direct speech rules in english

Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

English lessons and resources

Direct speech writing rules in English

7th January 2019 by Andrew 12 Comments

In the above picture, Mark is talking to Jane. The words inside the blue box are the exact words that he speaks.

Here is how we express this:

This is direct speech. Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says.

In this English lesson, you will learn:

The rules for writing direct speech.
The correct punctuation.
Vocabulary to report direct speech.

Reporting clause before the direct speech

The reporting clause of direct speech is the short clause that indicates who is talking. It is the clause that is outside of the inverted commas. It is therefore not the words being spoken.

We can write the reporting clause either before or after the direct speech. If the reporting clause is before the direct speech, we write it as follows:

Grammar rules – If the reporting clause is before the direct speech:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a full stop (.) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause before a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is before a question or exclamation:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech. We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas.

Reporting clause after the direct speech

If the reporting clause is after the direct speech:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a comma (,) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Reporting clause after a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is after a question or exclamation:

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas. The first letter is a capital letter. We write a question mark (?) before the closing inverted commas. or We write an exclamation mark (!) before the closing inverted commas. We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause.

Advanced rules for direct speech

Sometimes we break up the direct speech into 2 parts:

The second part of the direct speech starts with a small letter if it is the same sentence as the first part of the direct speech.

The second part of the direct speech starts with a capital letter if it is a new sentence.

Vocabulary of direct speech

We have several names for the above punctuation marks:

Inverted commas Speech marks Quotation marks Quotes

Other reporting verbs

Here are some other useful reporting verbs:

reply (replied) ask (asked) shout (shouted) agree (agreed) comment (commented) admit (admitted)

They are often used for writing direct speech in books, newspapers and reports. It is more common to use them in reporting clauses after the direct speech.

“I really don’t like her dress,” she commented . “I don’t love you anymore,” he admitted .

Other English lessons

Private online English lessons How to pass the IELTS with a band 8 Adverbs of frequency Indefinite article “a” and “an” The prepositions FOR and SINCE All of our lessons

Direct speech video lesson

Reader Interactions

Matěj Formánek says

3rd November 2019 at 5:54 pm

How about this sentence: I know the satnav is wrong!” exclaimed Zena. – Why the subject and predicate are swapped? It’s sentence from textbook so I’m confused.

17th June 2020 at 4:07 pm

Can we write multiple sentences in direct speech that comes before reporting clause? In case if this is allowed, what punctuation mark should be used after the last sentence?

Example: “I entered the class room. As I did not find anybody there, I left the class room and went to buy a coffee.” explained the student to the teacher for his delay to come to the class.

Should the punctuation mark after the word coffee be comma instead of full stop?

Joaquim Barretto says

14th September 2020 at 1:25 pm

No full stop, but comma after the word coffee.

19th January 2021 at 2:34 pm

HI IM DAISY

courtney says

27th January 2021 at 12:07 pm

Clare Hatcher says

12th March 2021 at 9:55 am

Hello I like the layout of this – very clear. Just wondering if it is correct to use a comma in between two separate sentences in direct speech. I think that now in published material you find this instead. ‘I’m tired,’ she said. ‘Let’s stay at home.’ Would appreciate your thoughts Thanks

27th March 2021 at 8:54 am

If I wrote something with a comma at the end to continue speech like this:

“Hello,” he waved to the new student, “what’s you’re name?”

Do I have to use a capital letter even if I’m continuing with a comma or is it lowercase?

Sylvia Edouard says

30th September 2023 at 9:17 am

Yes, you need to use a capital letter as speech from someone has to start with a capital letter. Always.

15th April 2022 at 12:12 pm

which of the following is correct?

1. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document?”

2. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document,”? (comma inside)

3. Should the status go missing when the metadata states, “Sign & return document.”? (full stop inside)

Jan Švanda says

7th September 2023 at 1:31 pm

I presume the quotation is there to specify the exact phrase (for the metadata entry). I also encounter this from time to time, when writing technical documentation. I believe in that case you should write the phrase as it is, proper grammar be damned; beautifully looking documentation is useless if it leads to incorrect results.

In this case, I don’t even think this is “direct speech”, the metadata entry isn’t walking around and saying things, the quotation mark is there to indicate precise phrase – similar to marking strings in programming languages. Because of this, I don’t think direct speech rules apply, or at least, they should take back seat. If the expected status includes full stop at the end, the sentence would be:

4. Should the status go missing when the metadata states “Sign & return document.”? (no comma before, since it is not a direct speech; full stop inside, as it is part of the quoted status)

From grammatical perspective the end looks a bit ugly, but again, if this should be technical documentation, that is less important than precision.

A person says

15th August 2022 at 7:16 pm

One extra thing: YOU MUST NOT USE THE WORD SAID IN A REPORTING CLAUSE. EVER. IT’S UNIMAGINATIVE.

no joke, it’s actually discouraged and even close to banned at my school

7th September 2023 at 1:49 pm

This is stupid. You shouldn’t use it in _every_ sentence, there should be variety, but outright banning it doesn’t make sense.

Case in point:

Book: ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Phrase to search: ‘,” said’ (comma, followed by quotation mark, followed by space, followed by word ‘said’). Number of occurrences: 211. Total number of ‘,”‘ (comma, followed by quotation mark) strings is 436, so “said” is used in almost 50% cases of direct speech of this type.

I don’t think it would be right for your school to ban Jane Austin, do you?

Follow us on social media

Privacy policy

Learn English vocabulary – Vegetables
English Idioms related to speed
English Idioms related to fruit
English slang related to food and drink
English verbs: ALLOW and PERMIT

Search form

Highest rated
Verb phrase generator
Test your grammar

Punctuation in direct speech

We use inverted commas (also called quotation marks, quotes or speech marks) to indicate direct speech. Double quotes (") are preferred in American English, while single quotes (') are more common in British English:

" I'm coming home late tonight, " she said. (American English) ' I'm coming home late tonight, ' she said. (British English)

If we quote within direct speech, we use the other style for the embedded quotation:

"She said, ' I'm coming home late tonight ', " recalled Jim. (American English) 'She said, " I'm coming home late tonight ", ' recalled Jim. (British English)

As can be seen in the examples above, a comma ( , ) is used at the end of the quotation, before the closing speech mark.

A comma is also used before the quotation if we start the sentence with the reporting clause. In this case the terminal full stop (.) comes before the closing speech mark:

She added , "Don't expect me before 11 . "

If the quotation is a question or exclamation, the terminal marks ( ? and ! ) also come before the closing speech marks:

"Hurry up ! " he shouted. She asked, "Am I late ? "

The quotation normally begins with a capital letter, except if it is interrupted by a reporting clause, in which case the first letter of the continuation is not capitalised:

" I 'm coming home late tonight," she said and added, " d on't expect me before 11."

Rate this page

Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples

Are you having trouble understanding the difference between direct and indirect speech? Direct speech is when you quote someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. This can be a tricky concept to grasp, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to use both forms of speech with ease.

Direct and Indirect Speech

When someone speaks, we can report what they said in two ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is when we quote the exact words that were spoken, while indirect speech is when we report what was said without using the speaker’s exact words. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I love pizza,” said John. Indirect speech: John said that he loved pizza.

Using direct speech can make your writing more engaging and can help to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion. However, indirect speech can be useful when you want to summarize what someone said or when you don’t have the exact words that were spoken.

To change direct speech to indirect speech, you need to follow some rules. Firstly, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb. Secondly, you need to change the pronouns and adverbs in the reported speech to match the new speaker. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will go to the park,” said Sarah. Indirect speech: Sarah said that she would go to the park.

It’s important to note that when you use indirect speech, you need to use reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked” to indicate who is speaking. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is it?” asked Tom. Indirect speech: Tom asked what time it was.

In summary, understanding direct and indirect speech is crucial for effective communication and writing. Direct speech can be used to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion, while indirect speech can be useful when summarizing what someone said. By following the rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech, you can accurately report what was said while maintaining clarity and readability in your writing.

Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech

When it comes to reporting speech, there are two ways to go about it: direct and indirect speech. Direct speech is when you report someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. Here are some of the key differences between direct and indirect speech:

Change of Pronouns

In direct speech, the pronouns used are those of the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the pronouns have to be changed to reflect the perspective of the reporter. For example:

Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John.
Indirect speech: John said he was going to the store.

In the above example, the pronoun “I” changes to “he” in indirect speech.

Change of Tenses

Another major difference between direct and indirect speech is the change of tenses. In direct speech, the verb tense used is the same as that used by the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the verb tense may change depending on the context. For example:

Direct speech: “I am studying for my exams,” said Sarah.
Indirect speech: Sarah said she was studying for her exams.

In the above example, the present continuous tense “am studying” changes to the past continuous tense “was studying” in indirect speech.

Change of Time and Place References

When reporting indirect speech, the time and place references may also change. For example:

Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” said Tom.
Indirect speech: Tom said he would meet you at the park the next day.

In the above example, “tomorrow” changes to “the next day” in indirect speech.

Overall, it is important to understand the differences between direct and indirect speech to report speech accurately and effectively. By following the rules of direct and indirect speech, you can convey the intended message of the original speaker.

Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

When you need to report what someone said in your own words, you can use indirect speech. To convert direct speech into indirect speech, you need to follow a few rules.

Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks

The first step is to remove the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. This is because indirect speech does not use the exact words of the speaker.

Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker

To indicate that you are reporting what someone said, you need to use a reporting verb such as “said,” “asked,” “told,” or “exclaimed.” You also need to use a linker such as “that” or “whether” to connect the reporting verb to the reported speech.

For example:

Direct speech: “I love ice cream,” said Mary.
Indirect speech: Mary said that she loved ice cream.

Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb

When you use indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb.

Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store.

Step 4: Change the Pronouns

You also need to change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the subject of the reporting verb.

Direct speech: “Are you busy now?” Tina asked me.
Indirect speech: Tina asked whether I was busy then.

By following these rules, you can convert direct speech into indirect speech and report what someone said in your own words.

Converting Indirect Speech Into Direct Speech

Converting indirect speech into direct speech involves changing the reported speech to its original form as spoken by the speaker. Here are the steps to follow when converting indirect speech into direct speech:

Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb used in the indirect speech. This will help you determine the tense of the direct speech.
Change the pronouns: The next step is to change the pronouns in the indirect speech to match the person speaking in the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “She said that she was going to the store,” the direct speech would be “I am going to the store,” if you are the person speaking.
Change the tense: Change the tense of the verbs in the indirect speech to match the tense of the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “He said that he would visit tomorrow,” the direct speech would be “He says he will visit tomorrow.”
Remove the reporting verb and conjunction: In direct speech, there is no need for a reporting verb or conjunction. Simply remove them from the indirect speech to get the direct speech.

Here is an example to illustrate the process:

Indirect Speech: John said that he was tired and wanted to go home.

Direct Speech: “I am tired and want to go home,” John said.

By following these steps, you can easily convert indirect speech into direct speech.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech are two ways to report what someone has said. Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by a person, while indirect speech reports the meaning of what was said. Here are some examples of both types of speech:

Direct Speech Examples

Direct speech is used when you want to report the exact words spoken by someone. It is usually enclosed in quotation marks and is often used in dialogue.

“I am going to the store,” said Sarah.
“It’s a beautiful day,” exclaimed John.
“Please turn off the lights,” Mom told me.
“I will meet you at the library,” said Tom.
“We are going to the beach tomorrow,” announced Mary.

Indirect Speech Examples

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. It is often used in news reports, academic writing, and in situations where you want to paraphrase what someone said.

Here are some examples of indirect speech:

Sarah said that she was going to the store.
John exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
Mom told me to turn off the lights.
Tom said that he would meet me at the library.
Mary announced that they were going to the beach tomorrow.

In indirect speech, the verb tense may change to reflect the time of the reported speech. For example, “I am going to the store” becomes “Sarah said that she was going to the store.” Additionally, the pronouns and possessive adjectives may also change to reflect the speaker and the person being spoken about.

Overall, both direct and indirect speech are important tools for reporting what someone has said. By using these techniques, you can accurately convey the meaning of what was said while also adding your own interpretation and analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech refer to the ways in which we communicate what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, using quotation marks to indicate that you are quoting someone. Indirect speech, on the other hand, involves reporting what someone has said without using their exact words.

How do you convert direct speech to indirect speech?

To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb, such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.” For example, “I love ice cream,” said Mary (direct speech) can be converted to “Mary said that she loved ice cream” (indirect speech).

What is the difference between direct speech and indirect speech?

The main difference between direct speech and indirect speech is that direct speech uses the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. Direct speech is usually enclosed in quotation marks, while indirect speech is not.

What are some examples of direct and indirect speech?

Some examples of direct speech include “I am going to the store,” said John and “I love pizza,” exclaimed Sarah. Some examples of indirect speech include John said that he was going to the store and Sarah exclaimed that she loved pizza .

What are the rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech?

The rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech include changing the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb and use appropriate reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.”

What is a summary of direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions and introduce a reporting verb.

How do you write direct speech in English? - Easy Learning Grammar

The comma comes inside the quotation marks, unless the reporting verb is positioned inside a reported sentence that itself does not require a comma.
Typical reporting verbs are: agree, answer, ask, inquire, explain, say, tell, and wonder.
The words spoken are enclosed in inverted commas (single or double quotation marks).
Single quotation marks are often used to draw attention to a word that is being mentioned for a particular purpose.

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

My English Grammar

Ultimate English Grammar, Vocabulary, and Names Database

Direct Speech or Quoted Speech

Introduction to direct speech or quoted speech.

