Introduction:
When we use the exact words of the speaker within the quotation marks, it is called Direct speech. When we are reporting what someone else said, we normally don’t use their exact words with quotation marks (direct speech), but instead we use indirect speech (also called reported speech). Indirect speech is introduced using certain phrases.
Declarative Sentences
Example:
He says/said …
She explains/explained …
She tells/told me …
He asks/asked …
When turning declarative sentences into indirect speech, we need to pay attention to the following points:
1. Changing the pronouns
Example:
Neetu said, “I bought a new car.”
Neetu said (that) she had bought a new car.
2. Changing information about time and place.
Example: Neetu said, “I bought a new car yesterday”
Neetu said (that) she had bought a new car the previous day.
|
Direct speech |
Indirect speech |
|---|---|
|
today |
that day |
|
now |
then |
|
yesterday |
the day before |
|
… days ago |
… days before |
|
last week |
the week before |
|
next year |
the following year |
|
tomorrow |
the next day |
|
here |
there |
|
this |
that |
|
these |
those |
3. Changing the tense (backshift)
Example: They said, “He was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting.”
They said (that) he had been eating an ice-cream at the table where I was sitting.
If the introductory clause is in the simple past (e.g. He said), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table). The term for this in English is backshift.
Example:
Ashok said, “I swim every day.”
Ashok said that he swam every day.
Kumar said, “I wrote a letter.”
Kumar said that he had written.
They said, “She was sitting near the beach.”
They said that she had been sitting near the beach.
Direct speech Indirect speech
simple present simple past
present progressive past progressive
simple past past perfect
simple present perfect simple past perfect simple
past progressive past perfect progressive
present perfect progressive past perfect progressive
future I (going to ) was / were going to
future I (will) conditional I (would)
Note: The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change.
Introduction:
When we use the exact words of the speaker within the quotation marks, it is called Direct speech. When we are reporting what someone else said, we normally don’t use their exact words with quotation marks (direct speech), but instead we use indirect speech (also called reported speech). Indirect speech is introduced using certain phrases.
Declarative Sentences
Example:
He says/said …
She explains/explained …
She tells/told me …
He asks/asked …
When turning declarative sentences into indirect speech, we need to pay attention to the following points:
1. Changing the pronouns
Example:
Neetu said, “I bought a new car.”
Neetu said (that) she had bought a new car.
2. Changing information about time and place.
Example: Neetu said, “I bought a new car yesterday”
Neetu said (that) she had bought a new car the previous day.
|
Direct speech |
Indirect speech |
|---|---|
|
today |
that day |
|
now |
then |
|
yesterday |
the day before |
|
… days ago |
… days before |
|
last week |
the week before |
|
next year |
the following year |
|
tomorrow |
the next day |
|
here |
there |
|
this |
that |
|
these |
those |
3. Changing the tense (backshift)
Example: They said, “He was eating an ice-cream at the table where you are sitting.”
They said (that) he had been eating an ice-cream at the table where I was sitting.
If the introductory clause is in the simple past (e.g. He said), the tense has to be set back by one degree (see the table). The term for this in English is backshift.
Example:
Ashok said, “I swim every day.”
Ashok said that he swam every day.
Kumar said, “I wrote a letter.”
Kumar said that he had written.
They said, “She was sitting near the beach.”
They said that she had been sitting near the beach.
Direct speech Indirect speech
simple present simple past
present progressive past progressive
simple past past perfect
simple present perfect simple past perfect simple
past progressive past perfect progressive
present perfect progressive past perfect progressive
future I (going to ) was / were going to
future I (will) conditional I (would)
Note: The verbs could, should, would, might, must, needn’t, ought to, used to normally do not change.