REPORTED SPEECH
Reporting the words of the speaker in your own words is called reported speech.
Type 1. Statements
Steps to be kept in mind for changing direct speech into indirect (statements).
Step 1. The reporting verb is changed as under:
(a) We ‘say’ something but we ‘tell’ somebody. Says to …………………………… tells.
(b) Says …………………………… says.
(c) Said to …………………………… told/asserted/stated/informed.
(d) Said …………………………… said.
Step 2. Inverted commas are dropped and the conjunction ‘that’ is used.
Step 3. Change of personal pronouns and possessives.
Changing I, my, me, mine; we, our, us, ours (First-person).
Step 4. If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported
speech does not change.
Meera says to Mini, “Your teacher has praised you.” Meera tells mini that her teacher has
praised her.
If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech gets changed into the
corresponding past tense as under.
Step 5. Words denoting nearness of time and place are generally changed into words
denoting distance.
Direct speech → Indirect speech
Now → then
This → that
These → those
Here → those
now → before
Yesterday → the previous day
Tomorrow → the next day, the following day
Today → that day
Tonight → that night
Note. There are two situations where even if the reporting verb is in the past tense, the
verb of the reported speech remains unchanged.
1. If the reported speech expresses a universal truth or a habitual fact.
The teacher said, “Two and two make four.”
The teacher said that two and two make four.
Ramesh said to the tourist, “Summers in India are usually very hot.”
Ramesh informed the tourist that summers in India are usually very hot.
2. The reported speech describes a situation which still exists when the speech is
reported.
The stationmaster said, “Due to heavy rains, the trains are running late”.
The stationmaster said that due to heavy rains, the trains are running late.
Type 2. Questions
A. If the reported speech is a question, the following changes are made.
The reporting verb is changed into ‘asked/required’.
Says asks A
Says to asks
Said asked
Said to asked
B. The inverted commas are removed and If/whether is used. The question mark is
removed and a full stop is placed. No conjunction is used while reporting wh-questions.
The direct form is changed to indirect question form. Place the subject before verb in
the reported question.
I said to Meera, “When are your parents coming?”
I asked Meera when her parents were coming.
Ramesh said to me, “Are you reading this book?”
Ramesh asked me if/whether I was reading that book.
He said, “Will you come with me?”
He asked if/whether I would go with him.
Type 3. Commands and Requests
If reporting commands and requests, the indirect speech is introduced by some verbs
expressing commands or requests and the imperative mood is changed into the
infinitive.
Step 1. The reporting say (said) is changed to order(ed)/request(ed)/advise(d)/command(ed)/
encourage(ed) /shout(ed)/forbid (forbade), proposed, etc.
Step 2. The verb of the reported speech is changed into an infinitive and inverted
commas are removed.
Step 3. Do not is changed to ‘not to’.
He said to his sister, “Please speak slowly.”
He requested his sister to speak slowly.
The teacher said, “Keep quiet.”
The teacher ordered to keep quiet.
He said to me, “Don’t tease the animal.”
He advised me not to tease the animal.
She said to me, “Let us go for a picnic”.
She proposed (or suggested) to me that we should go for a picnic.
Type 4. Exclamations and wishes
Step 1. The reporting verb said is changed to exclaimed, wished, prayed, etc.
Step 2. The exclamatory form is changed into the statement form and the mark of
exclamation is replaced by a full stop.
Step 3. The reporting verb is joined with reported speech with ‘that’.
Step 4. All interjections are omitted and suitable adverbs or other expressive words are
used.
What! Oh! surprised
Alas! Ah! sadness, grief, pity
Hurrah! joy, happiness
Bravo! approval, cheered
They said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.”
They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
She said, “Alas! He is no more.”
She exclaimed with sorrow that he was no more.
He said, “Good-bye friends.”
He bade good-bye to his friends.
