Direct Indirect, Reported Speech

 

 

Reported Speech/ Direct- Indirect

10.02.2022

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Dr. Ila Gupta

Mody University

Overview

Direct Speech- Quotes the exact words of the speaker.

Eg.,  Ravi said, “ He is looking for a job here”.

Indirect Speech- gives the substance of what is said by the speaker in direct speech.

Eg., Ravi said that he was looking for a job there.

Rules

Rule no.1.- Simple Present becomes Simple Past

Eg.,  (D)  Surya said, “ I am out of town”.

 (ID)  Surya said that he was out of town

Rule no. 2- Present Continuous becomes Past Continous

Eg., DS-  Ravi said, “ He is looking for a job here”.

Indirect Speech-  Ravi said that he was looking for a job there.

Rule no. 3- Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect

Eg., DS-  Radha said, “I have practiced the dance”.

  ID- Radha said that she had practiced the dance.

Rule no.4- Present Perfect Continous becomes Past Perfect

Eg., DS- Krishna said, “I have been writing a letter to the Prime Minister”.

ID- Krishna said that he had been writing a letter to the PM.

Rule no.5- Simple past becomes Past Perfect

Eg.,  DS - Aditya said, “I wrote a poem on mother’s b’day”.

IS-  Aditya said that he had written a poem on mother’s b’day.

Rule no. 6- Past Continous becomes Past Perfect Continuous.

Eg., DS - Bhaskar said , “ I was writing poetry yesterday”.

IS- Bhaskar said that he had been writing poetry yesterday.

Ruleno. 7-  Past Perfect and Past Perfect Contiuous- No change

DS- He said, “ I had written a poetry”.

IS- He said he had written a poetry.

Rule No. 8-  Future Tense becomes Future Conditional Tense

DS-  He said, “ Sooraj will write a letter”.

IS- He said that Sooraj would write a letter.

Rule No. 9- If the Reporting Verb is in Present Tense or Future Tense, the tense of the Verb is not changed.

DS- Sooraj says, “I write a poem”.

IS-  Sooraj says that he writes a poem.

Reporting Questions: use of “if & whether”

Eg., DS- Sooraj said, “ Are you happy here?”

IS- Sooraj enquired if they were happy there.

Negative Commands—---------------------- by not+ Infinitive

Eg., DS- The captain said to his soldiers, “Don’t return the fire.”

IS- The captain ordered his soldiers not to return fire.

Use of Let—------------------------Suggested.

Eg., DS-  Sooraj said, “ Let’s listen to the music”.

IS-  He suggested our listening to the music.

  Or

He suggested that we should listen to some music.

Infinitive—--------------To

Eg., DS- The doctor said, “Let no one touch the body”.

IS-  The doctor said that no one was to touch the body.

Request- 

Eg., DS- The hungry dog’s face said, “Please give me some food”.

IS-  The hungry dog’s face begged/requested/entreated to give him some food.

Exclamation-

Eg., DS- She cried, “O that I were dead”.

IS- She wished that she were dead.