Direct Speech, also known as Quoted Speech, is a common grammatical construction used in both written and spoken language. This tutorial serves as a comprehensive guide to mastering this important literary device. Let's start by understanding what direct speech is.

Table of Contents

Understanding Direct Speech

Direct speech refers to the exact wording of someone's comments or speech as it was spoken. In written text, direct speech usually appears in quotation marks or inverted commas to denote that the words were spoken or written by another person. The actual text of direct speech punctuated with a speech tag, which identifies the speaker and might provide additional context.

John said, "I love playing football."

In this example, "I love playing football," is the direct speech, and "John said," is the speech tag.

Formatting Direct Speech

Following are some standard rules regarding the formatting and punctuating of direct speech:

Rule 1: Opening and Closing Quotation Marks

Always use opening and closing quotation marks to indicate the start and end of the direct speech portion of the sentence. These could be double (“ ”) or single (‘ ’) quotation marks, depending on the convention of the media or publication.

"I am going home," said Maria.

Rule 2: Speech Tag Placement

The location of the speech tag can change, depending on the context and the intended effect. It can either be placed before, in between, or after the direct speech.

She said, "I am tired."
"I am," he said, "very hungry."
"Let's go to the park," suggested Tim.

Rule 3: Capitalization and Punctuation

In direct speech, every new spoken line starts with a capital letter. Also, when the speech tag is at the end of the sentence, the quoted sentence should end with a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark but not with a period.

John said, "Please pass the salt."
"Where are we going?" asked Mary.
"What a beautiful view!" exclaimed Susan.

Understanding the Speech Tag

The speech tag typically has two parts: the noun (or noun phrase) that refers to the speaker and the reporting verb (e.g., "said", "asked", "whispered") that characterizes the mode of speech. It's also possible to add adverbial modifiers to describe the manner of speech.

"I can't wait to play the game," Tom said excitedly.

Overriding Rules in Direct Speech

While the rules mentioned above can guide you in punctuating most direct speeches correctly, some exceptions or overriding rules can alter punctuation and capitalization. Here are some examples:

Rule 1: Interrupted Speech

If the speech tag interrupts the direct speech, both parts of the speech would begin with a lowercase letter, assuming they form a single sentence.

"I can't," she whispered, "stand to see him upset."

Rule 2: Consecutive Sentences

When a character speaks consecutive sentences, start the second one with a capital letter.

"Please leave," she said. "I need to be alone."

Concluding Remarks

Mastering direct speech or quoted speech can enhance your writing skills tremendously, helping you write compelling dialogue and effectively integrate quotes in your work. By following the guidelines set in this tutorial, you'll be well on your way to using direct speech like a pro. Happy writing!

Practice Exercises:

Rewrite the following sentences with appropriate use of quoted speech:
Sam said that he was too tired to study.
Jane thought that it was a splendid idea.
He didn't know where she was going.
Use direct speech to write a conversation between two characters about their weekend plans.

Some nouns have same singular and plural forms or have plural ending (-s) - List

Reported speech: direct speech

Direct speech is a representation of the actual words someone said. A direct speech report usually has a reporting verb in the past simple. The most common reporting verb is said . The reporting clause may come first or second.

The reporting clause may sometimes come in the middle of the reported clause, especially in literary styles:

“No,” she said , “I’ve never seen it before.”

‘Was it,’ he asked , ‘the first time you had spoken to Mrs Dalton?’

We can use adverbs with the reporting verb to describe the way someone said something. This is more common when the reporting clause comes second:

“I will not accept it!” he said angrily .

‘Can I speak to the doctor?’ she asked rather nervously .

Reported speech: punctuation

Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses

Direct speech: inversion of subject and reporting verb

In narratives, especially novels and short stories, when the reporting clause comes second, we often invert the subject (s) and reporting verb (v):

“Things have always been the same in this village,” [V] said [S] the old man .

‘Hold on! I’m coming!’ [V] cried [S] Maurice .

Direct speech: present simple and continuous reporting verbs

Informal narratives.

In informal conversation, we sometimes use the present simple in the reporting clause. This makes the direct speech more vivid and dramatic:

So then this guy says , “I’ve got something for you. Come over here.” And he picked up a box and he says , “Open that.”

We can make the direct speech even more vivid and dramatic by using the present continuous. This is very informal:

And he’s looking at me and he ’s asking , “Who are you?” and I said, “I’m your nephew” and he ’s mumbling , “I don’t know you. I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

In very informal conversation, people sometimes use says as a reporting verb for all persons ( I, you, she, he, we, they ):

She says , ‘What’s going on here?’ and I says , ‘Nothing. There’s nothing happening – everything’s okay.’

Many speakers consider the above examples to be incorrect. This applies especially to the use of says with all persons.

Newspaper headlines

We also use the present simple in newspaper headlines. This makes the reported words more dramatic:

‘I WON’T RESIGN,’ SAYS MINISTER

Say or tell ?

Word of the Day

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

peanut butter (= a soft food made from crushed peanuts) and jam (= a soft sweet food made from fruit and sugar), or a sandwich with these inside. PB&J is short for peanut butter and jelly.

Sitting on the fence (Newspaper idioms)

Learn more with +Plus

Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
English–Dutch Dutch–English
English–French French–English
English–German German–English
English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
English–Italian Italian–English
English–Japanese Japanese–English
English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
English–Polish Polish–English
English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
English–Spanish Spanish–English
English–Swedish Swedish–English
Dictionary +Plus Word Lists

Add ${headword} to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

Direct and Indirect speech, Rules, Chart and Exercises

Direct and Indirect speech are ways of narrating the speech of someone to some other person following certain rules. This article covers its types, rules, examples and some exercises on the same.

Table of Contents

Direct and Indirect Speech: In English Grammar, direct and Indirect speech are used in instances when we wish to repeat or convey a speech or statement of some other person. Both direct and indirect speech describes what a third person said or conveyed in the past. Indirect speech is more commonly employed unless it’s a direct quotation, which is consistently enclosed in double quotation marks. Whereas indirect speech is used when you want to convey someone’s statement using your own precise words. It’s worth highlighting that indirect speech is consistently expressed using verbs like “said,” “told,” or “asked.”

Direct and Indirect Speech

There are two types of reported speech in English grammar, they are Direct and Indirect speech. Both speech conveys the speech or statement which was told by some other person. To explain any event, action or scenario we generally convey the sentences quoted by someone in the form of direct and indirect speech. In order to clearly differentiate and make people understand easily, we have detailed the two types of reported speech with examples and exercises below.

Direct Speech

Direct speech is the mode of expression that directly presents the words spoken or quoted by a third person. Generally, direct speech is written inside quotation marks (“”). The quotation is used to differentiate the speech of the third person that has happened in the past. Thus direct speech conveys statements or conversations of someone in the past tense but quoted inside the quotation marks in the present or future tense.

Kiran said, “I am doing my work.”
They said, ” We will go for the function.”
He asked,”Can I make this?”

Indirect Speech

Indirect Speech is used when we convey what someone said in our own words without repeating the actual text of that person. Instead of using quotation marks, the conjunction word, ‘that’ is used. Thus speaker’s words and sentences are reframed into our own words in Indirect speech. Some examples of indirect speech are:

Direct speech: Kiran said, “I am doing my work.”
Indirect speech: Kiran said that she is doing her work.
Direct speech: They said, ” We will go for the function.”
Indirect speech: They said that they would go to the function.
Direct speech: He asked, “Can I make this?”
Indirect speech: He asked whether he can make that.

Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech

There are certain rules and regulations followed while converting a simple direct speech into indirect speech. Certain factors such as Verbs, Tenses, Modals, time, place, and pronouns are also considered while changing. The following are the rules applied when you convert direct speech to indirect speech in English grammar.

Rule-1 : Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb

The reporting verb is an important factor to note when changing a direct to an indirect sentence. When the reporting verb is past tense, then the verb inside the quotation is also changed to past when changing a sentence from direct to indirect speech. Examples:

Direct: He said,’ I am sad.’
Indirect: He said that he was sad.

An exception is for cases like a universal truth, the tenses remain the same.

Teena said” The sun rises in the east”.
Teena said that the sun rises in the east.

If the reporting verb is in present/future tense, then the tense remains the same as in direct speech.

Direct: She says/will say, ‘I am coming.’
Indirect: She says/will say she is coming.

Rule 2: Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Tenses

If the sentences inside quotes in direct speech are present tense, it is changed to past tense when changed to indirect speech. The rule in the following table is applied while changing tenses from direct speech to reported speech.

Examples of change in Tenses

Rule 4: Direct to Indirect speech Conversion Interrogative sentences

If a sentence starts with a question word like what, when, and why in direct speech, the question word itself acts as the joining class.

Direct speech: “Where do you live ?” Asked the boy.
Indirect Speech: The boy enquired where I lived.

Rule 5: Direct to Indirect Speech Conversion Change in Modals

Modal verbs are those verbs that are preceded by another verb, which is the main verb. Can, May, and Must are some examples of Modals. Modals that won’t change are Could, would, should, ought to, might. While changing direct to indirect speech, the Modals change as below:

Can become could
May becomes Might
Must becomes had to (or) would have to
Direct: She said,” She can sing.”
Indirect: She said that she could sing.
Direct: She said,” I should cook the lunch”
Indirect: She said that she should cook the lunch.

Rule 6: Direct to Indirect speech conversion – pronoun

The first person in Direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech

Direct: He said, “I am in grade sixth.”
Indirect: He said that he was in grade sixth.

The second person of Direct speech changes as per the object of the indirect speech.

Direct: She says to them, “You have achieved your goal.”
Indirect: She tells them that they have achieved their goal.

If the third person is mentioned in the Direct speech, it does not change in reported speech.

Direct: He says, “She sings well.”
Indirect: He says that she sings well.

Rule 7: Direct to indirect speech conversion – Request, Command, Wish and Exclamation.

The imperative words in direct speech change into Infinitives in indirect speech.

Direct: She said to her ‘Please remove it’.
Indirect: She requested her to remove that.

Exclamation

Direct: She said, ‘Alas! I am undone.
Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.

Rule 8: Direct to indirect speech conversion – punctuations

In Direct speech, the words spoken must start with(“) and ends with(.) inside the double inverted commas. All symbols such as question marks, full stops or exclamatory marks should be placed inside the quotes.

They said. “We are the best”
She asked, “Can I come with You?”
He uttered, “Keep Quiet!”

Rule 9: Direct to indirect speech conversion – Change of time

While converting direct speech to Indirect speech, there are certain words to be noted that cannot be used as such in indirect speech. These words get modified into new words which are enlisted below:

Now becomes Then
Ago becomes before
Thus becomes So
Today becomes That day
Tomorrow becomes the next day
Yesterday becomes the day before
This becomes that
These become those
Come becomes go
Hence becomes thence
Next week or next month becomes the following week or month
Direct: He says/will say, ‘My girlfriend came yesterday.’
Indirect: He says/will say that his girlfriend had come the day before.

Rules for Converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech:

The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct speech:

Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct
Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital
Insert question marks, quotation marks, exclamation marks and full stops, based on the mood of the
Remove the conjunctions like (that, too, if or wh ether) wherever necessary .
Where the reporting verb is in the past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct
Change the past perfect tense either into the present perfect tense or past tense, as necessary .

Direct and Indirect Speech – Some Exercises

The following are some exercises that students can practice while preparing for their revision tests or board exams.

Q.1. Find out the correct indirect speech for the given sentence.

She said,’ I have cooked this meal.’

She said that she cooked this meal
She said that she had cooked that meal.
She said that I cooked that meal.
She said that she had cooked this meal.

Answer (2) She said that she had cooked that meal.

Q.2. Choose the correct sentence.

Sanjay said, ‘What a beautiful painting it is’.

Sanjay exclaimed wonderfully that the painting was very beautiful.
Sanjay exclaimed with wonder that the painting was very beautiful.

Answer (4) Sanjay exclaimed with wonder that the painting was very beautiful.

Q.3. The correct indirect speech for She asked, “What is the cost of these books?”

She enquired what was the cost of those books.
She inquired what was the cost of these books.
She enquired what is the cost of those books.
She questioned what was the cost of those books.

Answer (1) She enquired what was the cost of those books.

Q.4. The man said, ‘Oh God! I missed the train today.’

The man cried that he missed the train that day.
The man exclaimed in grief that he missed the train today.
The man said that oh God! he missed that day.
The man exclaimed with sorrow that he missed the train that day.

Answer (4) The man exclaimed with sorrow that he missed the train that day.

Sharing is caring!

Direct and Indirect speech-FAQs

Q1. what are direct and indirect speech in english.

Ans. Direct speech is a speech that describes what a third person has conveyed or quoted in a direct manner. Generally, direct speech is written inside quotation marks ("").Indirect Speech is used when we convey what someone said in our own words without repeating the actual text of that person.

Q2. In which speech conjunctions are used and what is the purpose?

Ans. The conjunctions are used in Indirect speech. The speaker's words and sentences are reframed into our own words in Indirect speech using conjuctions as connecting words.

Q3. What are modals and what is the significance of using modals?

Ans. Modal verbs are those verbs that are preceded by another verb, which is the main verb. Can, May, and Must are some examples of Modals. While converting direct to indirect speech Can becomes could, May becomes Might, Will becomes Would. Modals that won’t change are Could, would, should, ought to, might.

As Team Lead- Content Writer, I take on leadership within our content creation team, overseeing the development of error-free educational content. My primary responsibility is to produce and analyse high-quality content educating and informing the aspirants about upcoming government exams published on our website. I have more than 6 years experience in content writing wherein 3.5 years of experience in ed-tech content writing.

