DIRECT & INDIRECT SPEECH (REPORTED SPEECH)
1. What is Direct Speech?
Direct Speech means reporting the exact words of a speaker.
👉 It is written within
quotation marks (“ ”).
✅ Structure:
Reporting Verb + Comma + “Exact Words”
📌 Examples:
- She said, “I am tired.”
- He said, “I will
come tomorrow.”
🔹 2. What is Indirect Speech?
Indirect Speech means reporting what someone said without using
the exact words.
👉 Quotation marks are not
used.
✅ Structure:
Subject + Reporting Verb + (that/if/whether) + Clause
📌 Examples:
- She said that she
was tired.
- He said that he
would come the next day.
🔹 3. Key Changes
in Indirect Speech
When converting Direct → Indirect, 4 major changes occur:
🔸 A. Change in
Tense (Backshift Rule)
|
Direct Speech |
Indirect Speech |
|
Present
Simple → |
Past
Simple |
|
Present
Continuous → |
Past
Continuous |
|
Present
Perfect → |
Past
Perfect |
|
Past
Simple → |
Past
Perfect |
|
Will → |
Would |
|
Can → |
Could |
|
Shall → |
Should |
📌 Examples:
- “She is happy”
→ He said she was happy
- “I will go”
→ He said he would go
👉 ❗ No tense change
if:
- Universal truth
- Habitual fact
Example:
- He said, “The sun rises in
the east.”
→ He said that the sun rises in the east.
🔸 B. Change in
Pronouns
Pronouns change based on:
1.
Speaker
2.
Listener
3.
Context
📌 Examples:
- She said, “I am
ready.”
→ She said that she was ready - He said to me, “You are
late.”
→ He told me that I was late
🔸 C. Change in
Time & Place Words
|
Direct |
Indirect |
|
now |
then |
|
today |
that
day |
|
tomorrow |
the
next day |
|
yesterday |
the
previous day |
|
here |
there |
|
this |
that |
|
these |
those |
📌 Example:
- He said, “I will come tomorrow.”
→ He said that he would come the next day
🔸 D. Removal of
Quotation Marks
- “ ” are removed
- ‘that’ is often used
(optional in informal English)
🔹 4. Types of
Sentences in Indirect Speech
🔸 A. Assertive
Sentences (Statements)
👉 Use that
📌 Example:
- She said, “I am happy.”
→ She said that she was happy
🔸 B.
Interrogative Sentences (Questions)
👉 No question form in indirect
speech
👉 Use if/whether (Yes/No
questions)
👉 Use WH words (what,
where, why…)
📌 Examples:
- He said, “Are you ready?”
→ He asked if I was ready - She said, “Where are you
going?”
→ She asked where I was going
🔸 C. Imperative
Sentences (Orders/Requests)
👉 Use:
- to + verb
- told / asked / ordered /
requested
📌 Examples:
- He said, “Open the door.”
→ He told me to open the door - She said, “Please help me.”
→ She requested me to help her - He said, “Don’t run.”
→ He told me not to run
🔸 D. Exclamatory
Sentences
👉 Use words like:
- exclaimed with joy / sorrow
/ surprise
📌 Examples:
- She said, “What a beautiful
day!”
→ She exclaimed with joy that it was a beautiful day - He said, “Alas! I failed.”
→ He exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed
🔸 E. Optative
Sentences (Wishes/Prayers)
👉 Use:
- wished, prayed, hoped
📌 Example:
- He said, “May you succeed!”
→ He wished that I might succeed
🔹 5. Change of
Reporting Verbs
|
Direct Speech |
Indirect Speech |
|
said |
said
that |
|
said to |
told |
|
said
(question) |
asked |
|
said
(order) |
ordered/told |
|
said
(request) |
requested |
🔹 6. Important
Rules to Remember
✔ Remove quotation marks
✔ Change pronouns correctly
✔ Change tense (if needed)
✔ Change time/place words
✔ Change sentence structure
✔ Use correct reporting verb
🔹 7. Common
Errors
❌ She said that I am tired
✔ She said that she was tired
❌ He told that he will come
✔ He said that he would come
❌ She asked that where I was going
✔ She asked where I was going
🔹 8. Quick
Conversion Formula
👉 Statement → said that
👉 Question → asked
if/wh
👉 Order → told to
👉 Request → requested
to
👉 Negative → not to
MINI TEST👇
A. Change into Indirect Speech
1. She said, “I am reading a book.”
2. He said to me, “You are my best friend.”
3. They said, “We will visit the museum tomorrow.”
B. Change into Direct Speech
4. He said that he was tired.
5. She told me that she had finished her homework.
C. Interrogative Sentences
6. He said to me, “Are you coming to the party?”
7. She said, “Where do you live?”
D. Imperative Sentences
8. The teacher said, “Complete your work on time.”
9. He said to me, “Please help me with this task.”
E. Exclamatory Sentence
10. She said, “What a wonderful performance!”
✅ ANSWER KEY
1. She said that she was reading a book.
2. He told me that I was his best friend.
3. They said that they would visit the museum the next day.
4. He said, “I am tired.”
5. She said to me, “I have finished my homework.”
6. He asked me if I was coming to the party.
7. She asked where I lived.
8. The teacher told the students to complete their work on time.
9. He requested me to help him with that task.
10. She exclaimed with joy that it was a wonderful performance.
GRAMMAR BASICS 1.PARTS OF SPEECH 2. SENTENCE STRUCTURE 3.TENSES
4.SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT 5.ARTICLES AND DETERMINERS
6.VOICE-ACTIVE & PASSIVE 7.DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
8.PUNCTUATION 9 CLAUSES & PHRASES 10.MODALS
No comments:
Post a Comment