direct speech simple present tense examples

Narration Change in Present Tense

Back to: Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration)

Examples of narration change in present simple, present continuous, present perfect and present perfect continuous are given below –

Table of Contents

Direct and Indirect Speech Simple Present Tense Examples

If reported verb is in Past Tense, reported speech will change from Present Indefinite Tense to Past Indefinite Tense

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech in Present Continuous Tense

If reported verb is in Past Tense, reported speech will change from Present Continuous Tense to Past Continuous Tense .

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech in Present Perfect Tense

If reported verb is in Past Tense, reported speech will change from Present Perfect Tense to Past Perfect Tense .

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech in Present Perfect Continuous Tense

If reported verb is in Past Tense, reported speech will change from Present Perfect Continuous Tense to Past Perfect Continuous Tense .

direct speech simple present tense examples

Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples

Are you having trouble understanding the difference between direct and indirect speech? Direct speech is when you quote someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. This can be a tricky concept to grasp, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to use both forms of speech with ease.

Direct and Indirect Speech

When someone speaks, we can report what they said in two ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is when we quote the exact words that were spoken, while indirect speech is when we report what was said without using the speaker’s exact words. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I love pizza,” said John. Indirect speech: John said that he loved pizza.

Using direct speech can make your writing more engaging and can help to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion. However, indirect speech can be useful when you want to summarize what someone said or when you don’t have the exact words that were spoken.

To change direct speech to indirect speech, you need to follow some rules. Firstly, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb. Secondly, you need to change the pronouns and adverbs in the reported speech to match the new speaker. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will go to the park,” said Sarah. Indirect speech: Sarah said that she would go to the park.

It’s important to note that when you use indirect speech, you need to use reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked” to indicate who is speaking. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is it?” asked Tom. Indirect speech: Tom asked what time it was.

In summary, understanding direct and indirect speech is crucial for effective communication and writing. Direct speech can be used to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion, while indirect speech can be useful when summarizing what someone said. By following the rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech, you can accurately report what was said while maintaining clarity and readability in your writing.

Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech

When it comes to reporting speech, there are two ways to go about it: direct and indirect speech. Direct speech is when you report someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. Here are some of the key differences between direct and indirect speech:

Change of Pronouns

In direct speech, the pronouns used are those of the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the pronouns have to be changed to reflect the perspective of the reporter. For example:

Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John.
Indirect speech: John said he was going to the store.

In the above example, the pronoun “I” changes to “he” in indirect speech.

Change of Tenses

Another major difference between direct and indirect speech is the change of tenses. In direct speech, the verb tense used is the same as that used by the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the verb tense may change depending on the context. For example:

Direct speech: “I am studying for my exams,” said Sarah.
Indirect speech: Sarah said she was studying for her exams.

In the above example, the present continuous tense “am studying” changes to the past continuous tense “was studying” in indirect speech.

Change of Time and Place References

When reporting indirect speech, the time and place references may also change. For example:

Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” said Tom.
Indirect speech: Tom said he would meet you at the park the next day.

In the above example, “tomorrow” changes to “the next day” in indirect speech.

Overall, it is important to understand the differences between direct and indirect speech to report speech accurately and effectively. By following the rules of direct and indirect speech, you can convey the intended message of the original speaker.

Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

When you need to report what someone said in your own words, you can use indirect speech. To convert direct speech into indirect speech, you need to follow a few rules.

Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks

The first step is to remove the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. This is because indirect speech does not use the exact words of the speaker.

Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker

To indicate that you are reporting what someone said, you need to use a reporting verb such as “said,” “asked,” “told,” or “exclaimed.” You also need to use a linker such as “that” or “whether” to connect the reporting verb to the reported speech.

For example:

Direct speech: “I love ice cream,” said Mary.
Indirect speech: Mary said that she loved ice cream.

Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb

When you use indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb.

Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store.

Step 4: Change the Pronouns

You also need to change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the subject of the reporting verb.

Direct speech: “Are you busy now?” Tina asked me.
Indirect speech: Tina asked whether I was busy then.

By following these rules, you can convert direct speech into indirect speech and report what someone said in your own words.

Converting Indirect Speech Into Direct Speech

Converting indirect speech into direct speech involves changing the reported speech to its original form as spoken by the speaker. Here are the steps to follow when converting indirect speech into direct speech:

Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb used in the indirect speech. This will help you determine the tense of the direct speech.
Change the pronouns: The next step is to change the pronouns in the indirect speech to match the person speaking in the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “She said that she was going to the store,” the direct speech would be “I am going to the store,” if you are the person speaking.
Change the tense: Change the tense of the verbs in the indirect speech to match the tense of the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “He said that he would visit tomorrow,” the direct speech would be “He says he will visit tomorrow.”
Remove the reporting verb and conjunction: In direct speech, there is no need for a reporting verb or conjunction. Simply remove them from the indirect speech to get the direct speech.

Here is an example to illustrate the process:

Indirect Speech: John said that he was tired and wanted to go home.

Direct Speech: “I am tired and want to go home,” John said.

By following these steps, you can easily convert indirect speech into direct speech.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech are two ways to report what someone has said. Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by a person, while indirect speech reports the meaning of what was said. Here are some examples of both types of speech:

Direct Speech Examples

Direct speech is used when you want to report the exact words spoken by someone. It is usually enclosed in quotation marks and is often used in dialogue.

“I am going to the store,” said Sarah.
“It’s a beautiful day,” exclaimed John.
“Please turn off the lights,” Mom told me.
“I will meet you at the library,” said Tom.
“We are going to the beach tomorrow,” announced Mary.

Indirect Speech Examples

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. It is often used in news reports, academic writing, and in situations where you want to paraphrase what someone said.

Here are some examples of indirect speech:

Sarah said that she was going to the store.
John exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
Mom told me to turn off the lights.
Tom said that he would meet me at the library.
Mary announced that they were going to the beach tomorrow.

In indirect speech, the verb tense may change to reflect the time of the reported speech. For example, “I am going to the store” becomes “Sarah said that she was going to the store.” Additionally, the pronouns and possessive adjectives may also change to reflect the speaker and the person being spoken about.

Overall, both direct and indirect speech are important tools for reporting what someone has said. By using these techniques, you can accurately convey the meaning of what was said while also adding your own interpretation and analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech refer to the ways in which we communicate what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, using quotation marks to indicate that you are quoting someone. Indirect speech, on the other hand, involves reporting what someone has said without using their exact words.

How do you convert direct speech to indirect speech?

To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb, such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.” For example, “I love ice cream,” said Mary (direct speech) can be converted to “Mary said that she loved ice cream” (indirect speech).

What is the difference between direct speech and indirect speech?

The main difference between direct speech and indirect speech is that direct speech uses the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. Direct speech is usually enclosed in quotation marks, while indirect speech is not.

What are some examples of direct and indirect speech?

Some examples of direct speech include “I am going to the store,” said John and “I love pizza,” exclaimed Sarah. Some examples of indirect speech include John said that he was going to the store and Sarah exclaimed that she loved pizza .

What are the rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech?

The rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech include changing the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb and use appropriate reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.”

What is a summary of direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions and introduce a reporting verb.

50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

In this useful lesson, we’ll explore direct and indirect speech through 50 simple examples. These two ways of speaking help us share what someone else said. Think of direct speech as using the speaker’s exact words, like quoting a friend. Indirect speech , on the other hand, involves changing the original words a bit, as if you’re telling a story about what was said. This lesson is great for anyone looking to get better at English, offering clear examples to make learning easier.

Rules to Make Direct and Indirect Speech

When converting direct speech into indirect speech, it’s important to follow specific rules to ensure the sentence still conveys the original meaning. Here are the key rules:

Change in Pronouns : Pronouns often need to be changed according to the context and the point of view of the reporting verb. For example, “ I am going ” (direct) might become “ He said he was going ” (indirect).
Tense Shifts : The tense of the verb in direct speech usually changes when converting to indirect speech. If the reporting verb is in the past tense , the tense in the reported speech shifts back as well. For instance, “ She said, ‘I am eating ‘” changes to “ She said she was eating “.
Time and Place Words : Words indicating time and place in direct speech are often adjusted in indirect speech. “Here” may change to “there,” “today” to “ that day ,” “tomorrow” to “ the next day ,” etc.
Question Form : If the direct speech is a question, the indirect form does not use a question format. Instead, it integrates the question into a statement, often using “if” or “whether” for yes/no questions, and ‘wh’ words ( what, when, where, why, who ) for questions that require more detailed answers. For example, “ He asked, ‘Are you coming? ‘” becomes “ He asked if I was coming .”
No Quotes : In indirect speech, quotation marks are not used. The sentence is integrated into a larger statement, which often starts with verbs like said, asked, or told.
Exclamations and Commands : Exclamatory sentences and commands in direct speech are transformed into statements or requests in indirect speech. For instance, “He said, ‘How beautiful!'” becomes “He exclaimed that it was beautiful.” Commands like “He said, ‘Sit down!'” change to “He ordered me to sit down.”
Modal Verbs : Modal verbs can also change in indirect speech, especially might, could, would, and should, depending on the context and the necessity to maintain the original sentence’s meaning.

Remember, the goal of these changes is to maintain the essence of the original statement while adapting it to the grammatical and contextual framework of indirect speech.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

1. Direct: “I am busy,” she said.

Indirect: She said that she was busy.

2. Direct: “We will go tomorrow,” they said.

Indirect: They said that they would go the next day.

3. Direct: “He can play the guitar,” Mike said.

Indirect: Mike said that he could play the guitar.

4. Direct: “Do you like chocolate?” she asked me.

Indirect: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

5. Direct: “Please open the window,” John requested.

Indirect: John requested that the window be opened.

