COURSE LESSON: Reported Speech (Direct-Indirect Narration)
1. Introduction to Reported Speech
Reported Speech is a way to express or report what someone else has said, without using the exact words (without quoting directly).
There are two types of speech:
- Direct Speech: The exact words spoken by someone are quoted inside inverted commas (“…”).
- Indirect Speech: The meaning of the original speech is conveyed without quoting the exact words.
2. Important Terms
- Reporter: The person who reports the speech.
- Reporting Verb: The verb used to introduce the reported speech (e.g., said, told, asked).
- Reported Speech: The part of the sentence that tells what someone said.
- Verb of Reported Speech: The main verb inside the reported speech.
Example:
She said to me, “I am going to Jaipur.”
- Reporter: She
- Reporting verb: said
- Reported speech: “I am going to Jaipur.”
- Verb of Reported Speech: am going
3. General Rules for Changing Direct to Indirect Speech
Rule 1: Removal of Inverted Commas
- In Indirect Speech, inverted commas (“…”) are removed.
- The reported speech is connected using the conjunction that (for statements).
Rule 2: Tense of the Reporting Verb
- If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported speech remains unchanged. Examples: He says, “I am ill.” → He says that he is ill.
- If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech changes according to rules (see next section). Examples: He said, “I am ill.” → He said that he was ill.
Rule 3: Change of Pronouns
Pronouns in the reported speech must change according to the subject and object of the reporting verb.
| Person | Subject Pronoun | Object Pronoun | Possessive Adjective | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (speaker) | I / We | me / us | my / our | mine / ours |
| 2nd (listener) | you | you | your | yours |
| 3rd (other) | he / she / it / they | him / her / it / them | his / her / its / their | his / hers / its / theirs |
✅ Tip:
- First Person changes according to the subject.
- Second Person changes according to the object.
- Third Person usually remains unchanged.
Rule 4: Change of Reporting Verb
When say to, says to, or said to is used in Direct Speech:
- Replace say to with tell
- Replace says to with tells
- Replace said to with told
Examples:
She said to me, “You are late.”
→ She told me that I was late.
Important: After “tell/tells/told”, always use an object.
Rule 5: Use of “That”
- In statements, “that” is used to connect the reporting verb and the reported speech.
- “That” is usually optional but preferred for clarity.
Examples:
He said, “I am ready.” → He said that he was ready.
4. Changes in Tenses
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech changes as follows:
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| Present Indefinite → | Past Indefinite |
| Present Continuous → | Past Continuous |
| Present Perfect → | Past Perfect |
| Present Perfect Continuous → | Past Perfect Continuous |
| Past Indefinite → | Past Perfect |
| Past Continuous → | Past Perfect Continuous |
| Past Perfect → | No Change |
| Past Perfect Continuous → | No Change |
Examples:
- He said, “I go to school.” → He said that he went to school.
- She said, “I am going home.” → She said that she was going home.
5. Changes in Modals
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| will / shall | would / should |
| can | could |
| may | might |
| could / should / would / might | No change |
6. Changes in Time and Place Expressions
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| this | that |
| these | those |
| here | there |
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day / following day |
| yesterday | the previous day |
| last week/month/year | the previous week/month/year |
| the day before yesterday | two days before |
| the day after tomorrow | in two days |
7. Reporting Different Types of Sentences
Apart from statements, different kinds of sentences are reported differently:
(a) Reporting Questions
- Use verbs like ask, inquire, want to know.
- No conjunction “that”; use if/whether (for yes-no questions).
- Use the same question word (what, where, why) for WH-questions.
Examples:
He said to me, “Are you happy?” → He asked me if I was happy.
She said, “Where are you going?” → She asked where I was going.
(b) Reporting Commands, Orders, Requests
- Use verbs like order, request, advise, beg, command, forbid.
- Use “to + base verb” for reporting.
Examples:
The teacher said to the students, “Be silent.” → The teacher ordered the students to be silent.
He said to me, “Please help me.” → He requested me to help him.
(c) Reporting Exclamations and Wishes
- Use verbs like exclaim, wish, pray, hope, etc.
- Expressions of emotion should be changed appropriately.
Examples:
He said, “What a beautiful day!” → He exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
She said, “May you succeed!” → She wished that I might succeed.
8. Common Errors to Avoid
- Always use an object after tell/told.
- Do not repeat told without an object.
- Remember tense changes when reporting in past tense.
- Ensure pronouns are changed correctly.
- Use appropriate reporting verbs according to the type of sentence.
✅ Summary
Reported Speech is used to report someone else’s words while making necessary changes in:
- Tenses
- Pronouns
- Time/Place expressions
- Reporting Verbs
- Sentence structure