Mastering reported speech is essential for clear communication and exam success. This comprehensive guide explains how to change direct speech to indirect speech with clear rules, practical tips, and 100+ examples to solidify your understanding and boost your writing skills.
Introduction: How to Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
Accurately conveying what someone has said is a cornerstone of effective writing and speaking. The process of how to change direct speech to indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is a fundamental grammar skill. It allows you to integrate another person’s words into your own narrative smoothly and correctly. Whether for academic writing, journalism, or everyday conversation, mastering this transformation is crucial. This guide provides a complete breakdown of the rules, accompanied by extensive examples and strategic tips.
Essential Rules and Tips for Changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
Changing direct speech involves several key adjustments: removing quotation marks, using a reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked), and shifting tenses, pronouns, and time/place words backward.
1. Tense Shift (Backshifting):
- Present Simple → Past Simple: “I like apples.” → He said he liked apples.
- Present Continuous → Past Continuous: “I am reading.” → She said she was reading.
- Present Perfect → Past Perfect: “I have finished.” → He said he had finished.
- Past Simple → Past Perfect (or often remains Past Simple): “I saw the film.” → She said she had seen the film.
- Will → Would, Can → Could, May → Might, etc.
2. Pronoun Changes: Pronouns change according to the speaker and listener (I → he/she, we → they, my → his/her, etc.).
3. Time and Place Word Adjustments:
- now → then, today → that day, yesterday → the day before, tomorrow → the next day
- here → there, this → that, these → those
Important Tips for Students and Exam Candidates:
- Universal Truth/Habitual Fact: No tense change is needed. (E.g., “The sun rises in the east.” → He said the sun rises in the east.)
- Reporting Verb in Present/Future: No tense change occurs. (E.g., “He says, ‘I am busy.'” → He says he is busy.)
- ‘Could’, ‘Might’, ‘Ought to’, ‘Should’ often do not change.
- Questions: Change to statement order. Use ‘asked’ and ‘if/whether’ for yes/no questions. (E.g., “Are you coming?” → He asked if I was coming.)
- Commands & Requests: Use reporting verbs like ‘ordered’, ‘requested’, ‘told’, followed by ‘to’ + infinitive. (E.g., “Please sit down.” → She requested me to sit down.)
- Exclamations & Optatives: Convey the tone, not the exact words. (E.g., “Alas! I failed.” → He exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed.)
- Exam Focus: Pay close attention to the context and the reporting verb. Practice identifying the correct pronoun shift, as this is a common source of error.
100 Examples of How to Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
Examples 1-25: Simple Statements & Tense Shifts
- Direct: Sarah said to me, “I am feeling unwell.”
Indirect: Sarah told me that she was feeling unwell. - Direct: The manager announced to the team, “The project is a success.”
Indirect: The manager announced to the team that the project was a success. - Direct: He whispered to his friend, “I have a secret.”
Indirect: He whispered to his friend that he had a secret. - Direct: My neighbor mentioned to us, “I am moving next month.”
Indirect: My neighbor mentioned to us that she was moving the following month. - Direct: The child exclaimed to his mother, “I can see a rainbow!”
Indirect: The child exclaimed to his mother that he could see a rainbow. - Direct: She explained to the committee, “My plan will save costs.”
Indirect: She explained to the committee that her plan would save costs. - Direct: The scientist stated in the report, “Climate change is accelerating.”
Indirect: The scientist stated in the report that climate change was accelerating. - Direct: Tom confessed to his parents, “I broke the window.”
Indirect: Tom confessed to his parents that he had broken the window. - Direct: The guide informed the tourists, “This castle was built in 1502.”
Indirect: The guide informed the tourists that the castle had been built in 1502. - Direct: Maria wrote in her email, “I will visit you in July.”
Indirect: Maria wrote in her email that she would visit me in July. - Direct: The officer declared to the crowd, “The road is now closed.”
Indirect: The officer declared to the crowd that the road was then closed. - Direct: He admitted to the judge, “I was not at home that night.”
Indirect: He admitted to the judge that he had not been at home that night. - Direct: The teacher reminded the class, “Your essays are due tomorrow.”
