There are a number of observation that go into changing a direct speech sentence into an indirect speech sentence, including reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronouns, tenses, etc.

Direct and Indirect Speech Precept (Rules)👇

1. Reporting Verb

• All present tenses in indirect speech are converted to the matching past tense when the reporting verb in direct speech is in the past tense.

         Ex:

            Direct: He said, ‘I am happy’.

            Indirect: He said that he was happy.

• When speaking indirectly, tenses remain the same even if the terms used in the quotations ('') refer to a habitual action or a universal reality.

        Ex:

            Direct: She said, ‘We cannot live without air’.

            Indirect: She said that we cannot live without air. 

• Direct speech do not change if the reporting verb is in the future tense or present tense. 

        Ex:

            Direct: He says/will say, ‘I am going’

            Indirect: He says/will say he is going.

2. Tense Changes

• Change into Present Simple → Past Simple

            Direct: He says, "I am tired."
            Indirect: He said that he was tired.

            Direct:He says, "She plays in a park."

            Indirect: He said that she played in a park.

• Change into Present Continuous → Past Continuous

            Direct: He says, "I am paying."
            Indirect: He said that he was playing.

Direct: She says, "I am writing."
Indirect: She said that she was writing.

• Change into Present Perfect → Past Perfect

            Direct: They say, "We have finished."
            Indirect: They said that they had finished.

• Change into Past Simple → Past Perfect

            Direct: She said, "I ate lunch."
            Indirect: She said that she had eaten lunch.

• Change into Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous

            Direct: He said, "I was sleeping."
            Indirect: He said that he had been sleeping.

Direct and Indirect Speech Precept (Rules)

3. Pronouns Changes

• First Person pronouns change according to the subject of the reporting verb.

            Direct: "I am going," he said.
            Indirect: He said that he was going.

• Second Person pronouns change according to the object of the reporting verb.

            Direct: "You must leave," she said to me.
            Indirect: She told me that I had to leave.

• Third Person pronouns usually do not change.

            Direct: "He is kind," she said.
            Indirect: She said that he was kind.

4. Modal Verb Changes

• Will → Would

            Direct: He said, "I will go."
            Indirect: He said that he would go.

• Can → Could

            Direct: She said, "I can help you."
            Indirect: She said that she could help me.

• May → Might

            Direct: He said, "I may come."
            Indirect: He said that he might come.

• Must → Had to

            Direct: She said, "I must leave."
            Indirect: She said that she had to leave.

5. Time and Place Changes

• Now → Then

            Direct: He said, "I am busy now."
            Indirect: He said that he was busy then.

• Today → That day

            Direct: She said, "I will finish it today."
            Indirect: She said that she would finish it that day.

• Tomorrow → The next day / The following day

            Direct: He said, "I will leave tomorrow."
            Indirect: He said that he would leave the next day.

• Yesterday → The day before / The previous day

            Direct: She said, "I saw her yesterday."
            Indirect: She said that she had seen her the day before.

6. Interrogative Sentences 

• For yes/no questions, use if or whether.

            Direct: "Are you coming?" she asked.
            Indirect: She asked if I was coming.

• For WH- questions, retain the question word.

            Direct: "Where do you live?" he asked.
            Indirect: He asked where I lived.

• The question form becomes a statement form in indirect speech.

            Direct: "What is your name?" she asked.
            Indirect: She asked what my name was.

7. Commands, Requests and Advice

• Use to + infinitive for commands and requests.

            Direct: "Please sit down," he said.
            Indirect: He asked me to sit down.

• Use not to + infinitive for negative commands and requests.

            Direct: "Don't be late," she said.
            Indirect: She told me not to be late.

Direct and Indirect Speech Precept (Rules) PDF  Download

Direct and Indirect Speech Practice Quations Part-1 PDF  Download ⇩