Definition
- Direct Speech: When we quote the speaker’s actual words. These words are put within inverted commas (“ ”).
- Indirect (or Reported) Speech: When we report what the speaker said without quoting his exact words.
Direct: He said to me, “I am reading a book.”
Indirect: He told me that he was reading a book.
Rule I
Present reporting verb
When the reporting or principal verb is in the present tense, the tenses of the direct speech do not change.
Direct: He says, “I am busy.”
Indirect: He says that he is busy.
Rule II
Future reporting verb
When the reporting or principal verb is in the future tense, the tenses of the direct speech do not change.
Direct: He will say, “I am fine.”
Indirect: He will say that he is fine.
Rule III
When the reporting or principal verb is in the past tense, all present tenses of the direct speech are changed into the corresponding past tenses.
(a) Simple present → Simple past
Direct: He said, “I am happy.”
Indirect: He said that he was happy.
(b) Present continuous → Past continuous
Direct: The boy said, “My master is writing letters.”
Indirect: The boy said that his master was writing letters.
(c) Present perfect → Past perfect
Direct: Dipu said, “I have bought a red pen.”
Indirect: Dipu said that he had bought a red pen.
(d) Present perfect continuous → Past perfect continuous
Direct: He said, “I have been doing the job for a month.”
Indirect: He said that he had been doing the job for a month.
(e) Simple past → Past perfect
Direct: You said, “she wrote a letter.”
Indirect: You said that she had written a letter.
(f) Past continuous → Past perfect continuous
Direct: He said, “I was writing a letter to the principal.”
Indirect: He said that he had been writing a letter to the principal.
(g) Past perfect → No change
Direct: The students said, “We had completed the work.”
Indirect: The students said that they had completed the work.
(h) Past perfect continuous → No change
Direct: She said, “I had been doing my work for two months.”
Indirect: She said that she had been doing her work for two months.
Rule IV
Future auxiliaries
When the reporting or principal verb is in the past tense, the shall/will of the future tense is changed to should/would.
Direct: The student said, “I shall do the work.”
Indirect: The student said that he should do the work.
Note (Universal truths / habitual actions)
If the direct speech consists of a sentence expressing universal truth or habitual action, there is no change in tense.
Direct: The teacher said, “The earth revolves round the sun.”
Indirect: The teacher said that the earth revolves round the sun.
Rule V – Word changes in Indirect Speech
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| here | there |
| ago | before |
| thus | so |
| this | that |
| these | those |
| hence | thence |
| today | that day |
| tonight | that night |
| yesterday | the day before |
| tomorrow | next day |
| last night | the night before |
| next day | the following day |
Direct: He said, “I am glad to be here this evening.”
Indirect: He said that he was glad to be there that evening.
Rule VI – Pronoun changes
- First person pronoun changes according to the subject.
- Second person pronoun changes according to the object.
- There is no change in third person pronoun.
Direct: He said, “I am busy.”
Indirect: He said that he was busy.
Indirect: He said that he was busy.
Direct: She said to me, “I don’t believe you.”
Indirect: She told me that she didn’t believe me.
Indirect: She told me that she didn’t believe me.
Direct: He said to me, “I am right but you are wrong.”
Indirect: He told me that he was right but I was wrong.
Indirect Narration of Interrogative Sentences
In reporting questions, the indirect speech is introduced by verbs such as asked, enquired etc.
Direct: He said to me, “What are you doing?”
Indirect: She asked me what I was doing.
Direct: “Where do you live?”, asked the stranger.
Indirect: The stranger asked/enquired where I lived.
Indirect Narration of Imperative Sentences
Direct: Ram said to Arjun, “Go away.”
Indirect: Ram ordered Arjun to go away.
Direct: He said to him, “Please wait here until I return.”
Indirect: He requested him to wait there until he returned.
