In the final lesson, we will learn direct and indirect speech rules for sentence types like assertive, exclamatory, imperative and optative sentences.
Table of Contents
Rules for Change for Assertive Sentences
These sentences consist of news that shows anything happened or not and these sentences in reported speech are those which start with subjects such as I, We, You, He, She, It, or name.
He said to me, “I am waiting for you.”
Asma said, “She did not write a letter yet.”
They said to us, ” We are enjoying a party.”
I said to him, ” I am in the room.”
Ali said to Umar, “I am not in the market.”
Changing 1
Write said to/say to as it is or change them to told/tell.
Replace commas with that.
Never use to right after tell/told.
Examples
1. He said to me, “I advise you to do your duty.” (Di)
He said, “I advise you to do your duty.” (Di)
Changing 2
said to→told
commas (,) → that
I→he
you →me
your→my
advise→advised
He told me that he advised me to do my duty. (Ind)
He told me that he advised me to do my duty. (Ind) without colours
2. I said to the headmaster, “I have acted upon your advice, Sir.” (Di)
I said to the headmaster, “I have acted upon your advice, Sir.” (Di)
Changing 3
said to→told
commas (,) → that
I→I
your →his
Sir → respectfully
have→had
I told the headmaster respectfully that I had acted upon his advice. (Ind)
I told the headmaster respectfully that I had acted upon his advice. (Ind) without colours
3. Akram will say, “I do not tell lies as I am afraid of Allah.” (Di)
Akram will say, “I do not tell lies as I am afraid of Allah.” (Di)
Changes for Assertive Sentences
commas (,) → that
I→Akram
I→Akram
As reporting speech is not in Past Tense therefore tense will not be changed.
Akram will say that he does not tell lies as he is afraid of Allah. (Ind) without colours
Exercise
Muhammad said to us, “I know what you mean to do.”(Di)
Muhammad told us that he knew what we meant to do. (Ind)
The captain said to the team, “We are hopeful to win the match.”(Di)
The captain told the team that they were hopeful to win the match. (Ind)
He said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”(Di)
He said that the Earth revolves around the sun. (Ind)
(Note: Universal Truth)
He says to her, “I and your brother can speak French fluently.”(Di)
He tells her that he and her brother can speak French fluently. (Ind)
More Examples for Change of Assertive Sentences to Indirect Speech
He said to me, “I shall drive your car if you allow me.”(Di)
He told me that he would drive my car if I allowed him. (Ind)
Our teacher said to us, “God helps those who help themselves.”(Di)
Our teacher told us that God helps those who help themselves. (Ind)
“Yes father, “said Ali, “I beat the dog but I am sorry for that.”(Di)
Ali told his father that he had beaten the dog but he was sorry for that. (Ind)
She says to me, “I shall attend the meeting if you invite me.”(Di)
She told me that she would attend the meeting if I invited her. (Ind)
Akram said to me, “I am always ready to help you in English.”(Di)
Akram told me that he(Akram) was always ready to help me in English. (Ind)
Exclamatory Sentence Changes
We will make changes to the reporting speech. Whereas in reported speech, changes will made that we have made before.
Changing ‘said to’ to be Made
For Joy
exclaimed with joy/exclaimed joyfully
For Surprise
exclaimed with wonder/exclaimed wonderfully
For Sorrow/Condolence
exclaimed with sorrow/exclaimed sorrowfully
Bravo, Wow, Alas, Oh, Ah, Hurrah, Buck Up
More Changings
Remove the words like Well done etc.
Change What/How to very.
Replace ‘commas’ with ‘that’.
The sentence having ‘wonder/surprise’, is converted into a simple sentence before changing to indirect speech.
If there is an objective in reporting speech, add ‘and told me’.