6. Direct: “I have finished my homework,” he announced.

Indirect: He announced that he had finished his homework.

7. Direct: “Don’t touch that,” she warned.

Indirect: She warned not to touch that.

8. Direct: “How are you?” he inquired.

Indirect: He inquired how I was.

9. Direct: “I will help you,” she promised.

Indirect: She promised that she would help me.

10. Direct: “I didn’t see him yesterday,” Tom confessed.

Indirect: Tom confessed that he hadn’t seen him the day before.

11. Direct: “I am going to the market,” Alex said.

Indirect: Alex said that he was going to the market.

12. Direct: “We saw a movie last night,” they told me.

Indirect: They told me that they had seen a movie the night before.

13. Direct: “Can you drive a car?” she questioned.

Indirect: She questioned whether I could drive a car.

14. Direct: “Please pass the salt,” he requested.

Indirect: He requested that the salt be passed.

15. Direct: “I have been to Spain,” she mentioned.

Indirect: She mentioned that she had been to Spain.

16. Direct: “Stay away from the dog,” he cautioned.

Indirect: He cautioned to stay away from the dog.

17. Direct: “Where did you buy this?” she inquired.

Indirect: She inquired where I had bought that.

18. Direct: “I’ll call you tonight,” he promised.

Indirect: He promised that he would call me that night.

19. Direct: “I didn’t take your book,” Sarah insisted.

Indirect: Sarah insisted that she hadn’t taken my book.

20. Direct: “Let’s meet at the café,” they suggested.

Indirect: They suggested meeting at the café.

21. Direct: “I’m feeling sick,” he said.

Indirect: He said that he was feeling sick.

22. Direct: “I won the match,” she exclaimed.

Indirect: She exclaimed that she had won the match.

23. Direct: “Could you please help me?” he asked.

Indirect: He asked if I could please help him.

24. Direct: “Turn off the lights,” she commanded.

Indirect: She commanded that the lights be turned off.

25. Direct: “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

Indirect: He said that he would see me the next day.

26. Direct: “We’re moving to a new city,” they announced.

Indirect: They announced that they were moving to a new city.

27. Direct: “Do not disturb me,” she warned.

Indirect: She warned not to disturb her.

28. Direct: “Why are you late?” he questioned.

Indirect: He questioned why I was late.

29. Direct: “I’ll handle the situation,” she assured.

Indirect: She assured that she would handle the situation.

30. Direct: “I’ve never been to Asia,” he stated.

Indirect: He stated that he had never been to Asia.

31. Direct: “Let’s go for a walk,” she proposed.

Indirect: She proposed going for a walk.

32. Direct: “I am learning Spanish,” he mentioned.

Indirect: He mentioned that he was learning Spanish.

33. Direct: “Please close the door,” she asked.

Indirect: She asked that the door be closed.

34. Direct: “I will join you later,” he promised.

Indirect: He promised that he would join me later.

35. Direct: “I lost my wallet,” she declared.

Indirect: She declared that she had lost her wallet.

36. Direct: “Keep the secret,” he urged.

Indirect: He urged to keep the secret.

37. Direct: “Where is the nearest bank?” she inquired.

Indirect: She inquired where the nearest bank was.

38. Direct: “I might go to the concert,” he speculated.

Indirect: He speculated that he might go to the concert.

39. Direct: “Please be quiet,” she implored.

Indirect: She implored to be quiet.

40. Direct: “I will finish the project by Monday,” he assured.

Indirect: He assured that he would finish the project by Monday.

41. Direct: “Don’t forget to lock the door,” she reminded.

Indirect: She reminded to not forget to lock the door.

42. Direct: “How do you solve this problem?” he pondered.

Indirect: He pondered how to solve that problem.

43. Direct: “I can’t believe I won!” he exclaimed.

Indirect: He exclaimed that he couldn’t believe he had won.

44. Direct: “Would you like some coffee?” she offered.

Indirect: She offered if I would like some coffee.

45. Direct: “I must leave now,” he stated.

Indirect: He stated that he must leave then.

46. Direct: “We’re adopting a puppy,” they shared.

Indirect: They shared that they were adopting a puppy.

47. Direct: “Never speak to me again,” she commanded.

Indirect: She commanded never to speak to her again.

48. Direct: “When will you return the book?” he asked.

Indirect: He asked when I would return the book.

49. Direct: “I’ll think about your offer,” she considered.

Indirect: She considered that she would think about the offer.

50. Direct: “Please bring me a glass of water,” he requested.

Indirect: He requested that a glass of water be brought to him.

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Reported speech – Simple Present – Sentences – Exercise

Task no. 2331.

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary.

Abigail, "Isabella hates fish." Abigail said (that)

Abigail said (that) Isabella hated fish .

Do you need help?

Reported speech

Helen, "I speak English and Spanish." Helen said (that) .
Ken, "Joy often reads comics." Ken said (that) .
Harry and Marie, "We go swimming in the lake." Harry and Marie told me (that) .
Madison, "I'm tired." Madison remarked (that) .
Amy, "The boys always wear jeans." Amy told me (that) .
Oliver and Noah, "Our smartphones don't work." Oliver and Noah mentioned (that) .
Lisa, "Alan sometimes meets friends." Lisa said (that) .
Andrew, "I really love my moped." Andrew said (that) .
Nick, "You have a fast car." Nick remarked (that) .
Josie, "Your dogs are cute." Josie told me (that) .
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Grammar Exercises
Reported Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech of Simple Present Tense

We often convey a message or give information about what someone said, thought or felt to somebody else. In order to do this you can use the grammar structure named direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech. Scroll down to learn about direct and indirect speech of simple present tense.

Affirmatives

Direct speech: RP +, + S + V1 s/es + ROTS He said, “My father drives a truck.”
Indirect speech: RP + that + S + V2 + ROTS He said to me that his father drove a truck.

With to be verbs

Direct speech: He said, “I am very happy today.”
Indirect speech: He told me that he was very happy that day.

Interrogatives

Direct speech: RP +, + Do/Does + S + V1 + ROTS He asked, “Does your brother go to Learn ESL academy?”
Indirect speech: RP + if/whether + S + V2 + ROTS He asked me if my brother came to Learn ESL academy.
Direct speech: He asked Ahmad, “Are you tired tonight?”
Indirect speech: He asked Ahmad if/whether he was tired that night.
Direct speech: RP +, + S + do/does not + V1 ROTS He said to me, “I don`t like selfish people.”
Indirect speech: RP + that + S + did not + V1 + ROTS He told me that he didn`t like selfish people.
Direct speech: She said, “The weather is not cold today.”
Indirect speech: She told me that the weather was not cold that day.

Negative interrogatives

Direct speech: RP +, + do/does not + S + V1 + ROTS They asked, “Don`t you want to come with us?”
Indirect speech: RP + if + S + did not + V1 + ROTS They wanted to know if I didn`t want to go with them.
Direct speech: My father asked, “Aren`t you busy today?”
Indirect speech: My father wanted to know if I wasn’t busy that day.

WH/Information Questions

Direct speech: RP +, + WH + do/does + S + V1 + ROTS The students asked, “When does our school start?”
Indirect speech: RP + that + WH + S + V2 + ROTS The students wanted to know when their school started.
Direct speech: He asked, “Why is Ahmad absent today?”
Indirect speech: He wanted to know why Ahmad was absent that day.

Check out Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises With Answers

If you would like to know more about direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech, check out more in the book below.

Direct and Indirect Speech – Rules and Examples

13th June 2020 By Edify English Leave a Comment

Any word spoken by a speaker can be written in two different ways. Those two are direct and indirect speech. Direct Speech is when the speaker’s actual words are quoted and these words are put in inverted commas (“…..”) while Indirect Speech is when the speaker’s words are said indirectly with the same meaning without repeating the exact words. For Example, the statement in direct speech She said to me, “I am going to the park” changes into She told me that she was going to the park in indirect speech.

Basic Changes while changing from Direct speech to indirect speech

The comma ( , )after the reporting verb is removed and the conjunction that is added in the indirect speech.
If the direct speech contains ‘said to’ , it will be converted into ‘told’ in the indirect speech.
The quotation marks (Inverted commas) are to be removed in the indirect speech.
I becomes He/ She
We becomes they
You becomes He / She/ They
Me becomes Him/ he r (Depending on the gender in the direct speech)
My becomes His/ Her .
Our becomes their
Us becomes them
Your becomes His/ her/ their .

Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and Indirect Speech

Rule 1: The Verb in the simple present tense in the direct speech changes into the simple past tense in indirect speech

Example: He said to me, “I am happy” becomes He told me that he was happy

(The verb in the direct speech ‘am’ is converted into ‘was’.)

Rule 2: The verb in the simple past tense becomes past perfect tense in indirect speech.

Example: He said to me, “I was happy” changes into He told me that he had been happy

Rule 3: A present continuous tense in direct speech becomes past continuous tense in indirect speech.

Example: The peon said, “The professor is teaching in that classroom” changes into The peon said that the professor was teaching in that classroom.

Rule 4: If the direct speech contains present perfect tense, it changes into the past perfect tense in indirect speech.

Example: She said, “I have passed the test” becomes She said that she had passed the test.

Rule 5: If the direct speech contains a statement talking about a universal truth or a factual statement, there will be no change of tense in indirect speech.

Example: The teacher said, “The sun rises in the East” becomes The teacher said that the sun rises in the east in indirect speech.

