REPORTED SPEECH Subject: English

Direct Speech: Direct words of the speaker as it is spoken.

Reported Speech: The words of the speaker reported by another person, without changing the meaning of
the speaker’s words.

Some changes take place when changing from Direct Speech to Reported / Indirect Speech.

 In Declarative Sentences, the word ‘that’ is added after the reported verb.
 Inverted commas are removed
 Changes take place in tenses, adjectives, pronouns and time expressions

 Change in Tense
Direct Speech Reported Speech
 Simple Present  Simple Past
Lata said, “I am a singer.” Lata said that she was a singer.
 Present Continuous  Past Continuous
Meena said, “I am going to Mumbai next week.” Meena said that she was going to Mumbai the
following week.
 Present Perfect  Past Perfect
Rohan said, “I have finished my breakfast.” Rohan said that he had finished his breakfast.
 Present Perfect Continuous  Past Perfect Continuous
Manoj said, “Meena has been studying since last Manoj said that Meena had been studying since the
week.” previous week.
 Simple Past  Past Perfect
Nitin said, “I went to the market yesterday.” Nitin said that he had gone to the market the
previous day.
 Past Continuous  Past Perfect Continuous
Nikhil said, “You were making far too much noise.” Nikhil said that they had been making far too much
noise.
 Past Perfect  Past Perfect (no change)
Seema said, “The movie had started when I Seema said that the movie had started when she
arrived.” arrived.
 Past Perfect Continuous  Past Perfect Continuous (no change)
“We had been praying since last year,” the children The children said that they had been praying since
said. the previous year.
 will  would
Neha said, “I will go to the market in the evening.” Neha said that she would go to the market in the
evening.
 can  could
She said, “I can help you if you want.” She said that she could help me if I wanted.
 shall  would/ should
Seema said, “I shall come for the party.” Seema said that she would come for the party.
Seema said, “Shall I help you?” Seema asked if she should help me. (when ‘shall’ is
used for offer, requests, advice, ‘shall’ changes to
‘should)
 may  might
He said, “I may buy a computer” He said that he might buy a computer.
 Other modal verbs- could, would, might,  No change
ought to, should

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  do/ does+ verb (Simple Present)  ‘do/does’ is removed & main verb is
He said, “I do finish my work on time everyday.” changed to Simple Past
He said, “She does go for walks very often.” He said that he finished his work on time everyday.
He said that she went for walks very often.

 don’t /doesn’t + verb (Simple Present)  don’t/ doesn’t changes to didn’t (Simple
Past) & main verb remains the same
He said, “I don’t finish my work on time everyday.” He said that he didn’t finish his work on time
everyday.
He said, “She doesn’t go for walks very often.”
He said that she didn’t go for walks very often.
 did/ didn’t + verb (Simple Past)  did/ didn’t is removed & the main verb is
Mark said, “I did have time to do my work.” changed to Past Perfect Tense
Mark said, “I didn’t have time to do my work.” Mark said that he had had time to do his work.
Mark said that he hadn’t had time to do his work.

 Change of Time

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Jay said, “I did this exercise last night.” Jay said that he had done that exercise the
previous night.

Some other examples:

Direct Speech Indirect Speech
this that
here there
now then
today that day
yesterday the day before /
the previous day
tomorrow the next day
last week the week before /
the previous week
next month the following
month
ago before
 Change in Pronouns

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

I she, he
you (singular) she, he
you (plural) us
we they
my her, his
our their
your her, his, their
me her, him
us them
mine hers, his
ours theirs
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 yours hers, his, theirs

 Tense Remains Unchanged

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Jay said, “ The sun rises from the east.” Jay said that the sun rises from the east. (for facts/
universal truth, tense remains unchanged)
In case the reported verb ‘says’ is used. Maya says that she likes painting
Maya says, “ I like painting.”
In case of habitual actions, the tense remains Rani said that her mother goes for a walk every day.
unchanged
Rani said, “My mother goes for a walk every day.”