Indirect: The teacher reminded the class that their essays were due the next day. - Direct: She promised her son, “I will buy you a bicycle.”
Indirect: She promised her son that she would buy him a bicycle. - Direct: The forecast predicted on TV, “A storm is approaching the coast.”
Indirect: The forecast predicted on TV that a storm was approaching the coast. - Direct: John explained to his boss, “I need to leave early today.”
Indirect: John explained to his boss that he needed to leave early that day. - Direct: The author notes in the preface, “This book is based on true events.”
Indirect: The author notes in the preface that the book is based on true events. - Direct: She murmured to herself, “I must not forget the keys.”
Indirect: She murmured to herself that she must not forget the keys. - Direct: The player boasted to the press, “We will win the championship.”
Indirect: The player boasted to the press that they would win the championship. - Direct: He confirmed to the client, “Your order has been dispatched.”
Indirect: He confirmed to the client that his order had been dispatched. - Direct: The notice on the board says, “The library will be closed on Monday.”
Indirect: The notice on the board says that the library will be closed on Monday. - Direct: My grandfather often says, “Hard work never goes to waste.”
Indirect: My grandfather often says that hard work never goes to waste. - Direct: She complained to the manager, “The service here is very slow.”
Indirect: She complained to the manager that the service there was very slow. - Direct: The witness testified in court, “I saw a blue car near the scene.”
Indirect: The witness testified in court that he had seen a blue car near the scene. - Direct: He announced at the meeting, “I have decided to retire next year.”
Indirect: He announced at the meeting that he had decided to retire the following year.
Examples 26-50: Questions (Yes/No & ‘Wh-‘)
26. Direct: The interviewer asked me, “Do you have any prior experience?”
Indirect: The interviewer asked me if I had any prior experience.
27. Direct: My mother asked my sister, “Have you finished your homework?”
Indirect: My mother asked my sister whether she had finished her homework.
28. Direct: The stranger inquired, “Is this the way to the station?”
Indirect: The stranger inquired if that was the way to the station.
29. Direct: She asked her friend, “Will you be attending the wedding?”
Indirect: She asked her friend if she would be attending the wedding.
30. Direct: The doctor asked the patient, “Are you feeling any pain?”
Indirect: The doctor asked the patient if he was feeling any pain.
31. Direct: The coach asked the team, “Can you give your best performance?”
Indirect: The coach asked the team if they could give their best performance.
32. Direct: He asked the shopkeeper, “Do you sell batteries here?”
Indirect: He asked the shopkeeper if he sold batteries there.
33. Direct: The teacher asked the new student, “What is your name?”
Indirect: The teacher asked the new student what his name was.
34. Direct: The detective asked the suspect, “Where were you last night?”
Indirect: The detective asked the suspect where he had been the previous night.
35. Direct: She asked the travel agent, “When does the next flight depart?”
Indirect: She asked the travel agent when the next flight departed.
36. Direct: The child asked his father, “Why is the sky blue?”
Indirect: The child asked his father why the sky was blue.
37. Direct: The committee asked the presenter, “How did you achieve these results?”
Indirect: The committee asked the presenter how she had achieved those results.
38. Direct: He asked the librarian, “Which book would you recommend?”
Indirect: He asked the librarian which book she would recommend.
39. Direct: I asked my colleague, “Who is in charge of this project?”
Indirect: I asked my colleague who was in charge of that project.
40. Direct: The officer asked the driver, “Whose car is this?”
Indirect: The officer asked the driver whose car that was.
41. Direct: She asked the organizer, “How many people are expected?”
Indirect: She asked the organizer how many people were expected.
42. Direct: The student asked the professor, “What does this theorem mean?”
Indirect: The student asked the professor what that theorem meant.
43. Direct: My boss asked me, “Why were you late yesterday?”
Indirect: My boss asked me why I had been late the day before.
44. Direct: He asked the guide, “How old is this monument?”
Indirect: He asked the guide how old that monument was.
45. Direct: They asked the chef, “What are the secret ingredients?”
Indirect: They asked the chef what the secret ingredients were.
46. Direct: I asked her, “Where did you buy this beautiful dress?”
Indirect: I asked her where she had bought that beautiful dress.
47. Direct: The recruiter asked the candidate, “What are your salary expectations?”
Indirect: The recruiter asked the candidate what his salary expectations were.
48. Direct: She asked the mechanic, “How long will the repair take?”
Indirect: She asked the mechanic how long the repair would take.
49. Direct: The child asked, “Can I have an ice cream, Mom?”
Indirect: The child asked his mother if he could have an ice cream.
50. Direct: He asked his roommate, “Did you pay the electricity bill?”
Indirect: He asked his roommate if he had paid the electricity bill.
Examples 51-75: Commands, Requests & Advice
51. Direct: The captain commanded his soldiers, “Hold your positions!”
Indirect: The captain commanded his soldiers to hold their positions.
52. Direct: She requested the waiter, “Please bring the menu.”
Indirect: She requested the waiter to bring the menu.
53. Direct: The sign instructed visitors, “Do not feed the animals.”
Indirect: The sign instructed visitors not to feed the animals.
54. Direct: My father advised me, “Always invest in your education.”
Indirect: My father advised me to always invest in my education.
55. Direct: The doctor told the patient, “Take this medicine twice a day.”
Indirect: The doctor told the patient to take that medicine twice a day.
56. Direct: She begged her friend, “Please don’t tell anyone my secret.”
Indirect: She begged her friend not to tell anyone her secret.
57. Direct: The lifeguard warned the swimmers, “Do not go into the deep water.”
Indirect: The lifeguard warned the swimmers not to go into the deep water.
58. Direct: The teacher instructed the students, “Open your books to page fifty.”
Indirect: The teacher instructed the students to open their books to page fifty.
59. Direct: He ordered his dog, “Sit!”
Indirect: He ordered his dog to sit.
60. Direct: She reminded her husband, “Don’t forget to pick up the dry cleaning.”
Indirect: She reminded her husband not to forget to pick up the dry cleaning.
61. Direct: The notice urged passengers, “Keep your belongings with you at all times.”
Indirect: The notice urged passengers to keep their belongings with them at all times.
62. Direct: I told the cab driver, “Follow that car.”
Indirect: I told the cab driver to follow that car.
63. Direct: The judge told the witness, “Answer the question directly.”
Indirect: The judge told the witness to answer the question directly.
64. Direct: He pleaded with his boss, “Give me one more chance.”
Indirect: He pleaded with his boss to give him one more chance.
65. Direct: The mother told her children, “Go to your rooms and study.”
Indirect: The mother told her children to go to their rooms and study.
66. Direct: The manual instructs the user, “Connect the red wire first.”
Indirect: The manual instructs the user to connect the red wire first.
67. Direct: She whispered to the audience, “Watch this carefully.”
Indirect: She whispered to the audience to watch that carefully.
68. Direct: The commander told his troops, “Advance cautiously.”
Indirect: The commander told his troops to advance cautiously.
69. Direct: He suggested to his wife, “Let’s go to the mountains this summer.”
Indirect: He suggested to his wife that they go to the mountains that summer.
70. Direct: The coach yelled at the player, “Pass the ball!”
Indirect: The coach yelled at the player to pass the ball.
71. Direct: The notice on the wall says, “Please maintain silence.”
Indirect: The notice on the wall requests people to maintain silence.
72. Direct: She told the assistant, “Get me the sales file immediately.”
Indirect: She told the assistant to get her the sales file immediately.
73. Direct: The officer told the crowd, “Move back for your own safety.”
Indirect: The officer told the crowd to move back for their own safety.
74. Direct: I advised my brother, “You should save some money for emergencies.”
Indirect: I advised my brother that he should save some money for emergencies.
75. Direct: The chef instructed the apprentice, “Chop the onions finely.”
Indirect: The chef instructed the apprentice to chop the onions finely.
Examples 76-100: Exclamations, Mixed Sentences & Universal Truths
76. Direct: She exclaimed, “What a stunning view this is!”
Indirect: She exclaimed that it was a stunning view.
