direct
indirect
reported clause
statement
-clause
question
clause clause
clause
command
-infinitive clause
Indirect speech: reporting statements
Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:
The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )
I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)
Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.
Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:
She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )
The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )
He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )
Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )
Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:
He asked me what I wanted.
Not: He asked me what I wanted?
The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:
She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.
Not: … who had we invited …
In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:
I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )
He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )
She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )
Not: She asked us what were we doing?
We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :
I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).
Not: I asked her when had it happened?
I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )
Not: I asked her where was the bus station?
The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )
Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?
Questions: wh- questions
Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:
The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )
The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )
We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :
They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )
The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )
Verbs followed by a to -infinitive
We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:
Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.
Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.
Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)
We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:
JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM
PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM
Present simple ( I work )
Reported speech
Reported speech: direct speech
In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:
Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?
Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.
‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.
direct speech | indirect speech |
not very happy at work.’ | not very happy at work. |
going home.’ | going home. |
be late.’ | be late. |
been working,’ she said. | . |
to make her so angry?’ he asked. | to make her so angry. |
In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.
direct | indirect | |
present simple | → | past simple |
present continuous | → | past continuous |
present perfect simple | → | past perfect simple |
present perfect continuous | → | past perfect continuous |
past simple | → | past perfect simple |
past continuous | → | past perfect continuous |
future (will) | → | future-in-the-past (would) |
past perfect | ↔ | past perfect (no change) |
The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:
Direct speech | Indirect speech |
| already left. |
Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.
direct speech | indirect speech | change | |
| be there,’ he promised. | be there. | becomes |
| need more money.’ I open it?’ she asked. | need more money. open it. | usually becomes in reported questions, becomes |
| see you at 2.30,’ he added. | see me at 2.30. | becomes |
| be back later,’ she said. wait in the hallway,’ he said. | be back later. wait in the hallway. | (possibility) becomes (permission) becomes |
| pay by 30th April.’ be awful to live in such a noisy place,’ she said. | pay by 30th April. be awful to live in such a noisy place. | (obligation) usually becomes (speculation) does not change |
| sell it for about 2,000 euros,’ he said. | sell it for about 2,000 euros. | no change |
| go there immediately,’ she said. | go there immediately. | no change |
| buy it if I had the money,’ he said. | buy it if he had the money. | no change |
| snow tonight,’ he warned. | snow that night. | no change |
| come till six o’clock,’ he said. | come till six o’clock. | no change |
We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:
He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )
He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )
Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:
She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )
The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )
We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:
He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)
She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)
He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)
She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)
Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.
direct | indirect | |
don’t want to shock people,’ Tom said. | said he didn’t want to shock people. | different speakers ( changes to ) |
’ll look after Toby,’ I said. | said I would look after Toby. | same speaker (no change) |
need to be here at nine o’clock,’ George told Beatrice. | told Beatrice she needed to be there at nine o’clock. | different speakers ( changes to ) |
hope you will join us tonight,’ I said to James. | told James I hoped he would join us that night. | same speaker (no change to ; changes to ) |
We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.
direct speech | indirect speech |
.’ | the next/following day. |
this moment in time.’ | . |
.” | . |
,’ the boy protested. | . |
direct | indirect | |
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The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:
She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .
Not: She always asks me where am I going .
We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:
I asked him what he was doing.
Not: I asked him what he was doing?
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A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Let’s have an example first.
Direct Speech
Tina | said | “Are you busy now?” |
Indirect Speech
Tina | asked | whether | I was busy then. |
List of Reporting verbs and linkers (list 1)
Said, told | That | |
1. Yes-no question 2. Wh-question | Asked, wanted to know, enquired | If / whether |
Asked, wanted to know, enquired | wh-word | |
1. Without ‘Let’ 2. With ‘Let’ | Told, ordered, advised, requested, asked | to / not to |
Suggested, proposed | that | |
Wished, prayed | that | |
Exclaimed in joy / sorrow / wonder / fear / disgust etc. | that |
Verbs of Reported speech (if the reporting verb is in past tense) (list 2) Direct speech → Indirect speech Am / is / are → was / were Was / were → had been Has / have → had Had → had had Shall / will → would Can → could May → might Must, should → must, should Verb1 → verb2 Verb2 → had + verb3
Change of time and place expressions in past tense (list 3) now → then ago → before today → that day yesterday → the previous day tomorrow → the next day last night → the previous night here → there this → that these → those
Narration change of interrogative sentence, narration change of imperative sentence, narration change of optative sentence, narration change of exclamatory sentence, narration change of vocatives, narration change of question tag.
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Home » English Grammar » 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.
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.
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.
a. Basic Examples
Consider this simple example:
Here, the exact words of Ritu are presented within quotation marks.
b. Complex Examples
Now, let’s add more complexity:
Notice how the sentence is split into two parts, but both are still within quotation marks.
“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.
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:
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.
Basic Examples
Here’s a simple conversion:
Complex Examples
For a more complex sentence:
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.
The following comparison highlights the key differences between direct and indirect speech rules, including punctuation, tense changes, and adjustments to pronouns and time references.
Quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker. | Reporting the essence of what the speaker said without quoting exactly. | |
Uses quotation marks (“…”). | Does not use quotation marks. | |
Follows the reporting verb with a comma. | Integrates the reporting verb without a comma. | |
Tense remains as originally spoken. | Tense often shifts back (present to past, future to conditional, etc.). | |
Pronouns remain as originally spoken. | Pronouns change to match the perspective of the reporting speaker. | |
Time and place references remain as originally spoken. | Time and place references may change (e.g., “today” becomes “that day”). | |
She said, “I am going to the store.” | She said that she was going to the store. | |
John asked, “Can you help me?” | John asked if I could help him. | |
“We will finish the project tomorrow,” they promised. | They promised that they would finish the project the next day. | |
“I have never seen such a beautiful place,” he exclaimed. | He exclaimed that he had never seen such a beautiful place. |
People also ask
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
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:
“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.
say | say |
say to me | tell me |
says to them | tells them |
said | said |
said to him | told him |
shall/will say | shall/will say |
shall/will say to her | shall/will tell her |
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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 .
Past He , | Present Indefinite ” I you” | Past Indefinite He said that he me. |
Past The teacher , | Universal Truth or Regular Habits ” The sun in the east.” | Remains Unchanged The teacher said that the sun in the east. |
Past She , | Present Continuous ” I a song.” | Past Continuous She said that she . |
Past Mother , | Present Perfect ” I cooking.” | Past Perfect Mother said that she cooking. |
Past Maria , | Past Indefinite “You the work.” | Past Perfect Maria said that I the work. |
Past Soumen , | Past Continuous ” I football.” | Soumen said that he football. |
Past Ravvi , | Past Perfect ” You me.” | Remains Unchanged Ravi said that I him. |
Past They said, | Shall/Will “We help him.” | Should/Would They said that they help him. |
Past Doctor , | Can / May ” You do it.” | Could / Might The doctor said that I do it. |
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.
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.
There are certain rules to follow regarding the changes of pronouns from direct speech to indirect speech:
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.
(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.
(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.
I (1st person, singular) | me (1st person, singular) |
We (1st person, plural) | us (1st person, plural) |
You (2nd person, singular / plural) | You (2nd person, |
He (3rd person, singular) | him (3rd person, singular) |
She (3rd person, singular) | her (3rd person, singular) |
They (3rd person, plural) | them (3rd person, plural) |
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.
Understanding how to punctuate and use quotation marks correctly is crucial when dealing with direct and indirect speech. Here are some guidelines:
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.”
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.
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.
Indirect speech involving modals and conditional sentences requires careful attention to maintain accuracy:
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.