Example: Samuel said, “I know the university’s address.” and the indirect speech for that is Samuel said that he knows the university’s address

Rules for converting Interrogatory sentences

Rule 6: While converting interrogative sentences, the verb ‘said to’ becomes ‘asked’ and if/ whether will come in the place of ‘that’. The connecting word ‘that’ will not be used in indirect speech. Also, the interrogation mark (?) is not repeated in the indirect speech.

Example: He said to her, “Will you marry me?” changes into He asked her whether she would marry him in the indirect speech.

Rules for Converting Imperative Sentences

Rule 7: During the conversion of imperative sentences, the verb “said to” is changed into ordered, advised, requested, suggested, proposed, etc. depending on the situation. Also, the connecting word ‘that’ is not used. Instead of that, ‘ to’ is used before the reporting verb.

Example: My father said to me, “prepare well for your examination” . It can be converted to My father advised me to prepare well for my examination.

Rules for Converting Exclamatory Sentences

Rule 8: For exclamatory sentences, the verb is converted into: exclaimed with joy or sorrow or with surprise, wished, prayed, applauded,/ etc. The exclamatory words and the exclamation are not mentioned anymore in the indirect speech. For example,

Example: The coach said, “Hurrah! we won the match!” is changed as The coach exclaimed with joy that we had won the match.

These are the changes in helping verbs while changing from Direct and Indirect Speech

Note: There is no change in the helping verbs “would, should, could, might, had” in the direct speech and they remain the s ame in indirect speech as well.

Changes in Time and Place

Cha nges in pronoun s

The changes in pronouns in indirect speech depends on the subject and the object of the reporting verb.

Rule 1: The first person of reported speech changes based on the subject of the reporting verb.

Example: She said, “I watched a movie” can be converted into She said that she had watched a movie . Hence, the first person in the direct speech “I” has become “she” based on the subject.

Had there been “he” instead of “she”, the first person in reported speech changes accordingly into “he”.

Rule 2: The second person in reported speech changes based on the object of the reporting verb.

Example: She said to me, “You watched a movie” can be converted into She told me that I had watched a movie.

Rule 3 : The third person in the reported speech remains unchanged.

Example: I said to her, “He will play Chess” can be converted into I told her that he would play Chess.

Stay tuned for more examples of direct and indirect speech.

For an extensive material on tenses, Click here

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Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

English grammar direct and indirect speech rules, what is direct and indirect speech.

We often have to give information about what people say or think. In order to do this, we can use direct or quoted speech or indirect or reported speech .

Direct Speech

Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech).

For example:

She said, “Today’s lesson is on presentations.” Or “Today’s lesson is on presentations,” she said.

Indirect speech

Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech or Narration ), doesn’t use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn’t have to be word for word. Thus, in indirect speech, we convey the speaker’s message in our own words.

Direct Speech: He said, “I’m going to the cinema”.
Indirect Speech: He said that he was going to the cinema.

Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart

Reported speech does not go back a tense if it is already in the past perfect (there is no further back it can go), and some modal verbs also do not change.

Direct and Indirect speech Examples for Tense

1. Simple Present to Simple Past

Direct: He said, “The boy goes home.” Indirect: He said that the boy went home.

2. Present Continuous to Past Continuous

Direct: Ram said, “I am reading a book.” Indirect: Ram said that he was reading a book.

3. Present Perfect to Past Perfect

Direct: The girl said, “I have lost my pen.” Indirect: The girl said that she had lost her pen.

4. Present Perfect Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: He said, “Ram has been going.” Indirect: He said that Ram had been going.

5. Past Indefinite to Past Perfect

Direct: Mother said, “I bought a watch for you.”
Indirect: Mother said that she had bought a watch for him.

6. Past Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: Raju said, “I was repairing a car.” Indirect: Raju said that he had been repairing a car.

7. Future Tense (shall/will) to future in the Past (should/would)

Direct: The teacher said, “I shall give you notes.” Indirect: The teacher said that he would give them notes.

8. Conditional to Perfect Conditional Direct:

Direct: He said, “If I had the money I could buy the car.” Indirect: She said that if he had the money he could have bought the car.

9. Past Perfect Tense: No Change

Direct: She said, “I had gone to Bhagalpur.” Indirect: She said that she had gone to Bhagalpur.

10. Auxiliary Verbs (would, should, might, could, ought, must) — No Change

Direct: He said, “I would like to take milk.” Indirect: He said that he would like to take milk.
Direct: The boy said, “The teacher could have solved it in no time.” Indirect: The boy said that the teacher could have solved it in no time.
Direct: He said, “The boy must apologise to the teacher.” Indirect: He said that the boy must apologise to the teacher.

Changes of Interrogative Sentences

Toni said, “What is Luna doing?” Toni asked me what Luna was doing.
Luna said, “Will she come for lunch?” Luna asked if she would come for lunch.
The boy asked, “ Wh ere do you stay?” The boy inquired where I stayed

Things are slightly more complicated with imperatives

Time and place references.

I went to the theatre last night . He said he had gone to the theatre the night before .
I’m having a party next weekend . He said he was having a party the next weekend .
I’m staying here until next week . He said he was staying there until the following week.
I came over from London 3 years ago . He said he had come over from London 3 years before.

When verbs don’t follow the rules?

You’ve invited someone for dinner at your house, and the phone rings. It’s them! They say:
(on the phone) “I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to be a bit late. There’s a lot of traffic.”
After you finish speaking on the phone, you say to someone else:
That was Juan. He said he thinks he’s going to be late because there’s a lot of traffic.

Another example:

A friend says to you: “Maria’s ill. She’ s got chickenpox!”
You say to someone else: Laura said that Maria’ s ill. She’ s got chickenpox.
However, the following day you see Maria at the beach. You’re surprised and say to her:
Laura said that you were ill. She said you had chickenpox.

This has to change to the past because it isn’t true . Maria obviously isn’t ill .

A friend is telling you about the horrible weather: “It started raining heavily when I left work.” (This is where things get confusing):
He said it had started raining heavily when he had left work (it sounds horrible and the sentence is almost nothing but verbs).
He said it had started raining heavily when he left work (is wrong because it means it was already raining when he left work)
He said it started raining heavily when he left work (is the best version because it is accurate, short, and there is no confusion because of the time context)

Generally speaking, the past simple and continuous don’t always need to be changed if:

Rules for Universal Truth, Habitual Facts, etc.

Direct: My friend said, “I am an early riser.” Indirect: My friend said that he is an early riser.
Direct: Father said, “Man is the only animal that cooks his food.” Indirect: Father said that man is the only animal that cooks his food.
Direct: The teacher said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Indirect: The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.
Direct: The teacher said, “The earth moves around the sun.” Indirect: The teacher said that the earth moves around the sun.
Direct: Sarla said, “When Ram was reading Sham was writing.” Indirect: Sarla said that when Ram was reading Sham was writing.
Direct: The teacher said, “Akbar died in 1605 AD.” Indirect: The teacher said that Akbar died in 1605 AD.
Direct: The speaker said, “Gentlemen, I will tell you what is going there.” Indirect: The speaker told his audience (those present) that he would tell them what was going there
Direct: He said, “I hope, friends, you will support me.” Indirect: He said that he hoped they would support him.
Direct: He said, “I would rather she played.” Indict: He said that he would rather she played.
Direct: He said, “If I were rich, I would settle in Mumbai. Indirect: He said that if he were rich, he would settle in Mumbai.
Direct: He said. “When we lived/were living in Chennai, we often visited Rameshwarm” Indirect: He said that when they lived/ were living in Chennai, they often visited / had visite Rameshwarm

Rules for the Change of Pronouns

If the direct speech has a pronoun, its person is changed, when necessary, to refer in the indirect to the same individual as it does in the direct.

Soni said, “ I am a good girl.” Soni said that she was a good girl.
I told them, “ You have finished your work.” I told them that they had finished their work.
He said, “ She is in Delhi.” He said that she was in Delhi.
Direct: He said, “I can cross this river.” Indirect: He said that he could cross that river.
Direct: You said. “I can cross this river.” Indirect: You said that you could cross that river.
Direct: I said, “I can cross this river.” Indirect: I said that I could cross that river.

You also need to be careful with personal pronouns . They need to be changed according to the situation. You need to know the context.

For example , there is possible confusion when you try to change reported speech to direct speech:

She said she ’d been waiting for hours. (Is ‘ she ‘ one person or two different people?)
I told them they would have to ask permission. (Are we talking about two groups of people or only one?)

Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Reported speech: direct speech

Direct speech is a representation of the actual words someone said. A direct speech report usually has a reporting verb in the past simple. The most common reporting verb is said . The reporting clause may come first or second.

The reporting clause may sometimes come in the middle of the reported clause, especially in literary styles:

“No,” she said , “I’ve never seen it before.”

‘Was it,’ he asked , ‘the first time you had spoken to Mrs Dalton?’

We can use adverbs with the reporting verb to describe the way someone said something. This is more common when the reporting clause comes second:

“I will not accept it!” he said angrily .

‘Can I speak to the doctor?’ she asked rather nervously .

Reported speech: punctuation

Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses

Direct speech: inversion of subject and reporting verb

In narratives, especially novels and short stories, when the reporting clause comes second, we often invert the subject (s) and reporting verb (v):

“Things have always been the same in this village,” [V] said [S] the old man .

‘Hold on! I’m coming!’ [V] cried [S] Maurice .

Direct speech: present simple and continuous reporting verbs

Informal narratives.

In informal conversation, we sometimes use the present simple in the reporting clause. This makes the direct speech more vivid and dramatic:

So then this guy says , “I’ve got something for you. Come over here.” And he picked up a box and he says , “Open that.”