He exclaimed joyfully and told me
Example(Joy) Change for Exclamatory Sentences
He said, “Hurrah! We have gotten brilliant marks.”(Dir)
He said, “Hurrah! We have gotten brilliant marks.”(Dir)
said + Hurrah! ⇒ exclaimed with joy
commas ⇒ that
we ⇒ they
have ⇒ had
He exclaimed with joy that they had gotten brilliant marks. (Ind)
Example(Joy) Change for Exclamatory Sentences
He said to us, “Hurrah! I have gotten admission in the university.”(Dir)
He said to us, “Hurrah! I have gotten admission in the university.”(Dir)
said + Hurrah! ⇒ exclaimed with joy
to us⇒ and told us
commas ⇒ that
I ⇒ he
have ⇒ had
He exclaimed with joy and told us that he had gotten admission to the university. (Ind)
Example(Wonder) Change for Exclamatory Sentences
He said, “Wow! What a huge building that is!”(Dir)
He said, “Wow! What a huge building that is!”(Dir)
said + Wow! ⇒ exclaimed with wonder
commas ⇒ that
what ⇒ very
is ⇒ was
! ⇒ removed
make it simple,
He said, “The building is very huge”(Dir)
He exclaimed with wonder that the building was very huge. (Ind)
Example(Wonder)
I said to you, “Woh! What great cleanliness is here.”(Dir)
I said to you, “Woh! What great cleanliness is here.”(Dir)
said + Wow! ⇒ exclaimed with wonder
to you⇒ and told you
commas ⇒ that
what ⇒ very
is ⇒ was
make it simple,
I said to you, “The cleanliness is very great here.”(Dir)
He exclaimed with wonder and told you that the cleanliness was very great there. (Ind)
Example(Sorrow) Change for Exclamatory Sentences
They said, “Alas! We lost the money”(Dir)
They said, “Alas! We lost the money”(Dir)
said + Alas! ⇒ exclaimed with sorrow
commas ⇒ that
what ⇒ very
lost ⇒ had lost
They exclaimed with sorrow that they had lost the money. (Ind)
Example(Sorrow)
I said to you, “Oh! You lost the final match.”(Dir)
I said to you, “Oh! You lost the final match.”(Dir)
said + oh! ⇒ exclaimed with sorrow
to you ⇒ and told you
You ⇒ you
commas ⇒ that
lost ⇒ had lost
I exclaimed with sorrow and told you that you had lost the final match. (Ind)
Example No. 2 (Sorrow):
I said to him, “Oh! She lost the golden locket.”(Dir)
I said to him, “Oh! She lost the golden locket.”(Dir)
said + oh!⇒exclaimed with sorrow
to him ⇒and told him
She ⇒third person no change
commas ⇒that
lost⇒had lost
I exclaimed with sorrow and told him that she had lost her golden locket. (Ind)
Change of Optative Sentences
There are two types of sentences containing the contents of pray, curse, or wish.
Examples of Sentences(Pray)
He said to us, “May you get success.”
Examples of Sentences(Curse)
He said, “May you not reach in time.”
Examples of Sentences(Wish)
She said, May I get first prize.”
Instructions
We’ll follow the following instructions
Change said/said to etc according to reporting speech. Like:
If pray then Said to → Prayed for
Pray then Say to → Pray for
Pray then Says to → Prays for
If wish then Said to → Wished for
Wish then Say to → Wished for
Wish then Says to → Wished for
If regret then Said to → Wood that
If there is ‘ sign of exclamation’ at the end of the sentence, replace it with full stop.
If the reported speech expressing a wish, change said to with wishes and remove ‘wood that’.
Examples(Pray) for Change for Optative Sentences
He said to me, “May your dream get true!”(Dir)
First, make it simple:
He said to me, “Your dream may get true!”(Dir)
Changes
said to ⇒ prayed for
commas ⇒ that
Your⇒ my
may⇒ might
!⇒ removed
He prayed for me that my dream might get true. (Ind)
More Examples
I said, “May you win the first prize!”(Dir)
I said, “You may win the first prize!”(Simple Dir)
I pray that he might win the first prize. (Ind)
The father said, “May my son pass the examination!”(Dir)
The father said, “My son may pass the examination!”(Simple Dir.)
The father prayed that his son might pass the examination. (Ind)
The mother said, “May my daughter make no mistake!”(Dir)
The mother said, “My daughter may make no mistake!”(Simple Dir.)
The mother wished/prayed that her daughter might make no mistake. (Ind)
You said to me, “May your business prosper!” (Dir)
You said to me, “Your business may prosper!” (Simple Dir.)
You prayed for me that my business might prosper. (Ind)
Examples(Curse)
He said, “May you forget the way.”(Dir)
First, make it simple:
He said, ”You may forget the way.”(Dir)
He said to me, “You may forget the way.”(Dir)
Changes
said to ⇒ prayed for
commas ⇒ that
You⇒ I
may⇒ might
He cursed me that I might forget the way. (Ind)
Example
She said, “May you go to hell!” (Dir)
She said, “You may go to hell!” (Simple Dir.)