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.
Adding modifying words or phrases can alter the meaning of the reported speech:
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.
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.
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.
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.
now | then /at that time |
ago | before |
henceforth | thenceforth |
long ago | long before |
henceforward | thenceforward |
today | That day /the same day |
tonight | that night /the same night |
tomorrow | the next day /the following day |
yesterday | the previous day /the day before |
yesterday night | the previous night /the night before |
last night | the previous night /the night before |
last evening | the previous evening /the evening before |
last week | the previous week /the week before |
last fortnight | the previous fortnight /the fortnight before |
last month | the previous month /the month before |
last year | the previous year /the year before |
last occasion | the previous occasion |
next day | the following day /the day after |
next week | the following week /the week after |
next fortnight | the following fortnight /the fortnight after |
next month | the following month /the month after |
next year | the following year /the year after |
on the next occasion | on the following occasion |
here | there |
at this place | at that place |
thus | so /in that way |
in this way | in that way |
in this manner | in that manner |
hereby | thereby |
this | that |
these | those |
hither | thither |
hence | thence |
From here | From there |
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.
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.
Forming indirect speech with questions necessitates some adjustments:
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.
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.
The indirect speech also involves reporting imperatives, which are commands, requests, or advice:
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.
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.
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.
(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.
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
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.
Fill in the blanks with proper 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.
Ans: While backshifting is common, some exceptions exist, especially in cases where the statement’s truth remains constant.
Ans: When reporting multiple speakers, use appropriate reporting verbs and introduce each person’s dialogue in a logical sequence.
Ans: Combining direct and indirect speech in a sentence is possible, but it requires precision to avoid confusion.
Ans: Reporting verbs like “said,” “told,” “asked,” “claimed,” and “explained” are frequently employed.
Ans: Focus on maintaining consistency in style and verb tense to ensure a smooth transition between direct and indirect speech.
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.
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.
Ans: Common reporting verbs for indirect speech include “say,” “tell,” “ask,” “inquire,” “explain,” “describe,” and more.
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.
Ans: No, quotation marks are not used in indirect speech as they report the speech without directly quoting it.
Ans: Certainly! In the story, he said, “I love you,” to which she replied that she loved him too.
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.
Ans: Most tenses change in indirect speech, but the changes depend on the context and the tense of the original statement.
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.
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.
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of communicating what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. For example, if your friend said, “ I am going to the store ,” in reported speech, you might convey this as, “ My friend said he was going to the store. ” Reported speech is common in both spoken and written language, especially in storytelling, news reporting, and everyday conversations.
Reported speech can be quite challenging for English language learners because in order to change direct speech into reported speech, one must change the perspective and tense of what was said by the original speaker or writer. In this guide, we will explain in detail how to change direct speech into indirect speech and provide lots of examples of reported speech to help you understand. Here are the key aspects of converting direct speech into reported speech.
Pronouns are usually changed to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech. For example, “I” in direct speech may become “he” or “she” in reported speech, depending on the context. Here are some example sentences:
Reported speech: tense shifts.
When converting direct speech into reported speech, the verb tense is often shifted back one step in time. This is known as the “backshift” of tenses. It’s essential to adjust the tense to reflect the time elapsed between the original speech and the reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how different tenses in direct speech are transformed in reported speech:
Reported speech: question format.
When converting questions from direct speech into reported speech, the format changes significantly. Unlike statements, questions require rephrasing into a statement format and often involve the use of introductory verbs like ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’. Here are some examples to demonstrate how questions in direct speech are converted into statements in reported speech:
Reported speech quiz.
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Ultimate English Grammar, Vocabulary, and Names Database
If you have ever thought about how to change direct speech into indirect speech, this tutorial will provide a comprehensive guide on how to do so effectively. In English Grammar, the process of converting direct speech into indirect speech, known as 'reported speech,' consists of various rules that one must understand and appropriately apply. Do not worry if you are a beginner at this; by the end of this tutorial, you will be confident in changing direct speech into indirect speech.
Table of Contents
Before jumping into the transformation process, let's first define what Direct and Indirect Speech are:
Direct Speech refers to the exact wording used by a person to convey a message or share information. It typically involves using quotations to denote the speaker's words. An example of direct speech is: She said, "I am hungry."
On the other hand, Indirect Speech, also known as Reported Speech, involves reporting what someone has said without necessarily using the exact wording. In this case, quotations are not used. Using the same content from the direct speech example, the indirect speech would be: She said that she was hungry.
Direct and Indirect Speech can occur in five different types of sentences: statements, commands, requests, questions, and exclamations. Each of these sentence types has specific rules associated with their transformation.
The initial step in changing direct speech to reported speech involves understanding specific rules. The following are some general guidelines to consider:
Rule 1: Change the verb tense in the quoted speech. With past tense reporting verbs, shift the tense back. For example, if the direct speech is in the present simple, shift it to the past simple in the reported speech. Hence, "He says, 'I am busy'" will change to "He said he was busy."
Rule 2: Adjust pronouns and time/place words as necessary. The pronoun may change according to the subject of reporting speech. Thus, "She says, 'I enjoy reading'" will become "She said she enjoyed reading."
Rule 3: Remove the quotation marks. Reported speech does not use direct quotations, so delete the quotes when converting the speech. For instance, "I am happy," he said will become He said he was happy.
When reporting statements, use that to connect the reported speech. Keep in mind that that is often omitted in conversation. Remember to change the tense and adjust pronouns as necessary. For example, direct speech: He said, "I am tired." Indirect speech: He said that he was tired.
Change commands and requests from direct to indirect speech using to for commands and to kindly for requests. Adjust the tense as appropriate. For example, direct command: "Come here!" said the mother. Indirect command: The mother told him to come there.
When converting questions, use if or whether. Adjust the tense of the verb and do not use question marks. For example, direct question: She asked, "Are you feeling well?" Indirect question: She asked if he was feeling well.
Exclamations and wishes are reported with words like exclaimed or wished, and the exclamatory words are often re-phrased. For example, direct exclamation: "How beautiful the rainbow is!" he exclaimed. Indirect exclamation: He exclaimed that the rainbow was very beautiful.
By focusing on each rule while learning, you can understand the context of direct and indirect speech and hone your skills in English grammar. With continual practice and use of these guidelines, you will find yourself becoming increasingly comfortable with converting direct speech to indirect.
Remember, though knowledge about theoretical rules is essential, it is ultimately practice and implementation that will help you master this segment of English grammar. Good luck with your continuous learning journey!
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Direct speech, changing the tense (backshift), no change of tenses, question sentences, demands/requests, expressions with who/what/how + infinitive, typical changes of time and place, introduction.
In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks , this is known as direct speech , or we can use indirect speech . In indirect speech , we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting verb or phrase such as ones below.
Learn the rules for writing indirect speech in English with Lingolia’s simple explanation. In the exercises, you can test your grammar skills.
Mandy is sitting in the café where James works. He tells her, “I work in this café almost every day. But yesterday I saw a famous TV presenter here for the first time. She was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting now.” |
A week later, Mandy is speaking to a friend on the phone, “I saw James at the café last week. He said that .” |
When turning direct speech into indirect speech, we need to pay attention to the following points:
If the introductory clause is in the simple past (e.g. He said ), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table). The term for this in English is backshift .
direct speech | indirect speech |
---|---|
simple present | simple past |
present progressive | past progressive |
simple past | past perfect simple |
present perfect simple | |
past perfect simple | |
past progressive | past perfect progressive |
present perfect progressive | |
past perfect progressive | |
future (going to) | was / were going to |
future (will) | conditional (would) |
conditional (would) |
The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change.