We can make the direct speech even more vivid and dramatic by using the present continuous. This is very informal:

And he’s looking at me and he ’s asking , “Who are you?” and I said, “I’m your nephew” and he ’s mumbling , “I don’t know you. I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

In very informal conversation, people sometimes use says as a reporting verb for all persons ( I, you, she, he, we, they ):

She says , ‘What’s going on here?’ and I says , ‘Nothing. There’s nothing happening – everything’s okay.’

Many speakers consider the above examples to be incorrect. This applies especially to the use of says with all persons.

Newspaper headlines

We also use the present simple in newspaper headlines. This makes the reported words more dramatic:

‘I WON’T RESIGN,’ SAYS MINISTER

Say or tell ?

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Direct and Indirect Speech

Table of Contents

What is Speech (Narration):

If we want to describe the speech of some other people with other people in our own words, that speech is called a Reported speech or Narration.

Types of Speech

In the English language, there are certain ways to express the spoken words between two people.

The speech has two main types, Direct speech , and Indirect speech , respectively.

These two ways of narration of spoken words are also called Direct and Indirect speech, also known as Direct and Indirect narrations.

Direct and indirect speech is majorly used in any conversations, scripts, or any biographies, etc. where one or more than one person converses with each other.

Direct speech:

It is also called straight speech or quoted speech, which is spoken or written directly in the text by the speaker, writer, or the first person, who is going to speak with anyone with him.

The spoken statements of the speaker normally come under the inverted commas notation, and a speaker who speaks these sentences may come like “he said/he said that.”

The speaker’s words or statements are mentioned in a single phrase pattern or direct discussion.

Indirect speech:

An Indirect speech is also called a reported speech, or secondary speech means the speech, which has spoken indirectly.

It is simply an overlook statement that is used to say about the incident that has happened in the past time.

The actual words of the speaker changed into the past tense and the sentence, and hence the reported speech of the direct speech does not come inside the inverted commas.

Reporting speech:

A person who is going to report the speech or a speech that comes in the first part of the direct speech is called a reporting speech.

He says , “He cooks food”.

Reported speech:

Reported speech is a speech that is always in an inverted comma or quotation marks.

It is a second part of the direct speech sentence.

He says, “He cooks food.”

Reporting verb:

The verb, which is used in a reporting speech to report something in a direct speech, is called a reporting verb.

Zoya said , “I want to go there.”

Reported verb:

The verb which comes inside the reported speech is called reported verb, respectively.

Zoya said, “I want to go there.”

As we start writing any direct and indirect conversation, we often use reported verbs like “say, tell, ask, inform, instruct, claim, suggest, enquire, etc.”

These reported verbs, whenever used in direct or indirect speech, change into the past simple form like said, told, asked, informed, instructed, claimed, suggested, enquired, etc.

But the verbs used in a speech between the inverted commas will remain as it is.

Examples of direct and indirect speech:

Indirect speech: John said that she was looking so beautiful.
Indirect : He said that he was not a culprit.
Indirect : He said that she was working on that project.
Indirect : The teacher asked if he completed his homework.
Indirect : She says that she is an artist.
Indirect : Sam told me that he was not coming with me.
Indirect : He says that she is working on that project.

Some basic rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech:

Rule 1 : “no inverted commas.”.

The reported speech does not come into inverted commas or quotation in an indirect speech.

Example: Direct: He said, “I have completed my assignments yesterday.”

Indirect: He said that he had completed his assignments the previous day.

Rule 2: use of “that” conjunction

Using the conjunction word “that” in-between the reporting speech and reported speech in an indirect speech.

Example:

He said, “I have completed my assignment yesterday.”
He said that he had completed his assignment the previous day.

Rule 3: Change of tense

While writing a direct speech into an indirect speech, we have to change the tense of the reported speech because whatever we are writing in indirect speech has already happened in the past timing.

If the tense of a reporting speech of direct speech is in the present tense or future tense , then the tense of the reported speech in indirect speech will not change. It may be in the present tense, past tense, or future tense, respectively.
Indirect : He says that he is going to school. (no change in tense)
Indirect : She says that she will not come with me. (no change in tense)
Indirect : He says that he wrote a letter. (no change in tense)

If the tense of the reporting verb of direct speech is in the past tense, then the tense will change according to these criteria.

For the present tense:

Simple present tense will change into simple past tense..

Direct: He said, “They come to meet me.”

Indirect: He said that they came to meet him.

Present continuous tense will change into past continuous tense.

Direct: She said, “They are coming to meet me.”

Indirect: She said that they were coming to meet her.

Present perfect tense will change into past perfect tense.

Direct: He said, “They have come to meet me.”

Indirect: He said that they had come to meet him.

Present perfect continuous tense will change into past perfect continuous tense.

Direct: She said, “They have been coming to meet me.”

Indirect: She said that they had been coming to meet her.

For the past tense:

Simple past tense will change into the past perfect tense.

Direct: He said, “They came to meet me.”

Indirect: He said that they had come to meet him.

Past continuous tense will change into past perfect continuous tense.

Direct: She said, “They were coming to meet me.”

Indirect: She said that they had been coming to meet her.

Past perfect tense and past perfect continuous tense will remain the same.

Direct: He said, “They had come to meet me.”

Direct: She said, “They had been coming to meet me.”

For the future tense:

There are no changes in the future tense sentences; only shall/will may change into would, can change into could.

Direct: She said, “Can you come tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that could he come on the next day

Direct: He said, “I will never forgive you.”

Indirect: He said that he would never forgive me.

Rule 4: Changing the pronoun

The pronoun used as an indirect subject speech sometimes needs to be changed accordingly in indirect speech as of the reported verb of the direct speech.

The pronoun used for representing the first person in reported speech changes based on the subject of the reporting speech in a direct speech.
The pronoun used for representing the second person in reported speech changes based on the report’s object in a direct speech.
The pronoun used for representing the third person remains the same in the reported speech.
Direct: He said, “ I am going to school.”
Indirect: He said that he is going to school.
Direct: She says, “ I will not come with you .”
Indirect: She says that she will not come with me .
Direct: They said, “ we are eating our tiffin box.”
Indirect: They said that they were eating their tiffin box.

Rule 5: Changing the time

The mentioned time (not the timing) in a direct speech sentence will have to change in indirect speech like now becomes then, tomorrow becomes the next day, yesterday becomes the previous day, today becomes that day, later becomes soon.

Direct: He told, “He is coming from Tokyo today .”
Indirect: He told me that he was coming from Tokyo that day .
Direct: She asked, “Will the parcel reach by tomorrow or not?”
Indirect: She asked whether the parcel will reach by the next day or not.
Direct: “The teacher has given some assignments yesterday ”, he reminds me.
Indirect: He reminds me that the teacher had given some assignments on the previous day.

Conversion of statements from direct speech into Indirect speech:

Assertive sentences:.

Assertive sentences are simple statements that may be affirmative or negative.

If we are going to convert assertive sentences from direct speech into indirect speech, we have to replace “said” with “told” sometimes.

Here, the subject in direct speech refers to someone in his talk.

Direct: He said to me, “she is working on this project.”

Indirect: He told me that she was working on that project.

Direct: She said to me, “I’m going for a long drive.”

Indirect: She told me that she was going for a long drive.

Imperative sentences:

Imperative sentences are statements that deliver a command, order, request, appeal, or advice.

It depends on the speaker, how he delivers the message to the other person.

Sit properly!
Stand by my side!
Come closer!

While converting these types of sentences cum statements from direct speech to indirect speech, we have to check the type of sentence, whether it is a command, order, request, or else.

Direct: The teacher said to me, “Sit properly!”

Indirect: The teacher ordered me to sit properly.

Direct: The Boss said to an office boy, “Bring one coffee for me.”

Indirect: The Boss commanded an office boy to bring a coffee for him.

Indirect: The teacher requested me to sit properly.

Direct: The bartender said to me, “try this drink.”

Indirect: The bartender advised me to try that drink.

Interrogative sentences:

An interrogative sentence is a sentence which interrogates or ask questions.

Each interrogative sentence ends with an interrogative sign or a question mark sign “?”.

What is your name?
Can you do me a favor?
Why are you laughing in the classroom?

While writing interrogative sentences from direct speech into indirect speech,

the reporting verb “said” in the direct speech is changed into “asked” in the indirect speech because it asks the question to another person.
If any reporting verb comes first in the reporting speech, then “If” is used despite “that.”
In a reporting speech, if any wh-type question words are present, then no other words will be used, and the sentence ends with a full stop sign instead of a question mark.
Indirect: He asked me what was my name.
Indirect: She asked if he could do her a favor.
Indirect: The teacher asked him why he was laughing in the classroom.

Exclamatory sentences:

Exclamatory sentences are those sentences that show emotions, feelings and ends with an exclamation mark!

Congratulations! You have a baby girl.
I am extremely sorry for your loss!
Most welcome!

If any interjection comes in an exclamation sentence, then the exclamation sign removes in an indirect speech, and an exclamatory sentence gets converted into an assertive sentence.

The replacement of reporting verb “said” with exclaimed with (great wonder, sorrow, joy) exclaimed (joyfully, sorrowfully)

Replace with very or very great , if words like how or what comes at the beginning of the reported speech.

Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that I had a baby girl.
Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that she felt sorry for my loss.
Indirect: They exclaimed with joy that most welcome.

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Direct and indirect speech exercises

There are many occasions in which we need to describe an event or action that happened, and very often that includes repeating what someone said. Such occasions can include a social situation as well as in a work email or presentation. In order to describe what people said there are two different types of speech – direct speech and indirect speech (or reported speech).

Read the article below to find out more about these forms and improve your English storytelling skills.

Do you want to practice your English speaking skills with small classes with native-level teachers? Find out more about Speak+ now

Direct Speech

When we want to describe what someone said, one option is to use direct speech . We use direct speech when we simply repeat what someone says, putting the phrase between speech marks:

Paul came in and said, “I’m really hungry.”