She cursed that he might go to hell. (Ind)
Example
Similarly,
The beggar said angrily, “May you suffer a great loss!”(Dir)
The beggar said angrily, “You may suffer a great loss!”(Simple Dir)
The beggar cursed angrily that he might suffer a great loss. (Ind)
Examples(Wish):
He said, “Would that I were a captain.”(Dir)
He said, “Would that I were a captain.”(Dir)
Changes
said ⇒ wished
commas ⇒ that
I⇒ he
were⇒ had been
Would that⇒ remove it
He wished that he had been a captain. (Ind)
Example:
Similarly,
They said, “Would that we were born with a silver spoon in his mouth!”(Dir)
They wished that they had been born with a silver spoon in their mouth. (Ind)
Imperative Sentence Changes
These sentences consist of order, request, advice, or prohibition, called Imperative Sentences. Remember, there is no subject in these types of sentences.
Sentence Examples
The teacher said, “Bring the glass of water.”
Aamir said to me, “Please give me a pen.”
He said to Babar, “Say your prayers.”
I said, “Do not tell a lie.”
Changes 1
Change ‘said to’ according to reporting speech. It means:
If the order is given in the sentence, change ‘said to’ to ‘order’.
If the request is made then change (said to) to requested.
If advice is made, change it to advised.
Finally, change ‘said to’ to forbade if anything is prohibited.
Replace the comma with ‘to’ and place the first form of the verb very after ‘to’. Remove the words like please, kindly, etc.
In negative sentences, change ‘do not’ to ‘to not’.
Examples (Ordered) Change for Imperative Sentences
He said to me, “Write a letter right and check me.”(Dir)
He said to me, “Write a letter and check.”(Dir)
So, the changes will be as:
said to⇒ ordered
commas ⇒ to
me⇒
Write⇒ Write
check⇒ check (to)
He ordered me to write a letter and check him. (Ind)
Examples (Requested)
Shahzad said to the teacher, “Give me a leave for tomorrow.”(Dir)
said to⇒ requested
Commas ⇒ to
me ⇒ him
Change tomorrow ⇒ the next day
Shahzad requested the teacher to give him leave for the next day. (Ind)
Examples (Advised) Change for Imperative Sentences
The old man said to us, “Drink the water in three breaths.”(Dir)
The old man said to us, “Drink the water in three breaths.”(Dir)
said to⇒ advised
Commas ⇒ to
Finally,
The old man advised us to drink water in three breaths. (Ind)
Examples (Forbade)
Aslam said to them, “Do not throw garbage in the streets.”(Dir)
Aslam said to them, “Do not throw garbage in the streets.”(Dir)
Now,
said to forbade
Do not⇒ not to
Aslam forbade them not to throw garbage in the streets. (Ind)
Use of Let
In indirect speech, we make the use of let for two types of sentences:
- Proposal
- Permission
For Proposal: Said to/ said will be changed to proposed/suggested. The commas will be replaced with “that”. Furthermore, add “should” after the subject of reported speech.
Secondly, change “us” with the subject of reporting speech because “us” is the first person and remember, after changing “us” the resultant must be in the subjective case.
Example No. 1
He said to them, “Let us clean the floor.”(Dir)
He said to them, “Let us clean the floor.”(Dir)
Now, applying changes:
said to⇒ proposed/suggested
Commas⇒ that
Let ⇒ should
us ⇒ they(subjective case)
He proposed them they should clean the floor. (Ind)
Example No. 2
She said, “Let us play cricket.”(Dir)
She said, “Let us play cricket.”(Dir)
said to⇒ proposed/suggested
Commas⇒ that
Let ⇒ should
us ⇒ they(subjective case)
She proposed that they should play cricket. (Ind)
For Permission: “said to / said will be changed to requested and commas will be replaced with “to”.
Example No.3
He said, “Let me go home.”(Dir)
Firstly,
He said, “Let me go home.”(Dir)
said⇒ requested
Commas⇒ to
me ⇒ him
He requested to let him go home. (Ind)
Example No. 4
They said to us, “Let them lend some money.”(Dir)
Firstly,
They said to us, “Let them lend some money.”(Dir)
said⇒ requested
Commas⇒ to
them⇒ third person no change
They requested to let them lend some money. (Ind)
