General Rules & Exercises

1. 1
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
There are two ways of reporting what
somebody says:
Direct Speech
Indirect or Reported Speech

2. 2
Direct Speech – Exact words of speaker
The teacher said to Ravi, “You have a bright
future.”
Indirect Speech – What the speaker has said
without using the exact words.
The teacher told Ravi that he had a bright future.

3. 3
General Rules:
1. When the introductory verb (say, tell, inform, state, claim…) is in the
Present, Present Perfect or Future Tense, no change in Tense or Adverbs of
Time and Place is necessary.
Direct Speech:
He says: “I don’t understand this question.”
Indirect Speech:
He says that he doesn’t understand this question.
Direct Speech:
Ravi has said, “My father loves to visit museum.”
Indirect Speech:
Ravi has said that his father loves to visit museum.
Direct Speech:
My Granny will say, “He needs to eat properly.”
Indirect Speech:
My Granny will say that he needs to eat properly.

4. 4
2. When the introductory verb is in the Past Tense, there is
a change of Tense and Adverbs of Time and Place.
Direct Speech:
He said: “I don’t understand this question.”
Indirect Speech:
He said that he didn’t understand that question.
Direct Speech:
Manish had said, “He plays guitar every evening.”
Indirect Speech:
Manish had said that he played guitar every evening.

5. 5
CHANGE OF TENSES:
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
 Simple Present  Simple Past
 Present Continuous  Past Continuous
 Present Perfect  Past Perfect
 Present Perfect  Past Perfect Continuous
Continuous
 Simple Past  Past Perfect
 Past Continuous  Past Perfect Continuous
 Past Perfect  Past Perfect
 Past Perfect  Past Perfect Continuous
Continuous

6. 6
CHANGE OF ADVERBS OF TIME &
PLACE
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
 yesterday  the previous day / day before
 tomorrow  the next / following day
 next day / week  the following day / week
 today  that day
 here  there
 this  that
 these  those
 now  then
 ago  before

7. 7
CHANGE OF IMPERATIVE SENTENCES
(COMMANDS, WARNINGS, REQUESTS, ADVISE)
 Direct Speech:
He said to me, “Go home.”
 Indirect Speech:
He told me to go home. (Infinitive)
 Direct Speech:
“Stay in bed for a few days”, the doctor said to me.
 Indirect Speech:
The doctor told me to stay in bed for a few days.
 Direct Speech:
“Don’t shout”, I said to Jim.
 Indirect Speech:
I told Jim not to shout.

8. 8
CHANGE OF INTEROGATIVE
SENTENCES
a) Wh-questions: Wh-word stays as conjunction
b) YES-NO-questions: we introduce conjunction if or
whether
c) Question Mark is removed.
d) Reporting Verb is changed to asked or enquired (of)
 Direct Speech:
He asked me, “Do you find law interesting?”
 Indirect Speech:
He asked me if I found law interesting.

9. 9
 Direct Speech:
The visitor said to the manager, “Do you have an
extra room?”
 Indirect Speech:
The visitor enquired of the manager whether they
had an extra room.
 Direct Speech:
Rina said, “What time do the bank close?”
 Direct Speech:
Rina wanted to know what time did the bank
closed.

10. CHANGE OF MODALS
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
Shall  Should
Will  Would
Can  Could
May  Might
10

11. 11
EXERCISES:
1. “I can’t displease my friend”, Rohit has said.
2. You said, “They were busy the whole day.”
3. Horatius said, “Death comes sooner or later.”
4. He said to me, “I haven’t got my glasses with me.”
5. She said to him, “I bought these books yesterday.”
6. “Yashika”, said the teacher, “You will pass only if you work hard.”
7. The coach said to the player, “Did you break the window pane?
8. My friend said to her, “How have you solved these sums?”
9. He said to the teacher, “May I go to the library?”
10. She said to Mohan, “Help me, please.”
11. The Principal said to the students, “Take out your books and read
them silently.”
12. The servant said to me, “Let me go out with my brother.”

12. 12
 The following sentences are in Direct Speech:
Don’t wait for
me if I’m late.
Please slow
down!
Will you
come with
me?
Don’t
worry,
Sue.
Now choose one of these to complete each sentence below.
Use the indirect / reported speech.
1) Sarah was driving too fast, so I requested…..
2) I didn’t want to delay Ann, so I told…..
3) John liked Jack, so he….
4) Sue was very pessimistic about the situation. I told….