Understanding Reporting Verbs vs. Reporting Speech: The Ultimate Comprehensive Guide

Master English Grammar: How to Spot Reporting Verb and Speech 

English Grammar Study Guide: Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect narration are two distinct ways of conveying what someone has said. In direct narration, the speaker's exact words are quoted within quotation marks. This method maintains the original tone and intent of the speaker.

 For example, 

Rita said, “I am going to the store”. 

 (Direct Narration).

  It clearly shows her exact words, preserving both her emotion and intent.

On the other hand, indirect narration paraphrases the speaker’s words without quotation marks, often altering the sentence structure and pronouns to fit the context of the narration.

 For example, 

Rita said that she was going to the store.

(Indirect Narration)

 Here, the original message is retained, but the presentation is more fluid and integrated into the surrounding text.

 Indirect narration often requires changes in verb tense and pronouns, and it can lose some of the immediacy of the speaker’s original words, but it provides a smoother narrative flow within a story.

What is Direct Speech? 

👉Points to remember:

• Direct Speech repeats the actual words of the speaker are put within "........."(inverted commas)
• The Reported Speech is separated from the Reporting Verb by a comma.
• The first word of Reported Speech begins with a capital letter.

👉Structure:

Subject + reporting verb + "quoted speech"

For example,

He said to me," I am reading a story book"

What is Indirect Speech?

Indirect speech reports what someone said without quoting their exact words.

👉Structure:

Subject + reporting verb+ that + clause

For example,

He told me that he was reading a story book.

👉Points to remember: Learn Fast, Remember Forever 

Narration Change Rules 

• No inverted commas are used.
• The comma separating the reporting verb from the Reported Speech is removed.
• The reported speech is introduced by some conjunctions: that, if, what, why, etc.
• The tense of the Reporting Verb is never changed.
• The Reporting Verb changes according to tense.
• The punctuation marks other than full - stop are removed.
• There is no sign of Interrogation or Exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.
• The reported speech is changed into assertive speech.

Direct and Indirect Made Easy: Reporting Verbs vs. Reported Speech Explained

Reporting Verb vs Reporting Speech:

In the realm of English grammar, understanding the difference between reporting verbs and reported speech is crucial for effective communication.

 Reporting verbs are verbs used to describe or convey what someone has said, without quoting their exact words. Common examples include "say," "tell," "ask," "suggest," and "advise." These verbs help introduce indirect speech.

 For instance,

 "She said that she was excited," 

(Reporting Verb)

The reporting verb is "said."

On the other hand, reported speech, also known as indirect speech, refers to the act of conveying what someone else has spoken without quoting them verbatim. 

It involves transforming direct speech into a statement that fits into the flow of your narrative. 

For example,

 “She said that she was excited.” (Reported Speech)

Notice how the pronouns and verb tenses are adjusted to maintain coherence in the sentence.

To further illustrate, consider this example:

 Direct Speech: John said, “I will call you tomorrow.” (Reporting Verb) 

 

John said that he would call me the next day. Here, "said" (Reported Speech)

It shows how the original statement is integrated into a new sentence structure with appropriate tense changes. 

Understanding these distinctions can greatly enhance one's ability to accurately recount conversations and information.

See the image and learn the difference - images stay in our mind for a long time.

Let's have a quick glance at what we will learn in this article:

Golden Rules

SSC CGL English Preparation 

Master Direct and Indirect Speech quickly with this visual trick - ideal for competitive exams.

Conversion Rules: 

Understanding narration conversion rules is vital for candidates, boosting linguistic skills. It enables clarity in transforming speech, which is essential for language exams and communication jobs, preventing errors and enhancing articulation.

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, certain key changes must be made to ensure the meaning is conveyed accurately, especially important for candidates preparing for competitive exams. 

Here are some essential transformations along with examples:

1. Pronoun Changes: Pronouns in direct speech often need to be adjusted to fit the context of indirect speech.

 For instance,

 “I” might become “he” or “she” depending on the speaker.  

 For example: 

She said, “I am tired.” (Direct Speech)

She said that she was tired. (Indirect Speech)

2. Tense Changes: Generally, the tense of the verbs in direct speech is shifted back one step in indirect speech.

•  Present Tense becomes Past Tense 
•  Past Tense becomes Past Perfect

For example,

 He said, “I eat breakfast at 8 AM.” (Direct Speech)

He said that he ate breakfast at 8 AM.

(Indirect Speech)

3. Time and Place Changes: Words indicating time and place may need to

 be altered to reflect the change in perspective.  

For example,

  She said, “I will see you tomorrow.” (Direct Speech)

 She said that she would see me the next day. (Indirect Speech)

4. Modal Verb Changes: Modal verbs may also change; for example, “can” becomes “could,” and “will” becomes “would.”  

For example,

 He said, “I can help you.” 

