This document discusses the rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech in English. It covers changing verbs, pronouns, time expressions, and sentence types like assertive, imperative, exclamatory and optative sentences when converting from direct to indirect speech. The key changes are replacing quotation marks with 'that' clauses, changing present tenses to past tenses, and changing imperative verbs to the infinitive form preceded by 'to'.
12. Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
Eg: She said, “I have been. Eg. She said that she had
waiting for two hours.” been waiting for two hours.
Past continuous Past perfect continuous
Eg. John said, “ She was Eg. John said that she had
playing well.”. been playing well.
Past perfect and Past perfect continuous remain
unchanged.
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18. First person
Direct : I said, “ I like to read the books.”
Indirect : I said that I liked to read the books.
Direct : She said, “ I am I'll today.”
Indirect: She said that she was ill that day.
Second person
Direct : He said to me, “ You are a good singer.”
Indirect : He told me that I was a good singer.
Direct : You said to him, “ You cannot pass.”
Indirect : You told him that he could not pass.
19. Third person
Direct : He said, “ She is a rich lady.”
Indirect : He said that she was a rich lady.
Direct : I said to her, “ They are cricket players.”
Indirect : I told her that they were cricket players.
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26. ASSERTIVE SENTENCE
A sentence that states or declares something is called an
assertive sentence.
Assertive sentences in the Indirect Speech are generally
introduced by the conjunction 'that’.
Direct : He said to me, “ I don't believe you.”
Indirect : He told me that he didn't believe me.
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28. When the Reported Speech is an Imperative sentence, the
Reporting Verb 'say’ or 'tell’ is changed to some verb
expressing a 'commmand’, 'advice’ or 'request’.
Command : order, command, bid, tell.
Advice : advise, urge.
Request : request, ask, desire.
Entreaty : beg, pray, entreat, implore.
Prohibition : forbid.
Proposal : propose, suggest.
The Imperative Mood is changed into the Infinitive Mood by
placing 'to’ before the verb.
29. Direct : The Principal said to the students, “ Work hard.”
Indirect : The Principal advised the students to work hard.
Direct : He said to his friends, “ Do not smoke.”
Indirect : He forbade his friends to smoke.
Direct : “Call the second witness,” said the judge.
Indirect : The judge commanded them to call the second
witness.
Direct : He said, “ Let me have some coffee.”
Indirect : He wished that he might have some coffee.
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32. Direct : I said, “ What a brave fellow you are!”
Indirect : I exclaimed that he was a very brave fellow.
Direct : She said, “ Alas! My only son has died.”
Indirect : She exclaimed with sorrow that her only son had
died.
Direct : “ May you succeed in life!” said she.
Indirect : She prayed that he might succeed in life.