It is very common to see direct speech used in books or in a newspaper article. For example:

The local MP said, “We plan to make this city a safer place for everyone.”

As you can see, with direct speech it is common to use the verb ‘to say’ (‘said’ in the past). But you can also find other verbs used to indicate direct speech such as ‘ask’, ‘reply’, and ‘shout’. For example:

When Mrs Diaz opened the door, I asked, “Have you seen Lee?”
She replied, “No, I haven’t seen him since lunchtime.”
The boss was angry and shouted, “Why isn’t he here? He hasn’t finished that report yet!”

Indirect Speech

When we want to report what someone said without speech marks and without necessarily using exactly the same words, we can use indirect speech (also called reported speech). For example:

Direct speech: “We’re quite cold in here.”
Indirect speech: They say (that) they’re cold.

When we report what someone says in the present simple, as in the above sentence, we normally don’t change the tense, we simply change the subject. However, when we report things in the past, we usually change the tense by moving it one step back. For example, in the following sentence the present simple becomes the past simple in indirect speech:

Direct speech: “I have a new car.”
Indirect speech: He said he had a new car.

All the other tenses follow a similar change in indirect speech. Here is an example for all the main tenses:

The same rule of moving the tenses one step back also applies to modal verbs. For example:

Using ‘say’ or ‘tell’

As an alternative to using ‘say’ we can also use ‘tell’ (‘told’ in the past) in reported speech, but in this case you need to add the object pronoun. For example:

He told me he was going to call Alan.
They told her they would arrive a little late.
You told us you’d already finished the order.

Changing Time Expressions

Sometimes it’s necessary to change the time expressions when you report speech, especially when you are speaking about the past and the time reference no longer applies. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m seeing my brother tomorrow .”
Indirect speech: She said she was seeing her brother the following day .

Here are some other examples:

Direct speech: “I had a headache yesterday .”
Indirect speech: You said you’d had a headache the day before yesterday .
Direct speech: “It’s been raining since this afternoon .”
Indirect speech: He said it’d been raining since that afternoon .
Direct speech: “I haven’t seen them since last week .”
Indirect speech: She said she hadn’t seen them since the previous week .

Reporting Questions

When you report a question you need to change the interrogative form into an affirmative sentence, putting the verb tense one step back, as with normal reported speech.

There are two types of questions that we can report – questions that have a yes/no response, and questions that begin with a question word like ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘who’ etc. When we report a yes/no question, we use ‘if’. For example:

Direct speech: “Do they live here?”
Indirect speech: You asked me if they lived here.

As you can see, in the reported version of the question, ‘do’ is eliminated because it is no longer a question, and the verb ‘live’ becomes ‘lived’.

For questions starting with question words like ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘who’, etc., we report the question using the question word but change the interrogative form to the affirmative form. For example:

Direct speech: “Where do they live?”
Indirect speech: You asked me where they lived.
Direct speech: “When are you leaving?”
Indirect speech: He asked us when we were leaving .
Direct speech: “How will they get here?”
Indirect speech: She asked me how they would get here.

When we report a question we normally use the verb ‘ask’. As with the verb ‘to tell’, the verb ‘to ask’ is normally followed by an object pronoun, though it is possible to omit it.

Reporting Orders and Requests

When you give someone an order, you use the imperative form, which means using just the verb without a subject. For example:

“ Call me back later.”
“ Have a seat.”
“ Don’t do that!”

To report an order we use ‘tell’ and the infinitive of the verb. For example:

You told me to call you back later.
He told me to have a seat.
She told us not to do that.

When you make a request, you normally use words like ‘can’, ‘could’, or ‘will’. For example:

“Could you call me back later?”
“Will you have a seat?”
“Can you not do that please?”

To report a request, we use the verb ‘to ask’ and the infinitive form of the verb. For example:

You asked me to call you back later.
He asked me to have a seat.
She asked us not to do that.

Now you’ve seen how we use direct and indirect speech , practice using them yourself. An excellent and easy way to see how they are used is by reading a short story in English or a news article online, because stories and articles contain many examples of reported speech.

In English there are various ways to describe rules and obligations. Here is a description of how to express obligation and how and when to use modal verbs.

What are the adverbs of place and how do you use them in a sentence? Read on to find out with this useful article about learning English.

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Present Simple Tense: How to Use It, With Examples

Published by

Olivia Drake

On this page:

The present simple tense is a verb tense that is used to talk about actions or states that are habitual, repeated, or always true. It is one of the most commonly used verb tenses in English. The structure of a present simple sentence is:

Subject + base form of the verb

Let’s take a look at some examples to understand this better:

Example 1: I wake up at 6 am every day. This sentence expresses a habitual action. It means that the speaker wakes up at 6 am every day.

Example 2: She works as a teacher. This sentence expresses a present state. It means that the person is currently working as a teacher.

Example 3: He drinks coffee every morning. This sentence expresses a habitual action. It means that the person drinks coffee every morning.

Example 4: The sun rises in the east. This sentence expresses a fact that is always true. It means that the sun always rises in the east.

Example 5: I like to read books. This sentence expresses a habitual action. It means that the speaker likes to read books regularly.

How to form the simple present?

Let’s take a look how we form simple present.

Step 1: Identify the base form of the verb The base form of the verb is the infinitive form without “to” (e.g., play, eat, work). It is the form of the verb that is used to form the simple present tense.

Example: John plays tennis every day.

Step 2: Add “-s” or “-es” to the verb To form the simple present tense, we need to add “-s” or “-es” to the base form of the verb, depending on the subject of the sentence. We add “-s” to the verb when the subject is a singular third-person pronoun (he, she, it) and “-es” when the verb ends in “s,” “sh,” “ch,” “x,” or “o.”

John plays tennis every day. (singular third-person subject “John”)
She eats breakfast at 7 am. (singular third-person subject “she”)
The dog barks at the mailman. (verb “bark” ends in “k,” so we add “-s”)
He washes the dishes after dinner. (verb “wash” ends in “sh,” so we add “-es”)
The bus passes by my house every morning. (verb “pass” ends in “s,” so we add “-es”)

Step 3: Irregular verbs Not all verbs follow the same rules when forming the simple present tense. Some verbs have irregular forms that must be memorized. For example:

I have breakfast at 8 am. (verb “have” does not follow the “-s” or “-es” rule)They go to the movies every Friday. (verb “go” has the same form for all subjects)

How to make the simple present negative?

To make the simple present negative, we need to add the word “not” after the auxiliary verb “do.”

Step 1: Identify the auxiliary verb “do” The auxiliary verb “do” is used to form questions, negatives, and emphasis in the simple present tense. It is important to identify this verb in a sentence to make the negative correctly.

Step 2: Add “do not” or “does not” To make the simple present negative, we need to add “do not” or “does not” after the auxiliary verb “do.” The word “not” negates the verb in the sentence.

Examples:

John does not play tennis every day.
They do not eat meat.
She does not work on Sundays.

Step 3: Contracting “do not” or “does not” It is common to contract “do not” to “don’t” and “does not” to “doesn’t” in spoken English. This is unnecessary but it can make the sentence sound more natural.

John doesn’t play tennis every day.
They don’t eat meat.
She doesn’t work on Sundays.

Step 4: Using negative adverbs Negative adverbs can also be used to make the simple present negative. Some common negative adverbs include “never,” “rarely,” “hardly ever,” and “not often.” These adverbs are placed before the main verb in the sentence.

John never plays tennis.
They rarely eat meat.
She hardly ever works on Sundays.

Making the simple present negative in English is a straightforward process that requires adding the word “not” after the auxiliary verb “do.” Remember to identify the auxiliary verb and contract “do not” or “does not” if necessary. You can also use negative adverbs to add emphasis to the negative.

How to ask a question?

Step 1: Identify the auxiliary verb To form questions in the simple present tense, we need to use the auxiliary verb “do” or “does.” We use “do” for first-person and second-person subjects (I, you, we, they), and “does” for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it).

Do you like pizza? (first-person subject “you”)
Does she play tennis? (third-person singular subject “she”)
Do they have a car? (third-person plural subject “they”)

Step 2: Invert the subject and auxiliary verb To form a question, we invert the subject and auxiliary verb. The subject comes after the auxiliary verb in a question.

You like pizza. (statement)
Do you like pizza? (question)
She plays tennis. (statement)
Does she play tennis? (question)
They have a car. (statement)
Do they have a car? (question)

Step 3: Answering questions When answering a question in the simple present tense, we use the auxiliary verb and the base form of the verb.

Do you like pizza? – Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
Does she play tennis? – Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.
Do they have a car? – Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.

Step 4: Tag questions A tag question is a short question added to the end of a statement to confirm or seek agreement. In the simple present tense, we use the auxiliary verb and the subject pronoun.

You like pizza, don’t you? (tag question with the first-person subject “you” and the auxiliary verb “do”)
She plays tennis, doesn’t she? (tag question with the third-person singular subject “she” and the auxiliary verb “does”)
They have a car, don’t they? (tag question with the third-person plural subject “they” and the auxiliary verb “do”)

Common verbs in the simple present

1. to be: The verb “to be” is used to describe a state or condition, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe a permanent state or condition. Example: She is a doctor.

2. to have: The verb “to have” is used to indicate possession or ownership, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe something that someone has or possesses.

Example: He has a car.

3. to do: The verb “to do” is used to indicate an action or an activity, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe routine activities.

Example: I do my homework every day.

4. to go: The verb “to go” is used to indicate movement from one place to another, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe regular movements.

Example: They go to the gym every morning.

5. to come: The verb “to come” is used to indicate movement towards a person or a place, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe regular movements.

Example: She comes to work early every day.

6. to like: The verb “to like” is used to indicate preference or enjoyment, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe someone’s preferences or likes.

Example: He likes to play soccer.

7. to love: The verb “to love” is used to indicate strong affection or attachment, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe someone’s feelings towards another person or thing.

Example: She loves to read books.

8. to hate: The verb “to hate” is used to indicate strong dislike or aversion, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe someone’s feelings towards another person or thing.

Example: He hates to do housework.

9. to want: The verb “to want” is used to indicate desire or a wish, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe someone’s desires or wishes.

Example: She wants to travel the world.

10. to need: The verb “to need” is used to indicate a requirement or necessity, and it is often used in the simple present tense to describe something that someone needs.

Example: He needs to finish his work on time.

The verb to be in the simple present

The verb “to be” is one of the most important verbs in English and is used to describe a state of being or existence. In the simple present tense, “to be” is conjugated differently depending on the subject of the sentence. In this article, we will discuss how to use the verb “to be” in the simple present tense.

Positive form: The positive form of the verb “to be” in the simple present tense is as follows:

He/She/It is
I am a teacher.
You are my friend.
He is a doctor.
She is at the park.
It is a beautiful day.
We are students.
They are happy.

Negative form: The negative form of the verb “to be” in the simple present tense is formed by adding “not” after the verb “to be”. The contraction “isn’t” or “aren’t” can be used instead of “is not” or “are not”.

You are not / You aren’t
He/She/It is not / He/She/It isn’t
We are not / We aren’t
They are not / They aren’t
I am not a doctor.
You are not my teacher. / You aren’t my teacher.
He is not at home. / He isn’t at home.
She is not happy.
It is not raining.
We are not hungry. / We aren’t hungry.
They are not tired. / They aren’t tired.

Interrogative form: To form a question in the simple present tense with “to be”, invert the subject and the verb “to be”. “Am” is used instead of “is” or “are” in questions with “I”.

Is he/she/it?
Are you coming to the party?
Is he a good singer?
Are we ready to go?
Are they from Canada?

Present Simple Examples

Here’s a simple story that uses the present simple tense:

Tom wakes up early every morning. He gets out of bed, stretches, and puts on his running shoes. Then he goes for a run around his neighborhood. Tom likes to listen to music while he runs. He usually listens to upbeat pop songs that give him energy. Sometimes he sings along, but only when there’s nobody else around. After his run, Tom takes a shower and gets dressed for work. He works at a software company where he writes code all day. He enjoys his job because he loves solving problems and creating new things. In the evenings, Tom likes to relax at home. He usually watches TV or reads a book. He also enjoys cooking, and he often makes dinner for himself and his girlfriend, Sarah.

In this story, the present simple tense is used to describe things that happen regularly or habitually. For example:

Tom wakes up early every morning. He gets out of bed, stretches, and puts on his running shoes. Then he goes for a run around his neighborhood. Tom likes to listen to music while he runs. He usually listens to upbeat pop songs that give him energy. After his run, Tom takes a shower and gets dressed for work. He works at a software company where he writes code all day. In the evenings, Tom likes to relax at home. He usually watches TV or reads a book. He also enjoys cooking, and he often makes dinner for himself and his girlfriend, Sarah.

Note that the verb is in the present simple tense in each of these sentences. This is because these actions happen regularly or habitually, rather than being a one-time event in the past or future.

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Master Direct and Indirect Speech: Rules and Examples in English

Learning about Direct and Indirect Speech is like understanding how to share what someone said. Direct Speech is when you repeat exactly what someone said using quotation marks. Indirect Speech is when you tell what was said in your own words without using quotation marks. When changing from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech, you might need to adjust verb tenses and pronouns to make sense. We’ll go through examples and situations to make it easier to understand. Let’s discuss more about Direct and Indirect Speech.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech:

Direct speech, is also know as quoted speech, it involves repeating the exact words that someone has spoken. It is usually covered in quotation marks and is often used to provide a person’s statements or thoughts as they were originally expressed.

She said, “I will be there at 3 o’clock.”
Sarah exclaimed, “I can’t believe we won the competition!”
“Please pass me the salt,” said John to his sister.

Indirect Speech (Reported Speech):

Indirect speech, is also known as reported speech, it is a way of conveying what someone has said or thought without repeating their exact words. In indirect speech, the statement is reported as a paraphrase or summary, and it is generally introduced by the following verbs: “said,” “told,” or “asked.” When you use use indirect speech, remember that the tense, pronouns, and other elements will change to reflect the reporting context.

Direct Speech : Sarah said, “I am going to the store.”
Indirect Speech : Sarah said that she was going to the store.
Direct Speech: “I love chocolate,” exclaimed Tom.
Indirect Speech : Tom exclaimed that he loved chocolate.

Rules of Direct Speech

Use Quotation Marks: You should cover the spoken words within double quotation marks (” “).
Punctuation: You need to place punctuation marks ( commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points ) inside the closing quotation mark when they are part of the quoted material. She said, “I’ll be there on time.”
Capitalization: You need to begin the quoted speech with a capital letter, regardless of how the original sentence began.
Reporting Verb: You need to introduce the quoted speech with a reporting verb (e.g., said, asked, replied, shouted) that describes how the words were spoken.
Maintain the Speaker’s Words: You are supposed to produce the speaker’s words again as correctly as possible, including any grammatical errors or informal language if they are part of the original speech.
Use Ellipsis (…) When Omitting Words: If you need to exclude a part of the quoted speech, use an ellipsis (three dots: …) to indicate the omission.
Avoid Changing the Speaker’s Words: You should strictly avoid to change the speaker’s words in a way that changes their intended meaning. However, you can add clarifications or explanations in brackets if needed.
Maintain Verb Tenses: Keep the verb tenses of the quoted speech as they were spoken. if the speaker said, “I am going,” you should maintain “am going” without changing it to “was going.”
Maintain Pronouns: Keep the pronouns same as used by the speaker with the original statement. If the speaker said, “I will do it,” maintain “I” and “it.”

Rules of Indirect Speech( Reported Speech )

Reporting Verb: You have to start the reported speech with an appropriate reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked, explained, etc.) to indicate that someone is reporting what was said.
Change of Pronouns: Change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the point of the reporting sentence. if the original statement is “ I am happy,” and you want to report it, you might say, “She said she was happy.”
Reporting Time and Place: You can change any words or expressions that are used to refer to time or place to show the view of the reporting sentence. change today, to –> that day or here, to –>here
Reporting Questions: When you want to report questions, use the word “ if” or “whether” in order to introduce the reported question. You should change the word order and use the appropriate question word if necessary. “Are you coming?” becomes “She asked if I was coming.”
Imperative Sentences: We can use report imperative sentences using the verb “to” or “that.” “Close the door” becomes “She told me to close the door” or “She said that I should close the door.”
Direct Speech in Quotes: You should cover the reported speech in quotation marks if you want, but this is not always necessary in indirect speech.
Punctuation: You should use a comma to separate the reporting verb from the reported speech. Also, use a period at the end of the reported speech or a question mark if it was originally a question.
No Change in Modifiers: Do not change the modifiers or adverbs in the reported speech unless they are related to time, place, or demonstratives.
Tense Changes Rules in Reported Speech: Tense changes in reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is basic aspect of English grammar. in this process, the verb tenses are shifted when you report what someone else has said. The main key is very important to understand is the relationship between the original statement and reported version when you want to change the verb tenses.

Tense Changes in reported Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech Examples

Direct Speech: She said, “ I am happy.”
Indirect Speech: She said that she was happy.
Direct Speech: He asked, “ How old are you?”
Indirect Speech: He asked her how old she was.
Direct Speech: Mary exclaimed, “ I won a prize!”
Indirect Speech: Mary exclaimed that she had won a prize.
Direct Speech: John told his friend, “I like ice cream.”
Indirect Speech: John told his friend that he liked ice cream.
Direct Speech: They shouted, “Let’s go to the park!”
Indirect Speech: They shouted to go to the park.
Direct Speech: Sarah whispered, “I need help.”
Indirect Speech: Sarah whispered that she needed help.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense: Uses and Examples

Future Perfect Tense :Definition and Usage

Future Perfect Tense: Definition and Uses

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Direct and indirect speech

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When using indirect or reported speech, the form changes. Usually indirect speech is introduced by the verb said , as in I said , Bill said , or they said . Using the verb say in this tense, indicates that something was said in the past. In these cases, the main verb in the reported sentence is put in the past. If the main verb is already in a past tense, then the tense changes to another past tense; it can almost be seen as moving even further into the past.

Verb tense changes also characterize other situations using indirect speech. Note the changes shown in the chart and see the table below for examples. With indirect speech, the use of that is optional.

The situation changes if instead of the common said another part of the very to say is used. In that case the verb tenses usually remain the same. Some examples of this situation are given below.

Another situation is the one in which modal constructions are used. If the verb said is used, then the form of the modal, or another modal that has a past meaning is used.

While not all of the possibilities have been listed here, there are enough to provide examples of the main rules governing the use of indirect or reported speech. For other situations, try to extrapolate from the examples here, or better still, refer to a good grammar text or reference book.

Some other verbs that can be used to introduce direct speech are: ask, report, tell, announce, suggest, and inquire. They are not used interchangeably; check a grammar or usage book for further information.

Updated June 14, 2022 by Student Journey Squad ( [email protected] )

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40 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Sentences

Table of Contents

Direct And Indirect Speech Examples

While using English, we use direct and indirect speeches quite often. If a sentence is expressed exactly as it came out of the mouth of the person who said it, it becomes a direct speech. However Indirect Speech (also called reported speech) refers to transmitting a sentence that someone has said. It is often used in daily language.