(Direct Speech)

 Indirect: He said that he could help me.

(Indirect Speech)

5. Punctuation Changes: Quotation marks are removed, and conjunctions like “that” are often used to connect the reporting verb with the reported speech.  

For example,

 “It’s raining,”he said. (Direct Speech)

 He said that it was raining. (Indirect Speech)

These transformations ensure that the reported speech is grammatically correct and contextually accurate, which is crucial for competitive exams that test language proficiency.

 These rules, are beneficial for competitive exams so, don't skip them:

The No Change Zone: 

"Don't just read grammar - see it,
understand it and remember it forever."

Apart from Universal Truths, there are three specific scenarios where the tense does not change even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.

If the reporting verb is in the present tense or future tense, the tense of the verb in the Reporting Speech is not changed.

Direct Speech

He says, "You play in the evening."

(Direct Speech)

He says that you play in the evening. (Indirect Speech)

 Note:

The tense of the reporting verb is never changed.

• The subject is: He
• Reporting verb says (It will remain as it is)

In reporting speech, there will be no change, only we add "that" just after reporting verb to connect the reporting verb to reporting speech.

I would like to provide more examples to clarify your doubts:

He says, " He will play in the evening. (Direct Speech)

He says that he will play in the evening. (Indirect Speech)

Here, reporting verb (says) is in the present tense, the tense of the verb inside the quotation marks (will play) does not change. Only the comma and the quotation marks are replaced by the conjunction " that" to connect the reporting verb to reporting speech.

He will say,"You are never late to play in the evening." (Direct Speech)

He will say that I am never late to play in the evening. (Indirect Speech)

Here, "He will say" is in the future tense. When the reporting verb is in the future or present, the tense of the verb inside the quotation marks ("are") does not change. 

The second-person pronoun "You" changes to the first - person pronoun "I" assuming as if he is speaking to me.The comma and quotation marks are removed and replaced with "that".

The Past Indefinite remains the same

 if the Reported Speech states a past historical fact:

For Example:

He said," India got independence on 15th August, 1947".

 (Direct Speech)

He said that India got independence on 15th August 1947. (Indirect Speech)

Why the tense didn't change:

Here, the past tense verb 'got' remains unchanged as it refers to a historical fact, or we can say when reporting a statement that expresses a universal truth, the tense will not change. 

Even though we are shifting to indirect speech, the date of India's independence is a permanent fact that we cannot change.

Historical Accuracy: 

If we use "had gotten" might imply the event is relative to another past event, whereas "got" simply states the historical reality.

For example,

You said," I lived in Assam for ten years. (Direct Speech)

You said that you had lived in Assam for years. (Indirect Speech) 

The sentence is in the simple past tense (lived).

 In indirect speech, Simple Past Perfect (had + past participle). Therefore, "lived" will change into "had lived".

Here, we add the conjunction "that " to introduce the reported statement, though in casual conversation, it is optional.

Note: If the subject (You) is still living in Assam at this very moment, then we can technically keep it in the past tense (".... that you lived in Assam ").

Two Simultaneous Actions:

If two things happened at the same time in the past, the tense is not changed.

For Example,

"I was reading a novel while she was cooking." he said. (Direct Speech)

He said that he was reading a novel while she was cooking. (Indirect Speech)

Improbable/ Hypothetical Conditions:

He said, "If I were a millionaire, I would build another Lotus Temple

 to meditate". (Direct Speech)

He said that if he were a millionaire, he would build another Lotus Temple to meditate. (Indirect Speech)

Here, 'said' remains unchanged as in this sentence there is no listener mentioned

(e.g., 'said to me'). The word 'that' is added to connect the reporting clause with the speech. 

The first- person 'I' changes to the third - person "he" to match the speaker.

 Hypothetical or if statements using "were" and "would", the tense usually does not change.

The " Must" Transformation:

"must" indicates permanent ruling or prohibition. In such type of sentences, "must" remains unchanged

For example,

"You mustn't play outside, children", said the mother. (Direct Speech)

The mother told her children that they must not play outside. (Indirect Speech)

Here, said is transformed into told

You will change into they (pronoun change) mustn't change into must not (no tense change for strong obligation/prohibition)

Sometimes "must" indicates necessity or compulsion at the moment of speaking. 
It is then a case of True Present and is changed into Past Tense when reported:

Example

He said to his friend," I must complete the assignment". (Direct Speech)

He told his friend that he had to complete the assignment. (Indirect Speech)

Sometimes "must" shows necessity or compulsion in future (This is like future tense and "must" is to be changed into "would have to".)

