can you please explain direct and indirect speech please my exam is day after tomm help me fast
https://www.meritnation.com/cbse/class7/studymaterial/english/english-grammar/reported-speech/30_441_1645#slide1_introduction-to-reported-speech
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suppose you have a friend called john and he told that he will give you a pen.when you reach home there are two ways to tell your friends what John had said
Direct speech:John said,"i will give you a pen".
Indirect speech:John said that he would give me a pen
In direct speech the original words of person are narrated (no change is made) and are enclosed in quotation mark. While in indirect speech some changes are made in original words of the person because these words have been uttered in past so the tense will change accordingly and pronoun may also be changed accordingly. In indirect speech the statement of the person is not enclosed in quotation marks, the word that may be used before the statement to show that it is indirect speech. Indirect speech is also called reported speech because reported speech refers to the second part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person.
Reporting verb: The verb first part of sentence (i.e. he said, she said, he says, they said, she says,) before the statement of a person in sentence is called reporting verb.
Examples. In all of the following example the reporting verb is said. He said, I work in a factory(Direct speech) He said that he worked in a factory.(Indirect speech) They said, we are going to cinema (Direct speech) They said that they were going to cinema. (Indirect speech)
Reported Speech. The second part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person (which is enclosed in quotation marks in direct speech) is called reported speech. For example, a sentence of indirect speech is, He said that he worked in a factory. In this sentence the second part he worked in a factory is called reported speech and that is why the indirect speech as a whole can also be called reported speech.
Fundamental rules for indirect speech.- Reported speech is not enclosed in quotation marks.
- Use of word that: The word that is used as a conjunction between the reporting verb and reported speech.
- Change in pronoun: The pronoun (subject) of the reported speech is changed according to the pronoun of reporting verb or object (person) of reporting verb (first part of sentence). Sometimes the pronoun may not change.
In following example the pronoun of reported speech is I which will be changed in indirect speech into the pronoun (Subject) of reporting verb that is he. Example.Direct speech: He said, I am happyIndirect Speech: He said that he was happy.Direct speech: I said to him, you are intelligentIndirect Speech: I said him that he was intelligent. (You changed to he the person of object of reporting verb)
- Change in time: Time is changed according to certain rules like now to then, today to that day, tomorrow to next day and yesterday to previous day.
Examples.Direct speech: He said, I am happy todayIndirect Speech: He said that he was happy that day.
- Change in the tense of reported speech: If the first part of sentence (reporting verb part) belongs to past tense the tense of reported speech will change. If the first part of sentence (reporting verb part) belongs to present or future tense, the tense of reported speech will not change.
Examples.Direct speech: He said, I am happyIndirect Speech: He said that he was happy. (Tense of reported speech changed)Direct speech: He says, I am happyIndirect Speech: He said that he is happy. (Tense of reported speech didnt change) Change in tense is made according to rules of indirect speech which are given in table below. click here
Click on the following links to study each aspect of Direct and Indirect Speech.![](http://www.studyandexam.com/images/li.gif)
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ntroduction.There two ways to convey a message of a person, or the words spoken by a person to other person.
- Direct speech
- Indirect speech
Suppose your friend whose name is John tells you in school, I will give you a pen. You come to home and you want to tell your brother what your friend told you. There are two ways to tell him.Direct speech:John said, I will give you a pen.Indirect Speech:John said that he would give me a pen.In direct speech the original words of person are narrated (no change is made) and are enclosed in quotation mark. While in indirect speech some changes are made in original words of the person because these words have been uttered in past so the tense will change accordingly and pronoun may also be changed accordingly. In indirect speech the statement of the person is not enclosed in quotation marks, the word that may be used before the statement to show that it is indirect speech. Indirect speech is also called reported speech because reported speech refers to the second part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person.
Reporting verb:The verb first part of sentence (i.e. he said, she said, he says, they said, she says,) before the statement of a person in sentence is called reporting verb.
