direct speech rules in english

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Direct speech writing rules in English

7th January 2019 by Andrew

In the above picture, Mark is talking to Jane. The words inside the blue box are the exact words that he speaks.

Here is how we express this:

This is direct speech. Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says.

In this English lesson, you will learn:

• The rules for writing direct speech.
• The correct punctuation.
• Vocabulary to report direct speech.

Reporting clause before the direct speech

The reporting clause of direct speech is the short clause that indicates who is talking. It is the clause that is outside of the inverted commas. It is therefore not the words being spoken.

We can write the reporting clause either before or after the direct speech. If the reporting clause is before the direct speech, we write it as follows:

Grammar rules – If the reporting clause is before the direct speech:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a full stop (.) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause before a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is before a question or exclamation:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause after the direct speech

If the reporting clause is after the direct speech:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a comma (,) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Reporting clause after a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is after a question or exclamation:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Advanced rules for direct speech

Sometimes we break up the direct speech into 2 parts:

The second part of the direct speech starts with a small letter if it is the same sentence as the first part of the direct speech.

The second part of the direct speech starts with a capital letter if it is a new sentence.

Vocabulary of direct speech

We have several names for the above punctuation marks:

Inverted commas Speech marks Quotation marks Quotes

Other reporting verbs

Here are some other useful reporting verbs:

reply (replied) ask (asked) shout (shouted) agree (agreed) comment (commented) admit (admitted)

They are often used for writing direct speech in books, newspapers and reports. It is more common to use them in reporting clauses after the direct speech.

“I really don’t like her dress,” she commented . “I don’t love you anymore,” he admitted .

Other English lessons

Private online English lessons How to pass the IELTS with a band 8 Adverbs of frequency Indefinite article “a” and “an” The prepositions FOR and SINCE All of our lessons

Direct speech video lesson

Reader Interactions

Matěj Formánek says

3rd November 2019 at 5:54 pm

How about this sentence: I know the satnav is wrong!” exclaimed Zena. – Why the subject and predicate are swapped? It’s sentence from textbook so I’m confused.

17th June 2020 at 4:07 pm

Can we write multiple sentences in direct speech that comes before reporting clause? In case if this is allowed, what punctuation mark should be used after the last sentence?

Example: “I entered the class room. As I did not find anybody there, I left the class room and went to buy a coffee.” explained the student to the teacher for his delay to come to the class.

Should the punctuation mark after the word coffee be comma instead of full stop?

Joaquim Barretto says

14th September 2020 at 1:25 pm

No full stop, but comma after the word coffee.

19th January 2021 at 2:34 pm

HI IM DAISY

courtney says

27th January 2021 at 12:07 pm

Clare Hatcher says

12th March 2021 at 9:55 am

Hello I like the layout of this – very clear. Just wondering if it is correct to use a comma in between two separate sentences in direct speech. I think that now in published material you find this instead. ‘I’m tired,’ she said. ‘Let’s stay at home.’ Would appreciate your thoughts Thanks

27th March 2021 at 8:54 am

If I wrote something with a comma at the end to continue speech like this:

“Hello,” he waved to the new student, “what’s you’re name?”

Do I have to use a capital letter even if I’m continuing with a comma or is it lowercase?

Sylvia Edouard says

30th September 2023 at 9:17 am

Yes, you need to use a capital letter as speech from someone has to start with a capital letter. Always.

15th April 2022 at 12:12 pm

which of the following is correct?

1. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document?”

2. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document,”? (comma inside)

3. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document.”? (full stop inside)

Jan Švanda says

7th September 2023 at 1:31 pm

I presume the quotation is there to specify the exact phrase (for the metadata entry). I also encounter this from time to time, when writing technical documentation. I believe in that case you should write the phrase as it is, proper grammar be damned; beautifully looking documentation is useless if it leads to incorrect results.

In this case, I don’t even think this is “direct speech”, the metadata entry isn’t walking around and saying things, the quotation mark is there to indicate precise phrase – similar to marking strings in programming languages. Because of this, I don’t think direct speech rules apply, or at least, they should take back seat. If the expected status includes full stop at the end, the sentence would be:

4. Should the status go missing when the metadata states “Sign & return document.”? (no comma before, since it is not a direct speech; full stop inside, as it is part of the quoted status)

From grammatical perspective the end looks a bit ugly, but again, if this should be technical documentation, that is less important than precision.

A person says

15th August 2022 at 7:16 pm

One extra thing: YOU MUST NOT USE THE WORD SAID IN A REPORTING CLAUSE. EVER. IT’S UNIMAGINATIVE.

no joke, it’s actually discouraged and even close to banned at my school

7th September 2023 at 1:49 pm

This is stupid. You shouldn’t use it in _every_ sentence, there should be variety, but outright banning it doesn’t make sense.

Case in point:

Book: ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Phrase to search: ‘,” said’ (comma, followed by quotation mark, followed by space, followed by word ‘said’). Number of occurrences: 211. Total number of ‘,”‘ (comma, followed by quotation mark) strings is 436, so “said” is used in almost 50% cases of direct speech of this type.

I don’t think it would be right for your school to ban Jane Austin, do you?

blaire says

30th March 2024 at 5:36 pm

How do you use names in direct speech?

Is it: “I really don’t like her dress,” Ashley said. or “I really don’t like her dress,” said Ashley.

I’ve seen both and I’m so confused which one is correct, please help me.

Andrew says

3rd April 2024 at 11:31 am

Hello and thanks for your comment and question.

After the direct speech, both are correct.

Before the direct speech, only the first one is correct:

Ashley said, “I really don’t like her dress.” (correct) Said Ashley, “I really don’t like her dress.” (wrong)

I hope that helps you. Andrew https://www.youtube.com/@CrownAcademyEnglish/

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Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples

Are you having trouble understanding the difference between direct and indirect speech? Direct speech is when you quote someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. This can be a tricky concept to grasp, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to use both forms of speech with ease.

Direct and Indirect Speech

When someone speaks, we can report what they said in two ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is when we quote the exact words that were spoken, while indirect speech is when we report what was said without using the speaker’s exact words. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I love pizza,” said John. Indirect speech: John said that he loved pizza.

Using direct speech can make your writing more engaging and can help to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion. However, indirect speech can be useful when you want to summarize what someone said or when you don’t have the exact words that were spoken.

To change direct speech to indirect speech, you need to follow some rules. Firstly, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb. Secondly, you need to change the pronouns and adverbs in the reported speech to match the new speaker. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will go to the park,” said Sarah. Indirect speech: Sarah said that she would go to the park.

It’s important to note that when you use indirect speech, you need to use reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked” to indicate who is speaking. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is it?” asked Tom. Indirect speech: Tom asked what time it was.

In summary, understanding direct and indirect speech is crucial for effective communication and writing. Direct speech can be used to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion, while indirect speech can be useful when summarizing what someone said. By following the rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech, you can accurately report what was said while maintaining clarity and readability in your writing.

Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech

When it comes to reporting speech, there are two ways to go about it: direct and indirect speech. Direct speech is when you report someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. Here are some of the key differences between direct and indirect speech:

Change of Pronouns

In direct speech, the pronouns used are those of the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the pronouns have to be changed to reflect the perspective of the reporter. For example:

• Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John.
• Indirect speech: John said he was going to the store.

In the above example, the pronoun “I” changes to “he” in indirect speech.

Change of Tenses

Another major difference between direct and indirect speech is the change of tenses. In direct speech, the verb tense used is the same as that used by the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the verb tense may change depending on the context. For example:

• Direct speech: “I am studying for my exams,” said Sarah.
• Indirect speech: Sarah said she was studying for her exams.

In the above example, the present continuous tense “am studying” changes to the past continuous tense “was studying” in indirect speech.

Change of Time and Place References

When reporting indirect speech, the time and place references may also change. For example:

• Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” said Tom.
• Indirect speech: Tom said he would meet you at the park the next day.

In the above example, “tomorrow” changes to “the next day” in indirect speech.

Overall, it is important to understand the differences between direct and indirect speech to report speech accurately and effectively. By following the rules of direct and indirect speech, you can convey the intended message of the original speaker.

Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

When you need to report what someone said in your own words, you can use indirect speech. To convert direct speech into indirect speech, you need to follow a few rules.

Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks

The first step is to remove the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. This is because indirect speech does not use the exact words of the speaker.

Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker

To indicate that you are reporting what someone said, you need to use a reporting verb such as “said,” “asked,” “told,” or “exclaimed.” You also need to use a linker such as “that” or “whether” to connect the reporting verb to the reported speech.

For example:

• Direct speech: “I love ice cream,” said Mary.
• Indirect speech: Mary said that she loved ice cream.

Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb

When you use indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb.

• Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store.

Step 4: Change the Pronouns

You also need to change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the subject of the reporting verb.

• Direct speech: “Are you busy now?” Tina asked me.
• Indirect speech: Tina asked whether I was busy then.

By following these rules, you can convert direct speech into indirect speech and report what someone said in your own words.

Converting Indirect Speech Into Direct Speech

Converting indirect speech into direct speech involves changing the reported speech to its original form as spoken by the speaker. Here are the steps to follow when converting indirect speech into direct speech:

• Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb used in the indirect speech. This will help you determine the tense of the direct speech.
• Change the pronouns: The next step is to change the pronouns in the indirect speech to match the person speaking in the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “She said that she was going to the store,” the direct speech would be “I am going to the store,” if you are the person speaking.
• Change the tense: Change the tense of the verbs in the indirect speech to match the tense of the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “He said that he would visit tomorrow,” the direct speech would be “He says he will visit tomorrow.”
• Remove the reporting verb and conjunction: In direct speech, there is no need for a reporting verb or conjunction. Simply remove them from the indirect speech to get the direct speech.

Here is an example to illustrate the process:

Indirect Speech: John said that he was tired and wanted to go home.

Direct Speech: “I am tired and want to go home,” John said.

By following these steps, you can easily convert indirect speech into direct speech.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech are two ways to report what someone has said. Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by a person, while indirect speech reports the meaning of what was said. Here are some examples of both types of speech:

Direct Speech Examples

Direct speech is used when you want to report the exact words spoken by someone. It is usually enclosed in quotation marks and is often used in dialogue.

• “I am going to the store,” said Sarah.
• “It’s a beautiful day,” exclaimed John.
• “Please turn off the lights,” Mom told me.
• “I will meet you at the library,” said Tom.
• “We are going to the beach tomorrow,” announced Mary.

Indirect Speech Examples

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. It is often used in news reports, academic writing, and in situations where you want to paraphrase what someone said.

Here are some examples of indirect speech:

• Sarah said that she was going to the store.
• John exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
• Mom told me to turn off the lights.
• Tom said that he would meet me at the library.
• Mary announced that they were going to the beach tomorrow.

In indirect speech, the verb tense may change to reflect the time of the reported speech. For example, “I am going to the store” becomes “Sarah said that she was going to the store.” Additionally, the pronouns and possessive adjectives may also change to reflect the speaker and the person being spoken about.

Overall, both direct and indirect speech are important tools for reporting what someone has said. By using these techniques, you can accurately convey the meaning of what was said while also adding your own interpretation and analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech refer to the ways in which we communicate what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, using quotation marks to indicate that you are quoting someone. Indirect speech, on the other hand, involves reporting what someone has said without using their exact words.

How do you convert direct speech to indirect speech?

To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb, such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.” For example, “I love ice cream,” said Mary (direct speech) can be converted to “Mary said that she loved ice cream” (indirect speech).

What is the difference between direct speech and indirect speech?

The main difference between direct speech and indirect speech is that direct speech uses the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. Direct speech is usually enclosed in quotation marks, while indirect speech is not.

What are some examples of direct and indirect speech?

Some examples of direct speech include “I am going to the store,” said John and “I love pizza,” exclaimed Sarah. Some examples of indirect speech include John said that he was going to the store and Sarah exclaimed that she loved pizza .

What are the rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech?

The rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech include changing the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb and use appropriate reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.”

What is a summary of direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions and introduce a reporting verb.

You might also like:

• List of Adjectives
• Predicate Adjective
• Superlative Adjectives

This website is AMNAZING

MY NAAMEE IS KISHU AND I WANTED TO TELL THERE ARE NO EXERCISES AVAILLABLEE BY YOUR WEBSITE PLEASE ADD THEM SSOON FOR OUR STUDENTS CONVIENCE IM A EIGHT GRADER LOVED YOUR EXPLABATIO

sure cries l miss my friend

he saiad,” we are all sinners”. convert into indirect speech

He said that they were all sinners.

Direct and Indirect speech, Rules, Chart and Exercises

Direct and Indirect speech are ways of narrating the speech of someone to some other person following certain rules. This article covers its types, rules, examples and some exercises on the same.

Table of Contents

Direct and Indirect Speech: In English Grammar, direct and Indirect speech are used in instances when we wish to repeat or convey a speech or statement of some other person. Both direct and indirect speech describes what a third person said or conveyed in the past. Indirect speech is more commonly employed unless it’s a direct quotation, which is consistently enclosed in double quotation marks. Whereas indirect speech is used when you want to convey someone’s statement using your own precise words. It’s worth highlighting that indirect speech is consistently expressed using verbs like “said,” “told,” or “asked.”

Direct and Indirect 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. In order to clearly differentiate and make people understand easily, we have detailed the two types of reported speech with examples and exercises below.

Direct Speech

Direct speech is the mode of expression that directly presents the words spoken or quoted by a third person. Generally, direct speech is written inside quotation marks (“”). The quotation is used to differentiate the speech of the third person that has happened in the past. Thus direct speech conveys statements or conversations of someone in the past tense but quoted inside the quotation marks in the present or future tense.

• Kiran said, “I am doing my work.”
• They said, ” We will go for the function.”
• 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. Instead of using quotation marks, the conjunction word, ‘that’ is used. Thus speaker’s words and sentences are reframed into our own words in Indirect speech. Some examples of indirect speech are:

• Direct speech: Kiran said, “I am doing my work.”
• Indirect speech: Kiran said that she is doing her work.
• 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 can make that.

Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech

There are certain rules and regulations followed while converting a simple direct speech into indirect speech. Certain factors such as Verbs, Tenses, Modals, time, place, and pronouns are also considered while changing. The following are the rules applied when you convert direct speech to indirect speech in English grammar.

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.

Examples of change in Tenses

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.

• 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
• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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
• Direct: He says/will say, ‘My girlfriend came yesterday.’
• Indirect: He says/will say that his girlfriend had come the day before.

Rules for Converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech:

The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct speech:

• Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct
• Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital
• Insert question marks, quotation marks, exclamation marks and full stops, based on the mood of the
• Remove the conjunctions like (that, too, if or wh ether) wherever necessary .
• Where the reporting verb is in the past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct
• Change the past perfect tense either into the present perfect tense or past tense, as necessary .

Direct and Indirect Speech – Some Exercises

The following are some exercises that students can practice while preparing for their revision tests or board exams.

Q.1.  Find out the correct indirect speech for the given sentence.

She said,’ I have cooked this meal.’

• She said that she cooked this meal
• She said that she had cooked that meal.
• She said that I cooked that meal.
• She said that she had cooked this meal.

Answer (2) She said that she had cooked that meal.

Q.2.  Choose the correct sentence.

Sanjay said, ‘What a beautiful painting it is’.

• Sanjay exclaimed wonderfully that the painting was very beautiful.
• Sanjay exclaimed with wonder that the painting was very beautiful.

Answer (4) Sanjay exclaimed with wonder that the painting was very beautiful.

Q.3. The correct indirect speech for She asked, “What is the cost of these books?”

• She enquired what was the cost of those books.
• She inquired what was the cost of these books.
• She enquired what is the cost of those books.
• She questioned what was the cost of those books.

Answer (1) She enquired what was the cost of those books.

