DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH: 200 EXAMPLES WITH EASY RULES

 

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH: 

Learn Direct to Indirect Speech with Simple Rules, Formulas and Examples

Introduction

Direct and Indirect Speech is an important topic in English grammar. Students often find it difficult because they have to change the tense, pronouns, helping verbs, time expressions and sometimes the reporting verb.

But don't worry.

In this lesson, we will learn Direct and Indirect Speech in a very simple way.

You will learn:

• What is Direct Speech?

• What is Indirect Speech?

• Basic rules for changing Direct into Indirect Speech

• Tense changes

• Pronoun changes

• Changes in time and place words

• Statements

• Questions

• Commands

• Requests

• Advice

• Exclamatory sentences

• Wishes and prayers

• Suggestions

• 200 useful examples

• Practice exercises

Let's begin.

1. What Is Direct Speech?

Direct Speech means reporting the exact words spoken by a person.

We use quotation marks (" ") around the exact words of the speaker.

Examples:

1. Ram said, "I am happy."

2. Sita said, "I like English."

3. The teacher said, "You are good students."

The words inside quotation marks are the exact words spoken by the person.

2. What Is Indirect Speech?

Indirect Speech means reporting what a person said without using his or her exact words.

Quotation marks are removed.

Example:

Direct Speech:
Ram said, "I am happy."

Indirect Speech:
Ram said that he was happy.

Another example:

Direct Speech:
Sita said, "I like English."

Indirect Speech:
Sita said that she liked English.

3. Direct Speech and Indirect Speech

Look at this simple example.

Direct Speech:
Ravi said, "I am tired."

Indirect Speech:
Ravi said that he was tired.

In the direct sentence, we use Ravi's exact words.

In the indirect sentence, we report the meaning of Ravi's words.

4. Important Parts of Direct Speech

A direct speech sentence generally has two parts.

Example:

Ravi said, "I am reading a book."

There are two parts:

1. Reporting Speech: Ravi said

2. Reported Speech: "I am reading a book."

The reporting speech tells us who is speaking.

The reported speech gives the actual words spoken by that person.

• Must Read: 150 Active To Passive Voice Sentences, Rules, Examples.

5. Basic Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech

There are several important rules.

Rule 1: Remove the quotation marks

Direct:
He said, "I am busy."

Indirect:
He said that he was busy.

The quotation marks are removed.

Rule 2: Use "that" in statements

In many simple statements, we use "that" after the reporting verb.

Direct:
She said, "I am happy."

Indirect:
She said that she was happy.

Rule 3: Change the pronouns

Pronouns often change according to the speaker and listener.

Direct:
Rina said, "I am happy."

Indirect:
Rina said that she was happy.

Here, "I" changes to "she" because Rina is a female speaker.

Another example:

Direct:
Mohan said to me, "You are my friend."

Indirect:
Mohan told me that I was his friend.

Rule 4: Change the tense when necessary

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech generally moves one step back.

For example:

Present Simple → Past Simple

Present Continuous → Past Continuous

Present Perfect → Past Perfect

Past Simple → Past Perfect

Will → Would

Can → Could

May → Might

Rule 5: Change time and place expressions when necessary

Some common changes are:

Now → Then

Today → That day

Yesterday → The previous day

Tomorrow → The following day

Last week → The previous week

Next week → The following week

Here → There

This → That

These → Those

Ago → Before

6. Tense Changes in Direct and Indirect Speech

This is one of the most important parts of reported speech.

Present Simple → Past Simple

Direct:
He said, "I play cricket."

Indirect:
He said that he played cricket.

Present Continuous → Past Continuous

Direct:
He said, "I am playing cricket."

Indirect:
He said that he was playing cricket.

Present Perfect → Past Perfect

Direct:
He said, "I have finished my work."

Indirect:
He said that he had finished his work.

Past Simple → Past Perfect

Direct:
He said, "I went to school."

Indirect:
He said that he had gone to school.

Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous

Direct:
He said, "I was reading."

Indirect:
He said that he had been reading.

Past Perfect → Past Perfect

Direct:
He said, "I had finished my work."

Indirect:
He said that he had finished his work.

Will → Would

Direct:
He said, "I will help you."

Indirect:
He said that he would help me.

