Reported Speech

Reported speech can be defined as reporting what someone has said by changing some of its words while retaining the original meaning. There are two types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech. Reported speech is a branch of grammar. When we tell someone what the other person had said before is known as reported speech. Direct speech is when we use the original words used by the speaker. Indirect speech is when the speaker’s message is conveyed in our words.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech 

• If the speaker’s words are conveyed without any major changes, it is referred to as direct speech. 

Example: She said, “My mother is not well.” 

Indirect Speech 

• If the speaker’s words are conveyed in our words with little changes, the meaning remains the same. It is referred to as indirect speech. 

Example: She said her mother is not well.

Rules for conversion of direct speech into indirect speech 

Rule 1 

Conversion of direct speech to indirect speech (Reporting Verb)

• When the reporting verb of the direct speech is available in the past tense, at this time, the present tense should be changed to the past tense in the case of indirect speech. 

Example of direct speech to indirect speech: 

Direct: She said, ‘I am fine.’

Indirect: She said that she was fine. 

• If the original words reflect the universal truth, the tense does not change in the indirect speech.

Example:

Direct: The teacher said, “we cannot live without oxygen.”

Indirect: The teacher said that we could not live without oxygen.

• When the reporting verb is given in the future or present tense, the tenses of direct speech remain the same.

Direct speech: He says/will say, “I am alone.”

Indirect: 

He says/will say that she is alone.

Rule 2: 

Conversion of direct speech to indirect speech 

(Present tense)

1. Present perfect continuous tense changes to the past perfect continuous tense

Direct: ‘I have been to India,’ she told me.

Indirect: She told me that she had been to India

1. Present continuous tense changes to the past continuous tense

Direct: “I am playing Cricket,” she exclaimed.

Indirect: She exclaimed that she was playing cricket.

1. Present perfect tense changes into past perfect tense

Direct: She said,”I have finished my homework.”

Indirect: She said that she had finished her homework. 

1. Simple present tense changes into Simple past

Direct: “I am not well,” he said

Indirect: He said that he was unwell.

Rule 3: 

Conversion of direct speech into indirect speech

Past tense and future tense

1. Simple past tense changes into past perfect

Direct: She said,”she arrived on Sunday.”

Indirect: She said that she had arrived on Sunday.

1. Past continuous changes to past perfect continuous

Direct: “We were playing cricket,” they told me.

Indirect: They told me that they had been playing cricket.

1. Future tense changes into present conditional

Direct: She said,”I will be in Boston tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that she would be in Boston the next day.

1. Future continuous tense changes into conditional continuous

Direct: He said,”I’ll be teaching Sania on Sunday.”.

Indirect: He said that he would be teaching Sania on Sunday.

Rule 4: 

Changes in interrogative sentences

• No use of conjunction: If the sentence of direct speech begins with the question, then it is a joining clause. In this case, conjunction should be avoided.

Example: Direct: “Where do you live?” enquired the boy.

Indirect: The boy asked where I lived.

• When the direct speech sentence begins with some helping verb, then the joining clause can be used if or whether. 

Example: Direct: She said,”Will you come to the function?” 

Indirect: She asked whether we would come to the function.

• Reporting verbs like said or said to change into demanded, inquired, or asked.

Example: Direct: He said to me,” What are you thinking?”

Indirect: He asked me what I was thinking.

Rule 5:

Change in modals

• While transforming direct speech into indirect speech, the models of the sentences must change the following way: 

1. Can transforms into could
2. May transforms into might
3. Must becomes would have to/ had to

Example: 

Direct: She said,”I can bake.”

Indirect: She said that she could bake.

The modals like: could, would, should and ought to do not change

Example: 

Direct: She said,”I should study hard.”

Indirect: She said that she should study hard.

Rule 6

Changes in pronoun

• The first person pronoun indirect speech changes in accordance with the subject of the speech.

Example: Direct: He said,”I am in college.”

Indirect: He said that he was in college.

• The second person pronoun of direct speech changes according to the object of reported speech

Example: Direct: She says to them,”You have to do your task.”

Indirect: She tells them that they have to do their task.

• The third-person pronoun of direct speech does not change.

Example: 

Direct: He says,”She bakes well.”

Indirect: He says that she bakes well.

Rule 7: 

Changes in request, wish, exclamation and command.

• Indirect speech is supported by some verbs like suggested, ordered, and requested. Forbade, prohibited can be used for the negative sentences. In these cases, the reporting verb of the direct speech uses infinitive to write the statement in indirect speech.

Example: 

Direct: The teacher said to the student,”Sit down.”

Indirect: The teacher ordered the student to sit down. 

Rule 8:

Change in punctuations

The original words should always begin with a capital letter”.

Example: Anaesthesia said, “I am the best.”

Exclamation or question marks are to be placed inside inverted commas.

Example: He said, “What is your name?”

• If direct speech comes after information regarding the person who spoke the words, then the commas will be used to introduce the speech.

Example: She said,” I am done.”

Rule 9: 

Changes in time

• In direct speech, the words that express closeness in time or place are changed into words that express distance.

For example: 

Now transforms into then, here transformers into there, ago transforms into before, thus transforms into so, today transforms into that day, yesterday transforms into the day before, etc.

Example: Direct: He said,” His mother came yesterday.”

Indirect: He said that his mother had come the day before.

• Expression of time does not change when the reporting verb is given in present tense or future tense.

Direct speech: He says/will say, “I am angry.”

Indirect: He says/will say that she is angry.

Rules for conversion of indirect speech into direct speech

Rule 1: 

Use reporting verbs like (told, said, suggested, etc.) in the correct tense.

Rule 2:

Put the comma before original words, and the first letter of the statement should be in capital letter.

Rule 3: 

The question mark should be inserted based on the mood of the sentence.

Rule 4: 

The conjunctions like (that or whether) should be removed whenever required.

Rule 5: 

When the reporting verb even includes the past tense in indirect speech, it should be changed into the present tense in the direct speech.

Rule 6: 

The past perfect tense can change into present perfect tense, past tense, or remain in past perfect tense depending on the context in case of conversion of indirect speech to direct speech.

Example: 

Indirect: She asked whether she had come to the party.

Direct: She said to her, “Have you gone to the party?”

Or, She said to her, “Did you go to the party?”

Or, She said to her, “Had you gone to the party?”