SPEECH

DIRECT AND REPORTED

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

In the English language, there are two ways
of conveying what someone else has said:

 direct/quoted speech and

 indirect/reported speech.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

DIRECT SPEECH
What is it?
Direct/quoted speech, involves quoting the exact
words uttered by the person, within inverted commas
or quotation marks.
2nd September 2012
Anne said, “I will
be coming home
tonight”.

statement

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

INDIRECT SPEECH
Indirect/reported speech, on the other hand, does not
have to be within quotes or reported word-to-word. In
fact, unless one is relaying the exact words spoken, one
should never use quotation marks.
5th September 2012
She said that she
would be coming
home that night.

statement

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

NOTE
• Quotation marks are not used in reported
speech.
• Verb tenses, pronouns and some “time” and
“place” words may change because the time,
place and speaker may be different.

• When we report a statement, we use reported

verbs such as say, tell, explain, inform, answer,
decide, etc. often followed by that.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

NOTE (Contd.)
• In reported –wh questions, we use the wh-
word + the subject + the verb.
• We do not use the interrogative form of
the verb – do, does or did.
• As it is an indirect question no question
marks are used
• When we report requests, orders, advice or
warnings we use verbs such as advice, ask,
beg, tell, order, etc, followed by an infinitive.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

What changes in a sentence in Reported
Speech?
1. The verbs
2. The pronouns and possesive adjectives
3. Some adverbs (now and there words)

I am watching my
favourite programme now

Tom said (that) he was watching

his favourite programme then

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

 1. Verb tense changes:

Present Past Simple

Simple
Past Perfect
Past Simple
Present Past
Perfect Perfect
Future (will) (would)

Examples:
I saw a snake She said (that) she had seen a
snake
She will come He said (that) she would
come
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
 TENSE CHANGE
Present simple tense Past simple
Present Continuous tense Past continuous
Present Perfect tense Past perfect
Present Perfect Continuous Past perfect continuous
INTO
Past Simple Past Perfect

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
Future simple, will would
Future Continuous, will be would be
Future Perfect, will have would have

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

2. Pronouns & adjectives changes:

It depends on the person who the

message is referred to

You are She said that I was

stupid! stupid
She said that we were
stupid
She said that he was
stupid

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

 CHANGES IN PRONOUNS
Direct Reported Direct Reported
speech speech speech speech
I He, she my His, her
you I, she, he, we, they your
My, his, her, our,
we they their
Me Him, her our their
mine His, hers
You Him, her, us, them
yours Mine, his, hers, ours,
Us them
theirs
ours Mine, his , hers, ours,
theirs
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
3. Now and there words:

Some adverbs have to change in order to

keep the same meaning.
They said
(that)
they were
We are waiting waiting
here there

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

CHANGES IN TIME AND ADVERBS
Changes to
Today that day/the same day
Tomorrow the next day/the following day
Yesterday the day before/the previous day
Next week/month/year the following week/month/year
Last week/month/year the previous week/month/year
Now/just then
Ago before
Here there
This that

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

 TYPES OF SENTENCES
A. Statements
B. Questions
C. Commands

A. In statements, you change verbs,pronouns and

adverbs. To introduce the reported sentence you
use say or tell.
‘I am watching tv now’
He said (that) he was watching tv then

He told me (that) he was watching tv then

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

 B. There are two types of questions:
B.1. Information questions (wh
questions):
• Reported questions change the word order
• You usually write asked to introduce the reported
sentence

When will Sally and Tom

come for dinner?

Peter asked me
when you would
come for dinner
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
B.2. Yes/No questions
•If/whether is used to introduce reported
questions that do not start with wh words.

‘Is it windy
Kevin asked his today?’
grandfather if it was
windy that day

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

 C. Commands
In commands you change the imperative
into infinitive
‘Go and do your
homework’

Paul told his son to go and do the

homework
‘Don’t kiss me’

Chris told his mother not to

kiss him
The introductory verb in commands
is told+object
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
IMPERATIVE SENTENCE
A sentence which expresses command, request,
advice or suggestion is called imperative
sentence.
For example,
• Open the door.
• Please help me.
• Learn your lesson.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

 Direct speech Indirect Speech

He said to me, “please help

He requested me to help him.
me”.

She said to him, “you should He suggested him to work

work hard for exam”. hard for exam.

They said to him, “do not tell a They said to him not to tell a
lie”. lie.

He said, “open the door”. He ordered to open the door.

The teacher said to student, The teacher advised the

“do not waste time”. students not to waste time.
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
EXCLAMATORY SENTENCES

Sentence which expresses state of joy or

sorrow or wonder is called exclamatory
sentence.
For example.
 Hurrah! We won the match.
 Alas! I failed the test.
 Wow! What a nice shirt it is.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

 Direct speech Indirect Speech

He said, “Hurrah! I won a He exclaimed with joy that

prize” he had won a prize.