Can → Could

Direct:
He said, "I can swim."

Indirect:
He said that he could swim.

May → Might

Direct:
He said, "I may come."

Indirect:
He said that he might come.

7. When Does the Tense Not Change?

The tense does not always have to change.

The tense may remain unchanged when the sentence expresses a universal truth or a fact that is still true.

Example:

Direct:
The teacher said, "The sun rises in the east."

Indirect:
The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

Another example:

Direct:
The teacher said, "Water boils at 100°C at standard atmospheric pressure."

Indirect:
The teacher said that water boils at 100°C at standard atmospheric pressure.

The tense can also remain unchanged when the reporting verb is in the present tense.

Direct:
He says, "I am busy."

Indirect:
He says that he is busy.

• Must Know: Conversation Between A School Principal and Teachers in 10 Different Situations.

8. 200 Direct to Indirect Speech Examples

Now let us practise 200 examples.

The examples are divided into different sections so that students can learn them easily.

SECTION A: SIMPLE STATEMENTS

Examples 1–20

1. Direct: Ram said, "I am happy."

Indirect: Ram said that he was happy.

2. Direct: Sita said, "I like mangoes."

Indirect: Sita said that she liked mangoes.

3. Direct: He said, "I work hard."

Indirect: He said that he worked hard.

4. Direct: She said, "I speak English."

Indirect: She said that she spoke English.

5. Direct: Mohan said, "I live in Delhi."

Indirect: Mohan said that he lived in Delhi.

6. Direct: Rina said, "I read every day."

Indirect: Rina said that she read every day.

7. Direct: The boy said, "I go to school."

Indirect: The boy said that he went to school.

8. Direct: The girl said, "I sing well."

Indirect: The girl said that she sang well.

9. Direct: My father said, "I drive carefully."

Indirect: My father said that he drove carefully.

10. Direct: He said, "I know the answer."

Indirect: He said that he knew the answer.

11. Direct: She said, "I love my parents."

Indirect: She said that she loved her parents.

12. Direct: Raju said, "I help my friends."

Indirect: Raju said that he helped his friends.

13. Direct: The student said, "I understand the lesson."

Indirect: The student said that he understood the lesson.

14. Direct: They said, "We play football."

Indirect: They said that they played football.

15. Direct: Ravi said, "I like music."

Indirect: Ravi said that he liked music.

16. Direct: Anita said, "I live with my parents."

Indirect: Anita said that she lived with her parents.

17. Direct: The man said, "I need some help."

Indirect: The man said that he needed some help.

18. Direct: The woman said, "I know him."

Indirect: The woman said that she knew him.

19. Direct: The child said, "I want some water."

Indirect: The child said that he wanted some water.

20. Direct: The teacher said, "You work hard."

Indirect: The teacher told the student that he worked hard.

SECTION B: PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Examples 21–35

21. Direct: Ram said, "I am reading a book."

Indirect: Ram said that he was reading a book.

22. Direct: Sita said, "I am cooking food."

Indirect: Sita said that she was cooking food.

23. Direct: He said, "I am writing a letter."

Indirect: He said that he was writing a letter.

24. Direct: She said, "I am learning English."

Indirect: She said that she was learning English.

25. Direct: They said, "We are playing cricket."

Indirect: They said that they were playing cricket.

26. Direct: The boy said, "I am watching television."

Indirect: The boy said that he was watching television.

27. Direct: The girls said, "We are singing a song."

Indirect: The girls said that they were singing a song.

28. Direct: My mother said, "I am making tea."

Indirect: My mother said that she was making tea.

29. Direct: The teacher said, "The students are studying."

Indirect: The teacher said that the students were studying.

30. Direct: Raju said, "I am waiting for my friend."

Indirect: Raju said that he was waiting for his friend.

31. Direct: She said, "I am watching a movie."

Indirect: She said that she was watching a movie.

32. Direct: He said, "I am working in my room."

Indirect: He said that he was working in his room.

33. Direct: They said, "We are preparing for the examination."

Indirect: They said that they were preparing for the examination.

34. Direct: The child said, "I am playing with my toys."

Indirect: The child said that he was playing with his toys.

35. Direct: My brother said, "I am doing my homework."

Indirect: My brother said that he was doing his homework.

