This document discusses the difference between direct and indirect speech. Direct speech uses quotation marks to report the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports the general idea without quotation marks and sometimes requires changing pronouns and verb tenses. Some examples are provided of how to change pronouns, verbs, and time/place expressions when converting from direct to indirect speech. The document also notes that statements, questions, and requests are reported differently in indirect speech and that tense often shifts backward by one step.

2. He said to me, “Jonny is a great dancer.”
-Direct Speech
 He told me that Jonny was a great dancer.
-Indirect (Reported) Speech

3. What is reporting speech?
There are two ways of reporting
what someone says:
 Direct speech
 Indirect (or reported) speech.

4. Direct Speech
In direct speech
we use the
speaker’s own
words exactly
with in quotations
“In text we
vspeech
marks
around the
words
spoken”
“Speech
marks are
also
called
inverted
commas”
 Teacher said to
me ”the Principal is
happy with your
performance”

5. Indirect speech
*In indirect speech (sometimes called reported
speech) we do not use the exact words of the speaker.
*Instead we report what was said.
*We sometimes need to change pronouns and verb
tenses. We don’t use Quotation(speech) marks.
“I am going
home.”
Hamsa said she was going
home.
Teacher told me that the Principal was happy
with my performance

6.  I have the package
 He says he has the package.
Reporting verbs
To report what someone said we usually
use verbs such as:
Say, tell, ask, explain, request, etc.
For example:
She says we should go.
•They told us to bring our stuff.
•He asked them the time.
•I explained the rules to her.

7.  The word ‘THAT’
 The word THAT can be used after reporting verbs to
begin the statement. But remember – it is optional.
 You can use it or leave it out, as you prefer.
 For example:
She says they are full = She says that they
are full
 I told them we could help = I told them that we could
help.
 I suggest we start = I suggest that we start

8. How to report?
 When you quote what someone else has said
(direct speech) it's very simple: nothing changes
and you put the statement between quotation
marks.
 But when you report a statement (tell it in your
own words), there are obviously some necessary
changes.

9.  Reported speech – changes
 Pronouns
 If there are any pronouns present, you may have
to change them.
 Examples for when and how to change
pronouns:
Direct speech Reported speech
She says, "I like ice cream." She says she likes ice cream.
They say, "You are right." They say we are right.
He says, "My name is Gary." He says his name is Gary.

10. Third person singular verbs
 Verbs in the third person singular form usually get
an S at the end:
I cook => He cooks
We talk => She talks
You have => It has
I am => He is
 So when reporting speech we must apply this
rule.

11. Direct speech Reported speech
He says, "I work every day." He says he works every day.
She says, "I am a big girl." She says she is a big girl.
Bonnie says, "I have a
question."
Bonnie says she has a
question.
Examples for when and how to change verbs:
Place and time expressions
In many cases, when you report someone's speech you are in a
different place, and almost always in different point of time (we
usually report in the present what someone told us before, in
the past).
So we need to change the place and time expressions
accordingly.

12. Time words:
 If we report something around the same time,
then we probably do not need to make any
changes to time words. But if we report
something at a different time, we need to
change time words.
Look at these example sentences:
- He said: "It was hot yesterday." → He said
that it had been hot the day before.-
- He said: "We are going to swim tomorrow." →
He said they were going to swim the next day.
Here is a list of common time words, showing
how you change them for reported speech:

13. Here is a list of common TIME Words, showing how you change
them for reported speech:
Direct speech Reported speech
Now then, at that time
Today that day, on Sunday, yesterday
Tonight that night, last night, on Sunday night
Tomorrow the next day/ the following day, on Sunday, today
Yesterday the day before/ the previous day, on Sunday
Last night the night before/ the previous night, on Sunday
night
This week that week, last week
Last month the month before/ the previous month, in May
Next year the following year, in 2014
Two minutes ago two minutes before
In one hour one hour later
:

14. Place words:
 If we are in the same place when we report
something, then we do not need to make any
changes to place words. But if we are in a different
place when we report something, then we need to
change the place words. Look at these
Example sentences:
- He said: "It is cold in here." → He said that it was cold
in there.
- He said: "How much is this book?" → He asked
how much the book was.

15. Direct speech Indirect speech
here there
this that
this book the book, that book,
in this room in the room, in that room,
Here are some common place words, showing how you
change them for reported speech:
Note: With these things, always use your common sense. If you are
reporting something that someone said ten minutes ago, and your location
is still the same, and the time frame is still the same, then don't change
these place and time expressions.
For example:
Ten minutes ago you said, "We have a lot of work today.“ (DS)
Ten minutes ago you said we had a lot of work today (IDS)

16. Examples for when and how to change place and time
expressions:
Direct speech Reported speech
She said, "I work here." She said she worked there.
They said, "We are
eating now."
They said they were
eating then.
You said, "She sings today." You said she sang that day.
He said, "I will
come tomorrow."
He said he would come the
following day.

17. Different types of sentences
When you use reported speech, you either report:
* statements
* questions(open ended & Close ended)
* Requests / commands
(*STATEMENTS)Tense backshift
Backshift is the changing of a tense when reporting
what someone said.
When reporting what somebody said in the past, the
tenses of the verbs in the reported statement go one
step backwards.

18. Direct speech Reported speech
Simple present Simple past
E.g: He said, "I eat cheese." He said he ate cheese.
Present progressive Past progressive
E.g: He said, "I am eating cheese." He said he was eating cheese.
Present perfect Past perfect
E.g:He said, "I have eaten cheese." He said he had eaten cheese.
Present perfect progressive Past perfect progressive
E.g: He said, "I have been
eating cheese."
He said he had been
eating cheese.
Here is how the tense backshift works:

19. Simple past Past perfect
E.g: He said, "I ate cheese." He said he had eaten cheese.
Past progressive Past perfect progressive
E.g: He said, "I was eating cheese."
He said he had been
eating cheese.
Past perfect Past perfect (no change)
E.g: He said, "I had eaten cheese." He said he had eaten cheese.
Past perfect progressive
Past perfect progressive. (no
change)
E.g: He said, "I had been
eating cheese."
He said he had been
eating cheese.
Past tense:

20. Direct speech Reported speech
Will Would
E.g: She said, "I will eat cheese." She said she would eat cheese.
Can Could
E.g: She said, "I can eat cheese." She said she could eat cheese.
Must Had to
E.g: She said, "I must eat cheese." She said she had to eat cheese.
Shall Would
E.g: She said, "I shall eat cheese." She said she would eat cheese.
May Might
E.g: She said, "I may eat cheese." She said she might eat cheese.
The backshift also works on certain modal verbs:

21. Direct speech Reported speech
Would
E.g: She said, "I would eat cheese." She said she would eat cheese.
Could
E.g: She said, "I could eat cheese." She said she could eat cheese.
Should
E.g: She said, "I should eat cheese." She said she should eat cheese.
Might
E.g: She said, "I might eat cheese." She said she might eat cheese.
Ought to
She said, "I ought to eat cheese." She said she ought to eat cheese.
There is NO CHANGE in the following modal verbs:

22. No tense backshift:
If you are reporting facts(universal truths) or
something that is still true, you can keep the verbs in the
present:
Also, if the reporting verb is in the simple present, present
perfect, or future, then there is no tense backshift:
Direct speech Reported speech
You said, "The
Earth is round."
You said the Earth is round.
I said, "Rome is in Italy." I said Rome is in Italy.
She said, "People sleep at
night."
She said people sleep at night.
Direct speech Reported speech
You say, "I jog daily." You say you jog daily.
You have said, "I jog daily." You have said you jog daily.
You will say, "I jog daily." You will say you jog daily.