Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct & Indirect Speech (Narration)

Narration means reporting what someone has said. A sentence can be expressed in two ways:

• Direct Speech → the exact words of the speaker are quoted.
• Indirect Speech → the speaker’s words are reported without quoting them exactly.

Example:

Direct: Rahul said, “I am tired.”

Indirect: Rahul said that he was tired.

In Direct Speech:

• the exact words are placed within quotation marks
• the reporting verb is followed by a comma in ordinary punctuation

In Indirect Speech:

• quotation marks are removed
• pronouns, tense, time expressions and sentence structure may change
• a suitable connector such as that, if, whether, to may be used

The two main parts of a narration sentence are:

• Reporting Clause → Rahul said
• Reported Speech → “I am tired.”

A strong understanding of narration is essential for sentence transformation, error detection, fill in the blanks, cloze tests and competitive-exam grammar questions.

Statements

A statement is a declarative sentence that gives information, opinion, fact or description.

Example:

Direct: She said, “I am happy.”

Indirect: She said that she was happy.

Basic Rule for Statements

Use:

said + that + reported clause

Example:

Direct: Rahul said, “I am busy.”

Indirect: Rahul said that he was busy.

The conjunction that is often used in formal grammar, although it may be omitted in ordinary conversation.

Example:

Rahul said he was busy.

Both are correct.

Said vs Told

Use:

said + clause

Example:

He said that he was tired.

Use:

told + object + clause

Example:

He told me that he was tired.

Incorrect:

He told that he was tired. ✘

Incorrect:

He said me that he was tired. ✘

Correct:

He told me that he was tired. ✔

Correct:

He said to me that he was tired. ✔, though told me is usually more natural

Removal of Quotation Marks

In indirect speech:

• quotation marks are removed
• the comma after the reporting verb is removed
• a suitable linker such as that may be inserted

Direct:

He said, “I am ready.”

Indirect:

He said that he was ready.

Change of Pronouns

Pronouns change according to the speaker, listener and context.

A useful traditional rule is:

• First Person → changes according to the subject of the reporting verb
• Second Person → changes according to the object of the reporting verb
• Third Person → usually remains unchanged unless the context requires otherwise

Example:

Direct: Rahul said, “I am tired.”

Speaker = Rahul

Indirect:

Rahul said that he was tired.

Another:

Direct: Rahul said to me, “You are late.”

Listener = me

Indirect:

Rahul told me that I was late.

Another:

Direct: She said, “They are waiting.”

Indirect:

She said that they were waiting.

Traditional Pronoun Rule: SON

A common examination mnemonic is:

S — First Person according to Subject

O — Second Person according to Object

N — Third Person normally unchanged

This is useful, but always check the actual meaning of the sentence.

Change of Tense

When the reporting verb is in the past, the tense of the reported speech commonly shifts backwards.

This is called backshift.

Common changes are:

Simple Present to Simple Past

Direct:

She said, “I work hard.”

Indirect:

She said that she worked hard.

Present Continuous to Past Continuous

Direct:

He said, “I am reading.”

Indirect:

He said that he was reading.

Present Perfect to Past Perfect

Direct:

She said, “I have completed the work.”

Indirect:

She said that she had completed the work.

Present Perfect Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct:

He said, “I have been waiting for two hours.”

Indirect:

He said that he had been waiting for two hours.

Simple Past to Past Perfect

Direct:

She said, “I finished the work.”

Indirect:

She said that she had finished the work.

Past Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct:

He said, “I was sleeping.”

Indirect:

He said that he had been sleeping.

Past Perfect Usually Remains Unchanged

Direct:

She said, “I had completed the work.”

Indirect:

She said that she had completed the work.

Will to Would

Direct:

He said, “I will help you.”

Indirect:

He said that he would help me.

Can to Could

Direct:

She said, “I can solve the problem.”

Indirect:

She said that she could solve the problem.

May to Might

Direct:

He said, “I may come tomorrow.”

Indirect:

He said that he might come the next day.

Shall

The change of shall depends on meaning.

Direct:

He said, “I shall return.”

Indirect:

He said that he would return.

When shall expresses obligation, suggestion or determination, the change may differ according to context.