SECTION C: PRESENT PERFECT

Examples 36–50

36. Direct: Ram said, "I have finished my work."

Indirect: Ram said that he had finished his work.

37. Direct: Sita said, "I have eaten my lunch."

Indirect: Sita said that she had eaten her lunch.

38. Direct: He said, "I have bought a pen."

Indirect: He said that he had bought a pen.

39. Direct: She said, "I have written a letter."

Indirect: She said that she had written a letter.

40. Direct: They said, "We have completed the project."

Indirect: They said that they had completed the project.

41. Direct: The boy said, "I have lost my bag."

Indirect: The boy said that he had lost his bag.

42. Direct: The girl said, "I have learned the poem."

Indirect: The girl said that she had learned the poem.

43. Direct: My father said, "I have paid the bill."

Indirect: My father said that he had paid the bill.

44. Direct: The teacher said, "You have done well."

Indirect: The teacher told me that I had done well.

45. Direct: Rina said, "I have seen this movie."

Indirect: Rina said that she had seen that movie.

46. Direct: He said, "I have completed the work."

Indirect: He said that he had completed the work.

47. Direct: She said, "I have cleaned the room."

Indirect: She said that she had cleaned the room.

48. Direct: The students said, "We have finished the exercise."

Indirect: The students said that they had finished the exercise.

49. Direct: My brother said, "I have lost my wallet."

Indirect: My brother said that he had lost his wallet.

50. Direct: The man said, "I have visited Kolkata."

Indirect: The man said that he had visited Kolkata.

SECTION D: SIMPLE PAST

Examples 51–65

51. Direct: Ram said, "I went to school."

Indirect: Ram said that he had gone to school.

52. Direct: Sita said, "I wrote a poem."

Indirect: Sita said that she had written a poem.

53. Direct: He said, "I bought a bicycle."

Indirect: He said that he had bought a bicycle.

54. Direct: She said, "I saw a tiger."

Indirect: She said that she had seen a tiger.

55. Direct: They said, "We won the match."

Indirect: They said that they had won the match.

56. Direct: The boy said, "I broke the glass."

Indirect: The boy said that he had broken the glass.

57. Direct: The girl said, "I sang a song."

Indirect: The girl said that she had sung a song.

58. Direct: My father said, "I met your teacher."

Indirect: My father said that he had met my teacher.

59. Direct: The student said, "I answered the question."

Indirect: The student said that he had answered the question.

60. Direct: Raju said, "I completed the task."

Indirect: Raju said that he had completed the task.

61. Direct: She said, "I visited my grandmother."

Indirect: She said that she had visited her grandmother.

62. Direct: He said, "I watched a movie."

Indirect: He said that he had watched a movie.

63. Direct: They said, "We played football."

Indirect: They said that they had played football.

64. Direct: The teacher said, "I taught the lesson."

Indirect: The teacher said that he had taught the lesson.

65. Direct: The boy said, "I found a wallet."

Indirect: The boy said that he had found a wallet.

• Must Read: Vocabulary Challenge For Students.

SECTION E: PAST CONTINUOUS

Examples 66–75

66. Direct: Ram said, "I was reading."

Indirect: Ram said that he had been reading.

67. Direct: Sita said, "I was cooking."

Indirect: Sita said that she had been cooking.

68. Direct: He said, "I was playing cricket."

Indirect: He said that he had been playing cricket.

69. Direct: She said, "I was writing a letter."

Indirect: She said that she had been writing a letter.

70. Direct: They said, "We were watching a movie."

Indirect: They said that they had been watching a movie.

71. Direct: The boy said, "I was sleeping."

Indirect: The boy said that he had been sleeping.

72. Direct: The girls said, "We were dancing."

Indirect: The girls said that they had been dancing.

73. Direct: My mother said, "I was cleaning the room."

Indirect: My mother said that she had been cleaning the room.

74. Direct: The teacher said, "The students were making noise."

Indirect: The teacher said that the students had been making noise.

75. Direct: Rina said, "I was waiting for you."

Indirect: Rina said that she had been waiting for me.

SECTION F: FUTURE AND MODAL VERBS

Examples 76–90

76. Direct: He said, "I will help you."

Indirect: He said that he would help me.

77. Direct: She said, "I will come tomorrow."

Indirect: She said that she would come the following day.

