Reported Speech

We may report the words of a speaker in two ways.

1. We may quote his actual words. This is called Direct Speech.

2. We may report what he said without quoting his exact words. This is called
Indirect Speech (or Reported Speech).

Direct Speech. Rama said. “I am very busy now.”

Indirect Speech. Rama said that he was very busy then.

It will be noticed that in Direct Speech, we use inverted commas to mark off the exact words of the
speaker. In Indirect Speech we do not. It will be further noticed that in changing the above Direct Speech
into Indirect certain changes have been made. Thus:

1. We have used the conjunction that before the Indirect statement. It is used to connect the main clause
(the reporting verb) with the subordinate clause (the reported speech). (The that is often omitted
especially
in spoken English)
2. The pronoun I is changed to he. (The Pronoun is changed in Person.)
3. The verb am is changed to was. (Present Tense is changed to Past.)
4. The adverb now is changed to then.

Rules for changing Direct Speech into Indirect

➢ When the reporting or principal verb is in the Past Tense, all Present tenses of the Direct are changed
into the corresponding Past Tenses.

(a) The simple present becomes the simple past.

Direct Speech. He said, “I am unwell.”

Indirect Speech. He said that he was unwell.

(b) The present continuous becomes the past continuous.

Direct Speech. He said, “My master is writing letters.”

Indirect Speech. He said that his master was writing letters.

(c) The present perfect becomes the past perfect.

Direct Speech. He said, “I have passed the examination.”

Indirect Speech. He said that he had passed the examination.

(d) The present perfect continuous becomes the past perfect continuous.

Direct Speech. He said, “I have been living here since 2015.”

Indirect Speech. He said that he had been living here since 2015.

(e) The simple past becomes the past perfect.

Direct Speech. He said, “I won the race easily.”

Indirect Speech. He said that he had won the race easily.

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 (f) The past continuous becomes the past perfect continuous.

Direct Speech. He said, “I was planning to visit parents.”

Indirect Speech. He said that he had been planning to visit parents.

(g) The past perfect remains the same.

Direct Speech. He said, “I had built a house for my children.”

Indirect Speech. He said that he had built a house for my children.

(h) The past perfect continuous the same.

Direct Speech. He said, “I had been living in Jaffna for 15 years.”

Indirect Speech. He said that he had been living in Jaffna for 15 years.

(i) The simple future, the future continuous, the future perfect and the future perfect continuous
change ‘shall’ or ‘will’ as ‘would’ in the reported speech. (Main verb does not change.)

Note: In reported speech, the modal verb "shall" is often changed to "would" when reporting future
intentions or promises. This change occurs because "would" is the past tense form of "will" and is
commonly used to express future actions or intentions from the perspective of the past.

➢ The tenses may not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a universal truth. We can often
choose whether to keep the original tenses or change them.

Direct Speech. “I know her address,” said Gopi.

Indirect Speech. Gopi said he knows/knew her address.

Direct Speech. The teacher said, “The earth goes round the sun.”
Indirect Speech. The teacher said the earth goes/went round the sun.

Direct Speech. “German is easy to learn”, she said.

Indirect Speech. She said German is/was easy to learn.

The past tense is often used when it is uncertain if the statement is true or when we are reporting
objectively.

➢ If the reporting verb is in the Present Tense, the tenses of the Direct Speech do not change. For
example, we may rewrite the above examples, putting the reporting verb in the Present Tense.

Direct Speech. He says, “I am unwell.”

Indirect Speech. He says he is unwell.

Direct Speech. He says, “My master is writing letters.”

Indirect Speech. He has just said his master is writing letters.

Direct Speech. He says, “I have passed the examination.”

Indirect Speech. He says he has passed the examination.

Direct Speech. He says, “The horse died in the night.”

Indirect Speech. He says the horse died in the night.

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➢ The pronouns of the Direct Speech are changed, where necessary, so that their relations with the
reporter and his hearer, rather than with the original speaker, are indicated.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

I He / She
me him / her
We They
us them
You I / We / He / She / They
you me / us / him / her / them
my his / her
mine his / hers
our their
ours theirs
your my /his / her / their
yours mine /his / her /their

Direct Speech. He said to me, “I don't believe you.”

Indirect Speech. He said he didn't believe me.

Direct Speech. She said to him, “I don't believe you.”

Indirect Speech. She said she didn't believe him.

Direct Speech. I said to him, “I don’t believe you.”

Indirect Speech. I said I didn't believe him.

Direct Speech. I said to you, “I don't believe you.”

