English: Direct to Indirect Speech

Direct to Indirect Speech

1. DIRECT SPEECH: 

Quoting the speaker's actual words means Direct Speech.

2. INDIRECT SPEECH (REPORTED):

We may report what the speaker said without quotation of his actual words. This is called as Indirect or Reported Speech.

Examples:

'D' indicates DIRECT SPEECH and 'I' indicates INDIRECTSPEECH. 

1. D: Ramu said, "I am very busy now."

     I:  Ramu said that he was busy then.

RULES FOR CHANGING DIRECT SPEECH INTO INDIRECT SPEECH:

1) If the direct speech is in simple present tense then we have to make it simple past tense. 

2) A simple present continuous tense then kndirect speech will become past continuous tense. 

3) A present perfect will become past perfect. 

4) 'asked' will become 'enquired' in indirect speech.

    'says' will become 'said

     'is' will become 'was'

     'today' will become 'yesterday'

     'now' will become 'then'

Some more examples....

1. D: He said, "He is unwell.

     I:  He said that he was unwell.

2. D: She said, "My master is writing a letter."

      I: She said that her master was writing a letter.

3. D: He said, "I have passed the examination."

      I: He said that he had passed the examination. 

4. D: He said, "The horse died in the night."

      I: He said that the horse had died in the night.

5. D: "I know her address.", said Gopal

      I: Gopal said that he knows her address.

6. D: The teacher say, "The Earth goes round the sun."

      I: The teacher said that the earth went round the             sun.