Direct/Indirect Speech - Rules

RULES   FOR   CHANGING   DIRECT   SPEECH   INTO  INDIRECT

    {A} ASSERTIVE   SENTENCES :-- 

   (1)  When the REPORTING or MAIN verb [‘said’] is in the Past Tense. 

        (a) Simple Present in the Direct Speech change into a Simple Past Tenses in the  Indirect Speech.

    Example –

        * Direct:---- He said, " My sister goes to school."

          Indirect:-- He said that his sister went to school. 

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        (b) A present continuous changes into a past continuous.

       * Direct:---- He said, "My sister is going to school."

         Indirect:-- He said that his sister was going to school.

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        (c) A present perfect changes into past perfect.

       * Direct :---He said, " My sister has gone to school."

         Indirect :-He said that his sister had gone to school. 

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        (d) A simple past changes into past perfect.

       * Direct :---He said, " My sister went to school."

         Indirect:--He said that his sister had gone to school.

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        (e) In case of future tense--

                       shall---- is changed into-----should

                       will------is changed intoo----would

       * Direct :---He said, " My sister will go to school."

         Indirect:--He said that his sister would go to school.

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                              IMPORTANT   CHANGES

            DIRECT SPEECH..............into...........INDIRECT SPEECH

            Present Indefinite.............................. Past indefinite

            Present Continuous...........................Past Continuous

            Present Perfect................................. Past Perfect

            Present Prefect Continuous.............Past Perfect Continuous

            Past Indefinite................................... Past Perfect

            Past Continuous................................Past Perfect Continuous

            Past Perfect............................................ NO    CHANGE  ...

            Past Perfect Continuous....................... NO    CHANGE ...           

            Future Tense (all tenses )..................... NO    CHANGE ...

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                       The following changes are also made:

                              shall---- to-- should
                              will------ to-- would

                              may-----to-- might

                              can----- to-- could 
                              has----- to-- had

                              have---- to-- had
 

  2.                 Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives:

         The pronoun is changed in person from first and second to third. 


                            I-------becomes-----he or she

                           We----becomes-----they

                           You---becomes-----he, him, her or them

 
  3.                 Adjectives and Adverbs:

                             We change :
                            
                          this---------------- to--- that

                          these-------------- to--- those

                          here--------------- to--- there

                          now ----------------to--- then

                          today---------------to--- that day

                          last night-----------to--- on the previous night (or) the night before

                          tomorrow-----------to----the next day or the day after

                          yesterday----------to----the previous day or the day before

                          the previous day--to----the day before

                          the next day-------to----the following day

                          thus-----------------to----so; (or) in that way

                          just------------------to----then

                          just now------------to----just then

                          ago------------------to--- before

                          hither---------------to--- thither

                          hence---------------to--- thence

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 (2)  In most cases, we DO NOT change the tense of the verbs in Direct Speech :---

¨  (a) When the reporting verb is :---
  

     (i) in the Simple Present tense (he says),

           * Direct:---- He says," I like to eat mangoes."

             Indirect:-- He says that he likes to eat mangoes.

    (ii) in the Present Perfect tense (she has told us)
   
           * Direct:--- “They are late,” she has already told us.

             Indirect:-- She has already told us (that) they are late.

   (iii) or in the Simple Future tense (I will tell him).

         Direct:--- “I will tell him, “The shop is shut.”

         Indirect:-- I will tell him (that) the shop is shut.

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    Examples:

        (b) If they make a statement which is always true.

       * Direct:--- He told us, “The world is round.”

         Indirect:--He told us that the world is round.

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(c) the action is still continuing and a change of tense would give the wrong meaning.

       * Direct:---She said, “My brother is living in Australia.”

         Indirect:- She said that her brother is living in Australia.

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{B} INTERROGATIVE   SENTENCES   OR   QUESTIONS :--
   

         RULES---

          (a) Reporting verb -

           'Say' --- is changed into-----ask, enquire of, question, interrogate; as,

         * Direct:---- Mohan said to Ram,"Where do you live?"

           Indirect:-- Mohan asked Ram where he lived.

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         (b) When the question begins with a helping verb (is, are, am, was,were, will, may, can, must, dare, need etc.), then conjunction ' if ' or ' whether  is used to join the reporting part and reported part.

         * Direct :----Ramesh said to his son," Are you studying General English as one of your subjects ?"

           Indirect:---Ramesh  enquired of his son if he was studying General English as one of his subjects.

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(c) The  QUESTION  or  INTERROGATIVE  SENTENCE  is changed  into ASSERTIVE  SENTENCE.

The question mark is changed in full stop. 
Thus a direct question changes into indirect question.

        * Direct :--- Manish said to Harish " Will you lend me your pen for two days ?"

         Indirect :--Manish enquired of Harish if he would lend him his pen for two days.

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       {C} IMPERATIVE    SENTENCES :--

         RULES :-

         (a) 'Say'--- is changed into-----order, command, advise, sggest, request, pray or beg.

             'Said'--- is changed into---- ordered, commanded, advised, suggested, requested, prayed or begged.

         * Direct :---The beggar said, " Lady, give me some food to eat."

           Indirect:--The beggar begged the lady to give him some food to eat.

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         (b) No connective ( that, if, whether etc. ) is used between the reporting verb and the reported speeh.

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         (c)' To ' is used before the verb in thereported speech. Thus the IMPERATIVE  MOOD is changed into INFINITE MOOD.

         * Direct :-- The master said to the servant, "Bring a glass of water. "

           Indirect:--The master ordered the servant to bring a glass of water.

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        {d} OPTATIVE (WISHING)   SENTENCES:--

           RULES:--

        (a) ' Said '--- is changed into ---said, told, prayed, blessed or wished.

        (b) The  WISHING  FORM is converted into ASSERTIVE   FORM.

        (c) Connective ' that ' is used to join the reporting and reported speech.

         * Direct :---She said to me, " May you prosper." 

           Indirect:--She wished that I might prosper.

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         {E} EXCLAMATORY   SENTENCES:--

            RULES:--

        (a) ' Say ' or ' tell '---are changed into--- cry, exclaim, applaud, confess or bid.

        (b) The  EXCLAMATORY  FORM is converted into ASSERTIVE  FORM.

        (c) Connective ' that ' is used to join the reporting part and reported part.

         * Direct :---Gita said, "Alas! how foolish I have been."

           Indirect:--Gita confessed with regret that she had been very foolish.

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