For example,

Susan told me she ate pizza yesterday. (Indirect Speech)

Susan said, “I ate pizza yesterday.”. (Direct Speech)

Mathilda told me she had to go out. (Indirect Speech)

Mathilda said: “I have to go out.”. (Direct Speech)

Julie asked if the train had left when she arrived at the ticket office. (Indirect Speech)

Julie asked: “Did the train leave?” (Direct Speech)

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Reported Speech

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Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

Direct speech: I like ice cream.
Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

Direct speech: The sky is blue.
Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

Direct speech: Where do you live?
Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
Direct speech: Where is Julie?
Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

Direct speech: Close the window, please
Or: Could you close the window please?
Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
Direct speech: Please don't be late.
Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

Direct speech: Sit down!
Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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Direct Indirect Speech

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Direct Indirect of Simple Present Tense

Last updated at April 16, 2024 by Teachoo

If Direct is Simple Present → In Indirect, it becomes Simple Past.

Direct Speech She said "I live in Delhi"

She said that she lived in Delhi

Note:- In Direct Speech, we use "live" In Indirect Speech, we use "lived" (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

He said "I like ice cream"

He said that he liked ice cream

They said "We speak Chinese"

They said that they spoke Chinese

You said "I hate him"

you said that you hated him

Priya said "I study in Class 9"

Priya said that she studied in Class 9

Modi said "Demonetization is good for India"

Modi said that Demonetization was good for India

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Rules For Direct And Indirect Speech For English Language

In this article, we will cover important rules of direct and indirect speech, relevant for the English Language section of various competitive exams.

Aspirants of various Government exams such as SSC, RRB, IBPS, Insurance, etc. must go through the concept and rules of direct – indirect speech carefully, as the English language is a part of the syllabus for most of these exams.

What is Direct & Indirect Speech?

Direct speech – reporting the message of the speaker in the exact words as spoken by him.

Direct speech example : Maya said ‘I am busy now’.

Indirect speech : reporting the message of the speaker in our own words

Indirect speech example: Maya said that she was busy then.

Let us understand the direct and indirect rules with examples and for all tenses so that you can apply them correctly, without making any mistakes in the exams.

Direct And Indirect Speech Rules PDF:- Download PDF Here

Direct And Indirect Speech Rules

Rules for converting Direct into Indirect speech

To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are various factors that are considered, such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronouns, tenses, etc. We will discuss each of these factors one by one.

Rule 1 – Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion – Reporting Verb

When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the present tenses are changed to the corresponding past tense in indirect speech.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: She said , ‘I am happy’.

Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.

In indirect speech, tenses do not change if the words used within the quotes (‘’) talk of a habitual action or universal truth.

Direct to indirect speech example:

Direct: He said, ‘We cannot live without air’.

Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.

The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting verb is in the future tense or present tense .

Direct: She says/will say, ‘I am going’

Indirect: She says/will say she is going.

Rule 2 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Present Tense

Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.

Direct: “I have been to Boston”, she told me.

Indirect: She told me that she had been to Boston.

Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous

Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained.

Indirect: She explained that she was playing the guitar.

Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect

Direct: He said, “She has finished her homework“.

Indirect: He said that she had finished her homework.

Simple Present Changes to Simple Past

Direct: “I am unwell”, she said.

Indirect: She said that she was unwell.

Rule 3 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion – Past Tense & Future Tense

Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect

Direct: She said, “Irvin arrived on Sunday.”

Indirect: She said that Irvin had arrived on Sunday.

Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example

Direct: “We were playing basketball”, they told me.

Indirect: They told me that they had been playing basketball.

Future Changes to Present Conditional

Direct: She said, “I will be in Scotland tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that she would be in Scotland the next day.

Future Continuous Changes to Conditional Continuous

Direct: He said, “ I’ll be disposing of the old computer next Tuesday.”

Indirect: He said that he would be disposing of the old computer the following Tuesday.

To ace the verbal ability section, it is important to have a clear conceptual knowledge of Direct and Indirect Speech, their usage and applications in English language. Therefore, candidates can go through the video on Direct and Indirect Speech rules in English Language, given below for better understanding-

For the preparation of the English language section in a better way, it is important that you go through the following topics thoroughly.

Tenses rules
Conjunctions rules
Prepositions Rules
List of Prefix and Suffix With Examples
Active And Passive Voice Rules
List of Homophones/Homonyms
List of Synonyms and Antonyms

Candidates are advised to check the General English for Competitive Exams page for more articles on rules for English grammar, list of idioms and phrases, synonyms & antonyms, etc.

Rule 4 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Interrogative Sentences

No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech begins with a question (what/where/when) as the “question-word” itself acts as a joining clause.

Direct: “ Where do you live?” asked the boy.

Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.

If a direct speech sentence begins with an auxiliary verb/helping verb, the joining clause should be if or whether.

Direct: She said, ‘W ill you come for the party’?

Indirect: She asked whether we would come for the party.

Reporting verbs such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired, asked, or demanded.

Direct: He said to me, ‘What are you wearing’?

Indirect: He asked me what I was wearing.

Candidates can also check the links given below to understand the concept of word formation in English and to learn the common words in English Language that appear in most of the competitive exams-

English Root Words
Most asked English Vocabulary Words

Rule 5 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Changes in Modals

While changing direct speech to indirect speech, the modals used in the sentences change like:

Can becomes could
May becomes might
Must becomes had to /would have to

Check the examples:

Direct : She said, ‘She can dance’.
Indirect: She said that she could dance.
Direct: She said, ‘I may buy a dress’.
Indirect: She said that she might buy a dress.
Direct: Rama said, ‘I must complete the assignment’.
Indirect: Rama said that he had to complete the assignment.

There are modals that do not change – Could, Would, Should, Might, Ought to

Direct: She said, ‘I should clean the house’
Indirect: She said that she should clean the house.

Rule 6 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Pronoun

The first person in direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples-

Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”

Indirect: He says that he was in class Twelfth.

The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples –

Direct: She says to them, “You have done your work.”

Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.

The third person of direct speech doesn’t change .

Direct: He says, “She dances well.”

Indirect: He says that she dances well.

Rule 7 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Request, Command, Wish, Exclamation

Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, ordered, suggested and advised. Forbid-forbade is used for negative sentences. Therefore, the imperative mood in the direct speech changes into the Infinitive in indirect speech.

Direct: She said to her ‘Please complete it’.

Indirect: She requested her to complete it.

Direct: Hamid said to Ramid, ‘Sit down’.

Indirect: Hamid ordered Ramid to sit down.

In Exclamatory sentences that express grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud, Interjections are removed and the sentence is changed to an assertive sentence .

Direct: She said, ‘Alas! I am undone’.

Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.

Aspirants are well aware that English is an important component of the syllabus of various competitive exams and it is important to be clear with the basic concepts. Therefore, given below are a few articles to clarify the confusion between usage of common but confusing words in the English Language.

More such concept-wise, subject-wise differences can be found on the 100 Difference between Articles page linked here.

Rule 8 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Punctuations

In direct speech, the words actually spoken should be in (‘’) quotes and always begin with a capital letter.

Example: She said, “I am the best.”

Full stop, comma, exclamation or question mark, are placed inside the closing inverted commas.

Example: They asked, “Can we sing with you?”

If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, a comma is used to introduce the speech, placed before the first inverted comma.

Direct speech example : He shouted, “Shut up!”

Direct speech example: “Thinking back,” he said, “she didn’t expect to win.” (Comma is used to separate the two direct speeches and no capital letter to begin the second sentence).

Rule 9 – Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion – Change of Time

In direct speeches, the words that express nearness in time or place are changed to words that express distance in indirect speech. Such as :
Now becomes then
Here becomes there
Ago becomes before
Thus becomes so
Today becomes that day
Tomorrow becomes the next day
This becomes that
Yesterday becomes the day before
These become those
Hither becomes thither
Come becomes go
Hence becomes thence
Next week or month becomes following week/month

Direct: He said, ‘His girlfriend came yesterday.’

Indirect: He said that his girlfriend had come the day before.

The time expression does not change if the reporting verb is in the present tense or future tense .

Direct: He says/will say, ‘My girlfriend came yesterday.’

Indirect: He says/will say that his girlfriend had come the day before.

Video – Direct & Indirect Speech in English Grammar

Rules of converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech

The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct speech:

Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct tense.
Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital letter.
Insert question mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark and full stop, based on the mood of the sentence.
Remove the conjunctions like (that, to, if or whether) wherever necessary.
Where the reporting verb is in past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct speech.
Change the past perfect tense either into present perfect tense or past tense, as necessary.
Indirect: She asked whether she was coming to the prom night.
Direct: She said to her, “Are you coming to the prom night?”
Indirect: The girl said that she was happy with her result.
Direct: The girl said. “I am happy with my result.”

Direct-Indirect Speech – Sample Questions For the English Language

The significance of knowing the rules of direct and indirect speech for the English language section of various competitive exams can only be understood by knowing the type of questions asked in the examination, based on the same.

Given below are samples of direct and indirect speech questions asked in the English language section of various government examinations:

Q.1. Find out the correct indirect speech for the given sentence.

She said,’ I have baked a cake’

She said that she baked a cake
She said that she had baked a cake.
She said that I baked a cake.
She said that she had bake a cake.

Answer (2) She said that she had baked a cake.

Q.2. Choose the correct sentence.

Aviral said, ‘What a beautiful rainbow it is’.

Aviral exclaimed wonderfully that the scenery was very beautiful.
Aviral said with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.
Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery is very beautiful.
Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.

Answer (4) Aviral exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.

