Direct/Quoted speech is saying exactly what someone has said.

It appears within quotation marks

("...") and should be word for word.

Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we put
the words spoken between inverted commas ("___") and there is no change in these words. We may be
reporting something that's being said NOW, or telling someone later about a previous conversation

Indirect/Reported speech is enclosing what the person said. It doesn't use quotation marks and doesn't
have to be word for word.

Indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past. When we use indirect speech, we don’t use
inverted comas. We should change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs for example
say, ask, and we may use the word that to introduce the reported words.

Example
Ø Hopes, Intentions, Promises

When we report an intention, hope or promise, we use an appropriate reporting verb followed by a
that-clause or a to-infinitive:

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

He said, "I'll pay you the money tomorrow." He promised to pay me the money the next day.
He promised that he would pay me the money
the next day.

Other verbs used in this pattern include: hope, propose, threaten, guarantee, and swear.
Ø Orders

When we want to report an order, we can use a verb like tell with to-clause:

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

The doctor said to me, "Stop smoking!" The doctor told me to stop smoking.

"Get out of the car!" said the policeman. The policeman ordered him to get out of the
car.

Other verbs used are: command, order, warn, ask, invite, advise, beg, teach, and forbid. <<See also
section on Verbs followed by infinitive and Verbs followed by gerund>>
Ø Requests

When we want to report a request, we can use a verb like ask with for-clause:
 Direct Speech Indirect Speech

The child asked, "Can I have a car?" The child asked for a car.
Ø Suggestions

Suggestions are usually reported with a that-clause. That and should are optional in these clauses.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

“I think you should go to the dentist", said my My mother suggested that I should go to the
mother dentist.

Other verbs used are: insist, recommend, demand, request, and propose. Note: Suggest can also be
followed by a gerund: I suggested postponing the visit to the dentist.
Ø Questions

- Question words are reported by using ask (or another verb like ask) + question word +
clause. <<see also section on Tense Change>>
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

She asked me, “Where do u live?” She asked me where I lived.

He asked me, "What is your name?" He asked me what my name was.

- Yes/No questions: This type of question is reported by using ask + if / whether + clause:
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

He asked me, "Are you Eastern or Western?" He asked me whether I was Eastern or Western.

Rules
There are rules in converting direct to indirect speech. The tense usually has change because when we
use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (obviously the person who spoke
originally spoke in the past).
Ø Tense Change

As a rule when we report something someone has said you go back a tense (the tense on the left
changes to the tense on the right)

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Present Simple He said, “It is hot.” Past Simple He said it was hot.

Present Continuous She said, “I’m eating an Past Continuous She said she was eating an
apple.” apple.
Present Perfect Simple She said, "I've taught Past Perfect Simple She said she had taught
English since 1999." English since 1999.

Present Perfect Continuous He said, "I've Past Perfect Continuous She said she had been
been teaching English for two years." teaching English for two years.

Past Simple She said, "I taught English." Past Perfect She said she had taught English.

Past Continuous She said, "I was teaching Past Perfect Continuous She said she had been
earlier." teaching earlier

Past Perfect She said, "The lesson had already Past Perfect (No Change) She said the lesson
started when he arrived." had already started when he arrived.

Past Perfect Continuous She said, "I had Past Perfect Continuous (No Change) - She
already been teaching for ten minutes." said she'd already been teaching for ten
minutes.

Note:

- We can use the Present Tense in indirect speech if we want to say that something is still
true.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Present Simple He said, “My name is James.” Past Simple He said his name was James.
or
Present Simple He said his name is James.
Ø Modal Change

Modal verb forms also sometimes change

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Will She said, “I will teach English.” Would She said she would teach English.

Can She said, "I can teach English online." Could She said she could teach English.

Must She said, "I must teach English." Had to She said she had to teach English.

Shall She said, "What shall we learn today?" Should She asked what we should learn today.

May She said, "May I open the window?" Might She asked if she might open the window.

If it use modal, such as: could, would, should, might and ought to in direct speech, then we don’t
need to change it.
Ø Time Change
 If direct speech sentence contains an expression of time, we must change it to fit in with the time.

Time in Direct Speech Time in Indirect Speech

this (morning/noon/evening) that (morning/noon/evening)

today yesterday

these (days) those (days)

now then

(a week/ a month/ a year) ago (a week/ a month/ a year) before

last weekend the weekend before last/ the previous weekend

here there

next (week/month/year) the following (week/month/year)

tomorrow the next/following day

Verbs
Some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following groups.
Ø Verbs followed by if or whether + clause:
ask remember see

know say
Ø Verbs followed by a that + clause:
addadmitagreeannounceanswerargueboastclaimcomm confirmconsider observepersuadepropo
ent er
deny
complain doubtestimateexplainfearfeelinsi repeat
st replyreportrevealsay

mention
Ø Verbs followed by either a that + clause or a to + infinitive:
decide guarantee promise threaten

expect hope swear

Ø Verbs followed by either a that + clause containing should (but note that it may be omitted,
leaving a subject + zero-infinitive):
advise insist recommend
beg prefer request
demand propose suggest

Ø Verbs followed by a clause starting with a question word:

decidedescribediscoverdiscussexpl guess reveal thinkunderstandwonde
ain r
imagineknowlearnrealiz say
e
forget seesuggest
teachtell
remember
Ø Verbs followed by object + to + infinitive
adviseask command invite warn
forbid teach
beg
tell
instruct