If the introductory clause is in the simple present , however (e.g. He says ), then the tense remains unchanged, because the introductory clause already indicates that the statement is being immediately repeated (and not at a later point in time).
In some cases, however, we have to change the verb form.
When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points:
We don’t just use indirect questions to report what another person has asked. We also use them to ask questions in a very polite manner.
When turning demands and requests into indirect speech, we only need to change the pronouns and the time and place information. We don’t have to pay attention to the tenses – we simply use an infinitive .
If it is a negative demand, then in indirect speech we use not + infinitive .
To express what someone should or can do in reported speech, we leave out the subject and the modal verb and instead we use the construction who/what/where/how + infinitive.
direct speech | indirect speech |
---|---|
today | that day |
now | then at that moment/time |
yesterday | the day before |
… days ago | … days before |
last week | the week before |
next year | the following year |
tomorrow | the next day the following day |
here | there |
this | that |
these | those |
The words say and tell are not interchangeable. say = say something tell = say something to someone
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Mixed exercise 2.
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is a request, a statement or a question and whether you have to change the tenses or not.
|
Direct speech:, indirect speech / reported speech:, convert direct speech to indirect speech.
Pronouns and possessive adjectives | We usually change from first or second to third person except when the speaker is reporting his own words. | that day |
the day before (the previous day) | |
Tomorrow / the next day | The following day |
The day before yesterday | Two days before / earlier |
Yesterday morning | The previous morning |
A year / month / week ago | A year before / earlier |
The day after tomorrow | In two days' time |
Next week / month / year | The following week / month / year |
now | then |
tonight | that night |
here | here / there |
this | that, it |
these | those |
can | could |
would | |
could | |
might | |
might | might |
have to / has to | had to |
must | must |
ought to / should | ought to / should |
Mixed types, common verbs used with reported speech.
Add boast | complain observe reply Announce deny | point out scream Answer grumble promise | shout Argue inform | Assure + Object murmur remark |
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Direct and indirect speech with rules and examples, download all the grammar lessons in one click $27 $19.
In English, to report someone’s words or their own words, you can use direct or indirect speech. These may include statements, questions, orders, advice…
When moving from direct to indirect style, it is often necessary to change personal pronouns, demonstrative and possessive pronouns according to who says what:
Here are some examples:
She says: “My dad likes onion soup.” | She says that dad likes onion soup. |
Kevin said, ‘I’m tired.’ | Kevin said (that) was tired. |
Have you ever been to Japan? | She asked if I had ever been to Japan. |
Open the door! | He told to open the door. |
Note: That is often implied in indirect speech. It is not mandatory to use it, so it is indicated in brackets in this lesson.
To relate someone’s words to both direct and indirect speech, you need an introductory verb.
The two most frequent are tell and say, but there are many other possible ones like:
Be careful to distinguish SAY from TELL . The two verbs may have the same meaning, but their use is different. With TELL, the interlocutor is quoted: the name or pronoun is placed immediately after tell (tell somebody something).
With SAY, the interlocutor is not necessarily quoted; if he is, he is introduced by the preposition to ( say something to somebody ):
However, tell is used in some expressions without mentioning a contact person:
Note: the wording ‘ He said to me… ‘ is possible but seems clumsy. It is best to use ‘ He told me… ‘.
The shift to indirect speech leads to changes in the tense, depending on whether the verb is in the present tense or in the past tense.
If the introductory verb is in the present tense, the tense (or modal) does not change.
Be careful, if the statements reported are still true now you must not change the tense!
If the introductory verb is in the past, the verb tense changes:
Examples of major changes in time:
Direct speeches | Indirect speeches |
---|---|
He said: “I happy” | He said (that) he happy. |
He said: “I for my phone” | He said (that) he for his phone. |
He said: “I Paris last year” | He said (that) he Paris the previous year. |
He said: ” I in London for a long time “ | He said (that) he in London for a long time. |
He said: “They the kitchen when I “ | He said (that) they the kitchen when he |
He said: “I when the accident “ | He said (that) when the accident |
He said:”I for one hours.” | He said (that) for one hours. |
He said: “I a book when the light “ | He said (that) he a book when the light |
He said: “I the door.” | He said (that) the door. |
He said: “I a plane if I rich” | He said (that) he a plane if he rich. |
The modals could, should, would, might, needn’t, ought to, used to don’t change when used with indirect speech.
Those who change are will → would, can → could, may → might :
Direct speeches | Indirect speeches | |
---|---|---|
will | “They will call you.” | He told her that they would call her. |
would* | “I would help, but I’m sick.” | She said (that) she would help but she was sick. |
can | “I can do it.” | He said he could do it. |
could* | “I could swim when I was four” | She said (that) she could swim when she was four. |
should* | “I should call my mother” | She said (that) she should call her mother. |
may | “May I go out?” | He wanted to know if he might go out. |
must | “She must apply for the job.” | He said that she must/had to apply for the job. |
* do not change
Expressions of time, place and demonstratives change if the context of indirect speech is different from that of direct speech.
She said “I saw him yesterday.” → She said she had seen him the day before.
Direct speeches | Indirect speeches |
---|---|
Time marker | |
today | that day |
now | then |
yesterday | the day before |
… days ago | … days before |
last week | the week before |
next week | the following week |
next year | the following year |
tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
Location marker | |
here | there |
Demonstrative | |
this | that |
these | those |
To relate an order or prohibition to indirect speech, verbs such as tell, order or forbid are used… Be careful, remember to replace Don’t by NOT when it is the main verb of the sentence!
For affirmative sentences, use to + infinitive
For negative sentences use not to + infinitive
If there is an interrogative word like where/who/when/why… in direct speech, we keep it in indirect speech:
If it is a closed-ended question or you have to answer yes/no, you use if or whether :
When the question contains a modal, it is preterite in the reported question:
Some examples of indirect questions:
Expressions of advice such as must, should and ought are usually reported using the verbs advise or urge :
The expression let’s is usually reported using the verb suggest, with gerund or with should:
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Reported speech
Indirect speech (reported speech) focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.
Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired.
Phrase in Direct Speech | Equivalent in Reported Speech |
---|---|
"I always coffee", she said | She said that she always coffee. |
"I a book", he explained. | He explained that he a book |
"Bill on Saturday", he said. | He said that Bill on Saturday. |
"I to Spain", he told me. | He told me that he to Spain. |
"I the light," he explained. | He explained that he the light. |
They complained, "We for hours". | They complained that they for hours. |
"We in Paris", they told me. | They told me that they in Paris. |
"I in Geneva on Monday", he said. | He said that he in Geneva on Monday. |
She said, " the car next Friday". | She said that she the car next Friday. |
You do not need to change the tense if the reporting verb is in the present, or if the original statement was about something that is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense) , e.g.
These modal verbs do not change in reported speech: might, could, would, should, ought to :
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.
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.
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:
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:
In the above example, the pronoun “I” changes to “he” in indirect speech.
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:
In the above example, the present continuous tense “am studying” changes to the past continuous tense “was studying” in indirect speech.
When reporting indirect speech, the time and place references may also change. For example:
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
You also need to change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the subject of the reporting verb.
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 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:
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.
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 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.
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:
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.
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.
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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.
Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech:
She said, “I am tired.” ——> She said that she was tired.
The changes are shown below:
coffee”, she said | coffee. | |
a book”, he explained. | a book | |
on Saturday”, he said. | on Saturday | |
to Spain”, he told me. | to Spain | |
out the light,” he explained. | the light. | |
for hours”. | for hours. | |
in Paris”, they told me. | in Paris. | |
in Geneva on Monday”, he said | in Geneva on Monday. | |
the car next Friday”. | the car next Friday. |
1. You do not need to change the tense if the reporting verb is in the present, or if the original statement was about something that is still true, e.g.
