Details
Reported Speech
There are two types/ kinds of reported speech. They are:
1)Direct Speech
In direct speech, we repeat the original speaker’s exact words:
-He said, “I am happy.”
1)Indirect Speech
In indirect speech, we give the exact meaning of a speech, without necessarily using the speaker’s exact words:
He said that he was happy.
How to change Direct into Indirect Speech.
Rule no 1: SON Formula
1st person = change according to Subject
2nd person = change according to Object
3rd person = No change
1st person= I, we
2nd person=you
3rd person=He, She, It, they
Subject(who is speaking)
Object( who is listening)
Types of Reported Speech
How to change Direct into Indirect Speech.
Rule no 1: SON Formula
1st person = change according to Subject
2nd person = change according to Object
3rd person = No change
Mohan said to Gita, “I will tell you a story.”
- Mohan told Gita that he would tell her a story.
Subject= Mohan
Object= Gita
said to= told
How to change Direct into Indirect Speech.
Rule no 1: SON Formula
1st person = change according to Subject
2nd person = change according to Object
3rd person = No change
He said to me, “They are playing football.”
- He told me that they were playing football.
Students said to me, “We are playing football.”
- Students told me that they were playing football.
Subject= Students= they
Object= me
said to= told
How to change Direct into Indirect Speech.
Rule no 1: SON Formula
1st person = change according to Subject
2nd person = change according to Object
3rd person = No change
Mohan said to them, “You have done my homework.”
- Mohan told them that they had done his homework.
Subject=Mohan
Object= them
said to= told
How to change Direct into Indirect Speech.
Rule no 2: Change of tense
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| Simple present tense (V1/v5) | Simple past tense (V2) |
| Present Continuous Tense (is/am/are + V4) | Past Continuous Tense (was/ were + V4) |
| Present Perfect Tense (has/ have + V3) | Past Perfect Tense (had+ V3) |
| Present Perfect Continuous Tense (has/ have been +v4) | Past Perfect Continuous Tense (had been +v4) |
| Simple past Tense (V2) | Past Perfect Tense (had + V3) |
| Past Continuous Tense (was/ were +V4) | Past Perfect Continuous Tense (had been + V4) |
| Will/Shall +v1 | Would/ should + V1 |
| Can + V1 | Could + V1 |
| May + V1 | Might + V1 |
| Have to/ has to + V1 | Had to + V1 |
| Had to + V1 | Had had to + V1 |
| Shall/ will have + v3 | Should/ would have + v3 |
How to change Direct into Indirect Speech.
He said, “I am hungry.” said to= told Said= said
- He said that he was hungry.
Ram said, “I am cooking food.”
- Ram said that he was cooking food.
Binu said, “I have completed my homework.”
- Binu said that she had completed her homework.
Jharana said, “I have been writing an essay.”
- Jharana said that she had been writing an essay.
How to change Direct into Indirect Speech.
Rohan said to me, “Mahesh went to school.”
- Rohan told me that Mahesh had gone to school.
They said to Rima, “You were dancing.”
- They told Rima that she had been dancing.
Mira said to Binod, “You shall go to school.”
- Mira told Binod that he should go to school.
Pravash said to him, “You have to do your work.”
- Pravash told him that he had to do his work.
Simaran said to Nikhil, “I will have visited Pokhara,”
Simaran told Nikhil that she would have visited Pokhara,”
Rule no: 3
Here tense doesn’t change but pronoun changes.
Hari says, “She is selling her house.”
- Hari says that she is selling her house.
Hari says, “I am selling my house.”
- Hari says that he is selling his house.
Ram says to me, “I have passed.”
- Ram tells me that he has passed.
Rita will say to me, “You can help me.”
- Rita will tell me that I can help her.
Rule no: 4
The tense does not change in universal truth
He said, “The Sun is hot.”
- He said that the Sun is hot.
Ram said, “The earth goes round the Sun.”
- Ram said that the earth goes round the Sun.
Rule no:5 (Change in adverb)
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| Now/just | then |
| Today | That day |
| Yesterday | The day before/ the previous day |
| Tonight | That night |
| Tomorrow | The next day/ the following day |
| The day before yesterday | Two days before |
| The day after tomorrow | In two day’s time |
| Next week/ month | The following week/ month |
| Ago | before |
| Hence | thence |
| Thus | so |
| Here | there |
| Come | go |
| This/ these | That/those |
| Last | The previous |
Rule no 5:
Hari said, “He is arriving next week.”
Hari said that he was arriving the following week.
Sita said, “I am busy now.”
Sita said that she was busy then.
My brother said, “I will have an exam tomorrow.”
My brother said that he would have an exam the next day/the following day.
Mina said, “These are my dogs.”
Mina said that those were her dogs.
Hema said to me, “I went to Pokhara last year.”
Hema told me that she had gone to Pokhara the previous year.
Rule no 6:
If the direct speech is in yes/no question, reporting verb should be changed into asked/ enquired and the sentence should be joined by ‘if’ or ‘whether’. There should be full stop at the end of the sentence.
-He said to me, “Do you play chess?”
He asked me if I played chess.
-He said, “Is it raining now?” (it is raining now)
He asked if it was raining then.
-Sita said to him, “Can you speak English?” (you can speak English
Sita asked him whether he could speak English.
Rule no 7:
If the direct speech is in wh question, reporting verb should be changed into asked/ enquired and the sentence should be joined by the same wh-word. There should be a full stop at the end of the sentence.
-She said, “What can I eat?” (I can eat)
She asked what she could eat.
-Hari said to me, “Where are you going?” (You are going)
Hari asked me where I was going.
Rule no 8:
The imperative can be changed into reported speech with the use of tell/ order/ ask/ command/ request and to or not to is used as joining words, etc. Close the door. Eat your food. Please, Carry the bag.
Ram said to me, “Give me a pen.” to + V1
Ram ordered me to give him a pen.
Ram said to me, “Don’t give me my pen.” not to + V1
Ram ordered me not to give him his pen.
Hari said to me, “Please, do your homework.”
Hari requested me to do my homework.
Exercise
Read the following sentences and change them into reported speech.
- Mimi said, “I have been writing this letter.”
- I said, “Sam’s driving the car.”
- My uncle said, “I am cooking lunch.”
- My brother said, “I had already eaten.”
- The old lady said to the girl, “Where do you come from?”
- Jon said, “I like to play rugby.”
- My mother said, “I get up early every morning.”
- The maths teacher said, “Three divided by three is one.”
- Mohit said, “Switzerland is a very beautiful country.”
- Ruben said, “It is very cold outside.”
- The teacher said, “The French Revolution took place in 1789.”
- Uma said, “I saw a Royal Bengal Tiger in the zoo.”
- Luke said, “I can do this homework.”
- Aswini said to her mother, “I have passed the test”.
- Daphne said to Antony, “I will go to London tomorrow.”
- The boy said, “My father is sleeping.”
- The traffic police said to us, “Where are you going?”
- “I know her contact number,” said Helena.
- Stefen said, “My granny is making pasta.”
- Raj said to Simran, “Have you ever been to the National Museum?”
- Anish said to Sid, “Please lend me the book.”
- The teacher said to the parents, “Shelly is working very hard.”
- Joshua said, “I have completed my assignment.”
- I said to Alka, “How long will you stay here?”
- The child told his dad, “I want an ice cream.”
- Meera said, “I am not feeling well.”
- The teacher said to Vivek, “Draw the diagram of the plant’s parts.”
- Irin said, “I am playing the piano.”
- My mother said to me, “Help me carry this bag.”
- Rahul said, “My sister is very helpful.”
- The news reporter said, “The flight will be delayed by a few hours due to heavy rains.”
- Urmi said to her mother, “I want a slice of pizza.”
- I said to Daniel, “Are you reading this book?”