Direct and Indirect Speech
Direct and Indirect Speech Introduction Direct and Indirect Speech are two ways of expressing what someone has said. In Direct Speech , the speaker’s exact words are quoted and placed within inverted commas. In Indirect Speech , the meaning of the speaker’s words is reported without using the exact words. Changing Direct into Indirect Speech requires careful attention to the type of sentence, the reporting verb, the tense, and the pronouns. Different rules are applied for affirmative statements, imperative sentences, interrogative sentences, exclamatory sentences, and universal truths. 1. Affirmative Sentences Theory: In affirmative (declarative) sentences, the reporting verb is generally changed into said that or told that . The tense of the reported speech usually shifts one step back (Present → Past, Past → Past Perfect), unless the sentence expresses a universal truth. Pronouns are also changed according to sense. Examples: Direct: He said, “I am happy.” Indire...