Important Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech with Examples

Learn the lesson on important rules for direct and indirect speech with examples step by step.

What is the formula of narration change?

The rules for tense narration are as follows:

• If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported speech does not change.

For example:

Direct speech: “I am going to the utility store,” she says.
Indirect speech: She says that she is going to the utility store.

Direct speech: “I will be there in five minutes,” he promises.
Indirect speech: He promises that he will be there in five minutes.

• If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech moves back one tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “I was going to the store,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that she was going to the store.

Direct speech: “I had been there before,” he said.
Indirect speech: He said that he had been there before.

• If the direct speech is in the present perfect tense, the indirect speech is in the past perfect tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “I have been to the store today,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that she had been to the store that day.

• If the direct speech is in the future perfect tense, the indirect speech is in the conditional perfect tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “I will have finished my homework by dinner time,” he said.
Indirect speech: He said that he would have finished his homework by dinner time.

• If the direct speech is a universal truth or general statement, it remains in the present tense, even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “The Earth is round,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that the Earth is round.

• If the direct speech is a question, the indirect speech can be either a question or a statement.

If the indirect speech is a question, the reporting verb is usually followed by the word “if.”

For example:

Direct speech: “Do you want to go to the park?” he asked.
Indirect speech: He asked me if I wanted to go to the park.

If the indirect speech is a statement, the reporting verb is usually followed by the word “whether.”

For example:

Direct speech: “Do you want to go to the park?” he asked.
Indirect speech: He asked me whether I wanted to go to the park.

Here are some additional tips for tense narration:

• Be consistent with your tenses. If you start using one tense, stick with it throughout the narration.
• Use time markers to help clarify the sequence of events.
• Pay attention to the pronouns. Make sure that the pronouns in the indirect speech agree with the pronouns in the direct speech.

With practice, you will be able to master the rules of tense narration and write clear and concise narratives.

What are the 5 differences between direct and indirect speech?

In direct speech, the speaker’s exact words are quoted, while in indirect speech, the reported words are paraphrased. Direct speech often uses quotation marks, while indirect speech may not. Pronoun changes occur in indirect speech to reflect the perspective shift.

Tense changes can also occur, with past tenses often being shifted back one step in indirect speech. Punctuation changes, like converting question marks to statements, are common in indirect speech.

The five key differences between direct and indirect speech are:

1. Quotation marks: Direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks, while indirect speech is not.
2. Reporting verbs: Direct speech is typically introduced by a reporting verb such as “said” or “asked”. Indirect speech does not use a reporting verb.
3. Tense: The tense of verbs in direct speech remains the same as it was when the words were spoken. In indirect speech, the tense of verbs may change, depending on the time of speaking and reporting.
4. Pronouns: The pronouns in direct speech refer to the speaker’s own perspective, while the pronouns in indirect speech refer to the reporter’s perspective.
5. Other words and phrases: Other words and phrases, such as demonstratives and adverbs of time and place, may also need to be changed in indirect speech to reflect the change in perspective.

Here are some examples to illustrate the differences:

Direct speech:

“I am going to the store,” said Mary.

“Can you help me with my homework?” asked John.

Indirect speech:

Mary said that she was going to the store.

John asked me if I could help him with his homework.

As you can see, the indirect speech versions of the sentences use different reporting verbs, tenses, and pronouns to reflect the fact that the reporter is telling us what Mary and John said, rather than quoting them directly.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between direct and indirect speech:

I hope this helps!

What are the 5 rules of indirect speech

The 5 rules of indirect speech are:

1. Change the tense of the reporting verb. The reporting verb is the verb that is used to introduce the indirect speech. It is usually in the past tense, even if the direct speech is in the present tense. For example:

Direct: “I am going to the store,” said Alice. Indirect: Alice said that she was going to the store.

2. Change the pronouns to reflect the new perspective. In indirect speech, the speaker is reporting the words of another person, so the pronouns may need to be changed to reflect the new perspective. For example:

Direct: “I’m going to visit my friend,” said Bob. Indirect: Bob said that he was going to visit his friend.

3. Change demonstrative pronouns to reflect the new spatial relationship. Demonstrative pronouns are words like “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.” They can be used to point to things that are close to the speaker (proximal) or far away from the speaker (distal). In indirect speech, the demonstrative pronouns may need to be changed to reflect the new spatial relationship between the speaker and the listener. For example:

Direct: “This is my book,” said Mary. Indirect: Mary said that that was her book.

4. Remove quotation marks and add a conjunction. Quotation marks are used to indicate direct speech. In indirect speech, the quotation marks are removed and a conjunction such as “that” is added to introduce the reported speech. For example:

Direct: “I’m going to the store,” said Alice. Indirect: Alice said that she was going to the store.

5. Change the mood of the reported clause if necessary. The mood of the reported clause refers to the type of sentence it is: declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory. When changing from direct to indirect speech, the mood of the reported clause may need to be changed. For example:

Direct: “Can you please help me?” said the old woman. Indirect: The old woman asked if I could please help her.

Direct: “Don’t go near the water!” shouted my mother. Indirect: My mother warned me not to go near the water.

Indirect speech can be a bit tricky to get used to, but it is an important skill to have in English grammar. By following these 5 rules, you will be able to change direct speech to indirect speech accurately and confidently.

The rules for tense narration are as follows:

• If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported speech does not change.

For example:

Direct speech: “I am going to the utility store,” she says.
Indirect speech: She says that she is going to the utility store.

Direct speech: “I will be there in five minutes,” he promises.
Indirect speech: He promises that he will be there in five minutes.

• If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech moves back one tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “I was going to the store,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that she was going to the store.