Indirect Speech. I said I didn't believe you.

➢ Words expressing adverbs of place or adverbs of time are generally changed.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

This That
These Those

Adverbs of Place

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

here there

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Adverbs of Time

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

now then
today that day
tomorrow the next day / the following day
yesterday the previous day
tonight that night
last week the week before
next week the week after
last month the previous month
next month the following month
last year the previous year
next year the following year
ago before
thus so

Direct Speech. He says, “I am glad to be here this evening.”

Indirect Speech. He says that he was glad to be there that evening.

Change of Model Verbs in Indirect Speech

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Will / shall Would
Shall Should
Can Could
May Might
Must Must / Had to

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Would Would
Should Should
Could Could
Might Might
Must / Had to Must / Had to

Direct Speech. Mother said, “I will believe you.”

Indirect Speech. Mother said that she would believe me.

Direct Speech. Mother said, “I would believe you.”

Indirect Speech. Mother said that she would believe me.

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Questions in Indirect Speech

➢ In reporting questions, the Indirect Speech is introduced by some such verbs as asked, inquired, etc.

Direct Speech. He said to me, “What are you doing?”

Indirect Speech. He asked me what I was doing.

Direct Speech. “Where do you live?” asked the stranger.

Indirect Speech. The stranger enquired where I lived.

Direct Speech. The policeman said to us, “Where are you going?”
Indirect Speech. The policeman enquired where we were going.

➢ When the question is not introduced by an interrogative word, the reporting verb is followed by
whether or if.

Direct Speech. He said, “Will you listen to such a man?”

Indirect Speech. He asked them whether they would listen to such a man.

Direct Speech. The stranger asked me, "Do you speak Chinese?"
Indirect Speech. The stranger asked me if I spoke Chinese.

Commands and Requests in Indirect Speech

➢ In reporting commands and requests, the Indirect Speech is introduced by some verb expressing
command or request, and the imperative mood is changed into the Infinitive.

Direct Speech. Rama said to Arjun, “Go away.”

Indirect Speech. Rama ordered Arjun to go away.

Direct Speech. He said to him, “Please wait here till I return.”

Indirect Speech. He requested him to wait there till he returned.

Direct Speech. “Call the first witness,” said the judge.

Indirect Speech. The judge commanded them to call the first witness.

Direct Speech. He shouted, “Let me go.”

Indirect Speech. He shouted to them to let him go.

Direct Speech. He said, “Be quiet and listen to my words.”

Indirect Speech. He urged them to be quiet and listen to his words.

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Exclamations and Wishes in Indirect Speech

➢ In reporting exclamations and wishes the Indirect Speech is introduced by some verb expressing
exclamation or wish.

Direct Speech. He said, “Alas! I am undone.”

Indirect Speech. He exclaimed sadly that he was undone.

Direct Speech. Alice said, “How clever I am!”

Indirect Speech. Alice exclaimed that she was very clever.

Direct Speech. He said, “Bravo! You have done well.”

Indirect Speech. He applauded him, saying that he had done well.

➢ Study the following examples, and in each case carefully note the changes made while turning from
Direct into Indirect Speech.

"Don't play with matches," his mother said.

His mother told him not to play with matches.

"I've forgotten to bring my lunch with me," he said.

He said that he'd forgotten to bring his lunch with him.

"Will you be home soon?" she asked her husband.

She asked her husband if he would be home soon.

"Go to bed!" father said to the children.

Father told the children to go to bed.

"I'll clean the car tomorrow," Tim said to his father.

Tim told his father that he would clean the car the following day.

"Where have you been?" Gary asked his wife.

Gary asked his wife where she had been.

"I've been working for the same company since 1960," he said to me.
He told me that he had been working for the same company since 1960.

"Do you know Garfield?" she asked me.

She asked me if I knew Garfield.

"How shall I tell Tom the bad news?" she said.

She asked how she should tell Tom the bad news.

"You must try my home-made wine," he said.

He said that I had to try his home-made wine.

"Can I go home now?" he asked her.

He asked her if he could go home then.

"May I call you by your first name?" he asked.

He asked if he might call me by my first name.

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"She must try harder if she wants to succeed," he said.
He said that she had to try harder if she wanted to succeed.

"My father will be angry with me if he finds out," she said.

She said that her father would be angry with her if he found out.

"You had better speak to the manager," she said to him.

She told him that he had better speak to the manager.

"I may not be able to meet you at the airport," he said to her.
He told her that he might not be able to meet her at the airport.