Direct and indirect speech

Direct and indirect speech can be a source of confusion for English learners. Let's first define the terms, then
look at how to talk about what someone said, and how to convert speech from direct to indirect or vice-
versa.

You can answer the question what did he say? In two ways:

 by repeating the words spoken (direct speech)

 By reporting the words spoken (indirect or reported speech).

Direct Speech

Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place
the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting
something that's being said NOW (for example a telephone conversation), or telling someone later about a
previous conversation.

Examples

 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 or indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the
words spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the
reported words. Inverted commas are not used.

She said, "I saw him." (direct speech) = She said that she had seen him. (indirect speech)

"That" may be omitted:

She told him that she was happy. = She told him she was happy.

"Say" and "tell"

Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:

He said that he was tired.

Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.

"Talk" and "speak"

Use these verbs to describe the action of communicating:

He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.

Use these verbs with 'about' to refer to what was said:

He talked (to us) about his parents.

 
Tense changes when using reported speech
Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech:
She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired.

Phrase in direct speech Equivalent in reported speech

Simple present Simple past
"I always drink coffee", she said She said that she always drank coffee.
Present continuous Past continuous
"I am reading a book", he explained. He explained that he was reading a book
Simple past Past perfect
"Bill arrived on Saturday", he said. He said that Bill had arrived on Saturday.
Present perfect Past perfect
"I have been to Spain", he told me. He told me that he had been to Spain.
Past perfect Past perfect
"I had just turned out the light," he explained. He explained that he had just turned out the light.
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
They complained, "We have been waiting for They complained that they had been waiting for
hours". hours.
Past continuous Past perfect continuous
"We were living in Paris", they told me. They told me that they had been living in Paris.
Future Present conditional
"I will be in Geneva on Monday", he said. He said that he would be in Geneva on Monday.
Future continuous Conditional continuous
She said, "I'll be using the car next Friday". She said that she would be using the car next Friday.

Changing time and place references

Time and place must often change when going from direct to reported speech.

Test your knowledge

Phrase in direct speech Equivalent in reported speech

today that day

"I saw him today", she said. She said that she had seen him that day.

yesterday the day before

"I saw him yesterday", she said. She said that she had seen him the day before.

The day before yesterday two days before

"I met her the day before yesterday", he said. He said that he had met her two days before.

Tomorrow the next/following day

"I'll see you tomorrow", he said He said that he would see me the next day.

The day after tomorrow in two days time/ two days later
 Phrase in direct speech Equivalent in reported speech

"We'll come the day after tomorrow", they said. They said that they would come in two days time/ two days later.

Next week/month/year the following week/month/year

"I have an appointment next week", she said. She said that she had an appointment the following week.

Last week/month/year the previous/week/month/year

"I was on holiday last week", he told us. He told us that he had been on holiday the previous week.

ago before

"I saw her a week ago," he said. He said he had seen her a week before.

this (for time) that

"I'm getting a new car this week", she said. She said she was getting a new car that week.

this/that (adjectives) the

"Do you like this shirt?" he asked He asked if I liked the shirt.

here there

He said, "I live here". He told me he lived there.

In general, personal pronouns change to the third person singular or plural, except when the speaker reports
his own words:
I/me/my/mine, you/your/yours = him/his/her/hers
we/us/our/ours, you/your/yours = they/their/theirs

He said: "I like your new car." = He told her that he liked her new car.
I said: "I'm going to my friend's house." = I said that I was going to my friend's house

Question forms and reported speech

Word order

Normal word order is used in reported questions, that is, the subject comes before the verb, and it is not
necessary to use 'do' or 'did':

Test your knowledge

Examples
Direct speech Indirect speech

"Where does Peter live?" She asked him where Peter lived.

"Where are you going?" She asked where I was going.

"Why is she crying?" He asked why she was crying.

Yes / no questions

This type of question is reported by using 'ask' + 'if / whether' + clause:

Examples
Direct speech Indirect speech

"Do you speak English?" He asked me if I spoke English.

"Are you British or American?" He asked me whether I was British or American.

"Is it raining?" She asked if it was raining.

"Have you got a computer?" He wanted to know whether I had a computer.

"Can you type?" She asked if I could type.

"Did you come by train?" He enquired whether I had come by train.

"Have you been to Bristol before?" She asked if I had been to Bristol before.

Question words

This type of question is reported by using 'ask' (or another verb like 'ask') + question word + clause. The
clause contains the question, in normal word order and with the necessary tense change.

Examples
Direct speech Indirect speech

"What is your name?" he asked me. He asked me what my name was.

"How old is your mother?", he asked. He asked how old her mother was.

The policman said to the boy, "Where do you live?" The policeman asked the boy where he lived.

"What time does the train arrive?" she asked. She asked what time the train arrived.

"When can we have dinner?" she asked. She asked when they could have dinner.

Peter said to John, "Why are you so late?" Peter asked John why he was so late.

Reported speech: orders, requests & suggestions

Reporting orders and requests

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.

Examples
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 move!" The man with the gun warned us not to move.
Requests for objects

Requests for objects are reported using the pattern "asked for" + object.

Examples
Direct speech Indirect speech

"Can I have an apple?", she asked. She asked for an apple.

"Can I have the newspaper, please?" He asked for the newspaper.

"May I have a glass of water?" he said. He asked for a glass of water.

"Sugar, please." She asked for the sugar.

"Could I have three kilos of onions?" He asked for three kilos of onions.

Suggestions

Suggestions are most often reported using the verbs suggest, insist, recommend, demand, request, and
propose followed by a that clause. 'That' and 'should' are optional in these clauses, as shown in the first two
examples below. Note that suggest, recommend, and propose may also be followed by a gerund in order to
eliminate the indirect object (the receiver of the suggestion) and thus make the suggestion more polite. This
usage of the gerund is illustrated in the fourth and fifth examples below.

Examples
Direct speech Indirect speech

She suggested that I should get a mechanic to look at

the car. OR
She suggested I should get a mechanic to look at the
She said, "Why don't you get a mechanic to look at the
car. OR
car?"
She suggested that I get a mechanic to look at the
car.OR
She suggested I get a mechanic to look at the car.

He suggested I go to the doctor. OR

He suggested that I go to the doctor. OR
"Why don't you go to the doctor?" he said.
He suggested I should go to the doctor.OR
He suggested that I should go to the doctor.

"It would be a good idea to see the dentist", said my

My mother suggested I see the dentist.
mother.

The dentist said, "I think you should use a different

The dentist recommended using a different toothbrush.
toothbrush".

You said, "I don't think you have time to see the dentist this
You suggested postponing my visit to the dentist.
week."

I said, "I don't think you should see the dentist this week." I suggested postponing your visit to the dentist.

My manager said, "I think we should examine the budget My manager proposed that we examine the budget
carefully at this meeting." carefully at the meeting.

"Why don't you sleep overnight at my house?" she said. She suggested that I sleep overnight at her house.
Reported speech: hopes, intentions, & promises
Reporting hopes, intentions, and promises

When we report an intention, hope or promise, we use an appropriate reporting verb followed by a 'that'
clause with 'would' in it, or a to-infinitive clause. Verbs used in this pattern include: hope, promise,
threaten, guarantee, & swear. Note that the word 'that' is optional when using a that clause, as in the first
example below.

Examples
Direct speech Indirect speech

He promised to pay me the money the next day. OR

"I'll pay you the money tomorrow," he said. He promised that he would pay me the money the next day. OR
He promised he would pay me the money the next day.

He promised to be back by lunchtime. OR

"I'll be back by lunchtime," he said.
He promised that he would be back by lunchtime.

"We should arrive in London before nightfall," They hoped to arrive in London before nightfall. OR
they said. They hoped they would arrive in London before nightfall.

He threatened to shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the

"Give me the keys to the safe or I'll shoot you!" he safe. OR
shouted. He threatened that he would shoot me if I didn't give him the
keys to the safe.

He swore that he would not tell anyone my secret. OR

"I will not tell anyone your secret" he said.
He swore not to tell anyone my secret.