Direct and Indirect Speech


When using indirect or reported speech, the form changes.

Usually indirect speech is introduced by the verb said, as in I said, Bill said, or they said. Using the verb say in this tense, indicates that something was said in the past. In these cases, the main verb in the reported sentence is put in the past. If the main verb is already in a past tense, then the tense changes to another past tense; it can almost be seen as moving even further into the past.
Verb tense changes also characterize other situations using indirect speech. Note the changes shown in the chart and see the table below for examples. With indirect speech, the use of that is optional.
However, many verbs can be used to introduce indirect speech:

add
admit
answer
argue
assure
boast
complain
deny
explain
grumble
object
observe
point out
promise
remark
remind
reply
remind

Direct Speech into Indirect Speech:

simple present to simple past:
He said, “I go to school every day.”

He said (that) he went to school every day.

simple past to past perfect
He said, “I went to school every day.”
He said (that) he had gone to school every day.


present perfect past perfect

He said, “I have gone to school every day.”
He said (that) he had gone to school every day.

present progressive to past progressive
He said, “I am going to school every day.”
He said (that) he was going to school every day.

past progressive to perfect progressive
He said, “I was going to school every day.”
He said (that) he had been going to school every day,

future (will) to would + verb name
He said, “I will go to school every day.”
He said (that) he would go to school every day.

future (going to) to present progressive
He said, “I am going to school every day.”
He said (that) he is going to school every day.

past progressive remains the same
He said, "I had been going to school every day."
He said (that) he was going to school every day
Direct Speech

Questions in indirect speech:

present to simple past
He said, “Do you go to school every day?”
He asked me if I went to school every day
He said, “Where do you go to school?”
He asked me where I went to school.

imperative to infinitive:
He said, “Go to school every day.”
He said to go to school every day.

*Note than when a Yes/No question is being asked in direct speech, then a construction with if or whether is used and there is a change in word order.
"Do you go to school?", he asked.
He asked me if I went to school.
"When do you go to school?" , he asked.
He asked me when I went to school.


If a WH question is being asked, then use the WH to introduce the clause. Also note that with indirect speech, these are examples of embedded questions.

If instead of the verb 'said' another form of the very say is used, the tenses usually remain the same.
simple present + simple present
He says, “I go to school every day.”
He says (that) he goes to school every day.

MODAL VERBS IN INDIRECT SPEECH

Another situation is the one in which modal constructions are used. If the verb said is used, then the form of the modal, or another modal that has a past meaning is used.

can to could
He said, “I can go to school every day.”
He said (that) he could go to school every day.
may to might
He said, “I may go to school every day.”
He said (that) he might go to school every day.

must and have to change to had to
He said, “I must go to school every day.”
He said (that) he had to go to school every day.
He said, “I have to go to school every day.”
He said (that) he had to go to school.
should, ought to remain the same:
He said: "I should study harder."
He said that he should study harder.
*****************Practice****************************
Ask your partner the following sentences, and report the answers in indirect speech.

Reported Speech Questionnaire

Name:

1. What is your favourite food?

2. What is your favourite football team?

3. What is your favourite pop group?

4. What is your favourite colour?

5. Where do you live?

6. Have you always lived in Seoul? If not where else?

Now I would you like you to tell me all of these things in reported speech.
Try to use connectives.

e.g. He said his favourite football team was Newcastle and his favourite colour was blue.