Direct and Indirect Speech

What is the difference?

Direct speech gives the exact words in quotation marks. He said, “I am tired.”

Indirect speech reports the idea without quotes. He said that he was tired.

Why do the words change?

The reporter speaks later, from a different place and time.

So tenses, pronouns and time words must shift.

Can you turn direct into indirect?

Wrong: He said, “I am tired.”
Right: He said that he was tired.

Wrong: She said, “I will help.”
Right: She said that she would help.

Why this works: Drop the quotation marks, add that, and move the tense back.

How do tenses move back?

When the reporting verb is in the past, the tense moves one step back.

Am becomes was. Will becomes would. Can becomes could.

Sources: Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries: would.

What about perfect tenses?

Present perfect becomes past perfect. Have finished becomes had finished.

Simple past usually becomes past perfect as well.

Each tense moves one step back.

Which pronouns change?

The pronouns follow the speaker and the listener.

He said, “I am tired” becomes He said that he was tired.

What is the quick test?

Ask who is speaking and who is listening.

Then rewrite each pronoun from the reporter’s point of view.

Check who speaks and who listens.

Which words change?

Today becomes that day. Tomorrow becomes the next day. Yesterday becomes the day before.

Here becomes there. This becomes that.

Why do they change?

The reporter is no longer at the same time or place.

Now becomes then for the same reason.

These words move with the person reporting.

How do questions change?

Use normal word order. He asked, “Where do you live?” becomes He asked where I lived.

Drop do and did. Drop the question mark.

Sources: Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries: ask_1; Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries: live_1.

What about yes/no questions?

Use if or whether. She asked, “Are you ready?” becomes She asked if I was ready.

Keep the tense shift.

Can you fix the reported question?

Wrong: She asked where did I live.
Right: She asked where I lived.

Wrong: He asked me what was my name.
Right: He asked me what my name was.

Why this works: Reported questions use normal word order, with no did and no question mark.

How do commands change?

Use told, ordered or asked, then to and the base verb.

He said, “Open the door” becomes He ordered me to open the door.

How do polite requests change?

Use requested or asked. Please help me becomes requested him to help her.

Drop the word please.

Sources: Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries: request_1; Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries: help_1.

Can you report the command?

Wrong: He said to me, “Leave now.”
Right: He told me to leave then.

Wrong: She said, “Please help me.”
Right: She requested me to help her.

Why this works: Use told, ordered or requested, then to plus the base verb.

What stays the same?

Universal truths keep the present tense. The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Habits that still hold stay in the present too.

What if the reporting verb is present?

If the reporting verb is present, no tense shift is needed.

He says that he is tired.

Example: A fact that stays true

Take: The teacher said, The earth moves round the sun. The fact is always true.

So the tense does not shift. You write The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Why this works: a fact that holds today still holds when you report it.

How do you build the habit?

Change five direct sentences into indirect ones each day.

Then change them back.

Can you see one solved?

Take: She said, “I will call you tomorrow.” The reporting verb is in the past.

Will becomes would. You becomes me. Tomorrow becomes the next day.

So the answer is: She said that she would call me the next day.

What is a safe order of work?

First, find the reporting verb. Second, shift the tense. Third, fix the pronouns.

Last, change the time and place words, then read the sentence once.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Do not keep the quotation marks. Do not keep the question mark after a reported question.

Do not forget to change the pronoun along with the tense.

How do you review?

Do the quiz below. Re-read the rule for every miss.

Keep a table of tense, pronoun and time-word changes.

Common mistakes in reported speech

Wrong: He said that he will come tomorrow.
Right: He said that he would come the next day.

Wrong: She told that she was ready.
Right: She said that she was ready.

Why this works: Move the tense back and shift the time word. Use told only with a listener, as in told me.