Examples. In all of the following example the reporting verb is said.Hesaid, I work in a factory(Direct speech)Hesaidthat he worked in a factory.(Indirect speech)Theysaid, we are going to cinema (Direct speech)Theysaidthat they were going to cinema. (Indirect speech)
Reported Speech.The second part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person (which is enclosed in quotation marks in direct speech) is called reported speech. For example, a sentence of indirect speech is,He said that he worked in a factory. In this sentence the second part he worked in a factory is called reported speech and that is why the indirect speech as a whole can also be called reported speech.
Fundamental rules for indirect speech.- Reported speech is not enclosed in quotation marks.
- Use of word that:The word that is used as a conjunction between the reporting verb and reported speech.
- Change in pronoun:The pronoun (subject) of the reported speech is changed according to the pronoun of reporting verb or object (person) of reporting verb (first part of sentence). Sometimes the pronoun may not change.
In following example the pronoun of reported speech is I which will be changed in indirect speech into the pronoun (Subject) of reporting verb that is he.Example.Direct speech:He said, I am happyIndirect Speech:He said thathewas happy.Direct speech:I said to him, you are intelligentIndirect Speech:I said him that he was intelligent. (You changed to he the person of object of reporting verb)
- Change in time:Time is changed according to certain rules like now to then, today to that day, tomorrow to next day and yesterday to previous day.
Examples.Direct speech:He said, I am happy todayIndirect Speech:He said that he was happythat day.
- Change in the tense of reported speech:If the first part of sentence (reporting verb part) belongs to past tense the tense of reported speech will change. If the first part of sentence (reporting verb part) belongs to present or future tense, the tense of reported speech will not change.
Examples.Direct speech:He said, I am happyIndirect Speech:He said that he was happy. (Tense of reported speech changed)Direct speech:He says, I am happyIndirect Speech:He said that he is happy. (Tense of reported speech didnt change)Change in tense is made according to rules of indirect speech which are given in table below.click here
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Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech)
Here what a person says appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be word for word.
For example:
She said, "Today's lesson is on presentations."
or
"Today's lesson is on presentations", she said.
Indirect Speech / Reported SpeechIndirect speech (sometimes called reported speech), doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word.
When reporting speech the tense usually changes. 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.
For example:
Direct speechIndirect speech"I'm going to the cinema", he said.He said he was going to the cinema.Tense changeAs a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense: (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right):
Direct speechIndirect speechPresent simpleShe said, "It's cold."
›Past simpleShe said it was cold.Present continuousShe said, "I'm teaching English online."›Past continuousShe said she was teaching English online.Present perfect simpleShe said, "I've been on the web since 1999."›Past perfect simpleShe said she had been on the web since 1999.Present perfect continuousShe said, "I've been teaching English for seven years."›Past perfect continuousShe said she had been teaching English for seven years.Past simpleShe said, "I taught online yesterday."›Past perfectShe said she had taught online yesterday.Past continuousShe said, "I was teaching earlier."›Past perfect continuousShe said she had been teaching earlier.Past perfectShe said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived."›Past perfectNO CHANGE - She said the lesson had already started when he arrived.Past perfect continuousShe said, "I'd already been teaching for five minutes."›Past perfect continuousNO CHANGE - She said she'd already been teaching for five minutes.Modal verb forms also sometimes change:
Direct speechIndirect speechwillShe said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow."›wouldShe said she would teach English online tomorrow.canShe said, "I can teach English online."
›couldShe said she could teach English online.mustShe said, "I must have a computer to teach English online."›had toShe said she had to have a computer to teach English online.shallShe said, "What shall we learn today?"›shouldShe asked what we should learn today.mayShe said, "May I open a new browser?"›mightShe asked if she might open a new browser.!Note- There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.
Direct speechIndirect speech"I might go to the cinema", he said.He said he might go to the cinema.You can use the present tense in reported speech if you want to say that something is still true i.e. my name has always been and will always be Lynne so:-
Direct speechIndirect speech"My name is Lynne", she said.She said her name was Lynne.
or
She said her name is Lynne.
You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event.
Direct speech (exact quote)Indirect speech (not exact)"Next week's lesson is on reported speech", she said.She said next week's lesson will be on reported speech.
Time changeIf the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting.
For example we need to change words likehereandyesterdayif they have different meanings at the time and place of reporting.
Now+ 24 hours - Indirect speech"Today's lesson is on presentations."She said yesterday's lesson was on presentations.
or
She said yesterday's lesson would be on presentations.
Expressions of time if reported on a different daythis (evening)›that (evening)today›yesterday ...these (days)›those (days)now›then(a week) ago›(a week) beforelast weekend›the weekend before last / the previous weekendhere›therenext (week)›the following (week)tomorrow›the next/following dayIn addition if you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard it you must change the place (here) to the place (there).
For example:-
At workAt home"How long have you worked here?"She asked me how long I'd worked there.Pronoun changeIn reported speech, the pronoun often changes.
For example:
MeYou"Iteach English online."
Direct SpeechShe said, "Iteach English online."
"Iteach English online", she said.
Reported Speech
She saidsheteaches English online.
or
She saidshetaught English online.
Reporting VerbsSaid, toldandaskedare the most common verbs used in indirect speech.
We useaskedto report questions:-
For example: IaskedLynne what time the lesson started.
We usetoldwith an object.
For example: Lynnetoldme she felt tired.
!Note- Here me is the object.
We usually usesaidwithout an object.
For example: Lynnesaidshe was going to teach online.
If said is used with an object we must includeto;
For example: Lynnesaidtome that she'd never been to China.
!Note- We usually usetold.
For example: Lynnetoldme (that) she'd never been to China.
There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked.
These include:-
accused, admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised, begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and thought.Using them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative.
For example:
He asked me to come to the party:-
He invited me to the party.He begged me to come to the party.He ordered me to come to the party.He advised me to come to the party.He suggested I should come to the party.Use of 'That' in reported speechIn reported speech, the wordthatis often used.
For example: He told methathe lived in Greenwich.
However,thatis optional.
For example: He told me he lived in Greenwich.
!Note- That is never used in questions, instead we often use if.
For example: He asked me if I would come to the party.
The sneaky commaI'm British, so I only tend to place the comma inside quotation marks when it's part of the sentence being quoted.
"I didn't notice that the comma was inside the quotation marks," Lynne said, "but Hekner did."
That said, I read so much American literature, that even I tuck them away sometimes.
Really, no one has set in stone what the rules of the English language are. It's a diverse language, and the rules that exist have arisen through usage, and they can change in exactly the same way, so maybe it doesn't matter, but it's best to be consistent.
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Quoting the exact words of the speeker is called The Direct Speech.
David said, I am writing a letter now.
Reporting of what a speaker said without quoting his exact words is called Indirect Speech.
David said that he was writing a letter then.
Direct Speech-Indirect Speechnow-thenhere-therethis-thatthese-thoseago-beforethus-soto-day-that dayto-night-that nightyesterday-the day before (or)the previous daytomorrow-the next day (or)the following daylast week-the week beforenext week-the week after- If the reporting verb is in the Present or Future tense (e.g., say, will say) there is no change in the tense of the verb in the Indirect speech.Antony says, I eat a mango.(D.S.)Antony says, that he eats a mango.(I.S.)
- If Reporting Verb is in the Past Tense. the tense of the verbs in the reported speech or Indirect Speech must be generally changed.
1. Present Tense in the Direct becomes p.ast tense.Johnsi said, I write a letter.(D.S)Johnsi said that she wrote a letter.(I.S)2. Past Tense in the direct becomes past perfect or remains unchanged.Angel said, I brought a pen yesterday.(D.S)Angel said that she had bought a pen the day before.(I.S)3. Present Continuous in the direct becomes past continuous.John said, I am going to church.(D.S)John said that he was going to church.(I.S)4. Past Continuous in the direct becomes past perfect continuous.Nelson said, I was playing cricket.(D.S)Nelson said that he had been playing cricket.(I.S)5. Present Perfect in the direct becomes past perfect.Kamal said, I have done my home work.(D.S)Nelson said that he had done his home work.(I.S)6. Present Perfect Continuous in the direct becomes past perfect continuous.He said, I have been reading a novel.(D.S)He said that he had been reading a novel.(I.S)7. Will and Shall are changed to would.He said, I will go to London tomorrow.(D.S)He said that he would go to London the next day.(I.S)8.
