How to Teach Direct & Indirect Speech

1. Direct Speech

speech in quotation marks: the repeating of speech by giving the exact words that

were spoken, in writing conventionally inside quotation marks.

Note-1: In direct speech we repeat the original speaker’s exact words as:

 

He says,

“I am going.” It is called reported speech

 

2. Indirect Speech

report of something stated: a report of something said or written that conveys what was said, but not the exact words in their original form, as in “She said she would

join us later.”

Note-2: Indirect speech we give the meaning of a remark or a speech without using the speaker’s exact words.

 

He says that

He is going. It is called reported speech

 

Changes in Direct Speech

Direct Speech                                    Indirect Speech

Simple Present	Past Tense
He said, “I will never go school.”	He said that he would never go school.
Present Continuous Tense	Past Continuous Tense
He said, “I am going.”	He said that he was going.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect
He said, “I have found a book.”	He said that he had found a book.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense	Past Perfect Continuous Tense
He said, “I have been weeping.	He said that he had been weeping
Simple Past	Past Perfect
He said, “I went Lahore.”	He said that he had gone Lahore.
He said, “I shall go Karachi.”	He said that he would go Karachi.
Future Continuous	Conditional Continuous
She, “I shall be using her bike.”	She said that she would be using her bike
Conditional	Conditional
He said, “I would like to do it.”	She said that she would like to do it.
He said, “ I was Going.”	She said that he had been going.

Pronouns’ Changing Table

he	his	him	you	your	you
I	my	me	I	my	me
we	our	us	we	our	us
they	their	them	he	his	him
I	my	me	she	her	her
we	our	us	they	their	them
she	her	her	it	it	it
I	my	me
we	our	us
it	it	it

How to read table

If we want to change I form into he form;

Example: Active: He said, “I will go.” Passive: He said that he will go.

I          my       me

he         his       him

Below I is He, and below My is His, below Me is Him. Same will be the case if we reverse it. The same pattern will be used in all pronouns. Read the above table.

Unchanged Expressions in Indirect Speech

Ought to, should, would, would be able and used to remain unchanged in indirect speech.

 

Example: He said, “He might ring today.”

He said that he might ring that day.

He said, “I used to live here.”

He said that he used to live to here.

Expressions of Time and Place Changing Table

 

Direct	Indirect
this	that
these	those
today	That day
yesterday	The day before
The day before yesterday	Two days before
tomorrow	The next/the following day
The day after tomorrow	In tow day’s time
Next week/ year	The following week/year
The last week/ year	The previous week/year
A year ago	A year before the previous year
Here	there

Question in Indirect Speech with (wh) Family

Direct: He said. “Where is he going?”

Indirect: He asked where he was living.

Changes

1. (Said) would change into) (asked)
2. If the direct sentence starts with (wh) family, we do not use (that) to link.
3. The interrogative form is changed into the affirmative form.
4. Tenses, pronouns and possessive adjective would change according to rules.
5. Question mark is omitted in the indirect speech.
6. If the introductory verb is (say) it will change into ask, inquire, wonder, and want to know according to the sentence.
7. If the question starts with (wh) family, the question word is repeated in the indirect sentence.

Example: He said, ”Where is the station?”

He inquired where the station was.

Question in Indirect Speech with (helping verb) Family

He asked, “Is anyone there?”

He asked if/whether anyone was there.

Changes

1. 1. if the question starts with (helping Verb) we do not use that to link.
2. We use (if or whether) to link.
3. If the choice is given we use (whether) otherwise (if) is used.
4. If the sentence is conditional we use (whether)

Command, Request and Advice in Indirect Speech

He said, “Speak the truth.”

He advised to speak the truth.

She said, “Go away.”

He ordered to go away.

Changes

1. In these sentences we do not use that to link.
2. We use (infinitive) to link.
3. In these sentences these words are used (advise. ask, beg, command, encourage, entreat, forbid, implore, invite, order, recommend, remind, request, tell, urge, warn).

Example: She said. “Help him.”

She advised to help him.

Negative Command, Request and Advice in Indirect Speech

He said, “Do not tell a lie.”

He advised not to tell a lie.

Changes

1. “Do not” is changed into “Not To”
2. Read the sentence what is in the sentence command, request, order…
3. Put the word according to situation.
4. Other changes will be according to rules.

Use of Advise, Recommend and Urge in Indirect

All these words are used with (that + should be)

I said, “I advise cancelling the meeting.”

He advised that the meeting should be cancelled.

Let us, Let him, Let them, in Indirect

(Let us) usually expresses a suggestion and is reported by (Suggest) in indirect speech.

He said, “Let us read in the ground.”

He suggested that he should read in the ground. Or

He suggested reading in the ground.

Changes

1. We change (let us) into (suggest).
2. And we start the sentence with (that…should).
3. Or we start with (gerund)
4. All other changes will be according to rules.

Exclamations in Indirect

Exclamations become statements in indirect speech. The exclamation mark disappears.

He said, “What a beautiful girl!”

He exclaimed with joy that it was a beautiful girl.

Changes

1. If statement is of happiness we shall use (exclaim with joy)
2. If statement is of unhappiness we shall use (exclaim with sorrow)
3. Other situations will follow the words according to situation.