2. These modal verbs do not change in reported speech:
might, could, would, should, ought to, e.g.
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Perfect english grammar.
Reported Statements
Here's how it works:
We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:
We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)
But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:
present simple | I like ice cream | She said (that) she liked ice cream. |
present continuous | I am living in London | She said (that) she was living in London. |
past simple | I bought a car | She said (that) she had bought a car OR She said (that) she bought a car. |
past continuous | I was walking along the street | She said (that) she had been walking along the street. |
present perfect | I haven't seen Julie | She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie. |
past perfect* | I had taken English lessons before | She said (that) she had taken English lessons before. |
will | I'll see you later | She said (that) she would see me later. |
would* | I would help, but... | She said (that) she would help but... |
can | I can speak perfect English | She said (that) she could speak perfect English. |
could* | I could swim when I was four | She said (that) she could swim when she was four. |
shall | I shall come later | She said (that) she would come later. |
should* | I should call my mother | She said (that) she should call her mother |
might* | I might be late | She said (that) she might be late |
must | I must study at the weekend | She said (that) she must study at the weekend OR She said she had to study at the weekend |
* doesn't change.
Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.
Reported Questions
So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?
Where is the Post Office, please? | She asked me where the Post Office was. |
What are you doing? | She asked me what I was doing. |
Who was that fantastic man? | She asked me who that fantastic man had been. |
Do you love me? | He asked me if I loved him. |
Have you ever been to Mexico? | She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico. |
Are you living here? | She asked me if I was living here. |
Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests
There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:
Please help me. | She asked me to help her. |
Please don't smoke. | She asked me not to smoke. |
Could you bring my book tonight? | She asked me to bring her book that night. |
Could you pass the milk, please? | She asked me to pass the milk. |
Would you mind coming early tomorrow? | She asked me to come early the next day. |
Reported Orders
Go to bed! | He told the child to go to bed. |
Don't worry! | He told her not to worry. |
Be on time! | He told me to be on time. |
Don't smoke! | He told us not to smoke. |
now | then / at that time |
today | yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June |
yesterday | the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December |
last night | the night before, Thursday night |
last week | the week before / the previous week |
tomorrow | today / the next day / the following day / Friday |
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We are talking about a very important and interesting topic. We are talking about direct and indirect speech in English and what is the correct formula of the usage.
Remember to read How to learn English with audiobooks for FREE
This topic can seem complicated at the beginning, but necessary to learn. Having this topic solved, you improve your English to a new level, so let’s start to deal with it.
In English, there are two ways how we can tell what another person said. Two ways you can say what someone else has said before.
Note : Indirect speech in different textbooks can be called differently: Indirect Speech or Reported Speech . But these two names mean the same.
Indirect Speech = Reported Speech
Direct speech in English is a type of speech when we retell someone’s speech as it was. We don’t change anything.
John says: I’m a good boy.
To tell what John said, we will say:
We say: John said, “I’m a good boy.”
Indirect speech differs from direct speech in that we DO NOT tell exactly what another person said. We are NOT repeating what someone else said. Indirect speech is when we tell the MEANING of what someone else said.
We say: John said he was a good boy.
Pay attention to what this sentence looks like. Earlier, when John said this, the sentence looked like this:
I am a good boy.
But after WE retell John’s words, in the indirect speech, this sentence looks like this:
John said he was a good boy.
The Quotes and the comma that stood after the name John, separating the speaker from his direct speech, disappeared from this sentence.
In indirect speech, we do not use the separating comma and quotation marks. Because now it is WE are retelling the meaning of what the other person (John) said.
In direct speech, the speaker most often speaks in the first person. That is, the speaker speaks from his person.
John will not talk about himself: John is a good boy . John will say it on his behalf: I am a good boy.
But when we retell the words of John (indirect speech), we cannot speak on his behalf. We cannot say “I am a good boy” because those are not our words. This is John a good boy.
Therefore, in indirect speech, we change “I” to the third person.
He says: I hate you but I need your help.
I retell: He said that he hated me but he needed my help.
To translate direct speech into indirect speech, we use certain rules that you should know.
Let’s take a look at these rules and formulas in order.
In direct speech, we use a comma to separate the speaker from what he is saying. Direct speech (what the speaker says) is in quotation marks.
When we translate direct speech into indirect speech, we remove quotes and commas.
Jessica says , “I’m from the future.”
We retell Jessica’s words: She said that she was from the future.
When translating direct speech into indirect speech, we change personal and possessive pronouns to third-person pronouns.
Direct Speech : He says, “ I couldn’t stay” Indirect Speech : He said that he couldn’t stay. Direct Speech : Tom says, “ I am deeply disturbed” Indirect Speech : Tom said that he was deeply disturbed.
Note: If in direct speech the speaker tells his own words, then we do not change personal and possessive pronouns.
Direct Speech: I said, “ I will do that” Indirect Speech: I said that I would do that.
When we translate adverbs from direct speech to indirect, adverbs change their form.
You can see how adverbs look in direct speech and how adverbs look in indirect speech in this table:
But we don’t always change adverbs this way. We change adverbs only if, when translating from direct speech into indirect speech adverbs cannot express the same meaning as in direct speech.
Take a look at an example:
Mom says, “ Tomorrow we will go to Uncle John’s.” Mom said that the next day we would go to Uncle John’s.
In these examples, we have replaced the adverb tomorrow with the next day . Because we retell Mom’s words on another day. We cannot say tomorrow anymore.
Now look at another example:
Mom says, “We went to visit Uncle John yesterday .”
Now imagine that we are retelling this the next day. We have to say:
Mom said that we went to visit Uncle John the day before yesterday .
If we said “ yesterday “, it would change the meaning of what we want to tell.
If in direct speech in the main sentence the predicate is in Past Simple, then in indirect speech we use the agreement rules.
We put the conjunction “ that ” in front of indirect speech.
Note: We may not use the conjunction that after verbs such as:
He said he found it on the island. He thought he was better than me. He knew he could call you anytime.
If in direct speech after the verb to say there is a prepositional object, then in order to translate such a sentence into indirect speech, we change the verb to say to tell . In this case, tell is used without the preposition to .
Incorrect : to tell Correct : tell
This means:
She said to me … changes to She told me that …
Note : Remember that in this case we also change the adverbs of place and time and demonstrative pronouns, if they are in direct speech.
For modals, we use several important rules.
We change modal verbs as well as main verbs when moving from direct to indirect speech.
But we do not change all modal verbs. We leave some verbs in their original form.
Let’s talk about modals in more detail.
If in direct speech the verb must means an obligation or command, then in the subordinate clause in indirect speech must does NOT change and looks like must .
The teacher says, “You must behave well in class.” The teacher said that we must behave well in class.
If in direct speech the verb must expresses the need, then in the subordinate clause in indirect speech we change the verb must to had to .
Mom says, “You must visit the doctor.” Mom said that I had to visit the doctor.
Can and could..
We change the modal verb can in direct speech to could in indirect speech. Could is the past form of the modal verb can .
She says, “I can swim.” She said that she could swim.
We change the modal verb may in direct speech to might in indirect speech. Might is the past form of the modal verb may .
John says, “I may propose to Maria.” John said that he might propose to Maria.
We change the modal verb must in direct speech to had to in indirect speech (if the verb must expresses the need). Had to is the past analog of the modal verb must .
The following verbs move from direct to indirect speech in their original form. They don’t change in any way.
