This document outlines the rules for changing direct speech into indirect speech in English. There are 7 main rules discussed: 1) Verb tenses change depending on the tense of the reporting verb 2) Pronouns change person depending on the subject of the reporting clause 3) Time words like "now" and "today" change to words like "then" and "that day" respectively.

1. Reported speech
PRESENTED BY
Jasna Jamaluddin
Keyi Sahib Training College

2. RULES FOR CHANGING
DIRECT SPEECH INTO
INDIRECT

3. RULE 1
If the reporting verb is in the present or future
tense, the verb in the reported speech is not
changed at all
Direct: Tom says, "there is no ink in the ink-pot”
Indirect: Tom says that there is no ink in the ink-
pot
Direct: The headmaster says, “Marry will fail”.
Indirect: The head master says that marry will fail

4. RULE 2
If the reporting verb is in the past tense the
verb in the reported speech is also changed to
the past tense.
To work out this rule smoothly, note the
following special rules:--

5. Simple
present
Simple
past
“ I always drink
milk” she said
She said that
she always
drank milk
(1)

6. Present
continuous
Past
continuous
“ I am
reading a
book”, he
explained
He explained
that he was
reading a book.
(2)

7. Present
perfect
Past
perfect
she said, “he
has finished his
work”
She said that he
had finished his
work.
(3)

8. Simple
past
Past
perfect
“bill arrived on
Saturday”, he
said
He said that
bill had
arrived on
Saturday
(4)

9. Past
perfect
Past
perfect
“I had just turned
out the light”, he
said
He explained
that he had just
turned out the
light
(5)

10. Future tense
Present
conditional
“I will be in
kannur on
Monday”, he
said
He said that he
would be in
kannur on
Monday
(6)

11. RULE 3
If the reported speech contains some
universal or habitual fact, then the
simple present in the reported speech
remains unchanged
Direct: The teacher said, “Honesty is
the best policy”
Indirect: The teacher said that honesty
is the best policy

12. CHANGE OF PRONOUNS

13. RULE 4
Pronouns of the first person in the direct speech
are changed in indirect speech to the same person
as the subject in the introductory verb.
Direct: John said, “I am busy”
Indirect: John said that he was busy

14. Rule 5
Pronouns of the second person in direct speech
are changed in indirect speech to the same
person as the noun or pronoun which comes
after the introductory verb.
Direct: Harish said to me "you are wrong”.
Indirect: Harish told me that I was wrong

15. RULE 6
Pronoun of the third person in direct
speech remain the same in indirect
speech.
Direct: Harish said to me ”he is ill”
Indirect: Harish said to me that he was ill

16. CHANGE OF TIME
RULE 7
Change of time
Direct speech Indirect speech
Now Then
This That
These Those
Here There
Ago Before
Today That day
Tomorrow The next day
Yesterday The previous day
Last night The previous night
When turning a sentence from direct speech into indirect speech, words
showing nearness are changed into words showing distance