Board Result 2024

CBSE 10th Result 2024
UP Board 10th Result 2024
MP Board 12th Result 2024

CBSE Class 12 Syllabus 2024

CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus
CBSE Class 12 English Syllabus
CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Syllabus
CBSE Class 12 Maths Syllabus

CBSE Class 10 Syllabus 2024

CBSE Class 10 English Syllabus
CBSE Class 10 Maths Syllabus
CBSE Class 10 Science Syllabus
CBSE Class 10 SST Syllabus
CBSE Class 10 Hindi Syllabus

Exam Date 2024

CUET Exam Date 2024
NEET Exam Date 2024
JEE Mains Exam Date 2024

Latest Posts

Important exams.

JEE Mains 2024
JEE Advanced 2024
NIMCET 2024
AP EAMCET 2024
TS EAMCET 2024
AP ECET 2024
TS ECET 2024
TS PGECET 2024
BITSAT 2024
MHT CET 2024
AP Polycet 2024
TS Polycet 2024
JEECUP 2024
Bihar Polytechnic 2024
Jharkhand Polytechnic 2024
Responsible Disclosure Program
Cancellation & Refunds
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

English grammar direct and indirect speech rules, what is direct and indirect speech.

We often have to give information about what people say or think. In order to do this, we can use direct or quoted speech or indirect or reported speech .

Direct Speech

Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech).

For example:

She said, “Today’s lesson is on presentations.” Or “Today’s lesson is on presentations,” she said.

Indirect speech

Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech or Narration ), doesn’t use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn’t have to be word for word. Thus, in indirect speech, we convey the speaker’s message in our own words.

Direct Speech: He said, “I’m going to the cinema”.
Indirect Speech: He said that he was going to the cinema.

Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart

Reported speech does not go back a tense if it is already in the past perfect (there is no further back it can go), and some modal verbs also do not change.

Direct and Indirect speech Examples for Tense

1. Simple Present to Simple Past

Direct: He said, “The boy goes home.” Indirect: He said that the boy went home.

2. Present Continuous to Past Continuous

Direct: Ram said, “I am reading a book.” Indirect: Ram said that he was reading a book.

3. Present Perfect to Past Perfect

Direct: The girl said, “I have lost my pen.” Indirect: The girl said that she had lost her pen.

4. Present Perfect Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: He said, “Ram has been going.” Indirect: He said that Ram had been going.

5. Past Indefinite to Past Perfect

Direct: Mother said, “I bought a watch for you.”
Indirect: Mother said that she had bought a watch for him.

6. Past Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: Raju said, “I was repairing a car.” Indirect: Raju said that he had been repairing a car.

7. Future Tense (shall/will) to future in the Past (should/would)

Direct: The teacher said, “I shall give you notes.” Indirect: The teacher said that he would give them notes.

8. Conditional to Perfect Conditional Direct:

Direct: He said, “If I had the money I could buy the car.” Indirect: She said that if he had the money he could have bought the car.

9. Past Perfect Tense: No Change

Direct: She said, “I had gone to Bhagalpur.” Indirect: She said that she had gone to Bhagalpur.

10. Auxiliary Verbs (would, should, might, could, ought, must) — No Change

Direct: He said, “I would like to take milk.” Indirect: He said that he would like to take milk.
Direct: The boy said, “The teacher could have solved it in no time.” Indirect: The boy said that the teacher could have solved it in no time.
Direct: He said, “The boy must apologise to the teacher.” Indirect: He said that the boy must apologise to the teacher.

Changes of Interrogative Sentences

Toni said, “What is Luna doing?” Toni asked me what Luna was doing.
Luna said, “Will she come for lunch?” Luna asked if she would come for lunch.
The boy asked, “ Wh ere do you stay?” The boy inquired where I stayed

Things are slightly more complicated with imperatives

Time and place references.

I went to the theatre last night . He said he had gone to the theatre the night before .
I’m having a party next weekend . He said he was having a party the next weekend .
I’m staying here until next week . He said he was staying there until the following week.
I came over from London 3 years ago . He said he had come over from London 3 years before.

When verbs don’t follow the rules?

You’ve invited someone for dinner at your house, and the phone rings. It’s them! They say:
(on the phone) “I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to be a bit late. There’s a lot of traffic.”
After you finish speaking on the phone, you say to someone else:
That was Juan. He said he thinks he’s going to be late because there’s a lot of traffic.

Another example:

A friend says to you: “Maria’s ill. She’ s got chickenpox!”
You say to someone else: Laura said that Maria’ s ill. She’ s got chickenpox.
However, the following day you see Maria at the beach. You’re surprised and say to her:
Laura said that you were ill. She said you had chickenpox.

This has to change to the past because it isn’t true . Maria obviously isn’t ill .

A friend is telling you about the horrible weather: “It started raining heavily when I left work.” (This is where things get confusing):
He said it had started raining heavily when he had left work (it sounds horrible and the sentence is almost nothing but verbs).
He said it had started raining heavily when he left work (is wrong because it means it was already raining when he left work)
He said it started raining heavily when he left work (is the best version because it is accurate, short, and there is no confusion because of the time context)

Generally speaking, the past simple and continuous don’t always need to be changed if:

Rules for Universal Truth, Habitual Facts, etc.

Direct: My friend said, “I am an early riser.” Indirect: My friend said that he is an early riser.
Direct: Father said, “Man is the only animal that cooks his food.” Indirect: Father said that man is the only animal that cooks his food.
Direct: The teacher said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Indirect: The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.
Direct: The teacher said, “The earth moves around the sun.” Indirect: The teacher said that the earth moves around the sun.
Direct: Sarla said, “When Ram was reading Sham was writing.” Indirect: Sarla said that when Ram was reading Sham was writing.
Direct: The teacher said, “Akbar died in 1605 AD.” Indirect: The teacher said that Akbar died in 1605 AD.
Direct: The speaker said, “Gentlemen, I will tell you what is going there.” Indirect: The speaker told his audience (those present) that he would tell them what was going there
Direct: He said, “I hope, friends, you will support me.” Indirect: He said that he hoped they would support him.
Direct: He said, “I would rather she played.” Indict: He said that he would rather she played.
Direct: He said, “If I were rich, I would settle in Mumbai. Indirect: He said that if he were rich, he would settle in Mumbai.
Direct: He said. “When we lived/were living in Chennai, we often visited Rameshwarm” Indirect: He said that when they lived/ were living in Chennai, they often visited / had visite Rameshwarm

Rules for the Change of Pronouns

If the direct speech has a pronoun, its person is changed, when necessary, to refer in the indirect to the same individual as it does in the direct.

Soni said, “ I am a good girl.” Soni said that she was a good girl.
I told them, “ You have finished your work.” I told them that they had finished their work.
He said, “ She is in Delhi.” He said that she was in Delhi.
Direct: He said, “I can cross this river.” Indirect: He said that he could cross that river.
Direct: You said. “I can cross this river.” Indirect: You said that you could cross that river.
Direct: I said, “I can cross this river.” Indirect: I said that I could cross that river.

You also need to be careful with personal pronouns . They need to be changed according to the situation. You need to know the context.

For example , there is possible confusion when you try to change reported speech to direct speech:

She said she ’d been waiting for hours. (Is ‘ she ‘ one person or two different people?)
I told them they would have to ask permission. (Are we talking about two groups of people or only one?)

Direct Speech Definition and Examples

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

ThoughtCo / Vin Ganapathy

An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

Direct speech is a report of the exact words used by a speaker or writer. Contrast with indirect speech . Also called direct discourse .

Direct speech is usually placed inside quotation marks and accompanied by a reporting verb , signal phrase , or quotative frame.

Examples and Observations

I went in search of the good beer. Along the way, I caught an intriguing snippet of conversation in the sunroom: “ So if I win at that table, I’ll go on to the World Series, ” said the mom I know as some kind of government contractor. “ World Series? ” you ask. “ Of Poker, ” she replied. “ I went last year. ” Whoa. (Petula Dvorak, "White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner Has Nothing on Suburban Fete." The Washington Post , May 3, 2012)
" How old are you? " the man asked. "The little boy, at the eternal question, looked at the man suspiciously for a minute and then said, " Twenty-six. Eight hunnerd and forty eighty. " His mother lifted her head from the book. " Four ," she said, smiling fondly at the little boy. " Is that so? " the man said politely to the little boy. " Twenty-six. " He nodded his head at the mother across the aisle. " Is that your mother? " The little boy leaned forward to look and then said, " Yes, that's her. " " What's your name? " the man asked. The little boy looked suspicious again. " Mr. Jesus, " he said. (Shirley Jackson, "The Witch." The Lottery and Other Stories . Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1949)

Direct Speech and Indirect Speech

"While direct speech purports to give a verbatim rendition of the words that were spoken, indirect speech is more variable in claiming to represent a faithful report of the content or content and form of the words that were spoken. It is important to note, however, that the question of whether and how faithful a given speech report actually is, is of a quite different order. Both direct and indirect speech are stylistic devices for conveying messages. The former is used as if the words being used were those of another, which are therefore pivoted to a deictic center different from the speech situation of the report. Indirect speech, in contrast, has its deictic center in the report situation and is variable with respect to the extent that faithfulness to the linguistic form of what was said is being claimed." (Florian Coulmas, "Reported Speech: Some General Issues." Direct and Indirect Speech , ed. by F. Coulmas. Walter de Gruyter, 1986)

Direct Speech as Drama

When a speaking event is reported via direct speech forms, it is possible to include many features that dramatize the way in which an utterance was produced. The quotative frame can also include verbs that indicate the speaker's manner of expression (e.g. cry, exclaim, gasp ), voice quality (e.g. mutter, scream, whisper ), and type of emotion (e.g. giggle, laugh, sob ). It can also include adverbs (e.g. angrily, brightly, cautiously, hoarsely, quickly, slowly ) and descriptions of the reported speaker's style and tone of voice, as illustrated in [5].

[5a] "I have some good news," she whispered in a mischievous way. [5b] "What is it?" he snapped immediately. [5c] "Can't you guess?" she giggled. [5d] "Oh, no! Don't tell me you're pregnant" he wailed, with a whining nasal sound in his voice.

The literary style of the examples in [5] is associated with an older tradition. In contemporary novels, there is often no indication, other than separate lines, of which character is speaking, as the direct speech forms are presented like a dramatic script, one after the other. (George Yule, Explaining English Grammar . Oxford University Press, 1998)

Like : Signaling Direct Speech in Conversation

An interesting new way of signaling direct speech has developed among younger English speakers and is spreading from the United States to Britain. This occurs entirely in spoken conversation, rather than in writing.

- . . . Though the construction is new [in 1994] and not yet standard, its meaning is very clear. It seems to be used more often to report thoughts rather than actual speech. (James R. Hurford, Grammar: A Student's Guide . Cambridge University Press, 1994)

Differences in Reported Speech

Even in the days of audio and video recording, there can be surprising differences in direct quotations attributed to the same source. A simple comparison of the same speech event covered in different newspapers can illustrate the problem. When his country was not invited to a meeting of the Commonwealth of Nations in 2003, the president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, said the following in a televised speech, according to The New York Times :

"If our sovereignty is what we have to lose to be re-admitted into the Commonwealth," Mr. Mugabe was quoted as saying on Friday, "we will say goodbye to the Commonwealth. And perhaps the time has now come to say so." (Wines 2003)

And the following according to an Associated Press story in the Philadelphia Inquirer .

"If our sovereignty is to be real, then we will say goodbye to the Commonwealth, [sic; second quotation mark missing] Mugabe said in remarks broadcast on state television. "Perhaps the time has come to say so." (Shaw 2003)

Did Mugabe produce both versions of these comments? If he gave only one, which published version is accurate? Do the versions have different sources? Are the differences in the exact wording significant or not? (Jeanne Fahnestock, Rhetorical Style: The Uses of Language in Persuasion . Oxford University Press, 2011)

How to Use Indirect Quotations in Writing for Complete Clarity
French Grammar: Direct and Indirect Speech
Definition and Examples of Direct Quotations
Quotation and Quote
Indirect Speech Definition and Examples
Indirect Question: Definition and Examples
Preterit(e) Verbs
Question Mark Definition and Examples
Definition and Examples of Quotation in English Grammar
Difference Between "Quote" and "Quotation": What Is the Right Word?
Reported Speech
Guidelines for Using Quotation Marks Correctly
Verbal Irony - Definition and Examples
Understanding and Using Italian Quotation Marks (Fra Virgolette)
Antithesis (Grammar and Rhetoric)
Plain Style in Prose

Direct and Indirect Speech: The Ultimate Guide

Direct and Indirect Speech are the two ways of reporting what someone said. The use of both direct and indirect speech is crucial in effective communication and writing. Understanding the basics of direct and indirect speech is important, but mastering the advanced techniques of these two forms of speech can take your writing to the next level. In this article, we will explore direct and indirect speech in detail and provide you with a comprehensive guide that covers everything you need to know.

Table of Contents

What is Direct Speech?

Direct speech is a way of reporting what someone said using their exact words. Direct speech is typically enclosed in quotation marks to distinguish it from the writer’s own words. Here are some examples of direct speech:

“I am going to the store,” said John.
“I love ice cream,” exclaimed Mary.
“The weather is beautiful today,” said Sarah.

In direct speech, the exact words spoken by the speaker are used, and the tense and pronouns used in the quote are maintained. Punctuation is also important in direct speech. Commas are used to separate the quote from the reporting verb, and full stops, question marks, or exclamation marks are used at the end of the quote, depending on the tone of the statement.

