Direct & Indirect Speech — Patwari English Notes
In Direct Speech, what someone said is written exactly as spoken (in quotation marks), while in Indirect (Reported) Speech it is told in one's own words. This page gives the rules for forming the correct reported form of every sentence type, including yes/no and wh-questions.
- Class 6-8 grammar level
- 9 min read
The Basic Rule of Direct and Indirect Speech
Reported speech involves three main changes — (1) the reporting verb changes (said → told, said to → asked/enquired for a question), (2) the tense of the verb shifts one step back if the reporting verb is in the past (is → was, has → had), and (3) pronouns (I→he/she) and time/place markers (now→then, here→there, today→that day) change.
Interrogative sentences have one extra rule: the question mark (?) is dropped, and the sentence is written in normal statement word order (subject + verb), not in the inverted question order (verb + subject).
Tense Backshift Table
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| Simple Present (sleeps) | Simple Past (slept) |
| Present Continuous (is going) | Past Continuous (was going) |
| Present Perfect (has gone) | Past Perfect (had gone) |
| Simple Past (went) | Past Perfect (had gone) |
| can / will / may | could / would / might |
| must | had to |
This backshift applies only when the reporting verb (said, asked) is in the past tense — this is the rule tested most often in exams.
Reporting Structure by Sentence Type
| Sentence type | Structure |
|---|---|
| Statement | said → said; 'that' + statement word order |
| Yes/No question | asked/enquired + if/whether + statement word order (no question mark) |
| Wh- question | asked/enquired + wh-word + statement word order (do/does/did is dropped) |
| Command/Request | told/ordered/requested + to + the first form of the verb |
In a Wh-question, the wh-word (where, what, why) itself becomes the connector — a separate 'that' is not added.
The Indirect Form of Imperative Sentences (Commands/Requests)
In command sentences, 'told', 'ordered' or 'commanded' is used in place of the reporting verb 'said', and the original verb changes to 'to + the first form of the verb (V1)' — for example, the indirect form of 'He said, "Shut the door"' is 'He told me to shut the door'.
'requested'/'begged' is used for a request and 'advised' for advice — for example, the indirect form of 'She said, "Please help me"' is 'She requested me to help her'. 'not to + V1' is used for a negative command — for example, the indirect form of 'Don't shout' is 'He told me not to shout'.
The Indirect Form of Exclamatory and Optative Sentences
In exclamatory sentences, the reporting verb takes a form like 'exclaimed with joy/sorrow/wonder that', and the exclamation mark (!) and words like Hurrah/Alas are dropped — for example, the indirect form of 'She said, "Hurrah! I have won"' is 'She exclaimed with joy that she had won'.
In optative sentences (expressing a wish, such as 'May you live long!'), the reporting verb becomes 'wished/prayed that' — the indirect form of 'He said, "May you succeed!"' is 'He wished that I might succeed'.
Changes in Time and Place Markers
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
| ago | before |
These changes apply only when the reporting verb is in the past tense — if the reporting is being done on the same day/at the same time, some changes can also be optional.
Tense Doesn't Change for a Universal Truth or Habitual Action
If the statement in direct speech is a universal truth (such as 'The earth revolves around the sun') or a scientific fact, there is no tense backshift in indirect speech, even if the reporting verb is in the past tense — for example, the indirect form of 'The teacher said, "The earth revolves around the sun"' is 'The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun', not 'revolved'.
Likewise, if the statement is about a habitual action that is still true, there is no obligation to change the tense either. This exception becomes important in questions where the options give both the correct form and a wrongly backshifted one.
Common Choices of Reporting Verb
| Situation | Reporting Verb |
|---|---|
| Ordinary statement | said / told |
| Yes/No question | asked / enquired / wanted to know |
| Wh- question | asked / enquired |
| Command | told / ordered / commanded |
| Request | requested / begged |
| Advice | advised / suggested |
| Exclamatory (joy) | exclaimed with joy that |
| Exclamatory (sorrow) | exclaimed with sorrow that |
Choosing the right reporting verb is just as important as changing the tense and pronouns — a wrong reporting verb changes the whole sense of the sentence.
Memory Trick / Exam Tip
Remember — an indirect question is really a 'hidden statement': no question mark, no do/does/did auxiliary, no inverted order — just the normal subject+verb order. Add 'if/whether' for a Yes/No question; for a Wh-question, let the wh-word itself become the connector.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Direct Speech and Indirect Speech?+
In direct speech, what someone said is written exactly as spoken, inside quotation marks, while in indirect speech it is reported in one's own words, without quotation marks.
What is the rule for converting a Yes/No question into indirect speech?+
Change the reporting verb to 'asked/enquired', add 'if' or 'whether', write the sentence in normal statement order (subject+verb), and drop the question mark.
What is the rule for converting a Wh-question into indirect speech?+
Change the reporting verb to 'asked/enquired', let the wh-word itself become the connector, write the sentence in statement order, and drop the do/does/did auxiliary.
When doesn't tense backshift apply?+
If the statement is a universal truth, such as 'The sun rises in the east', the tense doesn't change, even if the reporting verb is in the past.
What is the rule for converting an Imperative Sentence into indirect speech?+
Change the reporting verb to 'told/ordered/requested' and give the original verb the 'to + V1' form; use 'not to + V1' for a negative command.
How do 'Now' and 'Today' change in Indirect Speech?+
'Now' changes to 'then' and 'today' changes to 'that day' — these changes happen only when the reporting verb is in the past tense.
Why doesn't Tense Backshift happen in a sentence with a Universal Truth?+
Because a universal truth (such as 'The sun rises in the east') always remains true, so even if the reporting verb is in the past, the original sentence's tense is not changed.