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Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct speech reports the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports the general idea without using the exact words. In direct speech, pronouns and verbs are not changed from the original. In indirect speech, pronouns may change depending on the subject and object of the reporting speech, and verbs change tense depending on whether the reporting speech is in the past or present/future tense. Certain other words like demonstratives and adverbs of time and place may also require changes when changing from direct to indirect speech.

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693 views

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct speech reports the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports the general idea without using the exact words. In direct speech, pronouns and verbs are not changed from the original. In indirect speech, pronouns may change depending on the subject and object of the reporting speech, and verbs change tense depending on whether the reporting speech is in the past or present/future tense. Certain other words like demonstratives and adverbs of time and place may also require changes when changing from direct to indirect speech.

Uploaded by

Sarika Joshi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

Direct Speech: The message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in


his own actual words without any change.
Eg- Radha said, “I am very busy now.”

Indirect Speech: the message of the speaker is conveyed or reported


in our own words.
Eg- Radha said that she was very busy then.
DIRECT SPEECH
EXAMPLES

They said, “They take exercise every day.”


You say, “I shall visit London.”
She says, “She sang a song.”
He says, “I am ill.”
She says, “I am a little bit nervous.”
REPORTED SPEECH

It is used when a person reports direct speech, that is he reports


orally or writes down the words in an appropriate tense and
refers to the original speakers or writers in the third person,
making other necessary .
EXAMPLE:
RULES TO CHANGE SPEECHES

Changes in Person of Pronouns:


1st Person Pronouns in Reported Speech are always changed according to the
SUBJECT of the Reporting Speech.
2nd Person Pronouns in Reported Speech are always changed according to the
OBJECT of the Reporting Speech.
3rd Person Pronouns in Reported Speech are not changed.
CHANGES IN VERBS
In case, the Reporting Speech is in PRESENT TENSE or FUTURE TENSE, then no change
is required to be made in the VERB of Reported Speech. This verb could be in any
tense i.e., Present, Past or Future. For example:
Direct Speech: He says, “I am ill.”
Indirect Speech: He says that he is ill.
In Future Tense, while no changes are made except SHALL and WILL are changed
into WOULD.
Direct Speech: They said, “They will take exercise.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they would take exercise.
If Reporting Verb is in Past Tense, then Reported Verb will be changed as per
following criterion:
Present Indefinite Tense is changed into Past Indefinite Tense. For example:
Direct Speech: They said, “They take exercise every day.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they took exercise every day.
Present Continuous is changed into Past Continuous Tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They are taking exercise every day.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they were taking exercise every day.
Present Perfect is changed into Past Perfect Tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They have taken exercise.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they had taken exercise.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense is changed into Past Perfect Continuous Tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They have been taking exercise since morning.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they had been taking exercise since morning.
Past Indefinite is changed into Past Perfect Tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They took exercise.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they had taken exercise.
Past Continuous Tense is changed into Past Perfect Continuous Tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They were taking exercise.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they had been taking exercise.
No changes are required to be made into Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Tenses.
CHANGES IN CERTAIN WORDS
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

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