Direct and Indirect Speech – Easy Explanation

📘 What is Direct Speech?

In **direct speech**, the exact words spoken by the speaker are quoted directly. It is placed within quotation marks (“”) and is often preceded by a reporting verb like *said*, *told*, *asked*, etc.

Example: *He said, "I am going to the market."* Here, the exact words of the speaker are quoted.

📚 What is Indirect Speech?

In **indirect speech**, the meaning of the words spoken is reported without quoting them directly. The reporting verb is followed by the reported speech, but it doesn’t use quotation marks. In indirect speech, the pronouns and verb tenses are often changed.

Example: *He said that he was going to the market.* Here, the meaning of what was said is reported without quoting it directly.

🔄 Direct to Indirect Speech Conversion

• Step 1: Remove the quotation marks and change the punctuation from a comma (,) to "that" (for statements), or to "if/whether" (for yes/no questions).
• Step 2: Change the pronouns, if necessary. (For example, “I” in direct speech becomes “he” or “she” in indirect speech.)
• Step 3: Change the tense of the verb in indirect speech. For instance, present tense verbs change to past tense.

Example 1: Direct: *She said, "I am studying."* → Indirect: *She said that she was studying.*

Example 2: Direct: *He said, "I will help you."* → Indirect: *He said that he would help me.*

🧠 Key Points to Remember

• In **indirect speech**, the punctuation marks are removed, and "that" is often used after the reporting verb.
• The verb tense generally changes in indirect speech (Present Simple → Past Simple, Present Continuous → Past Continuous, etc.). However, if the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tense in the reported speech usually doesn’t change.
• In **indirect speech**, the pronouns also change. For example, “I” becomes “he” or “she,” and “we” becomes “they.”
• When reporting questions or commands, the structure of the sentence changes. Questions are introduced with "if" or "whether," while commands or requests are introduced with verbs like *ask* or *tell*.

📌 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

• Direct: *John said, "I am tired."*
  Indirect: *John said that he was tired.*
• Direct: *She asked, "Are you coming to the party?"*
  Indirect: *She asked if I was coming to the party.*
• Direct: *The teacher said, "Please complete your homework."*
  Indirect: *The teacher asked us to complete our homework.*

📋 Common Mistakes in Direct and Indirect Speech

• Don’t forget to change the tense when converting from direct to indirect speech. For example, "He says, 'I am going'" becomes "He says that he is going." (no change if reporting verb is in present tense).
• Ensure that you change the pronouns correctly. Example: *She said, "I will come tomorrow."* becomes *She said that she would come tomorrow.*
• For questions, don't forget to introduce "if" or "whether." Example: *He asked, "Is she coming?"* → *He asked if she was coming.*

📋 Questions Asked in Exams

• Q: Convert the following direct speech into indirect speech: *She said, "I love reading books."*
  A: *She said that she loved reading books.*
• Q: What changes occur in the tense while converting direct speech into indirect speech?
  A: The tense of the verb usually changes. For example, Present Simple changes to Past Simple, Present Continuous changes to Past Continuous, etc.
• Q: Convert the following direct speech into indirect speech: *He said, "I will visit my grandmother tomorrow."*
  A: *He said that he would visit his grandmother the next day.*