EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE ON REPORTED SPEECH

Changing an Imperative Sentence into the Indirect Speech

Imperative sentences do not normally have an expressed subject. This is because the
subject ‘you’ is usually understood.

An 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.
( using ‘that’ is not possible always)
Note that instead of ‘said’ we use one of the following reporting verbs:
Advise, command, request, suggest, threaten, order, forbid, decree, propose, entreat,
prompt, counsel, pardon, beg, persuade, instruct etc.

After suggest, we use –that and not an infinitive to + verb.

The verb propose is not followed by an object.
The verb forbid itself conveys a negative sense.
Direct: The old woman said to the boy, ‘Please help me.’ (request)
Indirect: The old woman requested the boy to help her.

Direct: I said to him, ‘Love and obey your parents.’(advice)

Indirect: I advised him to love and obey his parents. OR I advised that he should love and obey
his parents.

Direct: The teacher said to the students, ‘Work hard.’(advice)

Indirect: The teacher advised the boys to work hard. OR The teacher suggested that the boys
should work hard.

Direct: Jim said to me, ‘Please lend me your pen.’(request)

Indirect: Jim requested me to lend him my pen.

Direct: The doctor said to the patient, ‘Quit smoking.’(request)

Indirect: The doctor advised the patient to quit smoking. OR The doctor suggested that the
patient should quit smoking.

Direct: The officer said to the clerk, ‘Do it immediately.’(order)

Indirect: The officer ordered the clerk to do it immediately.

Direct: The teacher said to the boy, ‘Come in, please.’(permission)

Indirect: The teacher allowed (or asked) the boy to come in.

Direct: He said to me, ‘Post this letter at once.’(order)

Indirect: He ordered me to post that letter at once.
Direct: I said to the children, ‘Do not make a noise.’(forbid)
Indirect: I forbade the children to make a noise. (NOT I forbade the children not to make a
noise.)
Direct: I said to her, ‘Don’t mention his name.’(forbid)
Indirect: I forbade her to mention his name.

Direct: I said to the child, ‘Do not look down into the well.’(warning)
Indirect: I warned the child not to look down into the well.

Direct: He said to me, ‘Wait here till I return.’(instruction)

Indirect: He asked me to wait there till he returned.

Changing an Exclamatory Sentence into the Reported Speech

Exclamatory sentences express a sudden outburst of some emotions such as joy, sorrow,
contempt, regret, surprise etc.
Hurrah, Aha, Ha! Exclaimed with happiness or joy.
Alas, Ah ! Exclaimed with sorrow
What, How, Oh! Exclaimed with surprise
Sorry! Exclaimed with regret
Pooh, Pshaw! Exclaimed with contempt
Bravo! Applauded him saying that

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, regret, surprise, contempt etc.’
The connective that has to be supplied in the indirect speech.
Examples:
Direct: The boy said, ‘Hurrah! We have won the match.’
Indirect: The boy exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Direct: The old man said, ‘Alas! I have lost my purse.’

Indirect: The old man exclaimed with sorrow that he had lost his purse.

Direct: The child said, ‘What a beautiful sight!’

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

Direct: The girl said, ‘How beautiful the girl is!’

Indirect: The girl exclaimed with delight that the rainbow was very beautiful.

Direct: The candidate said, ‘How difficult the problem is!’

Indirect: The candidate exclaimed with disapproval that the problem was very difficult.
Direct: The students said to the teacher, ‘Good morning, Teacher!’
Indirect: The students respectfully wished their teacher good morning.

Direct: ‘How glad I am,’ said Alice, ‘to meet my friend here.
Indirect: Alice exclaimed with delight that she was very glad to meet her friend there.

Direct: The Emperor said, ‘Alas! Our foes are too strong!’
Indirect: The Emperor exclaimed with sorrow that their foes were too strong.

Direct: ‘Hurrah!’ cried the boy, ‘I have won a prize.’

Indirect: The boy exclaimed with delight he had done a prize.

