9.

Reported Speech(Indirect speech)

What a person says can be reported either directly or indirectly.

(1) Direct speech

Father said “ I’m going to the bank”

She said “I can’t come tomorrow”

He said “I can’t come tomorrow evening ”

Introductory Clause (IC) Reported Clause (RC)

(2) Indirect speech (Reported speech)

DS: Father said “ I’m going to the bank”

RS: Father said he was going to the bank

flfkl= mjik foa j¾. ;=kls

1) Statements

Ex:I’m going home.

She doesn’t like curd.
2) Questions

Ex Do you eat meat?

Where is she going?

3) Commands

Ex Go home
Please help us
Don’t smoke here

01 Reporting statements

Rules:

(1) The conjunction ‘that’ is placed between IC and RC. That can be omitted in spoken English.

(2) The pronouns (I/we/you/they/he/she/my/your/our etc) change according to the situation.

(3) When the IC is in the past tense, the tense of the RC changes into the corresponding
past tense.
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Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
 Direct speech Indirect speech

Sim. Pre. Simple past

Simple Past Past perfect or Simple past
Simple future will/shall would / could / should
Present Continuous Past Continuos
Past Continuous Past Continuos or Past Perfect Continuous
Future Continuous will/ shall could/ would / should
Present Perfect Past Perfect
Past perfect Past Perfect
Future perfect will/ shall would/could / should
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
can could
do/ does did
did did or had done
have/ has had
had had or had had
am/is/ are was/ were
was/ were was/ were or had been
will / shall would/ could/ should

(4) The following changes are made according to the situation.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

here there
today that day
now then
this that
these those
tomorrow the following day or the next day
the day after tomorrow in two days’ time
yesterday the day before or the previous day
the day before yesterday two days before
last the previous
next the following
ago before

Ex DS: Gayan said “I don’t know your phone number”

RS: Gayan said that he didn’t know my phone number.

DS: The girl said “ I will come here to meet you tomorrow”.
RS: The girl said that she would come there to meet me the next day.

DS: They said “ we are going to sell our house”

RS: They said that they were going to sell their house.

DS: The students said “ we have done our homework”

RS: The students said that they had done their homework.

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Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
(5) There is no change in the Tense of the RC when we report something that always happens.

DS: Father said “The Earth goes round the sun”

RS: Father said the Earth goes round the sun.

DS: Teacher said “Light travels faster than sound”

RS: Teacher said light travels faster than sound.

(6) There is no change in the Tense of the RC when the IC verb is in the present, present
perfect or future.
DS: He says “I like this place”
RS: He says that he likes that place.

DS: They have said ”We are coming tomorrow”

RS: They have said that they are coming the next day.
DS: He will say, “I don’t have money”
RS: He will say that he doesn’t have money.

(7) The IC verb say (said) must be replaced by tell, inform, advise, promise etc when
the person addressed is expressed is in the IC.

DS: He said “I can help you”

RS: He said that he could help me.

DS: He said to me “I can help you”

RS: He told me that he could help me.

DS: We said to him “You have to learn English”

RS: We advised him he had to learn English.

DS: They said to me “There is a meeting tomorrow”

RS: They informed me there was a meeting next day.

DS: He said to me “ I will give you the money next week”

RS: He promised me he would give me the money the following week.

Exercise 01

Turn the following statements from direct to indirect speech.

(1) DS: She said “My father is ill”.

