Direct and Indirect speeches

Direct speech has two parts.

1. Reporting speech: It is the first part of the sentence. It has Subject

and an Object.
He said to me, “________.”
She said to me, “_______.”
They said to him, “_______.”
Ahmed said to him, “_______.”
2. Reported speech: It is the second part of the sentence. It has
persons.
He said to me, “I am helping you.”
He said to me, “You are my friend.”
He said to me, “My parents will talk to you and to them.”

Persons: Persons are three in number.

First persons: “I and We” are called first persons. These are
changed according to the subject of the reporting speech. For
example;
1. He said to me, “I am reading a book.” (Direct speech)
He said to me that he was reading a book. (Indirect speech).
The first person “I” has been changed with the subject (He) of the
reporting speech.
He said to me, “I am eating food.”
He told me that he was eating food.
2. They said to me, “We are going home.” (Direct speech)
They said to me that they were going home. (Indirect speech)
They said to me, “We are playing games.”
They told me they were playing games.
The first person “We” has been changed with the subject (They)
of the reporting speech.
Second person: “You” is called second person. It is changed
according to the object of the reporting speech. For example;
He said to me, “You are reading well.” (Direct speech)
He said to me that I was reading well. (Indirect speech)
He said to her, “You are cooking food.”
He said to her that she was cooking food.
Third persons: “He, she, they, it, name” are called third persons. These are
not changed but the tense will be changed in the indirect speech. For example;

He said to me, “She is cooking food.” (Direct speech)

He said to me that she was cooking food. (Indirect speech)
You said to me, “He is going there.”
You said to me that he was going there.
He said to me, “They are coming here.”
He said to me that they were coming here.
She said, “It is raining here.”
She said that it was raining there.
He said to me, “Ahmed is coming.”
He told me that Ahmed was coming.
He said to me, “I am teaching English.”
He told me that he was teaching English.

Change of tenses: If the Reporting speech is written in past indefinite tense,

then, tense in the reported speech will be changed as under: (He said to me)

Tense in Direct speech Tense in Indirect speech

Simple present tense is changed into Simple past tense

Present continuous tense is changed into Past continuous tense

Present perfect tense is changed into Past perfect tense

Present perfect Continuous tense is changed into Past perfect continuous tense

Simple past is changed into Past perfect tense

Past continuous tense is changed into Past perfect continuous tense

If the Reporting speech is written in present indefinite tense or Future
indefinite tense, then, tense in the reported speech will not be changed:
He says to me, “I am teaching.” He says to me that he is teaching.
He will say to me, “I am drinking water.” He will say to me that he is drinking
water.
I (First person) My / Mine Me
Changed with Subject of the
Reporting speech.

We (First person) Our Us

Changed with Subject of the
Reporting speech.

You (Second person) Your You

Changed with Object of the
Reporting speech.

He (Third person) His Him

Third person. Not changed.

She (Third person) Her Her

Third person. Not changed.

They (Third person) Their Them

Third person. Not changed.
Direct speech Indirect speech

Is, Are, Am Was, Were

Has, Have Had

Was, Were Had been

Will, Shall Would

Can Could

May Might

Here There

Yesterday Previous day, Last day

Tomorrow Next day, Coming day

Today That day

This That

Ago Before
Examples;

He said to me, “I am helping you.” (Direct speech)

He said to me that he was helping me. (Indirect speech)

He said to me, “My parents will talk to you.”

He said to me that his parents would talk to me.

She said to me, “I like your books.”

She said to me that she liked my books.

They said to me, “We always like to go with you.”

They said to me that they always liked to go with me.

The teacher said to me, “You have performed your duty well.”

The teacher said that I had performed my duty well.

Change into Indirect form of speech. (Practice Test)

1. He said to me, “My parents have advised me not to speak to you.”
2. He said to me, “I have appreciated the work which you have done for
me.”
3. He said to me, “She has talked to her teacher and my sister.”
4. She said to me, “You purchase things for me and for him.”
5. The teacher said to me, “We guide you because you can win awards for
us.”
6. He said to me, “I always teach you and them.”
7. He said to me, “You advise me and your brother.”
8. He said to me, “We love our country and your sweet home.”
9. She said to me, “I am the asset of my parents and your family.”
10.She said to me, “You can improve your studies.”
Interrogative sentences:

Change the Reported speech of direct speech into Affirmative sentence than
change that Affirmative sentence into indirect speech.

He said to me, “Where are you going?” (You are going) Affirmative sentence
He asked me where I was going.
My mother said to me, “What can I do for you?” (I can do for you)
My mother asked me what she could do for me.
The teacher said to me, “When will you complete the task?” (You will
complete the task)
The teacher asked me when I would complete the task.
He said to me, “Why are you feeling nervous?” (You are feeling nervous)
He asked me why I was feeling nervous.
The police man said, “Why do you break the law?” (You break the law)
The police man asked why I broke the law.
The officer said, “When do you complete the task?” (You complete the task)
The officer asked when I completed the task.

Exercise.
1. He said to me, “Where are you working?”
2. She said to me, “Why are you using my books?”
3. He said to me, “When will you come back?”
4. He said to me, “What do you want?”
5. She said to me, “Why are you sitting here?”

If the reported speech starts with “helping verb” replace the inverted commas
with either “if or whether”

He said to me, “Are you going home? (you are coming home.)
He asked me whether I was going home.

My father said to me, “Will you complete the project today?”

My father asked me whether I would complete the project that day.

He said to me, “Have you visited Lahore?” (You have visited Lahore.)
He asked me whether I had visited Lahore.
The man said, “Will you show me the right way to Shalimar Garden?”
The man asked whether I would show him the right way to Shalimar Garden.

The police man said, “Can I check your luggage? (I can check your luggage.)
The police man asked whether he could check my luggage.

He said to me, “Can you help me?”

He asked me whether I could help him.

Exercise
1. He said to me, “Are you listening to me?”
2. She said to me, “Am I helping you?”
3. He said to me, “Can I show you my books?”
4. He said to me, “Have you done your job?”
5. He said to me, “Have you guided them?”

EXCLAMATORY SENTENCES.

The word “Hurrah” is changed into “exclaimed with joy”

The word “Alas” is changed into “exclaimed with sorrow”

He said to me, “Hurrah! I have passed my exam.”

He exclaimed with joy that he had passed his exam.
She said, “Alas! I have missed my lecture.”
She exclaimed with sorrow that she had missed her lecture.

The teacher said, “Hurrah! You have got first position in my class.”
The teacher exclaimed with joy that I had got first position in his class.
The police man said, “Alas! We cannot catch the thief.”
The police man exclaimed with sorrow that they could not catch the thief.

My father said, “Hurrah! You have proved your strength.”

My father exclaimed with joy that I had proved my strength.
He said, “Alas! We don’t have any place for you.”
He exclaimed with sorrow that they did not have any place for me.

Exercise
1. He said to me, “Hurrah! I have won the game.”
2. She said to me, “Hurrah! My parents have come back.”
3. He said to me, “Alas! I have lost my watch.”
4. The man said, “Alas! I cannot teach you .”
5. He said to me, “Hurrah! I have passed the exam.”

OPTATIVE SENTENCES
“May” is changed into “might”
He said to me, “May you win the match.”
He wished me that I might win the match.
My mother said to me, “May you succeed in your mission.”
My mother wished me that I might succeed in my mission.
The teacher said to me, “May you understand the instructions.”
The teacher wished me that I might understand the instructions.
The captain said, “May you gain the goal of your life.”
The captain wished that I might gain the goal of my life.
The woman said, “May my son succeed in his mission.”
The woman wished that her son might succeed in his mission.

Exercise
1. He said to me, “May you live long life.”
2. He said to me, “May I reach home.”
3. She said to me,” May my parents help me.”
4. She said to me, “May we gain our goals.”
5. He said to me,” May I succeed in my studies.”
He said to me,” Bring me water.”
He asked me to bring him water.

She said to me,” Give me your books.”

She asked me to give her my books.

The officer said to his peon,” Get out of my office.”

The officer ordered his peon to get out of his office.

He said to me, “Do not use my books.”

He forbade me to use his books.