(Complete Guide with Rules, Structure, Pronoun Chart & Tense Changes for Class 6–12)
📌 Introduction
Direct and Indirect Speech (also called Reported Speech) is an important topic in English Grammar for students from Class 6 to 12. It helps us report what someone has said.
This topic is frequently asked in school exams, board exams, and competitive exams. If you understand the rules of tense change, pronoun change, and sentence structure, it becomes very easy.
In this complete guide, you will learn:
- Definition
- Structure
- Tense Change Rules
- Pronoun Change Table
- Time & Place Word Changes
- Rules for Statements, Questions, Commands & Exclamations
- Practice Exercises
1️⃣ What is Direct Speech?
Direct Speech shows the exact words spoken by a person.
Quotation marks (“ ”) are used.
Structure of Direct Speech:
Reporting Verb + Comma + “Quoted Words”
Example:
- Ram said, “I am tired.”
- She said, “I will help you.”
2️⃣ What is Indirect Speech?
Indirect Speech reports the words of the speaker without using quotation marks.
Structure of Indirect Speech:
Subject + Reporting Verb + (that/if/whether) + Reported Clause
Example:
- Ram said that he was tired.
- She said that she would help me.
3️⃣ Important Terms You Must Know
🔹 Reporting Verb
The verb used to report (said, told, asked, etc.)
🔹 Reported Speech
The words inside quotation marks.
4️⃣ Rules for Changing Direct to Indirect Speech
✅ Rule 1: Change in Tense (Backshift Rule)
If the reporting verb is in past tense (said), the tense of the reported speech changes.
📌 Tense Change Table
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| Simple Present → | Simple Past |
| Present Continuous → | Past Continuous |
| Present Perfect → | Past Perfect |
| Simple Past → | Past Perfect |
| Will → | Would |
| Can → | Could |
| Shall → | Should |
| May → | Might |
Examples:
Direct: She said, “I am happy.”
Indirect: She said that she was happy.
Direct: He said, “I will come.”
Indirect: He said that he would come.
❗ Exception:
If the reporting verb is in present or future tense, tense does not change.
Example:
She says, “I am tired.”
→ She says that she is tired.
✅ Rule 2: Change in Pronouns
Pronouns change according to:
- First person → Subject of reporting verb
- Second person → Object of reporting verb
- Third person → No change
📌 Pronoun Change Table
| Direct Pronoun | Indirect Pronoun (Example) |
|---|---|
| I → | he/she |
| me → | him/her |
| my → | his/her |
| we → | they |
| our → | their |
| you → | I/we/they (depends on object) |
Example:
Direct: He said, “I like my school.”
Indirect: He said that he liked his school.
Direct: She said to me, “You are late.”
Indirect: She told me that I was late.
✅ Rule 3: Change in Time and Place Words
📌 Time & Place Word Table
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day |
| yesterday | the previous day |
| now | then |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
Example:
Direct: He said, “I will come tomorrow.”
Indirect: He said that he would come the next day.
5️⃣ Rules According to Sentence Type
🟢 A. Assertive Sentences (Simple Statements)
Use “that” to join clauses.
Direct: She said, “I am busy.”
Indirect: She said that she was busy.
🟢 B. Interrogative Sentences (Questions)
1️⃣ Yes/No Questions
Use if or whether
Change question form into statement form.
Direct: She said, “Are you ready?”
Indirect: She asked if I was ready.
2️⃣ WH-Questions
Keep the WH word (what, where, why, etc.)
Direct: He said, “Where do you live?”
Indirect: He asked where I lived.
🟢 C. Imperative Sentences (Order, Request, Advice)
Remove quotation marks
Use: told, ordered, requested, advised, etc.
Use “to” before verb.
Direct: The teacher said, “Work hard.”
Indirect: The teacher advised us to work hard.
🟢 D. Exclamatory Sentences
Use: exclaimed with joy/sorrow/surprise etc.
Direct: She said, “What a beautiful day!”
Indirect: She exclaimed with joy that it was a very beautiful day.
6️⃣ Advanced Level Notes (For Class 9–12)
✔ If reporting verb is in past but sentence expresses universal truth → no tense change
Example:
The teacher said, “The Earth revolves around the Sun.”
→ The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
✔ If exact time is mentioned, sometimes no change needed.
7️⃣ Common Mistakes Students Make
❌ Forgetting tense change
❌ Not changing pronouns correctly
❌ Keeping question word order
❌ Using quotation marks in indirect speech
❌ Forgetting to remove comma
8️⃣ Practice Exercise (Basic to Advanced)
Change into Indirect Speech:
- He said, “I am playing.”
- She said, “I will help you.”
- Ram said, “Do you like cricket?”
- The teacher said, “Complete your homework.”
- She said, “What are you doing?”
Answers
- He said that he was playing.
- She said that she would help me.
- Ram asked if I liked cricket.
- The teacher told us to complete our homework.
- She asked what I was doing.
📌 Conclusion
Direct and Indirect Speech is easy if you understand:
Sentence structures
Tense changes
Pronoun rules
Time word changes
