There two ways to convey a message of a person, or the words spoken by a person to other person.
1. Direct speech
2. Indirect speech
Suppose your friend whose name is John tells you in school, "I will give you a pen". You come to home and you want to tell your brother what your friend told you. There are two ways to tell him.
We may report the words of a speaker in two ways:
I) We may quote his actual words. This is called Direct Speech.
ii) We may report what he said without quoting his exact words. This is called Indirect (or Reported) Speech.
Direct: Rama said, "I am very busy now."
Indirect: Rama said that he was very busy then.
It will be noticed that in Direct Speech, we use inverted commas to mark off the exact words of the speaker. In Indirect Speech we do not.
It will be further noticed that in changing the above Direct Speech into Indirect certain changes have been made. Thus,
i) We have used the conjunction ‘that’ before the Indirect statement.
ii) The pronoun ‘I’ is changed to ‘he’. (The Pronoun is changed in Person.)
iii) The verb ‘am’ is changed to ‘was’. (Present Tense is changed to Past.)
iv) The adverb ‘now’ is changed to ‘then’.
Rules for changing Direct Speech into Indirect: When the reporting or principal verb is in the Past Tense, all Present tenses of the Direct are changed into the corresponding Past Tenses.
Thus: a) A simple present becomes a simple past.
Direct: He said, "I am unwell."
Indirect: He said (that) he was unwell.
Direct and Indirect Speech
b) A present continuous becomes a past continuous.
Direct: He said, "My master is writing letters."
Indirect: He said (that) his master was writing letters,
c) A present perfect becomes a past perfect.
Direct: He said, "I have passed the examination."
Indirect: He said (that) he had passed the examination.
Note: The ‘shall’ of the Future Tense is changed into should. The ‘will’ of the Future Tense is changed into would or should.
As a rule, the simple past in the Direct becomes the past perfect in the Indirect.
Direct: He said, "The horse died in the night."
Indirect: He said that the horse had died in the night.
If the reporting verb is in the Present Tense, the tenses of the Direct Spee ch do not change. For example, we may rewrite the above examples, putting the reporting verb in the Present Tense, thus:
• He says he is unwell.
• He has just said his master is writing letters.
• He says he has passed the examination.
• He says the horse died in the night.
The pronouns of the Direct Speech are changed, where necessary, so that their relations with the reporter and his hearer, rather than with the original speaker, are indicated. To be a little clearer, the change of pronouns can be explained like this. The pronouns of the first person are changed to the pronouns of the same person as the subject of the reporting verb.
She said, "I am busy" (Direct)
She said that she was busy (Indirect)
I said, "I am busy" (Direct)
I said that I was busy (Indirect)
You said, "I am busy" (Direct)
You said that you were busy (Indirect)
He said, "I am busy" (Direct)
He said that he was busy (Indirect)
They said, "We are busy" (Direct)
They said that they were busy (Indirect)
We said, "We are busy" (Direct)
We said that we were busy (Indirect)
The pronouns of second person are changed to the pronouns of the same person as the object of the reporting verb.
Observe the following examples
Direct : He said to me, "I don’t believe you."
Indirect: He told me that he didn’t believe me
Direct : She said to him, "I don’t believe you."
Indirect: She told him that she didn’t believe him
Direct: I said to him, "I don’t believe you."
Indirect: I told him that I didn’t believe him.
Direct: I said to you, "I don’t believe you."
Indirect : I told you that I didn’t believe you.
Words expressing nearness in time or place are generally changed into words expressing distance.
Thus: Now becomes then to-day becomes that day
Here becomes there tomorrow becomes the next day
Ago becomes before yesterday becomes the day before
Thus becomes so last night becomes the night before
Direct: He said, "I am glad to be here this evening."
Indirect: He said that he was glad to be there that evening.
The changes do not occur if the speech is reported during the same period or at the same place;
Ex: Direct: He says, "I am glad to be here this evening."
Indirect: He says he is glad to be here this evening.
Similarly, this and these are changed to that and those unless the thing pointed out is near at hand at the time of reporting the speech.
In reporting questions, the Indirect Speech is introduced by some such verbs as asked, inquired, wanted to know, interrogated etc. When the question is not introduced by an interrogative word, the reporting verb is followed by whether or if.
Direct : He said to me, "What are you doing?"
Indirect: He asked me what I was doing.
Direct : "Where do you live?" asked the stranger.
Indirect : The stranger enquired where I live.
Direct: The policeman said to us, "Where are you going?"
Indirect: The policeman enquired where we were going.
Direct: He said, "Will you listen to such a man?"
Indirect: He asked them/me whether they/I would listen to such a man.
Direct : "Do you suppose you know better than your own father?"
Jeered his angry mother.
Indirect : His angry mother jeered and asked whether he supposed that he knew
better than his own father.
Commands and Requests:
In reporting commands and requests, the Indirect speech is introduced by some verb expressing command or request, and the Imperative mood is changed into the Infinitive.
Direct: Rama said to Arjun, "Go away,"
Indirect: Rama ordered Arjun to go away.
Direct: He said to him, "Please wait here till I return."
Indirect: He requested him to wait there till he returned.
Direct: "Call the first witness." said the judge,
Indirect: The judge commanded them to call the first witness.
Direct: He shouted, "Let me go."
Indirect : He shouted to them to let him go.
Direct: He said, "Be quiet and listen to my words."
Indirect: He urged them to be quiet and listen to his words.
In reporting exclamations and wishes the Indirect Speech is introduced by some verb expressing exclamation or wish.
Direct: He said, "Alas! I am undone,"
Indirect: He exclaimed sadly that he was undone.
Direct : Alice said, "How clever I am!"
Indirect : Alice exclaimed that she was very clever.
Direct: He said, "Bravo! You have done well."
Indirect: He applauded him, saying that he had done well.
Direct : "So help me Heaven!" he cried, "I will never steal again."
Indirect: He called upon Heaven to witness his resolve never to steal again.
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