FYBCom Sem 2 Direct Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech, also known as reported speech, are two ways to convey what someone else has said. Here's a simple explanation with examples for students:

Direct Speech: Direct speech is when we quote someone's exact words. We use quotation marks to indicate the beginning and end of the person's words.

Example: Sarah said, "I am going to the park."

Indirect Speech: Indirect speech is when we report what someone else has said without using their exact words. We usually introduce the reported speech with verbs like 'said,' 'told,' 'asked,' etc., and we don't use quotation marks.

Example: Sarah said that she was going to the park.

Here are some key points to remember:

1. Verb tense change: In indirect speech, the tense of the verb often changes according to the context. For example, present tense can change to past tense.

Direct: Peter said, "I like ice cream."

Indirect: Peter said that he liked ice cream.

2. Pronoun change: Pronouns may also change in indirect speech to reflect the perspective of the speaker.

Direct: Tom said, "I am going to the store."

Indirect: Tom said that he was going to the store.

3. Reporting verbs: We use reporting verbs like 'say,' 'tell,' 'ask,' etc., to introduce indirect speech.

Direct: Amy asked, "Can you help me with my homework?"

Indirect: Amy asked if I could help her with her homework.

4. Time and place expressions: Time and place expressions may need to be adjusted in indirect speech.

Direct: John said, "I will meet you here tomorrow."

Indirect: John said that he would meet me there the next day.

5. No quotation marks: Unlike direct speech, indirect speech does not use quotation marks.

Here are a few more sentences changed into indirect speech:

1. Direct: She said, "I will finish the project by tomorrow."

Indirect: She said that she would finish the project by the following day.

2. Direct: They asked, "Can we have some more time to complete the task?"

Indirect: They asked if they could have some additional time to finish the task.

3. Direct: He exclaimed, "I can't believe I won the competition!"

Indirect: He exclaimed that he couldn't believe he had won the competition.

4. Direct: The teacher announced, "The exam will be postponed to next week."

Indirect: The teacher announced that the exam would be postponed to the following week.

5. Direct: She told me, "I am going on vacation next month."

Indirect: She told me that she was going on vacation the following month.

6. Direct: They exclaimed, "What a beautiful sight!"

Indirect: They exclaimed what a beautiful sight it was.

7. Direct: He asked, "Do you know where the nearest train station is?"

Indirect: He asked if I knew where the nearest train station was.

8. Direct: The manager stated, "We will have a meeting at 3 PM."

Indirect: The manager stated that they would have a meeting at 3 PM.

9. Direct: She said, "I have already finished my homework."

Indirect: She said that she had already finished her homework.

10. Direct: They asked, "Could you please pass me the salt?"

Indirect: They asked if I could please pass them the salt.

Examples of various types of sentences in indirect speech:

1. Declarative Sentence:
• Direct: She said, "I am going to the store."
• Indirect: She said that she was going to the store.
2. Interrogative Sentence:
• Direct: He asked, "Did you finish your homework?"
• Indirect: He asked if I had finished my homework.
3. Imperative Sentence:
• Direct: The teacher said, "Please sit down."
• Indirect: The teacher asked us to please sit down.
4. Exclamatory Sentence:
• Direct: She exclaimed, "What a beautiful day it is!"
• Indirect: She exclaimed what a beautiful day it was.
5. Negative Sentence:
• Direct: He said, "I don't like pizza."
• Indirect: He said that he didn't like pizza.
6. Complex Sentence (with reported clause):
• Direct: Sarah told me, "I will come if I finish my work."
• Indirect: Sarah told me that she would come if she finished her work.
7. Compound Sentence (with conjunctions):
• Direct: They said, "We can either go to the beach or watch a movie."
• Indirect: They said that they could either go to the beach or watch a movie.
8. Conditional Sentence:
• Direct: He said, "If it rains, we will stay indoors."
• Indirect: He said that if it rained, they would stay indoors.
9. Passive Voice Sentence:
• Direct: The manager said, "The report will be submitted tomorrow."
• Indirect: The manager said that the report would be submitted the next day.
10. Cleft Sentence:
• Direct: She said, "It was he who broke the vase."
• Indirect: She said that it was he who broke the vase.

Few More Examples:

Direct: She said, “I am going to the store.”

Indirect: She said that she was going to the store.

Direct: He asked, “Have you completed your homework?”

Indirect: He asked if I had completed my homework.

Direct: They exclaimed, “We won the match!”

Indirect: They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Direct: The teacher said, “The exam will be on Friday.”

Indirect: The teacher announced that the exam would be on Friday.

Direct: She whispered, “I have a secret.”

Indirect: She whispered that she had a secret.

Direct: He complained, “I haven’t had any coffee today.”

Indirect: He complained that he hadn’t had any coffee that day.

Direct: The child asked, “Can I have some ice cream?”

Indirect: The child asked if he could have some ice cream.

Direct: She said, “I don’t like spinach.”

Indirect: She said that she didn’t like spinach.

Direct: He warned, “Be careful with that glass!”

Indirect: He warned me to be careful with that glass.

Direct: The manager announced, “The meeting is postponed.”

Indirect: The manager announced that the meeting was postponed.

Direct Speech: She said, “I am going to the store.”

Indirect Speech: She said that she was going to the store.

Direct Speech: He said, “I will call you later.”

Indirect Speech: He said that he would call me later.

Direct Speech: They said, “We have finished our project.”

Indirect Speech: They said that they had finished their project.

Direct Speech: “It’s raining outside,” she said.

Indirect Speech: She said that it was raining outside.

Direct Speech: “I love this song,” he exclaimed.

Indirect Speech: He exclaimed that he loved that song.

Direct Speech: “Can you help me with my homework?” she asked.

Indirect Speech: She asked if I could help her with her homework.

Direct Speech: “We are going to the party,” they told us.

Indirect Speech: They told us that they were going to the party.

Direct Speech: “I won’t be able to attend the meeting,” he said.

Indirect Speech: He said that he wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting.

Direct Speech: “Please pass me the salt,” she requested.

Indirect Speech: She requested me to pass her the salt.

Direct Speech: “I didn’t see the movie,” he admitted.

Indirect Speech: He admitted that he hadn’t seen the movie.

Direct Speech: “The concert starts at 7 PM,” they informed us.

Indirect Speech: They informed us that the concert started at 7 PM.

Direct Speech: “I have been working on this project,” she explained.

Indirect Speech: She explained that she had been working on that project.

Direct Speech: “Don’t touch that,” he warned.

Indirect Speech: He warned not to touch that.

Direct Speech: “I’ll meet you at the cafe,” she promised.

Indirect Speech: She promised to meet me at the cafe.

Direct Speech: “We can solve this problem,” they assured us.

Indirect Speech: They assured us that they could solve that problem.