78. Direct: Raju said, "I can swim."

Indirect: Raju said that he could swim.

79. Direct: The girl said, "I can solve this problem."

Indirect: The girl said that she could solve that problem.

80. Direct: He said, "I may visit you."

Indirect: He said that he might visit me.

81. Direct: My father said, "I shall return soon."

Indirect: My father said that he would return soon.

82. Direct: She said, "I will buy a new dress."

Indirect: She said that she would buy a new dress.

83. Direct: He said, "I can speak English."

Indirect: He said that he could speak English.

84. Direct: They said, "We will attend the meeting."

Indirect: They said that they would attend the meeting.

85. Direct: The boy said, "I can complete the work."

Indirect: The boy said that he could complete the work.

86. Direct: She said, "I may come to your house."

Indirect: She said that she might come to my house.

87. Direct: He said, "I will call you tomorrow."

Indirect: He said that he would call me the following day.

88. Direct: The teacher said, "You must obey the rules."

Indirect: The teacher told the students that they had to obey the rules.

89. Direct: My father said, "You should work hard."

Indirect: My father advised me that I should work hard.

90. Direct: He said, "I could answer the question."

Indirect: He said that he could answer the question.

SECTION G: YES/NO QUESTIONS

Examples 91–105

For questions that can be answered with "Yes" or "No", we generally use "if" or "whether".

Remember:

Direct:
He said to me, "Are you ready?"

Indirect:
He asked me if I was ready.

Do not use question word order in indirect speech.

91. Direct: He said to me, "Are you ready?"

Indirect: He asked me if I was ready.

92. Direct: She said to me, "Do you like tea?"

Indirect: She asked me if I liked tea.

93. Direct: Ram said to me, "Can you swim?"

Indirect: Ram asked me if I could swim.

94. Direct: The teacher said to the boy, "Have you finished your homework?"

Indirect: The teacher asked the boy if he had finished his homework.

95. Direct: My mother said to me, "Did you eat your lunch?"

Indirect: My mother asked me if I had eaten my lunch.

96. Direct: He said to her, "Will you help me?"

Indirect: He asked her if she would help him.

97. Direct: She said to him, "Are you coming tomorrow?"

Indirect: She asked him if he was coming the following day.

98. Direct: The teacher said to me, "Do you understand the lesson?"

Indirect: The teacher asked me if I understood the lesson.

99. Direct: The man said to the boy, "Can you carry this bag?"

Indirect: The man asked the boy if he could carry that bag.

100. Direct: Rina said to me, "Have you seen my pen?"

Indirect: Rina asked me if I had seen her pen.

101. Direct: He said to me, "Were you sleeping?"

Indirect: He asked me if I had been sleeping.

102. Direct: She said to me, "Does your brother play cricket?"

Indirect: She asked me if my brother played cricket.

103. Direct: The principal said to the teacher, "Have the students arrived?"

Indirect: The principal asked the teacher if the students had arrived.

104. Direct: My father said to me, "Will you go to school today?"

Indirect: My father asked me if I would go to school that day.

105. Direct: The boy said to his friend, "Can I borrow your book?"

Indirect: The boy asked his friend if he could borrow his book.

• Must Read: Daily English Conversation At Home.

PART 2: EXAMPLES 106–200

SECTION H: WH-QUESTIONS

Wh-questions begin with words such as:

What
Why
When
Where
Who
Whom
Which
How

When we change a Wh-question into indirect speech, we keep the question word.

However, we change the question into normal statement word order.

Example:

Direct:
He said to me, "Where do you live?"

Indirect:
He asked me where I lived.

Remember:

Do not use "if" or "whether" with a Wh-question.

Examples 106–120

106. Direct: He said to me, "What is your name?"

Indirect: He asked me what my name was.

107. Direct: She said to me, "Where do you live?"

Indirect: She asked me where I lived.

108. Direct: Ram said to me, "Why are you crying?"

Indirect: Ram asked me why I was crying.

109. Direct: The teacher said to the boy, "When will you finish your work?"

Indirect: The teacher asked the boy when he would finish his work.

110. Direct: My father said to me, "How did you solve the problem?"

Indirect: My father asked me how I had solved the problem.

