Direct & Indirect Speech

Introduction

Direct speech reports the exact words a person said, enclosed within quotation marks. Indirect speech (also called reported speech) conveys the meaning of what was said without using the speaker's exact words — no quotation marks, and with necessary changes to tense, pronouns, and expressions of time and place.

Direct: She said, "I am tired." Indirect: She said that she was tired.

Mastering direct and indirect speech is essential for grammar MCQs, sentence transformation tasks, comprehension questions, and written communication. It is one of the most heavily and consistently tested areas across competitive exams, entry tests, and job assessments.

Key Terminology

Reporting verb — the verb used to introduce the speech: said, told, asked, ordered, exclaimed, requested, advised, replied, informed, suggested, warned

Reporting clause — the part that introduces what was said: She said / He told me / They asked

Reported clause — the actual content of what was said: "I am tired." / that she was tired

Inverted commas / Quotation marks — the punctuation marks (" ") used in direct speech to enclose exact words. They are removed entirely in indirect speech.

1. Rules of Speech Change

The Core Changes in Indirect Speech

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, six categories of change must be applied systematically.

Change 1 — Remove quotation marks Quotation marks are used only in direct speech. In indirect speech they are dropped entirely.

Change 2 — Add the appropriate conjunction A conjunction is inserted between the reporting clause and the reported clause depending on the sentence type: Statements → that (often optional but required in formal and exam contexts) Yes/No questions → if / whether WH-questions → the WH-word itself (what, where, when, why, who, how) Commands and requests → to (infinitive — no conjunction) Exclamatory sentences → that (with an emotion word)

Change 3 — Change of tense (backshifting) When the reporting verb is in the past tense (said, told, asked), the tense of the reported clause shifts one step back into the past. This is called backshifting.

Change 4 — Change of pronouns Pronouns shift according to the perspective of the reporter, not the original speaker.

Change 5 — Change of time and place expressions Words like today, now, here, and yesterday change to their reported equivalents.

Change 6 — Change of reporting verb The verb "said" changes to "told" when followed by a named person or pronoun as the indirect object. Other verbs — asked, ordered, requested, exclaimed, advised — are used for different sentence types.

Said vs. Told

Said — used without a personal object (no mention of the listener): She said that she was tired.

Told — always followed by a person as indirect object: She told me that she was tired. He told his students that the exam was on Friday.

Wrong: She told that she was tired. (told requires a personal object) Wrong: He said me that he was late. (said does not take a personal object)

When Backshifting Does NOT Apply

Backshifting is not applied in the following cases:

Universal truths and scientific facts: Direct: The teacher said, "The earth revolves around the sun." Indirect: The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.

Historical facts permanently true: Direct: She said, "Pakistan came into existence in 1947." Indirect: She said that Pakistan came into existence in 1947.

When the reporting verb is in present, present perfect, or future tense: Direct: He says, "I am busy." Indirect: He says that he is busy. (reporting verb "says" = present → no backshift)

When the reported statement is still true at the time of reporting: Direct: She said, "I live in Lahore." (she still lives there) Indirect: She said that she lives in Lahore. (truth still holds — present tense acceptable)

Exam Tip

The two most tested rules in this area are: (1) "said" does not take a personal object — "told" does; and (2) universal truths never backshift. If you see "He told that…" or "She said me that…" in an error-spotting question, it is always wrong.

2. Statements (Assertive Sentences)

Definition

A statement declares a fact, opinion, or situation. It ends with a full stop in direct speech. It is the most straightforward sentence type to convert.

Structure of Change

Direct: Subject + said/told + , + " Reported statement " Indirect: Subject + said/told + (object) + that + reported statement (with tense, pronoun, and time changes applied)

Tense Backshifting Chart

Examples — Statement Conversion

Simple present → Simple past: Direct: He said, "I work in a hospital." Indirect: He said that he worked in a hospital.

Present continuous → Past continuous: Direct: She said, "I am preparing for the exam." Indirect: She said that she was preparing for the exam.

Present perfect → Past perfect: Direct: He said, "I have completed the task." Indirect: He said that he had completed the task.

Simple past → Past perfect: Direct: She said, "I visited Islamabad last year." Indirect: She said that she had visited Islamabad the previous year.

Will → Would: Direct: He said, "I will submit the report tomorrow." Indirect: He said that he would submit the report the next day.

Can → Could: Direct: She said, "I can speak three languages." Indirect: She said that she could speak three languages.

May → Might: Direct: He said, "It may rain today." Indirect: He said that it might rain that day.

