Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech

On some occasions, we need to describe what someone has said. When we repeat that, there are two possible options to describe what someone has said. If you want to repeat, you have options whether you want to repeat the same words or you want to do some changes. In other words, you have two options to repeat someone’s words from the speaker’s perspective or your perspective. The two ways are direct speech and indirect speech. 

Direct Speech

When we repeat someone’s words, one option is to repeat the exact words. When we repeat the exact words of someone, the speech is called direct speech. The exact words are enclosed in quotation marks. Don’t get confused when you see the two terms “direct speech and reporting speech”. They are the same things.  

Ali said, “I have planned to study abroad.”

Indirect Speech

The way we repeat someone’s words without quotation marks and exact words is called indirect speech. It is also called reported speech.

• Ali said that he had planned to study abroad.

Reporting Verb

A reporting verb is used for conveying the action of speaking or reporting what someone has said. The following are reporting verbs: admit, advise, agree, assure, ask, convince, complain, confirm, declare, demand, exclaim, explain, insist, inform, mention, notify, promise, propose, persuade, reassure, remind, refuse, report, say, suggest, tell, threaten, warn, and wish.

Direct: Ali said, “Why do you disturb him?”
Indirect: Ali asked why I disturbed him.

Reporting Clause

A reporting clause is a clause that indicates that someone has said or thought something.

• My friend said, “I have given an interview for a new job.”

Reported Clause

It is a subordinate clause that includes the sayings of someone.

Indirect: She told me that she was very busy that day.

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

Removing Inverted Commas

When we convert direct speech into indirect speech, we remove inverted commas.

Direct: She told me, “I am very busy today.”

Indirect: She told me that she was very busy that day.

Using the Conjunction That

In indirect speech, we use the conjunction “that” after reporting verb.

Direct: She said, “I lent my friend 100 dollars.”

Indirect: She said that she had lent her friend 100 dollars.

Change of Pronouns

When we change direct speech into indirect speech, we have to change some pronouns. Pronouns of a reported clause are changed according to the pronouns of the reporting verb. The pronouns are changed by using the SON formula. S stands for the subject of the reporting verb. O stands for the object of the reporting verb. N means no change. We write 123 below SON. 1 is used for 1^st person pronouns; 2 for second-person pronouns; 3 for third-person pronouns.

• First-person pronouns of quoted speech are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb.
• When we have second-person pronouns in the reported clause, we change them according to the object of the reporting verb.
• Third-person pronouns are not changed. 

Direct: Ali said, “I want to eat rice.”

Indirect: Ali said that he wanted to eat rice.

Direct: Ali said to me, “You are my best friend and I need your help.”

Indirect: Ali said to me that I was his best friend and he needed my help.

Direct: He said, “I forgave you.”

Indirect: He said that he had forgiven me.

When we talk about the changing of pronouns, it means that all cases of personal pronouns are changed. Similarly, possessive adjectives are also changed according to the SON formula.

Direct: John said to me, “I will call your father and tell him about your result.”

Indirect: John said to me that he would call my father and tell him about my result.

Direct: She said, “It is yours.”

Indirect: She said that it was mine.

 

Reported Speech Tense Changes

The reporting verbs can be in the present, past, or future. If the reporting verb is in the past, we change the tense of the reported speech (2^nd part) of the sentence. If a reporting verb is in the present or future, the tense of the reported clause remains unchanged.

Simple Present changes into Simple Past

Direct: He said, “I submit the documents.”

Indirect: He said that he submitted the documents.

Direct: He said, “We eat some sandwiches.”

Indirect: He said that they ate some sandwiches.

 

Present Continuous into Past Continuous

Direct: I said, “I am telling the truth.”

Indirect: I said that I was telling the truth.

Direct: He said, “I am driving my friend’s car.”

Indirect: He said that he was driving his friend’s car.

Present Perfect Changes into Past Perfect

Direct: They said, “We have completed the work.”