He says, “I could do this.” He said he could do that.
Let’s take a closer look at these verbs:
The modal verb would in direct speech remains in the form would in indirect speech too.
Mom says, “I would bake a cake.” Mom said she would bake a cake.
If we use the modal verb could in direct speech, then we do not change this verb in any way in indirect speech. Because could is a past form already (It’s the past form of the modal verb can ).
John says, “I could learn to swim” John said he could learn to swim.
The modal verb might does not change its form when we translate this verb from direct to indirect speech. Because the modal might is the past form of the modal may .
He says, “I might ask the same question again”. He said that he might ask the same question again.
We do not change should when switching to indirect speech. Because should is considered the past form of the modal verb shall .
He says, “We should see Mr. Gannon” He said that we should see Mr. Gannon.
We do not change the modal verb OUGHT TO when translating this verb into indirect speech.
She says, “You ought to be angry with John” She said that I ought to be angry with John
Let’s talk about the important exceptions to the rules of this lesson.
He said ( that ) he thought you seemed depressed. He said ( that ) there was no need. He said ( that ) he had many friends.
He says, “Gagarin went to space in 1961.” He said that Gagarin went to space in 1961.
The event that we are talking about in this example happened at exactly the specified time and did not happen anymore.
then when translating into indirect speech, we do not change the form of these verbs. These verbs remain in their form.
She says, “We might find some treasure” She said that we might find some treasure.
He says, “I should do it”. He said that he should do it.
then we translate such a sentence into indirect speech without changing the tense to the past:
She says, “I cook deliciously.” She says that she cooks deliciously. He says, “I have a new smartphone.” He says that he has a new smartphone. She will say, “I didn’t know it.” He will say (that) he didn’t know it.
He says, “After winter comes spring.” He said that after winter comes spring. She says, “Lions don’t hunt camels.” She said that lions don’t hunt camels.
then when translating into indirect speech, we do not change the sentence, we do not translate the sentence into the past.
He says, “I had fixed my car.” He said he had fixed his car. He says, “I was skiing .” He said he was skiing . He says, “I had been all alone for a very long time”. He said that he had been all alone for a very long time.
Look at the following rules and nuances to know how to correctly translate interrogative (question) sentences from direct speech to indirect speech:
He asks, “Do you play dominoes?” He asked if I played dominoes. He asked whether I played dominoes.
We remove the auxiliary verb that was used in the interrogative sentence. We put the subject before the predicate as it should be for the direct word order.
He asks, “Where are you going?” He asked where I was going.
She asks, “Where you are?” She wanted to know where you were.
She asks, “What do these letters mean?” She asked what those letters mean.
Special questions (or Wh-questions) are questions that begin with an additional, question word.
In indirect speech, such a question should also begin with a question word.
This question word also serves as conjunction. This word attaches the question part to the main sentence.
In the question part, we use direct word order.
At the same time, we comply with all the rules for the Sequence of tenses.
My dad asks, “What do you plan to do with yourself?” My dad asked what I planned to do with myself.
When translating imperative sentences from direct to indirect speech, we must take into account several nuances:
He said, “ Go now!” He said to go then. She says, “ Carry my bag” She asked to carry her bag.
We use the verb to say when we translate an ordinary sentence into indirect speech. But in imperative sentences, we change the verb to say to a verb that expresses an order or request:
She says , “Carry my bag” She asked to carry her bag.
let’s (let us)
let’s encourage the speaker and the person to do something together.
In indirect speech, we change let’s to to suggest . For example:
She says, “ let’s do that!” She suggested to do that.
She says, “Replace him, John “ She asked John to replace him.
She says , “Read this book” She ordered ( advised, recommend ) me to read that book.
not + infinitive
He says, “Don’t cry.” He said to me not to cry.
For this, we use a noun or a pronoun.
She says, “Speak to him!” She asked me to speak to you.
Most often, we translate the future and the present into the past.
He says, “I have two brothers” He says that he had two brothers She says, “I do this every time” She says that he did that every day. He says, “I write books” He says that he wrote books. She says, “I am reading” She said that she was reading. He says, “I can swim” He said that he could swim. He says, “I will help you” He said that he would help me.
When we translate a sentence written in the past into indirect speech, we can leave it unchanged or we can change the past to the Past Perfect.
He says, “I saw this movie” He said that he saw that movie. He said that he had seen that movie.
What if in direct speech the main verb is already in Past Perfect?
In this case, the verb in Past Perfect remains unchanged. The verb in Past Perfect in direct speech remains in Past Perfect in indirect speech too.
He says, “I had bought I new house” He said that he had bought a new house.
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Recommended reading: Complex Sentence in English.
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Indirect speech, introduction.
direct speech | indirect speech | |
---|---|---|
" going to the park." | ➞ | She said that going to the park. |
" report to the manager." | ➞ | He told me that report to the manager. |
"We do it." | ➞ | They said that they do it. |
"Ana swim very well." | ➞ | I said that Ana swim very well. |
direct speech | indirect speech | |
---|---|---|
"I arrived late, so they sacked me." | ➞ | He said that he arrived late, so they sacked him. He said that he had arrived late, so they had sacked him. |
Complete the indirect speech by changing the tense of the direct speech verb:
direct speech | indirect speech | |
---|---|---|
" 'm late for work." | ➞ | April said that was late for work. |
" will give the box." | ➞ | Tom said that would give the box. |
direct speech | indirect speech | |
---|---|---|
"We will arrive " | ➞ | They said they would arrive . |
"The diary is in my office." | ➞ | He told me that the diary was in his office. |
Complete the indirect speech with the correct pronouns:
direct speech | indirect speech | |
---|---|---|
"I love my new house!" | ➞ | Mary said that she loves her new house. (This is still true. She still loves her house.) |
direct speech | indirect speech | |
---|---|---|
"I love my new house!" | ➞ | Mary said that she loved her new house. |
direct speech | indirect speech | |
---|---|---|
"Close the door." | ➞ | She told me the door. |
"Please, give me the key." | ➞ | He asked me him the key. |
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Turn the following sentences into indirect speech.
1. John said, ‘I am very busy now.’ 2. He said, ‘The horse has been fed.’ 3. ‘I know her name and address,’ said John. 4. ‘German is easy to learn,’ she said. 5. He said, ‘I am writing letters.’ 6. ‘It is too late to go out,’ Alice said. 7. He said to me, ‘I don’t believe you.’ 8. He says, ‘I am glad to be here this evening.’ 9. He said to me, ‘What are you doing?’ 10. ‘Where is the post office?’ asked the stranger. 11. He said, ‘Will you listen to me?’ 12. John said to Peter, ‘Go away.’ 13. She said to me, ‘Please wait here till I return.’ 14. ‘Call the witness,’ said the judge. 15. The speaker said, ‘Be quiet and listen to my words.’
1. John said that he was very busy then. 2. He said that the horse had been fed. 3. John said that he knew/knows her name and address. (Note that the tenses may not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a universal truth.) 4. She said that German is/was easy to learn. 5. He said that he was writing letters. 6. Alice said that it was too late to go out. 7. He told me that he didn’t believe me. OR He said he didn’t believe me. 8. He says that he is glad to be here this evening. (When the reporting verb is in the present tense, adverbs of time and place do not normally change in indirect speech.) 9. He asked me what I was doing. 10. The stranger asked where the post office is/was. 11. He asked me if I would listen to him. 12. John ordered Peter to go away. 13. She asked me to wait there till she returned. 14. The judge commanded them to call the first witness. 15. He urged them to be quiet and listen to them.
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“Reported speech” might sound fancy, but it isn’t that complicated.