111. Direct: She said to him, "Who is your best friend?"

Indirect: She asked him who his best friend was.

112. Direct: The man said to me, "Where are you going?"

Indirect: The man asked me where I was going.

113. Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Why have you come late?"

Indirect: The teacher asked the students why they had come late.

114. Direct: Rina said to me, "Which book do you want?"

Indirect: Rina asked me which book I wanted.

115. Direct: He said to me, "How can I solve this problem?"

Indirect: He asked me how he could solve that problem.

116. Direct: She said to me, "When are you coming?"

Indirect: She asked me when I was coming.

117. Direct: The boy said to his father, "Why are you angry?"

Indirect: The boy asked his father why he was angry.

118. Direct: The teacher said to me, "What are you doing?"

Indirect: The teacher asked me what I was doing.

119. Direct: My mother said to me, "Where did you put the keys?"

Indirect: My mother asked me where I had put the keys.

120. Direct: He said to his friend, "How did you get here?"

Indirect: He asked his friend how he had got there.

SECTION I: COMMANDS AND ORDERS

Commands and orders are usually changed by using words such as:

told
ordered
commanded
instructed

The basic formula is:

Subject + told/ordered + object + to + verb

Example:

Direct:
The teacher said to the boy, "Stand up."

Indirect:
The teacher told the boy to stand up.

Examples 121–135

121. Direct: The teacher said to the boy, "Stand up."

Indirect: The teacher told the boy to stand up.

122. Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Open your books."

Indirect: The teacher told the students to open their books.

123. Direct: The mother said to her son, "Finish your homework."

Indirect: The mother told her son to finish his homework.

124. Direct: The policeman said to the driver, "Stop the car."

Indirect: The policeman ordered the driver to stop the car.

125. Direct: The principal said to the students, "Maintain silence."

Indirect: The principal instructed the students to maintain silence.

126. Direct: The doctor said to the patient, "Take this medicine."

Indirect: The doctor advised the patient to take that medicine.

127. Direct: My father said to me, "Work hard."

Indirect: My father advised me to work hard.

128. Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Complete your homework."

Indirect: The teacher told the students to complete their homework.

129. Direct: The officer said to the soldiers, "March forward."

Indirect: The officer ordered the soldiers to march forward.

130. Direct: The captain said to the players, "Play carefully."

Indirect: The captain instructed the players to play carefully.

131. Direct: The teacher said to me, "Write your name."

Indirect: The teacher told me to write my name.

132. Direct: My mother said to me, "Clean your room."

Indirect: My mother told me to clean my room.

133. Direct: The manager said to the clerk, "Prepare the report."

Indirect: The manager instructed the clerk to prepare the report.

134. Direct: The policeman said to the people, "Move away."

Indirect: The policeman ordered the people to move away.

135. Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Listen carefully."

Indirect: The teacher told the students to listen carefully.

• Must Know This: 10 Daily Grammar Mistakes Students Do This Frequently.

SECTION J: NEGATIVE COMMANDS

A negative command tells someone not to do something.

The basic formula is:

Subject + told/ordered/warned + object + not to + verb

Example:

Direct:
The teacher said to the boy, "Do not make noise."

Indirect:
The teacher told the boy not to make noise.

Examples 136–145

136. Direct: The teacher said to me, "Don't be late."

Indirect: The teacher told me not to be late.

137. Direct: My mother said to me, "Don't waste your time."

Indirect: My mother advised me not to waste my time.

138. Direct: The policeman said to the driver, "Don't drive fast."

Indirect: The policeman warned the driver not to drive fast.

139. Direct: The doctor said to the patient, "Don't eat junk food."

Indirect: The doctor advised the patient not to eat junk food.

140. Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Don't talk in class."

Indirect: The teacher told the students not to talk in class.

141. Direct: The father said to his son, "Don't tell a lie."

Indirect: The father advised his son not to tell a lie.

142. Direct: The guard said to the visitors, "Don't enter the room."

Indirect: The guard warned the visitors not to enter the room.

143. Direct: The principal said to the boys, "Don't damage school property."

Indirect: The principal warned the boys not to damage school property.

144. Direct: She said to me, "Don't forget my birthday."

Indirect: She reminded me not to forget her birthday.

145. Direct: The teacher said to the boy, "Never disobey your parents."

Indirect: The teacher advised the boy never to disobey his parents.

