Direct and Indirect Speech

Class 6 English Grammar

Direct and Indirect Speech

What is Direct and Indirect Speech?

The words of a speaker can be reported in two ways:

Using the direct words of the speaker
Reporting what the speaker said

Direct speech involves quoting the exact words of the speaker.

Indirect (Reported) speech is used to report what a person said.

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Use quotation marks to open and close direct speech.
Place a comma before the quotation marks.

Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech

Use the present tense in indirect speech to report facts and universal truths.
Direct Speech: “My name is Soham,” he said.
Indirect Speech: He said that his name is Soham.
Use the present tense to report a future event in indirect speech.
Direct Speech: “Next week’s session is on time management,” she said.
Indirect Speech: She said next week’s session will be on anger management.

Rules for Changing Modal Auxiliaries in Indirect Speech

Rules for Changing Expressions of Time

Direct to Indirect Speech – Types of Sentences

The reporting verb ‘said’ is changed according to the following rules from direct to indirect speech.

Examples

Direct Speech: Soniya said, “I am going to visit grandma next week.”

Indirect Speech: Soniya said that she was going to visit grandma the following week.

Direct Speech: Jalpa said, “Amit, please give my pencil box back.”

Indirect Speech: Jalpa requested Amit to give her pencil box back.

Direct Speech: Mother said to me, “What will you eat for dinner? Buy some fresh vegetables on your way back home.”

Indirect Speech: Mother asked me what I would eat for dinner and asked me to buy some fresh vegetables on my way back home.

Direct Speech: Noorie said, “Tejal, what have you brought for lunch?”

Indirect Speech: Noorie asked Tejal what she had brought for lunch.

Direct Speech: Jeevan asked Nitin, “Where are you going for vacation? Nitin said, “I am going to Sikkim.”

Indirect Speech: Jeevan asked Nitin where he was going for vacation. Nitin replied that he was going to Sikkim.

Direct Speech: Jatin said, “I hope Sunil recovers soon from his illness.”

Indirect Speech: Jatin wished that Sunil might recover soon from his illness.

Direct Speech: The teacher said to the students, “You will be taken to the laboratory after five minutes for your practical exam.”

Indirect Speech: The teacher told the students that they would be taken to the laboratory after five minutes for their practical exam.

Direct Speech: “Excuse me. Do you know the way to the ticket counter?” the tourist asked Chetan. Chetan said, “Yes. First take the escalator and then the first right.”

Indirect Speech: The tourist asked Chetan if he knew the way to the ticket counter. Chetan told him to take the escalator and then the first right.

Direct Speech: Mahesh told Namrata, “I have signed a new contract.”

Indirect Speech: Mahesh told Namrata that he had signed a new contract.

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NCERT Notes