Direct and Indirect Speech

• Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone has said
• Direct speech involves quoting the exact words spoken
• Indirect speech (also known as reported speech) involves reporting what was said without using the speaker's exact words

Direct Speech

• Exact words spoken are repeated or quoted
• It is enclosed in quotation marks
• A comma or colon usually separates the quoted speech from the rest of the sentence
• Example: She said, "I am going to the store."
• Example: "I am going to the store," she said.
• Direct speech can convey the speaker's emotions and tone more accurately
• It allows the reader to experience the conversation as it happened

Indirect Speech

• What someone said is reported without using their exact words
• No quotation marks are used
• The reported speech is usually introduced by a reporting verb like "said," "told," "asked," etc.
• Pronouns and verb tenses often change in indirect speech to reflect the change in perspective and time
• Example: She said that she was going to the store.
• Indirect speech provides a summary of what was said
• It focuses on the content rather than the exact wording

Key Differences

• Quotation Marks: Direct speech uses quotation marks; indirect speech does not
• Verb Tense: Verb tenses often change in indirect speech
• Pronouns: Pronouns often change in indirect speech to maintain correct reference
• Reporting Verb: Indirect speech uses a reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked) to introduce the reported statement
• Conjunctions: Indirect speech often uses conjunctions like "that," "if," or "whether" to introduce the reported clause

Rules for Converting Direct to Indirect Speech

• Tense Changes:
  • Simple Present becomes Simple Past
  • Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous
  • Simple Past becomes Past Perfect
  • Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect
  • Past Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous
  • Past Perfect remains Past Perfect
  • Future Simple (will) becomes Conditional (would)
• Pronoun Changes:
  • Pronouns change to reflect the perspective of the reporter
  • "I" becomes "he/she," "me" becomes "him/her," "my" becomes "his/her," etc.
  • "You" becomes "I/he/she/they," "your" becomes "my/his/her/their," etc.
  • "We" becomes "they," "us" becomes "them," "our" becomes "their," etc.
• Adverbial Changes:
  • Adverbs of time and place often change to reflect the new context
  • "Now" becomes "then"
  • "Today" becomes "that day"
  • "Yesterday" becomes "the day before" or "the previous day"
  • "Tomorrow" becomes "the next day" or "the following day"
  • "Here" becomes "there"
  • "Ago" becomes "before"
• Reporting Verb:
  • The reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked) is used to introduce the indirect speech
  • The choice of reporting verb can affect the meaning and tone of the reported statement

Examples of Conversion

• Direct: He said, "I am happy."
• Indirect: He said that he was happy.
• Direct: She said, "I am going to the party tomorrow."
• Indirect: She said that she was going to the party the next day.
• Direct: They said, "We went to the beach yesterday."
• Indirect: They said that they had gone to the beach the day before.
• Direct: He asked, "Are you coming to the meeting?"
• Indirect: He asked if I was coming to the meeting.
• Direct: She said, "I have finished my work."
• Indirect: She said that she had finished her work.

Special Cases and Exceptions

• Universal Truths and Habitual Actions:
  • If the direct speech expresses a universal truth or a habitual action, the tense of the verb in indirect speech usually does not change
  • Direct: The teacher said, "The earth revolves around the sun."
  • Indirect: The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.
  • Direct: He said, "I go to school every day."
  • Indirect: He said that he goes to school every day.
• Past Perfect Tense:
  • The past perfect tense usually remains unchanged in indirect speech
  • Direct: She said, "I had already eaten."
  • Indirect: She said that she had already eaten.
• Modal Verbs:
  • Some modal verbs change, while others remain the same
  • "Can" becomes "could"
  • "May" becomes "might"
  • "Must" often becomes "had to" or remains "must"
  • "Should," "would," "could," and "might" generally do not change
  • Direct: He said, "I can swim."
  • Indirect: He said that he could swim.
  • Direct: She said, "I may go to the store."
  • Indirect: She said that she might go to the store.
  • Direct: They said, "We must finish the project."
  • Indirect: They said that they had to finish the project.
• Questions:
  • When converting direct questions to indirect speech, the sentence structure changes from interrogative to declarative
  • The question mark is removed
  • "If" or "whether" is used to introduce yes/no questions
  • Wh- questions (who, what, where, when, why, how) retain their question word
  • Direct: He asked, "Are you coming?"
  • Indirect: He asked if I was coming.
  • Direct: She asked, "What is your name?"
  • Indirect: She asked what my name was.
• Commands and Requests:
  • Commands and requests are usually reported using "tell" or "ask" followed by an infinitive
  • Direct: He said, "Close the door."
  • Indirect: He told me to close the door.
  • Direct: She said, "Please help me."
  • Indirect: She asked me to help her.
• Exclamations:
  • Exclamations can be reported using verbs like "exclaimed," "shouted," or "said with surprise"
  • Direct: She said, "Wow, that's amazing!"
  • Indirect: She exclaimed that it was amazing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Incorrect Tense Changes:
  • Failing to adjust verb tenses appropriately is a common mistake
  • Incorrect: He said that he is happy.
  • Correct: He said that he was happy.
• Incorrect Pronoun Changes:
  • Not changing pronouns to reflect the reporter's perspective can lead to confusion
  • Incorrect: She said that I am going to the store.
  • Correct: She said that she was going to the store.
• Failure to Adjust Adverbs of Time and Place:
  • Forgetting to change adverbs to reflect the changed time frame can be misleading
  • Incorrect: He said he would arrive here tomorrow.
  • Correct: He said he would arrive there the next day.
• Using Quotation Marks in Indirect Speech:
  • Including quotation marks in indirect speech is incorrect
  • Incorrect: She said "that she was tired."
  • Correct: She said that she was tired.
• Not Using a Reporting Verb:
  • Forgetting to introduce the reported statement with a reporting verb makes the sentence incomplete
  • Incorrect: He was going to the store.
  • Correct: He said that he was going to the store.