Direct and Indirect Rules For Tenses
Direct and Indirect Rules For Tenses
Save Your Future With Perfection (Murad Pur) Sialkot Contact # 0331-6696060
Direct-Indirect Speech
Statement of a speaker or reporter is known as "Speech or Narration". We can report any
Speech to another person in two ways:
(i) Report speaker's Speech to another person in the same words. It is known as Direct
Speech or Direct Narration. In Direct Narration, the Speech is kept in Inverted Commas "I
...".
(ii) Report speaker's Speech to another person in our own words without changing the
meaning of the Speech. It is known as Indirect Speech or Indirect Narration.
Indirect Speech Nadeem told Nimra that he had broken his toys.
From the above example, broadly it comes to knowledge that for changing Direct Speech to
Indirect Speech, we are to
(i) Use a word to join both the parts like 'that' is used here;
(ii) Remove Inverted Commas;
(iii) Change the Pronoun; and
(iv) Change the tense of Reported Speech.
Rule No. 1
First of all see the Reporting Verb. If it is 'say, says, will say or said', in Indirect Speech also
it will remain same 'say, says, will say or said'.
If 'to' is added with the Reporting Verb then in Indirect Speech it will be changed as per
below rule:
When 'to' is added with the Reporting Verb, Object will always be there and in Indirect
Speech after 'Tell or Told', Object must come.
Rule No. 2
See the Tense of Reported Verb. If Tense of Reported Verb is Past Tense then in Indirect
Speech Tense of Reported Speech is changed to Past Tense as per Rule given below:
Can Could
May Might
Could/Should/Would/Might No Change
Rule No. 3
When Reporting Verb is of Past Tense, then the following words of Reported Speech are
changed as per below:
Here There
Hither Thither
Now Then
The day before yesterday The day before the previous day
These Those
This That
Thus So
Rule No. 4
If Tense of Reporting Verb is either Present Tense or Future Tense, we do not make change
in the Tense of Reported Speech.
Rule No. 5
If any Universal Truth, Proverb, Habitual Act, Historical Fact, Unchanged Facts, or
Imaginary Condition comes in Reported Speech, then Tense of Reported Speech does not
change even if Reported Verb is of Past Tense.
Rule No. 6
In all simple tenses, Comma (,) and Inverted Commas ("...") are removed and word 'That' is
used to join both the parts.
Rule No. 7
For changing to Indirect Speech, Pronouns of Reported Speech are changed as per "S O N =
1 2 3" Rule.
Person
Reflexive Case
Ist Person I My Me Myself
4. We will say to Heena, "You have brought her paintings to show us and your Mom."
4. We will tell Heena that she has brought her paintings to show us and her Mom.
5. She said to Nadeem, "I am in love and I want you to protect me.
5. She told Nadeem that she was in love and she wanted him to protect her.
*** If Reporting Verb does not have 'Object', then for changing 2nd Person of Reporting
Speech,
we can assume any Person and make sentence accordingly. See example no 6.
For changing Person, please note that if Person is plural, it will be changed to plural and if
person is possessive, it will be changed to possessive pronouns.
Helping Verbs of Reported Speech in Indirect Speech get changed as per changed Pronoun.
Indirect Aleena told Nadeem that she was reading his newspaper.
Direct She will say to her husband, "Ali did not treat her wife fairly."
Indirect She will tell her husband that Ali had not treated her wife fairly.
Direct She Said, "I know your family very well. I know your grandfather
also."
Indirect She said that she knew his family very well. She knew his grandfather
also.
Indirect Teacher told students that the sun sets in the west.
Direct Nadeem said to Hamza, "You have been playing cricket since
morning."
Indirect Nadeem told Hamza that he had been playing cricket since morning.
Direct Mr.Bilal said to me, "You will get your promotion letter tomorrow."
Indirect Mr.Bilal told me that I would get my promotion letter the next day.
Indirect He said that Mr Obama is the President of the USA. (Unchanged fact,
hence Tense is not changed)
Rule No. 1
In all Interrogative sentences if Reporting Verb is 'say/say to, says/says to, will say/will say to
or said/said to',
in Indirect Speech also it will be changed to 'ask, asks, will ask or asked'.
Rule No. 2
In all Simple Interrogative sentences, Comma (,) and Inverted Commas ("...") are removed
and
word 'If' or 'Whether' is used to join both the parts.