Q.3. The correct indirect speech for ‘This world’, she said, ‘is full of sorrow. Wish that I were dead’. is?

She observed that the world is full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
She said that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
She observed that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to be dead.
She observed that the world was full of sorrow. She wished to die.

Answer (1) She observed that the world is full of sorrow. She wished to be dead

Q.4. The policeman said, ‘Where are the weapons?’

The policeman inquired where was the weapons.
The policeman enquired where are the weapons.
The policeman enquired where were the weapons.
The policeman questioned where were the weapon.

Answer (3) The policeman enquired where were the weapons.

Q.5. The man said, ‘Ah! I am ruined.’

The man cried that he was in ruined.
The man exclaimed in grief that he was ruin.
The man said that Ah, he is ruined.
The man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

Answer (4) The man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

To prepare well for the English section, it is essential to practise and revise regularly for conceptual clarity. Hence, go through the exercise on Direct and Indirect Speech Questions and Answers in the given link.

For more variety and scope of direct and indirect speech questions asked in the English section of various competitive exams, go through Previous Year Question Papers PDF with Solutions .

Candidates can also check the variations and scope of questions asked in the competitive exams on the other relevant topics of English language below:

One Word Substitution Questions & Answers
Tenses Questions And Answers
Idioms and Phrases Questions and Answers
Synonyms Questions And Answers

Check the Verbal Ability page to get more Question and Answer articles based on different general English topics.

Candidates who are preparing for the upcoming government exams must carefully go through the concept of Direct and Indirect speech rules, as candidates tend to score the least in the English Language section of these exams.

Aspirants of various government exams can refer to the detailed exam syllabus in the links given below:

For further questions or information regarding competitive exams, study material or best books for preparation, candidates can turn to BYJU’S.

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Direct and Indirect Speech Present Tense Examples
Direct and Indirect Speech Simple Present Tense Examples. If reported verb is in Past Tense, reported speech will change from Present Indefinite Tense to Past Indefinite Tense. Direct Speech. Indirect Speech. Virat said, "I play cricket.". Virat said that he played cricket. Grandma said to me, "You are a good boy.".
Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples
Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech. Change of Pronouns. Change of Tenses. Change of Time and Place References. Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech. Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks. Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker. Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb. Step 4: Change the Pronouns.
50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech
Indirect: He inquired how I was. 9. Direct: "I will help you," she promised. Indirect: She promised that she would help me. 10. Direct: "I didn't see him yesterday," Tom confessed. Indirect: Tom confessed that he hadn't seen him the day before. 11. Direct: "I am going to the market," Alex said.
Reported speech
Lisa, "Alan sometimes meets friends." Lisa said (that) . Andrew, "I really love my moped." Andrew said (that) . Nick, "You have a fast car." Nick remarked (that) . Josie, "Your dogs are cute." Josie told me (that) . Sentences in Reported speech in the Simple Present in English in an Online Exercise.
Direct and Indirect Speech of Simple Present Tense
In order to do this you can use the grammar structure named direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech. Scroll down to learn about direct and indirect speech of simple present tense. Direct and Indirect Speech of Simple Present Tense. Affirmatives. Direct speech: RP +, + S + V1 s/es + ROTS He said, "My father drives a truck."
Direct and Indirect Speech
Rule 1: The Verb in the simple present tense in the direct speech changes into the simple past tense in indirect speech. Example: He said to me, "I am happy" becomes He told me that he was happy. (The verb in the direct speech 'am' is converted into 'was'.) Rule 2: The verb in the simple past tense becomes past perfect tense in ...
Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration) Rules and Examples
Direct and Indirect speech Examples for Tense. 1. Simple Present to Simple Past. Direct: He said, "The boy goes home.". Indirect: He said that the boy went home. 2. Present Continuous to Past Continuous. Direct: Ram said, "I am reading a book.". Indirect: Ram said that he was reading a book.
Direct and Indirect Speech • 7ESL
Direct Speech: He says, "I am watching a new TV series.". Indirect Speech: He says that he is watching a new TV series. Of course, you have to consider the correlation between the report and the idea on the quoted text. Sometimes, a change in tense is not needed even if the reporting verb is in the past tense. Examples:
Reported speech: direct speech
Reported speech: direct speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules and Examples
If the tense of a reporting speech of direct speech is in the present tense or future tense, then the tense of the reported speech in indirect speech will not change. It may be in the present tense, past tense, or future tense, respectively. Example: Direct: He says, "I am going to school." Indirect: He says that he is going to school. (no ...
What is Direct and Indirect Speech with Examples?
Here is an example: Direct speech: He said, "I am going to the store now.". Indirect speech: He said that he was going to the store then. Notice how "am" changed to "was" and "now" changed to "then". This is because the time and context have shifted from when the speaker originally spoke to when the speaker's words were ...
Direct vs. Indirect Speech
The verb tense is further back in the indirect speech; backshift must be applied to the verbs when converting direct speech to indirect speech. For example, "want" in direct speech will become ...
Direct and indirect speech exercises
However, when we report things in the past, we usually change the tense by moving it one step back. For example, in the following sentence the present simple becomes the past simple in indirect speech: Direct speech: "I have a new car." Indirect speech: He said he had a new car. All the other tenses follow a similar change in indirect speech.
Present Simple Tense: How to Use It, With Examples
Step 1: Identify the auxiliary verb "do". The auxiliary verb "do" is used to form questions, negatives, and emphasis in the simple present tense. It is important to identify this verb in a sentence to make the negative correctly. Example: John plays tennis every day. Step 2: Add "do not" or "does not". To make the simple present ...
PDF Direct and Indirect speech with rules and examples
Examples of major changes in time: Direct speeches Indirect speeches Present simple He said: "I am happy" Preterite He said (that) he was happy. Present continue / progressive He said: "I'm looking for my phone" Past Continuous He said (that) he was looking for his phone. Preterite He said: "I visited Paris last year" Past Perfect Simple
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules and Examples
In this case, the present simple tense in the direct speech ("I like") changes to the past simple tense ("she likes") in the reported speech. Past Simple in Reported Speech: Direct Speech: He said, "I visited Paris." Reported Speech: He said that he visited Paris. Here, the past simple tense in the direct speech remains the same in ...
Direct and indirect speech
AU is Canada's Open University, offering open and flexible distance learning with world-class online courses, undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and professional development options. A look into direct and indirect speech and how its used.
24 Direct and Indirect Speech Examples with Tenses
Tense: Direct Speech: Indirect Speech: Present Simple: I like ice cream. He said that he liked ice cream. Present Continuous: I am living in Paris. He said that he was living in Paris. Past Simple: I bought a car. He said he bought a car. Past Continuous: I was walking along the Street. He said he had been walking along the Street. Present Perfect
40 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Sentences
Mathilda told me she had to go out. (Indirect Speech) Mathilda said: "I have to go out.". (Direct Speech) Julie asked if the train had left when she arrived at the ticket office. (Indirect Speech) Julie asked: "Did the train leave?" (Direct Speech) It is too late. I said it was too late.
Reported Speech
The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to change the verb to the past simple. Another example: Direct speech: Where is Julie? Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was. The direct question is the present simple of 'be'.
Direct Indirect of Simple Present Tense
Join Teachoo Black. If Direct is Simple Present→In Indirect, it becomes Simple Past.ExampleDirect SpeechShe said "I live in Delhi"Indirect SpeechShe said that she lived in DelhiNote:-In Direct Speech, we use "live"In Indirect Speech, we use "lived"QuestionsHe said "I like ice cream"-a-He said that he liked ice creamExp.
Rules For Direct And Indirect Speech For Competitive Exams
Rule 1 - Direct To Indirect Speech Conversion - Reporting Verb. When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the present tenses are changed to the corresponding past tense in indirect speech. Direct to indirect speech example: Direct: She said, 'I am happy'. Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.

Narration Change in Present Tense

Direct and Indirect Speech Simple Present Tense Examples

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech in Present Continuous Tense

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech in Present Perfect Tense

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech in Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples

Direct and Indirect Speech

Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech

Change of Pronouns

Change of Tenses

Change of Time and Place References

Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks

Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker

Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb

Step 4: Change the Pronouns

Converting Indirect Speech Into Direct Speech

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech Examples

Indirect Speech Examples

Frequently Asked Questions

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50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

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Reported speech – Simple Present – Sentences – Exercise

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Direct and Indirect Speech of Simple Present Tense

Negative interrogatives

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Direct and Indirect Speech – Rules and Examples

Rules in changing a sentence from Direct and Indirect Speech

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Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

Direct Speech

Indirect speech

Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart

Direct and Indirect speech Examples for Tense

Changes of Interrogative Sentences

Things are slightly more complicated with imperatives

When verbs don’t follow the rules?

Rules for Universal Truth, Habitual Facts, etc.

Rules for the Change of Pronouns

Reported speech: direct speech

Direct speech: inversion of subject and reporting verb

Direct speech: present simple and continuous reporting verbs

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Direct and Indirect Speech

What is Speech (Narration):

Types of Speech

Direct speech:

Indirect speech:

Reporting speech:

Reported speech:

Reporting verb:

Reported verb:

Examples of direct and indirect speech:

Some basic rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech:

Rule 2: use of “that” conjunction

Rule 3: Change of tense

For the present tense:

Present continuous tense will change into past continuous tense.

Present perfect tense will change into past perfect tense.

Present perfect continuous tense will change into past perfect continuous tense.

For the past tense:

For the future tense:

Rule 4: Changing the pronoun

Rule 5: Changing the time

Conversion of statements from direct speech into Indirect speech:

Imperative sentences:

Interrogative sentences:

Exclamatory sentences:

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