REPORTED SPEECH
There
are two ways of reporting the words uttered by someone: Direct speech and
Indirect Speech. Reported speech is called as indirect speech. It is usually
used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words
spoken.
(i)
Reporting the exact words of a speaker (this is known as the Direct speech):
She said, “I will see you later”
He said, “I can speak perfect English”
(ii)
Reporting the speaker’s words by someone else in h own words (this is known as
the indirect speech):
She said that she would see me later.
He said that he could speak perfect English.
When a person reports what somebody said or
says, he has to change the original speech. Such changes are mainly of three
kin:
CHANGE
OF PRONOUNS (PERSONAL):
(i) The pronouns of the first person (I/me/my/we/us/our)
change into the person and gender or the subject of the reporting verb.
(ii) The pronouns of the second person
(you/your) change into the person and gender of the object of the reporting
verb.
(iii) The pronouns of the third person
(he/him/h; she/her; they/them/their; I/its) do not change.
EXAMPLES:
He said, “I like ice cream.”
He said that he likes ice cream.
Suresh and Ramesh said me, “We play cricket.”
Suresh and Ramesh told me that they played
cricket.
Tony said me, “Can you see me?”
Tony asked me if I could see him.
She said, “She works in a firm.”
She said that she worked in a firm.
They said, “She does not have the necessary
documents.”
They said that she did not have the necessary
documents.
They said, “It is showering.”
They said that it was showering.
CHANGE
IN THE TENSES
Tense of the Reporting Verb Change
1. Present No change
2. Future No change
3. Past
(i) Present Indefinite Tense into Past
Indefinite Tense
(ii) Present continuous Tense into Past
Continuous Tense
(iii) Present Perfect Tense into Past Perfect
Tense
(iv) Present Perfect Continuous Tense into
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
(v) Past Indefinite Tense into Past Perfect
Tense
(vi) Past Continuous Tense into Past Perfect
Continuous Tense.
The
reporting verb changes as following:
DIRECT
SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
Say Say
Says Says
Say to Tell
Says to Tells
Will say Will
say
Will say to Will
tell
Said Said
Said to Told/
asked
Will Would
Will be Would
be
Will have Would
have
Will have been Would have been
Can Could
Could Could
Have to Had
to
Must Must
/ Had to
May Might
Might Might
Should Should
DIRECT
NARRATION INDIRECT NARRATION
This That
These Those
Here There
Hence Thence
Hither Thither
Now Then
Ago Before
Thus So
Today That
day
Tomorrow The
next day/ the following day
Yesterday The
previous day
Last week/ month/ year The previous
week/month/year
The last fortnight The previous fortnight
The day before yesterday The day before the previous
day
EXAMPLES:
He said, “Students are playing outside now.”
He said that children were playing outside
then.
She said, “I’ve got a flute lesson today.”
She said that she had got a flute lesson that
day.
He said to us “Put the camera here.”
He told us to put the camera there.
She said, “I shall be very busy this Sunday.”
She said that she would be very busy that
Sunday.
He said, “I will leave for Canada tomorrow.”
He said that he would leave for Canada
tomorrow.
She said, “I have an interview next week.”
She said that she had an interview the
following week.
He said, “Our English teacher scolded us yesterday.”
He said that their English teach had scolded
them the previous day.
They said us, “We had an awesome trip last
week.”
They told us they had an awesome trip the
previous week.
He said, “The parcel came a few days ago.”
He said that the parcel came a few days
before.
She said, “I’m going for a fair with King
tonight.”
She said that she was going for a fair with
King that night.
PRESENT
INDEFINITE
He said to me, “I never eat sweets”.
He told me that he never ate sweets. .
PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
Ram said to Shyam, “I am watching TV”
Ram told to Shyam that he was watching TV.
PRESENT
PERFECT
Sita said, “I have already cooked”.
Sita said that she had already cooked.
PRESENT
PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Sonu said to me, “I have been reading for an
hour”.
Sonu told me that he had been reading for an
hour.
PAST
INDEFINITE
She said to Praful, “I went to Jaipur last
week”.
She told Ram that she had gone to Jaipur the
previous week.
PAST
CONTINUOUS
She said to me, “I was waiting for you”.
She told me that she had been waiting for me.
PAST
PERFECT
He said to me, “I had completed my project”.
He told me that he had completed h project.
PAST
PERFECT CONTINUOUS
He said, “I had been Playing chess for two
hours”.
He said that he had been playing chess for
two hours.
FUTURE
INDEFINITE
Sheema said to Meena, “I shall write a
letter”.
Sheema told Meena that she would write a
letter.
FUTURE
CONTINUOUS
Rahim said to Ram, “Sita will be waiting for
you”.
Rahim told Ram that Sita would be waiting for
him.
FUTURE
PERFECT
Rohan said to Roshan, “I will have completed
my work”.
Rohan told Roshan that he would have
completed her work.
FUTURE
PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Nisha said to me, “I shall have been reading
the book”.
Nisha told me that she would have been
reading the book.
EXCEPTIONS:
The tense of the verb of the reported speech
is not changed in the following cases:
He says, “I will go.”
He says that he will go.
