C H A P T E R - 1 9

INDIRECT EECH
SPEECH
DIRECT
AND
or arrate what
narrate what a
which we may report
two ways by
There
There are

speaker said.

1. DIRECT SPEECH
the speaker's exact
wor
(Narration/quotation)

In direct speech
are given. here".
trying for a job
John said, "I
am
e.g.:
Note the Punctuation.
inverted commas
are put in
words of the speaker
1. The exact
("") after the reporting
verb.
2. There is a comma
letter.
3. The quoted words begin with a capital
II. INDIRECT SPEECH
the substance of what the
In indirect speech (Narration) only
exact words.
speaker said is given and not the
that he was trying for a job there.
e.g.: John said
sentences
Note that the indirect speech is in the forn1 of ordinary
andhas no special punctuation.srle us
 FSSENTIAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR &COMPOSITION | 115
RULES FOR CHANGING DIRECT
PART-
INDIRECT SPEECH
INTO
"I write a letter"
He said,
Said-Reporting verb. (ntroductoryverbneg
T write a leter". Reported speech.
the reporting verb is in the Past Tense, the
gule
Rule-1
Reported
Speech (Indirect speech) also must be in the Past. i.e.
tense s changed into Past, Past into past perfect and Future
Present
conditional tense.
into future

(a) Simple present

becomes simple past.
e.R:1. He said, " I write a letter". (Direct)

He said that he wrote a letter. (Indirect)

2. She said, "I eat pudding". (Direct)
She said that she ate pudding. (Indirect)
b) Present continuous becomes past çontinuous.
eg.: 1. He said, "I am writing a letter". (Direct)
He said that he was writing a letter. (Indirect)
2. She eating pudding". (Direct)
said, lam
She said that she was eating pudding. (Indirect)
(c) Present Perfect becomes past perfect.
eg.: 1. He said, "T have written a letter". (Direct)
He said that he had written a letter. (Indirect)
2. She said, "T have eaten pudding". (Direct)
She said that shê had eaten pudding. (Indirect)
(d) Present Perfect continuous becomes Past perfectcontinuous.
eg.: 1. He said, "I have been writing a letter". (Direct)
He said that he had been writing a letter (Indirect)
2. She said, " I have been eating pudding". (Direct)

She said that she had been eating pudding, (Indirect)

(e) Simple past becomes Past perfect.
eg:1. He said, "I wrote a letter": (Direct)
He said that he had written a letter. (Indirect)
2. She said, "I ate pudding". (Direct)
She said that she had eaten puddiig (Indirect)
Past continuous becomes Past perfect continuous.
8 1. He said, "I was writing a lettèr":(Direct)
He said thát he had been writing a letter. (Indirect)
2. She said, "
I was eating pudding". Direct)
She said that she had been eating pudding. (Indirect)
116 ESSENTIAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR &COMPOSITION
(g) Past perfect and Past Perfect continuous No chang
Rule
eg.: 1. He said, " I had written a letter". (Direct)

He said that he had written a letter. (Indirect)

2. He said, " I had been writing a letter". (Direct

He said that he had been writing a letter.

(Indire
(h) Future tense becomes Future conditional tense. ect
g: 1. He said, "I will write a letter. (Direct)
He said that he would write a letter. (Indirect)
2. She said, "I shall eat pudding". (Direct)
She said that she would eat pudding. (Indirect)
Note: Care should be taken when 'shall' is used with the second
third persons. In such cases 'shall' in Direct speech is chano
to 'should' in Reported speech. nged
eg: 1. The sub-inspector told the constable,"You shallà
extra duty for three days". (Direct)
The sub-inspector told the constable that he should do
extra duty for three days. (Indirect)
2. The officer ordered, "All shall submit the files". (Direct
The officer ordered that all should submit the files

will is changed into would

(Indirect
shall is changed into shouid
can is changed into could
may is changed into might
haslhave is changed into had
amlislare is changed into wvaslwere
Rule:2 If the Reporting verb is in the Present or Future Tense the
tense of the verb is not changed in the indirect.
e.g.: 1. He says,"Iwrite a letter". (Direct)
He says that he writes a,letter. (Indirect)
2. She says, "I am eating pudding". (Direct)
he says that she is eating pudding. (Indirect)
3. He says, "I will kick you". (Direct)
He says that he will kick him. (Indirect)
4. He will say, "I write a letter". (Direct)
le will say that he writes a letter. (Indirect)
5. She will say, "I have eaten pudding".(Direct)
She will say that she has eaten pudding.(Indirect)
the
Rule:3 If it is a statement, the conjunction 'that' is used after
reportin8 verb.
e.g.: He said, "I am happy". (Direct)
He said that he was happy. (Indirect)
 FOSENTIA
ENGLISH GRAMMAR &
cOMPOSITION I 117
The First and Second persons in the Direct
Rulei4