What is Indirect Speech?

Indirect speech is a way of reporting what someone said using a paraphrased version of their words. In indirect speech, the writer rephrases the speaker’s words and incorporates them into the sentence. Here are some examples of indirect speech:

John said that he was going to the store.
Mary exclaimed that she loved ice cream.
Sarah said that the weather was beautiful that day.

In indirect speech, the tense and pronouns may change, depending on the context of the sentence. Indirect speech is not enclosed in quotation marks, and the use of reporting verbs is important.

Differences Between Direct and Indirect Speech

The structure of direct and indirect speech is different. Direct speech is presented in quotation marks, whereas indirect speech is incorporated into the sentence without quotation marks. The tenses and pronouns used in direct and indirect speech also differ. In direct speech, the tense and pronouns used in the quote are maintained, whereas, in indirect speech, they may change depending on the context of the sentence. Reporting verbs are also used differently in direct and indirect speech. In direct speech, they are used to introduce the quote, while in indirect speech, they are used to report what was said.

How to Convert Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

Converting direct speech to indirect speech involves changing the tense, pronouns, and reporting verb. Here are the steps involved in converting direct speech to indirect speech:

Remove the quotation marks.
Use a reporting verb to introduce the indirect speech.
Change the tense of the verb in the quote if necessary.
Change the pronouns if necessary.
Use the appropriate conjunction if necessary.

Here is an example of converting direct speech to indirect speech:

Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John. Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store.

How to Convert Indirect Speech to Direct Speech

Converting indirect speech to direct speech involves using the same tense, pronouns, and reporting verb as the original quote. Here are the steps involved in converting indirect speech to direct speech:

Remove the reporting verb.
Use quotation marks to enclose the direct speech.
Maintain the tense of the verb in the quote.
Use the same pronouns as the original quote.

Here is an example of converting indirect speech to direct speech:

Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store. Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John.

Advanced Techniques for Using Direct and Indirect Speech

Using direct and indirect speech effectively can add depth and complexity to your writing. Here are some advanced techniques for using direct and indirect speech:

Blending Direct and Indirect Speech

Blending direct and indirect speech involves using both forms of speech in a single sentence or paragraph. This technique can create a more engaging and realistic narrative. Here is an example:

“Sarah said, ‘I can’t believe it’s already winter.’ Her friend replied that she loved the cold weather and was excited about the snowboarding season.”

In this example, direct speech is used to convey Sarah’s words, and indirect speech is used to convey her friend’s response.

Using Reported Questions

Reported questions are a form of indirect speech that convey a question someone asked without using quotation marks. Reported questions often use reporting verbs like “asked” or “wondered.” Here is an example:

“John asked if I had seen the movie last night.”

In this example, the question “Have you seen the movie last night?” is reported indirectly without using quotation marks.

Using Direct Speech to Convey Emotion

Direct speech can be used to convey emotion more effectively than indirect speech. When using direct speech to convey emotion, it’s important to choose the right tone and emphasis. Here is an example:

“She screamed, ‘I hate you!’ as she slammed the door.”

In this example, the use of direct speech and the exclamation mark convey the intense emotion of the moment.

When should I use direct speech?
Direct speech should be used when you want to report what someone said using their exact words. Direct speech is appropriate when you want to convey the speaker’s tone, emphasis, and emotion.
When should I use indirect speech?
Indirect speech should be used when you want to report what someone said using a paraphrased version of their words. Indirect speech is appropriate when you want to provide information without conveying the speaker’s tone, emphasis, or emotion.
What are some common reporting verbs?
Some common reporting verbs include “said,” “asked,” “exclaimed,” “whispered,” “wondered,” and “suggested.”

Direct and indirect speech are important tools for effective communication and writing. Understanding the differences between these two forms of speech and knowing how to use them effectively can take your writing to the next level. By using advanced techniques like blending direct and indirect speech and using direct speech to convey emotion, you can create engaging and realistic narratives that resonate with your readers.

Active Passive Voice: Difference, Usage, and Examples

100 Question Tags Examples with Answers

List of Contractions in English With Examples

What Is The Parts of Speech? Definitions, Types & Examples

Rules Articles: a, an, the With Examples

14 Punctuation Marks With Examples

Add comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

17 Direct and Indirect Speech Rules for Conversion

Understanding direct and indirect speech conversion rules is crucial for clear and accurate communication. We will explore these rules with detailed examples to master this aspect of the English language in an easy way.

Have you ever found yourself confused about how to accurately report someone else’s speech or statements? If so, you’re not alone. Direct and indirect speech, also known as reported speech, can be tricky to navigate.

But fear not! In this article, we will explore the world of direct and indirect speech conversion rules, guiding you through the intricacies of transforming spoken words into written form.

Let’s now discover the Direct and Indirect Speech Rules in this informative article.

What is Direct Speech or Narration?

Direct speech is a form of reporting that presents someone’s exact words without any alterations. It is commonly enclosed in quotation marks, allowing readers to see the speaker’s statements precisely as they were uttered. For example:

Direct Speech: Riya says, “I shall not go to school.”

“I shall not go to school. ” – are actual words of Riya. So, it is in the Quotation Marks / Inverted Comma (“ ”) . This format of a sentence with commas and Quotation Marks / Inverted Commas is called Direct Speech where ‘Riya’ is the subject or speaker, ‘ says’ is the reporting verb, and ‘ I shall not go to school’ is called reported speech.

What is Indirect Speech or Narration?

Indirect speech , on the other hand, involves paraphrasing someone’s words and reporting them indirectly, without using quotation marks. It requires a few changes in structure, such as tense and pronoun shifts. Let’s convert the previous example of direct speech into indirect speech:

Indirect Speech: Riya says that she will not go to school.

Similarly, we can report the above-mentioned sentence without quoting Riya’s actual words but keeping the meaning the same. This Format of the sentence is called Indirect Speech . In this format, no Comma and no Quotation Mark / Inverted Comma are used. Only Full Stop ( . ) is used at the end of the sentence.

Direct and Indirect Speech General Rules

Now, learn the general rules of direct and indirect speech with numerous examples to enhance your language skills. Understand the subtleties of transforming statements, questions, and commands from one form to another effortlessly.

A. Direct and Indirect Speech (Reporting Verbs) Rules

Different reporting verbs are used to introduce indirect speech. The choice of reporting verb can convey the speaker’s attitude towards the reported speech.

Changes in reporting verbs according to tense are one of the most important rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech.

Remember: If the reporting verbs are in the presen t or future tense, the tense of the verb in the reported speech is not changed .

Remember: If the reporting verbs are in the past t ense, the tense of the verb in the reported speech will be in the corresponding past tense.

Here are some commonly used reporting verbs:

Rule 1: Reporting verbs ‘Say’ and ‘Tell’

“Say” and “tell” are two frequently used reporting verbs. “Say” is generally followed by the reported speech, while “tell” is followed by the indirect object (the person being addressed).

Direct: He says , “I am your friend.”

Indirect: He says that he is your friend.

Direct: He said to me, “I’m going to the store.”

Indirect: She told me that he was going to the store.

Rule 2: Reporting Verb ‘Ask’ and ‘Inquire’

When reporting questions , “ask” and “inquire” are commonly employed reporting verbs.

Direct: He said to me, “Where are you going?”

Indirect: He asked where I was going.

Direct: She said , “When will the concert start?”

Indirect: She inquired , “When will the concert start?”

Rule 3: Reporting Verb Request, Advise, Order, and Beg

To report imperative sentences, “Request”, “Advise”, “Order”, and “beg” are often used.

Direct: He said to me, “Go home at once”

Indirect: He ordered me to go home at once.

Direct: She said , “Do not run in the sun”

Indirect: She advised not to run in the sun.”

B. Direct and Indirect Speech ( Tenses ) Rules

The second most important rule is the changes of Tenses for converting direct speech to indirect speech

When transforming direct speech into indirect speech, there are specific rules to follow regarding tense changes:

Rule 4: Reporting Verb Present Tense:

If the Reporting Verb is in the Present Tense, there is no change in the tense in the Reported Verb when Direct Speech is converted into Indirect Narration.

Direct: Arnab says , “The room is dark.”

Indirect: Arnab says that the room is dark.

Direct: Arnab says , “The room was dark.”

Indirect: Arnab says that the room was dark.

Direct: Arnab says , “I shall finish the work.”

Indirect: Arnab says that he will finish the work.

Rule 5: Reporting Verb Future Tense:

If the Reporting Verb is in the Future Tense, there is no change in the tense in the Reported Verb when Direct Speech is converted into Indirect Narration.

Direct: Arnab will say , “The room is dark.”

Indirect: Arnab will say that the room is dark.

Direct: Arnab will say , “The room was dark.”

Indirect: Arnab will say that the room was dark.

Direct: Arnab will say , “I shall finish the work.”

Indirect: Arnab will say that he will finish the work.

Rule 6: Reporting Verb Past Tense:

If the Reporting verb of the Direct Narration is in the Past Tense, the Present Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech of Direct Narration is changed into the corresponding Past Tense in Indirect Narration.

Direct Speech: Rohan said , “She works hard.”

Indirect Speech: Rohan said that she worked hard.

Direct Speech: Rohan said , “She is singing a song.”

Indirect Speech: Rohan said that she was singing a song.

Direct Speech: The guest said shouting, “We have arrived .”

Indirect Speech: The guest shouted that they had arrived .

Direct Speech: My sister said , “It has been raining hard for 3 days”.

Indirect Speech: My sister said that it had been raining hard for 3 days.

Direct Speech: Father said , “I visited the Taj yesterday.”

Indirect Speech: Father said that he had visited the Taj the previous day.

Direct Speech: The boys said , “They were traveling in the park.”

Indirect Speech: The boys said that they had been traveling in the park.

Direct Speech: The reporters commented, “The Kohinoor had been lost long ago”.

Indirect Speech: The reporters commented that the Kohinoor had been los t long ago.

D i rect Speech: Jyotsna said , “ She had been doing the work for 3 hours”.

Indirect Speech: Jyotsna said that she had been doing the work for 3 hours.

Rule: 7 Direct Indirect Speech (Universal Truth or Habitual Fact) Rules.

The Tense of the Verb remains unchanged in Indirect Narration in cases of General Statements of Facts , Universal Truths , Commonplace Occurrences , and Habitual or Repeated Actions . No real change occurs in these cases. Only there will be present Tense alone.

Direct: The boy said to his mother, “ The sun rises in the East”.

Indirect: The boy told his mother that the sun rises in the East. [ Universal Truth ]

Direct: The monk answered , “ Man is mortal”.

Indirect: The monk answered that man is mortal. [ Universal Truth ]

Direct: The teacher told the students, “ Perseverance always leads to success.”

Indirect: The teacher told the students that perseverance always leads to success.

3. Direct and Indirect Speech ( Changing of Pronouns) Rules

There are certain rules to follow regarding the changes of pronouns from direct speech to indirect speech:

Rule 8: Personal Pronouns

First person.

(a) If the subject of the reported speech of direct form is in the first person, the subject of the reported speech will be replaced by the subject of the reporting verb in indirect form, but the number must be the same. [ singular > singular and plural > plural ]

Direct: She says, “ I am ill today.”

Indirect: She says that she is ill that day.

Second Person

(b) If the subject of the reported speech in the Direct Form is in the second person, the subject of the reported speech will be replaced by the object of the reporting verb in the indirect form, but the number must be the same. [ singular > singular and plural > plural ]

Direct: He says to me , ” You can do this work.”

Indirect: He tells me that I can do that work.

Third Person

(c) If the subject of the reported speech of Direct Form is in the third person, there will be no change in the person of the Indirect Form.

Direct: I said, “ He will not wait for his friend.”

Indirect: I said that he would not wait for his friend.

Changing pronouns Chart

Rule 9: demonstrative pronouns.

In the case of demonstrative pronouns, replace them with appropriate pronouns in indirect speech.

Direct: “ This is my book,” she said.

Indirect: She said that it was her book.

4. Direct and Indirect Speech (Punctuation and Quotation Marks ) Rules

Understanding how to punctuate and use quotation marks correctly is crucial when dealing with direct and indirect speech. Here are some guidelines:

Rule 10: Comma and Reporting Verb

When introducing indirect speech with a reporting verb, use a comma to separate the reporting verb from the reported speech.

Example: She said, “I’ll be there on time.”

Rule 11: Question Mark to Full Stop

If the direct speech is a question, change the question mark to a full stop when converting to indirect speech.

Direct: He asked, “Are you coming to the party?”

Indirect: He asked if I was coming to the party.

Rule 12: Exclamation Mark to Full Stop

In cases where the direct speech has an exclamation mark, replace it with a full stop in indirect speech.

Direct: She exclaimed, “What a beautiful day!”

Indirect: She exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.

Direct to Indirect speech (Modals and Conditional Sentences) Rules

Indirect speech involving modals and conditional sentences requires careful attention to maintain accuracy:

Rule 13: Modals in Indirect Speech

When dealing with modals like can, could, will, would, may, might, shall, should, must, etc., use the appropriate past form in indirect speech.

Direct: She said , “I can swim.”

Indirect: She said that she could swim.

Rule 14: Conditional Sentences in Indirect Speech

In indirect speech, conditional sentences undergo specific changes, especially when they involve “will” or “would.”

Direct: He said , “I will help you.”

Indirect: He said that he would help me.

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules: (Modifying Words – Time, Place, Manner)

Adding modifying words or phrases can alter the meaning of the reported speech:

Rule 15: Reporting with Adverbs of Time

When using adverbs of time in indirect speech, adjust them to match the new timeframe.