It’s just how you talk about what someone said.
Luckily, it’s pretty simple to learn the basics in English, beginning with the two types of reported speech: direct (reporting the exact words someone said) and indirect (reporting what someone said without using their exact words ).
Read this post to learn how to report speech, with tips and tricks for each, plenty of examples and a resources section that tells you about real world resources you can use to practice reporting speech.
How to report indirect speech, reporting questions in indirect speech, verb tenses in indirect reported speech, simple present, present continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous, simple past, past continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous, simple future, future continuous, future perfect, future perfect continuous, authentic resources for practicing reported speech, novels and short stories, native english videos, celebrity profiles.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Direct speech refers to the exact words that a person says. You can “report” direct speech in a few different ways.
To see how this works, let’s pretend that I (Elisabeth) told some people that I liked green onions.
Here are some different ways that those people could explain what I said:
Direct speech: “I like green onions,” Elisabeth said.
Direct speech: “I like green onions,” she told me. — In this sentence, we replace my name (Elisabeth) with the pronoun she.
In all of these examples, the part that was said is between quotation marks and is followed by a noun (“she” or “Elisabeth”) and a verb. Each of these verbs (“to say,” “to tell [someone],” “to explain”) are ways to describe someone talking. You can use any verb that refers to speech in this way.
You can also put the noun and verb before what was said.
Direct speech: Elisabeth said, “I like spaghetti.”
The example above would be much more likely to be said out loud than the first set of examples.
Here’s a conversation that might happen between two people:
1: Did you ask her if she liked coffee?
2: Yeah, I asked her.
1: What did she say?
2. She said, “Yeah, I like coffee.” ( Direct speech )
Usually, reporting of direct speech is something you see in writing. It doesn’t happen as often when people are talking to each other.
Direct reported speech often happens in the past. However, there are all kinds of stories, including journalism pieces, profiles and fiction, where you might see speech reported in the present as well.
This is sometimes done when the author of the piece wants you to feel that you’re experiencing events in the present moment.
For example, a profile of Kristen Stewart in Vanity Fair has a funny moment that describes how the actress isn’t a very good swimmer:
Direct speech: “I don’t want to enter the water, ever,” she says. “If everyone’s going in the ocean, I’m like, no.”
Here, the speech is reported as though it’s in the present tense (“she says”) instead of in the past (“she said”).
In writing of all kinds, direct reported speech is often split into two or more parts, as it is above.
Here’s an example from Lewis Carroll’s “ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ,” where the speech is even more split up:
Direct speech: “I won’t indeed!” said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject of conversation. “Are you—are you fond—of—of dogs?” The Mouse did not answer, so Alice went on eagerly: “There is such a nice little dog near our house I should like to show you!”
Reporting indirect speech is what happens when you explain what someone said without using their exact words.
Let’s start with an example of direct reported speech like those used above.
Direct speech: Elisabeth said, “I like coffee.”
As indirect reported speech, it looks like this:
Indirect speech: Elisabeth said she liked coffee.
You can see that the subject (“I”) has been changed to “she,” to show who is being spoken about. If I’m reporting the direct speech of someone else, and this person says “I,” I’d repeat their sentence exactly as they said it. If I’m reporting this person’s speech indirectly to someone else, however, I’d speak about them in the third person—using “she,” “he” or “they.”
You may also notice that the tense changes here: If “I like coffee” is what she said, this can become “She liked coffee” in indirect speech.
However, you might just as often hear someone say something like, “She said she likes coffee.” Since people’s likes and preferences tend to change over time and not right away, it makes sense to keep them in the present tense.
Indirect speech often uses the word “that” before what was said:
Indirect speech: She said that she liked coffee.
There’s no real difference between “She said she liked coffee” and “She said that she liked coffee.” However, using “that” can help make the different parts of the sentence clearer.
Let’s look at a few other examples:
Indirect speech: I said I was going outside today.
Indirect speech: They told me that they wanted to order pizza.
Indirect speech: He mentioned it was raining.
Indirect speech: She said that her father was coming over for dinner.
You can see an example of reporting indirect speech in the funny video “ Cell Phone Crashing .” In this video, a traveler in an airport sits down next to another traveler talking on his cell phone. The first traveler pretends to be talking to someone on his phone, but he appears to be responding to the second traveler’s conversation, which leads to this exchange:
Woman: “Are you answering what I’m saying?”
Man “No, no… I’m on the phone with somebody, sorry. I don’t mean to be rude.” (Direct speech)
Woman: “What was that?”
Man: “I just said I was on the phone with somebody.” (Indirect speech)
When reporting questions in indirect speech, you can use words like “whether” or “if” with verbs that show questioning, such as “to ask” or “to wonder.”
Direct speech: She asked, “Is that a new restaurant?”
Indirect speech: She asked if that was a new restaurant.
In any case where you’re reporting a question, you can say that someone was “wondering” or “wanted to know” something. Notice that these verbs don’t directly show that someone asked a question. They don’t describe an action that happened at a single point in time. But you can usually assume that someone was wondering or wanted to know what they asked.
Indirect speech: She was wondering if that was a new restaurant.
Indirect speech: She wanted to know whether that was a new restaurant.
It can be tricky to know how to use tenses when reporting indirect speech. Let’s break it down, tense by tense.
Sometimes, indirect speech “ backshifts ,” or moves one tense further back into the past. We already saw this in the example from above:
Direct speech: She said, “I like coffee.”
Indirect speech: She said she liked coffee.
Also as mentioned above, backshifting doesn’t always happen. This might seem confusing, but it isn’t that difficult to understand once you start using reported speech regularly.
What tense you use in indirect reported speech often just depends on when what you’re reporting happened or was true.
Let’s look at some examples of how direct speech in certain tenses commonly changes (or doesn’t) when it’s reported as indirect speech.
To learn about all the English tenses (or for a quick review), check out this post .
Direct speech: I said, “I play video games.”
Indirect speech: I said that I played video games (simple past) or I said that I play video games (simple present).
Backshifting into the past or staying in the present here can change the meaning slightly. If you use the first example, it’s unclear whether or not you still play video games; all we know is that you said you played them in the past.
If you use the second example, though, you probably still play video games (unless you were lying for some reason).
However, the difference in meaning is so small, you can use either one and you won’t have a problem.
Direct speech: I said, “I’m playing video games.”
Indirect speech: I said that I was playing video games (past continuous) or I said that I’m playing video games (present continuous).
In this case, you’d likely use the first example if you were telling a story about something that happened in the past.
You could use the second example to repeat or stress what you just said. For example:
Hey, want to go for a walk?
Direct speech: No, I’m playing video games.
But it’s such a nice day!
Indirect speech: I said that I’m playing video games!
Direct speech: Marie said, “I have read that book.”
Indirect speech: Marie said that she had read that book (past perfect) or Marie said that she has read that book (present perfect).
The past perfect is used a lot in writing and other kinds of narration. This is because it helps point out an exact moment in time when something was true.
The past perfect isn’t quite as useful in conversation, where people are usually more interested in what’s true now. So, in a lot of cases, people would use the second example above when speaking.
Direct speech: She said, “I have been watching that show.”
Indirect speech: She said that she had been watching that show (past perfect continuous) or She said that she has been watching that show (present perfect continuous).
These examples are similar to the others above. You could use the first example whether or not this person was still watching the show, but if you used the second example, it’d probably seem like you either knew or guessed that she was still watching it.
Direct speech: You told me, “I charged my phone.”
Indirect speech: You told me that you had charged your phone (past perfect) or You told me that you charged your phone (simple past).
Here, most people would probably just use the second example, because it’s simpler, and gets across the same meaning.
Direct speech: You told me, “I was charging my phone.”
Indirect speech: You told me that you had been charging your phone (past perfect continuous) or You told me that you were charging your phone (past continuous).
Here, the difference is between whether you had been charging your phone before or were charging your phone at the time. However, a lot of people would still use the second example in either situation.
Direct speech: They explained, “We had bathed the cat on Wednesday.”
Indirect speech: They explained that they had bathed the cat on Wednesday. (past perfect)
Once we start reporting the past perfect tenses, we don’t backshift because there are no tenses to backshift to.
So in this case, it’s simple. The tense stays exactly as is. However, many people might simplify even more and use the simple past, saying, “They explained that they bathed the cat on Wednesday.”
Direct speech: They said, “The cat had been going outside and getting dirty for a long time!”
Indirect speech: They said that the cat had been going outside and getting dirty for a long time. (past perfect continuous)
Again, we don’t shift the tense back here; we leave it like it is. And again, a lot of people would report this speech as, “They said the cat was going outside and getting dirty for a long time.” It’s just a simpler way to say almost the same thing.
Direct speech: I told you, “I will be here no matter what.”
Indirect speech: I told you that I would be here no matter what. (present conditional)
At this point, we don’t just have to think about tenses, but grammatical mood, too. However, the idea is still pretty simple. We use the conditional (with “would”) to show that at the time the words were spoken, the future was uncertain.
In this case, you could also say, “I told you that I will be here no matter what,” but only if you “being here” is still something that you expect to happen in the future.
What matters here is what’s intended. Since this example shows a person reporting their own speech, it’s more likely that they’d want to stress the truth of their own intention, and so they might be more likely to use “will” than “would.”
But if you were reporting someone else’s words, you might be more likely to say something like, “She told me that she would be here no matter what.”
Direct speech: I said, “I’ll be waiting for your call.”
Indirect speech: I said that I would be waiting for your call. (conditional continuous)
These are similar to the above examples, but apply to a continuous or ongoing action.
Direct speech: She said, “I will have learned a lot about myself.”
Indirect speech: She said that she would have learned a lot about herself (conditional perfect) or She said that she will have learned a lot about herself (future perfect).
In this case, using the conditional (as in the first example) suggests that maybe a certain event didn’t happen, or something didn’t turn out as expected.
However, that might not always be the case, especially if this was a sentence that was written in an article or a work of fiction. The second example, however, suggests that the future that’s being talked about still hasn’t happened yet.
Direct speech: She said, “By next Tuesday, I will have been staying inside every day for the past month.”
Indirect speech: She said that by next Tuesday, she would have been staying inside every day for the past month (perfect continuous conditional) or She said that by next Tuesday, she will have been staying inside every day for the past month (past perfect continuous).
Again, in this case, the first example might suggest that the event didn’t happen. Maybe the person didn’t stay inside until next Tuesday! However, this could also just be a way of explaining that at the time she said this in the past, it was uncertain whether she really would stay inside for as long as she thought.
The second example, on the other hand, would only be used if next Tuesday hadn’t happened yet.
Let’s take a look at where you can find resources for practicing reporting speech in the real world.
One of the most common uses for reported speech is in fiction. You’ll find plenty of reported speech in novels and short stories . Look for books that have long sections of text with dialogue marked by quotation marks (“…”). Once you understand the different kinds of reported speech, you can look for it in your reading and use it in your own writing.
Writing your own stories is a great way to get even better at understanding reported speech.
One of the best ways to practice any aspect of English is to watch native English videos. By watching English speakers use the language, you can understand how reported speech is used in real world situations.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
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Celebrity profiles, which you can find in print magazines and online, can help you find and practice reported speech, too. Celebrity profiles are stories that focus on a famous person. They often include some kind of interview. The writer will usually spend some time describing the person and then mention things that they say; this is when they use reported speech.
Because many of these profiles are written in the present tense, they can help you get used to the basics of reported speech without having to worry too much about different verb tenses.
While the above may seem really complicated, it isn’t that difficult to start using reported speech.
Mastering it may be a little difficult, but the truth is that many, many people who speak English as a first language struggle with it, too!
Reported speech is flexible, and even if you make mistakes, there’s a good chance that no one will notice.
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Russia and Ukraine have swapped 115 prisoners of war, including some who were captured during Ukraine's invasion in Kursk in recent weeks. In an independence day message to Ukrainians, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian president would not dictate his "red lines" to Kyiv.
Sunday 25 August 2024 14:05, UK
That brings an end to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine for this evening - thanks for following along.
We'll be back with any major updates overnight, and will return to our rolling coverage soon.
Before we go, here's a round up of today's key events:
The founder and chief executive of the Telegram messaging app has been arrested in France, according to French media reports.
French television network TF1 reports that Pavel Durov was arrested at the Bourget airport outside Paris this evening.
According to the network, the Russian-born businessman had been travelling aboard his private jet and was the target of an arrest warrant in France.
Telegram has not responded to a request for comment by the Reuters news agency.
Mr Durov - who also founded the now-state controlled Russian social media service VK - left Russia in 2014 after resisting government pressure to hand over the data of Ukrainian protesters.
He now lives in Dubai and holds dual citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France.
Telegram, which launched in 2013, is one of the top five most downloaded apps in the world.
Lithuania has announced a fresh batch of military aid for Ukraine - including drones and air defence missiles.
Prime minister Ingrida Simonyte said the package would help Ukraine "send Russian occupants back to where they belong".
In a post to X, Ms Simonyte said the aid would consist of "short-range air defence systems and missiles as well as anti-drones, guns, ammunition and equipment".
The package would reach Kyiv by September, she said.
Vilnius has also pledged to send around 5,000 Lithuanian-made drones to Ukraine by the end of autumn as well as allocating €35m (£29.6m) to purchase radars and demining equipment.
Polish-supplied tanks are being used by Ukraine in its offensive in the Kursk region, president Andrzej Duda has confirmed.
"We are touched to see how the PT-91 Twardy tanks, given by Poland [to Ukraine] more than one year ago, are defending today Ukraine on the battlefields, fighting in the Kursk region," he said.
Vladimir Putin has vowed a "worthy response" to any use of Western weapons in the invasion.
Mr Duda's visit to Kyiv today coincided with Ukraine's independence day celebrations.
In a speech to mark the occasion, he also expressed confidence that the war "will soon end in [Ukraine's] victory".
"I have never had, and do not have, the slightest doubt that, through their united efforts and struggle, the courageous Ukrainian people will uphold their independence," he said.
A Russian air attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy this evening has left seven people injured, officials have said.
The Sumy regional administration said on Telegram that Russia carried out a missile attack on civilian infrastructure in the city.
Seven people are wounded, including two who are in a serious condition.
"Take care of yourself and your loved ones, do not ignore the air warning signals," the administration said.
Sumy is the administrative centre of the wider Sumy region, which lies in Ukraine's northeast on the border with Russia.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed several laws targeting Russia today - including one that bans religious organisations linked to Moscow.
The series of laws included ratifying a statute that paves the way for Ukraine to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ratification increases the chances of Russia being prosecuted for war crimes it has allegedly committed during its invasion of Ukraine, according to Mr Zelenskyy's office.
Meanwhile, a law has been signed prohibiting the the operation of religious institutions in Ukraine that have links to Russia.
The legislation, which was approved by the Ukrainian parliament earlier this month, created the legal tools for the government to ban a Russia-linked branch of the Orthodox church.
Organisations would have nine months to cut ties with Moscow's linked religious entities under the new law.