Rose says, “The Earth revolves around the
sun.”
Rose says that the Earth revolves around the
sun.
He said, “Her parents died while he was still
at college.”
He said that her parents died while he was
still at college.
She said, “If I win the lottery, I would
travel around the world.”
She said that she would travel around the
world if he won the lottery.
The students said, “We wish we didn’t have to
take tests.”
The students said that they didn’t have to
take tests.
(a)
UNIVERSAL TRUTH
He said, “Two and two make four”.
He said that two and two make four
.
He said, “Man is mortal”.
He said that man is mortal.
(B)
HABITUAL ACTION
He said, “I go to temple every Tuesday”.
He said that he goes to temple every Tuesday.
He said, “I am an early riser”.
He said that he is an early riser.
(C)
HISTORICAL FACTS
The teacher said, “India became independent
in 1947”.
The teacher said that India became
independent in 1947.
(D)
IMAGINARY OR UNLIKELY CONDITIONS
The boy said, “If only I were visible at
will”.
The boy said that if only he were invisible
at will.
(E)
TWO ACTIONS TAKING PLACE SIMULTANEOUSLY (HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME)
The monitor said, “Sir, some students were
dancing while others were singing”.
The monitor told the teacher respectfully
that some students were dancing while others were singing.
INTERROGATIVE
SENTENCES
In reporting a question in the indirect
speech:
1. The Reporting Verb ‘said’ is changed into
‘asked, inquired, demanded’, etc.
2. If the question begins with an
interrogative Pronoun or an Interrogative adverb such as “what, which, when,
whose, who, where, how, and why”, the same word is used in the indirect speech
to introduce the words spoken by the speaker. The interrogative sign replaced
by a full stop.
3. If or whether is used to introduce the
question part in the indirect speech, when the question begins with a helping
verb, Eg: are, do, has, have shall, will
and can. Such a question has ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as an answer.
4. The interrogative form is changed into the
assertive form.
5. The rules for the change of the tenses of
the verbs and the person of pronouns must be observed.
EXAMPLES:
He said to me, “What are you doing?”
He asked me that what I was doing.
She said to him, “Do you recognize me?”
She asked him whether he recognized her.
He said to me, “Do you know the sun?”
He enquired of me if I knew the sun.
She said to me, “Shall I bring you something
to eat?”
She offered to bring me something to eat.
“Shall we meet again tomorrow?”, he said.
He suggested to meet again the next day.
He said, “Would you like to have a drink?”
He invited me for a drink. He offered me a
drink.
He said to her, “Why are you happy?”
He asked her why I was happy.
IMPERATIVE
SENTENCES
1. In reporting an imperative sentence, the
reporting verb say or tell is changed into a verb expressing a command, advice
or request.
Command: command, order, bid, tell
Prohibition: forbid
Advice: advise, urge
Request: request, desire, ask
Proposal: propose, suggest
Entreaty: entreat, implore, pray, beg
2. The imperative mood is changed into the
infinitive.
3. ‘That’ is commonly not used. If it is
used, then instead of ‘to’ should is placed before the imperative.
4. The rules for the change of Pronoun must
be observed.
EXAMPLES:
He said to me, “Open the window!”
He ordered me to open the window.
She said to me, “Don’t answer the call.”
She told me not to answer the call.
He said to me, “Don’t be late”
He ordered me not to be late.
She said to me, “Come with me.”
She told me to go with her.
He said to me, “Don’t lie to me.”
He told me not to lie to him.
She said to me, “Lend me your book for a few
days”.
She requested me to lend her my book for a
few days.
David said to h servant, “Do this work”.
David ordered h servant to do that work.
The teacher said to Gannet, “work regularly”.
The teacher advised Gannet to work regularly.
The beggar said to us, “Give me some money”.
The beggar entreated us to give him some
money.
The servant said to the master, “Pardon my
fault, sir”.
The servant begged h master to pardon h
fault.
Note: When ‘let’ in the direct speech express
a proposal or a suggestion, we may use should and change the reporting verb to
propose or suggest.
He said to me, “Let us have some tea”.
He proposed to me that we should have some
tea.
When ‘let’ does not express a proposal, it
should be changed into ‘might’ or ‘might be allowed’ or into some other verb,
according to the sense.
He said, “Let me have some water”.
He wished that he might have some water.
EXCLAMATORY
SENTENCES
In reporting a Wish or an Exclamation in the
indirect speech:
1. The reporting verb say or tell changed
into wish, bless, pray, cry, exclaim, declare, confess, cry out, etc, with such
phrases as with regret, with delight or joy, with sorrow, where necessary.
2. The interjections and exclamations such as
Oh, well, Hurrah, Alas, Bravo, Curse it, are omitted and their sense is
expressed by means of phrases.
3. The exclamatory form is changed into a
statement and the note of exclamation replaced by a full stop.
EXAMPLES:
He said, “God save my son!”
He prayed that God might save h son.
He said, “What a beautiful girl Kate!”
He exclaimed with praise that Kate was a
beautiful girl.
She said, “If I were a bird!”
She wished that she would be a bird.
He said, “If I were young again!”
He wished that he would be young again.