Rule No. 3
For converting Direct Speech to Indirect Speech of all Interrogative Sentences,
the interrogative form of the sentence is changed to Assertive form and
Question Mark (?) is replaced with Full Stop (.).
Rule No. 4
At the time of converting Direct Speech to Indirect Speech of all Interrogative Sentences
'Yes/No' Short Answer is also added with the Interrogative Sentences,
Direct Zain said to Aftab, "Will you come early today from office?"
Indirect Zain asked Aftab whether he would come early that day from office.
Direct Nadeem said to Sadaf, "Can you solve this puzzle?" "No", she said.
Indirect Nadeem asked Sadaf if she could solve that puzzle. She said, She couldn't
or She replied in negative.
Direct Alisha said to Aleena, "Do you know everything about him?" She said,
"Yes".
Indirect Alisha asked Aleena whether she knew everything about him. She said,
she did or She replied in affirmative.
Direct Nadeem said to me, "Have you read the book on Quaid- e- Azam?"
Direct She said to Laiba, "Did I not telephone you in the morning?"
Indirect She asked Laiba whether she had not telephoned her in the morning.
In W-Family Interrogative sentences, Comma (,) and Inverted Commas ("...") are removed
and
no word is used to join both the parts. The word of W-Family does the work to join both the
parts.
***Besides this rule, all the rules described earlier are applicable to W-Family Interrogative
Sentences also.
Examples of W-Family Interrogative Sentences
Direct Sadaf said to Aleena, "What do you want?"
Direct Boss said to his PA, "Why are you sad today?"
Indirect Boss asked his PA why she was sad that day.
Direct The judge said to Ameera, "Why did you beat your servant?"
Indirect The judge asked Ameera why she had beaten her servant.
Direct The teacher said to the Monitor, "Who was not obeying your orders?"
Indirect The teacher asked the Monitor who had not obeyed his orders.
Direct Shahzad said to me, "Why do you compare yourself with the
youngsters?"
Direct The leader said to public, "What are your expectations from us?"
Indirect The leader asked public what were their expectations from them.
Direct The bus conductor said, "Whose bag is this?
Direct Fahad said to Usman, "How will you repay the money?"
Indirect Vajeeha asked Amber why she did not stop there.
Direct Anwar said to his son, "What have you decided to do now?"
For changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech, please see the Reporting Verb and
according to the emotion of Reporting Verb, 'Said To' is replaced with words like
Requested, Advised, Ordered, Commanded, Suggested, Warned etc.
Please and Kindly words and use of word 'Do' to emphasise something in Reported Speech
Sometimes Tag Question is added with Imperative Sentence. It is also not kept in Indirect
Speech.
Rule No. 2
In Imperative sentences, Comma (,) and Inverted Commas ("...") are removed and word
'To' is used to join both the parts.
***Besides these two rules, all the rules described earlier are applicable to Imperative
Sentences also.
Direct The gardener said to children, "Don't pluck the flowers again."
Indirect The gardener warned children not to pluck the flowers again.
Direct Neelam said to her boss, "Please grant me leave for three days."
Indirect Neelam requested her boss to grant her leave for three days.
Direct Doctor said to a patient, "Change your life style and eating habits".
Indirect Doctor suggested a patient to change his life style and eating habits.
Direct My neighbour said to me, "Don't park your car in front of my house."
Direct Naeem Bhai said to me, "Doyou have a cup of tea please".
Direct We said to Mrs. Rahat, "Do tell about your sickness to your family
members please."
Indirect We requested Mrs. Rahat to tell about her sickness to her family
members.
Direct She said to me, "Switch off the fan, will you?
Direct Ali said to Raza, "Send this file to GM, won't you?
Rule no. 1
For making Indirect Speech of Optative Sentence,
'Said' of Reporting Verb is changed according to the Optative Word' of Reporting Speech.
Farewell! Bade
O that…! Wished
O for…! Wished
Indirect Nadeem respectfully wished the sir good evening. / Nadeem respectfully
wished me (you / him / her / them /…) good evening.
Direct Huma said to him, "Would that you were here at that time!"
Rule no. 1
For making Indirect Speech of Exclamatory Sentence,
'Said' of Reporting Verb is changed according to the emotion of the 'Exclamatory Word' of
Reporting Speech.
Same word can depict 'sorrow' or 'joy'. The specific emotion of above mentioned words is to
be construed as per sentence.