Ku become Third in the Indirect. speech should

e.g1. le said, "I watch a film" (Direct)
He said that he watched a film.
2 (Indirect)
She said, "You are lazy", (Direct)
She said that they were lazy".
(Indirect)
1(is changed into) he/she
We-they
You-they/he/she
My-his/her
Our-their
Your-their/his/her
Me-him/her.
Rule:5 1f the person addressed to, reports the speech, The Second
person in the direct becomes First person in the Indirect.
e.g.: 1. He said to me, "You area fool". (Direct)
He said to me that I was a fool. (Indirect)
2. She said to me, "You are a liar". (Direct)
She said to me that I was a liar. (Indirect)
Rule:6 Words expressing Nearness in time and place are
changed into words expressing Distance.
generally
e.g.: 1. He said, "I am ready here now'". (Direct)
He said that he was ready there then. (Indirect)
She said, "I came two months ago". (Direct)
She said that she had come two months before. (Indirect)
Now becomes then
this becomes that
these becomes those
here becomes there
ago becomes before
thus becomes so
to-day becomes that day
to-morrow becomes the next day, following day etc.
yesterday becomes the day before, the previous day
etc.
last-night becomes the night before
next week/year becomes the following weeklyear
last weeklyear becomes the previous week/year.
Rule:7 To report Question in Indirect speech, the Reporting Verb is
changed into 'Asked', 'Enquired', 'wanted to know, etc
118 ESSENTIAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR &COMPOSITION

eg: 1. He said, Who are you?" (Direct)

"

He asked him who he was. (Indirect)

2. She said, "What are you doing here?" (Direct)
She asked him what he was doing there. (Ind
-Reporting verb + suitable object +Question w nditen
subject+verb. word
Note that the Interrogative word order changes to Affirma
word order and therefore the question mark is also omitted jn
Indirect. in the
Rule:8 If it is an Yes/No Question, then If or Whether is
used a
the Reporting verb. afte
eg.: 1. He said, "Are you happy here?" (Direct)
He enquired if they were happy there. (Indirect)
2. She said, "Will you do me a favour?" (Direct)
She asked him whether he would do a favour for
he:et
(Indirect)
Form R . Verb +if lwhether + S+ V.
Rule:9 If it is a command, change the
reporting verb to -

tol
ordered or commanded.
e.g.: 1. The father said to his son, "Go and pay your fees at
once". (Direct)
The father told his son to go and pay his ftees at once
(Indirect)
2. The judge said to the witness, "Tell the truth". (Ditect)
The judge ordered the witness to tell the truth. (Indirect
3. The captain said to his men, "Stand at ease".
(Direct
The captain commanded his men to stand at ease
(Indirect)
Note how the order or command is changed into infinitive mood
(eg. "Tell the truth into to tell the truth").
Rule: 10 Negative Commands are changed into Indirect
Infinitive:
eg: 1. The Captain said to his soldiers, "Don't retum the
fire". (Direct)
The captain ordered his soldiers not to return nie

(Indirect)
2. The principal saidto the students, "Don't go
Direct) irect)
The principal told the students not to go in. (Indire
 ESSENTIAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR& COMPOSsITION|119
nla- 11 When 'Let' is used for some suggestion, he Reporting verb
can be changed to 'Suggested' in the indirect.
e.C.: 1. He said, "Let's listen to the music". (Direct)
He suggested our listening to the music. (Indirect)
He suggested that we should listen to some music."
(Indirect)
2. The officer said, "Let them see the Manager". (Direct)
The officer suggested their seeing the Manager.
(Indirect)
The officer suggested that they should see the
manager. (Indirect)
Rule: 12 Let him/them express command, but the speaker can
a
often have no authority over the person to whom the
command is given.
start a
e.g.: 1. The village elder said, "Let the
Government
school". (The village has no money) (Direct)
The village elder said that the Government should
start a school. (Indirect)
command.
Rule: 13 Let him/them' can express real
Form-R. Verb + be + infinitive.

e.g.:1. The Inspector said, "Let no one touch the body".

(Direct)
The Inspector said that no one was to touch the body.
(Indirect)
Note how it is used with 'should' using the verb
command or order.
The Inspector ordered that no one should touch the

body. (Indirect)
2. The General said, "Let's cross the river five miles
upstream". (Direct)
The General said that they were to cross the river five
miles upstream. (Indirect)
Rule: 14 To report an entreaty/request, the reporting verb is changed
into, entreated, reques ted, begged, pleaded etc.
give me some food".
"
Please
eg: 1. The hungry child said,
(Direct)
The hungry child begged them to give him some food.

(Indirect)
2. The anxious mother said, "Oh! doctor, please save my
son's life". (Direct)
The anxious mother entreated the doctor to save her

son's life. (Indirect)

1201 ESSENTIAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR & COMPOSITION
Rule: 15 To repori a wish or an exclamation the Keporting verh
changed into exclaimed, praised, calle lled to witness,
applauded, blamed, desired, wished etc.
r e g : 1. The boy said, " How happy I am!". (Direct)

The boy exclaimed that he was very happy. (Indirees

2. "Help me God"! he cried, "I will never deny vo you"
(Direct)
He called upon God to witness that he would
neve
ever
deny him. (Indirect)
3. She cried, "O that I were
dead!
She wished that she were dead.
Note: Refer
chapter44 for exercise.