In short: Direct speech reproduces the exact words spoken by a person enclosed within quotation marks, as in: She said, 'I am ready.' Indirect speech reports the speaker's meaning without using their exact words or quotation marks, adjusting tenses, pronouns, and time words to reflect the reporter's perspective, as in: She said that she was ready.
When reporting what someone said, English offers two methods. We can quote their exact words in quotation marks, known as direct speech, or report their meaning without quotation marks, known as indirect or reported speech. Both forms are common in daily conversation, stories, news reports, and essays.
For students preparing for CBSE, ICSE, and IGCSE examinations, direct and indirect speech questions test grammar accuracy. A correct transformation requires coordinating reporting verbs, shifting tenses, changing pronouns, and adjusting time and place words. With a systematic approach, you can solve every conversion with confidence.
What direct and indirect speech mean
Direct speech gives a speaker's exact words. In writing, we enclose those words in inverted commas and place a comma after the reporting verb. Direct speech preserves the tense and viewpoint of the original speaker.
Indirect speech, or reported speech, gives the meaning of a statement without quoting it word for word. Quotation marks are dropped, a conjunction such as 'that' or 'if' joins the clauses, and grammar adjusts to the reporter's perspective.
- Direct speech uses quotation marks to keep exact words.
- Indirect speech drops quotation marks and links clauses.
- Changes affect tenses, pronouns, and time expressions.
| Feature | Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|---|
| Quotation marks | Encloses words in inverted commas | No inverted commas used |
| Punctuation | Comma before quote; capital inside | No comma; ends with full stop |
| Conjunction | No conjunction joins clauses | Uses 'that', 'if', or 'to' |
| Example | Meera said, 'I need my pen.' | Meera said that she needed her pen. |
Tense changes when the reporting verb is in the past
The reporting verb sets the timeline. If the reporting verb is in the past tense ('said', 'told', 'asked'), verbs inside reported speech move one step back into the past. This shift is known as backshifting.
If the reporting verb is in the present tense ('says') or future tense ('will say'), the tense inside reported speech does not change. When backshifting applies, present tenses become past tenses, and simple past shifts to past perfect.
- Backshift tenses only when the reporting verb is past.
- Present tenses shift to matching past forms.
- Simple past shifts to past perfect: 'wrote' becomes 'had written'.
- Past perfect verbs undergo no further tense shift.
| Direct tense | Indirect tense | Direct example | Indirect example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple present | Simple past | Aarav said, 'I play chess.' | Aarav said that he played chess. |
| Present continuous | Past continuous | Pooja said, 'I am reading.' | Pooja said that she was reading. |
| Present perfect | Past perfect | Kabir said, 'I have eaten.' | Kabir said that he had eaten. |
| Simple past | Past perfect | Neha said, 'I bought apples.' | Neha said that she had bought apples. |
| Past continuous | Past perfect continuous | Dev said, 'I was drawing.' | Dev said that he had been drawing. |
| Past perfect | Past perfect (no change) | Tara said, 'I had left.' | Tara said that she had left. |
Exceptions where tenses stay the same
School examinations frequently test exceptions where a past reporting verb does not cause a tense change. Verb tenses stay unchanged when reporting universal truths, scientific facts, habitual routines, or historical events.
Timeless scientific facts remain true across time, so shifting them into the past would be inaccurate. Habitual actions that continue today and recorded historical facts also keep their original tense.
- Universal truths and scientific laws stay in the simple present tense.
- Habitual routines that still continue keep their present form.
- Established historical dates and events do not move to the past perfect.
| Exception type | Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific law | The teacher said, 'Water expands on freezing.' | The teacher said that water expands on freezing. |
| Universal truth | The monk said, 'Kindness brings peace.' | The monk said that kindness brings peace. |
| Habitual routine | Aman said, 'I run five kilometres daily.' | Aman said that he runs five kilometres daily. |
| Historical fact | The guide said, 'Jaipur was founded in 1727.' | The guide said that Jaipur was founded in 1727. |
How modal auxiliary verbs shift
Modal auxiliary verbs express ability, possibility, advice, and obligation. When reported speech follows a past reporting verb, primary modals convert to their past forms: 'will' becomes 'would', 'can' becomes 'could', and 'may' becomes 'might'.
Secondary modals like 'could', 'should', 'would', 'might', and 'ought to' do not change. The modal 'must' changes to 'had to' for a specific personal task, but remains 'must' when expressing a general moral principle.
- 'Will', 'can', and 'may' shift to 'would', 'could', and 'might'.
- 'Could', 'should', 'would', and 'might' remain unchanged.
- 'Must' becomes 'had to' for personal tasks, but stays 'must' for moral duties.
| Direct modal | Indirect form | Direct example | Indirect example |
|---|---|---|---|
| will | would | Karan said, 'I will write.' | Karan said that he would write. |
| can | could | Sara said, 'I can skate.' | Sara said that she could skate. |
| may | might | Amit said, 'It may snow.' | Amit said that it might snow. |
| must (specific task) | had to | Tanvi said, 'I must study.' | Tanvi said that she had to study. |
| must (moral duty) | must (no change) | Father said, 'We must be honest.' | Father said that we must be honest. |
| should / could | no change | Deepak said, 'We should help.' | Deepak said that they should help. |
Pronoun shifts and the speaker perspective
Pronouns in indirect speech change to match the person giving the report. In Indian classrooms, this is taught with the SON rule: Subject, Object, No change.
First-person pronouns ('I', 'we', 'my') shift to match the Subject of the reporting verb. Second-person pronouns ('you', 'your') shift to match the Object of the reporting verb. Third-person pronouns ('he', 'she', 'they') stay unchanged.
- First-person pronouns follow the subject of the reporting verb.
- Second-person pronouns follow the object of the reporting verb.
- Third-person pronouns undergo no alteration.
| Person | Governing rule (SON) | Direct pronouns | Indirect example |
|---|---|---|---|
| First person | Subject of reporting verb | I, me, my, we, our, us | Ravi said, 'I am ready' -> Ravi said that he was ready |
| Second person | Object of reporting verb | you, your, yours | She said to Ali, 'You won' -> She told Ali that he had won |
| Third person | No change | he, she, it, they, their | Anu said, 'They arrived' -> Anu said that they had arrived |
Shifts in time expressions and place demonstratives
Words showing closeness in time or place shift to show distance when reported later or elsewhere. Adverbs of time and place alter systematically to match the viewpoint of the person reporting.
Demonstratives like 'this' and 'these' change to 'that' and 'those'. In school tests, apply these conversions unless the context states that time and location are unchanged.
- Words of nearness become words of distance in reported speech.
- 'Today' becomes 'that day', and 'now' becomes 'then'.
- 'Yesterday' becomes 'the previous day', and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day'.
- 'Here' becomes 'there', 'this' becomes 'that', and 'these' becomes 'those'.
| Direct word | Indirect word | Direct example | Indirect example |
|---|---|---|---|
| now | then | Rita said, 'I am ready now.' | Rita said that she was ready then. |
| here | there | Rohan said, 'Wait here.' | Rohan told me to wait there. |
| today | that day | Suman said, 'We meet today.' | Suman said that they met that day. |
| yesterday | the previous day | Kavita said, 'I went yesterday.' | Kavita said that she had gone the previous day. |
| tomorrow | the next day | Alok said, 'I will leave tomorrow.' | Alok said that he would leave the next day. |
| ago | before | Bina said, 'He left an hour ago.' | Bina said that he had left an hour before. |
Reporting questions, commands, and requests
Questions require two adjustments: change the reporting verb to 'asked' or 'inquired', and convert the question into statement order (Subject + Verb) ending with a full stop. For Wh- questions, keep the question word without adding 'that'. For Yes/No questions, connect using 'if' or 'whether', omitting auxiliaries like 'do' or 'did'.
Imperative sentences express orders, advice, and requests. These sentences omit 'that'; the reported verb becomes a 'to' infinitive, or 'not to' for negative instructions. Use verbs like 'ordered', 'advised', or 'requested', and remove polite words like 'please'.
- Questions become statements ending with a full stop, never a question mark.
- Wh- questions keep the question word; never place 'that' before it.
- Yes/No questions connect using 'if' or 'whether'.
