Home of English Grammar

Free Guide (Updated for 2023)

  • Home
  • Download Lessons
  • Grammar Rules
  • Online Exercises
  • Online Tools
    • Grammar Checker
    • Word Counter
  • Guides
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Style Guide / Direct and indirect speech: an overview of the rules

Direct and indirect speech: an overview of the rules

May 2, 2014 - pdf

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, all present tenses in the direct speech will change into the corresponding past tenses.

For example, the simple present will become simple past.

He said, ‘I want to go.’

He said that he wanted to go.

The present continuous will become the past continuous.

She said, ‘I am coming.’

She said that she was coming.

The present perfect will become the past perfect.

He said, ‘I have finished.’

He said that he had finished.

If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tenses in the direct speech do not change.

He says, ‘He is leaving.’

He says that he is leaving.

When we report questions, the indirect speech is introduced by verbs such as asked, inquired etc.

He said to me, ‘What are you doing there?’

He asked me what I was doing there.

To report an Yes/No question, we use if or whether.

He said to me, ‘Are you interested?’

He asked me if I was interested.

He said to them, ‘Will you listen to such a man?’

He asked them whether they would listen to such a man.

When we report commands and requests, the indirect speech is introduced by verbs expressing a command or request. Examples are: ordered, requested, commanded, shouted etc.

The master said to the servant, ‘Go away.’

The master ordered the servant to go away.

He said to them, ‘Please wait here till I return.’

He requested them to wait there till he returned.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
1,191,250 
607,036 

Check Your Grammar

GrammarCheck.net - Try online
Hint → Bookmark GrammarCheck for future use.

Latest Exercises

  • Conjunctions Quiz March 30, 2023
  • Gerund vs. Infinitive March 29, 2023
  • Prepositions Quiz March 28, 2023
  • Mixed Grammar Exercise March 26, 2023
  • General Grammar Exercise | Conjunctions March 24, 2023
  • Vocabulary Exercise March 22, 2023
  • Mixed Grammar Exercise March 21, 2023
  • Conjunctions Exercise March 20, 2023
  • Question Tags Exercise March 19, 2023

Topics

  • Adjectives
  • Adverbs
  • Business Writing
  • Commas
  • Conjunctions
  • Creative Writing
  • Difference
  • Essay Writing
  • Exercises
  • Learning
  • Lessons
  • Nouns
  • Prepositions
  • Pronouns
  • Proofreading
  • Punctuation
  • Quiz
  • Spelling
  • Style Guide
  • Teaching
  • Terms
  • Verbs
  • Words
  • Writing

Quiz

  • Can you correct these 14 basic grammar mistakes?
  • What kind of writer are you?

Copyright © 2023 · EnglishGrammar.org
Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Sitemap