SECTION K: REQUESTS

For requests, we can use:

requested
asked
begged
pleaded

The basic structure is:

Subject + requested/asked + object + to + verb

Example:

Direct:
He said to me, "Please help me."

Indirect:
He requested me to help him.

Examples 146–155

146. Direct: He said to me, "Please help me."

Indirect: He requested me to help him.

147. Direct: She said to her friend, "Please lend me your pen."

Indirect: She requested her friend to lend her a pen.

148. Direct: The boy said to the teacher, "Please explain this lesson."

Indirect: The boy requested the teacher to explain that lesson.

149. Direct: The patient said to the doctor, "Please help me."

Indirect: The patient requested the doctor to help him.

150. Direct: The girl said to her mother, "Please buy me a book."

Indirect: The girl requested her mother to buy her a book.

151. Direct: He said to me, "Kindly wait here."

Indirect: He requested me to wait there.

152. Direct: The student said to the principal, "Please grant me leave."

Indirect: The student requested the principal to grant him leave.

153. Direct: The old man said to the boy, "Please help me cross the road."

Indirect: The old man requested the boy to help him cross the road.

154. Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Please keep your classroom clean."

Indirect: The teacher requested the students to keep their classroom clean.

155. Direct: The child said to his father, "Please tell me a story."

Indirect: The child requested his father to tell him a story.

SECTION L: ADVICE

When someone gives advice, we can use "advised".

The basic formula is:

Subject + advised + object + to + verb

Examples 156–165

156. Direct: My mother said to me, "You should respect your elders."

Indirect: My mother advised me to respect my elders.

157. Direct: The doctor said to me, "You should exercise daily."

Indirect: The doctor advised me to exercise daily.

158. Direct: The teacher said to the boy, "You should study regularly."

Indirect: The teacher advised the boy to study regularly.

159. Direct: My father said to me, "You should save money."

Indirect: My father advised me to save money.

160. Direct: The coach said to the players, "You should practise every day."

Indirect: The coach advised the players to practise every day.

161. Direct: The doctor said to the patient, "You should drink more water."

Indirect: The doctor advised the patient to drink more water.

162. Direct: My father said to me, "You should speak the truth."

Indirect: My father advised me to speak the truth.

163. Direct: The teacher said to the students, "You should revise your lessons."

Indirect: The teacher advised the students to revise their lessons.

164. Direct: The coach said to the player, "You should practise regularly."

Indirect: The coach advised the player to practise regularly.

165. Direct: My mother said to me, "You should help the poor."

Indirect: My mother advised me to help the poor.

SECTION M: EXCLAMATORY SENTENCES

Exclamatory sentences express strong feelings such as:

Joy
Sorrow
Surprise
Admiration
Regret

Common expressions include:

Hurrah! = joy

Alas! = sorrow

What a...! = admiration or surprise

How...! = admiration or surprise

Example:

Direct:
He said, "Hurrah! We have won the match."

Indirect:
He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Examples 166–175

166. Direct: He said, "Hurrah! We have won the match."

Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

167. Direct: She said, "Alas! I have lost my purse."

Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her purse.

168. Direct: The boy said, "Wow! What a beautiful painting!"

Indirect: The boy exclaimed with admiration that it was a very beautiful painting.

169. Direct: She said, "How beautiful the garden is!"

Indirect: She exclaimed with admiration that the garden was very beautiful.

170. Direct: He said, "What a wonderful idea!"

Indirect: He exclaimed with admiration that it was a wonderful idea.

171. Direct: The girl said, "Hurrah! I have passed the examination."

Indirect: The girl exclaimed with joy that she had passed the examination.

172. Direct: He said, "Alas! My friend is dead."

Indirect: He exclaimed with sorrow that his friend was dead.

173. Direct: They said, "What a lovely day!"

Indirect: They exclaimed with delight that it was a very lovely day.

174. Direct: She said, "How clever the boy is!"

Indirect: She exclaimed with admiration that the boy was very clever.

175. Direct: The child said, "What a big elephant!"

Indirect: The child exclaimed with surprise that it was a very big elephant.

SECTION N: WISHES AND PRAYERS

Wishes and prayers are generally reported using words such as:

wished
prayed
blessed

Example:

Direct:
He said to me, "May you live long!"