Mr Zelenskyy also signed a law offering Ukrainian citizenship to foreigners fighting in his army against Russia.
Ukrainian boxing star Oleksandr Usyk presented Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the coveted WBC heavy weight champion belt as the pair met to mark independence day.
Mr Zelenskyy posted a video of the meeting on his Telegram channel, saying it was an "honour" to receive the belt.
"Thank you for everything you do for Ukraine. For glorifying Ukrainian strength and invincibility. Thank you!" he wrote.
Usyk beat the UK's Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world back in May.
In an interview with Sky News last month, the boxer revealed how he has cried behind closed doors about the war in his country.
Belarus and Iran have both sent their congratulations to Ukraine on its 33rd year of independence from the former Soviet Union, despite the two countries' close ties with Russia.
According to Belarusian news agency Belta, president Aleksandr Lukashenko said his citizens have "always had a special respect and warm regard" for the Ukrainian people.
"We are united not only by the common fate and family ties, but also by the desire to be friends and get along with neighbours," he was cited as saying.
Belarus acted as a staging post for Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Mr Lukashenko is one of Vladimir Putin's key allies.
Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign ministry published a message on social media saying it was congratulating the government and people of Ukraine on its independence.
Tehran is alleged to have provided Moscow with hundreds of deadly drones, as well as other weapons, for use in its war on Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used an independence day message to brand Vladimir Putin a "sick old man from Red Square".
In a video address to the Ukrainian people, Mr Zelenskyy used derisive language to describe Russia's 71-year-old president and his nuclear rhetoric.
"A sick old man from Red Square who constantly threatens everyone with the red button will not dictate any of his red lines to us," the Ukrainian leader said in the video posted to Telegram.
In his speech, Mr Zelenskyy noted that the war started by Russia had spread to its own territory.
"Those who seek to sow evil on our land will reap its fruits on their own soil," he said.
He also said "those who sought to turn our lands into a buffer zone should now worry that their own country doesn't become a buffer federation".
Five people have been injured after a Russian shelling in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, authorities have said.
The country's state emergency service said Russian forces targeted the village of Novoosynove in the Kupyan district with rockets today.
Four women and a man were injured, it said, while two residential buildings and an area of dry grass caught fire.
"Rescuers extinguished the fire and prevented the flames from spreading to other homes," the emergency service said on Telegram, adding that medics were at the site of the attack.
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English notes latest questions, she said, “i was very tired.” change into indirect speech.
Indirect Speech: She said that she had been very tired.
Explanation: When the reporting verb is in the past (said) and the direct speech is in the past indefinite tense, then the indirect (reported) speech will change into the past perfect tense
Past Indefinite Tense > Past Perfect Tense.
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Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Let's have an example first. Tina said to me, "Are you busy now?" [direct speech] Tina asked me whether I was busy then. [indirect speech] Direct Speech. Speaker. Reporting verb. Direct speech ...
Indirect: He said that he would do it the next day. Direct: She said, "I was here." Indirect: She said that she was there. Changes in Modals. Modals also change when transforming direct speech into indirect speech. Here are some common changes: 'Can' changes to 'could'. 'May' changes to 'might'. 'Will' changes to ...
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. Example: Direct: The monk said to me, " May God bless you.".
Direct: "I will help you," she promised. Reported: She promised that she would help me. Direct: "You should study harder," he advised. Reported: He advised that I should study harder. Direct: "I didn't take your book," he denied. Reported: He denied taking my book. Direct: "Let's go to the cinema," she suggested.
Rule 1: Change the verb tense in the quoted speech. With past tense reporting verbs, shift the tense back. For example, if the direct speech is in the present simple, shift it to the past simple in the reported speech. Hence, "He says, 'I am busy'" will change to "He said he was busy." Rule 2: Adjust pronouns and time/place words as necessary.
Introduction. In English grammar, we use reported speech to say what another person has said. We can use their exact words with quotation marks, this is known as direct speech, or we can use indirect speech. In indirect speech, we change the tense and pronouns to show that some time has passed. Indirect speech is often introduced by a reporting ...
Mixed Exercise 2. Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is a request, a statement or a question and whether you have to change the tenses or not. "I was very tired," she said. → She said. "Be careful, Ben," she said. → She told Ben.
Indirect : He said that I didn't know his language. Direct : I said, "I sold my book." Indirect : I said that I had sold my book. Direct : She said to me, "Your brother is bothering me." Indirect : She told me that my brother was bothering her. Indirect Speech Statements We join the indirect and the direct parts of a sentence with that.
Kevin said, 'I'm tired.' ... The modals could, should, would, might, needn't, ought to, used to don't change when used with indirect speech. Those who change are will → ... place and demonstratives change if the context of indirect speech is different from that of direct speech. She said "I saw him yesterday." → She said she ...
In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command. Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired. Phrase in Direct Speech. Equivalent in Reported Speech.
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. For example: Direct speech: "I am going to the store," said John.
Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." ——> She said that she was tired. The changes are shown below: She said that she always drankcoffee. "I am reading a book", he explained. "Bill arrived on Saturday", he said. "I have been to Spain", he ...
Watch my reported speech video: Here's how it works: We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence: Direct speech: I like ice cream. Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
When we translate direct speech into indirect speech, we remove quotes and commas. Jessica says, "I'm from the future." We retell Jessica's words: She said that she was from the future. Personal and possessive pronouns. When translating direct speech into indirect speech, we change personal and possessive pronouns to third-person pronouns.
1 Answer. Zainab Shaikh. Added an answer on February 4, 2022 at 1:31 am. Indirect Speech: She says that she is very tired. Explanation: When the reporting verb is in the present tense (says) or in the future tense (will say), the tense in the indirect (reported) speech remains the same. However, the pronouns will change.
Introduction. We use indirect speech to report what someone else said: Clara: "I'm tired." (direct speech) Sonia: Clara said that she was tired. (indirect speech) When you want to tell someone what somebody else said you can just repeat their words (direct speech): Peter: She said "I'm hungry". (we use quotations marks when writing direct ...
The speaker said, 'Be quiet and listen to my words.'. Answers. 1. John said that he was very busy then. 2. He said that the horse had been fed. 3. John said that he knew/knows her name and address. (Note that the tenses may not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a universal truth.)
Exercises: 1 2 3. Indirect speech - reported speech. Exercise 1. Choose the correct form to complete the sentences below. 1 'I work in a bank.' ⇒ He said that he in a bank. 2 'I am working today.' ⇒ She told us she that day. 3 'I've been ill for a couple of weeks.' ⇒ He told me he for a couple of weeks.
When we tell people what another person said or thought, we often use reported speech or indirect speech. To do that, we need to change verb tenses (present, past, etc.) and pronouns (I, you, my, your, etc.) if the time and speaker are different. Sally: ' I don't have time.' ⇒ Sally said that she didn't have time.
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is a request, a statement or a question and whether you have to change the tenses or not. 1. "I was very tired," she said. → She said 2. "Be careful, Ben," she said. → She told Ben 3. "I will get myself a drink," she says. → She says 4. "Why haven't you phoned me?" he ...
Direct speech: Elisabeth said, "I like coffee.". As indirect reported speech, it looks like this: Indirect speech: Elisabeth said she liked coffee. You can see that the subject ("I") has been changed to "she," to show who is being spoken about. If I'm reporting the direct speech of someone else, and this person says "I," I'd ...
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Zainab Shaikh. Added an answer on December 3, 2021 at 12:47 am. Indirect Speech: She said that she had been very tired. Explanation: When the reporting verb is in the past (said) and the direct speech is in the past indefinite tense, then the indirect (reported) speech will change into the past perfect tense.
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