Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
i. Direct Speech/Narration
ii. Indirect Speech/Narration
i. Direct speech: In direct speech, we convey the message of the speaker in his own actual words
without any change to another person.
ii. Indirect speech: In indirect speech, we convey the message of the speaker in our own words to
another person.
Note: (i) there is no difference in the meanings of "told" and "said" but there is difference in the
usage; "said" is used with or without object and "told" needs an object.
(ii) "Said" needs "to" with an object and "told" doesn't need "to"
Persons.
1.The first person of the reported speech changes according to the subject of reporting speech.
2. The second person of reported speech changes according to the object of reporting speech.
"S" of the son formula stands for "subject", "O" stands for "object" and "N" stands for "not" of the
reporting speech.
One of the "123" formula stands for "1st person" two stands for "second person" and Three
Stands for "third person" of the reported speech.
The "son" formula indicates towards the components of the reporting speech and the "123"
formula indicates towards the components of the reported speech. They mean that the first
person of the reported speech changes according to the subject of the reporting speech, the
second person of the reported speech changes according to the object of the reporting speech
and the third person of the reported speech doesn't change.
Q: if there is 2nd person in reported speech and there is no object in reporting speech, what will
we do?
Ans: when there is 2nd person in reported speech and there is no object in reporting speech, the
2nd person of reported speech will change according to the situation into 1st person, 2nd person
and 3rd person.
Note: if there is first person plural in reported speech and the subject of reporting speech is 3rd
person singular, the 1st person plural of reported speech will change into third person plural.
if we change direct speech into indirect speech, the tenses will change according to the following
rules.
1. if the reporting speech is in the present or the future tense, the reported speech does not
change.
2. if the reporting speech is in the past tense, the tense of reported speech will change in the
following ways.
3. the present indefinite tense changes into the past indefinite tense.
4. the present continuous tense changes into the past continuous tense.
5. the present perfect tense changes into the past perfect tense.
6. the present perfect continuous tense changes into the past perfect continuous tense.
7. the past indefinite tense changes into the past perfect tense.
8. the past continuous tense changes into the past perfect continuous tense.
9. the past perfect and the past perfect continuous tense doesn't change.
10. in all the future tenses "shall" changes into "should" and "will" changes into "would"
Note: the universal truth doesn't change; even if the reporting speech is in the past.
Note: when there are two sentences combined with the help of a conjunction and both sentences
have got different tenses. if we change such kind of sentences from direct into indirect, we
change the tenses of both sentences according to the rule.
He said," They will have finished their work before we reach there."
He said that they would have finished their work before they reached there.
Note: in spoken English, when the place or the thing is in your reach, “this” and “here” don’t
change, they remain unchanged.
Note: “asked” is used with or without object and “enquired of” needs an object.
Note: if a person is addressed directly, the reporting verb changes into “called”
1. “May” will change into “might” and it will come after the reported subject.
2. the verb of reported speech will remain unchanged.
3. the exclamation mark will change into full stop.
4. “that” comes between the two speeches.
5. the reporting verb sometimes changes into “prayed” and sometimes into “prayed for”.
Note: (i) if the object of reporting speech is related with the subject of reported speech, the
reporting verb will change into “prayed for”
(ii) if the object of reporting speech is not related with the subject of reported speech, the
reporting verb will change into “prayed” and the object of reporting speech is omitted.
He said to me,” May you recover soon.”
He prayed for me that I might recover soon.
If there is a wish or desire in a sentence, the following changes will take place.
1. the reporting verb changes into “wish”
2. the “tenses” and “here and now words” and “pronouns” will change according to the
previous rules.
3. “would that” and “O that” are removed.
4. “that” comes between the two speeches.
5. the exclamation mark changes into full stop.
He said to his teacher,” How lucky you are to win this match!”
He said to his teacher in great wonder that he was very lucky to win that match.
(ii) according to the rule, 1st person of reported speech changes according to the subject of
reporting speech but here in the usage of “let” with suggestion; if the object of reporting speech is
1st person, the 1st person of reported speech changes against the rule according to the object of
reporting speech.
Note: if the object of the reporting speech is the 2nd person, we will not apply “SON” formula.
Note: normally “you” cannot be the object of the reporting speech because imperative sentences
are said to the 2nd person but according to the situation “you” can be the object of the reporting
speech.
Situation: “A” says to “B” “Let us go to bazaar.” Saying this sentence “A” goes out from the room
but “B” doesn’t understand this and asks “C” what he said? Then “C” says to “B”
He said to you,” Let us go to bazaar.”
Note: if there is a negative sentence in reported speech, before “let” we put “not to”
Conditional sentences
If we change conditional sentences from direct into indirect, we act upon the following rules.
Note: if the reporting speech is in the present or in the future tense, the tenses of “if” and “result”
clauses won’t change.
If the reporting speech is in the past tense, the following changes will take place in Type I/ first
conditional / the will condition.
1. the present indefinite tense of “if” clause changes into the past indefinite tense.
2. the “will” of the result clause changes into “would”
3. “that” comes between the two speeches.
4. “if” of the conditional sentence remains in it own place.
Note: the following changes will take place in type II / second conditional / the would condition.
1. the past indefinite tense of “if” clause can remain unchanged and it can also be changed
into the past perfect tense.
2. “would + IV” of the “result clause” can remain unchanged and it can also be changed into
“would have + IIIV”
3. “that” comes between the two speeches.
4. “if” of the conditional sentence remains in its own place.
Note: (i) no change will take place in the “if clause” and “result clause” of type III / third conditional
/ would have condition.
(ii) “tenses” , “here and now words” , “pronouns” and other changes will take place according to
the previous rules.
If there is command / order in the result clause of conditional sentence, the following changes will
take place, while changing it from direct into indirect.
If there is an advice in the main clause of conditional sentences, we act upon the following rules
while changing it from direct into indirect
1. the reporting verb changes into “advised”
2. the reported verb changes into “full infinitive”
3. other changes will take place according to the previous rules.
They said to her,” If you have got tired, why don’t you go to bed early.”
They advised her to go to bed early if she had got tired.
If there is request in the reported speech, we act upon the following changes.
1. the reporting verb changes into “requested”
2. the reported verb changes into “full infinitive”
3. result clause comes before and “if” clause goes after the result clause.
4. “tenses” , “pronouns” and “here and now words” will change according to the previous
rules.
5. “please” is omitted.
6. “would” is also omitted.
Note: Now a days the 2nd way of changing requests from direct into indirect speech is common,
easy, to the point and used a lot.
1. “tenses” , “pronouns” and “here and now words” will change according to the precious
rules.
2. the verb of the main clause changes into “was to / were to / is to / are to / am to /”
according to the tense.
He says to me,” If you miss this chance, prepare yourself for the next.”
He says to me that if I miss that chance, I am to prepare myself for the next.
He said to me,” If you miss this chance, prepare yourself for the next.”
He said to me that if I missed that chance, I was to prepare myself for the next.
If someone is asking question for information with surprise / wonder, we act upon the following
rules while changing from direct into indirect.
1. the reporting verb changes into surprise / wonder.
2. interrogative sentences changes into affirmative.
3. other changes will take place according to the previous rules.
He said in surprise,” what will we do if they leave us?”
He surprised / wondered what they would do if they left them.
Note: if someone is asking a question for information without surprise or wonder, we act upon the
following changes while changing from direct into indirect.
1. the reporting verb changes into “asked”
2. “will” changes into “would” and “shall” into “should”
3. interrogative sentences will change into affirmative sentences.