Must

When must expresses obligation referring to the reported situation, it often changes to had to.

Direct:

He said, “I must leave now.”

Indirect:

He said that he had to leave then.

But must may remain unchanged when expressing:

• a continuing rule
• strong logical necessity
• permanent obligation

Example:

The teacher said, “Students must obey the rules.”

Indirect:

The teacher said that students must obey the rules.

Change of Time and Place Expressions

When the reporting situation changes, words referring to time and place may also change.

Example:

Direct: She said, “I will come here tomorrow.”

Indirect:

She said that she would go there the next day.

However, these changes are not automatic. They depend on the actual time and place of reporting.

If the place or time remains the same, the original word may remain unchanged.

No Backshift When Reporting Verb Is Present or Future

If the reporting verb is in the present or future, tense generally remains unchanged.

Direct:

He says, “I am tired.”

Indirect:

He says that he is tired.

Direct:

She will say, “I am ready.”

Indirect:

She will say that she is ready.

Universal Truths

When the reported statement expresses a universal truth, scientific fact or permanent fact, the tense usually does not change.

Direct:

The teacher said, “The Earth revolves around the Sun.”

Indirect:

The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

Not normally:

The teacher said that the Earth revolved around the Sun.

Still-True Facts

Backshift may be unnecessary when a statement is still true at the time of reporting.

Direct:

Riya said, “I live in Guwahati.”

If she still lives there:

Riya said that she lives in Guwahati.

If referring mainly to the past reporting situation:

Riya said that she lived in Guwahati.

Both may be possible depending on context.

Questions

When a direct question is changed into indirect speech:

• the reporting verb usually becomes asked, enquired, wanted to know
• quotation marks and question mark are removed
• question word order changes to statement order
• do/does/did normally disappear
• use if/whether for yes-no questions
• retain the wh-word for wh-questions

Yes/No Questions

For questions answerable by yes or no, use:

asked + if/whether + subject + verb

Example:

Direct: He said to me, “Are you ready?”

Indirect:

He asked me if I was ready.

Also:

He asked me whether I was ready.

Do Not Retain Question Word Order

Incorrect:

He asked me if was I ready. ✘

Correct:

He asked me if I was ready. ✔

Indirect questions use statement word order.

Questions with Do/Does/Did

Direct:

She said to him, “Do you know Rahul?”

Indirect:

She asked him if he knew Rahul.

The auxiliary do disappears.

Another:

Direct: He said, “Did you complete the work?”

Indirect:

He asked whether I had completed the work.

Wh-Questions

If the direct question begins with:

• what
• who
• whom
• whose
• which
• when
• where
• why
• how

retain the question word.

Example:

Direct: She said to me, “Where do you live?”

Indirect:

She asked me where I lived.

Not:

She asked me where did I live. ✘

Who as Subject

Direct:

He said, “Who broke the window?”

Indirect:

He asked who had broken the window.

Since who itself is the subject, no extra subject is needed.

Why

Direct:

She said, “Why are you crying?”

Indirect:

She asked me why I was crying.

How

Direct:

He said, “How did you solve the problem?”

Indirect:

He asked me how I had solved the problem.

Whether vs If

Both can often introduce indirect yes-no questions.

Examples:

She asked if I was ready.

She asked whether I was ready.

However, whether is preferred:

• before or not
• before an infinitive
• after a preposition
• when alternatives are explicitly mentioned

Example:

He asked whether I wanted tea or coffee.

Question Mark Is Removed

Direct:

He asked, “Are you ready?”

Indirect:

He asked whether I was ready.

The indirect sentence ends with a full stop unless the complete sentence itself is a direct question.

Commands

Commands are normally reported using:

ordered/told/commanded + object + to + V1

Negative commands use:

not to + V1

Ordinary Commands

Direct:

The officer said to the soldiers, “Move forward.”

Indirect:

The officer ordered the soldiers to move forward.

Another:

The teacher said to the boy, “Sit down.”

Indirect:

The teacher told the boy to sit down.

Negative Commands

Direct:

The teacher said to the students, “Do not make noise.”

Indirect:

The teacher told the students not to make noise.