Q.4. The man said, ‘Oh God! I missed the train today.’

• The man cried that he missed the train that day.
• The man exclaimed in grief that he missed the train today.
• The man said that oh God! he missed that day.
• The man exclaimed with sorrow that he missed the train that day.

Answer (4) The man exclaimed with sorrow that he missed the train that day.

Q.5. Rahul said, “Can you call me back later?”

Answer (5) Rahul asked me if I could call him back later.

Q.6. Mom said to me, “May God Bless you”.

Answer (6)  Mom wished that God might bless me.

What is the Importance of Learning Direct and Indirect Speech?

Learning direct and indirect speech is crucial for several reasons:

• Improved Communication Skills: Understanding both forms helps in accurately conveying messages from one person to another. This skill is essential in both written and spoken communication.
• Enhanced Writing Abilities: Using direct and indirect speech allows for more dynamic and versatile writing. It enables writers to present dialogues and reported speech effectively.
• Better Understanding of Language Nuances: Mastery of direct and indirect speech helps learners grasp the subtleties of language, including tone, context, and perspective.
• Critical Thinking: Converting statements from direct to indirect speech (or vice versa) requires comprehension and analysis of the original message, fostering critical thinking.
• Effective Reporting: In fields like journalism, law, and academia, accurately reporting speech is vital. Mastery of both forms ensures precision and reliability in conveying information.

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Direct and Indirect speech-FAQs

Q1. what are direct and indirect speech in english.

Ans. Direct speech is a speech that describes what a third person has conveyed or quoted in a direct manner. Generally, direct speech is written inside quotation marks ("").Indirect Speech is used when we convey what someone said in our own words without repeating the actual text of that person.

Q2. In which speech conjunctions are used and what is the purpose?

Ans. The conjunctions are used in Indirect speech. The speaker's words and sentences are reframed into our own words in Indirect speech using conjuctions as connecting words.

Q3. What are modals and what is the significance of using modals?

Ans. 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. While converting direct to indirect speech Can becomes could, May becomes Might, Will becomes Would. Modals that won’t change are Could, would, should, ought to, might.

Q4 Give a few examples of direct speech.

Ans: Some examples of direct speech have been discussed here: 1. John said, "I will go to the store." 2. Mary asked, "Are you coming to the party?" 3. "It's a beautiful day," remarked Sarah. 4. He shouted, "Watch out for the car!"

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• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Reported speech: direct speech

Direct speech is a representation of the actual words someone said. A direct speech report usually has a reporting verb in the past simple. The most common reporting verb is said . The reporting clause may come first or second.

The reporting clause may sometimes come in the middle of the reported clause, especially in literary styles:

“No,” she said , “I’ve never seen it before.”

‘Was it,’ he asked , ‘the first time you had spoken to Mrs Dalton?’

We can use adverbs with the reporting verb to describe the way someone said something. This is more common when the reporting clause comes second:

“I will not accept it!” he said angrily .

‘Can I speak to the doctor?’ she asked rather nervously .

Reported speech: punctuation

Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses

Direct speech: inversion of subject and reporting verb

In narratives, especially novels and short stories, when the reporting clause comes second, we often invert the subject (s) and reporting verb (v):

“Things have always been the same in this village,” [V] said [S] the old man .

‘Hold on! I’m coming!’ [V] cried [S] Maurice .

Direct speech: present simple and continuous reporting verbs

Informal narratives.

In informal conversation, we sometimes use the present simple in the reporting clause. This makes the direct speech more vivid and dramatic:

So then this guy says , “I’ve got something for you. Come over here.” And he picked up a box and he says , “Open that.”

We can make the direct speech even more vivid and dramatic by using the present continuous. This is very informal:

And he’s looking at me and he ’s asking , “Who are you?” and I said, “I’m your nephew” and he ’s mumbling , “I don’t know you. I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

In very informal conversation, people sometimes use says as a reporting verb for all persons ( I, you, she, he, we, they ):

She says , ‘What’s going on here?’ and I says , ‘Nothing. There’s nothing happening – everything’s okay.’

Many speakers consider the above examples to be incorrect. This applies especially to the use of says with all persons.

Newspaper headlines

We also use the present simple in newspaper headlines. This makes the reported words more dramatic:

‘I WON’T RESIGN,’ SAYS MINISTER

Say or tell ?

Word of the Day

be on the side of the angels

to be doing something good or kind

Trial, judge, and jury: talking about what happens when a criminal is caught

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19 Direct and Indirect Speech Rules Examples (Updated 2025)

Have you ever struggled with the rules of direct and indirect speech? You’re not alone. These forms of speech can be challenging, but mastering them is crucial for clear and effective communication, especially for school students, ESL learners, and those preparing for competitive exams.

Understanding direct and indirect speech conversion rules is crucial for clear and accurate communication and the conversion between direct and indirect speech will significantly enhance your language skills.

This informative article will explore these Direct and Indirect Speech Rules for Conversion with detailed examples.

Understanding Direct Speech

Direct speech is a form of reporting that presents someone’s exact words without any alterations. It is commonly enclosed in quotation marks, allowing readers to see the speaker’s statements precisely as they were uttered.

1. Key Elements of Direct Speech

a . Quotation Marks

Quotation marks are your best friends here. They compress the exact words spoken by a person.

b. Punctuation Placement

Punctuation is crucial. Commas , periods , question marks , and exclamation points all have their specific places within the quotation marks.

c. Speaker Tags

Speaker tags like “he said” or “she exclaimed” are often used to indicate who is speaking. These can be placed before , after , or even in the middle of the quoted speech.

2. E xamples of Direct Speech

a. Basic Examples

Consider this simple example:

• Ritu said, “I am going to the store.”

Here, the exact words of Ritu are presented within quotation marks.

b. Complex Examples

Now, let’s add more complexity:

• “I can’t believe it,” she whispered, “but I saw a unicorn in the garden.”

Notice how the sentence is split into two parts, but both are still within quotation marks.

For a better understanding of Direct Narration

“I shall not go to school,” are the exact words of Riya, enclosed in quotation marks/inverted commas (“….”). This format, which uses commas and quotation marks/inverted commas, is called direct speech . In this sentence, ‘Riya’ is the subject or speaker, ‘says’ is the reporting verb, and ‘I shall not go to school’ is the reported speech.

Understanding Indirect Speech

Indirect speech , on the other hand, involves paraphrasing someone’s words and reporting them indirectly, without using quotation marks. It requires a few changes in structure, such as tense and pronoun shifts. Let’s convert the previous example of direct speech into indirect speech:

1. Key Elements of Indirect Speech

a. Removing Quotation Marks

Unlike direct speech, indirect speech doesn’t require quotation marks. You’re paraphrasing what was said.

b. Changing Pronouns

Pronouns often need to be changed to fit the new context. For instance, “I” becomes “he” or “she.”

c. Adjusting Tenses

Tenses usually shift back when converting to indirect speech. Present tense often turns into past tense.

d. Modifying Time Expressions

Time expressions like “today” or “tomorrow” also change to maintain the timeline consistency.

2. Examples of Indirect Speech

Basic Examples

Here’s a simple conversion:

• Direct: John said, “I am going to the store.”
• Indirect: John said that he was going to the store.

Complex Examples

For a more complex sentence:

• Direct: “I can’t believe it,” she whispered, “but I saw a unicorn in the garden.”
• Indirect: She whispered that she couldn’t believe it but that she had seen a unicorn in the garden.

For a clear concept of Indirect Narration

Similarly, we can report the above sentence without quoting Riya’s exact words while keeping the meaning the same. This format is called indirect speech. In this format, no commas or quotation marks/inverted commas are used; only a full stop (.) is used at the end of the sentence.

Difference between direct and indirect speech rules

The following comparison highlights the key differences between direct and indirect speech rules, including punctuation, tense changes, and adjustments to pronouns and time references.

People also ask

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules: Essential for Learners

Discover the essential rules of direct and indirect speech with a variety of examples to improve your language skills. Effortlessly understand the intricacies of converting statements, questions, and commands from one form to another.

Understanding direct and indirect speech is crucial for effective communication, for learners. Here, we have outlined the essential rules you need to know.

A. Reporting Verbs Rules B. Tenses Rules C. Pronouns Rules D. Punctuation Marks Rules E. Modals and Conditional Rules F. Modifying Words Rules

A. Direct and Indirect Speech Rules for Reporting Verbs

Different reporting verbs are used to introduce indirect speech. The choice of reporting verb can convey the speaker’s attitude towards the reported speech.

Changes in reporting verbs according to tense are one of the most important rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech.

Remember: If the reporting verbs are in the present or future tense, the tense of the verb in the reported speech is not changed .

Remember: If the reporting verbs are in the past tense , the tense of the verb in the reported speech will be in the corresponding past tense.

Here are some commonly used reporting verbs:

Rule 1: Reporting verbs rules for ‘ Say ‘ and ‘ Tell ‘.

“Say” and “tell” are two frequently used reporting verbs. “Say” is generally followed by the reported speech, while “tell” is followed by the indirect object (the person being addressed).

Direct: He says , “I am your friend.” Indirect: He says that he is your friend.

Direct: He said to me, “I’m going to the store.” Indirect: She told me that he was going to the store.

Reporting verbs ‘Say’ and ‘Tell’ Chart

Rule 2: ‘ Ask ‘ and ‘ Inquire’ are used as reporting verbs.

When reporting questions , “ ask “ and “ inquire “ are commonly employed reporting verbs.

Direct: He said to me, “Where are you going?” Indirect: He asked where I was going.

Direct: She said , “When will the concert start?” Indirect: She inquired, “When will the concert start?”

Direct: Sarah said , “What time does the movie start?” Indirect: Sarah asked what time the movie started.

Direct: “Could you please provide more details?” she said to me. Indirect: She inquired politely if I could provide more details.

Direct: The customer said , “Do you have this item in stock?” Indirect: The customer i nquired if that item had in stock.

Rule 3: Reporting Verb rules for “ Request “, “ Advise “, “ Order “, and “ Beg “.

To report imperative sentences, “Request”, “Advise”, “Order”, and “beg” are often used.

Direct: “Please close the door,” she said . Indirect: She requested that the door be closed.

Direct: “You should study regularly,” he said. Indirect: He advised that regular studying should be done.

Direct: “Stand up straight,” the sergeant said . Indirect: The sergeant ordered that they stand up straight.

Direct: He said to me, “Go home at once” Indirect: He ordered me to go home at once.

Direct: She said , “Do not run in the sun” Indirect: She advised not to run in the sun.”

Direct: “Please forgive me,” she said. Indirect: She begged for forgiveness.

B. Tenses Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech

The second most important rule is the changes of Tenses for converting direct speech to indirect speech. When transforming direct speech into indirect speech, there are specific rules to follow regarding tense changes:

Rule 4: If the reporting verb is in the present tense ,

If the Reporting Verb is in the Present Tense , there is no change in the tense in the Reported Verb when Direct Speech is converted into Indirect Narration.

Direct: Arnab says , “The room is dark.” Indirect: Arnab says that the room is dark.

Direct: Arnab says , “The room was dark.” Indirect: Arnab says that the room was dark.

Direct: Arnab says , “I shall finish the work.” Indirect: Arnab says that he will finish the work.

Direct: Mary says , “I am going to the party.” Indirect: Mary says that she is going to the party.

Direct: He tells us, “I will finish the project by tomorrow.” Indirect: He tells us that he will finish the project by tomorrow.

Rule 5: If the reporting verb is in the future tense ,

If the Reporting Verb is in the Future Tense , there is no change in the tense in the Reported Verb when Direct Speech is converted into Indirect Narration.

Direct: Sarah will say , “I am going to the store.” Indirect: Sarah will say that she is going to the store.

Direct: John will say, “I have completed the assignment.” Indirect: John will say that he has completed the assignment.

Direct: Arnab will say, “The room is dark.” Indirect: Arnab will say that the room is dark.

Direct: Arnab will say , “The room was dark.” Indirect: Arnab will say that the room was dark.

Direct: Arnab will say, “I shall finish the work.” Indirect: Arnab will say that he will finish the work.

Rule 6: If the reporting verb is in the past tense ,

If the Reporting verb of the Direct Narration is in the Past Tense , the Present Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech of Direct Narration is changed into the corresponding Past Tense in Indirect Narration .

Direct: Rohan said , “She works hard.” Indirect: Rohan said that she worked hard.

Direct: Rohan said, “She is singing a song.” Indirect: Rohan said that she was singing a song.

Direct: The guest said shouting, “We have arrived .” Indirect: The guest shouted that they had arrived.

Direct: My sister said , “It has been raining hard for 3 days”. Indirect: My sister said that it had been raining hard for 3 days.

Direct: Father said, “I visited the Taj yesterday.” Indirect: Father said that he had visited the Taj the previous day.

Direct: The boys said, “They were traveling in the park.” Indirect: The boys said that they had been traveling in the park.

Direct: The reporters commented , “The Kohinoor had been lost long ago”. Indirect: The reporters commented that the Kohinoor had been lost long ago.

Direct: Jyotsna said, “ She had been doing the work for 3 hours”. Indirect: Jyotsna said that she had been doing the work for 3 hours.

Rule: 7 If the reported speech implies Universal Truth or Habitual Fact or Scientific Truth ,

The Tense of the Verb remains unchanged in Indirect Narration in cases of General Statements of Facts , Universal Truths , Commonplace Occurrences , and Habitual or Repeated Actions . No real change occurs in these cases. Only there will be present Tense alone.

Direct: The boy said to his mother, “ The sun rises in the East”. Indirect: The boy told his mother that the sun rises in the East. [ Universal Truth ]

Direct: The monk answered , “ Man is mortal”. Indirect: The monk answered that man is mortal. [ Universal Truth ]

Direct: The teacher told the students, “ Perseverance always leads to success.” Indirect: The teacher told the students that perseverance always leads to success.

3. Direct and Indirect Speech R ules for Pronouns

There are certain rules to follow regarding the changes of pronouns from direct speech to indirect speech:

Rule 8: Personal Pronouns (I, We, You, He, She, They) Rules

First person.

(a) If the subject of the reported speech of direct form is in the first person, the subject of the reported speech will be replaced by the subject of the reporting verb in indirect form, but the number must be the same. [ singular > singular and plural > plural ]

Direct: She says, “ I am ill today.” Indirect: She says that she is ill that day.

Second Person

(b) If the subject of the reported speech in the Direct Form is in the second person, the subject of the reported speech will be replaced by the object of the reporting verb in the indirect form, but the number must be the same. [ singular > singular and plural > plural ]

Direct: He says to me , ” You can do this work.” Indirect: He tells me that I can do that work.

Third Person

(c) If the subject of the reported speech of Direct Form is in the third person, there will be no change in the person of the Indirect Form.

Direct: I said, “ He will not wait for his friend.” Indirect: I said that he would not wait for his friend.

Pronouns Chart : direct and indirect speech rules

Rule 9: Demonstrative Pronouns ( This, That ) Rules

In the case of demonstrative pronouns, replace them with appropriate pronouns in indirect speech.

Direct: “ This is my book,” she said. Indirect: She said that this was her book.

4. Direct and Indirect Speech ( Punctuation and Quotation Marks ) Rules

Understanding how to punctuate and use quotation marks correctly is crucial when dealing with direct and indirect speech. Here are some guidelines:

Rule 10: Comma with Reporting Verb Rules

When introducing indirect speech with a reporting verb, use a comma to separate the reporting verb from the reported speech.

Example: She said, “I’ll be there on time.”

Rule 11: Question Mark to Full Stop Rules

If the direct speech is a question, change the question mark to a full stop when converting to indirect speech.

Direct: He asked, “Are you coming to the party?” Indirect: He asked if I was coming to the party.

