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In the English language, direct and indirect speech are essential tools in both written and spoken communication. It enables individuals to express what they others have said with clarity and accuracy. Understanding both forms is important not only for effective storytelling, reporting, and academic writing but also for developing comprehension and grammatical accuracy. This article provides a detailed understanding of direct and indirect speech with examples and solved exercises.
What is Direct and Indirect Speech
Direct and Indirect speech are the two ways of reporting what someone has said.
Direct speech refers to the exact words spoken by the person and is usually enclosed in quotation marks. Let’s understand direct speech with the help of an example given in the table below -
| Paul came in and said, “I’m really hungry.” |
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Indirect speech reports what someone has said without using speech marks and without necessarily using the exact words. It involves a change in tense, pronouns, and time expressions. We can understand indirect speech with the help of the example given below -
| Paul came in and said that he was really hungry |
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Direct and Indirect Speech Rules
In order to convert a speech from direct to indirect form, there are several factors that need to be considered, such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronouns, tenses, etc.
Rule 1: Remove the quotation marks
It should be noted that while writing indirect speech, quotation marks are not used. Instead, use “that” to connect the reporting verb and the reporting speech.
Understand with the example given below;
| Direct | He said, “I am tired.” |
| Indirect | He said that he was tired |
Rule 2: Change the tense
- If the reporting verb of the sentence is in the present tense, then the tense remains unchanged.
- If the reporting verb is in the past tense, then change the tense of the original sentence.
The direct speech tense will change into indirect speech -
- am/is change into was
- Are change into were
- was/were change into had been
- Will change into would
- Shall change into should
- do/does change into did
- Did change into had done
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| am/is | was |
| are | were |
| was/were | Had been |
| will | would |
| shall | should |
| do/does | did |
| did | Had done |
For Example -
- Direct Speech - He said, “I have finished my work.”
- Here, the tense will change while converting into indirect speech.
- Indirect Speech - He said that he had finished his work.
Rule 3: If the quote or message under inverted commas is a universal truth or a habitual action, then the tense remains the same.
Direct: He said, ‘We cannot live without air’.
Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.
Rule 4 - Change Pronouns
The first person in direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech.
For Example -
Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”
Indirect: He says that he was in class Twelfth.
The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech.
For Example -
Direct: She says to them, “You have done your work.”
Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.
The third person of direct speech doesn’t change.
For Example -
Direct: He says, “She dances well.”
Indirect: He says that she dances well.
Rule 5 - Change Time and Place Words
In direct speeches, the words that express time or place are changed to words that express distance in indirect speech.
- Today changes into that day
- Tomorrow changes into that next day
- Yesterday changes into the day before
- Now changes into then
- Here changes into there
- This changes into that
- These changes into those
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | that next day |
| yesterday | The day before |
| now | then |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
Rule 6 - For Questions
If a sentence in direct speech starts with a question, no conjunction will be used while converting it into indirect speech, and the question mark will be removed.
- Use if/whether for yes or no questions
For Example - (Direct) He asked, “Are you coming?”
(Indirect) He asked if I was coming.
Change the word order to a statement form.
For Example - (Direct) Where do you live?
(Indirect) She asked where I lived.
Rule 7 - For Commands and Requests
Use verbs like told, asked, ordered, requested, advised, etc, followed by to + verb
For Example - (Direct) Please help me
(Indirect) She asked me to help her.
Difference between Direct and Indirect Speech
The difference between direct and indirect speech in given in the table below. The difference is based on several factors.
| Basis | Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| Quotation marks | Uses quotation to delimit the words of the speaker. | Does not require quotation marks. |
| Punctuation | The punctuation is used inside the quotation marks. | No use of punctuation |
| Tenses | The tense used will be the same as the speaker originally spoke | The tense will depend on the reporting verb. |
| Pronouns and Adverbs | Pronouns like “I”, “My”, “Our” | Pronouns will depend on the reporting person’s point of view. |
Direct and Indirect Speech Examples
In the table below, there are a few mixed examples based on the rules given above.