Indirect:
He wished that I might live long.

Examples 176–182

176. Direct: He said to me, "May you live long!"

Indirect: He wished that I might live long.

177. Direct: She said to me, "May God bless you!"

Indirect: She prayed that God might bless me.

178. Direct: My mother said to me, "May you succeed in life!"

Indirect: My mother wished that I might succeed in life.

179. Direct: The teacher said to the students, "May you all pass the examination!"

Indirect: The teacher wished that all the students might pass the examination.

180. Direct: The old man said to me, "May you be happy!"

Indirect: The old man wished that I might be happy.

181. Direct: The priest said, "May God help us!"

Indirect: The priest prayed that God might help them.

182. Direct: She said to her son, "May you have a bright future!"

Indirect: She wished that her son might have a bright future.

SECTION O: SUGGESTIONS

Suggestions are often made using "Let us".

We can report them using "suggested".

Formula:

Subject + suggested that + subject + should + verb

Example:

Direct:
He said, "Let us go for a walk."

Indirect:
He suggested that they should go for a walk.

Examples 183–188

183. Direct: He said, "Let us play cricket."

Indirect: He suggested that they should play cricket.

184. Direct: She said, "Let us go to the market."

Indirect: She suggested that they should go to the market.

185. Direct: The teacher said, "Let us start the lesson."

Indirect: The teacher suggested that they should start the lesson.

186. Direct: Ram said, "Let us help the poor."

Indirect: Ram suggested that they should help the poor.

187. Direct: My friend said, "Let us watch a movie."

Indirect: My friend suggested that we should watch a movie.

188. Direct: The principal said, "Let us plant more trees."

Indirect: The principal suggested that they should plant more trees.

SECTION P: MIXED AND IMPORTANT EXAMPLES

Examples 189–200

189. Direct: The teacher said, "The earth moves around the sun."

Indirect: The teacher said that the earth moves around the sun.

190. Direct: He said, "Honesty is the best policy."

Indirect: He said that honesty is the best policy.

191. Direct: The teacher said, "A triangle has three sides."

Indirect: The teacher said that a triangle has three sides.

192. Direct: She said, "I must finish my homework."

Indirect: She said that she had to finish her homework.

193. Direct: He said, "I need not go there."

Indirect: He said that he did not need to go there.

194. Direct: The boy said, "I would like some water."

Indirect: The boy said that he would like some water.

195. Direct: She said, "I should respect my teachers."

Indirect: She said that she should respect her teachers.

196. Direct: He said, "I cannot attend the meeting."

Indirect: He said that he could not attend the meeting.

197. Direct: The girl said, "I have never seen such a beautiful place."

Indirect: The girl said that she had never seen such a beautiful place.

198. Direct: My father said, "If you work hard, you will succeed."

Indirect: My father told me that if I worked hard, I would succeed.

199. Direct: The teacher said to the boy, "Unless you study, you will not pass."

Indirect: The teacher warned the boy that unless he studied, he would not pass.

200. Direct: Rina said to me, "I will meet you here tomorrow."

Indirect: Rina told me that she would meet me there the following day.

9. Important Changes to Remember

Before changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech, always check these four things:

1. Pronouns

I → he/she

We → they

You → I/we/they, depending on the context

My → his/her

Our → their

This → that

These → those

2. Tense

Present Simple → Past Simple

Present Continuous → Past Continuous

Present Perfect → Past Perfect

Past Simple → Past Perfect

Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous

Will → Would

Can → Could

May → Might

3. Time Expressions

Now → then

Today → that day

Yesterday → the previous day

Tomorrow → the following day

Last night → the previous night

Next week → the following week

Ago → before

4. Place Expressions

Here → there

This → that

These → those

10. Common Mistakes in Direct and Indirect Speech

Students often make mistakes while changing direct speech into indirect speech.

Here are some common mistakes.

Wrong:
He asked me that where I lived.

Correct:
He asked me where I lived.

Wrong:
She asked me that if I was ready.

Correct:
She asked me if I was ready.

Wrong:
He said me that he was busy.

Correct:
He told me that he was busy.

Wrong:
He asked me where did I live.

Correct:
He asked me where I lived.

Wrong:
She told me to not go there.