77. Direct: He cried out, “Alas! I have lost all my money.”
Indirect: He cried out in sorrow that he had lost all his money.
78. Direct: The spectators shouted, “Bravo! Well played!”
Indirect: The spectators shouted in applause that it was well played.
79. Direct: She said, “Happy Birthday, John!”
Indirect: She wished John a happy birthday.
80. Direct: He said, “Thank you for your help.”
Indirect: He thanked me for my help.
81. Direct: The scientist explained, “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.”
Indirect: The scientist explained that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
82. Direct: She said, “I wish I were taller.”
Indirect: She said that she wished she were taller.
83. Direct: He stated, “If I had known, I would have come earlier.”
Indirect: He stated that if he had known, he would have come earlier.
84. Direct: The old man said, “The sun sets in the west.”
Indirect: The old man said that the sun sets in the west.
85. Direct: She sighed and said, “How peaceful this place is!”
Indirect: She sighed and remarked that the place was very peaceful.
86. Direct: He said, “Good luck with your exam!”
Indirect: He wished me good luck with my exam.
87. Direct: The principal announced, “The school will remain closed tomorrow due to the storm.”
Indirect: The principal announced that the school would remain closed the next day due to the storm.
88. Direct: She said, “Let him speak his mind.”
Indirect: She said that he should be allowed to speak his mind.
89. Direct: He said, “I used to play football when I was in college.”
Indirect: He said that he used to play football when he was in college.
90. Direct: The sign clearly states, “Parking is prohibited here.”
Indirect: The sign clearly states that parking is prohibited there.
91. Direct: She said to me, “You are absolutely right about this.”
Indirect: She told me that I was absolutely right about that.
92. Direct: He explained, “While I was cooking, the phone rang.”
Indirect: He explained that while he had been cooking, the phone had rung.
93. Direct: The philosopher said, “Honesty is the best policy.”
Indirect: The philosopher said that honesty is the best policy.
94. Direct: She exclaimed, “Oh no! I’ve locked my keys in the car.”
Indirect: She exclaimed in frustration that she had locked her keys in the car.
95. Direct: He said, “I would help you if I had the time.”
Indirect: He said that he would help me if he had the time.
96. Direct: The tour guide said, “This temple is over five hundred years old.”
Indirect: The tour guide said that that temple was over five hundred years old.
97. Direct: She said, “Congratulations on your promotion!”
Indirect: She congratulated me on my promotion.
98. Direct: He muttered, “I should never have agreed to this.”
Indirect: He muttered that he should never have agreed to that.
99. Direct: The announcement said, “Passengers are requested to board now.”
Indirect: The announcement requested passengers to board then.
100.Direct: I said to her, “I appreciate your honesty.”
Indirect: I told her that I appreciated her honesty.
FAQs on How to Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
Q1. What if the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g., says)? Does the tense still change?
A: No. If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported speech does not change. (E.g., She says, “I am here.” → She says she is here.)
Q2. How do I report a ‘yes/no’ question?
A: Use ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’ followed by ‘if’ or ‘whether’. The word order changes from question format to a statement. (E.g., “Is it raining?” → He asked if it was raining.)
Q3. Do we always need to use ‘that’ after the reporting verb?
A: No, ‘that’ is a conjunction and can often be omitted, especially in informal speech. (E.g., He said (that) he was tired.)
Conclusion: How to Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech
Understanding how to change direct speech to indirect speech is a powerful tool for enhancing the clarity and sophistication of your English. By diligently applying the rules of tense shift, pronoun adjustment, and contextual modification, you can report speech accurately and naturally. Consistent practice with diverse examples, as provided in this guide, is the key to mastering this essential grammatical concept for both academic excellence and effective daily communication.
Disclaimer on How to Change Direct Speech to Indirect Speech:
This article is intended for educational purposes. Grammar rules can have exceptions based on context and stylistic choices. For authoritative rulings, please refer to official style guides or grammar textbooks prescribed by your educational institution.
Also Read: The Whole Guide: How to Use All and Whole Correctly
How to Use Too and Enough: The Complete Guide with 100+ Examples
About The Author
