Reported Speech DIRECT and INDIRECT

 Reported Speech

We use direct speech when we repeat someone’s words and

indirect speech when we use our own words to report what

someone else has said. We use an appropriate reporting verb,


When we want to report what people say, we use reporting verbs. Some of the reporting verbs are: tell, ask, reply, warn, say, report,

answer, explain, exclaim, mention, promise, suggest, order, etc. or example:


  Harish complained that he was being ignored.

           He asked if they could take the bat.

           Rita told her not to stay back.

In indirect speech, we change the question to a statement.

  For Example

  Direct Speech: He said to his friend, ‘Where do you live?’

  Indirect Speech: He asked his friend where he lived.


  You can see how the question has been changed into a statement.


   Direct Speech: She asked her mother, ‘What are you doing?’

   Indirect Speech: She asked her mother what she was doing.

   Here if we write -‘Was she  doing  it is still a question so it will be wrong.

   Indirect speech has only statements so we use a full stop at the end of the sentence.


   Yes/no questions

    In yes/no questions, we use if or whether to report the question.  

In yes/no questions, we use if or whether to report the question. ‘Are you going to the fair?'

He asked me if I was going to the fair.

'Have you finished the work?'

She asked me whether I had  finished the work.

Questions with a question word

In what, where, why, who, when or how questions, we use the question word to report the question.


'What is the length of this slate?'

He asked me what the length of the slate was..

'Where did he go?'said she.

She asked where he went.

Reporting verbs

The most common reporting verb for questions is ask, but we can also use verbs like enquire, want to know or wonder.

 Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Present Tense 

When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the present tenses are changed to the corresponding past tense in indirect speech.  

Simple Present Changes to Simple Past

         Direct to indirect speech example:

         Direct: “I am overjoyed”, she said.

         Indirect: She said that she was overjoyed.

         Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.

        Direct to indirect speech example:

       Direct: “I have been to Agra”, she told me.

        Indirect: She told me that she had been to Agra.

 Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb

The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting verb refers to the future or is in present tense. 

  Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: She says/will say, ‘I like the painting’

Indirect: She says/will say she likes the painting.In indirect speech, tenses do not change if the sentence in the Direct Speech is  of a habitual action or universal truth.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: He said, ‘The Earth moves around the Sun.’

Indirect: He said that the Earth moves around the Sun.

  • Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect

  • Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: She said, “I sang loudly.”

Indirect: She said that she had sung loudly.

Direct: I said,’She did not know the way’

Indirect: I said that she had not known the way

(Did  not changes into   had not)

  • Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: “We were playing outside”, they told me.

Indirect: They told me that they had been playing outside.

  • Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: “I am playing football”, she said

Indirect: She said that she was playing football.

  • Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: Namita said, “She has completed the assignment“.

Indirect: Namita said that she had completed the assignment.

Past Perfect remains as Past Perfect it does not change

Direct Speech: He said,’I had found a kite’

Indirect Speech: He said that he had found a kite

Direct Speech              Indirect speech

  • Can                                      could

  • May                                      Might

  • Must                                     Had to/ Would have to

  • Should                                 Should

  • Might                                    Might

  • Could                                   Could

  • will                                       Would

  •  Would                                  would

  • Ought to                               Ought to

    • Now                                       Then

    • Here                                       There

    • Today                                     That day

    • Tomorrow                              The next day

    • Last week                               The previous week

    • This                                                That

    • Tonight                                          That night

    • Ago                                                Before

    • Come                                             Go

    • Next                                               FollowingAn imperative sentence expresses ideas such as advice, order, request, suggestion, instruction, permission, allowance etc.

      In order to change an imperative sentence into the indirect speech, we use a to-infinitive and with reporting verb.
      Reporting Verbs Advise, command, request, suggest, threaten, order, forbid, propose, prompt etc
      Indirect: The man requested the boy to keep the book on the table..
      Direct: The man said to the boy, ‘Please keep the book on the table.’ Direct: I said to him, ‘ Obey your elders.’ Indirect: I advised him to obey his elders.
      Direct: Ruhi said to me, ‘Please lend me your box.’
      Direct: The teacher said to the students, ‘Sit straight.’ Indirect: The teacher advised the students to sit straight. Indirect: Ruhi requested me to lend her my box.
      Exclamatory sentences express a sudden emotions such as joy, sorrow, regret, surprise etc. Common explanatory phrases are given below:
      Hurrah! Ha! 
      Alas! Oh! 
      Bravo! 
      What! Oh! How! 
       
      An exclamatory sentence has a sign of exclamation after it which changes into a full stop in the indirect speech.
      In indirect speech, the exclamatory phrase or word (interjection) is replaced by ‘exclaimed with joy, sorrow,  surprise etc.’
      The word 'that' is added  in the indirect speech.
      Examples are given below:

      Direct: The girl said, ‘Hurrah! I have stood first.’

      Indirect: The girl exclaimed with joy that she had come first. 

      Direct: The old woman said, ‘Alas! He is no more.’

      Indirect: The old woman exclaimed with sorrow that he was no more.

      Direct: Ruhi said, ‘What a beautiful bird!’

      Indirect: Ruhi exclaimed with delight that it was a very beautiful sight. OR Ruhi exclaimed with delight that the sight was very beautiful.

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