Rule 12: Exclamation Mark to Full Stop Rules

In cases where the direct speech has an exclamation mark, replace it with a full stop in indirect speech.

Direct: She exclaimed, “What a beautiful day!” Indirect: She exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.

E. Direct to Indirect Speech Conversion Rules : Modals and Conditional Sentences

Indirect speech involving modals and conditional sentences requires careful attention to maintain accuracy:

Rule 13: Rules of Modals in Indirect Speech

When dealing with modals like can, could, will, would, may, might, shall, should, must, etc., use the appropriate past form in indirect speech.

Direct: She said, “You should respect your elders. Indirect: She said that I should respect my elders.

Direct: She said, “I can speak French fluently. Indirect: She said that she could speak French fluently.

Direct: May I borrow your pen?” she asked. Indirect: She asked if she might borrow my pen.

Direct: He said, “You must complete the assignment by tomorrow. Indirect: He said that I must complete the assignment by the next day.

Rule 14: Conditional Sentences in Indirect Speech Rules

In indirect speech, conditional sentences undergo specific changes, especially when they involve “will” or “would.”

Direct: He said, “I will help you.” Indirect: He said that he would help me.

Direct: He said, “I will help you with your project Indirect: He said that he would help me with my project.

F. Direct and Indirect Speech Rules: ( Modifying Words – Time, Place, Manner )

Adding modifying words or phrases can alter the meaning of the reported speech:

Rule 15: Reporting with Adverbs of Time

When using adverbs of time in indirect speech, adjust them to match the new timeframe.

Direct: “I will come tomorrow,” she said. Indirect: She said that she would come the next day.

Rule 16: Reporting with Adverbs of Place

Similar to adverbs of time, adverbs of place need modification in indirect speech. 

Direct: ” I live here,” he said. Indirect: He said that he lived there.

Rule 17: Reporting with Adverbs of Manner

We can also use Adverbs of manner in indirect speech, requiring appropriate adjustments.

Direct: “He ran quickly,” she said. Indirect: She said that he ran quickly.

Time, Place, Manner, Distance, Direction Chart: Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

In Indirect Narration, words denoting Time, Place, Manner, Distance, and Direction used in the quoted speech are correspondingly changed to conform to the point of view of the Reporter. Thus, the sense of nearness is changed into that of Distance, and so on.

Place Chart

Manner Chart

Distance Chart

Direction Chart

Direct and Indirect Speech Advanced Rules

It is necessary to know about the Direct Indirect Speech Advanced Rules to change the mode of narration from direct to indirect speech of different sentences. All five sentences of Direct Indirect Speech Conversion Rules are shown with proper examples below.

A. Assertive Sentence Conversion Rules

To convert Assertive sentences into indirect speech the following rules are applied.

(a) No comma and Inverted comma in Indirect Speech, only full stop at the end. (b) Reporting Verbs changed from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech ; ‘say – say’, ‘says – says’, ‘said – said’, ‘said to – told’, ‘say to – tell’, ‘says to – tells’. (c) Connective ‘that’ added before Reported Speech in indirect Narration.

Direct: He said to me, “I am ill.” Indirect: He told me that he was ill.

Direct: Mary said, “I am happy with my results.” Indirect: Mary said that she was happy with her results.

Direct: Tom said, “I will attend the meeting tomorrow.” Indirect: Tom said that he would attend the meeting the next day.

Direct: Alice said, “I have finished my homework.” Indirect: Alice said that she had finished her homework.

Direct: David said, “We are planning a trip to the mountains.” Indirect: David said that they were planning a trip to the mountains.

B. Interrogative sentences Conversion rules

Forming indirect speech with questions necessitates some adjustments:

a. Reporting Yes/No Questions rules

When reporting yes/no questions, use “if” or “whether” and invert the subject and auxiliary verb in indirect speech.

Direct: John asked, “Are you coming to the party?” Indirect: John asked if I was coming to the party.

Direct: Sarah asked, “Do you like chocolate?” Indirect: Sarah asked if I liked chocolate.

Direct: Mike asked, “Have you finished your project?” Indirect: Mike asked if I had finished my project.

Direct: Emma asked, “Will you help me with my homework?” Indirect: Emma asked if I would help her with her homework.

Direct: “Will you be there?” he asked. Indirect: He asked if I would be there.

b. Reporting Wh-Questions rules

For reporting wh-questions, maintain the question word and adjust the word order in indirect speech.

(a) ‘Tell’ and ‘say’ in Direct Narration are changed to ‘ask’, ‘enquire of’, ‘question’, ‘want to know’ etc. in Indirect Narration. (b) In place of introductory ‘that’. ‘if’ or ‘whether’ should be used. (c) In Indirect Narration a full stop (.) must be put in place of a question mark(?) at the end of the sentence. (d) In Direct Narration the Reported Speech begins with W-word or how, in Indirect Narration the same Wh-word or how is retained.

Direct: Lisa asked, “Where are you going?” Indirect: Lisa asked where I was going.

Direct: Mark asked, “What time does the movie start?” Indirect: Mark asked what time the movie started.

Direct: Jennifer asked, “Why did you leave early?” Indirect: Jennifer asked why I had left early.

Direct: Tom asked, “How do you solve this problem?” Indirect: Tom asked how I solved that problem.

Direct: “Where are you going?” she asked. Indirect: She asked where I was going.

Direct: The teacher said to me, “Why are you late?” Indirect: The teacher asked me why I was late.

C. Imperative Sentences Conversion rules

The indirect speech also involves reporting imperatives, which are commands, requests, or advice:

Reporting Commands

When reporting commands, use the reporting verb “tell” and change the imperative verb to the corresponding infinitive.

Direct: The teacher said, “Open your books.” Indirect: The teacher told the students to open their books.

Reporting Requests

For reporting requests, employ the reporting verb “ask” and convert the imperative verb to the corresponding infinitive.

Direct: She said, “Please help me with this.” Indirect: She asked for help with that.

(a) Reporting verbs of Direct Speech changed into order or command, advise, or request according to sense in Indirect Speech. (b) ‘To’ is placed before Reported speech in Indirect Narration; for the negative imperative sentence ‘not to’ is used. (c) ‘not to’ can also be replaced by ‘forbid’, or ‘prohibit’. (d) ‘Let’ implies ‘suggestion’ or ‘proposal’; Reporting verb will be ‘suggest’ or ‘propose’ in Indirect Speech. ‘that’ is used before Reported speech in Indirect Narration (e) ‘Let’ without ‘suggestion’ or ‘proposal’; Reporting verb will be ‘tell’, or ‘wish’ according to sense in Indirect Speech. ‘that’ is used before Reported speech in Indirect Narration.

Direct: Mother said to me, “Don’t run in the sun.” Indirect: Mother advised me not to run in the sun.

Direct: She said to me, “Let us go for a picnic.” Indirect: She suggested that we should go for a picnic.

D. Optative Sentence Conversion rules

The following rules are used to change an optative sentence from direct speech to indirect speech

(a) Reporting verbs changed to ‘ wish ’, ‘ pray’ , and ‘ bless ’ in Indirect Speech. (b) Linker, ‘ that ’ is placed before Reported speech in Indirect Narration.

Direct: The monk said to me, “ May God bless you.” Indirect: The monk wished that God might bless me.

E. Exclamatory Sentences Conversion rules

(a) The reporting verb is changed into exclaim (in joy), exclaim (in grief), cried out (in sorrow), pray, wish, etc. (b) Examinations are turned into statements. (c) Interjections (Alas, Oh, Hurrah) are omitted. (d) ‘What’, and ‘How’ used in exclamation should be replaced by great, great, very, very much, and big.

Direct: The boys said, “Hurrah! we have won the match.” Indirect: The boy exclaimed in joy that they had won the match.

Solved Exercises Direct and Indirect Speech

Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

Q: Ratan said to Anita, “I don’t like your brother”.

Ans: Ratan told Anita that she did not like her brother.

Q: The hermit said to the boys, “God is present everywhere.”

Ans: The hermit told the boys that God is present everywhere.

Q: :He said to you, “You shouldn’t play in my garden.”

Ans: He told you that you should not play in his garden.

Q: The class teacher said to the students. “The inspector will visit our school today.”

Ans: The class teacher told the students that the inspector would visit their school that day.

Q: He said to me, “I don’t believe you.”

Ans: He told me that he didn’t believe me.

Q: She said to her son, “I’ve often told you not to play with fire.”

Ans: She told her son that she had often told him not to play with fire.

Q: Sitesh said to Lina, “I want you to go to Patna with me.”

Ans: Sitesh told Lina that he wanted her to go to Patna with him.

Q: “We can’t be quite happy in life,” he said.

Ans: He said that they couldn’t be quite happy in life.

Q: He said, “The Muslims bury their dead.”

He said that the Muslims bury their dead.

Q: “You’ve overcooked the steak again, Mary”, he said.

Ans: He told Mary that she had overcooked the steak again.

Q: Ramen said to Bina, “I’m going to your house this, week.”

Ans: Ramen told Bina that he was going to her house that week.

Q: He said, “We will discuss this tomorrow.”

Ans: He said that they would discuss that the next day

Turn the following sentences into direct speech.

Q: He said to me, “You are wicked; so I shall not mix with you.”

Ans: He told me that I was wicked; so he would not mix with me.

Q: He said to you, “I was much struck by your eloquence.”

Ans: He told you that he had been much struck by your eloquence.

Q: We remarked, “God is gracious.”

Ans: We remarked that God is gracious.

Q: I said to my mother, “I shall always obey you.”

Ans: I told my mother that I should always obey her.

Q: He said to Gopal, “You were a mere boy when I saw you last.”

Ans: He told Gopal that he was a mere boy when he had seen him last.

Q: I said to him, “The sky is blue.”

Ans: I told him that the sky is blue.

Q: He said to me, “You will feel the consequences.”

Ans: He told me that I should feel the consequences.

Q: She said to you, “I am not angry with you.”

Ans: She told you that she was not angry with you.

Q: I said to them, “You have done wrong.”

Ans: I told them that they had done wrong.

Q: He said, “I visit the temple every day.”

Ans: He said that he visited the temple every day.

Direct and Indirect Speech Sample MCQ Questions Answers

Fill in the blanks with proper direct and indirect speech rules.

• d) had been
• Answer: a) was
• c) will like
• d) had liked
• Answer: a) liked
• a) will visit
• b) would visit
• d) had visited
• Answer: b) would visit
• Answer: c) was
• c) will have
• Answer: b) had
• Answer: b) could
• a) revolves
• c) revolved
• d) is revolving
• Answer: a) revolves
• b) had been
• Answer: b) had been
• Answer: b) would

FAQs : Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

Q : what is the key difference between direct and indirect speech.

Ans: The main difference lies in the quoting style. Direct speech involves repeating someone’s exact words, while indirect speech reports what was said without quoting verbatim.

FAQ 2: Is it always necessary to backshift the tense in indirect speech?

Ans: While backshifting is common, some exceptions exist, especially in cases where the statement’s truth remains constant.

FAQ 3: How do I handle multiple speakers in indirect speech?

Ans: When reporting multiple speakers, use appropriate reporting verbs and introduce each person’s dialogue in a logical sequence.

FAQ 4: Can I mix direct and indirect speech in the same sentence?

Ans: Combining direct and indirect speech in a sentence is possible, but it requires precision to avoid confusion.

FAQ 5: What are some reporting verbs commonly used in indirect speech?

Ans: Reporting verbs like “said,” “told,” “asked,” “claimed,” and “explained” are frequently employed.

FAQ 6: How can I ensure my writing maintains a natural flow when switching between direct and indirect speech?

Ans: Focus on maintaining consistency in style and verb tense to ensure a smooth transition between direct and indirect speech.

FAQ 7: How do I identify direct and indirect speech in a sentence?

Ans: Direct speech is usually enclosed within quotation marks and directly quotes someone’s words. Indirect speech, on the other hand, reports those words without quotation marks, often using reporting verbs like “said,” “told,” “asked,” etc.

FAQ 8: Can reporting verbs change the meaning of indirect speech?

Ans: Yes, the choice of reporting verbs can convey the speaker’s attitude or emotions towards the reported speech. Different reporting verbs can modify the meaning slightly.

FAQ 9: What are the common reporting verbs for indirect speech?

Ans: Common reporting verbs for indirect speech include “say,” “tell,” “ask,” “inquire,” “explain,” “describe,” and more.

FAQ 10: How do I change tenses in indirect speech?

Ans: The tense in indirect speech is generally shifted back one step. For example, present simple becomes past simple, present continuous becomes past continuous, and so on.

FAQ 11: Is it essential to use quotation marks in indirect speech?

Ans: No, quotation marks are not used in indirect speech as they report the speech without directly quoting it.

FAQ 12: Can you give an example of indirect speech in narratives?

Ans: Certainly! In the story, he said, “I love you,” to which she replied that she loved him too.

FAQ 14: Can we omit the reporting verb in indirect speech?

Ans: It is possible to omit the reporting verb in some cases, especially in informal contexts, but including it adds clarity and structure to the reported speech.

FAQ 15: Do all tenses change in indirect speech?

Ans: Most tenses change in indirect speech, but the changes depend on the context and the tense of the original statement.

FAQ 16: Can you provide more examples of direct and indirect speech transformations?

Ans: Certainly! Here are a few more examples:

Direct: “I am reading a book,” she said. Indirect: She said that she was reading a book.

Direct: “We have completed the project,” they exclaimed. Indirect: They exclaimed that they had completed the project.

FAQ 17: How can I practice using direct and indirect speech effectively?

Ans: Practice by converting direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa using various reporting verbs, tenses, and pronouns. Additionally, read books or articles and identify the reported speech used by the authors.

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Direct Speech or Quoted Speech

Introduction to direct speech or quoted speech.

Direct Speech, also known as Quoted Speech, is a common grammatical construction used in both written and spoken language. This tutorial serves as a comprehensive guide to mastering this important literary device. Let's start by understanding what direct speech is.

Table of Contents

Understanding Direct Speech

Direct speech refers to the exact wording of someone's comments or speech as it was spoken. In written text, direct speech usually appears in quotation marks or inverted commas to denote that the words were spoken or written by another person. The actual text of direct speech punctuated with a speech tag, which identifies the speaker and might provide additional context.

• John said, "I love playing football."

In this example, "I love playing football," is the direct speech, and "John said," is the speech tag.

Formatting Direct Speech

Following are some standard rules regarding the formatting and punctuating of direct speech:

Rule 1: Opening and Closing Quotation Marks

Always use opening and closing quotation marks to indicate the start and end of the direct speech portion of the sentence. These could be double (“ ”) or single (‘ ’) quotation marks, depending on the convention of the media or publication.

• "I am going home," said Maria.

Rule 2: Speech Tag Placement

The location of the speech tag can change, depending on the context and the intended effect. It can either be placed before, in between, or after the direct speech.

• She said, "I am tired."
• "I am," he said, "very hungry."
• "Let's go to the park," suggested Tim.

Rule 3: Capitalization and Punctuation

In direct speech, every new spoken line starts with a capital letter. Also, when the speech tag is at the end of the sentence, the quoted sentence should end with a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark but not with a period.

• John said, "Please pass the salt."
• "Where are we going?" asked Mary.
• "What a beautiful view!" exclaimed Susan.

Understanding the Speech Tag

The speech tag typically has two parts: the noun (or noun phrase) that refers to the speaker and the reporting verb (e.g., "said", "asked", "whispered") that characterizes the mode of speech. It's also possible to add adverbial modifiers to describe the manner of speech.

• "I can't wait to play the game," Tom said excitedly.

Overriding Rules in Direct Speech

While the rules mentioned above can guide you in punctuating most direct speeches correctly, some exceptions or overriding rules can alter punctuation and capitalization. Here are some examples:

Rule 1: Interrupted Speech

If the speech tag interrupts the direct speech, both parts of the speech would begin with a lowercase letter, assuming they form a single sentence.

