suggested me to go	suggested that I should go
Question mark	He asked if I was ready?	He asked if I was ready.
Universal truth	Earth revolved	Earth revolves
Present reporting verb	says…was	says…is
“Please” retained	requested me please	requested me
Quotation marks	He said “that…”	He said that…
“said to” for question	told me if	asked me if
“said to” for command	said to me to go	told me to go

THE EASIEST WAY TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING

Think of Direct → Indirect as:

TYPE → VERB → PRONOUN → TENSE → TIME/PLACE → STRUCTURE

For example:

Rahul said to me, “Will you come here tomorrow?”

TYPE

Question.

VERB

said to → asked

PRONOUN

you → I

TENSE

will → would

PLACE

here → there

TIME

tomorrow → the next day

STRUCTURE

Yes/No question → if

Final:

Rahul asked me if I would go there the next day.

That is the complete thought process you should use in an examination.