may-mightcan-couldmust-had to (or) mustJohnsi said, I must go now.(D.S)Johnsi said that she must (or) had to go then.(I.S)Exception to the above rule:If the direct speech contains the Universal Truth, the tense of the direct speech remains unchanged even if the reporting verb is in the past.The teacher said, The sun rises in the East.(D.S)The teacher said that the sun rises in the East.(I.S)Statement (or) Assertive SentenceRules :
- Remove the quotation marks in the statement
- Use the conjuction that
- Change the reporting verb say to into tell
- Change the reporting verb said to into told
Note :
- He said that (correct)
- He told me that (correct)
- He told that(Incorrect)
1. I will work hard to get first class said Lazar (D.S.)Lazar said he would work hard to get first class. (I.S.)2. You can do this work said Nelson to Johnsi (D.S.)Nelson told Johnsi that he could do that work. (I.S.)3. He says, I am glad to be here this evening(D.S.)He says that he is glad to be there that evening. (I.S.)4. Im going to the library now said David (D.S.)David said that he was going to the library then. (I.S.)
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Imperative Sentence (Order or Request)Rules :
- Remove the quotation mark in an Imperative sentence.
- Use to if it is an affirmative sentence. (without dont)
- Use not to if the sentence begins without Dont.
- Dont use that
- Omit the word please. Use the word request instead of say.
- 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.
1. Dont talk in the class said the teacher to the boys. (D.S.)The teacher advised the boys not to talk in the class. (I.S.)2.Please give me something to eat. I am hungry the old man said to them. (D.S.)The old man requested them to give him something to eat and said that he was hungry (I.S.)3. Be careful said he to her. (D.S.)He ordered her to be careful. (I.S.)4. Bring me a cup of tea said Nelson to Andriya. (D.S.)Nelson asked Andriya to bring him a cup of tea. (I.S.)Interrogative Sentence (Questions)Rules :
- Remove the quotation marks and question mark in the interrogative sentence.
- Use if or whether if the sentence inside the quotation marks begins with a helping verb (Auxiliary verb).
- Use the given interrogative word (what, when, where, why, who, whom, whose, which, now etc.) if it does not begin with the helping verb.
- Dont use that
- Changing the reporting verb (say, said) into ask or enquire in its correct tense.
- Omit helping verb like do, does, did. But dont omit them when they are with not.
1. Wont you help me to caary this box? said I to my friend. (D.S.)I asked my friend if he would not help me to carry that box. (I.S.)2. Mohan said to Stalin, Why did not you attend the meeting yesterday? (D.S.)Mohan asked Stalin why he had not attended the meeting the day before. (I.S.)3.How often do you go to the theatre? said David to John. (D.S.)David asked John how often he went to the theatre. (I.S.)4. Mohamed said to Sultan, Do you like mangoes? (D.S.)Mohamed asked Sultan if he liked mangoes. (I.S.)Exclamatory SentenceRules :
- Change the exclamatory sentence into satement or Assertive
- Remove the quotation marks and exclamatory mark.
- Use the conjunction that
- Omit the interjections such as Oh, O, Alas, how, what, hurrah.
- Add the word very to the adjective or adverb if necessary.
- If the verb is not given, use Be form verb (is, was, are, were, am) in its correct tense according to the subject.
- Change the reporting verb (say, said) to exclaim joyfully
- Use exclaim sorrowfully for sorrowful incidents.
1. O, what a beautiful flower that is! said she. (D.S.)She exclaimed joyfully that that was a very beautiful flower. (I.S.)2. What a horrible sight! we all exclaimed. (D.S.)We all exclaimed that it was a very horrible sight. (I.S.)3. Alas! I have broken my brothers watch said he.He exclaimed sorrowfully that he had broken his brothers watch. (I.S.)4. How beautiful she is! said Boon. (D.S.)Boon exclaimed joyfully that she was very beautiful. (I.S.)
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