• "I can't," she whispered, "stand to see him upset."

Rule 2: Consecutive Sentences

When a character speaks consecutive sentences, start the second one with a capital letter.

• "Please leave," she said. "I need to be alone."

Concluding Remarks

Mastering direct speech or quoted speech can enhance your writing skills tremendously, helping you write compelling dialogue and effectively integrate quotes in your work. By following the guidelines set in this tutorial, you'll be well on your way to using direct speech like a pro. Happy writing!

Practice Exercises:

• Rewrite the following sentences with appropriate use of quoted speech:
• Sam said that he was too tired to study.
• Jane thought that it was a splendid idea.
• He didn't know where she was going.
• Use direct speech to write a conversation between two characters about their weekend plans.

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Literary English

Direct and Indirect Speech in English | A Complete Guide

Direct and indirect speech are two ways to report what someone else has said. In direct speech, the exact words spoken by a person are quoted within quotation marks. In indirect speech, the words of the speaker are reported without using their exact words and without using quotation marks. Instead, the reported speech is often introduced by verbs such as “said,” “told,” “asked,” etc. Indirect speech allows us to convey what someone else said without necessarily repeating their exact words, often to provide a summary or to integrate it into a larger narrative.

Direct Speech

Direct speech is also called reporting speech. There are two parts in a sentence in direct speech first part is known as reporting speech (in this sentence we know about reporting person) and the second part which is known as reported speech (indirect narration “example”, or indirect discourse). When we want to describe what someone said, one option is to use  direct speech . We use direct speech when we simply repeat what someone says, putting the phrase between speech marks:

• Saif came in and said, “I’m really happy”.

As you can see, with direct speech it is common to use the verb ‘to say’ and ‘to says’ (‘said’ in the past). But you can also find other verbs used to indicate direct speech such as ‘ask’, ‘reply’, and ‘shout’.

Indirect Speech

In grammar, when we want to report what someone said, without speech marks and without necessarily using exactly the same words, we use indirect speech. It is also known as reported speech. Look at the following sentences:

• Direct speech:  he says, “I am going to school.”
• Indirect speech:  he says that he is going to school.

In above sentences, the reporter delivers the message of the boy using his real words (e.g.“I am going to school.”) In the indirect speech sentence, the reporter delivers his message but in his own words without any change in the meaning. Thus, both direct and indirect speeches are two different ways of reporting a statement of person. In simple words, quoting a person using your own words is called an indirect speech.

Basic Rules for Direct and Indirect Speeches

• When we change direct speech to indirect speech always we will replace inverted commas with word ‘ that’ .
• When we combine reporting and reported speech we use  that  between these sentences.
• If the first part of the sentence does not include word  said  then tense will not be changed.
• At the end of reporting speech if there is a comma then it will be removed.
• Say  always will be changed into  tell .
• Says  always will be changed into  tells .
• Said  will be changed into  told  only in one condition when there is object in reporting speech.
• Direct : You said to Saif, “you are going to Lahore”.
• Indirect : you told Saif that he was going to Lahore. 

Changes in the Person of Pronouns

1 st  person                             2 nd  person                             3 rd  person

Subject                                  Object                                    No change

I, we,                                       you                                         he, she, it,

My, our, us, me                     your                                        they and noun.

• 1 st person pronouns in reported speech are always changed according to the subject of the reporting speech.
• 2 nd person pronouns in reported speech are always changed according to the object of the reporting speech.
• 3 rd person pronouns in reported speech are not changed.

Important word changes

The above rules are mandatory for converting direct speech into indirect speech. Hence, they should be memorized thoroughly. The following examples cover all the aforementioned rules. So, focus on every sentence to know how the above-mentioned rules have been used here.

Some special words will be changed when direct speech changes into indirect speech

• Now into then
• Today into that day
• Yesterday into the previous day
• This into that
• Last night into the previous night
• Tomorrow into the next day
• These into those
• Here into there
• Next day into the following day
• Ago into before
• Come into go
• Will into would
• Shall into should
• May into might
• Can into could
• Good Morning, into greeted
• Good Evening, into greeted
• Good Day into greeted
• Madam into Respectfully
• Sir into Respectfully

Changes in Verbs

If the reporting speech is in present tense or future tense, then no change is required to be made in the verb of reported speech.

Direct Speech:  he says, “I live in Pakistan”.

Indirect Speech:  he tells that he lives in Pakistan.

Direct Speech:  you say to me, “you will go to Lahore”.

Indirect Speech:  you tell me that I shall go to Lahore.

Direct Speech:  I say, “she was ill”.

Indirect Speech:  I tell that she was ill.

How to Make Direct and Indirect Speeches in Different Tenses

Present indefinite  will be changed into past into  past indefinite  tense.

(First form  into  second form)

• Direct:  I said, “I go to school”.
• Indirect:  I said that I went to school.

Present continues  will be changed into  past continues  tense.

(is, am, are  into  was, were)

• Direct:  Raza said, “I am a boy”.
• Indirect : Raza said that he was a boy.

Present perfect  will be changed into  past perfect  tense.

(has, had  into  had)

• Indirect : You told Saif that he was going to Lahore. 

Present perfect continues  will be changed into  past perfect continues  tense.

(has been, have been  into  had been)

• Direct : The guard said to the passenger, “the train has come”
• Indirect : The guard told to the passenger that the train had come.

Past indefinite will be changed into  past perfect  tense.

(second form  into  had)

• Direct : Aslam said, “They played cricket”.
• Indirect:  Aslam said that they had played cricket.

Past continues  will be changed into  past perfect continues  tense.

(was, were  into  had been)

• Direct : The policeman said, “The thief has been stealing for two year”.
• Indirect : The policeman told that the thief had been stealing for two year.

Note :  Past perfect, past perfect continues, future indefinite, future continues, future perfect, future perfect continues tense will not be changed.

Direct and Indirect Speech in Assertive Sentences

Sentences that make a declaration are called assertive sentences. These sentences may be positive, negative, false, or true statements. To convert such sentences into indirect speech, use the rules as declared above except  said  is sometimes replaced with  told . Look at the following examples:

Direct Speech:  She says, “I am writing a letter to my brother.”

Indirect Speech:  She says that she is writing a letter to her brother.

Direct Speech:  She says, “I was not writing a letter to my brother.”

Indirect Speech:  She says that she was not writing a letter to her brother.

Direct Speech:  She said to me, “I am writing a letter to my brother.”

Indirect Speech:  She told me that she was writing a letter to her brother.

Direct and Indirect Speech in Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences are sentences that give an order or a direct command. These sentences may be in the form of advice, appeal, request, or order. Mostly, it depends upon the forcefulness of the presenter. Thus, a full stop (.) or sign of exclamation (!) is used at the end of the sentence.

When we will be convert these types of sentences into indirect speech, follow the following rules along with the above-mentioned rules:

• Both sentences will be joined with the conjunction
• If in the reported sentence has word do not,  then it will be changed with the word  not to.
• Direct speech : Aslam said, “Do not beat him”.
• Indirect speech: Aslam ordered to not beat him.

The direct verb is changed according to indirect speech in case order the speaker gives a direct command. Then said  will be changed into  ordered  For example:

• Direct Speech:  The father said to me, “Sit down.”
• Indirect Speech:  The father ordered me to sit down.

The direct verb is changed according to indirect speech in case request the speaker gives a request command. Then said  will be changed into  request.

For example:

• Direct Speech:  The man said, “Please show me your pen.”
• Indirect Speech:  the man requested to show him my door.

The direct verb is changed according to indirect speech in case guide the speaker gives a piece of advice. Then said  will be changed into  advised .

• Direct Speech:  The headmaster said, “Write neat and clean.”
• Indirect Speech:  the headmaster advised to write neat and clean.

The direct verb is changed according to indirect speech in case forbade the speaker stopped to do something. Then said  will be changed into  forbade .

• Direct Speech:  The teacher said, “Don’t sit.”
• Indirect Speech:  The teacher forbade to sit.

Optative & Exclamatory Sentences

The sentence, which expresses a prayer, keen wish, curse, happiness etc., is called an  optative sentence . This kind of sentence generally starts with ‘may’ and ‘wish’. Sometimes, ‘may’ remains hidden.

The sentence, which expresses a sudden and deep excitement, wonder, shock, or sorrow, etc., is called an  exclamatory sentence . In this kind of sentence must have exclamation mark (!) at the end of the sentence or in the central of the sentence.

• May you succeed in the test!
• May you get well soon!
•   Would that I was rich!

When we will be converted these types of sentences into indirect speech, follow the following rules along with the above-mentioned rules:

In a prayer  sentence  said  will be replaced by

When we will be changed direct speech to indirect speech always we will be replaced inverted commas  that .

• Direct speech : He said, “May you live long”.
• Indirect speech : He prayed that I might live long.

In a  hope  sentence  said  will be replaced by

When we will be changed direct speech to indirect speech always we will be replaced inverted commas that .

• Direct speech:  The father said, “May my son get first position”.
• Indirect speech:  The father wished that his son might get first position.

In a glad & happy sentence, said  will be replaced by  exclaimed with joy  or  exclaimed with joyfully.  And exclamatory  mark  (!) will be removed.

• Direct speech:  The boys said, “Hurrah! We have won the match”.
• Indirect speech:  The boys exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

In a sad or sorrow sentence, said  will be replaced by  exclaimed with sorrow  or  exclaimed with sorrowfully.

• Direct speech:  The bagger said, “Ah! I am undone”.
• Indirect speech:  The exclaimed with sorrow that he was undone.

Interrogative Sentences

Which sentences, ask questions, are called interrogative sentences. Every interrogative sentence has question mark (?) at the ends.

• Where are you going?
•   Where did you live?
• Are you want to go with me?

To change interrogative sentences from direct speech into indirect speech, follow the following rules along with the above-mentioned rules:

  When we will be changed sentence direct speech to indirect  Said  will be replaced by  asked .

If interrogative sentence will be started from “ Wh ” mean when, whom, what, where, who, which, why, how, whose when we will be changed sentence direct speech to indirect speech  inverted commas  will not be replaced. Just it will be removed.

If the reported sentence will be started form helping verb, then  if will be used in place of  that .

After the changing sentence mark of interrogation (?) will be replaced with full stop (.).

Direct speech:  He said to me, “Who are you”?

Indirect speech:  He asked me who I was.

Direct speech:  He said to me, “Where are you going”?

Indirect speech:  He asked me where I was going.

Direct speech:  Sunny said to me, “will you help me”?

Indirect speech:  Sunny asked me if I would help him.

Direct and indirect Speech in Universal Sentence

Sentences which have natural truth or universal truth in the part of reported speech are called universal sentences .

• Allah is one.
• Honesty is the best policy.

To change universal sentences from direct speech into indirect speech, follow the following rules along with the above-mentioned rules:

When we will be changed sentence direct speech to indirect  Said  will be replaced by

When we will be changed direct speech to indirect speech always we will be replaced inverted commas with  that .

Always remember that universal truth will never change so we will not be changed reported speech portion.

Direct speech:  The teacher said to the boys, “The earth revolves around the sun”.

Indirect speech:  The teacher told the boys that the earth revolves around the sun.

Direct speech:  Saif said, “Allah is one”.

Indirect speech:  Saif told that Allah is one.

Direct speech:  She said to him, “Honesty is the best policy”.

Indirect speech:  She told him that honesty is the best policy.

Direct speech:  Sunny said to Farrukh, “The sun rises in the east”.

Indirect speech:  Sunny told Farrukh that the sun rises in the east.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Every day, people relay messages from one person to another. Whether it is to prove a point, describe an event, or disclose an opinion, we use the freedom of speech to share information. There are generally two ways of reporting a spoken idea: direct and indirect speech. This article shall explain and compare these two types of speech. Some examples are also provided to give you a more in-depth understanding.

Both direct and indirect speech are methods to narrate the words spoken by a specific person. The difference between them lies in how they are constructed and in the purpose of using them.

Direct Speech

In a direct speech , the actual words of the speaker are quoted explicitly. It is often used to relay something being said in the present tense. It can also be used to recall the exact words of the speaker when retelling a previous conversation. You can recognize a direct speech instantly because it has a text enclosed in a set of quotation marks. That text or idea is known as the reported speech .

• He says, “I want to adopt a dog.”
• Julia asks, “What do you want to have for dinner?”
• Penny answers, “I would like to have some soup.”
• “I have a new job,” Kyle says to us.
• “I will be working as a virtual assistant,” he added.

As you can see, direct speech can be presented in different tenses: past, present, or future. It depends on when the actual words were spoken and when the reporter is retelling them. Also, reporting verbs (say, ask, answer, etc.) are not necessarily placed before the quoted text. You can also place them after it.

This type of speech is often used in writing novels or telling a story. This is because it gives the text a more actual and realistic effect.

Indirect Speech

Indirect speech is usually used to relay what was being said by the speaker without directly quoting the original words. In this case, the tense of the sentence is typically changed. Reporting verbs, such as say, tell, ask, and others, are used as an introduction. The words of the original speaker will not be enclosed inside the quotation marks. Instead, the word “that” is used to connect the reporting verb to the reported text.

• He says that he wants to adopt a dog.
• Julia asks Penny what she wants for dinner.
• Penny answers that she would like to have some soup.
• Kyle told us that he got a new job.
• He added that he will be working as a virtual assistant.

The above sentences are actually converted from the previous examples of direct speech. Aside from eliminating the quotation marks, correct pronouns are also used. Additionally, the reporting verbs are now all found before the reported speech. The reporting verb is then followed with “that.”

Converting Direct to Indirect Speech

Now, let us specify the rules in converting direct speech to indirect speech. Here are the steps on how to do so:

1. Eliminate the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text.

The quotation marks are the primary indication of a direct speech. Therefore, it is crucial to take them out if you are forming an indirect one.

2. Retain the tense of the reporting verb and add the word “that” after it.

You have to retain the tense of the reporting verb to allow consistency of reports. Instead of placing a comma to separate the reporting clause from the reported one, the word “that” is added. However, if the reported speech is a yes-no question, you use “if” instead of “that.” If the question starts with who, what, when, where, etc., no additional words are needed. Instead, you have to rearrange the sentence into a declarative form.

• Direct Speech:  She says, “I want to go to Paris.”
• Indirect Speech:  She says  that  she wants to go to Paris.
• Direct Speech:  She asks, “Do you want to go to Paris?”
• Indirect Speech:  She asks me  if  I want to go to Paris.
• Direct Speech:  “Ms. Thompson, where are you going?” I asked.
• Indirect Speech:  I asked Ms. Thompson  where she was going .

3. Change the tense of the verb in the reported speech, if needed.

If the reporting verb is in the past tense, you should change the tense of the verb inside the reported speech into its past tense. This is not necessary if the reporting verb is in the present or future tense.

• Direct Speech:  He  said , “I am watching a new TV series.”
• Indirect Speech:  He said that  he was watching  a new TV series.
• Direct Speech:  He  says , “I am watching a new TV series.”
• Indirect Speech:  He says that  he is watching  a new TV series.

Of course, you have to consider the correlation between the report and the idea on the quoted text. Sometimes, a change in tense is not needed even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.

• Direct Speech:  He said, “I will be watching a new TV series.”
• Indirect Speech:  He said that  he will be watching  a new TV series.
• Direct Speech:  He said, “I watch TV series every night.”
• Indirect Speech:  He said that  he watches  TV series every night.

For the first example, the quoted text is still about to happen. So, you don’t need to change the tense of the sentence inside the quotation. For the second example, watching TV series is implied as a habitual action. Therefore, you still have to retain the present tense of the verb.