Direct speech: “I had been there before,” he said.
Indirect speech: He said that he had been there before.

• If the direct speech is in the present perfect tense, the indirect speech is in the past perfect tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “I have been to the store today,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that she had been to the store that day.

• If the direct speech is in the future perfect tense, the indirect speech is in the conditional perfect tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “I will have finished my homework by dinner time,” he said.
Indirect speech: He said that he would have finished his homework by dinner time.

Direct speech: “The Earth is round,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that the Earth is round.

• If the direct speech is a question, the indirect speech can be either a question or a statement.

If the indirect speech is a question, the reporting verb is usually followed by the word “if.”

For example:

Direct speech: “Do you want to go to the park?” he asked.
Indirect speech: He asked me if I wanted to go to the park.

If the indirect speech is a statement, the reporting verb is usually followed by the word “whether.”

For example:

Direct speech: “Do you want to go to the park?” he asked.
Indirect speech: He asked me whether I wanted to go to the park.

Here are some additional tips for tense narration:

• Be consistent with your tenses. If you start using one tense, stick with it throughout the narration.
• Use time markers to help clarify the sequence of events.
• Pay attention to the pronouns. Make sure that the pronouns in the indirect speech agree with the pronouns in the direct speech.

With practice, you will be able to master the rules of tense narration and write clear and concise narratives.

What are the rules for tense narration?

The rules for tense narration are as follows:

• If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported speech does not change.

For example:

Direct speech: “I am going to the utility store,” she says.
Indirect speech: She says that she is going to the utility store.

Direct speech: “I will be there in five minutes,” he promises.
Indirect speech: He promises that he will be there in five minutes.

• If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech moves back one tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “I was going to the store,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that she was going to the store.

Direct speech: “I had been there before,” he said.
Indirect speech: He said that he had been there before.

• If the direct speech is in the present perfect tense, the indirect speech is in the past perfect tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “I have been to the store today,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that she had been to the store that day.

• If the direct speech is in the future perfect tense, the indirect speech is in the conditional perfect tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “I will have finished my homework by dinner time,” he said.
Indirect speech: He said that he would have finished his homework by dinner time.

• If the direct speech is a universal truth or general statement, it remains in the present tense, even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.

For example:

Direct speech: “The Earth is round,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that the Earth is round.

• If the direct speech is a question, the indirect speech can be either a question or a statement.

If the indirect speech is a question, the reporting verb is usually followed by the word “if.”

For example:

Direct speech: “Do you want to go to the park?” he asked.
Indirect speech: He asked me if I wanted to go to the park.

If the indirect speech is a statement, the reporting verb is usually followed by the word “whether.”

For example:

Direct speech: “Do you want to go to the park?” he asked.
Indirect speech: He asked me whether I wanted to go to the park.

Here are some additional tips for tense narration:

• Be consistent with your tenses. If you start using one tense, stick with it throughout the narration.
• Use time markers to help clarify the sequence of events.
• Pay attention to the pronouns. Make sure that the pronouns in the indirect speech agree with the pronouns in the direct speech.

With practice, you will be able to master the rules of tense narration and write clear and concise narratives.

What are the 20 examples of indirect speech?

Here are 20 examples of indirect speech:

1. Direct: “I’m going to the store,” said Alice.

Indirect: Alice said that she was going to the store.

2. Direct: “This is my book,” said Mary.

Indirect: Mary said that that was her book.

3. Direct: “I’m so excited to see you!” said Bob.

Indirect: Bob said that he was so excited to see me.

4. Direct: “Please don’t be late,” said my mother.

Indirect: My mother asked me please not to be late.

5. Direct: “Can I help you with anything?” said the shop assistant.

Indirect: The shop assistant asked me if she could help me with anything.

6. Direct: “I’m sorry I’m late,” said John.

Indirect: John apologized for being late.

7. Direct: “You’re the best friend anyone could ask for,” said Sarah.

Indirect: Sarah told me that I was the best friend anyone could ask for.

8. Direct: “I’m so proud of you,” said my father.

Indirect: My father told me that he was so proud of me.

9. Direct: “I’m not sure if I can make it to the party,” said Lisa.

Indirect: Lisa said that she wasn’t sure if she could make it to the party.

10. Direct: “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” said David.

Indirect: David said that he would be there as soon as he could.

11. Direct: “I don’t think I’m going to be able to finish this project on time,” said my colleague.

Indirect: My colleague told me that she didn’t think she was going to be able to finish the project on time.

12. Direct: “I’m really sorry I forgot your birthday,” said my friend.

Indirect: My friend apologized for forgetting my birthday.

13. Direct: “I’d love to go on vacation with you,” said my sister.

Indirect: My sister told me that she would love to go on vacation with me.

14. Direct: “I’m not sure what I want to do with my life,” said my brother.

Indirect: My brother told me that he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life.

15. Direct: “I’m really happy for you,” said my girlfriend.

Indirect: My girlfriend told me that she was really happy for me.

16. Direct: “I’m so sorry you’re going through this,” said my friend.

Indirect: My friend told me that she was so sorry I was going through that.

17. Direct: “I can’t believe you got the job! Congratulations!” said my colleague.

Indirect: My colleague congratulated me on getting the job.

18. Direct: “I’m so disappointed that we lost the game,” said my teammate.

Indirect: My teammate said that he was so disappointed that they had lost the game.

19. Direct: “I’m really grateful for your help,” said my neighbor.

Indirect: My neighbor thanked me for my help.

20. Direct: “I’m really looking forward to seeing you again,” said my friend.

Indirect: My friend told me that she was really looking forward to seeing me again.

I hope these examples are helpful!