Indirect: They said that they had completed the work.

Direct: She said, “I have joined a new job.”

Indirect: She said that she had joined a new job.

Present Perfect Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: She said, “I have been taking classes since morning.”

Indirect: She said that she has been taking classes since morning.

Direct: James said, “I have been watching TV for an hour.”

Indirect: James said that he had been watching TV for an hour.

Simple Past into Past Perfect

Direct: We said, “We did our homework.”

Indirect: We said that we had done our homework.

Direct: John said, “I broke the windowpane.”

Indirect: John said that he had broken the windowpane.

Past Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: Ali said, “I was watching TV.”

Indirect: Ali said that he had been watching TV.

Direct: She said, “I was cooking in the kitchen.”

Indirect: She said that she had been cooking in the kitchen.

Past Perfect tense and Past Perfect Continuous tense Remain Unchanged

Direct: William said, “They had eaten rice with meat.”

Indirect: William said that they had eaten rice with meat.

Direct: He said, “He had been waiting for two hours when I reached there.”

Indirect: He said that he had been waiting for two hours when he reached there.

Will Changes into Would (Future Tenses)

Direct: They said, “We will collect the letters.”

Indirect: They said that they would collect the letters.

Direct: Diya said, “I will have arranged everything by the time you come.”

Indirect: Diya said that she would have arranged everything by the time we come.

No Back-shift

It is also possible that a person may report someone’s words at the same time, or his saying is still relevant. It often happens when someone uses present tenses or talks about the future.

Direct: John said, “My brother works as an engineer in a large company.”

Indirect: John said that his brother works as an engineer in a large company.

Direct: She said, “I have reserved a seat for you.”

Indirect: She said that she has reserved a seat for me.

Direct: She said, “I am getting married next month.”

Indirect: She said that she is getting married next month.

The first example tells us that John’s brother is still an engineer in that company. The second example describes that the time of saying is the near past. The last example describes that the time of saying is this month.

Modal Verbs Changes

When we have modal verbs in quoted speech, some of them are changed in indirect speech, and some remain the same.

Modals that Remain the Same

Should, might, had to, would, could, and ought to remain the same.

Direct: John said, “They should invite them.”

Indirect: John said that they should invite them.

Direct: Diya said, “Ali had to cook the meal.”

Indirect: Diya said that Ali had to cook the meal.

Modals That We Change

Can	Could
May	Might
Must	Had to
Will	Would
Shall	Should
Have to	Had to

Direct: John said, “I can cut the tree.”

Indirect: John said that he could cut the tree.

Direct: Ali said, “It may rain in Islamabad.”

Indirect: Ali said that it might rain in Islamabad.

Direct: My father said, “You must reach home on time.”

Indirect: My father said that I had to reach home on time.

Direct: I told him, “You will reach on time.”

Indirect: I told him that he would reach on time.

Direct: She said, “I shall cook something new.”

Indirect: She said that she should cook something new.

Direct: John said, “I have to wait for my friend.”

Indirect: John said that she had to wait for my friend.

Changing Time Words

When we report something, we change time words and place words. Remember that this rule is applied when we report at different times, or when we are in different places.

Time Words

Now	Then, at that time
Today	That day, yesterday, on Monday
Tonight	That night, on Monday night, last night
Tomorrow	The next day, the following day, today, on Monday
Next year	The following year, in 2020
Yesterday	The previous day, the day before, on Sunday
Last night	The night before, the previous night, on Monday night
Next week	The following week,
Next month	The following month, the coming month, in July
Five minutes ago	Five minutes before
In 10 minutes	10 minutes later

Direct: She said, “I am calling him now.”

Indirect: She said that she was calling him then.

Direct: He said, “I will take the class tomorrow.”

Indirect: He said that he would take the class the following day.

Direct: I said, “I went to Islamabad yesterday.”

Indirect: I said that I had gone to Islamabad the previous day.