4. Change the pronouns accordingly.

You should also change the pronoun based on who the speaker, doer, and receiver of the action is.

• Direct Speech:  Wendy says, “Ron, y ou  should take care of  yourself .”
• Indirect Speech:  Wendy told Ron that  he  should take care of  himself .

Appropriate changing of pronouns is done to avoid misunderstanding the whole text. If pronouns are not changed, it might confuse the reader or the listener as to who is saying or doing the action.

The change in pronouns gives rise to changes in the plurality of the verb used. That being said, you have to consider and follow correct subject-verb agreement at all times.

Tense Changes in Indirect Speech

Verb Tenses Changes

Present Simple Tense into Past Simple Tense

For example:

• Direct speech: She always wears a coat.
• Reported speech: He said (that) she always wore a coat.

Present Continuous Tense into Past Continuous Tense

• Direct speech: I ‘m looking for my keys.
• Reported speech: She said that she was looking for her keys.

Present Perfect Tense into Past Perfect Tense

• Direct speech: She has written three letters for her friend.
• Reported speech: He said she had written three letters for her friend.

Past Simple Tense into Past Perfect Tense

• Direct speech:   My friend gave me a bar of chocolate.
• Reported speech: He said that his friend had given him a bar of chocolate.

Past Continuous Tense into  Past   Perfect Continuous Tense

• Direct speech: We were living in London.
• Reported speech: They said that they had been living in London.

Past Perfect Tense ( The tense remains unchanged )

• Direct speech: The bread had gone stale.
• Reported speech: She said the bread had gone stale.

Future Simple Tense (e.g. will ) into “ would “

• Direct speech: I will finish my report in two days.
• Reported speech: He said that he would finish his report in two days.

Future Progressive Tense (e.g. will be ) into “ would be “

• Direct speech: I will be making tea.
• Reported speech: He said (that) he would be making tea.

Future Perfect Tense (e.g. will have ) into “ would have “

• Direct speech: I will have called a doctor.
• Reported speech: He said (that) she would have called a doctor.

Future Perfect Tense (e.g. will have been ) into “ would have been “

• Direct speech:  All the money  will have been  spent.
• Reported speech: He said (that) all the money would have been spent.

Other Verb Form Changes in Reported Speech

Can into Could

• Direct speech: I can speak English.
• Reported speech: She said she could speak English.

Could ( The verb remains unchanged)

• Direct speech: He could play in the match.
• Reported speech: They said he could play in the match.

Have to into Had to

• Direct speech: I have to submit this assignment by 3 pm tomorrow.
• Reported speech: She said she had to submit this assignment by 3 pm tomorrow.

Must into Must/Had to

• Direct speech: I must go to the bank and get some money.
• Reported speech: She said she must / had to go to the bank and get some money.

May into Might

• Direct speech:  I may invite them to dinner.
• Reported speech: She said that she  might invite them to the dinner.

Might (The verb remains unchanged)

• Direct speech: He might get a flight tomorrow.
• Reported speech: She said he might get a flight the next day.

Should (The verb remains unchanged)

• Direct speech: I should start a job.
• Reported speech: She said that she should start a job.

More interesting articles

• Changes in Time and Place in Reported Speech
• Changes of Pronouns in Reported Speech: Rules & Examples
• Direct Speech | What is Direct Speech? with Useful Examples
• No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech
• Reported Commands and Requests in English
• Reported Questions: Direct and Indirect Questions
• Reported Speech Exercises – Reported Speech Worksheet
• Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples
• Reporting Verbs in English Grammar

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English Grammar & Vocabulary

Lessons & Practice Tests

Direct and Indirect Speech – Rules and Examples

13th June 2020 By Edify English Leave a Comment

Any word spoken by a speaker can be written in two different ways. Those two are direct and indirect speech. Direct Speech is when the speaker’s actual words are quoted and these words are put in inverted commas (“…..”) while Indirect Speech is when the speaker’s words are said indirectly with the same meaning without repeating the exact words. For Example, the statement in direct speech She said to me, “I am going to the park” changes into She told me that she was going to the park in indirect speech.

Basic Changes while changing from Direct speech to indirect speech

• The comma ( , )after the reporting verb is removed and the conjunction that is added in the indirect speech.
• If the direct speech contains ‘said to’ , it will be converted into ‘told’ in the indirect speech.
• The quotation marks (Inverted commas) are to be removed in the indirect speech.
• I becomes He/ She
• We becomes they
• You becomes He / She/ They
• Me becomes Him/ he r (Depending on the gender in the direct speech)
• My becomes His/ Her .
• Our becomes their
• Us becomes them
• Your becomes His/ her/ their .

Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and Indirect Speech

• Rule 1: The Verb in the simple present tense in the direct speech changes into the simple past tense in indirect speech

Example: He said to me, “I am happy”   becomes  He told me that he was happy

(The verb in the direct speech ‘am’ is converted into ‘was’.)

• Rule 2: The verb in the simple past tense becomes past perfect tense in indirect speech.

Example: He said to me, “I was happy”   changes into  He told me that he had been happy

• Rule 3: A present continuous tense in direct speech becomes past continuous tense in indirect speech. 

Example: The peon said, “The professor is teaching in that classroom”   changes into  The peon said that the professor was teaching in that classroom. 

• Rule 4: If the direct speech contains present perfect tense, it changes into the past perfect tense in indirect speech.

Example: She said, “I have passed the test” becomes She said that she had passed the test.

• Rule 5: If the direct speech contains a statement talking about a universal truth or a factual statement, there will be no change of tense in indirect speech. 

Example: The teacher said, “The sun rises in the East” becomes The teacher said that the sun rises in the east in indirect speech.

Example: Samuel said, “I know the university’s address.” and the indirect speech for that is Samuel said that he knows the university’s address

Rules for converting Interrogatory sentences

• Rule 6: While converting interrogative sentences, the verb ‘said to’ becomes ‘asked’ and if/ whether will come in the place of ‘that’. The connecting word ‘that’ will not be used in indirect speech. Also, the interrogation mark (?) is not repeated in the indirect speech.

Example:   He said to her, “Will you marry me?” changes into He asked her whether she would marry him in the indirect speech.

Rules for Converting Imperative Sentences

• Rule 7: During the conversion of imperative sentences, the verb “said to” is changed into ordered, advised, requested, suggested, proposed, etc. depending on the situation.  Also, the connecting word ‘that’ is not used. Instead of that, ‘ to’ is used before the reporting verb.

Example: My father said to me, “prepare well for your examination” . It can be converted to My father advised me to prepare well for my examination.

Rules for Converting Exclamatory Sentences

• Rule 8: For exclamatory sentences, the verb is converted into: exclaimed with joy or sorrow or with surprise, wished, prayed, applauded,/ etc. The exclamatory words and the exclamation are not mentioned anymore in the indirect speech. For example,

Example: The coach said, “Hurrah! we won the match!” is changed as The coach exclaimed with joy that we had won the match.

These are the changes in helping verbs while changing from Direct and Indirect Speech

Note: There is no change in the helping verbs “would, should, could, might, had” in the direct speech and they remain the s ame in indirect speech as well.

Changes in Time and Place 

Cha nges in pronoun s

The changes in pronouns in indirect speech depends on the subject and the object of the reporting verb.

• Rule 1: The first person of reported speech changes based on the subject of the reporting verb.

Example: She said, “I watched a movie” can be converted into She said that she had watched a movie . Hence, the first person in the direct speech “I” has become “she” based on the subject.

Had there been “he” instead of “she”, the first person in reported speech changes accordingly into “he”.

• Rule 2: The second person in reported speech changes based on the object of the reporting verb.

Example: She said to me, “You watched a movie” can be converted into She told me that I had watched a movie.

• Rule 3 : The third person in the reported speech remains unchanged.

Example: I said to her, “He will play Chess” can be converted into I told her that he would play Chess.

Stay tuned for more examples of direct and indirect speech.

For an extensive material on tenses, Click here

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Direct And Indirect Speech Complete Rules

We often convey a message or give information about what someone said, thought or felt to somebody else. In order to do this you can use the grammar structure named direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech. Indeed this structure can be a source of confusion for ESL learners because they mix it with active and passive voice . Read the whole article to know about direct and indirect speech rules.

To learn more about direct and indirect speech click here.

Initially we will look at direct and indirect speech, then look at how to convert speech from direct to indirect or vice-versa.

Direct Speech / Quoted Speech Saying or quoting exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech) Here what a person says appears within quotation marks (“…”) a nd should be word for word.

• She said, “Today’s lesson is about direct and indirect speech.” or
• “Today’s lesson is about direct and indirect speech.”, she said.

Indirect Speech / Reported Speech Saying or reporting what someone said without quoting his exact words is called indirect speech. Here we don’t use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and does not have to be word for word.

• He said that yesterday’s lesson was about direct and indirect speech.

Reporting Verb The verb in the first part of sentence (i.e. say, said, tell, admit, complain, explain remind, reply think, hope, offer, refuse etc.) before the statement of a person in sentence is called reporting verb.

How to Change Direct Speech into Indirect Speech?

Rule 1. (Adverbs of Time and Place)

If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting, and adverb of nearness should be put into those of distance.

• Today   =>  y esterday/ that day
• This evening   =>  t hat evening
• These (days)   =>   those (days)
• Now   =>   then
• (A week) ago   => (a week) before
• Last weekend   => the previous weekend
• Here   =>   there
• Here after   =>  there after
• Next (week)   => the following (week)/ a week after
• Tomorrow   => the next/following day
• Thus   => so
• Last night   => the previous night
• Yesterday   => the day before / the previous day
• Hither   => thither
• Hence   => thence

Note: If something is said and reported at the same time, then the time expression can remain the  same.

• He told me today, “ I will go to Karachi tomorrow.”
• He told me today he would go to Karachi tomorrow.
• She told me this week, “ we gave our exam last week.”
• She told me this week, they had given their exam last wee.

Rule 2. Tenses

A) If the reporting verb is in present or future (i.e say, says or will say) then don’t change the tense that you can find within the quotation marks.

• He says,”I was a fool then.”
• He says that he was a fool then.
• I will say, “ He loves his mom.”
• I will say that he loves his mom.

B) If reporting verb is in the past tense. the tense of the verbs in the reported speech or indirect speech must be generally changed. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too.

• He said,”I am going to the cinema.”
• He said he was going to the cinema.

Tense Change As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense. Present Simple  › Past simple

• She said, ”it is cold,”   
• She said it was cold.

Present continuous › Past continuous 

• She said, “I’m teaching Math online.”
• She said she was teaching Math online.

Present perfect › Past perfect 

• She said, “I’ve lived in Pakistan since 1999.” 
• She said she had lived in Pakistan since 1999.

Present perfect continuous › Past perfect continuous 

• She said, “I’ve been teaching English for seven years.” 
• She said she had been teaching English for seven years.

Past simple › Past perfect 

• She said, “I taught active and passive yesterday.”
• She said she had taught active and passive yesterday.

Past continuous › Past perfect continuous

• She said, “I was teaching the lesson.”  
• She said she had been teaching the lesson.

Past perfect › Past perfect 

• She said, “The lesson had already started when he arrived.”
• NO CHANGE – She said the lesson had already started when he arrived.

Past perfect continuous  › Past perfect continuous 

• She said, “I’d already been teaching for five minutes.”
• NO CHANGE – She said she’d already been teaching for five minutes.

Modal verb forms also sometimes change: Will › would 

• She said, “I’ll teach English online tomorrow.”
• She said she would teach English online tomorrow.

Can › could 

• She said, “I can teach English online.” 
• She said she could teach English online.

Must ›  had to 

• She said, “I must have a computer to teach English online.”
• She said she had to have a computer to teach English online.

Shall › › should/ would

• She said, “What shall we learn today?” 
• She asked what we should learn today.
• He said, ”I shall appreciate it.”
• He said he would appreciate it.

May › might 

• She said, “May I open a new browser?” 
• She asked if she might open a new browser.

Note – There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.

• “I might go to the cinema”, he said.
• He said he might go to the cinema.

Rule 3. (After wish, would rather, had better , it is time)

• Ali said, ”I wish they were in Pakistan.”
• Ali said he wished they were in Pakistan.
• Hussain said, “ I would rather fly.”
• Hussain said he would rather fly.
• Zahra said, ” they had better go.”
• Zahra said they had better go.
• Ahmed said, “It is time I got up.”
• Ahmed said it was time he got up.

If indirect speech the words within quotation marks talk of a universal truth or habitual action or when a sentence is made and reported at the same time and the fact is still true then the tense inside the quotation marks is not changed at all.

• He said,”My name is Ali.”
• He said his name was Ali Or He said his name is Ali.
• The teacher said,” the sun rises in the east.”
• The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
• Shazia said, “ I am thirsty.” 
• Shazia said she is thirsty.

You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event.

• She said,”next week’s lesson is on reported speech.”
• She said next week’s lesson will be on reported speech.

Rule 6. (Pronouns)

We have to change the pronouns to keep the same meaning of a sentence.

• Ali said, “ We are the best players.”
• Ali said they were the best players.

Note: Sometimes we have to use a noun instead of a pronoun, otherwise the new sentence is confusing consider the examples below:

• Mohammad said, “He killed them.”
• Mohammad said that the man had killed them.

(If we only make mechanical changes, then the new sentence can have different meaning)

• Mohammad said he had killed them. (Mohammad himself killed them)

Rule 7. Reported Speech In If-Clauses.

• Hussain: “If I tidied my room, my dad would be happy.”
• Hussain said that if he tidied his room, his dad would be happy.
• Teacher: “If you concentrate, you will learn about direct and indirect speech.”
• Teacher said if we concentrate we would learn about direct and indirect speech.

Rule 8. Reported Speech of Time-Clauses.

• Ali: “When I was staying in Quetta I met my best friend.” –
• He said that when he was staying in Quetta he met his best friend.

Rule 9. Reported Speech of Interrogative Sentences  1.  Remove the quotation marks and question mark in the interrogative sentence. 2.  Use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ if the sentence inside the quotation marks begins with a helping verb (Auxiliary verb). 3.  Use the given interrogative word (what, when, where, why, who, whom, whose, which, now etc.) if it does not begin with the helping verb. 4. Don‘t use ‘that’ 5. Changing the reporting verb (say, said) into ‘ask, want to know wonder or inquire’ in its correct tense. 6. Omit helping verb like ‘do, does, did’. But don’t omit them when they are with ‘not’.

• Said I to my teacher,” won’t you help me to learn about direct and indirect speech complete rules?”
• I asked my teacher if he would not help me to learn about direct and indirect speech complete rules.
• “ How often do you go to the cinema?” Ali said to Ahmed,
• Ali asked Ahmed how often he went to the cinema.
• “Where have you been?” he said. 
• He asked me where I had been.
• “What time did it start?” he said. 
• He wanted to know what time it had started.
• “Why won’t he do it?” she said.
• She wondered why he wouldn’t do it.

Rule 10. Reported Speech of Yes/ No Questions

In yes/no questions we use if or whether in questions. If is more common and whether is more formal.

• “Will you go?” she asked me.
• She asked me if/whether I would go.
• “Did he buy a car?” she said.
•  She wondered if/whether he had bought a car.

Rule 11. Reported Speech of Commands and Requests 

1. Remove the quotation mark in an Imperative sentence. 2. Use ‘to’ if it is an affirmative sentence. (without don‘t) 3. Use ‘not to’ if the sentence begins without Don‘t. 4. Don‘t use ‘that’ 5. Omit the word ‘please’. Use the word ‘request’ instead of ‘say’. 6. If the direct speech contains a request or a command, the reporting verb (say, said) change to tell, request, order, command etc. in its correct tense. 7. The commands, requests and advice mostly have the same form in English: verb + object + infinitive (advise, ask, beg, forbid, order, persuade, recommend, tell, urge, warn etc.).