Structure:

Reporting Verb + Object + not to + V1

Strong Commands

Suitable reporting verbs include:

• order
• command
• instruct
• direct

Example:

Direct: The officer said, “Leave the room immediately.”

Indirect:

The officer ordered him to leave the room immediately.

Instructions

Direct:

The doctor said to him, “Take this medicine twice a day.”

Indirect:

The doctor instructed him to take that medicine twice a day.

Advice

A command-like sentence may actually express advice.

Direct:

The doctor said to me, “Take some rest.”

Indirect:

The doctor advised me to take some rest.

The reporting verb should match the intention of the speaker, not merely the grammatical form.

Requests

Requests are generally reported using:

• requested
• asked
• begged
• urged
• pleaded with
• implored

followed by:

object + to + V1

Polite Requests

Direct:

He said to me, “Please help me.”

Indirect:

He requested me to help him.

A more natural modern form is also:

He asked me to help him.

Please

The word please is normally removed and its meaning is conveyed through the reporting verb.

Direct:

She said to me, “Please wait here.”

Indirect:

She requested me to wait there.

or:

She asked me to wait there.

Negative Requests

Direct:

She said to me, “Please do not tell anyone.”

Indirect:

She requested me not to tell anyone.

Begging

Direct:

The poor man said, “Please give me some food.”

Indirect:

The poor man begged me to give him some food.

Urging

Direct:

The teacher said to the students, “Please work harder.”

Indirect:

The teacher urged the students to work harder.

Request vs Command

Compare:

“Open the door.”

Depending on context:

• He ordered me to open the door. → command
• He asked me to open the door. → request

The appropriate reporting verb depends on tone and meaning.

Exclamations

An Exclamatory Sentence expresses strong feelings such as:

• joy
• sorrow
• surprise
• admiration
• regret
• disgust
• wonder

When changing it into indirect speech:

• remove the exclamation mark
• use a suitable reporting verb
• convert the sentence into statement form
• use that where appropriate

Joy

Direct:

She said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.”

Indirect:

She exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Sorrow

Direct:

He said, “Alas! My friend is dead.”

Indirect:

He exclaimed with sorrow that his friend was dead.

Surprise

Direct:

She said, “Oh! You are here.”

Indirect:

She exclaimed with surprise that I was there.

Admiration

Direct:

He said, “What a beautiful painting!”

Indirect:

He exclaimed with admiration that it was a very beautiful painting.

Wonder

Direct:

She said, “How beautiful the sky is!”

Indirect:

She exclaimed with wonder that the sky was very beautiful.

What/How Exclamations

A common transformation is:

What/How + adjective…!

↓

exclaimed that…was very + adjective

Example:

Direct: She said, “What a lovely flower!”

Indirect:

She exclaimed with admiration that it was a very lovely flower.

Interjections

Words such as:

• Hurrah!
• Alas!
• Oh!
• Bravo!
• Ah!

are generally removed, and their emotional meaning is expressed through the reporting verb.

Examples:

Hurrah! → exclaimed with joy

Alas! → exclaimed with sorrow/regret

Bravo! → applauded/praised

Wishes and Prayers

Some exclamatory sentences express wishes or prayers.

Direct:

He said, “May you succeed!”

Indirect:

He wished that I might succeed.

or more naturally:

He wished me success.

Direct:

The priest said, “May God bless you!”

Indirect:

The priest prayed that God might bless me.

Reporting Verbs

The reporting verb should be chosen according to the meaning and purpose of the original speech.

Common reporting verbs include:

• say
• tell
• ask
• request
• order
• command
• advise
• suggest
• warn
• forbid
• remind
• promise
• offer
• refuse
• agree
• admit
• deny
• complain
• exclaim
• wish
• pray
• urge
• beg

Say

Use:

say + that-clause

Example:

He said that he was busy.

If a person is mentioned:

say to + person

Example:

He said to me, “I am busy.”

But in indirect speech, told me is often more natural.

Tell

Use:

tell + object + that-clause

Example:

He told me that he was busy.

Also:

tell + object + to + V1

Example:

He told me to wait.

Ask

Use ask for:

• questions
• requests

Question:

He asked me where I lived.

Request:

He asked me to wait.