Direct: She said, “I am coming in 10 minutes.”

Indirect: She said that she was coming 10 minutes later.

Changing Place Words

Here	There, in Islamabad
This	That
This book	That book, the book
In this room	In that room, in the room, in the dining room

Direct: John said, “You can do anything here.”

Indirect: John said that I could do anything there.

Direct: He said, “He has to sleep in this room.”

Indirect: He said that we had to sleep in the living room.

Changing Questions

Yes/No Questions

To convert these questions into indirect speech, “If” is used instead of “that”. The reporting verb is replaced with the word “ask”. The form of the question is changed into a declarative form.

Direct: He said, “Do you like my shirt?”

Indirect: He asked if I liked his shirt.

Direct: John said, “Are you counting something?”

Indirect: John asked if I was counting something.

WH Questions

While converting wh questions, we remove the word “if”.

Direct: She said, “When do you study math?”

Indirect: She asked when I studied math.

Direct: Ali said, “What are you doing now?”

Indirect: Ali asked what I was doing then.

Changing Commands

Command sentences are used to express order, request, or advice. To convert commands, “to” is used before the main verb. The reporting verbs are replaced with the words request, order, advise, forbade, or suggest.

Direct: John said, “Please give me your pen for a while.”

Indirect: John requested to give him my pen for a while.

Direct: He said, “Take care of the cat.”

Indirect: He ordered me to take care of the cat.

Changing Exclamations

To convert exclamations into indirect speech, some words (exclaim with joy, exclaim with sorrow, exclaim with wonder, etc.) are used as reporting verbs. The form of the sentence is changed into declarative.

Direct: He said, “Alas! I lost my wallet.”

Indirect: He exclaimed with sorrow that he had lost his wallet.

Direct: She said, “What a nice shirt you have bought!”

Indirect: She exclaimed that I had bought a nice shirt.

Changing Optative Sentences

As we know that optative sentences express a wish, hope, or prayer. To change the optative sentence into indirect speech, we use the words “hope, wish, or pray” in reporting verb.

Direct: My mother said, “May you live long and have a bright future!”

Indirect: My mother prayed that I might live long and have a bright future.

Direct: She said, “Wish you good luck!”

Indirect: She wished me good luck.

 

How to punctuate direct speech?

ü  We use a comma after the reporting verb.

• She said, “How is James?”

ü  Quotation marks enclose the exact words someone has said.

• John said, “You had better count the money before leaving.”

ü  British English prefers single quotations.

• John said, ‘You had better leave this place.’

ü  We use all terminal punctuation marks inside the closing inverted commas.

• Ali said, “I am using your mobile phone.”

ü  When we use a reported clause at the beginning, a comma is used at the end inside the quotation marks. It is not applicable in questions and exclamations.

• “I am making tea,” said Ali.
• “Who is John to you?” he said.

ü  Reporting verbs can be used inside a reported clause.

• “Our principal,” Ali said, “assigned new duties.”

ü  Single and double quotation marks are used in embedded quotations.

• “She said, ‘I will go to New York’,” recalled Ali.

ü  British style is

• ‘She said, “I will not miss the bus”,’ recalled James.

 

Reporting Verbs Examples

Direct: He said, “The postman dropped the letter outside our house.”

Indirect: He complained that the postman had dropped the letter outside their house.

Direct: Our teacher says, “Simple present tense is used for routine activities.”

Indirect: Our teacher explains that simple present tense is used for routine activities.

Direct: Ali said to me, “You should always respect your teachers and parents.”

Indirect: Ali suggested that I should always respect my teachers and parents.

Direct: John said to me, “This is your last chance, and don’t repeat it.”

Indirect: John warned me that that was my last chance and not to repeat it.

Direct: He told me, “All the teachers are present and the principal is absent from the school.”

Indirect: He told me that all the teachers were present and the principal was absent from the school.

Related Topics:

Punctuating Direct Speech

        Direct and Indirect Speech Examples