Must → Had to: Direct: She said, "I must leave now." Indirect: She said that she had to leave then.

Negatives in Statements

The negative structure is retained in the reported clause — only the tense changes.

Direct: He said, "I do not know the answer." Indirect: He said that he did not know the answer.

Direct: She said, "I have not received the letter." Indirect: She said that she had not received the letter.

Exam Tip

The simple past in direct speech becomes past perfect in indirect speech — this is one of the most tested backshifting rules. "I visited Lahore" → "he said he had visited Lahore." Also note: if the reporting verb is in the present tense (says, tells), no backshifting occurs at all.

3. Questions (Interrogative Sentences)

Definition

Interrogative sentences ask questions. In direct speech they end with a question mark (?). In indirect speech the question mark is dropped, the word order becomes that of a normal statement (subject before verb), and no auxiliary inversion is used.

Critical Rule — Word Order in Reported Questions

In indirect speech, questions lose their inverted word order and follow normal statement order.

Direct (inverted): "Where does she live?" Indirect (statement order): He asked where she lived. — NOT: He asked where did she live.

Type 1 — Yes/No Questions

Yes/No questions have no WH-word. They are reported using if or whether as the connector.

Structure: Indirect: Subject + asked + (object) + if/whether + subject + verb (statement order, backshifted)

Examples:

Direct: He said to me, "Do you speak English?" Indirect: He asked me if I spoke English.

Direct: She said to him, "Have you finished the work?" Indirect: She asked him whether he had finished the work.

Direct: He said, "Will she attend the meeting?" Indirect: He asked whether she would attend the meeting.

Direct: She said to him, "Did you lock the door?" Indirect: She asked him if he had locked the door.

Direct: The teacher said, "Can you solve this problem?" Indirect: The teacher asked whether I could solve that problem.

If vs. Whether

Both if and whether are correct for reporting yes/no questions. However:

Whether is preferred when two alternatives are implied: She asked whether he would come or not.

Whether must be used (never "if") after prepositions: There was a debate about whether the plan would succeed.

Type 2 — WH-Questions

WH-questions contain a question word (who, what, where, when, why, which, how, how long, how many, how much). The WH-word itself serves as the connector in indirect speech — no additional conjunction is added.

Structure: Indirect: Subject + asked + (object) + WH-word + subject + verb (statement order, backshifted)

Examples:

Direct: She said to him, "Where do you live?" Indirect: She asked him where he lived.

Direct: He said, "What are you doing?" Indirect: He asked what I was doing.

Direct: The interviewer said, "Why did you leave your last job?" Indirect: The interviewer asked why I had left my last job.

Direct: She said, "How long have you been waiting?" Indirect: She asked how long I had been waiting.

Direct: He said, "Who gave you this information?" Indirect: He asked who had given me that information.

Direct: She said, "Which book do you prefer?" Indirect: She asked which book I preferred.

Direct: The manager said, "How many candidates have applied?" Indirect: The manager asked how many candidates had applied.

Reporting Verbs for Questions

Examples: She enquired whether the office was open. He wanted to know when the results would be announced. She wondered if she had made the right decision.

Common Errors in Reported Questions

Wrong: He asked me where did I live. Correct: He asked me where I lived. (no inversion in reported questions)

Wrong: She asked that whether he had come. Correct: She asked whether he had come. (no "that" before whether/if)

Wrong: He asked what was I doing. Correct: He asked what I was doing. (subject before verb — statement order)

Wrong: She asked him that where he worked. Correct: She asked him where he worked. (WH-word replaces "that")

Exam Tip

The two rules most tested in reported questions: (1) the inverted question word order must become normal statement word order — never retain "did/does/is" before the subject; and (2) "that" is never used alongside "whether," "if," or a WH-word. Writing "he asked that where…" or "she asked that whether…" is always wrong.

4. Commands & Requests (Imperative)

Definition

Imperative sentences give orders, instructions, commands, requests, advice, or warnings. The subject "you" is implied and not stated. In direct speech they end with a full stop or exclamation mark.

Structure of Change

Commands and requests are reported using the infinitive (to + base form). There is no tense backshifting in imperative sentences — the infinitive is always used regardless of the reporting verb's tense.

Positive command/request: Indirect: Subject + told/ordered/requested/advised + object + to + base form

Negative command/request: Indirect: Subject + told/warned/ordered + object + not to + base form

Positive Commands and Requests

Examples:

Direct: He said to me, "Open the window." Indirect: He told me to open the window.

Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Submit your assignments today." Indirect: The teacher told the students to submit their assignments that day.

Direct: She said to him, "Please help me with this problem." Indirect: She requested him to help her with that problem.

Direct: The doctor said to the patient, "Take this medicine twice a day." Indirect: The doctor advised the patient to take that medicine twice a day.

Direct: The manager said to the team, "Complete the project by Friday." Indirect: The manager instructed the team to complete the project by Friday.

Negative Commands and Requests

Examples:

Direct: He said to me, "Do not waste your time." Indirect: He advised me not to waste my time.

Direct: She said, "Don't make noise." Indirect: She told them not to make noise.

Direct: The officer said to the soldiers, "Do not leave your posts." Indirect: The officer ordered the soldiers not to leave their posts.

Direct: The doctor said to him, "Don't eat spicy food." Indirect: The doctor warned him not to eat spicy food.

Direct: She said to her son, "Never tell a lie." Indirect: She advised her son never to tell a lie.

Reporting Verbs for Imperatives

"Let's" Suggestions

When the imperative begins with "Let's" (a suggestion that includes the speaker), the reporting structure changes entirely:

Direct: He said, "Let's go for a walk." Indirect: He suggested going for a walk. Or: He suggested that they should go for a walk.

Direct: She said, "Let's start the meeting." Indirect: She suggested starting the meeting. Or: She suggested that they should start the meeting.

Exam Tip

In imperative reported speech, "to" is the key connector — positive commands use "to + base form" and negative commands use "not to + base form." Never use "that" with imperative reported speech. "He told me that open the door" is always wrong. Always replace "said" with an appropriate reporting verb — told, ordered, requested, advised, warned — as "said" alone is never correct for imperatives in indirect speech.

5. Exclamatory Sentences

Definition

Exclamatory sentences express sudden or strong emotions — joy, surprise, sorrow, admiration, anger, pain, or disgust. In direct speech they end with an exclamation mark (!) and typically begin with "What," "How," or an interjection.

Structure of Change

Direct: Subject + said + , + " What/How + exclamatory structure + ! " Indirect: Subject + exclaimed/cried out/remarked + that + reported statement (with emotion described)

Key changes applied: "What a/an" and "How" are removed and replaced with "very" before the adjective or adverb The exclamation mark is removed The conjunction "that" is added The tense is backshifted An appropriate reporting verb expressing the emotion is used

Reporting Verbs for Exclamatory Sentences

Conversion of "What a / What an" Sentences

"What a/an + adjective + noun" becomes "that + subject + verb + very + adjective + noun"

Examples:

Direct: She said, "What a beautiful painting!" Indirect: She exclaimed with admiration that it was a very beautiful painting.

Direct: He said, "What a wonderful idea!" Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that it was a very wonderful idea.

Direct: She said, "What a terrible accident!" Indirect: She exclaimed with shock that it was a very terrible accident.

Direct: He said, "What a foolish mistake I have made!" Indirect: He exclaimed with regret that he had made a very foolish mistake.

Conversion of "How" Sentences

"How + adjective/adverb" becomes "that + subject + verb + very + adjective/adverb"

Examples:

Direct: She said, "How clever you are!" Indirect: She exclaimed with admiration that he was very clever.

Direct: He said, "How fast she runs!" Indirect: He exclaimed with surprise that she ran very fast.

Direct: She said, "How kind of you to help me!" Indirect: She exclaimed with gratitude that it was very kind of him to help her.

Interjections in Exclamatory Sentences

When the exclamatory sentence begins with an interjection, it is removed and replaced with an appropriate reporting verb or phrase that captures the emotion.

Examples:

Direct: He said, "Hurray! We have won the match!" Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Direct: She said, "Alas! My brother has failed." Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that her brother had failed.

Direct: He said, "Bravo! You have done a great job!" Indirect: He exclaimed with admiration that she had done a great job.

Direct: She said, "Oh! I have lost my purse." Indirect: She exclaimed with shock that she had lost her purse.

Exam Tip

In exclamatory reported speech, "What a" and "How" always disappear — replaced by "very" before the adjective or adverb. Never retain "What a" or "How" in the indirect form. Always choose a specific reporting verb that names the emotion: "exclaimed with joy," "exclaimed with sorrow," "exclaimed with surprise." Using only "said" for exclamatory sentences is incorrect.

6. Change of Pronouns & Tenses

Pronoun Change Rules — The S-L-O Rule

Pronoun changes depend on the relationship between the speaker (S), the listener (L), and the person being spoken about. The traditional rule is stated as the S-L-O rule:

First person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, our, ours, ourselves) change according to the Subject of the reporting verb.