- Imperatives use an infinitive phrase: 'to' or 'not to' with the base verb.
| Sentence type | Reporting verb | Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wh- question | asked | He said, 'Where do you live?' | He asked where I lived. |
| Yes/No question | asked | She said, 'Did you see the fort?' | She asked if I had seen the fort. |
| Command | ordered | The officer said, 'Halt.' | The officer ordered them to halt. |
| Request | requested | Meena said, 'Please pass the salt.' | Meena requested him to pass the salt. |
| Negative advice | advised | The doctor said, 'Do not skip breakfast.' | The doctor advised me not to skip breakfast. |
| Prohibition | forbade | Father said, 'Do not touch the wire.' | Father forbade me to touch the wire. |
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The teacher told to the students that the examination was postponed. | The teacher told the students that the examination was postponed. | 'Told' is transitive and requires a direct object without 'to'. |
| Deepak asked me that where was I going after school. | Deepak asked me where I was going after school. | Never place 'that' before a wh- word. Use statement order (Subject + Verb). |
| The geography teacher said that the sun rose in the east. | The geography teacher said that the sun rises in the east. | Scientific truths do not backshift; they remain in the simple present tense. |
| Kavita asked the librarian if did he have a copy of the textbook. | Kavita asked the librarian if he had a copy of the textbook. | In indirect questions, omit auxiliary 'did'; the main verb takes the past form. |
| The coach ordered the runners to not step outside the running lane. | The coach ordered the runners not to step outside the running lane. | Place the negative particle 'not' before 'to', not after it. |
| The warden forbade the hostellers not to wander outside the gate. | The warden forbade the hostellers to wander outside the gate. | 'Forbade' is already negative; adding 'not' creates an incorrect double negative. |
| Naveen told me that he will complete his assignment tomorrow. | Naveen told me that he would complete his assignment the following day. | With a past reporting verb, 'will' becomes 'would' and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the following day'. |
Exam tips
- Check the reporting verb first: if it is present or future, leave internal tenses unchanged.
- Convert indirect questions into statement order (Subject + Verb) and end with a full stop, never a question mark.
- Universal truths, scientific facts, and historical dates retain their original tenses after a past reporting verb.
- Apply the SON rule: first-person pronouns follow the subject, second-person follow the object, third-person stay unchanged.
- Never place 'that' before wh- question words or before infinitive 'to' in imperative sentences.
Practice questions
Try each one, then open the answer.
- Transform into indirect speech: The teacher said, 'The test begins on Monday.'
Answer
The teacher said that the test would begin on the following Monday. - Transform into indirect speech: Suresh said to his sister, 'Why did you not call me?'
Answer
Suresh asked his sister why she had not called him. - Transform into indirect speech: The science tutor said, 'Metals expand when heated.'
Answer
The science tutor said that metals expand when heated. - Transform into indirect speech: The guide said to the visitors, 'Please keep your tickets safe.'
Answer
The guide requested the visitors to keep their tickets safe. - Transform into indirect speech: Ananya said, 'I have been revising since morning.'
Answer
Ananya said that she had been revising since that morning. - Transform into indirect speech: Father said to Varun, 'Will you run tomorrow?'
Answer
Father asked Varun whether he would run the next day. - Transform into indirect speech: The librarian said to the boys, 'Do not write in the books.'
Answer
The librarian instructed the boys not to write in the books. - Transform into indirect speech: Rohan says, 'I enjoy algebra.'
Answer
Rohan says that he enjoys algebra. - Transform into indirect speech: The doctor said to him, 'Take this medicine daily.'
Answer
The doctor told him that he had to take that medicine daily. - Transform into indirect speech: 'What a beautiful building this is,' remarked the tourist.
Answer
The tourist remarked that that was a very beautiful building.
Questions students ask
What is the primary difference between direct and indirect speech?
When should you not change the tense in indirect speech?
Why is a question mark omitted in indirect questions?
Is the conjunction 'that' always necessary in indirect speech?
How do modal verbs like 'must' change in reported speech?
Keep practising
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Written by the Reportcards English team, reviewed by Dr. Vishruti Arora. Updated 4 November 2026.