RS: ..........................................................................................................................
(2) DS: She says, “I shall pay the money next week”.
RS: ..........................................................................................................................
(3) DS: Nimal said “ I read this book last year”.
RS: ..........................................................................................................................
(4) DS: He said “I can do the work”.
RS: ..........................................................................................................................
(5) DS: Teacher said (to me) “you are wrong”.
RS: ..........................................................................................................................
(6) DS: They have said, “We will not do the work”.
RS: ..........................................................................................................................
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Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
 (7) DS: He said (to her) “I will help you”.
RS: ........................................................................................................................
(8) DS: Mary said “I have returned the book”.
RS: ........................................................................................................................
(9) DS: She said “ I posted the letter yesterday”.
RS: ........................................................................................................................
(10) DS: He said “I am going to church now”.
RS:........................................................................................................................
(11) DS: Sameera said (to me) “Your work is good”.
RS: ........................................................................................................................
(12) DS: “I shall not accept any payment” she declared.
RS:........................................................................................................................
(13) DS: She said “ My mother has gone to the market.”
RS:........................................................................................................................
(14) DS: Thomas said, “My mother works in a firm”.
RS:........................................................................................................................
(15) DS: He said (to William) “ You ought to work harder”.
RS: ........................................................................................................................
(16) DS: She remarked “It is very warm today”.
RS: ........................................................................................................................
(17) DS: She said (to me) “ You have done well”.
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(18) DS: He said (to her) “I got married last year”.
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(19) DS: He said (to me) “You will be surprised to hear about this”.
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(20) DS: Mother said “When I went to the market, it was raining”.
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(21) DS: He said “ I didn’t ask him for help as he was not a trustworthy person”.
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(22) DS: She said (to me) “It might rain today”.
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(23) DS: Tom said “If I had money, I would buy a house”.
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(24) DS: She said, “ Life becomes difficult when the cost of living goes up.
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(25) DS: The boy said that “I am suffering form fever today”
RS: ....................................................................................................................

02 Reporting questions

There are two types of questions.

(1) Yes/ no questions (do/does/did am/ is/ are/ was/ were/ has/ have/ can/ etc..)

Ex Do you eat meat? Yes / No

Is she sleeping? Yes / No

(2)‘Wh’ questions ( why/ where/ when/ how/ etc)

Ex Where are you going?

Why did she scold you?

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Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
 Rules:

(1) Ic verb say (said) must be replaced by ask, inquire, want to know, wonder etc.

(2) The conjunction if / whether is placed between IC and RC when we report a yes/ no questions.

(3) Tenses, pronouns etc change in the same way as in the statements.

(4) The interrogative form (question) of the question becomes affirmative (positive) form in
Reported Speech.
(iii) ......................................................................................
(ii) .....................................................................................
Ex (i) ......................................................................................
01 DS: They said to me “Do you have money?
RS: ........................................................................................................................

(iii) ......................................................................................
(ii) ......................................................................................
(i) ......................................................................................
02 DS: Father said to me “ Are you going to class?”
RS: .........................................................................................................................

(iii) ......................................................................................
(ii) ......................................................................................
(i) ......................................................................................
03 DS: The boy said to the girl “ Do you like blue colour?”
RS: .........................................................................................................................

(iii) ................................................................................
(ii) ................................................................................
(i) ................................................................................
04 DS :The police said to us “ Is there a tavern near here?”
RS : .......................................................................................................................

(5) The ‘wh’ word of the question is placed between IC and RC when we report a ‘wh’ question
(not if/ whether.)

DS Father said to me “Where are you going ?”

RS Father asked me where I was going.

DS They said to us “How do you go to work?”

RS They asked us how we went to work.

DS The man said to me “Where is the post office?”

RS The man inquired me where the post office was.

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Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Exercise: 02

Turn the following direct questions into indirect questions.

