Grammar - Reported Speech
Direct and Indirect Speech (Reported Speech) – Complete Explanation
1. What is Direct and Indirect Speech?
When we report what someone says, we can do it in two ways:
Direct Speech (Quoted Speech)
Indirect Speech (Reported Speech)
2. Direct Speech
Definition
Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by a person. The speaker's words are placed inside quotation marks (" ").
Structure
Reporting Verb + Comma + "Exact Words."
Examples
John said, "I am happy."
She said, "I will help you."
The teacher said, "Study hard."
3. Indirect Speech (Reported Speech)
Definition
Indirect speech reports the meaning of what someone said without using their exact words. Quotation marks are removed, and some changes in tense, pronouns, time, and place expressions may be necessary.
Structure
Reporting Subject + Reporting Verb + (that) + Reported Clause
Examples
Direct:
She said, "I am tired."
Indirect:
She said that she was tired.
4. Differences Between Direct and Indirect Speech
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| Uses the speaker's exact words | Reports the meaning |
| Uses quotation marks | No quotation marks |
| Usually separated by a comma | No comma before the reported clause |
| Often keeps the original tense | May change tense if the reporting verb is in the past |
5. Reporting Verbs
Common reporting verbs include:
say
tell
ask
reply
answer
explain
promise
advise
request
order
warn
suggest
Examples:
She said, "I am busy."
He told me that he was busy.
The teacher advised us to study.
Note: Tell is usually followed by an object (tell me, tell us), while say is not.
She said that she was tired. ✅
She told me that she was tired. ✅
She told that she was tired. ❌
6. Rules for Changing Direct to Indirect Speech
Step 1: Remove Quotation Marks
Direct:
He said, "I am busy."
Indirect:
He said that he was busy.
Step 2: Change the Pronoun
The pronoun changes according to the speaker and listener.
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| I | he / she |
| we | they |
| my | his / her |
| our | their |
| me | him / her |
| us | them |
| you | I, we, he, she, they (depends on context) |
Example:
Direct:
Mary said, "I love my job."
Indirect:
Mary said that she loved her job.
Step 3: Change the Tense (Backshifting)
If the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked), the tense usually moves one step back.
Tense Changes
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| Present Simple | Past Simple |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| Past Simple | Past Perfect |
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| Past Perfect | Past Perfect (no change) |
| Future (will) | would |
| can | could |
| may | might |
| shall | should / would |
Examples
Present Simple → Past Simple
Direct:
She said, "I play tennis."
Indirect:
She said that she played tennis.
Present Continuous → Past Continuous
Direct:
He said, "I am reading."
Indirect:
He said that he was reading.
Present Perfect → Past Perfect
Direct:
She said, "I have finished."
Indirect:
She said that she had finished.
Past Simple → Past Perfect
Direct:
He said, "I visited Bagan."
Indirect:
He said that he had visited Bagan.
Future → Would
Direct:
She said, "I will come."
Indirect:
She said that she would come.
7. Change of Time Expressions
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tonight | that night |
| yesterday | the previous day / the day before |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| last week | the previous week |
| next week | the following week |
| ago | before |
| this | that |
| these | those |
Examples
Direct:
He said, "I will come tomorrow."
Indirect:
He said that he would come the next day.
8. Change of Place Expressions
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| here | there |
| this place | that place |
| come | go (sometimes, depending on context) |
Example:
Direct:
She said, "I live here."
Indirect:
She said that she lived there.
9. Reporting Statements
Structure
Subject + said/told + (that) + clause
Examples
Direct:
He said, "I am hungry."
Indirect:
He said that he was hungry.
10. Reporting Yes/No Questions
Use if or whether.
Structure
Subject + asked + if/whether + statement order
Example
Direct:
She asked, "Are you busy?"
Indirect:
She asked if I was busy.
Another example:
Direct:
"Did you finish your homework?" the teacher asked.
Indirect:
The teacher asked whether we had finished our homework.
11. Reporting Wh- Questions
Keep the question word, but use statement word order.
Example
Direct:
He asked, "Where do you live?"
Indirect:
He asked where I lived.
Another example:
Direct:
She asked, "Why are you late?"
Indirect:
She asked why I was late.
12. Reporting Commands and Requests
Use:
tell/order/ask/request + object + to + V1
Positive Commands
Direct:
The teacher said, "Open your books."
Indirect:
The teacher told the students to open their books.
Negative Commands
Direct:
Mother said, "Do not run."
Indirect:
Mother told me not to run.
13. Reporting Suggestions
Use verbs such as:
suggested
recommended
proposed
Examples
Direct:
He said, "Let's go to the park."
Indirect:
He suggested going to the park.
or
He suggested that we go to the park.
14. Reporting Exclamations
Use verbs like:
exclaimed
exclaimed with joy
exclaimed with surprise
Examples
Direct:
She said, "What a beautiful flower!"
Indirect:
She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful flower.
15. When Tense Does NOT Change
Backshifting is not necessary when:
A. The reporting verb is in the present.
Direct:
She says, "I like music."
Indirect:
She says that she likes music.
B. The statement expresses a universal truth.
Direct:
The teacher said, "The Earth moves around the Sun."
Indirect:
The teacher said that the Earth moves around the Sun.
C. The information is still true.
Direct:
He said, "I live in Yangon."
Indirect:
He said that he lives in Yangon. (if he still lives there)
16. Common Errors
❌ She said that "I am tired."
✅ She said that she was tired.
❌ He asked where did I live.
✅ He asked where I lived.
❌ Mother told me don't run.
✅ Mother told me not to run.
❌ She told that she was happy.
✅ She said that she was happy.
or
✅ She told me that she was happy.
17. Summary Table
| Type | Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | "I am busy." | He said (that) he was busy. |
| Yes/No Question | "Are you ready?" | He asked if I was ready. |
| Wh- Question | "Where do you live?" | He asked where I lived. |
| Command | "Sit down." | He told me to sit down. |
| Negative Command | "Don't shout." | He told me not to shout. |
| Suggestion | "Let's study." | He suggested studying. |
| Exclamation | "How wonderful!" | He exclaimed that it was wonderful. |
18. Practice
Change the following into indirect speech.
John said, "I am tired."
Answer: John said that he was tired.
She said, "I will help you."
Answer: She said that she would help me.
The teacher said, "Study hard."
Answer: The teacher told the students to study hard.
He asked, "Where do you live?"
Answer: He asked where I lived.
Mother said, "Don't play with fire."
Answer: Mother told me not to play with fire.
19. Memory Tips
Direct Speech → Uses the speaker's exact words inside quotation marks.
Indirect Speech → Reports the meaning without quotation marks.
If the reporting verb is in the past, the tense usually moves one step back.
Yes/No questions → Use if or whether.
Wh- questions → Keep the question word, but change to statement word order.
Commands → Use to + V1 or not to + V1.
20. Easy Definition to Remember
Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by someone and uses quotation marks.
She said, "I am happy."
Indirect speech (reported speech) reports the meaning of what someone said without using the exact words. It often requires changes to pronouns, tense, time expressions, and sentence structure.
She said that she was happy.
Mastering direct and indirect speech is essential for reporting conversations accurately in everyday communication, storytelling, journalism, academic writing, and formal English.
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