Direct and Indirect Speech

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
There are two ways of relating what a person has said: direct and indirect.
In direct speech we repeat the original speaker’s exact words:
e.g. He said, “I want to go home”.
Remarks are placed between inverted commas, and a comma or colon is placed
immediately before the remark.
In indirect speech we give the exact meaning of a speech, without necessarily
using the speaker’s exact words:
e.g. He said (that) he wanted to go home.
There is no comma after say in indirect speech; that can usually be omitted after
say and tell + object.
When we turn direct speech into indirect, some changes are necessary.
After present, future and present perfect reporting verbs, tenses are usually the
same as in the original:
e.g. I’ll tell her your idea is great.

Tom says he doesn’t want to play any more.
The government has announced that taxes will be raised.
After past reporting verbs, the verbs of the original speech are usually
“backshifted” – made more past. In this case the rule of sequence of tenses is
applied. The changes are shown in the following table:
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
Simple Present Simple Past
He said, “I like my new house”. He said (that) he liked his new house.
Present Continuous Past Continuous
He said, “I am waiting for her”. He said (that) he was waiting for her.
Present Perfect Past Perfect

He said, “I have found her key”. He said (that) he had found her key.
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
He said, “The baby has been sleeping He said (that) the baby had been
for 2 hours”. sleeping for 2 hours.
Simple Past Past Perfect
He said, “I took her to the cinema He said (that) he had taken her to the
with me”. cinema with him.
Future Conditional
He said, “I’ll ask Tom to help me”. He said (that) he would ask Tom to
help him.
Future Continuous Conditional Continuous
He said, “I’ll be using the car myself He said (that) he would be using the
on the 10th”. car himself on the 10th.
Past tenses are often left unchanged, if this can be done without causing
confusion about the relative times of the action.
e.g. He said, “Ann arrived on Monday”.

He said Ann arrived (or had arrived) on Monday.
He said, “When I saw them they were playing tennis”.

He said that when he saw them they were playing tennis.
Would, should, ought to, might, used to, could and must usually remain
unchanged.
e.g. He said, “Ann might ring any minute”.

He said that Ann might ring any minute.
He said, “I should be back by 10”.

He said that he should be back by 10.
Pronouns and possessive adjectives usually change from first or second to third
person except when the speaker is reporting his own words:
e.g. He said, “I like my new shoes”.

He said that he liked his new shoes.
But I said, “I like my new shoes”.

I said that I liked my new shoes. (the speaker is reporting his own words)
In indirect speech adverbs and adverbial phrases of time and place as well as
demonstrative pronouns change as follows:
DIRECT INDIRECT
today that day

yesterday the day before
the day before yesterday two days before
tomorrow the next day / the following
day
the day after tomorrow in two days’ time
next week / year etc. the following week / year
etc.
last week / year etc. the previous week / day etc.
a year ago a year before / the previous
year
here there
this that
these those
Indirect statements are normally introduced by say, or tell + object (person

addressed).
e.g. He said he had just heard the news.

He told me that he had just heard the news.
Say can introduce a direct statement or follow it:
e.g. Tom said, “I’ll do it tomorrow”.

“I’ll do it tomorrow”, Tom said.
Inversion of say and noun subject is possible when say follows the statement:
e.g. “I’ll do it tomorrow”, said Tom.
When we turn direct questions into indirect, the following changes are
necessary.
Tenses, pronouns and possessive adjectives, and adverbs of time and place
change as in statements. The interrogative form of the verb changes to the
affirmative form. The question mark (?) is omitted in indirect questions. If the
introductory verb is say, it must be changed to a verb of inquiry, e.g. ask,
inquire, wonder etc.
e.g. He said, “Where is the bus stop?”

He asked where the bus stop was.
He said, “Why is she crying?”

He wondered why she was crying.
If the direct question begins with a question word (when, where, how, who, why
etc.) the question word is repeated in the indirect question.
If there is no question word, if or whether must be used:
e.g. He said, “Did you see the accident?”

He asked if / whether I had seen the accident.
The policeman said, “Do you know Paul Smith?”

The policeman inquired if / whether I knew Paul Smith.
Indirect command, requests, advice are usually expressed by a verb of

command, request, advice + object + infinitive. The following verbs can be used
instead of say: tell, order, ask, recommend, advise.
e.g. He said, “Close the door”.

He told / ordered me to close the door. (We must add a noun or pronoun.)
He said, “Turn on the radio, please”.

He asked me to turn on the radio. (Please is omitted.)
Negative commands, requests etc. are normally reported by not + infinitive:
e.g. He said, “Don’t interrupt me, Tom”.

He told Tom not to interrupt him.
He said, “Don’t go away, please”.

He asked me not to go away.
Exclamations usually become statements in indirect speech. The exclamation

mark disappears. Exclamations beginning with What (a)…. or How ….. can be
reported by exclaim or say that:
e.g. He said, “What an awful idea!” or “How awful!”

He exclaimed that it was an awful idea. or He said that it was awful.
Note also:
He said, “Thank you!” He thanked me.

He said, “Good luck!” He wished me luck.
He said, “Happy Christmas! He wished me a happy Christmas.
He said, “Congratulations!” He congratulated me.
He said, “Liar!” He called me a liar.
He said, “Damn!” He swore.
Yes and No are expressed in indirect speech by subject + appropriate auxiliary

verb:
e.g. He said, “Can you drive?” and I said, “No”.

He asked if I could drive and I said I couldn’t.
Direct speech may consist of statement + question, question + command,

command + statement. Normally each requires its own introductory verb, but
sometimes we can use as instead of a second introductory verb:
e.g. He said, “I am going shopping. Can I get you anything?”

He said he was going shopping and asked if he could get me anything.
He said, “You’d better wear a coat. It’s very cold out”.

He advised me to wear a coat as it was very cold out.
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DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

e.g. He said, “I want to go home”.

e.g. He said (that) he wanted to go home.

e.g. I’ll tell her your idea is great.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH

Simple Present Simple Past

Present Continuous Past Continuous

Present Perfect Past Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Simple Past Past Perfect

Future Continuous Conditional Continuous

e.g. He said, “Ann arrived on Monday”.

He said, “When I saw them they were playing tennis”.

e.g. He said, “Ann might ring any minute”.

He said, “I should be back by 10”.

e.g. He said, “I like my new shoes”.

But I said, “I like my new shoes”.

today that day

Indirect statements are normally introduced by say, or tell + object (person

e.g. He said he had just heard the news.

Say can introduce a direct statement or follow it:

e.g. Tom said, “I’ll do it tomorrow”.

e.g. He said, “Where is the bus stop?”

He said, “Why is she crying?”

If there is no question word, if or whether must be used:

e.g. He said, “Did you see the accident?”

The policeman said, “Do you know Paul Smith?”

Indirect command, requests, advice are usually expressed by a verb of

e.g. He said, “Close the door”.

He said, “Turn on the radio, please”.

Negative commands, requests etc. are normally reported by not + infinitive:

e.g. He said, “Don’t interrupt me, Tom”.

He said, “Don’t go away, please”.

Exclamations usually become statements in indirect speech. The exclamation

e.g. He said, “What an awful idea!” or “How awful!”

He said, “Thank you!” He thanked me.

Yes and No are expressed in indirect speech by subject + appropriate auxiliary

e.g. He said, “Can you drive?” and I said, “No”.

Direct speech may consist of statement + question, question + command,

e.g. He said, “I am going shopping. Can I get you anything?”

He said, “You’d better wear a coat. It’s very cold out”.

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