Reporting an Imperative Sentence Beginning with Let

Imperative sentences beginning with let are different from other imperative sentences. Sentences
beginning with let express ideas such as a suggestion, proposal, request, wish, determination,
desire etc.
Direct: He said, ‘Let me go.’
Indirect: He requested to let him go.

Direct: He said, ‘Let’s take him to the doctor.’

Indirect: He suggested that they should take him to the doctor.

Direct: The police inspector said, ‘Let no one leave this room.’
Indirect: The police inspector ordered that no one should leave the room.

Direct: They said to us, ‘Let’s go for a walk.’

Indirect: They proposed (or suggested) that we should go for a walk.

Direct: She said, ‘Let the child go home.’

Indirect: She permitted the child to go home.

Direct: The child said to us, ‘Let me go home.’

Indirect: The child requested us to let him go home. OR The child requested us to allow him to
go home. OR The child requested that he should be allowed to go home.

Direct: The girl said, ‘Let me have another helping of the pudding.’
Indirect: The girl expressed her desire to have another helping of the pudding. OR The
girl requested that she should be allowed to have another helping of the pudding.

Direct: The sage said to his disciples, ‘Do not blame others for your failures.’
Indirect: The sage advised his disciples not to blame others for their failures. OR The
sage enjoined upon his disciples not to blame others for their failures.
Direct: The captain said, ‘Let’s have a race and see who the fastest is.’
Indirect: The captain proposed that they should have a race and who the fastest was.

Direct: The boy said to his father, ‘Let me play now.’

Indirect: The boy requested his father to let him play then.

In sentences containing a wish and generally starting with the word ‘May', the verb in the
reporting speech is changed into ‘Prayed’. 'May' is changed according to verb in the reporting
speech.

She said,"May you succeed in the examination!"

She prayed that I might succeed in the examination.

He said," May God bless you with success!"

He prayed that God might bless me with success.

The beggar said to him,"May you prosper in your business!"

The beggar prayed that he might prosper in his business.

The old lady said to her," May you live long!"

The old lady prayed that she might live long.

People said," Long live our Prime Minister!"

People prayed that their Prime Minister might live long.

The Priest said to the lady,"May God bless you with a lovely son!"
The Priest prayed that God might bless the lady with a lovely son.

She said to him."May you progress and prosper in life!"

She prayed that he might progress and prosper in life.

She said to him."May you progress and prosper in life, my son!"

She called him her son and prayed that he might prosper in his life. OR
She prayed that her son might prosper in his life.
Interrogative Sentences
There are two main kinds of interrogative sentences. Those which start with an auxiliary verb
and those which start with a question word such as what, why, when, where, how etc.

The following changes occur when an interrogative sentence in the direct speech is changed to
the indirect speech.

Interrogative sentences beginning with an auxiliary verb are changed into the indirect speech by
using the connective if or whether.
The reporting verb said (or any other word used as the reporting verb) changes to asked,
queried, questioned, demanded of or enquired of in the indirect speech. Note that of is used
after enquired and demanded only when the reporting verb has an object.
The most common reporting verbs used to report a question are asked and enquired of. The
reporting verb queried is somewhat investigative. Demanded of is the strongest of all reporting
verbs mentioned above. It is used when an explanation is desired.
Note that the indirect speech is always in the assertive form. In other words, the interrogative
sentences in the direct speech will change into assertive sentences in the indirect speech.

Direct: She said to me, ‘Are you coming with us?’

Indirect: She asked me if I was going with them. OR She asked them if I was coming with them.

Direct: She said to me, ‘Are you unwell?’

Indirect: She asked me if I was unwell.

Direct: She said to him, ‘Am I to wait for you till eternity?’
Indirect: She enquired of him if she was to wait for him till eternity.

Direct: I said to him, ‘Were you present at the meeting yesterday?’

Indirect: I asked him whether he had been present at the meeting the day before (or the
previous day).
Direct: The woman asked the stranger, ‘Should I help you?’
Indirect: The woman asked the stranger whether she should help him.