Advise

Structure:

advise + object + to + V1

Example:

The doctor advised me to rest.

Warn

Structure:

warn + object + not to + V1

or:

warn + object + against + V-ing

Examples:

He warned me not to touch the wire.

He warned me against touching the wire.

Forbid

Structure:

forbid + object + to + V1

Example:

The teacher forbade the students to leave the room.

A passive form is also common:

The students were forbidden to leave the room.

Suggest

This verb requires special care.

Correct:

He suggested going by train.

Correct:

He suggested that we should go by train.

Correct:

He suggested that we go by train.

Incorrect:

He suggested me to go by train. ✘

Recommend

Similar patterns are possible:

She recommended taking a taxi.

She recommended that we take a taxi.

Promise

Structure:

promise + to + V1

Direct:

He said, “I will help you.”

Indirect:

He promised to help me.

Offer

Direct:

She said, “I will carry your bag.”

Indirect:

She offered to carry my bag.

Refuse

Direct:

He said, “I will not help you.”

Indirect:

He refused to help me.

Admit

Direct:

He said, “Yes, I made the mistake.”

Indirect:

He admitted making the mistake.

or:

He admitted that he had made the mistake.

Deny

Direct:

He said, “I did not steal the money.”

Indirect:

He denied stealing the money.

or:

He denied that he had stolen the money.

Apologise

Direct:

He said, “I am sorry that I hurt you.”

Indirect:

He apologised for hurting me.

Thank

Direct:

She said to me, “Thank you for helping me.”

Indirect:

She thanked me for helping her.

Congratulate

Direct:

He said to Rahul, “Congratulations on your success!”

Indirect:

He congratulated Rahul on his success.

Reporting Verb Patterns at a Glance

Special Cases

Narration contains several special rules that are frequently tested in competitive examinations.

No Change in Tense with Present Reporting Verb

Direct:

He says, “I am ill.”

Indirect:

He says that he is ill.

Not:

He says that he was ill. ✘ if the original present meaning is retained

No Change for Universal Truth

Direct:

The teacher said, “Water boils at 100°C at standard atmospheric pressure.”

Indirect:

The teacher said that water boils at 100°C at standard atmospheric pressure.

Historical Facts

If the statement refers to a fixed historical fact, unnecessary backshift may be avoided.

Direct:

The teacher said, “India became independent in 1947.”

Indirect:

The teacher said that India became independent in 1947.

The event is tied to a fixed historical date.

Past Perfect Does Not Normally Change

Direct:

She said, “I had finished the work.”

Indirect:

She said that she had finished the work.

Could, Would, Should, Might, Ought To

These modal forms often remain unchanged.

Direct:

He said, “I could help you.”

Indirect:

He said that he could help me.

Direct:

She said, “You should work hard.”

Indirect:

She said that I should work hard.

Direct:

He said, “I might come.”

Indirect:

He said that he might come.

Must: Change Depends on Meaning

Obligation tied to the past:

He said, “I must leave now.”

→ He said that he had to leave then.

Continuing regulation:

The teacher said, “Students must wear uniforms.”

→ The teacher said that students must wear uniforms.

Had Better

Direct:

He said, “You had better leave now.”

Indirect:

He advised me that I had better leave then.

The expression had better normally remains unchanged.

Would Rather

Direct:

She said, “I would rather stay home.”

Indirect:

She said that she would rather stay home.

Used to

Used to generally remains unchanged.

Direct:

He said, “I used to play cricket.”

Indirect:

He said that he used to play cricket.

Conditional Sentences

Backshift depends on the type of condition.

First conditional may change when reported later:

Direct:

He said, “If it rains, I will stay home.”

Indirect:

He said that if it rained, he would stay home.

Second conditional often remains essentially unchanged:

Direct:

He said, “If I were rich, I would travel the world.”

Indirect:

He said that if he were rich, he would travel the world.

Third conditional normally remains unchanged:

Direct:

She said, “If I had studied harder, I would have passed.”

Indirect:

She said that if she had studied harder, she would have passed.

Let’s

When Let’s expresses a suggestion, use:

suggested/proposed + V-ing

or:

suggested that + subject + should + V1

Example:

Direct: He said, “Let’s go for a walk.”