(1) DS: She said (to him) “Where are you going?”
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(2) DS: Jane said (to her) “When will the train arrive?”
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(3) DS: The teacher said (to me) “Who helped you with your homework?”
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(4) DS: She said “Shall I come”?
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(5) DS: She said (to Sameera) “Were you hurt?”
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(6) DS: He said (to Tom) “Where were you going yesterday?”
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(7) DS: She said (to her) “Where does your father work?”
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(8) DS: She said (to me) “ How do you travel to school?”
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(9) DS: He said (to her) “ What did you do yesterday?”
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(10)DS: He said, “Where am I to go?”
RS:.....................................................................................................................
(11)DS: He said (to me) “Are you happy?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(12)DS: He said (to her)” Can you play tennis?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(13)DS: He asks, “Can I go home?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(14)DS: He said (to her) “Who presided at the meeting yesterday?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(15)DS: Jane said (to me) “Do you eat meat?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(16)DS:The principal said (to us) “Why are you talking?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(17)DS: His mother said (to us) “Did you get late to school this morning?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(18)DS: I said to Gayan “Will there be a meeting today?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(19)DS: We said (to him) “Where did the accident take place?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(20)DS: They said (to me) “What do you want ?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(21)DS: She said (to me) “Why have you come here ?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(22) DS: He said (to her) “Where did you meet Sandesh?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(23) DS: Nayomi said (to me) “Who has taken my pen?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(24) DS: They said (to me) “Which picture do you like better?”
RS: .................................................................................................................
(25) DS: They said (to me) “Why are you staring at us ?”
RS: .................................................................................................................

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Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
 03 Reporting commands (advices / requests/ orders)
There are two types of commands

01. Positive commands.

Ex Open the door please.
Answer these questions.

02. Negative commands.

Ex Don’t eat beef.
Don’t disturb us.

Rules:
(1) IC verb say (said) must be replaced by tell, ask, urge, beg, warn, order, command, request,
advise, etc.

(2) positive commands are reported with to + verb (infinitive)

DS Father said to me “Open the gate at 6.00 p.m”

RS Father asked me to open the gate at 6.00 p.m.

DS The teacher said to us “Do your home work tomorrow”

RS The teacher asked us to do our home work the next day.

DS I said to them “Please help me when I study”

RS I requested them to help me when I studied.

(3) Negative commands are reported with not to + verb (infinitive)

DS The man said to us “Don’t smoke here”

RS The man told us not to smoke there.
DS Father said to me “Don’t use mobile phones when you drive”
RS Father advised me not to use mobile phones when I drove.

DS I said to them “Don’t waste your time”

RS I advised them not to waste their time

04 m%Yak f,i fmfkk úOdk úOdkhla f,i jd¾;d lrkak

DS Sameera said to me “Can you open the door please?”

RS Sameera asked me to open the door.

DS The teacher warned us “Will you listen to me please?”

RS The teacher warned us to listen to him.

DS They said to us “Can you give us some water.?”

RS They begged us to give them some water

DS The teacher said to us “ Will you open the gate”?

RS The teacher ordered us to open the gate.

DS She said to me “Can you meet me tomorrow”?

RS She told me to meet her the following day.

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Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Exercise 03

Turn the following direct commands into indirect commands. In these sentences, the object is indicated
within brackets or is shown as the person addressed.

(1) DS: He said , “Sweep the room’’. (the servant)

RS: ....................................................................................................................
(2) DS: The teacher said to the boy ‘‘Don’t disturb me?”.
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(3) DS: Mr. smith said “Jim, will you listen to me.?”
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(4) DS: The principal said “ Speak the truth”. (the student)
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(5) DS: The president said, “Co-operate with the government”. (the mass)
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(6) DS: The dentist said, “ Open your mouth”. (the patient)
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(7) DS: The policemen said “Make a statement”. (him)
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(8) DS: The bus conductor said “Go forward”. (the passengers)
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(9) DS:The security officer said “Please stand in a queue” (the customers)
RS: .....................................................................................................................
(10)DS:My friend said “Please help me” (me)
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(11) DS:The nurse said “Don’t work too hard”. ( the patient)
RS: ...................................................................................................................
(12)DS:The principal said “Be regular in your attendance”. (the students)
RS: ...................................................................................................................
(13)DS:My friend said “Do your homework”. (me)
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(14) DS:The teacher said, “Will you stop that noise?”. (the girls)
RS: ....................................................................................................................
(15)DS: My mother said “Get up early”. (me)
RS: ..................................................................................................................
(16)DS: She said, “Son, don’t waste your time”.
RS: ..................................................................................................................
(17) DS: She said “ Don’t come near me”. (him)
RS: ..................................................................................................................
(18) DS: A foreigner said “Please show me the way to the railway station”. ( to me)
RS: ..................................................................................................................
(19) DS: Tom said “ Please lend me your pen”. (her)
RS: ..................................................................................................................
(20) DS:“Don’t leave your money on the table” said my mother (me)
RS: ..................................................................................................................
(21) DS: “Could you give me a pencil?” she said (Tom)
RS: ..................................................................................................................
(22) DS: “Fasten your belts” said the air hostess (him)
RS: ..................................................................................................................
(23)DS: “Show me your driving licence” said the policeman (me)
RS: ..................................................................................................................
(25)DS: “Could you pass me the rice please?” said the man (his wife)
RS: ..................................................................................................................

