We use direct and indirect speech (quoted speech) to convey the speaker's words without any changes or sometimes with some changes. There are two different times/occasions when we need to speak differently. 1st face-to-face. When there are two persons or groups of people talking about anything require active and passive voice sentences. Like I want to speak English. I went to the park yesterday. In these situations, two persons are involved. For Instance: First-person pronoun and second-person pronoun: “I, we & you.” But sometimes we needed to share stories, describe events, or report something about the past. On such occasions, we use direct and indirect speech. And mostly third-person pronoun is involved.

1. Direct and indirect speech (Definition, rules &
exercises)
A) Definition
We use direct and indirect speech (quoted speech) to convey the words of the speaker without
any changes or sometimes with some changes. There are two different times/occasions when we need to speak
differently. 1st face-to-face. When there are two persons or groups of people talking about anything required
active and passive voice sentences. Like I want to speak English. I went to the park yesterday. In these
situations, two persons are involved. For Instance:
First-person pronoun and second-person pronoun:“I, we & you.”
But sometimes we are needed to share stories, describe events, or report something about the past. On such
occasions, we use direct and indirect speech. And mostly third-person pronoun is involved.
Third-person Pronoun: he, she, it, they, or a single name.
1) DIRECT SPEECH/QUOTED SPEECH
Repeating exactly the same words of the speaker without any change is called direct speech. In this situation,
mostly we speak About the third person, any other event, or tell any story about the past. These kinds of
conversations are listed inside quotation marks.
Ex.
● She said, “She will go to school.”
● “I will find the paper,” he said.
● “They will drink the water,” John said.
● She asked, “Can I open the door?”
● They told, “Open your books.”
● They said, “We may help him.”
2) INDIRECT SPEECH/REPORTED SPEECH
Sharing the words of another person in your own words is called indirect speech. We do not put them in
quoted marks that’s why it is called reported speech too.

2. Ex.
● She said that she would go to school.
● He said that he would find the paper.
● They said that they would drink the water.
● She asked if she could open the door.
● They ordered to open the door.
● They said (that) they might help them.
Special Notes (Rules)
While we change a direct (quoted speech) into an indirect speech (reported speech), the following rules should
be kept in mind.
● The reporting verb changes.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
She says. She said.
He tells He told
Ask If / weather
said to me told me
● Tense changes: we need to go back one tense back while
changing into reported speech.

3. Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Simple present tense. Simple past tense
Present continuous tense. Past continuous tense
Present perfect tense Past perfect tense
Present continuous tense Past perfect continuous
Simple past tense Past perfect tense
Past continuous tense Past perfect continuous tense
Past perfect tense Past perfect tense
Past perfect continuous tense Past perfect continuous tense
Will Would
Can Could
May Might

4. Shall Should
Have to Had to
● Pronoun Changes.
Direct speech Indirect speech
They said, “we will find you.” They said that they would find me.
He said, “I can do my work.” He said that He could do his work.
He said, “You will be lifted by
them.”
He said that I would be lifted by
them.
She said, “she brings the apples
for us.”
She said that she brought the apples
for them.
There is a simple formula in order to remember Pronoun change everlasting. check out the picture.

5. Time words change
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
She said, “They may bring the
table tomorrow.”
She said that they might bring the
table the next day.
He said, “we have to solve the
matter, now.”
He said that they had to solve the
matter, then.
He said, “I got him, yesterday.”
She said she had gotten him the
previous day.

6. They said, “we did our job
today.”
They said that they had done their job
that day.
She said, “I will do my M.Sc.
next year.”
She said that she would do her M.Sc.
the following year.
He said, “I found it last week.”
He said that he had found it the
previous week.
They said, “it is difficult to get
him these days.”
They said it was difficult to get him,
those days.
He said, “A week ago, there was
a painting here.”
He said a week before, there had
been a painting there.
How to change a question into reported speech.
Changing the Interrogative sentences (questions) into reported speech
has some specific rules.
We have two kinds of questions.
● Yes & No question: use if/whether instead of the auxiliary verb &
the question will be changed into a statement. The reporting verb
said changes into asked.
● WH questions: The WH word will remain the same. Reporting
verb changes into asked.

7. Yes/no questions WH questions
Direct speech: He said, “Do you
study English?” Indirect speech: He
asked if you studied English.
Direct speech: She said, “who
are you?” Indirect speech: she
asked who I was.
Direct speech: She asked, “Did
you find him” Indirect speech: She
asked whether I had seen him.
Direct speech: He asked, “what
did you see?” Indirect speech:
He asked what I had seen.
Direct speech: They said, “are you a
student?” Indirect speech: They
asked whether I was a student.
Direct speech: They said, “why
am I late?” Indirect speech: They
asked why I was late.
Direct speech: she said, “can they
play football?” Indirect speech: she
asked if they could play football.
Direct speech: She asked, “how
are you?” Indirect speech: she
asked how I was.
When we should not change direct speech into indirect speech.
A) Whenever the reporting verb is in the present tense.
EX.
● He says, “I played football very well.”
● He said that he played football very well.
● She has said, “They are united.”
● She said that they are united.

8. B) If the direct speech talks about general truth, universal truth &
gender.
Ex.
● He said, “The wall is white.”
● He said that the wall is white.
● She said, “The sun rises from the east.”
● She said that the sun rises from the east.
● They asked, “Are you a boy?”
● They asked if I am a boy.
Some Exercises
Direct speech Indirect speech
He said, “I have a lot of work to do.” He said (that) he had a lot of work to do.
She said, “I am checking the home works.” She said (that) she was checking the homework.
They said, “We have changed our thoughts.” They said (that) they had changed their thoughts.
She said, “He has been living here.” she said (that) he had been living there.
He said, “I served my nation.” He said (that) he had served his nation.

9. He said, “I was paying attention to the
lecture.”
He said (that) he had been paying attention to the
lecture.
She said, “She will apply for the job.” She said (that) she would apply for the job.
They said, “We may help them.” They said (that) they might help them.
He said, “We must get back to work.” He said (that) they had to get back to work.