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REPORTED SPEECH

Reported speech

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prem.001ni
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33 views

REPORTED SPEECH

Reported speech

Uploaded by

prem.001ni
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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REPORTED SPEECH

There are two types of reported speech in English grammar, they are Direct
and Indirect speech. Both speech conveys the speech or statement which was
told by some other person. To explain any event, action or scenario we
generally convey the sentences quoted by someone in the form of direct and
indirect speech.
Direct Speech
Direct speech is the mode of expression that directly presents the words
spoken or quoted by a third person.
1. Kiran said, “I am doing my work.”
2. They said,” We will go for the function.”
3. He asked, “Can I make this?”
Indirect Speech
Indirect Speech is used when we convey what someone said in our own words
without repeating the actual text of that person.
Direct speech: They said, ” We will go for the function.”
Indirect speech: They said that they would go to the function.
Direct speech: He asked, “Can I make this?”
Indirect speech: He asked whether he could make that.
Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech
Rule-1: Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb

The reporting verb is an important factor to note when changing a direct to an


indirect sentence. When the reporting verb is past tense, then the verb inside
the quotation is also changed to past when changing a sentence from direct to
indirect speech.
Examples:

Direct: He said,’ I am sad.’


Indirect: He said that he was sad.
An exception is for cases like a universal truth, the tenses remain the same.

Teena said” The sun rises in the east”.


Teena said that the sun rises in the east.
If the reporting verb is in present/future tense, then the tense remains the
same as in direct speech.

Direct: She says/will say, ‘I am coming.’


Indirect: She says/will say she is coming.
Rule 2: Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Tenses

If the sentences inside quotes in direct speech are present tense, it is


changed to past tense when changed to indirect speech. The rule in the
following table is applied while changing tenses from direct speech to
reported speech.
cg
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Present Simple Tense Past Simple Tense
Present Continuous Past Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
Past Simple Tense Past Perfect Tense
Past Continuous Tense Past perfect continuous
Past Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Rule 4: Direct to Indirect speech Conversion Interrogative sentences


If a sentence starts with a question word like what, when, and why in direct
speech, the question word itself acts as the joining class.

Example:

Direct speech: “Where do you live ?” Asked the boy.


Indirect Speech: The boy enquired where I lived.
Rule 5: Direct to Indirect Speech Conversion Change in Modals

Modal verbs are those verbs that are preceded by another verb, which is the
main verb. Can, May, and Must are some examples of Modals. Modals that
won’t change are Could, would, should, ought to, might. While changing direct
to indirect speech, the Modals change as below:

Can become could


May becomes Might
Must becomes had to (or) would have to
Examples:

Direct: She said,” She can sing.”


Indirect: She said that she could sing.
Direct: She said,” I should cook the lunch”
Indirect: She said that she should cook the lunch.
Rule 6: Direct to Indirect speech conversion – pronoun

The first person in Direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech
Example:

Direct: He said, “I am in grade sixth.”


Indirect: He said that he was in grade sixth.
The second person of Direct speech changes as per the object of the indirect
speech.

Example:

Direct: She says to them, “You have achieved your goal.”


Indirect: She tells them that they have achieved their goal.
If the third person is mentioned in the Direct speech, it does not change in
reported speech.

Example:

Direct: He says, “She sings well.”


Indirect: He says that she sings well.
Rule 7: Direct to indirect speech conversion – Request, Command, Wish and
Exclamation.

The imperative words in direct speech change into Infinitives in indirect


speech.

Examples:
Request

Direct: She said to her ‘Please remove it’.


Indirect: She requested her to remove that.
Exclamation

Direct: She said, ‘Alas! I am undone.


Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.
Rule 8: Direct to indirect speech conversion – punctuations

In Direct speech, the words spoken must start with(“) and ends with(.) inside
the double inverted commas. All symbols such as question marks, full stops or
exclamatory marks should be placed inside the quotes.

Examples:

They said. “We are the best”


She asked, “Can I come with You?”
He uttered, “Keep Quiet!”
Rule 9: Direct to indirect speech conversion – Change of time

While converting direct speech to Indirect speech, there are certain words to
be noted that cannot be used as such in indirect speech. These words get
modified into new words which are enlisted below:

Now becomes Then


Ago becomes before
Thus becomes So
Today becomes That day
Tomorrow becomes the next day
Yesterday becomes the day before
This becomes that
These become those
Come becomes go
Hence becomes thence
Next week or next month becomes the following week or month
Examples:

Direct: He says/will say, ‘My girlfriend came yesterday.’


Indirect: He says/will say that his girlfriend had come the day before
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Ram said, “I do my work.” Ram said that he did his work.
They said, “We are going now.” They said that they were going then.
Sara said, ” I have done my work.” Sara said that she had done her work.
Rohit said, “I have been doing my work.” Rohit said that he had been doing
his work.
Ram said, “I did my work” Ram said that he had done his work.
They said,”We have done our work” They said that they had done their
work.
They said, “We have been doing our work.” They said that they had
been doing their work.
Ram Said, ” I had been doing my work.” Ram said that he had been doing
his work.
Sara said, “I will do my work.” Sara said that she would do her work.
They said, “We will be going out.” They said that they would be going out.
They said, “We will have done this work.” They said that they would have
done that work.
Ram said, “I will have been doing this work” Ram said that he would
have been doing that work.

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