Direct and Indirect Speech
Rules for changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech:
- In the Indirect speech, no inverted commas are used.
- The conjunctions that, if, whether, etc are generally used after the reporting verbs.
- The First word of the reported speech begins with a capital letter.
- The tense of the reporting verb is never changed.
- The Reporting verb changes according to sense, it may be told, asked, inquired, etc.
Rules for the change of pronouns:
- The first person pronouns, (I, me, my, we, us, our) in the reported speech change according to the subject of the reporting verb.
- THe pronouns of the second person (you, your, yourself) in the reported speech change according to the object of the reporting verb.
- The pronoun of the third person do not change.
I. Change the sentences into Indirect Speech.
1. He said to me, “Will you go there?”
Ans: He asked me if I would go there.
2. I said to him, “Did you enjoy the movie?’
Ans: I asked him if he had enjoyed the movie.
3. I said to him, “Where are you going?”
Ans: I asked him where he was going.
4. I said to him, “Leave this place at once.”
Ans: I told him to leave that place at once.
5. The principal said to the peon, “Ring the bell.”
Ans: The principal ordered the peon to ring the bell.
6. I said to my friend, “please give me your pen.”
Ans: I requested my friend to lend me his pen.
7. He said to me, “please take your book.”
Ans: He requested to me to take my book.
8. He says, “Honesty is the best policy.”
Ans: He say that honesty is the best policy.
9. I said, “I agree to what he said.”
Ans: I said that agreed to what he had said.
10. She said, “Goodbye friends!”
Ans: She bade goodbye to her friends.
Questions for Practice:
II. Change the sentences into Indirect Speech.
1. He said to her, Why do you read this book?”
2. The officer said the peon, “Let the visitor come into my office.”
3. Our teacher said, “The earth is round.”
4. He said to me, “Will you listen to me?”
5. She said, “Where is your father?”
6. Ravi says, “I have written a letter.”
7. The student said, “Alas! I wasted my time last year.”
8. He said to me,”Why have you come here?”
9. The teacher said to the boys, “Do not make noise.”
10. He said to my sister, ” Shrushti has broken my glass.”