DIRECT TO INDIRECT SPEECH | REPORTED SPEECH - 3

Special Rules for changing 'Statements' in 'Direct speech' to 'Indirect Speech' or 'Reported Speech' 

A] Put that before the reported statement.

Ira said, "I am on the first floor."

Ira said that she was on the first floor. 

B] Use the reporting Verb said or told.

If you use the word told, put an object (a noun or pronoun for the one spoken to) after it.

Examples :- 

Ira said to Nihar, "I am on the first floor."

Ira told Nihar that she was on the first floor.

C] If the Reporting Verb is in the Present or Future Tense,  there will be no change in the tense of the Reported Speech.

Examples :

1. She says, "I am busy." (Reporting Verb - says - is in the Present Tense)

She says that she is busy. (no change in the tense)

2. She will say, "I am busy." (Reporting Verb - will say - is in the Future Tense)

She will say that she is busy. (no change in the tense)

D] If the Reporting Verb is - as is usually the case - in the Past Tense, then the Verb in the Reported Speech will also be changed to the Past Tense as per the Sequence of Tenses.

1. Simple Present Tense becomes Simple Past Tense

Direct Speech - She brings pens. Indirect Speech - She brought pens.

2. Simple Past Tense becomes Past Perfect Tense

Direct Speech - She brought pens. Indirect Speech - She had brought pens.

3. Present Perfect Tense becomes Past Perfect Tense

Direct Speech - She has brought pens. Indirect Speech - She had brought pens.

4. Past Perfect Tense - Past Perfect Tense. (No change)

Direct Speech - She had brought pens. Indirect Speech - She had brought pens.

5. Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous Tense

Direct Speech - She is bringing pens. Indirect Speech - She was bringing pens.

6. Past Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Direct Speech - She was bringing pens. Indirect Speech - She had been bringing pens.

7. Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Past Perfect Continuous Tense (No change)

Direct Speech - She had been bringing pens. Indirect Speech - She had been bringing pens.

8. Simple Future Tense becomes Conditional

Direct Speech - She will bring pens. Indirect Speech - She would bring pens.

 9. can - could - could

Direct Speech - She can bring pens. Indirect Speech - She could bring pens.

Direct Speech - She could bring pens. Indirect Speech - She could bring pens.

10. will - would - would

Direct Speech - She will bring pens. Indirect Speech - She would bring pens.

Direct Speech - She would bring pens. Indirect Speech - She would bring pens.

11. shall - should - should

Direct Speech - I shall bring pens. Indirect Speech - I should bring pens.

Direct Speech - I should bring pens. Indirect Speech - I should bring pens.

12. may - might - might

Direct Speech - She may bring pens. Indirect Speech - She might bring pens.

Direct Speech - She might bring pens. Indirect Speech - She might bring pens.

12. must - had to - had to

Direct Speech - She must bring pens. Indirect Speech - She had to bring pens.

Direct Speech - She had to bring pens. Indirect Speech - She had to bring pens.

13. have to / has to - had to

Direct Speech - She has to bring pens. Indirect Speech - She had to bring pens.

E] However,  there will be no change in the tense, if, What is Reported is a well known truth, a proverb, or a scientific statement.

Direct Speech - The teacher said, "The sun rises in the East." 

Indirect Speech - The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

Direct Speech - My mother said, "Honesty is the best policy." 

Indirect Speech - My mother said that honesty is the best policy.

F] Pronouns of the first person will change into the third person, unless the reporting person is the same as the speaker.

Direct Speech - He said, "I have my project to do."

Indirect Speech - He said that he had his project to do.

Direct Speech - I said, "I have my project to do."

Indirect Speech - I said that I have my project to do.