• “Get up!” he said.
•   He warned me to get up.
• “Please, revise for the test,” he said.
•  He  requested me to revise for the test.
• “Bring me a cup of tea” said Zahra to Sara.
• Zahrs asked Sara to bring her a cup of tea.

Negative: + object + not + infinitive.

• “Don’t hesitate,” he said.
• He persuaded me not to hesitate.
• “Don’t smoke,” the doctor warned my father.
• The doctor warned my father not to smoke.

Rule 12. Reported Speech of Advice If it contains advice the reporting verb changes into advised.

• “Put on your coat,” I said.
• I advised him to put on his coat.

Rule 13. Reported Speech of Exclamatory Sentences

1. Change the exclamatory sentence into statement or assertive 2. Remove the quotation marks and exclamatory mark. 3. Use the conjunction ‘that’ 4. Omit the interjections such as Oh, O, Alas, how, what, hurrah. 5. Add the word ‘very’ to the adjective or adverb if necessary. 6. If the verb is not given, use ‘Be’ form verb (is, was, are, were, am) in its correct tense according to the subject. 7. Change the reporting verb (say, said) to ‘exclaim joyfully’ 8. Use ‘exclaim’ sorrowfully for sorrowful incidents.

• She said ,” Wow, What a beautiful car that is!”
• She exclaimed joyfully that was a verb beautiful car.
• He said,” Alas! I have missed the paper.”
• He exclaimed sorrowfully that he had missed the paper.

Rule 14. Use of ‘That’ in Reported Speech

In reported speech, the word that is often used, however it is optional. We recommend you no to use it because in some cases we don’t use ‘That’ in reported speech like: question, command request and order, so its better not to use it.

• He told me that he lived in Hazara Town.
• He told me he lived in Hazara Town.

Rule 15. Punctuation in Direct Speech

In direct speech, various punctuation conventions are used to separate the quoted words from the rest of the text: this allows a reader to follow what’s going on. Here are the basic rules: A) We use inverted commas (also called quotation marks, quotes or speech marks) to indicate direct speech. Double quotes (“) are preferred in American English, while single quotes (‘) are more common in British English:

• “I’m coming home late tonight,” she said. (American English)
• ‘I’m coming home late tonight,’ she said. (British English)

B) Every time a new speakers says something, you should start a new paragraph:

• “They think it’s a more respectable job,” said Ali.
• “I don’t agree,” I replied.

C) There should be a comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark at the end of a piece of speech. This is placed inside the closing inverted comma or commas.

• He asked, “ Can I go outside?”
• She shouted, “ Sit down!”
• We said, “ They are wrong.”

D) If the direct speech is broken up by information about who is speaking, you need a comma (or a question mark or exclamation mark) to end the first piece of speech and a full stop or another comma before the second piece (before the inverted comma or commas):

• “You’re right,” he said. “It feels strange.”
• “Thinking back,” she said, “he didn’t expect to win.”
• “No!” he cried. “You can’t leave now!”

Conclusion: I hope that the points that I have mentioned above about direct and indirect speech may prove beneficial for people learning English. All you need to do is to understand the crucial rules of direct and indirect speech, and don’t mix it with passive and active voice. 

Check out Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises With Answers

If you would like to know more about direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech, check out more in the book below.

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The use of so, too, either, and neither, the most advanced use of gerund and infinitive, past gerund, 20 comments.

hello! I’m Abdullah and I want to ask a question related to indirect and direct speech.what would be the indirect sentence of this this speech: “I fell fed up” says trevor

Hello dear Abdullah. When the reporting verb (He says)is in simple present tense, then we don’t go one tense back,so the statement won’t be changed in this case and remains the same in reported speech.

Helo ,,pls let me know about one thing…if there is no object in reporting speech and “you” is used in reporting speech ,,in which pronoun v have to change “you”,,???

Tashakkur, bisyar malumati bud 🙂

You are welcome dear Raza.

This article is beneficial…thnkxx

You are welcome.

Very helpful thank you soooo muchhhh

I want a clarification for the following sentence. “Would you post this letter when you go out?”she said. She asked if I would post that letter when I go out . OR She asked if I would post that letter when I went out.

Change the narration. 1.’I must leave at once’ I said,’because i must not be late’ 2 .Tariq said the police could not prove that the man had been murdered .

very helpful understanding direct and indirect speech thank you very soooooo muuuuccccchhhh

You are welcome Mr. Moueez

Thank you . It’s really helpful

Welcome dear.

Useful article thank you.

Hope it is useful and informative.

Tomorrow is my English exam and this page is very helpful

Thank you Rahema. We always try to help people enhance their skills in four models: Listening, Speaking, Reading and writing.

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Punctuation in direct speech

We use inverted commas (also called quotation marks, quotes or speech marks) to indicate direct speech. Double quotes (") are preferred in American English, while single quotes (') are more common in British English:

" I'm coming home late tonight, " she said. (American English) ' I'm coming home late tonight, ' she said. (British English)

If we quote within direct speech, we use the other style for the embedded quotation:

"She said, ' I'm coming home late tonight ', " recalled Jim. (American English) 'She said, " I'm coming home late tonight ", ' recalled Jim. (British English)

As can be seen in the examples above, a comma ( , ) is used at the end of the quotation, before the closing speech mark.

A comma is also used before the quotation if we start the sentence with the reporting clause. In this case the terminal full stop (.) comes before the closing speech mark:

She added , "Don't expect me before 11 . "

If the quotation is a question or exclamation, the terminal marks ( ? and ! ) also come before the closing speech marks:

"Hurry up ! " he shouted. She asked, "Am I late ? "

The quotation normally begins with a capital letter, except if it is interrupted by a reporting clause, in which case the first letter of the continuation is not capitalised:

" I 'm coming home late tonight," she said and added, " d on't expect me before 11."

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Direct speech

Direct speech gives the actual words that a speaker has used. It is common in novels and other writing where the actual words of a speaker are quoted.

The reporting verb may come before the words that were actually spoken, or after them, or at a natural pause inside the reported sentence.

Monica said, ‘There is nothing we can do about it.’

‘There is nothing we can do about it,’ Monica said.

‘It’s no good,’ Monica said, ‘we’ll just have to ask for help.’

The comma comes inside the quotation marks, unless the reporting verb is positioned inside a reported sentence that itself does not require a comma.

‘There is’, Monica said, ‘nothing we can do about it.’

Typical reporting verbs are:  agree, answer, ask, inquire, explain, say, tell, and wonder . The subject and the reporting verb are sometimes reversed.

‘There is nothing we can do about it,’ said Monica.

The actual words spoken always begin with a capital letter, unless the reporting verb comes within a sentence. They are separated from the reporting verb by a comma, unless they are followed by a question mark or an exclamation.

‘Why did you do it?’ she asked.

‘Oh, mind your own business!’ he snapped.

The words spoken are enclosed in inverted commas (single or double quotation marks).

‘Have you been to the new shopping mall yet?’ enquired Shona.

“I’ve already seen it,” John replied.

Single quotation marks are often used to draw attention to a word that is being mentioned for a particular purpose. 

There is no such word as ‘fubber’.

He called me a ‘stubborn old goat’.

For further information on English Grammar, visit: https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/easy-learning

Come back for other blogs on using English in everyday situations:

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Direct and Reported Speech

Direct Speech vs Reported Speech

Imagine you’re telling a friend a story. You can quote someone exactly, word for word. That’s direct speech. For example, if your friend said, “I love ice cream,” you tell it exactly as it is.

On the other hand, reported speech is like playing a game of telephone. You don’t use the exact words but share the main idea. So, if your friend loves ice cream, you might say, “He said he loves ice cream.”

• Direct Speech: Sean said, “I’m going to the store.”
• Reported Speech : Sean said that he was going to the store.

Now, that you have some background on these two types of speech, let’s go through some of the grammar rules using them.

Rule #1. Tense

In reported speech, the tense of the verb in the direct speech reflects the time of reporting.

• Direct Speech : He said, “I am reading a book.”
• Reported Speech : He said that he was reading a book.

In this case, the present continuous tense “am reading” changes to the past continuous “was reading” in reported speech. This happens because the action was ongoing at the time it was spoken about, but is being reported at a later time.

Rule #2 Simple Present

When converting simple present tense verbs from direct speech to reported speech, you need to make changes to the verb tense.

• Direct Speech : She said, “It is a great dessert.”
• Reported Speech : She said that it was a great dessert.

This change from “is” to “was” shows that what was stated in the present is now being relayed in the past tense. This helps indicate that the conversation happened earlier.

Rule #3 Simple Present

When a statement in direct speech is a hobby, truth, or routine, we keep it in the present simple tense.

• Direct Speech : She said, “I skate every Sunday.”
• Reported Speech : She said she skates every Sunday.

This happens because the action is a regular activity or a fact. Its timelessness means the tense doesn’t need to change.

Rule #4 Present Continuous

To convert present continuous direct speech to reported speech, you can change it to the past continuous tense verb.

• Direct Speech : She said, “I am studying for my exam.”
• Reported Speech : She said that she was studying for her exam.

This tense change from “am studying” to “was studying” shows the action was ongoing but happened before the current moment.

Rule #5 Present Perfect

To convert present perfect direct speech to reported speech, change the been tense to past perfect tense.

• Direct Speech : He said, “I have gone shopping.”
• Reported Speech : He said that he had gone shopping.

By shifting from “have gone” to “had gone,” we indicate that the shopping happened before the current moment. This shift helps clarify the sequence of events using past perfect tense.

Rule #6 Present Perfect Continuous

To convert present perfect continuous direct speech to reported speech, we change it to past perfect continuous.

• Direct Speech : She said, “I have been modeling for a year.”
• Reported Speech : She said that she had been modeling for a year.

When we switch “have been modeling” to “had been modeling,” we’re moving from present perfect continuous to past perfect continuous. This highlights that the modeling started in the past. It was ongoing up until another point in the past, as reported.

Rule #7 Simple Past

To convert simple past direct speech, change the simple past tense to past perfect.

• Direct Speech : They said, “We finished our project.”
• Reported Speech : They said that they had finished their project.

When we change “finished” to “had finished,” we’re moving from simple past to past perfect in reported speech. This indicates that the project was completed before the current point in time being discussed.

Rule #8 Past Continuous

To convert past continuous direct speech to reported speech, use the past perfect continuous verb.

• Direct Speech : He said, “I was drinking coffee “
• Reported Speech : He said that he had been drinking coffee.

By changing “was drinking” to “had been drinking,” we’re moving from past continuous to past perfect continuous in reported speech. This shows the action was in progress before a certain point in the past.

Rule #9 Future Simple

To convert future simple direct speech to reported speech, change the future simple verb “will” to the modal verb “would”.

• Direct Speech : She said, “I will decorate the room.”
• Reported Speech : She said that she would decorate the room.

Switching “will” to “would” changes the verb from future simple to a form that fits reported speech. It indicates a future action from a past perspective. It’s like making a promise yesterday about what you’re going to do tomorrow.

Rule #10 Pronouns

You might need to change the pronouns in direct speech to reported speech depending on the listener and speaker.

• Direct Speech : She said, “I will meet you at the mall.”
• Reported Speech : She said that she would meet me at the mall.

Changing “I” to “she” adjusts the pronoun to match the perspective of the speaker in reported speech. It keeps the story clear about who is doing what. Similarly, “you” might also remain unchanged if it still refers to the same person.

Rule #11 Reporting Verbs

We use reporting verbs like “say”, “ask”, “tell”, “exclaim”, and “whisper”. This helps indicate who is speaking and the tone of a conversation.

• Direct Speech : “I won the game!”
• Reported Speech : He exclaimed that he had won the game.

Using “exclaimed” instead of “said” in reported speech adds emotion, showing excitement about winning the game. There are lots of examples of changing the reported verbs.

Rule #12 Time and Place

You may also need to change expressions for time and place. Here is an example of this.

• Direct Speech : She said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
• Reported Speech : She said that she would see me the next day.

Changing “tomorrow” to “the next day” in reported speech adjusts the time expression to fit the context of when the speech is reported. This keeps the timing accurate, regardless of when the conversation is recounted.

Rule #13 Reporting Clauses

In reported speech, the reporting verb is often followed by a reporting clause. This includes words like “that”, “if”, or “whether”.

• Direct Speech: “ Do you like pizza?”
• Reported Speech : She asked if I liked pizza.

In this transformation, “asked if” introduces the question in reported speech. This shifts from a direct question to a statement about the question. This structure helps clarify what was asked without directly quoting the question.

Rule #14 Verb Modals

You may need to change modal verbs like “can”, “will”, “shall”, “may”, and “must” in reported speech.

• Direct Speech : He said, “I can cook tomato soup.”
• Reported Speech : He said that he could cook tomato soup.

Switching “can” to “could” in reported speech shifts the modal verb to reflect a statement made in the past. This change keeps the meaning intact while adjusting the tense.

Direct and reported speech are two ways to share what someone said. This type of speech is like quoting someone word-for-word. It’s like recording their exact words.

Reported speech is more about telling the story in your own words, changing things like tense and pronouns to make it fit. It’s like retelling a movie plot to a friend.

Learning how to switch between them helps us share a story or pass on information. It’s a bit like being a storyteller, adapting the story to make it clear to everyone.

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Direct and Indirect Speech

Table of Contents

What is Speech (Narration):

If we want to describe the speech of some other people with other people in our own words, that speech is called a Reported speech or Narration.

Types of Speech

In the English language, there are certain ways to express the spoken words between two people.

The speech has two main types, Direct speech , and Indirect speech , respectively.

These two ways of narration of spoken words are also called Direct and Indirect speech, also known as Direct and Indirect narrations. 

Direct and indirect speech is majorly used in any conversations, scripts, or any biographies, etc. where one or more than one person converses with each other.

Direct speech:

It is also called straight speech or quoted speech, which is spoken or written directly in the text by the speaker, writer, or the first person, who is going to speak with anyone with him.

The spoken statements of the speaker normally come under the inverted commas notation, and a speaker who speaks these sentences may come like “he said/he said that.”

The speaker’s words or statements are mentioned in a single phrase pattern or direct discussion.

Indirect speech:

An Indirect speech is also called a reported speech, or secondary speech means the speech, which has spoken indirectly.

It is simply an overlook statement that is used to say about the incident that has happened in the past time.

The actual words of the speaker changed into the past tense and the sentence, and hence the reported speech of the direct speech does not come inside the inverted commas.

Reporting speech:

A person who is going to report the speech or a speech that comes in the first part of the direct speech is called a reporting speech.

• He says , “He cooks food”.

Reported speech:

Reported speech is a speech that is always in an inverted comma or quotation marks.

It is a second part of the direct speech sentence.

• He says,  “He cooks food.”

Reporting verb:

The verb, which is used in a reporting speech to report something in a direct speech, is called a reporting verb.

• Zoya  said , “I want to go there.”

Reported verb:

The verb which comes inside the reported speech is called reported verb, respectively.

• Zoya said, “I  want  to go there.”

As we start writing any direct and indirect conversation, we often use reported verbs like  “say, tell, ask, inform, instruct, claim, suggest, enquire, etc.”

These reported verbs, whenever used in direct or indirect speech, change into the past simple form like  said, told, asked, informed, instructed, claimed, suggested, enquired, etc.

But the verbs used in a speech between the inverted commas will remain as it is.

Examples of direct and indirect speech:

• Indirect speech: John said that she was looking so beautiful.
• Indirect : He said that he was not a culprit.
• Indirect : He said that she was working on that project.
• Indirect : The teacher asked if he completed his homework. 
• Indirect : She says that she is an artist.
• Indirect : Sam told me that he was not coming with me.
• Indirect : He says that she is working on that project.

