Grammar Guide: Direct and Indirect Speech
Types of Speech
There are two primary types of speech used to report what someone has said[cite: 5].
1. Direct Speech (प्रत्यक्ष कथन)
We can reproduce the words exactly spoken by a person as it is within inverted commas[cite: 5]. This is called "Direct Speech"[cite: 5].
- The exact words of the speaker are put in inverted commas (" ")[cite: 5].
- There is a comma after the reporting verb[cite: 5].
- The quoted words begin with a capital letter[cite: 5].
2. Indirect Speech (अप्रत्यक्ष कथन)
We can reproduce our own words in place of what the speaker said[cite: 5]. This is called Indirect Speech[cite: 5].
- The indirect speech is in the form of ordinary sentences[cite: 5].
- It has no special punctuation like inverted commas[cite: 5].
Parts of Direct Speech
Generally, there are four parts of direct speech[cite: 5]. Let's break down the sentence: Rama said to Sima, "I am very busy now"[cite: 5].
- Reporter (निवेदक): The person who speaks is called the Reporter[cite: 5]. In the example, 'Rama' is the reporter[cite: 5].
- Reporting Verb (निवेदन करणारे क्रियापद): The verb that introduces the reported speech[cite: 5]. In the example, 'Said to' is the reporting verb[cite: 5].
- Hearer / Listener (ऐकणारी व्यक्ती): The person who listens to what the reporter said[cite: 5]. In the example, 'Sima' is the hearer[cite: 5].
- Reported Speech (निवेदन केलेली वाक्य): The exact words of the speaker which are put within inverted commas[cite: 5]. In the example, 'I am very busy now' is the reported speech[cite: 5].
5 Key Changes Made During Conversion
When changing direct speech to indirect speech, five main changes occur[cite: 5]:
- Change in reporting Verb[cite: 5]
- Use of conjunction[cite: 5]
- Change in pronoun[cite: 5]
- Change in tense[cite: 5]
- Change in words showing nearness to distance[cite: 5]
Rule 1: Rules for Change in Tense
A. Present or Future Reporting Verb
If the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g., says, is/am/are saying, have/has said) or future tense (e.g., will/shall say), the tense of the verb in the reported speech remains unchanged[cite: 5].
Direct: He says "Children like to play"[cite: 5].
Indirect: He says that children like to play[cite: 5].
Direct: Your father will say "Life was very hard during the war"[cite: 5].
Indirect: Your father will say that life was very hard during the war[cite: 5].
B. Past Tense Reporting Verb
If the reporting verb is in a past tense (e.g., said, had said, was saying), the tenses in the reported speech change as follows[cite: 5]:
- Simple present changes to simple past[cite: 5].
- Present continuous changes to past continuous[cite: 5].
- Present perfect changes to past perfect[cite: 5].
- Present perfect continuous changes to Past perfect continuous[cite: 5].
- Simple past changes to Past perfect[cite: 5].
- Past continuous changes to Past perfect continuous[cite: 5].
- Past perfect and Past perfect continuous experience No change[cite: 5].
Direct: He said, "Pankaj's wife wants to become rich by wining a lottery"[cite: 5].
Indirect: He said that Pankaj's wife wanted to become rich by wining a lottery[cite: 5].
C. Rules for Change in Helping Verbs
- Am, Is, Are changes to Was, Were[cite: 5].
- Was, Were changes to Had been[cite: 5].
- Have, Has changes to Had[cite: 5].
- Do, Does changes to Did[cite: 5].
- Did changes to Had done[cite: 5].
- Will, Shall changes to Would[cite: 5].
- May, Can changes to Might, Could[cite: 5].
- Had, Had been, Had done, Would, Should, Might, Could, Must, Ought to experience No Change[cite: 5].
Rule 2: Words Denoting Time & Position
Generally, words expressing nearness in time and place are changed into words expressing distance[cite: 5].
- This / These becomes That / Those[cite: 5].
- Here becomes There[cite: 5].
- Now becomes Then[cite: 5].
- Ago becomes Before[cite: 5].
- Last... becomes The previous...[cite: 5].
- Next becomes The following...[cite: 5].
- Today becomes That Day[cite: 5].
- Tonight becomes That night[cite: 5].
- Yesterday becomes The previous day[cite: 5].
- Tomorrow becomes The following day[cite: 5].
Rule 3: Change in Pronouns
- First Person (I, We): Changed into pronouns of the same person as the subject (Reporter) of the reporting verb[cite: 5].
Example: I said, "I have done my duty" → I said that I had done my duty[cite: 5]. - Second Person (You): Changed into pronouns of the same person as the object (Listener/Hearer) of the reporting verb[cite: 5].
Example: Teacher said to me, "You have not done your work well" → Teacher told me that I had not done my work well[cite: 5]. - Third Person (He, She, It, They): Remain unchanged[cite: 5].
Example: Teacher said to me, "He has not done his work well" → Teacher told me that he had not done his work well[cite: 5].
Rules 4 & 5: Reporting Verbs and Conjunctions
The reporting verb and the conjunction used depend on the type of sentence being converted[cite: 5].
- Assertive Sentence: The reporting verb is said/says (Note: said to becomes told)[cite: 5]. The conjunction used is That[cite: 5].
- Interrogative Sentence: The reporting verb becomes ask/asked[cite: 5]. The conjunction used is If / Whether[cite: 5].
- Imperative Sentence: The reporting verb becomes asked, advised, warned, requested, promised, or suggested depending on the situation[cite: 5]. The conjunction used is To / not to[cite: 5].
- Exclamatory Sentence: The reporting verb expresses emotion like Expressed with joy, sorrow, or anger[cite: 5]. The conjunction used is That[cite: 5].
Examples for Practice
- Q: "Don't play with matches," his mother said[cite: 5].
A: His mother told him not to play with matches[cite: 5]. - Q: "I've forgotten to bring my lunch with me," he said[cite: 5].
A: He said that he'd forgotten to bring his lunch with him[cite: 5]. - Q: "Will you be home soon?" she asked her husband[cite: 5].
A: She asked her husband if he would be home soon[cite: 5]. - Q: "Go to bed!" father said to the children[cite: 5].
A: Father told the children to go to bed[cite: 5]. - Q: "I'll clean the car tomorrow," Tim said to his father[cite: 5].
A: Tim told his father that he would clean the car the following day[cite: 5]. - Q: "Where have you been?" Gary asked his wife[cite: 5].
A: Gary asked his wife where she had been[cite: 5]. - Q: "I've been working for the same company since 1960," he said to me[cite: 5].
A: He told me that he had been working for the same company since 1960[cite: 5]. - Q: "Do you know Garfield?" she asked me[cite: 5].
A: She asked me if I knew Garfield[cite: 5]. - Q: "How shall I tell Tom the bad news?" she said[cite: 5].
A: She asked how she should tell Tom the bad news[cite: 5]. - Q: "You must try my home-made wine," he said[cite: 5].
A: He said that I had to try his home-made wine[cite: 5]. - Q: "Can I go home now?" he asked her[cite: 5].
A: He asked her if he could go home then[cite: 5]. - Q: "May I call you by your first name?" he asked[cite: 5].
A: He asked if he might call me by my first name[cite: 5]. - Q: "She must try harder if she wants to succeed," he said[cite: 5].
A: He said that she had to try harder if she wanted to succeed[cite: 5]. - Q: "My father will be angry with me if he finds out," she said[cite: 5].
A: She said that her father would be angry with her if he found out[cite: 5].
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