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Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
ĜŔÑǾŃÒŒÑ ĆĈ
Exercise 01
1) She said that her father was ill. 2) She says she will pay the money the following week. 3) Nimal said
that he had read that book the previous year.04.) He said that he could do the work. 5) Teacher told me
that I was wrong. 6) They have said that they will not do the work.7) He told her that he would help her.
8) Mary said that she had returned the book.9) She said that she had posted the letter the day before. 10)
He said that he was going to church then. 11) Sameera told me that my work was good.12) She declared
that she would not accept any payment 13) She said that her mother had gone to the market. 14) Thomas
said his mother worked in a firm. 15) He told William that he ought to work harder. 16) She remarked that
it was warm that day. 17) She informed me that I had done well. 18) He told her that he had got married
the previous year. 19) He told me that I would be surprised to hear about that.20) Mother said that when
she went to the market, it was raining. 21) He said that he had not asked him for help as he had not been
a trust worthy person. 22) She told me that it might rain that day. 23) Tom said that if he had money he
would buy a house. 24) She said life becomes difficult when the cost of living goes up. 25) The boy said
that he was suffering from fever that day

Exercise 02 02
Exercise
1) She asked him where he was going 2) Jane asked her when the train would arrive. 03) The teacher
inquired me who had helped me with my homework.4) She asked whether she should come.5) She asked
Sameera if he was hurt.6) He inquired Tom where he was going the previous day.7) She asked her where
her father worked.8) She asked me how I travelled to school. 9) He asked her what she had done the
previous day. 10) He asked where he was to go. 11) He asked me if / whether I was happy.12) He asked
her whether she could play Tennis 13) He asked her who had presided at the meeting the previous day.15)
Jane asked me if I ate meat. 16) The principal asked us why we were talking .17) His mother asked us
whether we had got late to school that morning.18) I asked Gayan whether there would be a meeting that
day.19) We asked him where the accident had taken place.20) They asked me what I wanted .21) She
asked me why I had come there 22) He asked her where she had met Sandesh. 23) Nayomi asked me who
had taken her pen.24) They asked me which picture I liked better 25) They asked me why I was staring at
them.
Exercise 03
Exercise 03

1) He asked the servant to sweep the room. 2) The teacher ordered the boy not to disturb him 3) Mr.
Smith told Tim to listen to him 4) The principal warned the students to speak the truth.5) The president
requested the mass to co-operate with the government 6) The dentist asked the patient to open the
mouth 7) The policeman ordered him to make a statement.8) The bus conductor told the passengers to
go forward. 9) The security officer requested the customer to stand in a queue.10) My friend asked me to
help her 11) the nurse advised the patient not to work too hard 12) The principal told the students to be
regular in their attendance. 13) My friend asked me to do my homework. 14) The teacher warned the girls
to stop that noise.15) My mother advised me to get up early.16) She advised the son not to waste his
time.17) She warned him not to come near her 18) A foreigner requested me to show her the way to the
railway station. 19) Tom asked her to lend him her pen 20) My mother advised me not to leave my money
on the table.21) She asked Tom to give her a pencil. 22) The air hostess told him to fasten his belt. 23) The
policemen ordered me to show him my driving license. 24) The man asked his wife to pass him the rice.

09
Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura