Topic 7

Direct & Indirect Speech

Direct speech gives the exact words inside quotation marks. Indirect speech reports what was said — no quotation marks, and three things change: the tense, the pronouns, and the time words.

1. The Concept

Direct vs Indirect — Side by Side

✦ Direct Speech

Ali said, "I am going to school."

Exact words in quotation marks. Reporting verb + comma before quote.

✦ Indirect Speech

Ali said that he was going to school.

No quotation marks. That is added. Tense shifts back. Pronoun changes.

✦ Direct Speech

She said, "I have finished my work."

Present perfect in the quote.

✦ Indirect Speech

She said that she had finished her work.

Present perfect → past perfect. My → her.

⚡ Three things always change in indirect speech:
1. Tense — shifts one step back (present → past, will → would)
2. Pronouns — change according to who is speaking
3. Time words — now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day

Reporting Verbs

The verb that introduces the reported speech

Use said on its own. Use told only when you mention the person you spoke to — told must always be followed by a person.

Reporting Verb	Use	Example
said	No object needed	She said that she was tired.
told	Always takes object	She told me that she was tired.
asked	Questions	He asked if she was ready.
ordered / told	Commands	She told him to sit down.
requested	Polite requests	He requested her to help.
advised	Advice	The doctor advised him to rest.

said

UseNo object needed

ExampleShe said that she was tired.

told

UseAlways takes object

ExampleShe told me that she was tired.

asked

UseQuestions

ExampleHe asked if she was ready.

ordered / told

UseCommands

ExampleShe told him to sit down.

requested

UsePolite requests

ExampleHe requested her to help.

advised

UseAdvice

ExampleThe doctor advised him to rest.

⚡ said vs told
✓ She said that she was tired. · ✗ She said me that…
✓ She told me that she was tired. · ✗ She told that…
Simple rule: told needs a person after it. said does not.

2. Tense Backshift

When you use said or told (past tense), the tense inside the quote shifts one step back. The chart below shows every shift you need to know.

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

Tenses

Simple Present

"I go to school."

Simple Past

She said she went to school.

Present Continuous

"I am going now."

Past Continuous

She said she was going.

Present Perfect

"I have finished."

Past Perfect

She said she had finished.

Simple Past

"I went yesterday."

Past Perfect

She said she had gone.

Past Continuous

"I was reading."

Past Perfect Continuous

She said she had been reading.

Modals

will

"I will help you."

would

She said she would help me.

can

"I can do it."

could

She said she could do it.

may

"I may come."

might

She said she might come.

shall

"I shall go."

should

She said she should go.

must

"I must study."

had to

She said she had to study.

⚡ No backshift when… the reporting verb is in the present tense (says, tells), or when reporting a universal truth or fact — "She says she is tired." (present reporting = no shift) · "He said the earth revolves around the sun." (universal truth = no shift)

3. Pronoun & Time/Place Changes

Pronoun Changes

Change pronouns to match who is speaking and who is reporting

The pronoun in the quote changes based on who spoke and who is reporting. The most common change in STS questions: I → he/she, my → his/her, we → they.

↓

he / she

↓

they

↓

him / her

↓

his / her

our

↓

their

mine

↓

his / hers

you

↓

I / he / she

your

↓

my / his / her

⚡ Quick rule
I → the person who spoke (he/she)
you → the person spoken to (I / he / she)
Ali said, "I am tired." → Ali said that he was tired.

Time & Place Expression Changes

Words shift from "now" to "then"

now

↓

then

today

↓

that day

yesterday

↓

the day before

tomorrow

↓

the next day

last week

↓

the week before

next week

↓

the following week

here

↓

there

this

↓

that

these

↓

those

ago

↓

before

⚡ Tip In STS exam questions, always change these time words when you see them. The exam expects the standard shift.

4. Questions in Indirect Speech

Two types — two structures

Yes/No Questions → if / whether

No question word in the sentence? Use if or whether. Keep normal word order: subject + verb. Remove the question mark.

Direct: He asked, "Are you ready?"
✓ Indirect: He asked if I was ready.
✓ Indirect: He asked whether I was ready.

Direct: She asked, "Have you eaten?"
✓ Indirect: She asked if I had eaten.

Wh- Questions → wh- word is kept

Question word present (what, where, when, why, who, how)? Keep it — do not add if or whether. Use normal word order: subject + verb. Remove the question mark.

Direct: She asked, "Where do you live?"
✓ Indirect: She asked where I lived.
✗ Indirect: She asked where did I live.

Direct: He asked, "What is your name?"
✓ Indirect: He asked what my name was.

⚡ Two rules that never change
1. No question mark ( ? ) — indirect questions end with a full stop ( . )
2. Normal word order — subject comes before verb:
✗ She asked where did I live.
✓ She asked where I lived.

5. Commands & Requests

Commands & requests: change verb to to + V1. No tense shift.

Positive Command → told / ordered + to + V1

Change the imperative verb to to + V1. Use told or ordered + person. No tense change needed.

Direct: The teacher said, "Sit down."
✓ Indirect: The teacher told the students to sit down.

Direct: She said to him, "Open the book."
✓ Indirect: She told him to open the book.

Negative Command → told + not to + V1

Add not before to. Never keep "don't" in indirect speech.

Direct: She said, "Don't make noise."
✓ Indirect: She told them not to make noise.
✗ Indirect: She told them don't to make noise.

Request → requested / asked + to + V1

Use requested or asked + person + to + V1. Always drop the word please.

Direct: He said, "Please help me."
✓ Indirect: He requested her to help him.
✓ Indirect: He asked her to help him.

Advice → advised + to + V1

When the direct speech uses should for advice, use advised + person + to + V1.

Direct: The doctor said, "You should rest."
✓ Indirect: The doctor advised him to rest.

Direct: She said, "You should study hard."
✓ Indirect: She advised me to study hard.

Practice — Direct to Indirect

Each question shows a direct speech sentence. Choose the correct indirect form.

Question 1 of 10 Score: 0 / 0

Quick Revision

Type	Reporting Verb	Structure	Key Change
Statement	said / told	said that + subject + verb	Tense shifts back; pronoun changes
Yes/No Question	asked	asked + if/whether + subject + verb	No ?, normal word order
Wh- Question	asked	asked + wh-word + subject + verb	No ?, normal word order
Command	told / ordered	told + person + to + V1	Verb becomes to + V1, no tense shift
Neg. Command	told	told + person + not to + V1	not placed before to
Request	asked / requested	asked + person + to + V1	please dropped
Advice	advised	advised + person + to + V1	should/ought to → to + V1

Statement

Verbsaid / told

Structuresaid that + subject + verb

Key changeTense shifts back; pronoun changes

Yes/No Question

Verbasked

Structureasked + if/whether + subject + verb

Key changeNo ?, normal word order

Wh- Question

Verbasked

Structureasked + wh-word + subject + verb

Key changeNo ?, normal word order

Command

Verbtold / ordered

Structuretold + person + to + V1

Key changeVerb becomes to + V1, no tense shift

Neg. Command

Verbtold

Structuretold + person + not to + V1

Key changenot placed before to

Request

Verbasked / requested

Structureasked + person + to + V1

Key changeplease dropped

Advice

Verbadvised

Structureadvised + person + to + V1

Key changeshould/ought to → to + V1

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