Some basic rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech:

Rule 1 : “no inverted commas.”.

The reported speech does not come into inverted commas or quotation in an indirect speech.

Example: Direct: He said, “I have completed my assignments yesterday.”

    Indirect: He said that he had completed his assignments the previous day.

Rule 2: use of “that” conjunction

Using the conjunction word “that” in-between the reporting speech and reported speech in an indirect speech.

Example: 

• He said, “I have completed my assignment yesterday.”
• He said  that  he had completed his assignment the previous day.

Rule 3: Change of tense

While writing a direct speech into an indirect speech, we have to change the tense of the reported speech because whatever we are writing in indirect speech has already happened in the past timing.

• If the tense of a reporting speech of direct speech is in the present tense or future tense , then the tense of the reported speech in indirect speech will not change. It may be in the present tense, past tense, or future tense, respectively.
• Indirect : He says that he is going to school. (no change in tense)
• Indirect : She says that she  will not come  with me. (no change in tense)
• Indirect : He says that he  wrote  a letter. (no change in tense)

If the tense of the reporting verb of direct speech is in the past tense, then the tense will change according to these criteria.

For the present tense:

Simple present tense will change into simple past tense..

Direct: He said, “They come to meet me.”

Indirect: He said that they came to meet him.

Present continuous tense will change into past continuous tense.

Direct: She said, “They are coming to meet me.”

Indirect: She said that they were coming to meet her.

Present perfect tense will change into past perfect tense.

Direct: He said, “They have come to meet me.”

Indirect: He said that they had come to meet him. 

Present perfect continuous tense will change into past perfect continuous tense.

Direct: She said, “They have been coming to meet me.”

Indirect: She said that they had been coming to meet her. 

For the past tense:

Simple past tense will change into the past perfect tense.

Direct: He said, “They came to meet me.”

Indirect: He said that they had come to meet him.

Past continuous tense will change into past perfect continuous tense.

Direct: She said, “They were coming to meet me.”

Indirect: She said that they had been coming to meet her.

Past perfect tense and past perfect continuous tense will remain the same.

Direct: He said, “They had come to meet me.”

Direct: She said, “They had been coming to meet me.”

For the future tense:

There are no changes in the future tense sentences; only shall/will may change into would, can change into could.

• Direct: She said, “Can you come tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that could he come on the next day

• Direct: He said, “I will never forgive you.”

Indirect: He said that he would never forgive me.

Rule 4: Changing the pronoun

The pronoun used as an indirect subject speech sometimes needs to be changed accordingly in indirect speech as of the reported verb of the direct speech.

• The pronoun used for representing the first person in reported speech changes based on the subject of the reporting speech in a direct speech.
• The pronoun used for representing the second person in reported speech changes based on the report’s object in a direct speech.
• The pronoun used for representing the third person remains the same in the reported speech.
• Direct: He said, “ I  am going to school.”
• Indirect: He said that  he  is going to school.
• Direct: She says, “ I  will not come with  you .”
• Indirect: She says that  she  will not come with  me .
• Direct: They said, “ we  are eating our tiffin box.”
• Indirect: They said that  they  were eating  their  tiffin box.

Rule 5: Changing the time

The mentioned time (not the timing) in a direct speech sentence will have to change in indirect speech like   now  becomes  then, tomorrow  becomes  the next day, yesterday  becomes  the previous day, today  becomes  that day, later  becomes  soon. 

• Direct: He told, “He is coming from Tokyo  today .”
• Indirect: He told me that he was coming from Tokyo  that day .
• Direct: She asked, “Will the parcel reach by  tomorrow  or not?”
• Indirect: She asked whether the parcel will reach by  the next day  or not.
• Direct: “The teacher has given some assignments  yesterday ”, he reminds me.
• Indirect: He reminds me that the teacher had given some assignments on  the previous day.

Conversion of statements from direct speech into Indirect speech:

Assertive sentences:.

Assertive sentences are simple statements that may be affirmative or negative.

If we are going to convert assertive sentences from direct speech into indirect speech, we have to replace “said” with “told” sometimes.

Here, the subject in direct speech refers to someone in his talk.

• Direct: He said to me, “she is working on this project.”

Indirect: He told me that she was working on that project.

• Direct: She said to me, “I’m going for a long drive.”

Indirect: She told me that she was going for a long drive.

Imperative sentences:

Imperative sentences are statements that deliver a command, order, request, appeal, or advice.

It depends on the speaker, how he delivers the message to the other person.

• Sit properly!
• Stand by my side!
• Come closer!

While converting these types of sentences cum statements from direct speech to indirect speech, we have to check the type of sentence, whether it is a command, order, request, or else.

• Direct: The teacher said to me, “Sit properly!”

Indirect: The teacher ordered me to sit properly.

• Direct: The Boss said to an office boy, “Bring one coffee for me.”

Indirect: The Boss commanded an office boy to bring a coffee for him.

Indirect: The teacher requested me to sit properly.

• Direct: The bartender said to me, “try this drink.”

Indirect: The bartender advised me to try that drink.

Interrogative sentences:

An interrogative sentence is a sentence which interrogates or ask questions.

Each interrogative sentence ends with an interrogative sign or a question mark sign “?”.

• What is your name?
• Can you do me a favor?
• Why are you laughing in the classroom?

While writing interrogative sentences from direct speech into indirect speech,

• the reporting verb “said” in the direct speech is changed into “asked” in the indirect speech because it asks the question to another person.
• If any reporting verb comes first in the reporting speech, then “If” is used despite “that.”
• In a reporting speech, if any wh-type question words are present, then no other words will be used, and the sentence ends with a full stop sign instead of a question mark.
• Indirect: He asked me what was my name.
• Indirect: She asked if he could do her a favor.
• Indirect: The teacher asked him why he was laughing in the classroom.

Exclamatory sentences:

Exclamatory sentences are those sentences that show emotions, feelings and ends with an exclamation mark!

• Congratulations! You have a baby girl.
• I am extremely sorry for your loss!
• Most welcome!

If any interjection comes in an exclamation sentence, then the exclamation sign removes in an indirect speech, and an exclamatory sentence gets converted into an assertive sentence.

The replacement of reporting verb “said” with  exclaimed with (great wonder, sorrow, joy) exclaimed (joyfully, sorrowfully)

Replace with  very  or  very great , if words like  how  or  what  comes at the beginning of the reported speech.

• Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that I had a baby girl.
• Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that she felt sorry for my loss.
• Indirect: They exclaimed with joy that most welcome.

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Direct AND Indirect Speech Rules AND Examples

Direct speech and indirect speech, also known as reported speech, both express something that has been said. Here we’ll look a t direct and indirect speech rules with examples , and converting direct speech into indirect speech.

DIRECT SPEECH

Direct speech tells the exact words that someone spoke and these are contained within speech marks “ “, also called quotation marks.

“I love dogs,” said Anne.

Speech Marks

Speech marks may be double “ “ or single ‘ ’ There is no difference between double and single speech marks, but use the same type for both the opening and closing speech mark, and be consistent throughout any one piece of writing. 

Both these examples have the exact same meaning and effect “I love dogs,” said Anne. ‘I love dogs,’ said Anne.

Reporting Clause

The reporting clause – said Anne – attributes the words spoken to the person who spoke them.

A comma separates the direct speech in the speech marks and the reporting clause.

Note the positioning of the commas in these examples: “I love dogs,” said Anne.  (inside the closing speech mark) Anne said, “I love dogs.”  (before the opening speech mark) “I love dogs,” said Anne, “but my landlord won’t allow pets.” (both sides of the reporting clause)

Punctuation

If the sentence continues beyond the end of the spoken words and the closing speech mark, a comma is placed inside the speech mark, and the full stop (question mark or exclamation mark) will come at the end of the sentence as usual (example 1) “I love dogs,” said Anne.

If the end of the sentence falls at the end of the spoken words, a full stop (question mark or exclamation mark) is placed inside the closing quotation mark. (example 2) Anne said, “I love dogs.” 

If the direct speech is broken up by a reporting clause, a comma is placed inside the first closing speech mark, as already seen in example 1, and another comma is also placed after the reporting clause. (example 3)

When speech occurs in a passage of writing, each new occurrence of direct speech, usually from a new character, is started on a new line:

Anne stopped abruptly as she came to the pet shop window. She stood watching the sleeping puppies. “I love dogs,” she said. “Would you get one?” asked Mary. “I would, but my landlord won’t allow pets.” “Yes, of course, not many do.

INDIRECT SPEECH

Indirect speech is also known as reported speech. It is the re-telling, or reporting, of what someone said.

No quotation marks are used with indirect speech as it does not necessarily report the exact same words that were spoken.

Anne said that she liked dogs. She said that she would like to get one but her landlord doesn’t allow pets.

The word ‘ that ’ should appear immediately before the reported words, however it is often omitted nowadays and both alternatives are accepted as correct:

Anne said that she liked dogs.  Anne said she liked dogs.

DIRECT TO INDIRECT SPEECH

Indirect speech reports what has been said, so by definition it reports on something that has already happened, and must logically be in the past tense.

Often when converting direct speech into indirect speech the tense will backshift, meaning move backwards in tense. Two aspects influence this: – the tense of the reporting verb i.e. he says, he said, he will say etc. – the tense of the reported speech itself i.e. the words contained in the speech marks

REPORTING VERB IN THE PRESENT & FUTURE TENSES

If the reporting verb is in the Present or Future tenses, then no change is made to the spoken verb tense i.e. the tense of verbs within the speech marks, when converting direct speech into indirect speech.

He says, “I am sitting in the garden.” He says that he is sitting in the garden. No change in the spoken verb tense as the reporting verb is in the present tense.

He said, “I am sitting in the garden.” He said that he was sitting in the garden. A change in the spoken verb tense as the reporting verb is in the past tense.

REPORTING VERB IN THE PAST TENSE

If the reporting verb is in the Past Tense, as is most common, then the tense of the direct speech i.e. the tense of verbs contained within the speech marks and as actually spoken, will backshift when converting from direct speech into indirect speech.

1. DIRECT SPEECH IN THE PRESENT TENSES

Present Simple becomes Past Simple “I want a cup of tea,” she said. She said that she wanted a cup of tea. 

Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous  “I am watching television,” he said. He said that he was watching television.

Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect  “She has travelled to Mexico often” Tom said. Tom said that she had travelled to Mexico often.

Present Perfect Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous “We’ve been learning French for 3 years,” Sam said. Sam said that they had been learning French for 3 years.

2. DIRECT SPEECH IN THE PAST TENSES

Past Simple becomes Past Perfect “I ate too much last night,” he said He said that he had eaten too much last night.

Past Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous “I was lying in the hammock,” said Frances Frances said that she had been lying in the hammock.

Past Perfect does not change tense “Amy had fallen asleep before we got home,” said Kim Kim said that Amy had fallen asleep before they got home.

Past Perfect Continuous does not change tense “We had been staying in Paris all summer, said Mathew Mathew said that they had been staying in Paris all summer.

3. DIRECT SPEECH IN THE FUTURE TENSES

The Future tenses will becomes would:

Future Simple (will) “I will make the cake,” said Laura Laura said that she would make the cake

Future Continuous (will be) “Shaun will be coming alone,” said Helen Helen said that Shaun would be coming alone.

Future Perfect (will have) “I will have finished the essay,” said Andrew Andrew said that he would have finished his essay.

Future Perfect Continuous (will have been) “I will have been running for four hours,” said Lucy Lucy said that she would have been running for four hours.

The tense does not change if:

the reported speech is in the present tense, and is being reported only a short time afterwards “I’m coming over now,” Fiona said. Fiona said that she is coming over now. (reported immediately) Fiona said that she was coming over right then. (reported some time later, probably after the event)

the past simple and past continuous may remain unchanged if the sequence of events and time frame are clear from the context “When I was learning Spanish, I often listened to Spanish radio stations,” said Dom Dom said that when he was learning Spanish he often listened to Spanish radio stations.

PRACTICE EXERCISES

1. Change these sentences into indirect speech “I hate Mondays.’ said Shirley Mark said, ‘I won the lottery last week.” Children always say, “We don’t want homework!” Simon said, “I will tell her tomorrow.” Teresa said, “They had eaten before they arrived.’

2. Why are these all incorrect? “I hate apples.” said Lesley. ‘No, you can’t go to the party,’ Said Mum. “Where have all the good men gone?’ asked Natalie. “Do you want some chocolate?,” asked Mary. ‘I want a tea,’ said Larry, ‘but I don’t want a biscuit’.

Answers 1. Shirley said that she hated Mondays. Mark said that he had won the lottery last week. Children always say that they don’t want homework. Simon said that he would tell her tomorrow. Teresa said that they had eaten before they arrived. 2. there should be a comma not a full stop before the closing speech mark, no capital letter needed for said , both double and single speech marks used in the same sentence, only the question mark is necessary before the closing speech mark,full stop should be in the speech marks

Direct Speech in English

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Direct speech is a crucial aspect of the English language that every speaker of the language must understand. In this reference, we will explore everything you need to know about direct speech, including its definition, examples, punctuation rules, and common mistakes.

What is Direct Speech?

Direct speech is a type of speech that involves the exact words spoken by a person or character. It is also known as quoted speech or speech marks. Direct speech is used to convey a message or conversation directly from the speaker to the listener.

For example, " I am going to the market, " said John. In this sentence, the exact words spoken by John are quoted, and the sentence is enclosed by speech marks.

How is Direct Speech Different from Indirect Speech?

Direct speech is different from indirect speech in that it directly quotes the exact words of the speaker.

Indirect speech involves paraphrasing or reporting the speaker's words. For example, " John said that he was going to the market. " In this sentence, the speaker's words are not quoted directly, but rather reported indirectly.

Examples of Direct Speech and How to Identify It in a Sentence

Direct speech can be identified in a sentence by the use of speech marks or quotation marks.

For example, " I am going to the market, " said John. In this sentence, the words spoken by John are enclosed by speech marks.

Other examples of direct speech include " I love you, " said Mary, and " Can you help me? " asked Mark.

Direct Speech Punctuation Rules

Direct speech follows specific punctuation rules that must be observed to convey the correct meaning of the sentence.

The first word of the direct speech sentence is capitalized, and the sentence is enclosed by speech marks. If the direct speech sentence ends with a full stop, exclamation mark, or question mark, the punctuation mark is placed inside the speech marks.

For example, " What is your name? " asked Tom. If the direct speech is followed by a reporting clause, the reporting clause is separated from the direct speech by a comma. For example, " I am going to the market, " said John.

Direct Speech in Different Tenses

Direct speech can be used in different tenses to convey different meanings.

• " I am going to the market, " said John ( present tense ).
• " I went to the market, " said John ( past tense ).
• " I will go to the market, " said John ( future tense ).

The tense used in direct speech depends on the tense of the original words spoken.

Direct Speech vs Reported Speech: Similarities and Differences

Direct speech and reported speech are similar in that they both convey a message or conversation. However, the main difference between them is that direct speech directly quotes the speaker's exact words, while reported speech paraphrases or reports the speaker's words.

• " I am going to the market, " said John (direct speech).
• " John said he was going to the market " (reported speech).

Common Mistakes

Let's take a look at what to avoid:

• Forgetting to enclose the words spoken by the speaker in speech marks. This mistake can make it difficult to identify direct speech in a sentence.
• Forgetting to capitalize the first word of the direct speech sentence. Both of these mistakes can be avoided by following the correct punctuation rules for direct speech.
• Remember to change the tense of the original words spoken, if necessary. For example, "I am going to the market," said John (direct speech). "John said he was going to the market" (reported speech). In this example, the verb tense has been changed from present tense to past tense when reporting John's words.

Direct speech helps us to directly quote the words spoken by a speaker. Use the correct punctuation rules for direct speech, and make sure that the first word of the direct speech sentence is capitalized. Soon, you'll effortlessly use it in your own English speech without even thinking.