Second person pronouns (you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves) change according to the Object of the reporting verb — the listener.

Third person pronouns (he, him, his, she, her, they, them, their, it, its) do not change.

First Person Pronouns → Change to Match the Subject

Direct: He said, "I am ready." Indirect: He said that he was ready. (I → he, matching the subject "He")

Direct: I said, "I will help." Indirect: I said that I would help. (I → I, same subject)

Direct: She said, "I have finished my work." Indirect: She said that she had finished her work. (I → she; my → her)

Direct: We said, "We are leaving." Indirect: We said that we were leaving. (we → we, same subject)

Direct: He said, "We have completed the project." Indirect: He said that they had completed the project. (we → they, matching subject "He" + others)

Second Person Pronouns → Change to Match the Object

Direct: He said to me, "You are brilliant." Indirect: He told me that I was brilliant. (you → I, matching object "me")

Direct: She said to him, "You should rest." Indirect: She told him that he should rest. (you → he, matching object "him")

Direct: I said to them, "You have done well." Indirect: I told them that they had done well. (you → they, matching object "them")

Direct: She said to us, "Your performance was excellent." Indirect: She told us that our performance had been excellent. (your → our, matching "us")

Third Person Pronouns → No Change

Direct: She said, "He is my brother." Indirect: She said that he was her brother. (he remains he)

Direct: He said, "They have left already." Indirect: He said that they had left already. (they remains they)

Complete Pronoun Change Reference Chart

Tense Backshifting — Complete Reference

Exam Tip

The S-L-O pronoun rule is the most frequently tested and most frequently confused rule in speech change. Always identify three things before changing any pronoun: (1) who is speaking — the subject; (2) who is being spoken to — the object; (3) who is being spoken about — third person (no change). Apply these checks before writing a single pronoun.

7. Change of Time & Place Expressions

Why Time and Place Expressions Change

In direct speech, expressions of time and place reflect the speaker's perspective at the moment of speaking. In indirect speech, the perspective shifts — often to a different time and place — so these expressions must be updated accordingly.

Complete Reference Chart — Time Expressions

Complete Reference Chart — Place and Other Expressions

Examples with Time and Place Changes

Direct: She said, "I will meet you here tomorrow." Indirect: She said that she would meet him there the next day.

Direct: He said, "I finished the work yesterday." Indirect: He said that he had finished the work the day before.

Direct: She said, "I was here last night." Indirect: She said that she had been there the previous night.

Direct: He said, "I will leave tonight." Indirect: He said that he would leave that night.

Direct: She said, "This book belongs to me." Indirect: She said that that book belonged to her.

Direct: He said, "I saw him two years ago." Indirect: He said that he had seen him two years before.

Direct: She said, "I have been waiting since this morning." Indirect: She said that she had been waiting since that morning.

Direct: He said, "Come here immediately." Indirect: He told her to go there immediately.

Direct: She said, "Bring this file to me." Indirect: She told him to take that file to her.

When Time Expressions Do NOT Change

Time expressions are not changed when the reporting takes place at the same time as the original speech — what was "today" is still "today": He told me just now that he is leaving today. (reporting on the same day — no change needed)

Time expressions are not changed when they are specific historical dates: She said that Pakistan came into existence in 1947. (specific date — never changes)

Exam Tip

"Yesterday" → "the day before" and "tomorrow" → "the next day / the following day" are the two most tested time expression changes. "Now" → "then" and "here" → "there" are the most tested place expression changes. In error-spotting questions, look for sentences where "yesterday," "today," or "tomorrow" has been left unchanged in indirect speech — these are very commonly planted errors.

8. Mixed / Complex Sentences

What Are Mixed and Complex Sentences?

Real-world speech and exam questions rarely involve simple one-clause sentences. Mixed and complex sentences combine multiple elements — statements with questions, commands with requests, multiple clauses, conditional structures, wish sentences, or nested reporting. This section covers all these compound and complex scenarios systematically.

The strategy for all mixed sentences is the same: break the sentence into individual parts first, convert each part by its own rule, then join them back together smoothly.

Type 1 — Mixed Sentence Types in a Single Quote

A single quoted passage sometimes contains more than one sentence type. Each part is converted according to its own rule, and the two parts are joined with "and" or written as separate reported clauses with appropriate reporting verbs.

Examples:

Direct: He said to her, "You have done well. Keep it up." Indirect: He told her that she had done well and advised her to keep it up.

Direct: She said to him, "Where have you been? I was worried." Indirect: She asked him where he had been and said that she had been worried.

Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Open your books. What did you study yesterday?" Indirect: The teacher told the students to open their books and asked them what they had studied the previous day.

Direct: He said to me, "Please wait here. I will be back in a moment." Indirect: He requested me to wait there and said that he would be back in a moment.

Type 2 — Conditional Sentences in Reported Speech

Conditional structures require careful handling because backshifting interacts with the fixed conditional patterns.

First conditional (real/possible future) → if-clause shifts to simple past; main clause shifts to would:

Direct: She said, "If I work hard, I will pass." Indirect: She said that if she worked hard, she would pass.

Second conditional (unreal present) → already in past — no further backshift:

Direct: He said, "If I had money, I would buy a car." Indirect: He said that if he had money, he would buy a car. (no change — already past)

Third conditional (unreal past) → already in past perfect — no further backshift:

Direct: She said, "If I had studied harder, I would have passed." Indirect: She said that if she had studied harder, she would have passed. (no change — already past perfect)

Type 3 — Wish Sentences in Reported Speech

Wish sentences are reported using "wished" as the reporting verb. The tense inside the wish clause backshifts one step.

Direct: She said, "I wish I were rich." Indirect: She wished she had been rich.

Direct: He said, "I wish I had taken that opportunity." Indirect: He wished he had taken that opportunity. (past perfect → no further change)

Direct: She said, "I wish you could come with me." Indirect: She wished I could have come with her.

Type 4 — "Let's" Suggestions and "Let" Commands

When direct speech contains "Let's" (a suggestion including the speaker):

Direct: He said, "Let us find a solution." Indirect: He suggested that they should find a solution. Or: He suggested finding a solution.

When "Let" is used as a command to allow someone to do something:

Direct: She said, "Let him speak." Indirect: She ordered that he should be allowed to speak. Or: She said that he should be allowed to speak.

Type 5 — Sentences with Multiple Statements

When a long quoted passage contains multiple statements of the same type, they are linked in indirect speech with "and" or written as a continuous reported passage.

Direct: He said, "I have studied hard. I am confident. I will do my best in the exam." Indirect: He said that he had studied hard, that he was confident, and that he would do his best in the exam.

Type 6 — Nested Reporting (Indirect Speech within Indirect Speech)

When the direct speech itself contains a reported clause, the indirect conversion requires double backshifting.

Direct: She said, "He told me that he was busy." Indirect: She said that he had told her that he had been busy.

The outer reporting verb (said) triggers backshifting of "told" → "had told." The inner clause "was busy" also backshifts → "had been busy."

Type 7 — Questions Followed by Statements

Direct: He said to me, "You look tired. Are you feeling well?" Indirect: He told me that I looked tired and asked whether I was feeling well.

Direct: She said, "This is my best work. Don't you agree?" Indirect: She said that that was her best work and asked whether I agreed.

Type 8 — Sentences with Adverb Clauses

When the direct speech contains time clauses, reason clauses, or condition clauses (when, because, since, although, unless), all verbs in both the main clause and the subordinate clause must be backshifted.

Direct: She said, "I was late because the bus broke down." Indirect: She said that she had been late because the bus had broken down.

Direct: He said, "When I arrived, she was sleeping." Indirect: He said that when he had arrived, she had been sleeping.

Direct: She said, "Although I was tired, I finished the work." Indirect: She said that although she had been tired, she had finished the work.

Type 9 — No Backshifting in Complex Sentences

When the reporting verb is present tense, or when parts of the reported clause contain universal truths or permanent facts, those parts do not backshift — even within a complex sentence.

Direct: He says, "I wake up at 6am and exercise every morning." Indirect: He says that he wakes up at 6am and exercises every morning. (reporting verb "says" = present → no backshift)

Direct: She said, "Honesty is the best policy." Indirect: She said that honesty is the best policy. (universal truth → no backshift)

Direct: The teacher said, "Newton proved that every action has an equal and opposite reaction." Indirect: The teacher said that Newton proved that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. (scientific law → no backshift)

Exam Tip

Mixed and complex sentences are the most advanced questions in speech change MCQs. Always break the sentence into its individual parts first — identify each sentence type independently — then convert each part using its own rule and finally join them back together. Never apply one rule to the entire sentence at once. Check separately: Is there a universal truth? A conditional? A wish? A suggestion? Each element is treated differently, and getting each one right individually guarantees the full conversion is correct.

Quick Reference Summary — All Sentence Types