She exclaimed with sorrow

She said, “Alas! I failed in exam”
that she failed in the exam.

John said, “Wow! What a nice John exclaimed with wonder

shirt it is” that it was a nice shirt

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

Practise!
1. He said, “I have got a toothache”.
2. Manu said, “I am very busy now”.
3. “Hurry up,” she said to us.
4. “Give me a cup of water,” he told her.
5. She said, “I am going to college.”
6. She said to me, “Thank you”
7. Raju said, “Gautam must go tomorrow”.
8. Geetha says, “My father is an Engineer.”
9. He said, “I have passed the physical test.”
10. She said to me, “You are my only friend.”
11. ‘I love you,’ he told me.
12. ‘Where are you going?’ James asked Mary.
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
Answers
1. He said that he had got a toothache.
2. Manu said that he was very busy then.
3. She told us to hurry up.
4. He asked her to give him a cup of water.
5. She said that she was going to college.
6. She thanked me.
7. Raju said that Gautam would have to go the following day.
8. Geetha says that her father is an Engineer.
9. He said that he had passed the physical test.
10. She told me that I was her only friend.
11. He told me that he loved me.
12. James asked Mary where she was going.
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
Practise!
1.“Why do you want to work here?”
2. “What kind of experience do you have managing a team?”
3. “How many years did you work as a freelance reporter?”
4. “What was the most challenging thing about your last
position?”
5. “What kinds of editing software have you used?”
6. “How much experience do you have as a beat reporter?”
7. “Why do you want to leave your current position?”
8. “What were your responsibilities at CKRD News?”
9. “Are you willing to travel?”
10. “Do you have any questions for me?”

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

Answers
1.She asked him why he wanted to work there.
2. She asked him what kind of experience he had managing a team.
3. She wanted to know how many years he had worked as a freelance
reporter.
4. She asked him what the most challenging thing about his last
position had been.
5. She wanted to know what kinds of editing software he had used.
6. She asked how much experience he had as a beat reporter.
7. She asked why he wanted to leave his current position.
8. She asked him what his current responsibilities were at CKRD
News.
9. She wanted to know if he was willing to travel.
10. She asked him if he had any questions for her.
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
Practise!
1. He said to me, "I am ready".
a.He told to me that he is ready.
b.He told me that he was ready.
c.He told me that I am ready.
d.He told me that I will ready.

2. Sonia said, "You help my sister".

a.Sonia said that I helps her sister.
b.Sonia said to me that I helped her sister.
c.Sonia said that I helped her sister.
d.Sonia says that I helped her sister.
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
Practise!
3.They said, "We can not live without oxygen".
a.They said that we can not live without oxygen.
b.They said that they can not live without oxygen.
c.They said that they would not live without oxygen.
d.They says that they can not live without oxygen.

4.. Rahul said to me, "We are mortal".

a.Rahul said to me that we are mortal.
b.Rahul says to me that we are mortal.
c.Rahul said to me that we all are mortal.
d.Rahul said to me that he and I are mortal.
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
Practise!

5. The Indian express says, "We shall issue a astrology

section in our Thursday's paper".
a.The Indian express says that it will issue a astrology
section in their Thursday's paper.
b.The Indian express says that they will issue a astrology
section in their Thursday'spaper.
c.The Indian express said that it will issue a astrology
section in its Thursday's paper.
d.The Indian express says that it will issue a astrology
section in its Thursday's paper.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

Practise!
6. John says, "I shall go there".
a.John said that he went there.
b.John says that he will go there.
c.John says that he went there.
d.John said that I will go there.

7. Robert will say to me, "I am your classmate".

a.Robert will tell me that he is my classmate.
b.Robert will tell me that he was my classmate.
c.Robert will tell me that he will be my classmate.
d.Robert said me that he is my classmate.
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
Practise!
8. He said to me, "I shall write an essay".
a.He said to me that he will be writing an essay.
b.He told me that he would write an essay.
c.He said to me that he will write an essay.
d.He told me that he would write an essay.

9. He said to me, "I shall be writing an essay".

a.He told me that he would have been writing an essay.
b.He told me that he would be writing an essay.
c.He told me that he will be writing an essay.
d.He told me that he shall be writing an essay.
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT
Practise!
10. Sita said to Geeta, "You can learn piano".
a.Sita told Geeta that she can be learn piano.
b.Sita told Geeta that you can learn piano.
c.Sita told Geeta that she could learn piano.
d.Sita told Geeta that she can learn piano.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

Answers
1.b
2.c
3.a
4.a
5.b
6.a
7.a
8.d
9.c
10.c

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

 THANK YOU

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT