Direct and indirect speech

As you all know *Direct and Indirect* Questions play very important in *SSC CGL Exams*. This topics consist *25 questions* in *CGL Tier II* which is very easy to grab these marks in their score. So Here we are providing you *detailed rules of Direct & Indirect Speech* which will be so helpful for Upcoming SSC Exams.

*Direct and Indirect Speech Rules*
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There are two ways of reporting the words spoken by a person. We can reproduce the words exactly spoken or we can express in our own words the substance of what he said.
The first of there method is called *Direct speech or Direct Narration*. The second is called *Indirect Speech or Indirect Narration*.

Example:

*Direct Speech:* Sandy said to his father, “I need more money”.

*Indirect Speech :* Sandy told his father that he needed more money.

The exact words of the speaker which are put within inverted commas are called the *Reported Speech*.

The verb that introduces the Reported speech is called *Reporting Verb*.

In the above example *“said”* is the *reporting verb* and *“I need more money”* is the *reported speech*.

The following points should be observed about these two modes of narration.

The *Direct speech* is always enclosed within inverted commas and it always begins with a capital letter. It is separated from the Reporting verb by a *comma*.

In the *Indirect Speech*, no inverted commas are used and no comma is used to separate the Reporting Verb from the Reported Speech.

*TENSE CHANGE - IN - INDIRECT SPEECH*

��Present simple tense into Past simple
��Present Continuous tense into Past continuous
��Present Perfect tense into Past perfect
��Present Perfect Continuous into Past perfect continuous
��Past simple into Past Perfect
��Past Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous
��Past Perfect into Past Perfect
��Future simple, will into would
��Future Continuous, will be into would be
��Future Perfect, will have into would have

*Universal truth or a habitual fact*���
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��a) If the Reported Speech expresses a universal truth or a habitual fact, its tense remains unchanged.

*Examples:*

The teacher said, “The earth revolves round the sun”.

The teacher said that the earth revolves round the sun.

��b) When the Reported Speech contains a time clause and both the main verb and the verb in

��the time clause are the simple past, these verbs are left unchanged.

*Example:*

He said, “The boy stuck to his post till his father ordered him to leave”.

He said that the boy stuck to his post till his father ordered him to leave.

��However, if the main verb is in the simple past while the verb in the time clause as in past continuous, it is usual to change the main verb to past perfect and leave the verb in the time clause unchanged:

*Example:*

He said, “Asif slipped when he was trying to board a bus”.

He said that Asif had slipped when he was trying to board a bus.

*RULES FOR THE CHANGE OF PRONOUNS:*
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��(a) First Person:

Pronouns of the first person are changed into pronouns of the same person as the person of the subject of the Reporting Verb:

*Example:*

(i) I said, “I have done my home work”.

I said the I had done my home work.

(ii) You said, “I have done my home work”.

You said that you had done your home work.

(iii) He said, “I have done my home work”.

He said that he had done his home work.

��(b) Second Person:

Pronouns of the second person are changed into pronouns of the same person as that of the object of the Reporting Verb:

*Example:*

The teacher said to me, “You have not done your work well”.

The teacher told me that I had not done my work well.

��(c) Third Person:

Pronouns of the third person generally remain unchanged:

*Example:*

I said to you, “He should not be trusted”.

I told you that he should not be trusted.

��When there are two or more third person pronouns in the Indirect Speech, the name of the person referred to by each may be written in brackets against each of them to avoid confusion:

*Example:*

The servant said to his master,“I have told you the truth and I can do no more”.

The servant told his master that he had told him (master) the truth and he (servant) could do no more.

��One has to be little careful while changing the Personal Pronoun “we”.
“we” can be retained as “we” or changed to “you” or “they” depending upon the relationship of the speaker, the person(s) addressed and the person reporting the speech:

*Example:*

(i) He said to me, “We should have tried harder”.

He told me that we should have tried harder.

(ii) He said to you, “We should have tried harder”.

He told you that you should have tried harder.

*Conversion of Interrogative Sentences*
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��While changing the interrogative sentences into Indirect Speech, the following rules should be observed:

��Change the Reporting Verb into ask, enquire, demand, wonder, want to know, etc.

��Change the Interrogative form into the Assertive form and remove the sign of Interrogative.

��No conjunction is used when the sentence begins with question words like who, whose,
whom, what, which, when, why, where, how, etc.

��Tenses, pronouns and words denoting nearness are changed according to the rules.

*Example:*

(i) She said to me, “What can I do for you, dear?”

She asked me affectionately what she could do for me.

(ii) The old man said to his son, “What harm have I done to you?”

The old man asked his son what harm he had done to him.

�� *Present modals are changed to past modals*
��refer pic 1 bellow��������
*direct  1*

�� *Indirect speech for sentence having MODALS, should, ought to, might, would, and could”*

��refer pic 2 bellow��������
*direct 2*

�� *Important Little Chages Direct to Indirect*

refer pic 3 bellow��������
*direct 3*

�� *Conversion of Imperative Sentences*
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��While changing the imperative sentences into Indirect Speech, the following rules should be observed:

���The Reporting Verb is changed into a verb signifying a command, request, advice.

���Command can be expressed by the words command, order, tell, charge etc.

���Request can be expressed by the words request, beg, ask, implore, entreat, desire,
beseech, solicited, etc.

���Besides these words, forbid, persuade, incite, etc. May also be used according to the context.

���The verb of the Reported Speech is changed into an Infinitive.
If the Reported Speech is negative, the word “not” is placed before the infinitive.
���Tenses, pronouns and words denoting nearness are changed according to the rules.

*Examples:*

(i) He said to me, “Help him in setting the accounts”.

He requested me to help him in setting the accounts.

(ii) My friend said to me, “Please accept this invitation”.

My friend entreated me to accept that invitation.

(iii) The Doctor said to the patient, “Give up smoking”.

The Doctor advised the patient to give up smoking.

(iv) The Commander said to his men, “March further”.

The Commander urged his men to march further.

�� *Conversion of Imperative Sentences with “Let”*
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��“Let” is often used to make proposals in such cases,

he said, “ Let us do it” is changed to
they suggested / proposed doing it or he suggested / proposed that they should do it.

*Example:*

(i) I said to my brother, “Let us go to some hill station for a change”

I suggested to my brother that we should go to some hill station for a change.

(ii) “Let us invite some friends to our son’s birthday”, said the father.

The father proposed that they should invite some friends to their son’s birthday.

�� *Conversion of Exclamatory and Optative Sentences*
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��While converting exclamatory and Optative Sentences from Direct to Indirect Speech the following general rules have to be observed:

�� *Rules 1:*

���In the case of exclamatory sentences the Reporting Verb is changed to exclaim with

sorrow/Joy/fear/anger, etc., applaud, regret, curse, coy out or any other such verb that properly

conveys the tone of exclamation.

�� *Rules 2:*

���The Conjunction “that” is used to introduce the Reported Speech.

�� *Rules 3:*

���The Exclamatory  sentence is changed into an assertive one before it is put
into Indirect Speech.

�� *Rules 4:*

���Interjections and exclamations are omitted and their sense conveyed by means of adverbs
or adverbial phrases.

�� *Rules 5:*

���Tenses, pronouns and words showing nearness are changed according to the rules already
stated.

*Example:*

1. “What a horrible sight!” we all exclaimed. (D.S.)

We all exclaimed that it was a very horrible sight. (I.S.)

2. “Alas! I have broken my brother’s watch” said he.

He exclaimed sorrowfully that he had broken his brothers watch. (I.S.)

3. “How beautiful she is!” said Boon. (D.S.)

Boon exclaimed joyfully that she was very beautiful. (I.S.)

4. He said, “Just my luck! I never thought I would fail this time too”

He exclaimed that he was as usual unlucky and added that he had never thought he would fail that time too.