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| She said, “I am learning French.” | She said that she was learning French. |
| I am living in Paris | He said he was living in Paris. |
| They said, “We went to the zoo yesterday.” | They said they had gone to the zoo the day before. |
| She asked, “Where are you going?” | She asked where was I going. |
| I said, “My brother has passed the exam.” | I said that my brother had passed the exam. |
| He said, “Do you like football?” | He asked if I liked football |
| The teacher said, “Be quiet.” | The teacher told us to be quiet. |
| "The sun rises in the east," said the scientist. | The scientist said that the sun rises in the east. |
Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises With Answers
Direct to Indirect (Assertive Sentences)
She said, “I am going to the market.”
She said she was going to the market.
He said, “My mother is a teacher.”
He said that his mother is a teacher.
Riya said, “I like ice cream.”
Riya said that she liked ice cream.
He said, “We have finished our work.”
He said that they have finished their work.
They said, “We will watch a movie tonight.”
They said that they would watch a movie that night.
Yes/No questions
She asked, “Do you know him?”
She asked if I knew him.
They asked, “Is she your sister?”
They asked if she was my sister.
I said, “ Have you done your homework?”
I asked if he had done his homework.
He said, “Are you coming with us?”
He asked if I was coming with him.
She asked, “Did you go to school yesterday?”
She asked if he had gone to school the day before.
Commands and Requests
He said to the driver, “Stop the car!”
He ordered the driver to stop the car.
She said, “Don’t be late.”
She told me not to be late.
He said, “Please help me.”
He requested me to help him.
Father said, “Wash your hands.”
Father told me to wash my hands.
The teacher said, “Close the Door.”
The teacher told me to close the door.
Mixed Types
He said, “I can’t swim.”
He said that he could swim.
He said, “I have been working since morning.”
He said that he had been working since morning.
They said, “We must finish this today.”
They said that they have to finish that that day.
She said, “I may come tomorrow.”
She said she might come the next day.
She said, “I was reading when he called.”
She said she had been reading when he had called.
Indirect Speech to Direct Speech
He said that he was going to the market.
He said, "I am going to the market."
She told him that she would meet him the next day.
She said to him, "I will meet you tomorrow."
They announced that the show had been postponed.
They announced, "The show has been postponed."
He asked me if I could help him.
He asked me, "Can you help me?"
The teacher ordered the students to open their books.
The teacher ordered the students, "Open your books."
She inquired whether I was feeling better.
She inquired, "Are you feeling better?"
He exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
He exclaimed, "What a beautiful day!"
The doctor advised him to take a rest.
The doctor advised him, "Take rest."
My mother told me not to waste food.
My mother told me, "Don't waste food."
He confessed that he had broken the vase.
He confessed, "I broke the vase."
She promised that she would always be there for him.
She promised, "I will always be there for you."
The old man wished them good luck.
The old man said, "Good luck!"
He wondered where they had gone.
He wondered, "Where have they gone?"
She suggested that they go for a walk.
She suggested, "Let's go for a walk."
The principal informed the parents that the school would be closed.
The principal informed the parents, "The school will be closed."
He complained that the service was poor.
He complained, "The service is poor."
She explained that she was busy that day.
She explained, "I am busy today."
He warned them not to touch the wire.
He warned them, "Don't touch the wire."
My friend asked me what I was doing.
My friend asked me, "What are you doing?"
The children shouted that they were hungry.
The children shouted, "We are hungry!"
She denied that she had stolen the money.
She denied, "I did not steal the money."
He assured me that he would complete the task.
He assured me, "I will complete the task."
The tourist asked the guide how far the museum was.
The tourist asked the guide, "How far is the museum?"
She regretted that she could not attend the party.
She regretted, "I cannot attend the party."
He urged them to hurry up.
He urged them, "Hurry up!"
Active and Passive vs Direct and Indirect Speech
In active voice, the subject does the action.
Subject + Verb + Object
For example, The teacher teaches the student.
In passive voice, the subject receives the action.
Object + form of “be” + past participle.
For example - The students are taught by the teacher.
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
| Subject + Verb + Object | Object + form of “be” + past participle. |
Direct Speech and Indirect Speech
In direct speech, we quote the exact words said by the speaker.
- Enclosed in quotation marks.
- For example, He said, “I am happy.”
Indirect speech is reporting what someone has said.
- There will be no quotation marks, and tenses and pronouns will change accordingly.
For Example - He said that he was happy.
Also Read -
English Tenses Chart PDF: 12 Tenses With Rules, Uses & Examples
Modal Verbs - Definition, Examples, Usage Table and Exercises
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