Indirect:

He suggested going for a walk.

or:

He suggested that they should go for a walk.

Do not say:

He suggested them to go for a walk. ✘

Let Me

The meaning determines the reporting verb.

Direct:

He said, “Let me go.”

If seeking permission:

He requested that he be allowed to go.

or:

He asked to be allowed to go.

Let Him/Them

Direct:

The officer said, “Let him enter.”

Depending on context:

The officer ordered that he should be allowed to enter.

or:

The officer allowed him to enter.

Shall I…?

Questions beginning with Shall I…? may express an offer or request for advice.

Direct:

He said, “Shall I help you?”

Indirect:

He offered to help me.

Depending on context:

He asked whether he should help me.

Shall We…?

This commonly expresses a suggestion.

Direct:

She said, “Shall we go out?”

Indirect:

She suggested going out.

or:

She suggested that they should go out.

Would You Like…?

This may express an offer or invitation.

Direct:

She said, “Would you like some tea?”

Indirect:

She offered me some tea.

Can/Could You…?

These may function as requests rather than real questions about ability.

Direct:

She said to me, “Could you help me?”

Indirect:

She asked me to help her.

Not necessarily:

She asked me whether I could help her.

The correct transformation depends on whether the original sentence expresses a request or a genuine question about ability.

Why Don’t You…?

This often expresses advice or suggestion.

Direct:

He said, “Why don’t you consult a doctor?”

Indirect:

He advised me to consult a doctor.

or:

He suggested that I should consult a doctor.

Yes and No

When the speaker answers simply with yes or no, use suitable reporting verbs.

Direct:

He said, “Yes, I will come.”

Indirect:

He replied in the affirmative that he would come.

More naturally:

He said that he would come.

Direct:

She said, “No, I did not take it.”

Indirect:

She denied taking it.

The exact reporting verb should match the context.

Greetings

Direct:

He said, “Good morning.”

Indirect:

He wished me good morning.

Depending on context:

He greeted me.

Farewell

Direct:

She said, “Goodbye.”

Indirect:

She bade me goodbye.

or in modern usage:

She said goodbye to me.

Welcome

Direct:

He said, “Welcome to our home.”

Indirect:

He welcomed us to his home.

Congratulations

Direct:

She said, “Congratulations on your success!”

Indirect:

She congratulated me on my success.

Thanks

Direct:

He said, “Thank you for your help.”

Indirect:

He thanked me for my help.

Apology

Direct:

She said, “I am sorry for being late.”

Indirect:

She apologised for being late.

Good Wishes

Direct:

He said, “Best of luck!”

Indirect:

He wished me good luck.

Optative Sentences

An optative sentence expresses:

• wish
• blessing
• prayer
• curse

Example:

Direct: He said, “May you succeed!”

Indirect:

He wished that I might succeed.

More naturally:

He wished me success.

Direct:

The priest said, “May God bless you!”

Indirect:

The priest prayed that God might bless me.

Vocatives

Words used to address someone directly are generally removed or incorporated appropriately.

Direct:

The teacher said, “Rahul, complete your work.”

Indirect:

The teacher told Rahul to complete his work.

The vocative Rahul becomes the object of the reporting verb.

Reporting Speech with Two Listeners

Pronoun changes must be decided from context, not mechanically.

Direct:

Rahul said to Riya, “I will help you.”

Indirect:

Rahul told Riya that he would help her.

• I → Rahul → he
• you → Riya → her

Time Expressions Are Context-Dependent

Traditional examinations often expect:

• now → then
• today → that day
• tomorrow → the next day
• yesterday → the previous day
• here → there

But modern grammar recognises that these changes are necessary only when the reporting context changes.

Example:

At 9 a.m. Rahul says:

“I will finish the work today.”

If reported later on the same day, one may say:

Rahul said that he would finish the work today.

If reported on another day:

Rahul said that he would finish the work that day.

Therefore, meaning and context are important.