Direct: “I will come tomorrow,” she said.

Indirect: She said that she would come the next day.

Rule 16: Reporting with Adverbs of Place

Similar to adverbs of time, adverbs of place need modification in indirect speech.

Direct: ” I live here,” he said.

Indirect: He said that he lived there.

Rule 17: Reporting with Adverbs of Manner

We can also use Adverbs of manner in indirect speech, requiring appropriate adjustments.

Direct: “He ran quickly,” she said.

Indirect: She said that he ran quickly.

Time, Place, Manner, Distance, and Direction Chart

In Indirect Narration, words denoting Time, Place, Manner, Distance, and Direction used in the quoted speech are correspondingly changed to conform to the point of view of the Reporter. Thus, the sense of nearness is changed into that of Distance, and so on.

Place Chart

Manner chart, distance chart, direction chart, direct and indirect speech advanced rules.

It is necessary to know about the Direct Indirect Speech Advanced Rules to change the mode of narration from direct to indirect speech of different sentences. All five sentences of Direct Indirect Speech Conversion Rules are shown with proper examples below.

A. Assertive Sentence Conversion Rules

To convert Assertive sentences into indirect speech the following rules are applied.

(a) No comma and Inverted comma in Indirect Speech, only full stop at the end.

(b) Reporting Verbs changed from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech ; ‘say – say’, ‘says – says’, ‘said – said’, ‘said to – told’, ‘say to – tell’, ‘says to – tells’.

Direct: He said to me, “I am ill.”

Indirect: He told me that he was ill.

B. Interrogative sentences Conversion rules

Forming indirect speech with questions necessitates some adjustments:

Reporting Yes/No Questions

When reporting yes/no questions, use “if” or “whether” and invert the subject and auxiliary verb in indirect speech.

Direct: “Will you be there?” he asked.

Indirect: He asked if I would be there.

Reporting Wh-Questions

For reporting wh-questions, maintain the question word and adjust the word order in indirect speech.

(a) ‘Tell’ and ‘say’ in Direct Narration are changed to ‘ask’, ‘enquire of’, ‘question’, ‘want to know’ etc. in Indirect Narration. (b) In place of introductory ‘that’. ‘if’ or ‘whether’ should be used. (c) In Indirect Narration a full stop (.) must be put in place of a question mark(?) at the end of the sentence. (d) In Direct Narration the Reported Speech begins with W-word or how, in Indirect Narration the same Wh-word or how is retained.

Direct: “Where are you going?” she asked.

Indirect: She asked where I was going.

Direct: The teacher said to me, “Why are you late?”

Indirect: The teacher asked me why I was late.

C. Imperative Sentences Conversion rules

The indirect speech also involves reporting imperatives, which are commands, requests, or advice:

Reporting Commands

When reporting commands, use the reporting verb “tell” and change the imperative verb to the corresponding infinitive.

Direct: The teacher said, “Open your books.”

Indirect: The teacher told the students to open their books.

Reporting Requests

For reporting requests, employ the reporting verb “ask” and convert the imperative verb to the corresponding infinitive.

Direct: She said, “Please help me with this.”

Indirect: She asked for help with that.

(a) Reporting verbs of Direct Speech changed into order or command, advise, or request according to sense in Indirect Speech. (b) ‘To’ is placed before Reported speech in Indirect Narration; for the negative imperative sentence ‘not to’ is used. (c) ‘not to’ can also be replaced by ‘forbid’, or ‘prohibit’. (d) ‘Let’ implies ‘suggestion’ or ‘proposal’; Reporting verb will be ‘suggest’ or ‘propose’ in Indirect Speech. ‘that’ is used before Reported speech in Indirect Narration (e) ‘Let’ without ‘suggestion’ or ‘proposal’; Reporting verb will be ‘tell’, or ‘wish’ according to sense in Indirect Speech. ‘that’ is used before Reported speech in Indirect Narration.

Direct: Mother said to me, “Don’t run in the sun.”

Indirect: Mother advised me not to run in the sun.

Direct: She said to me, “Let us go for a picnic.”

Indirect: She suggested that we should go for a picnic.

D. Optative Sentence Conversion rules

The following rules are used to change an optative sentence from direct speech to indirect speech

(a) Reporting verbs changed to ‘ wish ’, ‘ pray ’, and ‘ bless ’ in Indirect Speech.

(b) Linker, ‘ that ’ is placed before Reported speech in Indirect Narration.

Direct: The monk said to me, “ May God bless you.”

Indirect: The monk wished that God might bless me.

E. Exclamatory Sentences Conversion rules

(a) The reporting verb is changed into exclaim (in joy), exclaim (in grief), cried out (in sorrow), pray, wish, etc. (b) Examinations are turned into statements. (c) Interjections (Alas, Oh, Hurrah) are omitted. (d) ‘What’, and ‘How’ used in exclamation should be replaced by great, great, very, very much, and big.

Direct: The boys said, “Hurrah! we have won the match.”

Indirect: The boy exclaimed in joy that they had won the match.

Solved Exercises Direct and Indirect Speech

Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

Q: Ratan said to Anita, “I don’t like your brother”.

Ans: Ratan told Anita that she did not like her brother.

Q: The hermit said to the boys, “God is present everywhere.”

Ans: The hermit told the boys that God is present everywhere.

Q: :He said to you, “You shouldn’t play in my garden.”

Ans: He told you that you should not play in his garden.

Q: The class teacher said to the students. “The inspector will visit our school today.”

Ans: The class teacher told the students that the inspector would visit their school that day.

Q: He said to me, “I don’t believe you.”

Ans: He told me that he didn’t believe me.

Q: She said to her son, “I’ve often told you not to play with fire.”

Ans: She told her son that she had often told him not to play with fire.

Q: Sitesh said to Lina, “I want you to go to Patna with me.”

Ans: Sitesh told Lina that he wanted her to go to Patna with him.

Q: “We can’t be quite happy in life,” he said.

Ans: He said that they couldn’t be quite happy in life.

Q: He said, “The Muslims bury their dead.”

He said that the Muslims bury their dead.

Q: “You’ve overcooked the steak again, Mary”, he said.

Ans: He told Mary that she had overcooked the steak again.

Q: Ramen said to Bina, “I’m going to your house this, week.”

Ans: Ramen told Bina that he was going to her house that week.

Q: He said, “We will discuss this tomorrow.”

Ans: He said that they would discuss that the next day

Turn the following sentences into direct speech.

Q: He said to me, “You are wicked; so I shall not mix with you.”

Ans: He told me that I was wicked; so he would not mix with me.

Q: He said to you, “I was much struck by your eloquence.”

Ans: He told you that he had been much struck by your eloquence.

Q: We remarked, “God is gracious.”

Ans: We remarked that God is gracious.

Q: I said to my mother, “I shall always obey you.”

Ans: I told my mother that I should always obey her.

Q: He said to Gopal, “You were a mere boy when I saw you last.”

Ans: He told Gopal that he was a mere boy when he had seen him last.

Q: I said to him, “The sky is blue.”

Ans: I told him that the sky is blue.

Q: He said to me, “You will feel the consequences.”

Ans: He told me that I should feel the consequences.

Q: She said to you, “I am not angry with you.”

Ans: She told you that she was not angry with you.

Q: I said to them, “You have done wrong.”

Ans: I told them that they had done wrong.

Q: He said, “I visit the temple every day.”

Ans: He said that he visited the temple every day.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Direct and Indirect Speech

Q : what is the key difference between direct and indirect speech.

Ans: The main difference lies in the quoting style. Direct speech involves repeating someone’s exact words, while indirect speech reports what was said without quoting verbatim.

FAQ 2: Is it always necessary to backshift the tense in indirect speech?

Ans: While backshifting is common, some exceptions exist, especially in cases where the statement’s truth remains constant.

FAQ 3: How do I handle multiple speakers in indirect speech?

Ans: When reporting multiple speakers, use appropriate reporting verbs and introduce each person’s dialogue in a logical sequence.

FAQ 4: Can I mix direct and indirect speech in the same sentence?

Ans: Combining direct and indirect speech in a sentence is possible, but it requires precision to avoid confusion.

FAQ 5: What are some reporting verbs commonly used in indirect speech?

Ans: Reporting verbs like “said,” “told,” “asked,” “claimed,” and “explained” are frequently employed.

FAQ 6: How can I ensure my writing maintains a natural flow when switching between direct and indirect speech?

Ans: Focus on maintaining consistency in style and verb tense to ensure a smooth transition between direct and indirect speech.

FAQ 7: How do I identify direct and indirect speech in a sentence?

Ans: Direct speech is usually enclosed within quotation marks and directly quotes someone’s words. Indirect speech, on the other hand, reports those words without quotation marks, often using reporting verbs like “said,” “told,” “asked,” etc.

FAQ 8: Can reporting verbs change the meaning of indirect speech?

Ans: Yes, the choice of reporting verbs can convey the speaker’s attitude or emotions towards the reported speech. Different reporting verbs can modify the meaning slightly.

FAQ 9: What are the common reporting verbs for indirect speech?

Ans: Common reporting verbs for indirect speech include “say,” “tell,” “ask,” “inquire,” “explain,” “describe,” and more.

FAQ 10: How do I change tenses in indirect speech?

Ans: The tense in indirect speech is generally shifted back one step. For example, present simple becomes past simple, present continuous becomes past continuous, and so on.

FAQ 11: Is it essential to use quotation marks in indirect speech?

Ans: No, quotation marks are not used in indirect speech as they report the speech without directly quoting it.

FAQ 12: Can you give an example of indirect speech in narratives?

Ans: Certainly! In the story, he said, “I love you,” to which she replied that she loved him too.

FAQ 14: Can we omit the reporting verb in indirect speech?

Ans: It is possible to omit the reporting verb in some cases, especially in informal contexts, but including it adds clarity and structure to the reported speech.

FAQ 15: Do all tenses change in indirect speech?

Ans: Most tenses change in indirect speech, but the changes depend on the context and the tense of the original statement.

FAQ 16: Can you provide more examples of direct and indirect speech transformations?

Ans: Certainly! Here are a few more examples:

Direct: “I am reading a book,” she said. Indirect: She said that she was reading a book.

Direct: “We have completed the project,” they exclaimed. Indirect: They exclaimed that they had completed the project.

FAQ 17: How can I practice using direct and indirect speech effectively?

Ans: Practice by converting direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa using various reporting verbs, tenses, and pronouns. Additionally, read books or articles and identify the reported speech used by the authors.

Direct And Indirect Speech Complete Rules

We often convey a message or give information about what someone said, thought or felt to somebody else. In order to do this you can use the grammar structure named direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech. Indeed this structure can be a source of confusion for ESL learners because they mix it with active and passive voice . Read the whole article to know about direct and indirect speech rules.

To learn more about direct and indirect speech click here.

Initially we will look at direct and indirect speech, then look at how to convert speech from direct to indirect or vice-versa.

Direct Speech / Quoted Speech Saying or quoting exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech) Here what a person says appears within quotation marks (“…”) a nd should be word for word.

She said, “Today’s lesson is about direct and indirect speech.” or
“Today’s lesson is about direct and indirect speech.”, she said.

Indirect Speech / Reported Speech Saying or reporting what someone said without quoting his exact words is called indirect speech. Here we don’t use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and does not have to be word for word.

He said that yesterday’s lesson was about direct and indirect speech.

Reporting Verb The verb in the first part of sentence (i.e. say, said, tell, admit, complain, explain remind, reply think, hope, offer, refuse etc.) before the statement of a person in sentence is called reporting verb.

How to Change Direct Speech into Indirect Speech?

Rule 1. (Adverbs of Time and Place)

If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting, and adverb of nearness should be put into those of distance.

Today => y esterday/ that day
This evening => t hat evening
These (days) => those (days)
Now => then
(A week) ago => (a week) before
Last weekend => the previous weekend
Here => there
Here after => there after
Next (week) => the following (week)/ a week after
Tomorrow => the next/following day
Thus => so
Last night => the previous night
Yesterday => the day before / the previous day
Hither => thither
Hence => thence

Note: If something is said and reported at the same time, then the time expression can remain the same.

He told me today, “ I will go to Karachi tomorrow.”
He told me today he would go to Karachi tomorrow.
She told me this week, “ we gave our exam last week.”
She told me this week, they had given their exam last wee.

Rule 2. Tenses

A) If the reporting verb is in present or future (i.e say, says or will say) then don’t change the tense that you can find within the quotation marks.

He says,”I was a fool then.”
He says that he was a fool then.
I will say, “ He loves his mom.”
I will say that he loves his mom.

B) If reporting verb is in the past tense. the tense of the verbs in the reported speech or indirect speech must be generally changed. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too.

He said,”I am going to the cinema.”
He said he was going to the cinema.

Tense Change As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense. Present Simple › Past simple

She said, ”it is cold,”
She said it was cold.

Present continuous › Past continuous

She said, “I’m teaching Math online.”
She said she was teaching Math online.

Present perfect › Past perfect

She said, “I’ve lived in Pakistan since 1999.”
She said she had lived in Pakistan since 1999.

Present perfect continuous › Past perfect continuous

She said, “I’ve been teaching English for seven years.”
She said she had been teaching English for seven years.

Past simple › Past perfect

She said, “I taught active and passive yesterday.”
She said she had taught active and passive yesterday.

Past continuous › Past perfect continuous

She said, “I was teaching the lesson.”
She said she had been teaching the lesson.

Past perfect › Past perfect

She said, “The lesson had already started when he arrived.”
NO CHANGE – She said the lesson had already started when he arrived.

Past perfect continuous › Past perfect continuous

She said, “I’d already been teaching for five minutes.”
NO CHANGE – She said she’d already been teaching for five minutes.

Modal verb forms also sometimes change: Will › would

She said, “I’ll teach English online tomorrow.”
She said she would teach English online tomorrow.

Can › could

She said, “I can teach English online.”
She said she could teach English online.

Must › had to

She said, “I must have a computer to teach English online.”
She said she had to have a computer to teach English online.

Shall › › should/ would

She said, “What shall we learn today?”
She asked what we should learn today.
He said, ”I shall appreciate it.”
He said he would appreciate it.

May › might

She said, “May I open a new browser?”
She asked if she might open a new browser.

Note – There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.

“I might go to the cinema”, he said.
He said he might go to the cinema.

Rule 3. (After wish, would rather, had better , it is time)

Ali said, ”I wish they were in Pakistan.”
Ali said he wished they were in Pakistan.
Hussain said, “ I would rather fly.”
Hussain said he would rather fly.
Zahra said, ” they had better go.”
Zahra said they had better go.
Ahmed said, “It is time I got up.”
Ahmed said it was time he got up.

If indirect speech the words within quotation marks talk of a universal truth or habitual action or when a sentence is made and reported at the same time and the fact is still true then the tense inside the quotation marks is not changed at all.

He said,”My name is Ali.”
He said his name was Ali Or He said his name is Ali.
The teacher said,” the sun rises in the east.”
The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
Shazia said, “ I am thirsty.”
Shazia said she is thirsty.

You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event.

She said,”next week’s lesson is on reported speech.”
She said next week’s lesson will be on reported speech.

Rule 6. (Pronouns)

We have to change the pronouns to keep the same meaning of a sentence.

Ali said, “ We are the best players.”
Ali said they were the best players.

Note: Sometimes we have to use a noun instead of a pronoun, otherwise the new sentence is confusing consider the examples below:

Mohammad said, “He killed them.”
Mohammad said that the man had killed them.

(If we only make mechanical changes, then the new sentence can have different meaning)

Mohammad said he had killed them. (Mohammad himself killed them)

Rule 7. Reported Speech In If-Clauses.

Hussain: “If I tidied my room, my dad would be happy.”
Hussain said that if he tidied his room, his dad would be happy.
Teacher: “If you concentrate, you will learn about direct and indirect speech.”
Teacher said if we concentrate we would learn about direct and indirect speech.

Rule 8. Reported Speech of Time-Clauses.

Ali: “When I was staying in Quetta I met my best friend.” –
He said that when he was staying in Quetta he met his best friend.

Rule 9. Reported Speech of Interrogative Sentences 1. Remove the quotation marks and question mark in the interrogative sentence. 2. Use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ if the sentence inside the quotation marks begins with a helping verb (Auxiliary verb). 3. Use the given interrogative word (what, when, where, why, who, whom, whose, which, now etc.) if it does not begin with the helping verb. 4. Don‘t use ‘that’ 5. Changing the reporting verb (say, said) into ‘ask, want to know wonder or inquire’ in its correct tense. 6. Omit helping verb like ‘do, does, did’. But don’t omit them when they are with ‘not’.

Said I to my teacher,” won’t you help me to learn about direct and indirect speech complete rules?”
I asked my teacher if he would not help me to learn about direct and indirect speech complete rules.
“ How often do you go to the cinema?” Ali said to Ahmed,
Ali asked Ahmed how often he went to the cinema.
“Where have you been?” he said.
He asked me where I had been.
“What time did it start?” he said.
He wanted to know what time it had started.
“Why won’t he do it?” she said.
She wondered why he wouldn’t do it.

Rule 10. Reported Speech of Yes/ No Questions

In yes/no questions we use if or whether in questions. If is more common and whether is more formal.

“Will you go?” she asked me.
She asked me if/whether I would go.
“Did he buy a car?” she said.
She wondered if/whether he had bought a car.

Rule 11. Reported Speech of Commands and Requests

1. Remove the quotation mark in an Imperative sentence. 2. Use ‘to’ if it is an affirmative sentence. (without don‘t) 3. Use ‘not to’ if the sentence begins without Don‘t. 4. Don‘t use ‘that’ 5. Omit the word ‘please’. Use the word ‘request’ instead of ‘say’. 6. If the direct speech contains a request or a command, the reporting verb (say, said) change to tell, request, order, command etc. in its correct tense. 7. The commands, requests and advice mostly have the same form in English: verb + object + infinitive (advise, ask, beg, forbid, order, persuade, recommend, tell, urge, warn etc.).

“Get up!” he said.
He warned me to get up.
“Please, revise for the test,” he said.
He requested me to revise for the test.
“Bring me a cup of tea” said Zahra to Sara.
Zahrs asked Sara to bring her a cup of tea.

Negative: + object + not + infinitive.

“Don’t hesitate,” he said.
He persuaded me not to hesitate.
“Don’t smoke,” the doctor warned my father.
The doctor warned my father not to smoke.

Rule 12. Reported Speech of Advice If it contains advice the reporting verb changes into advised.

“Put on your coat,” I said.
I advised him to put on his coat.

Rule 13. Reported Speech of Exclamatory Sentences

1. Change the exclamatory sentence into statement or assertive 2. Remove the quotation marks and exclamatory mark. 3. Use the conjunction ‘that’ 4. Omit the interjections such as Oh, O, Alas, how, what, hurrah. 5. Add the word ‘very’ to the adjective or adverb if necessary. 6. If the verb is not given, use ‘Be’ form verb (is, was, are, were, am) in its correct tense according to the subject. 7. Change the reporting verb (say, said) to ‘exclaim joyfully’ 8. Use ‘exclaim’ sorrowfully for sorrowful incidents.

She said ,” Wow, What a beautiful car that is!”
She exclaimed joyfully that was a verb beautiful car.
He said,” Alas! I have missed the paper.”
He exclaimed sorrowfully that he had missed the paper.

Rule 14. Use of ‘That’ in Reported Speech

In reported speech, the word that is often used, however it is optional. We recommend you no to use it because in some cases we don’t use ‘That’ in reported speech like: question, command request and order, so its better not to use it.

He told me that he lived in Hazara Town.
He told me he lived in Hazara Town.

Rule 15. Punctuation in Direct Speech

In direct speech, various punctuation conventions are used to separate the quoted words from the rest of the text: this allows a reader to follow what’s going on. Here are the basic rules: A) We use inverted commas (also called quotation marks, quotes or speech marks) to indicate direct speech. Double quotes (“) are preferred in American English, while single quotes (‘) are more common in British English:

“I’m coming home late tonight,” she said. (American English)
‘I’m coming home late tonight,’ she said. (British English)

B) Every time a new speakers says something, you should start a new paragraph:

“They think it’s a more respectable job,” said Ali.
“I don’t agree,” I replied.

C) There should be a comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark at the end of a piece of speech. This is placed inside the closing inverted comma or commas.

He asked, “ Can I go outside?”
She shouted, “ Sit down!”
We said, “ They are wrong.”

D) If the direct speech is broken up by information about who is speaking, you need a comma (or a question mark or exclamation mark) to end the first piece of speech and a full stop or another comma before the second piece (before the inverted comma or commas):

“You’re right,” he said. “It feels strange.”
“Thinking back,” she said, “he didn’t expect to win.”
“No!” he cried. “You can’t leave now!”

Conclusion: I hope that the points that I have mentioned above about direct and indirect speech may prove beneficial for people learning English. All you need to do is to understand the crucial rules of direct and indirect speech, and don’t mix it with passive and active voice.

Check out Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises With Answers

If you would like to know more about direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech, check out more in the book below.

Direct and Indirect Speech – Rules and Examples

13th June 2020 By Edify English Leave a Comment

Any word spoken by a speaker can be written in two different ways. Those two are direct and indirect speech. Direct Speech is when the speaker’s actual words are quoted and these words are put in inverted commas (“…..”) while Indirect Speech is when the speaker’s words are said indirectly with the same meaning without repeating the exact words. For Example, the statement in direct speech She said to me, “I am going to the park” changes into She told me that she was going to the park in indirect speech.

Basic Changes while changing from Direct speech to indirect speech

The comma ( , )after the reporting verb is removed and the conjunction that is added in the indirect speech.
If the direct speech contains ‘said to’ , it will be converted into ‘told’ in the indirect speech.
The quotation marks (Inverted commas) are to be removed in the indirect speech.
I becomes He/ She
We becomes they
You becomes He / She/ They
Me becomes Him/ he r (Depending on the gender in the direct speech)
My becomes His/ Her .
Our becomes their
Us becomes them
Your becomes His/ her/ their .

Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and Indirect Speech

Rule 1: The Verb in the simple present tense in the direct speech changes into the simple past tense in indirect speech

Example: He said to me, “I am happy” becomes He told me that he was happy

(The verb in the direct speech ‘am’ is converted into ‘was’.)

Rule 2: The verb in the simple past tense becomes past perfect tense in indirect speech.

Example: He said to me, “I was happy” changes into He told me that he had been happy

Rule 3: A present continuous tense in direct speech becomes past continuous tense in indirect speech.

Example: The peon said, “The professor is teaching in that classroom” changes into The peon said that the professor was teaching in that classroom.

Rule 4: If the direct speech contains present perfect tense, it changes into the past perfect tense in indirect speech.

Example: She said, “I have passed the test” becomes She said that she had passed the test.

Rule 5: If the direct speech contains a statement talking about a universal truth or a factual statement, there will be no change of tense in indirect speech.

Example: The teacher said, “The sun rises in the East” becomes The teacher said that the sun rises in the east in indirect speech.

Example: Samuel said, “I know the university’s address.” and the indirect speech for that is Samuel said that he knows the university’s address

Rules for converting Interrogatory sentences

Rule 6: While converting interrogative sentences, the verb ‘said to’ becomes ‘asked’ and if/ whether will come in the place of ‘that’. The connecting word ‘that’ will not be used in indirect speech. Also, the interrogation mark (?) is not repeated in the indirect speech.

Example: He said to her, “Will you marry me?” changes into He asked her whether she would marry him in the indirect speech.

Rules for Converting Imperative Sentences

Rule 7: During the conversion of imperative sentences, the verb “said to” is changed into ordered, advised, requested, suggested, proposed, etc. depending on the situation. Also, the connecting word ‘that’ is not used. Instead of that, ‘ to’ is used before the reporting verb.

Example: My father said to me, “prepare well for your examination” . It can be converted to My father advised me to prepare well for my examination.

Rules for Converting Exclamatory Sentences

Rule 8: For exclamatory sentences, the verb is converted into: exclaimed with joy or sorrow or with surprise, wished, prayed, applauded,/ etc. The exclamatory words and the exclamation are not mentioned anymore in the indirect speech. For example,

Example: The coach said, “Hurrah! we won the match!” is changed as The coach exclaimed with joy that we had won the match.

These are the changes in helping verbs while changing from Direct and Indirect Speech

Note: There is no change in the helping verbs “would, should, could, might, had” in the direct speech and they remain the s ame in indirect speech as well.

Changes in Time and Place

Cha nges in pronoun s

The changes in pronouns in indirect speech depends on the subject and the object of the reporting verb.

Rule 1: The first person of reported speech changes based on the subject of the reporting verb.

Example: She said, “I watched a movie” can be converted into She said that she had watched a movie . Hence, the first person in the direct speech “I” has become “she” based on the subject.

Had there been “he” instead of “she”, the first person in reported speech changes accordingly into “he”.

Rule 2: The second person in reported speech changes based on the object of the reporting verb.

Example: She said to me, “You watched a movie” can be converted into She told me that I had watched a movie.

Rule 3 : The third person in the reported speech remains unchanged.

Example: I said to her, “He will play Chess” can be converted into I told her that he would play Chess.

Stay tuned for more examples of direct and indirect speech.

For an extensive material on tenses, Click here

Reader Interactions

Direct and Indirect Speech

Introduction to Direct and Indirect Speech

The distinction between Direct and Indirect Speech may be confusing for some students. Often when we need to explain an incident or action, it involves quoting what someone said. A social situation, as well as a work email or presentation, are examples of such instances. There are two forms of Speech used to explain what other people say: direct Speech and indirect Speech (or reported Speech).

Direct Speech

The same words spoken are quoted indirect Speech. If we use Direct Speech in writing, we bring the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and leave them alone. We may be reporting something that is being said (for example, a phone conversation) or asking someone about a previous conversation later.

Nirmal said, "There's a dog outside the window."

Mahima says, "What time will you be home?"

Supriya said, "I don't know!"

Indirect Speech

When we use reported or Indirect Speech to speak about the past, we generally change the tense of the words we say. We use reporting verbs like 'say,' 'tell,' and 'ask,' and we can introduce the reported words with the word 'that.' There are no inverted commas in this sentence.

For Example,

Mahima said that she had seen him.

Nirmal said he was looking forward to playing in the match on Saturday.

Children often mix up Direct and Indirect Speech. We need a way to say the difference between what someone is claimed to have said and what they said when we're writing. What did she say if you asked her? You may respond in one of two ways:

“I don’t like pizza,” Siddi said. (Direct Speech)

Siddi says she doesn’t like pizza. (Indirect Speech)

Note how Speech marks (“...”) are used in Direct Speech to indicate precisely what was said. Speech labels are located at the beginning and end of the actual words spoken. The words 'Siddi said' are not in Speech marks because they were not spoken aloud; rather, they are a way for the writer to express who was speaking to the reader.

The past tense is often used in reported Speech. This is because the words have already been spoken, and the writer is simply reporting on what has already been saying. It's critical to think about what was said and convert it to the past tense.

Direct and Indirect Narration Rules

Following are the steps to convert the Direct/Indirect Speech and also let’s discuss Direct and Indirect Speech tenses rules in detail.

Step 1: Write down the reporting verb that is used to determine the Indirect Speech's tense.

Step 2: Change the position and time to reflect the speaker's actual location and time.

Step 3: For both the object and the subject, use the correct pronoun.

Step 4: Make sure the sentence has the correct structure and word order.

Now we'll go through each of these measures in greater depth.

Step 1: Choosing the Verb's Tense and Conversion

Case 1: Nirmal said, ‘I go to the gym every day.

Case 2: Nirmal says, ‘I go to the gym every day.’

The verb ‘say' is used in both of the instances above to express the action of speaking. In addition, the reporting verb say is used in the past tense in the first case – said. In case 2, however, the reporting verb is in the present tense.

As a consequence, all verbs must be in the relevant past tense here. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, this is often followed. Thus, Nirmal said, ‘I go to the class every day will change to Nirmal said that he went to the gym every day.

The second rule is that the tense is not changed whether the reporting verb is in the future or present tense. So, Nirmal says, ‘I go to the class every day will be changed to Nirmal says that he goes to the class every day.

Step 2: Changes are Made to the Word That Communicates Place, Time, and Connection.

The time or place specified in the sentence should be changed to match the current time or position.

On 21st, May 2015: ‘I will come tomorrow,’ Sriram said.

On 21st, May 2015, Sriram said that he would come the next day.

Step 3: The Subject and Object Pronouns are Chosen Separately.

Case 1: Saurav will say to his friends, “I have started learning psychology” will change to Saurav will tell his friends that he has started learning psychology.

In this case, the speaker and the reporter are the same people. As a consequence, the pronoun should be the first person pronoun.

Case 2: Ma’am said to me, “I hope you will bring the geometry to my next class” will changed to Ma’am hoped that I would bring the geometry to her next class.

The speaker is ma'am, and the reporter is the student. As a consequence, the ma'am pronoun should be in the third person. The reporter's pronoun should also be in the first person.

Remember that we do not change the tense of the reporting verb within the quotation marks when it is in the present or future tense.

When using English, you'll want to use both direct and indirect Speech regularly, so make sure you're familiar with both and can use them correctly. Direct Speech isn't always an accurate representation of what someone has said. Using inverted commas before and after the quotation, you may quote from other texts similarly. Instead of using the verb "to tell," consider using a verb like "to compose," "to state," or "to define." You may convey what is being reported using a variety of verbs; for example, while "to say" is widely used, you may also want to use "to tell" to explain something that has been told to you. Keeping a small diary of what has been said around you is an important way to practise – explain what people have said and try to write a few examples of each form.

FAQs on Direct and Indirect Speech

1. What is Direct and Indirect Speech with Examples?

The same words spoken are quoted in the direct speech. If we use direct speech in writing, we bring the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and leave them alone. We are talking about the present moment and we are talking about the original content. Direct Speech: “I'm seeing my brother tomorrow.” or “I’ll call them tomorrow”

While reporting if we are changing the words without changing the meaning of the sentence then it is called indirect speech. Here the present tense is converted into past tense. Here the sentence of the speaker is summarized without changing the meaning and reported.

Indirect Speech: She said she was seeing her brother the following day. Or She said that it was hot.

2. What are Simple Rules for Conversion of Indirect Speech to Direct Speech?

Both inverted commas and quotation marks should be eliminated. Put a full stop at the end of the sentence. Shift the present tense of the verb within the inverted commas/quotation marks to the corresponding past tense. Shift it to the past perfect tense if it's in the simple past tense.

Step 1: change the tenses from present to past

Present Tense: I like chocolates

Past Tense: she said that she liked chocolates

Step 2: Change the sentences from simple past to past perfect

Present: He arrived on Tuesday

Past: He said that he had arrived on Tuesday

Step 3: while converting future tense, ‘will’ changes to would

Present: I will be attending the wedding.

Past: She said that she would be attending the wedding.

Step 4: change the present continuous tense to the past continuous tense.

Present: We are eating dinner

Past: They said that they were eating dinner.

Step 5: Change the Present Perfect Tense into Past Perfect Tense

Present: She has finished her task.

Past: She said that she had finished her task.

Step 6: Change the Past Progressive Tense into the Perfect Continuous Tense

Present: My husband was cooking

Past: She said that her husband had been cooking.

Step 7: And also remember past perfect and past perfect progressive doesn't change.

Step 8: And also the future Progressive Tense changes into “would be”. The Future Perfect Tense changes into “would have”.The Future Perfect Progressive Tense changes into “would have been”.

And also follow these simple rules.

The conjunction ‘that’ is used in indirect speech.

The pronoun ‘I’ has to be changed according to the person.

The verb “am" is changed to “was".

For converting to Indirect speech, the words representing nearness will be changed to the words representing distance like the adverb “now” will be converted to the word “Then”, here now represent the nearness in time while ‘then’ represent distance.

3. What are the Examples of Direct Speech?

Few examples of Direct speech are:

Nirmal said, "There's a dog outside the window."

Mahima says, "What time will you be home?"

Supriya said, "I don't know!"

I like chocolates.

Where do you live in?

Where are you?

I play basketball

I do yoga every morning

Can you pass me the bottle, please?

I brought a new pen

I will shift to Mumbai

She had worked hard.

My mom is preparing sweets

Don’t talk to me

I play chess every day

Ananth is dancing on the floor

I like Sachin Tendulkar

She plays the guitar very well

4. Differentiate between Direct and Indirect Speech.

5. Give some examples for indirect speech.

She said that she liked chocolates

He said that he played basketball

She asked me to be on time

Neha said that her parents were very well.

He said that he played chess every day

She told me that she liked Sachin Tendulkar

She told me that she had been to the USA.

She said that she had finished her task.

he said that he would come to the party by 8 PM

She said that she hadn’t seen Nupur recently.

She asked me to bring her dress the next day

He asked us not to be late.

They told that they were ready for competition

EnglishTutorHub

DIRECT SPEECH | English writing lesson and exercises

In this tutorial learners are going to learn English writing lesson about direct speech.

Before we further proceed, watch the video here about DIRECT SPEECH | English writing lesson and exercises in English class.

So, if we want to write what is happening here, then this is how we write.

He said “ Let’s go to the mall .”

Direct speech.

Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says.

In this lesson you will learn:

The rules for writing direct speech.

The correct punctuation.

Vocabulary to report direct speech.

And finally, at the end of the lesson there are some exercises for practice.

Reporting clause before the direct speech

“He said” is before the direct speech, so the rules are;

If the reporting clause is before the direct speech:

We write a comma (,) before the direct speech.

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas .

The first letter is a capital letter .

We write a full stop (.) before the closing inverted commas .

Reporting clause before a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is before a question or exclamation:

We write a question mark ( ? ) before the closing inverted commas .

or an exclamation mark ( ! ) before the closing inverted commas .

Reporting clause after the direct speech

If the reporting clause is after the direct speech:

The first letter is a capital letter .

We write a comma (,) before the closing inverted commas .

We write a full stop (.) at the end of the reporting clause .

Reporting clause after a question or exclamation

If the reporting clause is after the question or exclamation .

We write the exact words inside the inverted commas .

We write a question mark ( ? ) before the closing inverted commas .

Advanced rule

Sometimes we break up the direct speech into 2 parts:

The second part of the direct speech starts with a small letter if it is the same sentence as the first part of the direct speech.

The second part of the direct speech starts with a capital letter if it is a new sentence.

Inverted commas

Speech marks

Quotation marks

Other reporting verbs

Here are some other useful reporting verbs.

They are often used for writing direct speech in books, newspapers and reports.

It is more common to use them in reporting clauses after the direct speech.

reply (replied) ask (asked) comment (commented)

agree (agreed) shout (shouted) admit (admitted)

Which of the following sentences are written correctly?

So, that’s the end of the lesson, I hope you enjoyed it. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, like and let me know your thoughts and questions, love to hear from you.

For more readings

FAIL – 5 different meanings + expression
T he difference between “a little” and “little”
Matter – English noun, verb and expressions
When to use “a little” and “a few”: English Grammar Rules
Compound Words: English Vocabulary
The difference between MUST and HAVE TO

If you have any questions or suggestions about DIRECT SPEECH and English writing lesson and exercises, please feel free to leave a comment below or send us a message using our contact page.

Rules For Direct And Indirect Speech For English Language

In this article, we will cover important rules of direct and indirect speech, relevant for the English Language section of various competitive exams.

Aspirants of various Government exams such as SSC, RRB, IBPS, Insurance, etc. must go through the concept and rules of direct – indirect speech carefully, as the English language is a part of the syllabus for most of these exams.

What is Direct & Indirect Speech?

Direct speech – reporting the message of the speaker in the exact words as spoken by him.

Direct speech example : Maya said ‘I am busy now’.

Indirect speech : reporting the message of the speaker in our own words

Indirect speech example: Maya said that she was busy then.

Let us understand the direct and indirect rules with examples and for all tenses so that you can apply them correctly, without making any mistakes in the exams.

Direct And Indirect Speech Rules PDF:- Download PDF Here

Direct And Indirect Speech Rules

Rules for converting Direct into Indirect speech

To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are various factors that are considered, such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronouns, tenses, etc. We will discuss each of these factors one by one.

Rule 1 – Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb

When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the present tenses are changed to the corresponding past tense in indirect speech.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: She said , ‘I am happy’.

Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.

In indirect speech, tenses do not change if the words used within the quotes (‘’) talk of a habitual action or universal truth.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: He said, ‘We cannot live without air’.

Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.

The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting verb is in the future tense or present tense .

Direct: She says/will say, ‘I am going’

Indirect: She says/will say she is going.

Rule 2 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Present Tense

Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.

Direct: “I have been to Boston”, she told me.

Indirect: She told me that she had been to Boston.

Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous

Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained.

Indirect: She explained that she was playing the guitar.

Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect

Direct: He said, “She has finished her homework“.

Indirect: He said that she had finished her homework.

Simple Present Changes to Simple Past

Direct: “I am unwell”, she said.

Indirect: She said that she was unwell.

Rule 3 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Past Tense & Future Tense

Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect

Direct: She said, “Irvin arrived on Sunday.”

Indirect: She said that Irvin had arrived on Sunday.

Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: “We were playing basketball”, they told me.

Indirect: They told me that they had been playing basketball.

Future Changes to Present Conditional

Direct: She said, “I will be in Scotland tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that she would be in Scotland the next day.

Future Continuous Changes to Conditional Continuous

Direct: He said, “ I’ll be disposing of the old computer next Tuesday.”

Indirect: He said that he would be disposing of the old computer the following Tuesday.

To ace the verbal ability section, it is important to have a clear conceptual knowledge of Direct and Indirect Speech, their usage and applications in English language. Therefore, candidates can go through the video on Direct and Indirect Speech rules in English Language, given below for better understanding-

For the preparation of the English language section in a better way, it is important that you go through the following topics thoroughly.

Tenses rules
Conjunctions rules
Prepositions Rules
List of Prefix and Suffix With Examples
Active And Passive Voice Rules
List of Homophones/Homonyms
List of Synonyms and Antonyms

Candidates are advised to check the General English for Competitive Exams page for more articles on rules for English grammar, list of idioms and phrases, synonyms & antonyms, etc.

Rule 4 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Interrogative Sentences

No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech begins with a question (what/where/when) as the “question-word” itself acts as a joining clause.

Direct: “ Where do you live?” asked the boy.

Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.

If a direct speech sentence begins with an auxiliary verb/helping verb, the joining clause should be if or whether.

Direct: She said, ‘W ill you come for the party’?

Indirect: She asked whether we would come for the party.

Reporting verbs such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired, asked, or demanded.

Direct: He said to me, ‘What are you wearing’?

Indirect: He asked me what I was wearing.

Candidates can also check the links given below to understand the concept of word formation in English and to learn the common words in English Language that appear in most of the competitive exams-

English Root Words
Most asked English Vocabulary Words

Rule 5 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Changes in Modals

While changing direct speech to indirect speech, the modals used in the sentences change like:

Can becomes could
May becomes might
Must becomes had to /would have to

Check the examples:

Direct : She said, ‘She can dance’.
Indirect: She said that she could dance.
Direct: She said, ‘I may buy a dress’.
Indirect: She said that she might buy a dress.
Direct: Rama said, ‘I must complete the assignment’.
Indirect: Rama said that he had to complete the assignment.

There are modals that do not change – Could, Would, Should, Might, Ought to

Direct: She said, ‘I should clean the house’
Indirect: She said that she should clean the house.

Rule 6 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Pronoun

The first person in direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples-

Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”

Indirect: He says that he was in class Twelfth.

The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples –

Direct: She says to them, “You have done your work.”

Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.

The third person of direct speech doesn’t change .

Direct: He says, “She dances well.”

Indirect: He says that she dances well.

Rule 7 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Request, Command, Wish, Exclamation

Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, ordered, suggested and advised. Forbid-forbade is used for negative sentences. Therefore, the imperative mood in the direct speech changes into the Infinitive in indirect speech.

Direct: She said to her ‘Please complete it’.

Indirect: She requested her to complete it.

Direct: Hamid said to Ramid, ‘Sit down’.

Indirect: Hamid ordered Ramid to sit down.

In Exclamatory sentences that express grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud, Interjections are removed and the sentence is changed to an assertive sentence .

Direct: She said, ‘Alas! I am undone’.

Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.

Aspirants are well aware that English is an important component of the syllabus of various competitive exams and it is important to be clear with the basic concepts. Therefore, given below are a few articles to clarify the confusion between usage of common but confusing words in the English Language.

More such concept-wise, subject-wise differences can be found on the 100 Difference between Articles page linked here.

Rule 8 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Punctuations

In direct speech, the words actually spoken should be in (‘’) quotes and always begin with a capital letter.

Example: She said, “I am the best.”

Full stop, comma, exclamation or question mark, are placed inside the closing inverted commas.

Example: They asked, “Can we sing with you?”

If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, a comma is used to introduce the speech, placed before the first inverted comma.

Direct speech example : He shouted, “Shut up!”

Direct speech example: “Thinking back,” he said, “she didn’t expect to win.” (Comma is used to separate the two direct speeches and no capital letter to begin the second sentence).

Rule 9 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Change of Time

In direct speeches, the words that express nearness in time or place are changed to words that express distance in indirect speech. Such as :
Now becomes then
Here becomes there
Ago becomes before
Thus becomes so
Today becomes that day
Tomorrow becomes the next day
This becomes that
Yesterday becomes the day before
These become those
Hither becomes thither
Come becomes go
Hence becomes thence
Next week or month becomes following week/month

Direct: He said, ‘His girlfriend came yesterday.’

Indirect: He said that his girlfriend had come the day before.

The time expression does not change if the reporting verb is in the present tense or future tense .

Direct: He says/will say, ‘My girlfriend came yesterday.’

Indirect: He says/will say that his girlfriend had come the day before.

Video – Direct & Indirect Speech in English Grammar

Rules of converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech

The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct speech:

Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct tense.
Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital letter.
Insert question mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark and full stop, based on the mood of the sentence.
Remove the conjunctions like (that, to, if or whether) wherever necessary.
Where the reporting verb is in past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct speech.
Change the past perfect tense either into present perfect tense or past tense, as necessary.
Indirect: She asked whether she was coming to the prom night.
Direct: She said to her, “Are you coming to the prom night?”
Indirect: The girl said that she was happy with her result.
Direct: The girl said. “I am happy with my result.”

Direct-Indirect Speech – Sample Questions For the English Language

The significance of knowing the rules of direct and indirect speech for the English language section of various competitive exams can only be understood by knowing the type of questions asked in the examination, based on the same.

Given below are samples of direct and indirect speech questions asked in the English language section of various government examinations:

Q.1. Find out the correct indirect speech for the given sentence.

She said,’ I have baked a cake’

She said that she baked a cake
She said that she had baked a cake.
She said that I baked a cake.
She said that she had bake a cake.

Answer (2) She said that she had baked a cake.

Q.2. Choose the correct sentence.

Aviral said, ‘What a beautiful rainbow it is’.

Aviral exclaimed wonderfully that the scenery was very beautiful.
Aviral said with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.
Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery is very beautiful.
Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.

Answer (4) Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.

Q.3. The correct indirect speech for ‘This world’, she said, ‘is full of sorrow. Wish that I were dead’. is?

She observed that the world is full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
She said that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
She observed that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
She observed that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to die.

Answer (1) She observed that the world is full of sorrow. She wished to be dead

Q.4. The policeman said, ‘Where are the weapons?’

The policeman inquired where was the weapons.
The policeman enquired where are the weapons.
The policeman enquired where were the weapons.
The policeman questioned where were the weapon.

Answer (3) The policeman enquired where were the weapons.

Q.5. The man said, ‘Ah! I am ruined.’

The man cried that he was in ruined.
The man exclaimed in grief that he was ruin.
The man said that Ah, he is ruined.
The man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

Answer (4) The man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

To prepare well for the English section, it is essential to practise and revise regularly for conceptual clarity. Hence, go through the exercise on Direct and Indirect Speech Questions and Answers in the given link.

For more variety and scope of direct and indirect speech questions asked in the English section of various competitive exams, go through Previous Year Question Papers PDF with Solutions .

Candidates can also check the variations and scope of questions asked in the competitive exams on the other relevant topics of English language below:

One Word Substitution Questions & Answers
Tenses Questions And Answers
Idioms and Phrases Questions and Answers
Synonyms Questions And Answers

Check the Verbal Ability page to get more Question and Answer articles based on different general English topics.

Candidates who are preparing for the upcoming government exams must carefully go through the concept of Direct and Indirect speech rules, as candidates tend to score the least in the English Language section of these exams.

Aspirants of various government exams can refer to the detailed exam syllabus in the links given below:

For further questions or information regarding competitive exams, study material or best books for preparation, candidates can turn to BYJU’S.

Connect with us for Free Preparation

Get access to free crash courses & video lectures for all government exams..

Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

IMAGES

Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples
Direct and Indirect Speech Examples
Direct Speech Poster
Direct Speech
how to write direct and indirect speech in english
Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL

VIDEO

Direct and Indirect speech
Speaking in Style: Mastering Direct and Indirect Speech
Direct and Indirect speech_தமிழில்_ Examples and Exercises_ (Part 1)
Narration ( reported speech ) direct or indirect speech { part 2 } with rules or examples
direct indirect speech in English
Direct and Indirect speech|Narration|English grammar rules

COMMENTS

Direct speech writing rules in English
Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says. In this English lesson, you will learn: The rules for writing direct speech. The correct punctuation. Vocabulary to report direct speech. Reporting clause before the direct speech. The reporting clause of direct speech is the short clause that indicates who is talking.
Punctuation in direct speech
Punctuation in direct speech. We use inverted commas (also called quotation marks, quotes or speech marks) to indicate direct speech. Double quotes (") are preferred in American English, while single quotes (') are more common in British English: "I'm coming home late tonight," she said. (American English)
Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples
Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech. Change of Pronouns. Change of Tenses. Change of Time and Place References. Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech. Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks. Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker. Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb. Step 4: Change the Pronouns.
How do you write direct speech in English?
Grammar. How do you write direct speech in English? - Easy Learning Grammar. Direct speech gives the actual words that the speaker used. It is common in novels and other writing where the actual words of a speaker are quoted. The reporting verb may come before the words that were actually spoken, or after them, or at a natural pause inside the ...
Direct Speech or Quoted Speech
In this example, "I love playing football," is the direct speech, and "John said," is the speech tag. Formatting Direct Speech. Following are some standard rules regarding the formatting and punctuating of direct speech: Rule 1: Opening and Closing Quotation Marks. Always use opening and closing quotation marks to indicate the start and end of ...
Reported speech: direct speech
Reported speech: direct speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
What is Direct Speech?
In English grammar, the term 'speech' refers to the process of communicating or expressing one's thoughts.It is an exchange of ideas or even a conversation. There are two ways in which you can report speech - direct speech and indirect speech.Direct speech is used to report or rather repeat the words spoken by the speaker or writer in the way it is told by the speaker, whereas indirect ...
What is Direct Speech? with Useful Examples
In English grammar, there are generally two ways of reporting a spoken text: direct and indirect.Direct speech differs in composition compared to indirect speech.This article will discuss the definition, rules, and examples of direct speech that will help you understand how it is used in writing.
How to write direct speech
Avoid verbs that aren't speech verbs in your speech declarations. Add actions or thoughts into direct speech, using the 'before' or 'after' approach. 1. New speaker = new paragraph. This is the first rule, and it's a very straightforward one. When a new person speaks, you should start a new paragraph.
PDF Punctuating direct speech
Punctuating direct speech. Direct speech means the bits of a sentence that are actually being spoken; like the words you would find in a speech bubble. Punctuating direct speech can seem complicated. Here is a step‐by‐step guide to getting it right. Speech marks always need to go at the start and end of what is being said: "Are you coming ...
Direct and Indirect speech, Rules, Chart and Exercises
Rule 8: Direct to indirect speech conversion - punctuations. In Direct speech, the words spoken must start with (") and ends with (.) inside the double inverted commas. All symbols such as question marks, full stops or exclamatory marks should be placed inside the quotes. Examples:
English Grammar Direct and Indirect Speech Rules
Direct and Indirect speech Examples for Tense. 1. Simple Present to Simple Past. Direct: He said, "The boy goes home.". Indirect: He said that the boy went home. 2. Present Continuous to Past Continuous. Direct: Ram said, "I am reading a book.". Indirect: Ram said that he was reading a book.
Direct and Indirect Speech (Grammar Rules and Great Examples)
Converting Direct to Indirect Speech. 1. Eliminate the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. 2. Retain the tense of the reporting verb and add the word "that" after it. 3. Change the tense of the verb in the reported speech, if needed. 4. Change the pronouns accordingly.
How to structure and punctuate direct speech in fiction
A punctuation mark is then used after the reporting clause, before the next set of speech marks. If you've put the reporting clause in the middle of a sentence of speech then this should be a ...
Direct Speech Definition and Examples
Direct Speech as Drama . When a speaking event is reported via direct speech forms, it is possible to include many features that dramatize the way in which an utterance was produced. The quotative frame can also include verbs that indicate the speaker's manner of expression (e.g. cry, exclaim, gasp), voice quality (e.g. mutter, scream, whisper), and type of emotion (e.g. giggle, laugh, sob).
Direct and Indirect Speech: The Ultimate Guide
Here are the steps involved in converting direct speech to indirect speech: Remove the quotation marks. Use a reporting verb to introduce the indirect speech. Change the tense of the verb in the quote if necessary. Change the pronouns if necessary. Use the appropriate conjunction if necessary.
17 Direct and Indirect Speech Rules for Conversion
A. Assertive Sentence Conversion Rules. To convert Assertive sentences into indirect speech the following rules are applied. (a) No comma and Inverted comma in Indirect Speech, only full stop at the end. (b) Reporting Verbs changed from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech; 'say - say', 'says - says', 'said - said', 'said to ...
Direct And Indirect Speech Complete Rules
Here are the basic rules: A)We use inverted commas (also called quotation marks, quotes or speech marks) to indicate direct speech. Double quotes (") are preferred in American English, while single quotes (') are more common in British English: "I'm coming home late tonight," she said.
Direct and Indirect Speech
Rule 1: The Verb in the simple present tense in the direct speech changes into the simple past tense in indirect speech. Example: He said to me, "I am happy" becomes He told me that he was happy. (The verb in the direct speech 'am' is converted into 'was'.) Rule 2: The verb in the simple past tense becomes past perfect tense in ...
PDF Direct and Indirect speech with rules and examples
The modals could, should, would, might, needn't, ought to, used todon't change when used with indirect speech. Those who change are will → would, can → could, may → might: I will come with you. → Tina promised she would come with me. I can help you. → He said he could help me.
Direct and Indirect Speech
Step 1: Write down the reporting verb that is used to determine the Indirect Speech's tense. Step 2: Change the position and time to reflect the speaker's actual location and time. Step 3: For both the object and the subject, use the correct pronoun. Step 4: Make sure the sentence has the correct structure and word order.
DIRECT SPEECH
Direct speech is when we report the exact words that somebody says. In this lesson you will learn: The rules for writing direct speech. The correct punctuation. Vocabulary to report direct speech. And finally, at the end of the lesson there are some exercises for practice. Reporting clause before the direct speech.
Rules For Direct And Indirect Speech For English Language
In this article, we will cover important rules of direct and indirect speech, relevant for the English Language section of various competitive exams. Aspirants of various Government exams such as SSC, RRB, IBPS, Insurance, etc. must go through the concept and rules of direct - indirect speech carefully, as the English language is a part of ...

Direct speech writing rules in English

Reporting clause before the direct speech

Reporting clause before a question or exclamation

Reporting clause after the direct speech

Reporting clause after a question or exclamation

Advanced rules for direct speech

Vocabulary of direct speech

Other reporting verbs

Other English lessons

Direct speech video lesson

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Follow us on social media

Privacy policy

Search form

Punctuation in direct speech

Rate this page

Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples

Direct and Indirect Speech

Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech

Change of Pronouns

Change of Tenses

Change of Time and Place References

Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks

Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker

Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb

Step 4: Change the Pronouns

Converting Indirect Speech Into Direct Speech

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech Examples

Indirect Speech Examples

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Posts:

How do you write direct speech in English? - Easy Learning Grammar

Direct Speech or Quoted Speech

Understanding Direct Speech

Formatting Direct Speech

Rule 1: Opening and Closing Quotation Marks

Rule 2: Speech Tag Placement

Rule 3: Capitalization and Punctuation

Understanding the Speech Tag

Overriding Rules in Direct Speech

Rule 1: Interrupted Speech

Rule 2: Consecutive Sentences

Concluding Remarks

Practice Exercises:

Related Posts:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Reported speech: direct speech

Direct speech: inversion of subject and reporting verb

Direct speech: present simple and continuous reporting verbs

Newspaper headlines

Learn more with +Plus

Direct and Indirect speech, Rules, Chart and Exercises

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech

Rules for Converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech:

Direct and Indirect Speech – Some Exercises

Direct and Indirect speech-FAQs

Q2. In which speech conjunctions are used and what is the purpose?

Q3. What are modals and what is the significance of using modals?

Board Result 2024

CBSE Class 12 Syllabus 2024

CBSE Class 10 Syllabus 2024

Exam Date 2024

Latest Posts

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

Direct Speech

Indirect speech

Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart

Direct and Indirect speech Examples for Tense

Changes of Interrogative Sentences

Things are slightly more complicated with imperatives

When verbs don’t follow the rules?

Rules for Universal Truth, Habitual Facts, etc.

Rules for the Change of Pronouns

Direct Speech Definition and Examples