Direct and indirect speech

eg. Rama said to me, “You are an idle boy.”

Sub

Reporting verb

Object

Reported speech

Reported verb

Rule 1. If the reporting verb is in present tense or future tense- then, the tense of the reported
verb will not change.

[Has/have said, says, say, will/ shall say]

Eg. She says to me, “I am a good dancer.”

She tells me that she is a good dancer.

Ashok says to Harshith, “You played well.”

Ashok tells Harshith that he played well.

Rule no 2. If the reporting verb is in past tense, the tense of the reported verb will change-

The changes are as follows.

1 Present tense 2 Past tense

a a

b b

c c

d d no change

Note: Exception:

If the reporting verb is past tense, and the reported speech tells any universal truth, habitual
action or any scientific fact, the tense of the reported verb will not change.

Eg. 1) The teacher said, “Honesty is the best policy.”

The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.

2) Mohan said, “The sun rises in the east.”

Mohan said that the sun rises in the east.

3) The teacher said, “ Water turns vapour when it boils 100⁰C.”

The teacher said that water turns vapour when it boils 100⁰C.

Rule no 3. Pronouns change

The changes of pronouns are as follows.

SON

Subject Object No change

1st Personal 2nd personal 3rd personal

I, me, my, mine you he, his, him

We, our, us, ours 1st your 2nd she, her

Yours they, their, 3rd

them, theirs

1.Eg. Rama said to me, “You are an idle boy.”

Rama told me that I was an idle boy.

2. Eg. Rama said to me, “I am an idle boy.”

Rama told me that he was an idle boy.

3. Eg. Rama said to me, “He is an idle boy.”

Rama told me that he was an idle boy.

Rule no. 4 Conjunction has to be used

a) Assertive/ declarative sentence

i. “that” is used as conjunction
b) Interrogative sentence
a. Single interrogative(question is asked using helping verb)
i. If/ Whether
b. Double Interrogative (question is asked using question word)
i. The question word itself becomes the conjunction.
c) Imperative sentence
 i. ‘to’
d) Exclamatory sentence
i. That
e) Optative sentence
i. That

Rule no. 5 Reporting verb has to be changed accordingly.

Said, told, asked, ordered, advised, wished, forbade, commanded, exclaimed with
regret/ surprise, happiness,

Rule no 6. The word shows time has to be changed

This that

These those

Here there

Now then

Ago before

Today that day

Tomorrow the next day/ the following day

Yesterday the previous day/ the day before

Last night the previous night/ the night before

Come go

Will would

Shall should

May might

Can could

Hence thence

Thus so

Just then
eg. Rama said to me, [“You are an idle boy.”]

Sub

Reporting verb

Object

Reported speech

Reported verb

eg. Rama said to me, “You are an idle boy.”

Ans. Rama told me that I was an idle boy.

1)John said, “I am busy”

John said that he was busy.

2) She said, “I have done my work.”

She said that she had done her work.

3) He said to me , “Anand is working very hard.”

He told me that Anand was working very hard.

Exercise – 1

1)
Tom says, “There is no ink in the inkpot.”

Tom says that there is no ink in the inkpot.

2)
The teacher says, “The boy was lazy.”

The teacher says that the boy was lazy.

3)
Ashok will say, “Dinner is ready.”

Ashok will say that dinner is ready.

4)
The teacher will say, “Ashok will not pass.”

The teacher will say that Ashok will not pass.

5)
The teacher said, “Ashok will not pass.”
 The teacher said that Ashok would not pass.
6)
Pinky said, “Kamala works very hard.” (1a)

Pinky said that Kamala worked very hard.(2a)

7)
He said, “Anand is working very hard.” (1b)

He said that Anand was working very hard. (2b)

8)
Peter said, “Bali has done his work.”(1c)

Peter said that Bali had done his work. (2c)

9)
He said, “The boy may pass.”

He said that the boy might pass.

10)
Bali said, “Raman returned at noon.” (2a)

Bali said that Raman had returned at noon. (2c)

11)
She said, “All were laughing at the beggar.” (2b)

She said that all had been laughing at the beggar. (2d)
12)
She said, “God loves all the creatures.”

She said that God loves all the creatures.

13)
John said, “I am busy now.” (1 a)

John said that he was busy then.(2 a)

14)
He said, “I have seen this girl before.’ (1 c)

He said that he had seen that girl before (2c)

15)
I said, “These mangoes are very sweet.”(1 a)

I said that those mangoes were very sweet.(2 a)

16)
She said to me, “I finished the work long ago.” (2 a)

She told me that she had finished the work long before. (2 c)
17)
George said, “Today is a fine day.” (1 a)

George said that that day was a fine day. (2 a)

 18)
Ramesh said, “I went to the cinema last night.” (2 a)

Ramesh said that he had gone to the cinema the previous night. (2 c)
19)
Kamala said, “This happened yesterday.” (2 a)

Kamala said that that had happened the previous day. (2 c)

20)
Rama said, “I shall come to tea tomorrow.”

Rama said that he would come to tea the next day.

21)
I said to her, “you are foolish girl.”

I told her that she was a foolish girl.

22)
She said, “You play hockey very well.”

She said that I played hockey very well.

23)
They said, “Yesterday they went to the cinema.”

They said that the previous day they had gone to the cinema.
24)
The girl said, “It will be stormy tonight.”

The girl said that it would be stormy that night.

Where are you going? (double)

I m going to market.

Are you going? (single)

yes I m going.
Interrogative statement

1. Single interrogative if/whether

2. Double interrogative question word
3. Interrogative form declarative

Are you going to market? You are going to market.

4. Reporting verb asked, enquired

1) The teacher said to me, “What is your name?”
The teacher asked me what my name was.
2) He said to her, “Where do you live?”
 He asked (enquired) her where she lived.
3) He said to me, “How old are you?”
He asked me how old I was
4) The tourist said, “Where is the Taj Mahal?”
The tourist asked (enquired) where the Taj Mahal was.
5) Peter said to me, “Do you play cricket?”
Peter asked me if/ whether I played cricket.
6) Mary said to him, “Are you going to the cinema tonight?”
Mary asked him if he was going to the cinema that night.
7) He asked me, “Have you done your work?”
He asked me if I had done my work.
8) He said to her, “What do you want?”
He asked her what she wanted.
9) She said to the wizard, “Do you believe in ghost?”
She asked the wizard if he believed in ghost.

3. IMPERATIVE SENTENCES

a) Reporting verb change to – ordered, commanded, requested, advised, forbaded

b) Conjunction – to

c) Imperative sentence change into Declarative statement

d) Requesting word will not repeat.

EG.

Example

1) I said to Krishna, “Please give me your book.”

I requested Krishna to give me his book.
2) “Leave this place” said the teacher to the boys.
The teacher (ordered) asked the boys to leave that place.
3) He said to the magistrate, “Pardon me.”
He requested (begged) the magistrate to pardon him.
4) The teacher said, “Work hard, Rama”
The teacher advised Rama to work hard.
5) He said, “Be quiet and listen to me.
He urged to be quiet and listen to him
6) The commander said to his soldiers, “Stand at ease.”
The commander commanded his soldiers to stand at ease.
7) The teacher said, “Don’t make noise.”
 The teacher forbid to make noise.

Exclamatory sentences

1. Reporting verb change as –

Exclaimed with joy/ happiness/ regret/ surprise/ applauded

2. Conjunction – that
3. Exclamatory sentence change into –statement or declarative
4. Exclamatory word will not repeat.

1) They said, “Hurrah! We have won the match”

They exclaimed with surprise (joy)that they had won the match.
2) He said, “Alas! I am undone.”
He exclaimed with regret that he was undone.
3) He said, “Bravo! You have played well.”
He applauded that I had played well.

6. Optative statement

Reporting verb will change as – wished, prayed

Conjunction – that

Optative statement changes into declarative statement.

1) He said, “May you live long!”

He wished that I might live long.
2) He said to her, “May God bless you!”
He prayed that God might bless her.
3) They said, “Good morning, Sir.”
They wished him good morning.

The teacher said, “I shall not teach your class tomorrow.”

The teacher said that he/she would not teach my class the next day/ the following day.

Change the following conversation into indirect speech.

1) Rama said, “I shall come to tea tomorrow.”

Rama said that he should go to tea the following day.
2) He said to me, “I have often told you not to idle away your time.”
He told me that he had often told me not to idle away my time.
3) He wrote to me, “I am unable to come just now because I am ill.”
He wrote me that he was unable to go just then because he was ill.
4) The teacher said to me, “You have not done well in the examination.”
The teacher told me that I had not done well in the examination.
5) “You are old enough to earn your living now.” Said the father to the son.
The father told the son that he was old enough to earn his living then.
6) “I will not give you a single penny,” said the old man to the beggar.
The old man told the beggar that he would not give him a single penny.
7) The princess said, “it gives me great pleasure to be here this evening.”
The princess said that it gave her great pleasure to be there that evening.
8) He said, “Where do you come from?”
He asked where I came from.
9) “What do you want?”, he said to her.
He asked her what she wanted.
10) “Do you like this book?” she said to him.
She asked him if he liked that book.
11) “Do you know the way to the station?” said I .
I asked if he/ she knew the way to the station.
12) “Do you really know magic?” she said to the wizard.
She asked the wizard if he really knew magic.
13) He said, “When will the train start?”
He asked when the train would start.
14) “Why are you so late tonight” said the mother to Sita
The mother asked Sita why she was so late that night.