Rule no. 2
The words 'What' & 'How' of Reporting Speech are
replaced with words 'Very' Or 'Great'.
'Very' comes before Adjective and
'Great' comes before Noun.
Rule no. 3
In Exclamatory sentences, Comma (,) and Inverted Commas ("...") are
Indirect Nadeem exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
Indirect She exclaimed w ith joy in Murree that it was a very pleasant weather.
Indirect The spectators applauded him saying that it was a classical goal.
Indirect She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her mobile.
Indirect Izza exclaimed with surprise that Nadeem had come from London.
Direct "Pooh" said the Principal to Zain, "You have again failed in the
examination."
Indirect The Principal exclaimed with contempt that Zain had again failed in the
examination.
Indirect Kiran exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her diamond bangle.
Direct He said, "Good God! The fellow has come to life again."
Indirect He exclaimed with surprise that the fellow had come to life again.
Indirect Naeem Bhai exclaimed with applause that Nadeem had done well.
Direct She said, "If I were rich, I would have given one bungalow to my
daughter"
Indirect She wished that if she had been rich, she would have given one
bungalow to her daughter.
Direct The captain said, "Bravo! You have done well, my friends."
Indirect The captain applauded his friends saying that they had done well.
Indirect The nurse exclaimed hatefully that the child was very dirty.
Indirect The young lady exclaimed with sorrow that her husband was no more.
in Reporting Verb 'Said To' is replaced according to the notion of the sentence with words
like - Proposed, Suggested, Requested, Ordered, Wished, Told, etc.
Rule-1
If the meaning of 'Let Sentence' is a suggestion, proposal or wish then for making Indirect
Speech
Rule-2
If the meaning of 'Let Sentence' is to allow, order or persuade then for making Indirect
Speech
(2) 'Let' may remain in the sentence or it may be replaced with 'Allow' and
Rule-3
If condition or supposition comes in 'Let Sentence' then for making Indirect Speech
Direct She said to her sister, "Let him complete his study first."
Indirect She suggested her sister that he should complete his study first.
Direct He said, "Let us wait a few minutes and try again later".
Indirect He suggested that they should wait a few minutes and try again later.
Indirect Nadeem requested his teacher to let him go early that day. OR Nadeem
requested his teacher to allow him to go early that day.
Direct The Manager said to his PA, "Let the boys come in."
Indirect The Manager ordered the PA to let the boys come in.
Direct Party workers said to the Leader, "Let us do some favour to our
supporters".
Indirect Party workers requested to the leader to let them (OR allow them) do
some favour to their supporters.
Direct Shahroz said to Rafay, "Let him study even so hard but he cannot top the
class'"
Indirect Shahroz told Rafay that he might study even so hard but he cannot top the
class.
Direct He said to Umer, "Let him be smart but he cannot excel you.
Indirect He told Umer that he might be smart but he cannot excel him.
Direct She said to me, "Let me buy some clothes for Sadaf and Aleena."
Indirect She told me to let her buy some clothes for Sadaf and Aleena.
Indirect She requested me to allow her to buy some clothes for Sadaf and Aleena.
Direct She said to Najma, "May God bless you with a son!"
Indirect She prayed that God might bless Najma with a son.
Indirect The beggar wished that he would have a ten rupee note.
Direct The farmer said to the fox, "I shall hang you, you rogue."
Indirect The farmer called the fox a rogue and said that he would hang him.
Indirect Addressing the audience the speaker said that he was at their disposal.
Direct Madam sitting on the help desk said, "Well, what can I do for you?"
Indirect Madam sitting on the help desk asked politely what she can do for her.
Direct "Okay". The manager said, "I will take care of her case."
Indirect The manager assured that he would take care of her case.
If 'Had to' comes in a sentence, in Indirect Speech it is
changed to 'Had had to'
Examples
Direct He said, "The police had to arrest the leader after court order".
Indirect He said that the police had had to arrest the leader after court order.
Indirect Captain said that he was an enemy and added to keep an eye on him.
Direct She said to her husband, "I will not prepare dinner today. I also need a
holiday. I will take rest.
Indirect She told her husband that she would not prepare dinner that day and
further added that she also needed a holiday and she would take rest.
Direct Simran said to Nadeem, "No. No. You cannot play smart with me. I am
a girl of Pune and I am smarter than you.
Indirect Simran Nadeem that he could not play smart with her as she was a girl
of Pune and she was smarter than him.
Prepared By: