Direct indirect speech rules

 Direct Indirect speech

In the English language, there are two methods of passing on what another person has stated:

1. direct speech
2.  Indirect speech

 Direct speech:

Direct speech  includes citing the specific words means to write the exact words used by any speaker, inside modified commas or quotes.

When we report something using the specific expressions of the speaker, we utilize direct speech.

For Example:

Direct speech:   Kashif said,"I am very tired at the moment".

Indirect speech:

Indirect speech are called reported speech which is used to tell that what someone else said, but the  exact words and quotation mark will not use in indirect speech.In indirect speech we are usually talking about past. 

When we report something in our own words, we use indirect speech.

For Example:

Direct speech: He said,"I am going to Peshawar".

Indirect speech: He said that he was going to Lahore.

Direct indirect speech Rules:

•           Reporting Speech: 

The first par of the direct speech is called reporting speech.

•           Reported Speech:

 The second part of the sentence, which closed in inverted commas, is called reported.

•           Reporting Verb:

 The action word of the reporting speech is known as the reporting verb

•           Reported Verb: The action word of the reported speech  is known as the reported verb.

Basic rules of drect and indirect speech:

   Before continuing , it is necessary to understand these principles: 

    Changes in Person of Pronouns:

•           1st Person pronouns in reported speech are constantly changed by the subject of the reporting      speech.

•           2nd Person pronouns in reported speech e are constantly changed by the object of the reporting speech .

•           3rd Person pronouns in reported speech are not changed.

General standards: 
• General rules for changing direct speech into indirect speech.
• Remove comma or quotation marks. End the sentence with a full stop.
• If the action word (verb) inside the commas/quotes is in the present tense, change it into the past tense.
• If it is in the simple past tense , change it into the past perfect tense.

Direct speech: The young lady stated, 'I like dancing.'

Indirect speech: The young lady said that she liked dancing.

Changes in Verbs:
If the reporting speech is in present or future tense, then there is no change needed in verb of reported speech.

For Example:

Direct Speech: He says, "I am hungry ."

Indirect Speech: He says that he is hungry .

 

Direct Speech: She says, "what time will you be home?."

Indirect Speech: She says that what time will you be home?.

 

Direct Speech: You state, "I will go to Lahore."

Indirect Speech: You state that you will go to Lahore.

Present Tense:

•    Present indefinite tense is changed into past indefinite tense. For Example:

    Direct Speech: she said, "I always drink coffee."
  Indirect Speech: she said that she always drank coffee

•   Present continues is changed into past continues tense.

   Direct Speech: He said, "I am reading a book."
Indirect Speech: He said that he was reading a book.

•          Present perfect is changed into the past perfect tense.

Direct Speech: He said, "I have been to Spain."
Indirect Speech: He told me that he had bee to Spain.

•  Present perfect continuous tense is changed into past perfect continuous  tense.

Direct Speech: They stated, "They have been waiting for hours." 
Indirect Speech: They said that they had been waiting for hours
Past tense: 

• Past Indefinite is changed into past perfect tense.

Direct Speech: He stated, "He took a bath." 
Indirect Speech: He said that he had taken a bath.

•   Past continuous tense is changed into past perfect continuous tense.

Direct Speech: They told me,"W were living in Canada."
Indirect Speech: They told me that they had been living in Canada.

•  No changes are needed to be made into past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses.

Direct Speech: He explained, "I had  just turned out the light."
Indirect Speech: He explained that he had just turned out the light.

• In Future Tense, there will no change made except shall and will are changed into would.

Direct Speech: They stated, "They will take work out."
Indirect Speech: They said that they would take work out.

Direct indirect rules chart: