Reported Speech

REPORTED SPEECH

Following changes are made while changing a sentence in direct speech into indirect speech:

1. Change in reporting verb:

Affirmative sentences: said, told, replied, informed, assumed, asserted, assured etc.

Interrogative sentences: asked, enquired, demanded, wanted to know

Imperative sentences: asked, ordered, commanded, advised, demanded, pleaded, threatened, implored, begged, wished, cursed, blessed etc.

2. Change of pronoun depends upon the subject of the reporting verb.

(a) First person pronouns in the direct speech change according to the subject of the reporting verb in the indirect speech.

Direct: He said, ”I’m going to Singapore”.

Indirect: He said that he was going to Singapore.

Direct: I said to him,” I am busy”.

Indirect: I told him that I was busy.

(b) Second person pronouns in the direct speech change according to the object of the reporting verb in the indirect speech.

Direct: He said to me,” You have to join me”.

Indirect: He told me that I had to join him.

Direct:  The captain said to Sachin,” You will bat first”.

Indirect: The captain told Sachin that he would bat first.

(c) Third person pronouns in the direct speech require no change in the indirect speech.

Direct: I said to you,” He is a lazy man”.

Indirect: I told you that he was a lazy man.

3. Change of Tenses:

We need no change in tenses if the reporting verb is in present tense. When the reporting verb is in the past tense, all present tenses or future tenses inside the quotation marks will change into their corresponding past tenses in indirect speech.

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
Simple Present He said, "I am glad".	Simple Past He said that he was glad.
Present Progressive Se said, "I'm looking for my keys".	Past Progressive She said that she was looking for her keys.
Present Perfect  She said, "I've lived here for a long time ".	Past Perfect  She said that she had lived there for a long time.
Present Perfect Progressive He said,"I have been playing football for two hours."	Past Perfect Progressive He said that he had been playing football for two hours.
Simple Past Reeta said, "I visited London last year" .	Past Perfect Simple Reeta said that she had visited London the previous year.
Past Progressive He said, "I was playing football when the accident occurred".	Past Perfect Progressive He said that he had been playing football when the accident had occurred.
Past Perfect  He said, "They had finished the work when I arrived".	Past Perfect  He said that they had finished the work when he had arrived".
Past Perfect Progressive He said,"I had been reading a newspaper when the light went off".	Past Perfect Progressive He said that he had been reading a newspaper when the light had gone off.
Future Simple (will+verb) He said, "I will open the door."	(would+verb) He said that he would open the door.
(Can)He said, "I can do it."	He said that he could do it.
(May) She said,”I may go to cinema”.	She said that she might go to cinema.

4. Expressions of Time and Place in Indirect Speech:

Direct	Indirect
Today	That day
Tonight	Last night/that night
Yesterday	The previous day/the day before
The day before yesterday	Two days before
Tomorrow	The next day/the following day
Next week/year etc.	The following week/year etc.
Last week/year etc.	The previous week/year etc.
Here	There
This	That
These	Those
Now	Then
Ago	Before

 Reporting Questions

Use the question word (where, when, what, how) or if / whether as connector instead of ‘that’.

(a) She said to her son, ”Where are you going?”

She asked her son where he was going. (See carefully the interrogative sentence of direct speech has been changed into assertive sentence in indirect speech)

(b) The teacher said to Rohan,” Have you completed your homework?”

The teacher asked Rohan if he had done his homework. (When question begins with ‘helping verb’ use if/whether as a connector)

 

Reporting Imperatives

(a) The policeman said to the thief,”Don’t try to run away”.

The policeman asked/ordered/commanded the thief not to try to run away.

(b) The Colonel said,” Fire!”

The Colonel commanded to fire.

(Mostly we use ‘to’ as a connector while changing imperatives into indirect speech)

 

Imperative sentences beginning with let are different from other imperative sentences. Sentences beginning with let express ideas such as a suggestion, proposal, request, wish, determination, desire etc.

(a) He said, ‘Let’s take him to the doctor.’

He suggested that they should take him to the doctor.

(b) The captain said, ‘Let’s have a race and see who the fastest is.’

The captain proposed that they should have a race and see who the fastest was.

 

Reporting exclamatory sentences:

An exclamatory sentence has a sign of exclamation after it which changes into a full stop in the indirect speech means changes into assertive sentence.

In indirect speech, the exclamatory phrase or word (interjection) is replaced by ‘exclaimed with joy, sorrow, regret, surprise, contempt etc.’

‘That’ is used as a connector.

(a)The boy said, ‘Hurrah! We have won the match.’

The boy exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

(b)The old man said, ‘Alas! I have lost my eyesight.’

The old man exclaimed with sorrow that he had lost his eyesight.

(c) The child said, ‘What a beautiful sight!’

The child exclaimed with delight that it was a very beautiful sight.

 Now Let's Try 

1. "An English play is being held in the school hall now," she said to us.

2. "Don't leave your bag out here, Rani," Kareena said.

3. "Please take me to the park, Father," the little boy said.

4. "The Prince and Princess lived happily ever after," the storyteller told the children.

5. I said to my mother, "Are you mad at me ?".

6. "Keep the change," the young girl said to the waitress.

7. Heena said to Mariyam, " You ought to see a doctor".

   Heena advised ____________.

8. She said to Meera, "Don't touch the electric wires".

She warned ____________.

9. Geeta said to Ravina," You are a good girl."

10. Montu said, "I have never seen a camel."

Answer:

1. She told us that an English play was being held in the school hall then.

2. Kareena told Rani not to leave his bag out there.

3. The little boy requested his father to take him to the park..

4. The storyteller told the children that the Prince and Princess lived happily ever after.

5. I asked my mother if/whether she was mad at me.

6. The young girl told the waitress to keep the change.

7. Heena advised to Mariyam to see a doctor.

8. She warned Meera not to touch the electric wires.

9. Geeta told Ravina that she was a good girl.

10. Montu said that he had never seen a camel.

DIY

1. Reena said to Sweetie "Why have you come so late?”.

2. Suzane said to Mary, “I cannot believe you.”

3. The boss said to Miss Thomas,” You can go tomorrow.”

4. "Polish your boots," the army officer said to his men.

5. The little girl said, "What a beautiful car!".

6. The lady said to him, "Get out or I'll call the police."

7. "Does she like the present ?" I asked him.

8. The clerk said to me," What do you want to know?"

9. The old woman said, "boy, please help me".

10. The teacher said to the students, "The earth moves round the sun."

Exercise:

Q. Transform the following sentences into Reported Speech/Indirect Speech. 

1. She said to me, "I am visiting Jaipur next month. "

2. The doctor said, "Sonu, take rest at home. "

3. The captain said to the players, "We have to play well to win this match. "

4. Heena said to Zeba, "How is your mother now? "

5. Kapil said to Sunil, " I will talk to you later on. "

6. "Stop the car" the policeman said to the driver. 

7. Ram says to his daughter, "I am tired. "

8. My mother said to me, " Do you want more coffee? "

9. The teacher said, " Students, the earth moves round the sun. "

10. The child said, "mother, please buy sweets. "