Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech

By Smriti Pradhan

​Learn about Direct and Indirect Speech.

​Differentiate between Direct and Indirect Speech.

Rules for converting Direct speech to Indirect speech.  ​​

​

​

Direct and Indirect Speech

When we repeat the exact words of the speaker without making any change, the sentence is said to be in direct speech.

Direct Speech is always written in Quotation Marks.

​Direct Speech

Examples

1) Rohan said, “I like coffee.”

2) He said, “I am listening to music.”

3) Pinky said, “I like to go to school.”

​4) “I love strawberry milkshake,” he said.

​

​

When we do not repeat the actual words of the speaker but convey only the message, the sentence is said to be in indirect speech.

Indirect speech is not written within quotation marks.

​We use the word “that” in Indirect Speech.

​

​Indirect Speech

Examples

1) Chintu said that he had lost his way.

2) Sumit said that he finished his lunch.

3) Rahul said that his tooth was aching badly.

4) They asked us whose house we had purchased.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Multiple Choice

Identify if the given sentence is Direct or Indirect Speech.

Her mother asked Pinky if she had really enjoyed the picnic.

• Direct Speech

• Indirect Speech

Multiple Choice

Identify if the given sentence is Direct or Indirect Speech.

Radha said, “I like to play games on the computer.”

• Direct Speech

• Indirect Speech

Multiple Choice

Identify if the given sentence is Direct or Indirect Speech.

She explained that it was a very tall building.

• Direct Speech

• Indirect Speech

Multiple Choice

Identify if the given sentence is Direct or Indirect Speech.

Maya said, “I am learning a new topic.”

• Direct Speech

• Indirect Speech

Note the changes that occur when we change from Direct to Indirect

1. I said, “I am singing.” / I said that I was singing.​

2. He says, “I am sick.” / He says that he is sick.​

3. She said to me, “You are lazy.” / She told me that I was lazy.​

Rules for the change of pronouns​

​Rule 1:The first-person pronoun in the Indirect speech (I, We, Me, Mine, Us, Our) change according to the Pronoun of the reporting verb if it is third person pronoun(She, He, It, They, Their, Her, His).​

​

Examples- She said, “I am writing a letter.”                (Direct speech)​

                    She said that she was writing a letter.    (Indirect speech)​

     ​

Rules for the change of pronouns​

​Rule 2:The first-person pronoun of reported speech (We, I, Me, Mine, Us, Our) is not changed, if the pronoun of reporting verb is also first-person pronoun(I, We)​

​Examples- I said, “I applied for a job.”      (Direct speech)​

                   I said that I had applied for a job.   (Indirect speech)​

                  ​

                   We said, “We will go.”                       (Direct speech)​

                   We said that we would go.                (Indirect speech)​​

     ​

Rules for the change of pronouns​

​Rule 3:The second-person pronoun (You, Yours) of the reported speech is changed according to the “object” of the reporting verb.​

​Examples- She said to me, “You are brilliant.”      (Direct speech)​

                   She said to me that I was brilliant.       (Indirect speech)

​

                   He said to me, “Your shirts are beautiful.”    (Direct speech)​

                   He said to me that my shirts were beautiful. (Indirect speech)​

                ​​​

     ​

Rules for the change of pronouns​

​Rule 4:The third-person pronoun (She, He, It, They, His, Him, Them) of the reported speech will not be changed.​

Examples- He said, “She will buy a pen.”                (Direct speech)​

                   He said that she would buy a pen.        (Indirect speech)​

​

                  They said, “It is raining.”                          (Direct speech)​

                  They said that it was raining.                   (Indirect speech)​​

                ​​​

     ​

Change of pronouns from Direct to Indirect Speech

​Changes in words

​

Multiple Choice

Convert the given sentences into Indirect Speech.

Harshad said, "I love this town."

• Harshad said that he love this town.

• Harshad said that he loved this town.

• Harshad said that he loved that town.

• I don't know

Multiple Choice

Convert the given sentences into Indirect Speech.

 

The teacher said, "Boys fail because they do not study regularly."

• The teacher said that the boys failed because they do not study regularly.

• The teacher said that the boys failed because they were not studying regularly.

• The teacher said that the boys failed because they did not study regularly.

• I don't know

Multiple Choice

Convert the given sentences into Indirect Speech.

 

The mother said to Sahil, "Where have you left the important document?"

• The mother asked Sahil where he had left the important document.

• The mother said to Sahil where has he left the important document.

• The mother said to Sahil that where is the important document.

• I don't know

Multiple Choice

Convert the given sentences into Indirect Speech.

 

The student asked, "May I come in?"

• The student inquired to come in.

• The student asked may I come in..

• The student asked whether he could go in.

• I don't know