Direct to Indirect Conversion Procedure

For competitive-exam questions, follow this sequence:

• Identify the type of sentence:
  • statement
  • question
  • command
  • request
  • exclamation
  • wish
• Identify the reporting verb and its tense.
• Select the correct reporting verb:
  • said
  • told
  • asked
  • ordered
  • requested
  • advised
  • exclaimed
  • etc.
• Remove:
  • quotation marks
  • comma before quotation
  • question/exclamation mark where appropriate
• Insert the required connector:
  • statement → that
  • yes/no question → if/whether
  • wh-question → retain wh-word
  • command/request → to + V1
  • negative command → not to + V1
• Change pronouns according to speaker and listener.
• Apply tense backshift when required.
• Change time/place expressions only when the reporting context requires it.
• Check that an indirect question uses statement word order.

Common Narration Errors

Incorrect:

He told that he was busy. ✘

Correct:

He said that he was busy. ✔

or:

He told me that he was busy. ✔

Incorrect:

He said me to wait. ✘

Correct:

He told me to wait. ✔

Incorrect:

She asked me that where I lived. ✘

Correct:

She asked me where I lived. ✔

Do not use that before a wh-question.

Incorrect:

He asked me where did I live. ✘

Correct:

He asked me where I lived. ✔

Indirect questions require statement word order.

Incorrect:

He asked that whether I was ready. ✘

Correct:

He asked whether I was ready. ✔

Incorrect:

The teacher told that students should work hard. ✘ when an object is required by told

Correct:

The teacher told the students that they should work hard. ✔

Incorrect:

He suggested me to take rest. ✘

Correct:

He suggested taking rest. ✔

or:

He suggested that I should take rest. ✔

Incorrect:

She requested that please help her. ✘

Correct:

She requested me to help her. ✔

Incorrect:

He asked me that was I ready. ✘

Correct:

He asked me whether I was ready. ✔

Tense Change Table

Time and Place Change Table

These changes should be made only when required by context.

Sentence-Type Conversion Table

Key Points to Remember

• Direct Speech gives the exact words of the speaker.
• Indirect Speech reports the meaning without reproducing the exact wording.
• For statements:
  • said + that-clause
  • told + object + that-clause
• Remember:
  • He said that… ✔
  • He told me that… ✔
  • He told that… ✘
  • He said me… ✘
• When the reporting verb is in the past, common backshift is:
  • Present → Past
  • Present Perfect → Past Perfect
  • Past → Past Perfect
  • will → would
  • can → could
  • may → might
• Past Perfect normally remains unchanged.
• Do not mechanically change tense when:
  • reporting verb is present/future
  • the statement is a universal truth
  • a fact remains true and context supports retaining the original tense
• Pronouns change according to speaker, listener and meaning.
• For yes/no questions:
  • use if/whether
  • use statement word order
• Correct:
  • She asked if I was ready.
• Incorrect:
  • She asked if was I ready. ✘
• For wh-questions:
  • retain the wh-word
  • do not add that
  • use statement order
• Correct:
  • He asked where I lived.
• Commands:
  • ordered/told + object + to + V1
• Negative commands:
  • not to + V1
• Requests:
  • asked/requested + object + to + V1
• Advice:
  • advised + object + to + V1
• Suggestions:
  • suggest + V-ing
  • suggest that + clause
  • not suggest somebody to do in standard English
• Exclamations require an appropriate emotional reporting verb:
  • joy
  • sorrow
  • surprise
  • admiration
  • wonder
• Please is normally removed and represented through:
  • requested
  • asked
  • begged
  • urged
• Hurrah may become:
  • exclaimed with joy
• Alas may become:
  • exclaimed with sorrow
• Let’s normally becomes:
  • suggested + V-ing
  • or suggested that…should + V1
• Can/Could you…? may represent a request, not necessarily a question about ability.
• Shall I…? may express:
  • offer
  • request for advice
• Shall we…? commonly expresses a suggestion.

• Time and place changes such as:

  • today → that day
  • tomorrow → the next day
  • here → there

  are context-dependent, not purely mechanical.

The safest approach to narration is to first determine what the speaker is actually doing—making a statement, asking a question, issuing an order, requesting, advising, suggesting, promising, exclaiming or wishing. Once the function is identified, the correct reporting verb, sentence structure, tense, pronoun and connector can be selected accurately.