Note that the auxiliary verbs should, could, would, ought to and might do not change in the
indirect speech.
Direct: I said to him, ‘Who are you?’
Indirect: I asked him who he was.

Direct: The mother said to the daughter, ‘Do you know where John is?’
Indirect: The mother asked the daughter whether she knew where John was.

Direct: ‘Have you anything to say on behalf of the accused?,’ said the judge to the lawyer.
Indirect: The judge enquired of the lawyer if he had anything to say on behalf of the accused.

Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

1. ‘What do you want?’ she asked him.
2. ‘Are you coming with us?’ he asked me.
3. He asked, ‘When do you intend to make the payment?’
4. ‘Do you come from China?’ said the prince to the girl.
5. The poor man exclaimed, ‘Will none of you help me?’
6. ‘Which way should I go?’ asked the little girl.
7. Alladin said to the magician, ‘What have I done to deserve so severe a punishment?’
8. ‘Don’t you know the way home?’ I said to her.
9. ‘Do you write a good hand?’ the teacher said to the student.
10. ‘Have you anything to say on behalf of the accused?’ said the judge finally.
11. ‘Have you anything to tell me, little bird?’ asked Ulysses.
12. ‘Who are you, sir, and what do you want?’ they asked.
13. The king was impressed with the magician and asked, ‘What can I do for you?’
14. She asked, ‘What is it that makes you stronger and braver than other men?’
15. ‘Can you solve this problem?’ he asked me.

Answers
1. She asked him what he wanted.
2. He asked me if I was coming/going with them.
3. He enquired when I/he/she intended to make the payment.
4. The prince asked the girl if she came from China.
5. The poor man exclaimed whether none of them would help him.
6. The little girl asked which way she should go.
7. Alladin asked the magician what he had done to deserve so severe a punishment.
8. I asked her whether she did not know the way home.
9. The teacher asked the student if he/she wrote a good hand.
10. The judge finally asked whether he/she had anything to say on behalf of the accused.
11. Ulysses asked the little bird whether it had anything to tell him.
12. They asked who he was and what he wanted.
13. The king was impressed with the magician and asked what he could do for him.
14. She asked him what was it that made him stronger and braver than other men.
15. He asked me if I could solve that problem.

More on Interrogative sentences

Direct: The Father said, ‘Son, did I not ask you to study hard?’
Indirect: The father enquired of his son if he had not asked him to study hard.

Direct: My father said to me, ‘Where were you last night?’

Indirect: My father demanded of me where I had been the previous night.

Direct: She said, ‘Friend, will you wait for a moment?’

Indirect: She asked her friend if she would wait for a moment.

Interrogative sentences beginning with a question word

When a question begins with a question word such as what, who, whom, when, where, why,
how etc., the same word is used to introduce the question in the indirect speech. In other words,
the question word becomes the joining word instead of that, if or whether.

Direct: Viola said to Rosalind, ‘Where are you going?’

Indirect: Viola asked Rosalind where she was going.

Direct: The teacher asked the new comer, ‘What is your name?’
Indirect: The teacher asked the new comer what his name was.

Direct: The wolf said to the lamps, ‘Why are you all so sad?’
Indirect: The wolf asked the lamps why they were all so sad.

Direct: The mother said to her daughter, ‘Dear, how have you fared in the examination?’
Indirect: The mother asked her daughter lovingly how she had fared in the examination.

Direct: The shopkeeper said to me, ‘Which bag do you want?’

Indirect: The shopkeeper asked me which bag I wanted.

Direct: She said to him, ‘Why are you disturbing me?’

Indirect: She asked him why he was disturbing her.

Direct: I said to the boys, ‘Who teaches you English?’

Indirect: I asked the boys who taught them English.

Direct: John said to Mary, ‘What are you doing?’

Indirect: John asked Mary what she was doing.

Direct: The old man said to himself, ‘Why did I come here?’
Indirect: The old man asked himself why he had come there.