Rules of Reported Speech in Interrogative Sentences

 For Interrogative sentences in reported speech, the reported verbs ‘asked’, ‘inquired’ are used.
 When questions begin with ‘wh’ words, nothing comes after the reported verb and word order
is the same as that of a statement. The question word (‘wh’) is repeated.
Eg: D.S.: Reena said, “What is the time?”
R.S.: Reena asked what the time was.
(question word+ subject + verb)

 Other rules are same as in Declarative Sentences.

 Questions beginning with ‘will/ shall’ are changed to indirect speech by using whether / if and
will/ shall changes to would/ should. Similarly, ‘can’ changes to ‘could’.
Eg: D.S.: “Ketan asked him, “Will you take part in dramatics?”
R.S.: Ketan asked him if he would take part in dramatics.
Eg: D.S.: Leela said to me, “Can I help you?”
R.S.: Leela asked if she could help me.

 Yes/ No questions or questions are introduced by the words ‘whether’ or ‘if’.

Eg: D.S.: Reena said to him, “Are you likely to go there?” and he said, ‘No.’
R.S. Reena asked him if he was likely to go there and he said that he wasn’t.

 Questions with words such as has, have, had, are, is, do, does are changed into reported speech
using the words ‘whether’ or ‘if’.
Eg: D.S.: “Have you done your homework?” said the teacher.
R.S.: The teacher asked whether he had done the homework.

 Questions with words such as do, does / did are changed into reported speech using the words
‘whether’ or ‘if’. Note the changes
 Eg: D.S.: “Does she walk every day?” I asked her sister.
R.S.: I asked her sister if she walked every day. (does is removed and main verb is changed to
Simple past tense)
 Eg: D.S.: “Did she complete her work yesterday?” said the teacher.
R.S: The teacher asked if she had completed her work the previous day. (did is removed and main
verb changes to Past Perfect Tense)
 Eg: D.S.: Doesn’t she walk every day?” I asked her sister.
R.S.: I asked her sister if she walked every day. (the negative doesn’t is removed & main verb is
changed to Simple Past Tense)

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 In case of negative questions using question words with verbs such as ‘do’, ‘did’, the ‘why’
subject comes first followed by the verb negative to change into reported speech.
Eg. D.S.: “Why don’t you enjoy listening to music?” he asked Nina.
R.S.: He asked Nina why she didn’t enjoy listening to music.
(do not changes to did not)

 In case of sentences with question tags (positive & negative), the tag is expanded to a full
question and the question mark is left out.
Eg: D.S.: She said to the coach, “Rahul plays well, doesn’t he?”
R.S.: She asked the coach if Rahul played well.

D.S.: “They haven’t met him, have they?” the manager said to me.
R.S.: The manager asked me if they had met him.
(negative ‘haven’t changed to positive had)

Rules of Reported Speech in Imperative Sentences

 When direct commands and orders are changed into reported speech the reporting verb ‘say’
changes to ‘order’, ‘command’, ‘warn’, ‘ask’.
Eg: D.S.: “Open the box,” said he.
R.S.: He told her to open the box. (to+verb)
Eg: D.S.: The teacher told the boys, “Don’t tease the girls.”
R.S.: The teacher told the boys not to tease the girls.
(not + to + verb)

 When requests are changed into reported speech the reporting verb ‘say’ changes to ‘request’,
‘encourage’, ‘tell’, ‘ask’, ‘plead’, ‘invite’.
Eg: D.S.: The hostess said to the guest, “Do sit down.”
R.S.: The hostess invited the guest to sit down.
(to + verb)
Eg: D.S.: “Do please send me to the conference,” said she.
R.S.: She begged him to send her to the conference.

 When statements giving advice are changed into reported speech the reporting verb ‘say’
changes to ‘advise’, ‘warn’, ‘forbid’, ‘suggest’, ‘remind’.
Eg: D.S.: I said to her, “If I were you, I’d join the firm.”
R.S.: I advised her to join the firm.

 When imperatives ‘let us’, ‘let’s’, and ‘let him’ are changed into indirect speech we use the
words such as ‘suggest’, ‘proposed’, ‘to let’, ‘should’, ‘might’.
Eg: D.S.: She said, “Let’s go to the theatre.”
R.S.: She suggested that they should go to the theatre.