Correct:
She told me not to go there.

11. Easy Method to Change Direct into Indirect Speech

Whenever you see a Direct Speech sentence, follow these steps.

Step 1: Find the reporting verb.

Example:

He said to me, "I am busy."

Reporting verb = said

Step 2: Identify the type of sentence.

Is it:

A statement?

A question?

A command?

A request?

An exclamation?

A suggestion?

Step 3: Remove the quotation marks.

Step 4: Change the reporting verb if necessary.

For example:

said to → told

said to → asked

said to → requested

said to → advised

said → exclaimed

Step 5: Change the pronouns.

Step 6: Change the tense if required.

Step 7: Change time and place expressions if required.

Step 8: Check the final sentence.

12. Practice Exercise

Now try these sentences yourself.

Do not look at the answers immediately.

1. Ram said, "I am busy."

2. She said, "I have completed my work."

3. He said, "I will help you."

4. They said, "We are playing cricket."

5. Rina said, "I went to the market."

6. He said to me, "Are you ready?"

7. She said to me, "Where do you live?"

8. The teacher said to the boy, "Why are you late?"

9. My father said to me, "Work hard."

10. The doctor said to the patient, "Take this medicine."

11. The teacher said to the students, "Do not make noise."

12. He said to me, "Please help me."

13. She said, "Hurrah! We have won the match."

14. He said, "Alas! I have lost my bag."

15. The teacher said, "Let us start the lesson."

13. Answers to the Practice Exercise

1. Ram said that he was busy.

2. She said that she had completed her work.

3. He said that he would help me.

4. They said that they were playing cricket.

5. Rina said that she had gone to the market.

6. He asked me if I was ready.

7. She asked me where I lived.

8. The teacher asked the boy why he was late.

9. My father advised me to work hard.

10. The doctor advised the patient to take that medicine.

11. The teacher told the students not to make noise.

12. He requested me to help him.

13. She exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

14. He exclaimed with sorrow that he had lost his bag.

15. The teacher suggested that they should start the lesson.

14. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is Direct Speech?

Direct Speech gives the exact words spoken by a person. The exact words are usually placed inside quotation marks.

Q2. What is Indirect Speech?

Indirect Speech reports what someone said without repeating the exact words.

Q3. What is another name for Indirect Speech?

Indirect Speech is also called Reported Speech.

Q4. Does the tense always change?

No. The tense does not necessarily change when the reporting verb is in the present or future, or when the reported statement expresses a universal truth or a fact that remains true.

Q5. When do we use "if" or "whether"?

We generally use "if" or "whether" when reporting a Yes/No question.

Example:

Direct:
He asked, "Are you ready?"

Indirect:
He asked if I was ready.

Q6. Do we use "if" with Wh-questions?

No.

Example:

Direct:
He asked, "Where do you live?"

Correct:
He asked where I lived.

Not:
He asked if where I lived.

Q7. How do we change a command into indirect speech?

We generally use "told", "ordered", "commanded", "instructed", or another suitable reporting verb followed by "to + verb".

Example:

Direct:
The teacher said, "Stand up."

Indirect:
The teacher told me to stand up.

Q8. How do we change a negative command?

Use "not to + verb".

Example:

Direct:
The teacher said, "Do not make noise."

Indirect:
The teacher told the students not to make noise.

Q9. What happens to "will" in indirect speech?

When the reporting verb is in the past, "will" generally changes to "would".

Direct:
He said, "I will come."

Indirect:
He said that he would come.

Q10. How can I learn Direct and Indirect Speech easily?

Do not try to memorise all the examples at once.

First learn the basic tense changes. Then learn how to change statements, questions, commands, requests and exclamations.

Practise 10 sentences every day.

Conclusion

Direct and Indirect Speech is an important part of English grammar. It is useful for school examinations, competitive examinations, writing and everyday English.

The easiest way to learn it is through regular practice.

Start with simple statements.

Then practise questions.

After that, learn commands, requests, advice, exclamations, wishes and suggestions.

Do not worry if you make mistakes in the beginning. Mistakes are a natural part of learning English.

Read the 200 examples regularly and try to create your own sentences.

Keep practising.

Keep learning.

Keep improving your English.

Learn English with Purpose. Speak English with Confidence!

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