What is Reported Speech?

When the listener has to tell what someone said to someone, he tells in two ways. He tells, speaker's statement as it is or he makes some changes in the speaker's sentence. He tells the speaker's sentence as it is, it is called direct speech or direct narration and if he makes some changes in it, it is called indirect speech or indirect narration.

1) Direct Speech/Narration:

Direct narration is a kind of speech which is reported by some other person exactly in the words spoken by the speaker. While writing, this speech is placed within inverted commas.

Ex. Raj said to the teacher, “I will submit the assignment on Monday.” (Direct Narration).

Indirect Speech/Narration:

Indirect narration is a speech which is reported by listener by using certain conjunctions in place of commas and making necessary changes in the tenses, time, place and the pronouns of the reported speech.

Ex. Raj told the teacher that he would submit the assignment on Monday.” (Indirect Speech)

Structure of Direct to indirect 

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

Friend, there are a few important changes to be made while forming Direct to Indirect Speech/Narration.

        1) Reporting Verb
        2) Conjunction
        3) Tense
        4) Pronoun
        5) Time
        6) Place

1) Changes in Reporting Verb:

 

SR. NO.	TYPES OF THE SENTENCE	DIRECT	INDIRECT
1	Assertive Sentence	says said said to etc.	Says Said told
2	Interrogative Sentence	asks said asked enquires Enquired	asks asked asked enquires enquired
3	Exclamatory Sentence	exclaims exclaimed	Exclaims with Exclaimed with
4	Imperative  Sentence	orders Advises commands  warns begs suggests ordered advised commanded warned begged Suggested etc.	orders to advises to commands to warns to begs to suggests to ordered to advised to commanded warned to begged to suggested to

2) Changes in Conjunction:

Sr. No.	Types of the Sentences	Direct	Indirect
1	Assertive Sentence	….., “.......”	that
2	Interrogative Sentence	….., “.......”	Verbal question;  if /whether Wh question; wh…. (word)
3	Exclamatory Sentence	….., “........”	that
4	Imperative Sentence	….., “........”	to…………

3) Changes in Tense:

SR. NO.	DIRECT	INDIRECT
1	Simple Present Tense	Simple Past Tense
2	Present Continuous Tense	Past Continuous Tense
3	Present Perfect Tense	Past Perfect Tense
4	Present Perfect Continuous Tense	Past Perfect Continuous Tense
5	Simple Past Tense	Past Perfect Tense
6	Past Continuous Tense	Past Perfect Continuous Tense
7	Past Perfect Tense	No Change
8	Past Perfect Continuous Tense	No Change
9	Simple Future Tense	will/ shall becomes would/should
10	Future Continuous Tense
11	Future Perfect Continuous
12	Future Perfect Continuous Tense

4) Changes in Pronoun:

SR. NO.	DIRECT	INDIRECT
1	I	he/she
2	me	him/her
3	my	his/her
4	we	they
5	us	them
6	our	their
7	you	I/he/she/they
8	he/she/they	he/she/they
9	them	them

5) Changes in Time:

SR. NO.	DIRECT	INDIRECT
1	Now	then
2	just	just/then
3	ago	before
4	today	today/that day
5	tomorrow	the next day/ the following day
6	yesterday	the day before/ the previous day
7	last night	the night before
8	last  week	the week before
9	last month	the month before
10	Last year	the year before

6) Changes in Place:

SR. NO.	DIRECT	INDIRECT
1	here	there
2	this	that
3	that	that
4 5	these those	those                           those

Friends, for a better understanding of reported speech/narration, sentences are given in all Types of sentences.

1) Assertive Sentences With examples:

        Sentences showing statements in affirmative and negative.

SR. NO.	DIRECT	INDIRECT
1	Simple Present Tense Raj said, ''Virat plays cricket."	Simple Past Tense Raj said that Virat played cricket.
2	Present Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Virat is playing cricket."	Past Continuous Tense Raj said that Virat was playing cricket.
3	Present Perfect Tense Raj said, ''Virat has played cricket."	Past Perfect Tense Raj said that Virat had played cricket.
4	Present Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Virat has been playing cricket.”	Past Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said that Virat had been playing cricket.
5	Simple Past Tense Raj said, ''Virat played cricket.”	Past Perfect Tense Raj said that Virat had played cricket.
6	Past Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Virat was playing cricket.”	Past Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said that Virat had been playing cricket.
7	Past Perfect Tense Raj said, ''Virat had played cricket."	Past Perfect Tense (No change) Raj said that Virat had played cricket.
8	Past Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Virat had been playing cricket."	Past Perfect Con. Tense (No change) Raj said that Virat had been playing cricket.
9	Simple Future Tense Raj said, ''Virat will play cricket."	Simple Future Tense (will-would) Raj said that Virat would play cricket.
10	Future Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Virat will be playing cricket."	Future Continuous Tense Raj said that Virat would be playing cricket.
11	Future Perfect Tense Raj said, ''Virat will have played cricket."	Future Perfect Tense Raj said that Virat would have played cricket.
12	Future Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Virat will have been playing cricket."	Future Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said that Virat would have been playing cricket.

Important Note:

i) If the Reporting Verb 'say/says' is a present tense, there is no change in the tense.

Examples;
Direct: He says, “I speak English.”

Indirect: He says that he speaks English.

ii) If the original sentence has a Universal Truth, Scientific Fact, or a General Fact, there is no change in Tense. Even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.

Examples;

Direct: Poet said, "Water follows."
Indirect: Poet said that water follows.

Direct: Sharvaree said 'Honesty is best they policy.
Indirect: Sharvaree said that honesty is the best policy.

2) Interrogative Sentences:

    

i) Verbal Question or Yes/No Question;

SR. NO.	DIRECT	INDIRECT
1	Simple Present Tense Raj said, ''Does Virat play cricket?"	Simple Past Tense Raj said if/whether Virat played cricket.
2	Present Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Is Virat playing cricket?"	Past Continuous Tense Raj said if/whether Virat was playing cricket.
3	Present Perfect Tense Raj said, ''Has Virat played cricket?"	Past Perfect Tense Raj said if/whether Virat had played cricket.
4	Present Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Has Virat been playing cricket?”	Past Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said if/whether Virat had been playing cricket.
5	Simple Past Tense Raj said, ''Did Virat play cricket?”	Past Perfect Tense Raj said if/whether Virat had played cricket.
6	Past Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Was Virat playing cricket?”	Past Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said if/whether Virat had been playing cricket.
7	Past Perfect Tense Raj said, ''Had Virat played cricket?"	Past Perfect Tense (No change) Raj said if/whether Virat had played cricket.
8	Past Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Had Virat been playing cricket?"	Past Perfect Con. Tense (No change) Raj said if/whether Virat had been playing cricket.
9	Simple Future Tense Raj said, ''Will Virat play cricket?"	Simple Future Tense (will-would) Raj said if/whether Virat would play cricket.
10	Future Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Will Virat be playing cricket?"	Future Continuous Tense Raj said if/whether Virat would be playing cricket.
11	Future Perfect Tense Raj said, ''Will Virat have played cricket?"	Future Perfect Tense Raj said if/whether Virat would have played cricket.
12	Future Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said, ''Will Virat have been playing cricket?"	Future Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said if/whether Virat would have been playing cricket.

ii) Wh...... Question;

SR. NO.	DIRECT	INDIRECT
1	Simple Present Tense Raj said, ''What does Virat play?"	Simple Past Tense Raj said what Virat played?
2	Present Continuous Tense Raj said, ''What is Virat playing?"	Past Continuous Tense Raj said what Virat was playing ?
3	Present Perfect Tense Raj said, ''What was Virat played?"	Past Perfect Tense Raj said what Virat had played?
4	Present Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said, ''What was Virat been playing?”	Past Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said what Virat had been playing?
5	Simple Past Tense Raj said, ''What did Virat play?”	Past Perfect Tense Raj said what Virat had played?
6	Past Continuous Tense Raj said, ''What was Virat playing?”	Past Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said what Virat had been playing?
7	Past Perfect Tense Raj said, ''What had Virat played?"	Past Perfect Tense (No change) Raj said what Virat had played?
8	Past Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said, ''What had Virat been playing?"	Past Perfect Con. Tense (No change) Raj said what Virat had been playing?
9	Simple Future Tense Raj said, ''What will Virat play?"	Simple Future Tense (will-would) Raj said what Virat would play?
10	Future Continuous Tense Raj said, ''What will Virat be playing?"	Future Continuous Tense Raj said what Virat would be playing?
11	Future Perfect Tense Raj said, ''What will Virat have played?"	Future Perfect Tense Raj said what Virat would have played?
12	Future Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said, ''What will Virat have been playing?"	Future Perfect Continuous Tense Raj said what Virat would have been playing?

3) Exclamatory Sentence:

States strong emotions or sudden feelings like joy, surprise, sorrow, etc.

Let's learn How to change it Direct into Indirect step by step:

i) Remove interjections word and exclamatory mark like Wow! Hurray! Alas! Oh!

ii) Use reporting verbs like:

• exclaimed with joy
• exclaimed with sorrow
• cried out
• exclaimed/said with surprise etc.

iii) Convert the exclamatory sentence into a assertive/statement/declarative sentence.

Examples:

Direct: She said, "Hurray! We won the IPL!"

Indirect: She exclaimed with joy that they had won the IPL.

Direct: He said, "Wow! What a pleasant atmosphere it is!"

Indirect: He said with surprise that it was a very pleasant atmosphere.

Direct: She said, "Alas! She failed."

Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that she had failed.

iv) Imperative Sentences:

Shows, Commands, Requests, Advice, Orders etc.

How to change:

Imperative sentences always start with a verb Go, Drink, Don’t cross.

In reported speech, change the verb into an infinitive form i. e. to + verb.

Use reporting verbs like:

told - for command

asked - for request/question

advised, ordered, requested, (use based on Tone of the speaker)

Examples:

Direct: The lecturer said, "Submit your assignment."

Indirect: The teacher ordered us to open our books.

Direct: She said, "Please give me a glass of water."

Indirect: She requested me to give her a glass of water.

In imperative sentences, use “not to” for negative commands.

Direct: He said, "Don’t cross the road!"

Indirect: He warned me not to cross the road.

Conclusion:

Friends, in Reported Speech, we change the words spoken by someone into speaker's own words while keeping the meaning the same.

Whether it's a statement/assertive, interrogative, exclamation or imperative each type has its own way of being reported. Therefore Changes of Tense, pronouns, time and place rules must be followed.

Friends, if you have any doubt please contact us.