Check out more references below if you want to learn more!

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Rules For Direct And Indirect Speech For English Language

In this article, we will cover important rules of direct and indirect speech, relevant for the English Language section of various competitive exams. 

Aspirants of various Government exams such as SSC, RRB, IBPS, Insurance, etc. must go through the concept and rules of direct – indirect speech carefully, as the English language is a part of the syllabus for most of these exams.  

What is Direct & Indirect Speech?

Direct speech – reporting the message of the speaker in the exact words as spoken by him.

Direct speech example : Maya said ‘I am busy now’.

Indirect speech : reporting the message of the speaker in our own words 

Indirect speech example:  Maya said that she was busy then.

Let us understand the direct and indirect rules with examples and for all tenses so that you can apply them correctly, without making any mistakes in the exams.

Direct And Indirect Speech Rules PDF:- Download PDF Here

Direct And Indirect Speech Rules

Rules for converting Direct into Indirect speech

To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are various factors that are considered, such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronouns, tenses, etc. We will discuss each of these factors one by one.

Rule 1 – Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb

• When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the present tenses are changed to the corresponding past tense in indirect speech. 

Direct to indirect speech example: 

Direct: She said , ‘I am happy’.

Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.

• In indirect speech, tenses do not change if the words used within the quotes (‘’) talk of a habitual action or universal truth.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: He said, ‘We cannot live without air’.

Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air. 

• The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting verb is in the  future tense or present tense . 

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

Indirect: She says/will say she is going.

Rule 2 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Present Tense  

• Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.

Direct: “I have been to Boston”, she told me.

Indirect: She told me that she had been to Boston.

• Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous

Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained.

Indirect: She explained that she was playing the guitar.

• Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect

Direct: He said, “She has finished her homework“.

Indirect: He said that she had finished her homework.

• Simple Present Changes to Simple Past

Direct: “I am unwell”, she said.

Indirect: She said that she was unwell.

Rule 3 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Past Tense & Future Tense

• Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect

Direct: She said, “Irvin arrived on Sunday.”

Indirect: She said that Irvin had arrived on Sunday.

• Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: “We were playing basketball”, they told me.

Indirect: They told me that they had been playing basketball.

• Future Changes to Present Conditional

Direct: She said, “I will be in Scotland tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that she would be in Scotland the next day.

• Future Continuous Changes to Conditional Continuous

Direct: He said, “ I’ll be disposing of the old computer next Tuesday.”

Indirect: He said that he would be disposing of the old computer the following Tuesday.

To ace the verbal ability section, it is important to have a clear conceptual knowledge of Direct and Indirect Speech, their usage and applications in English language. Therefore, candidates can go through the video on Direct and Indirect Speech rules in English Language, given below for better understanding-

For the preparation of the English language section in a better way, it is important that you go through the following topics thoroughly.

• Tenses rules
• Conjunctions rules
• Prepositions Rules
• List of Prefix and Suffix With Examples
• Active And Passive Voice Rules
• List of Homophones/Homonyms
• List of Synonyms and Antonyms

Candidates are advised to check the General English for Competitive Exams page for more articles on rules for English grammar, list of idioms and phrases, synonyms & antonyms, etc.

Rule 4 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Interrogative Sentences

• No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech begins with a question (what/where/when) as the “question-word” itself acts as a joining clause.

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

Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.

• If a direct speech sentence begins with an auxiliary verb/helping verb, the joining clause should be if or whether.

Direct: She said, ‘W ill you come for the party’?

Indirect: She asked whether we would come for the party.

• Reporting verbs such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired, asked, or demanded.

Direct: He said to me, ‘What are you wearing’?

Indirect: He asked me what I was wearing.

Candidates can also check the links given below to understand the concept of word formation in English and to learn the common words in English Language that appear in most of the competitive exams-

• English Root Words
• Most asked English Vocabulary Words

Rule 5 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Changes in Modals

While changing direct speech to indirect speech, the modals used in the sentences change like:

• Can becomes could
• May becomes might
• Must becomes had to /would have to 

Check the examples:

• Direct : She said, ‘She can dance’.
• Indirect: She said that she could dance. 
• Direct: She said, ‘I may buy a dress’.
• Indirect: She said that she might buy a dress.
• Direct: Rama said, ‘I must complete the assignment’.
• Indirect: Rama said that he had to complete the assignment.

There are modals that do not change –  Could, Would, Should, Might, Ought to

• Direct: She said, ‘I should clean the house’
• Indirect: She said that she should clean the house.

Rule 6 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Pronoun

• The first person in direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples-

Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”

Indirect: He says that he was in class Twelfth.

• The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples –

Direct: She says to them, “You have done your work.”

Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.

• The third person of direct speech doesn’t change .

Direct: He says, “She dances well.”

Indirect: He says that she dances well.

Rule 7 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Request, Command, Wish, Exclamation

• Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, ordered, suggested and advised. Forbid-forbade is used for negative sentences. Therefore, the imperative mood in the direct speech changes into the Infinitive in indirect speech.

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

Indirect: She requested her to complete it.

Direct: Hamid said to Ramid, ‘Sit down’.

Indirect: Hamid ordered Ramid to sit down.

• In Exclamatory sentences that express grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud,  Interjections are removed and the sentence is changed to an assertive sentence .

Direct: She said, ‘Alas! I am undone’.

Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.

Aspirants are well aware that English is an important component of the syllabus of various competitive exams and it is important to be clear with the basic concepts. Therefore, given below are a few articles to clarify the confusion between usage of common but confusing words in the English Language.

More such concept-wise, subject-wise differences can be found on the 100 Difference between Articles page linked here.

Rule 8 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Punctuations

• In direct speech, the words actually spoken should be in (‘’) quotes and always begin with a capital letter.

Example: She said, “I am the best.”

• Full stop, comma, exclamation or question mark, are placed inside the closing inverted commas.

Example: They asked, “Can we sing with you?”

• If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, a comma is used to introduce the speech, placed before the first inverted comma.

Direct speech example : He shouted, “Shut up!”

Direct speech example: “Thinking back,” he said, “she didn’t expect to win.” (Comma is used to separate the two direct speeches and no capital letter to begin the second sentence).

Rule 9 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Change of Time

• In direct speeches, the words that express nearness in time or place are changed to words that express distance in indirect speech. Such as :
• Now becomes then                  
• Here becomes there
• Ago becomes before                
• Thus becomes so
• Today becomes that day         
• Tomorrow becomes the next day
• This becomes that                 
• Yesterday becomes the day before
• These become those              
• Hither becomes thither
• Come becomes go                     
• Hence becomes thence
• Next week or month becomes following week/month

Direct: He said, ‘His girlfriend came yesterday.’

Indirect: He said that his girlfriend had come the day before.

• The time expression does not change if the reporting verb is in the present tense or future tense .

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

Indirect:  He says/will say that his girlfriend had come the day before.

Video – Direct & Indirect Speech in English Grammar

Rules of converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech

The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct speech:

• Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct tense.
• Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital letter.
• Insert question mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark and full stop, based on the mood of the sentence.
• Remove the conjunctions like (that, to, if or whether) wherever necessary.
• Where the reporting verb is in past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct speech.
• Change the past perfect tense either into present perfect tense or past tense, as necessary.
• Indirect: She asked whether she was coming to the prom night.
• Direct: She said to her, “Are you coming to the prom night?”
• Indirect: The girl said that she was happy with her result.
• Direct: The girl said. “I am happy with my result.”

Direct-Indirect Speech – Sample Questions For the English Language

The significance of knowing the rules of direct and indirect speech for the English language section of various competitive exams can only be understood by knowing the type of questions asked in the examination, based on the same.

Given below are samples of direct and indirect speech questions asked in the English language section of various government examinations:

Q.1. Find out the correct indirect speech for the given sentence.

She said,’ I have baked a cake’

• She said that she baked a cake
• She said that she had baked a cake.
• She said that I baked a cake.
• She said that she had bake a cake.

Answer (2) She said that she had baked a cake.

Q.2. Choose the correct sentence. 

Aviral said, ‘What a beautiful rainbow it is’.

• Aviral exclaimed wonderfully that the scenery was very beautiful.
• Aviral said with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.
• Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery is very beautiful.
• Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.

Answer (4) Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.

Q.3. The correct indirect speech for ‘This world’, she said, ‘is full of sorrow. Wish that I were dead’. is?

• She observed that the world is full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
• She said that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
• She observed that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
• She observed that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to die.

Answer (1) She observed that the world is full of sorrow. She wished to be dead

Q.4. The policeman said, ‘Where are the weapons?’

• The policeman inquired where was the weapons.
• The policeman enquired where are the weapons.
• The policeman enquired where were the weapons.
• The policeman questioned where were the weapon.

Answer (3) The policeman enquired where were the weapons.

Q.5. The man said, ‘Ah! I am ruined.’

• The man cried that he was in ruined.
• The man exclaimed in grief that he was ruin.
• The man said that Ah, he is ruined.
• The man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

Answer (4) The man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

To prepare well for the English section, it is essential to practise and revise regularly for conceptual clarity. Hence, go through the exercise on Direct and Indirect Speech Questions and Answers in the given link.

For more variety and scope of direct and indirect speech questions asked in the English section of various competitive exams, go through Previous Year Question Papers PDF with Solutions . 

Candidates can also check the variations and scope of questions asked in the competitive exams on the other relevant topics of English language below:

• One Word Substitution Questions & Answers
• Tenses Questions And Answers
• Idioms and Phrases Questions and Answers
• Synonyms Questions And Answers

Check the Verbal Ability page to get more Question and Answer articles based on different general English topics.

Candidates who are preparing for the upcoming government exams must carefully go through the concept of Direct and Indirect speech rules, as candidates tend to score the least in the English Language section of these exams.

Aspirants of various government exams can refer to the detailed exam syllabus in the links given below:

For further questions or information regarding competitive exams, study material or best books for preparation, candidates can turn to BYJU’S.

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DIRECT SPEECH | English writing lesson and exercises

In this tutorial learners are going to learn English writing lesson about direct speech.

So, if we want to write what is happening here, then this is how we write.

Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says.

The correct punctuation.

Vocabulary to report direct speech.

And finally, at the end of the lesson there are some exercises for practice.

Reporting clause before the direct speech

            We write a comma (,) before the direct speech.

            We write a full stop (.) before the closing inverted commas .

            We write a question mark ( ? ) before the closing inverted commas .

If the reporting clause is after the direct speech:

We write a comma (,) before the closing inverted commas .

If the reporting clause is after the question or exclamation .

We write a question mark ( ? ) before the closing inverted commas .

Advanced rule

The second part of the direct speech starts with a capital letter if it is a new sentence.

Quotation marks

            Here are some other useful reporting verbs.

            reply (replied)            ask (asked)                comment (commented)                  

So, that’s the end of the lesson, I hope you enjoyed it. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, like and let me know your thoughts and questions, love to hear from you.

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If you have any questions or suggestions about  DIRECT SPEECH and English writing lesson and exercises,  please feel free to leave a comment below or send us a message using our contact page.

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Home of English Grammar

Direct and Indirect Speech

There are two main ways of reporting people’s words, thoughts, beliefs etc.

Direct speech

We can give the exact words that were said. This kind of reporting is called direct speech.

She said, ‘What do you want?’ Peter said, ‘It is not my fault.’ Jane said, ‘Are you coming with me?’ He said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’ Monica says, ‘You look beautiful.’ Mother said, ‘Stop talking.’

Indirect speech

We can report a speaker’s thoughts and words in our own words, using conjunctions and changing pronouns, tenses and other words where necessary. This kind of reporting is called indirect speech.

She asked what I wanted. Peter said that it was not his fault. Jane asked me if was going with her? He said that he didn’t want to talk to me. Monica says that I look beautiful. Mother asked her children to stop talking.

Basic rules for indirect speech

In indirect speech, words spoken by one person is reported in another place at a different time by a different person. Because of this, there are many grammatical differences between direct and indirect speech. It is not necessary to learn complicated rules about indirect speech in English, because most of the changes are natural and logical.

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• Reported Speech /

Direct Speech Vs Reported Speech: Differences, Rules, Examples, and Exercises

• Updated on  
• Jan 9, 2024

For effective communication , the students need to learn the difference between the two types of speech. Direct speech adds authenticity and captures the speaker’s tone or emotions. On the other hand, reported speech is used to report the content of the speech in a more generalized or summarized manner. 

Direct Speech is often involved in writing literature, storytelling, and news reporting. The primary purpose of direct speech is to add an immediate impact and create a vivid impression of the speaker’s words. In contrast, Reported Speech is found in academic writing, official reports, and formal contexts.

In this blog post, you will learn about direct and reported speech and practical exercises to master the concept of direct and reported speech.

Explore Now Test Your English Proficiency with this Editing Quiz!

Important Differences Between Direct And Reported Speech

The table below represents the important differences between direct and reported speech that will help you to understand the structure of speech in a better way:

Must Read: Subject-Verb Agreement: Definition, 12 Rules & Examples

Rules For Changing Direct Speech to Reported Speech

The below table highlights the rules from changing direct speech to the reported speech for a better understanding of the concept.

Also Read: Tenses Rules: Charts, Examples, Types [PDF Available]

Examples of Direct Speech vs. Reported Speech

Some of the examples of direct and indirect speech are given below:

Exercises of Direct Speech vs. Reported Speech

Change the following sentences to indirect speech:

• “I am going to the store,” she said.
• “We have completed the project,” they announced.
• “He plays the guitar very well,” she commented.
• “I can’t believe you did that!” he exclaimed.
• “It’s my birthday tomorrow,” she informed us.
• “Please turn off the lights,” he requested.
• “I will help you with your homework,” she promised.
• “They won the competition,” he revealed.
• “Do you want some coffee?” she asked.
• “I have never been to Paris,” he admitted.

Match the answers with the following sentences:

• She said that she was going to the store.
• They announced that they had completed the project.
• She commented that he played the guitar very well.
• He exclaimed that he couldn’t believe I had done that.
• She informed us that it was her birthday the next day.
• He requested us to turn off the lights.
• She promised to help me with my homework.
• He revealed that they had won the competition.
• She asked if I wanted some coffee.
• He admitted that he had never been to Paris.

What is the difference between Direct and Indirect Speech?

Direct Speech represents the exact words of the speaker whereas reported speech refers to the idea behind to what the speaker said instead of using the exact words of the speaker.

What are the four types of reported speech?

The four types of reported speech are Assertive, Interrogative, Exclamatory, and Imperative.

What is the example of Direct and Indirect Speech?

An example of direct and indirect speech is 

Sita said,” I have done my work”.

Sita said that she had done her work.

To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page, and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu .

Amanpreet Kaur

📚✨ From Classroom Chats Entered Into The Wordy World ….. Yes , If you all Remember that teacher who kept you on your toes with pop quizzes and endless homework? YEP! THAT WAS Me ! 🌟 But with the blessings of almighty and the key motivation of my husband who came across the spark of writing in me has insisted me to pave my way away from chalk dust to creative burst!💫  Being in this new world of writing I can compose pun-tastic content, poetry full of emotions and humorous articles that can even make Shakespeare envious of me 📝🎭.Yippee! from teaching young minds to educating worldwide readers it's an epic career switch. From teaching grammar lessons to grammatically flawless copy, I'm todays' wordsmith on a mission! Let me spin literary magic all around and conquer my exact destination of proving myself as The Best Writer in The World.🚀🏆 My promise is to provide you with valuable insights, solutions to your questions, and a momentary escape from the routine. I believe in the power of words to create connections, provoke thought, and foster growth. Woods are lovely dark and deep  But I have promises to keep and  Miles to go before I sleep ……..🌳✨🌌

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