For example:

The servant said to his master, "I must leave for Delhi next week". 

(Direct Speech)

The servant told his master that he would have to leave for Delhi following week. (Indirect Speech)

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, certain words that express nearness in time and place 

are often changed to reflect the shift

 in perspective. Below is a list:

Here," said to "will change into told
'must' change into had to (modal change) next week will change into the following week (time expression change) "I" will change into 'he' (pronoun change).

Learn grammar through visuals - because what you see, you remember!

Some other rules to change from direct speech to indirect speech:

Changing from direct speech to indirect speech involves several key rules to ensure that the meaning of the original statement is preserved while adjusting the structure and pronouns. Here are some fundamental rules along with examples:

1. Pronoun Changes: Adjust pronouns to match the perspective shift.  

   For example,

 “I am going to the store,” she said.  (Direct Speech)

   She said that she was going to the store. (Indirect Speech)

2. Tense Changes: Generally, shift the verb tense back one step (present to past, past to past perfect, etc.).  

   For example,

 “I like this book,” he said. (Direct Speech)

  He said that he liked that book. (Indirect Speech)

3. Time and Place References: Change words that refer to time and place to match the perspective of the reporting speech.  

   For example,

 “I will see you tomorrow,” she said.  (Direct Speech)

  She said that she would see me the next day. (Indirect Speech)

4. Question Formation: When converting questions, use 'if' or 'whether' for yes/no questions, and maintain the question word for wh- questions, while changing the sentence structure to a statement form.  

For example 

  “Are you coming?” he asked.  (Direct Speech)

  He asked if I was coming. (Indirect Speech)

5. Requests and Commands: Use 'to' for commands and requests, and adjust the verb accordingly.  

   For example,

“Please open the window,” he said. (Direct Speech)

     Indirect: He asked me to open the window. (Indirect Speech)

6. Modals: Change modal verbs like 'can', 'may', 'must' to their past forms 'could', 'might', 'had to', etc., where applicable.  

   For example,

“I can help you,” she said. (Direct Speech)

 She said that she could help me.

(Indirect Speech)

By applying these rules, you can effectively convert direct speech to indirect speech while maintaining clarity and coherence in the message.

Flowchart (To Convert Direct Speech to Indirect Speech) 

Master Direct and Indirect Speech quickly with this (flowchart) - ideal for Competitive Exams

Creating a flowchart to help master the conversion of direct speech to indirect speech can be a practical way for a candidate to visualize the steps involved.

 Here is a textual description of what such a flowchart might include:

1. Identify the Components:

   Start with identifying the direct speech in quotes.

   Note the reporting verb (e.g., said, asked).

2. Change of Pronouns:

    Determine the pronouns in the direct speech.

    Change them according to the subject and object in the reporting clause.

3. Tense Conversion:

    Check the tense of the verb in the direct speech.

    Convert the tense to the corresponding past tense (if the reporting verb is in past tense).

4. Adjust Time and Place Indicators:

    Look for time and place words (e.g., “today” to “that day,” “here” to “there”).

    Change them to fit the context of the indirect speech.

5. Punctuation Changes:

    Remove quotation marks.

    Ensure that the sentence flows naturally without them.

6. Final Check:

    Review the sentence for clarity and grammatical accuracy.

    Ensure that the essence of the original message is retained.

By following these steps, candidates can systematically convert direct speech to indirect speech. Visualizing these steps in a flowchart will help reinforce the process and make it easier to remember.

Exercise for competitive exams:

 Here are 15 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on direct and indirect speech focusing on interrogative and imperative sentences, along with the correct answers and explanations for each.

1. Direct Speech: He asked, “Where are you going?”

    A) He asked where was I going.

    B) He asked where I was going.

    C) He asked where am I going.

   Answer: B) He asked where I was going.

  Explanation: In indirect speech, the structure changes to subject + verb. The question form is changed to a statement form.

2. Direct Speech: She said, “Please close the door.”

    A) She requested to close the door.

    B) She requested that I close the door.

    C) She requested me to close the door.

   Answer: C) She requested me to close the door.

   Explanation: In indirect speech for imperatives, we often use "asked" or "requested" + object + infinitive.

3. Direct Speech: The teacher asked, “Have you finished your homework?”

    A) The teacher asked if I had finished my homework.

    B) The teacher asked if I finished my homework.

    C) The teacher asked if had I finished my homework.

   Answer: A) The teacher asked if I had finished my homework.

   Explanation: The present perfect changes to past perfect in indirect speech.

4. Direct Speech: “Do not touch the exhibits,” the guide said.

    A) The guide told not to touch the exhibits.

    B) The guide said not to touch the exhibits.

    C) The guide advised us not to touch the exhibits.

   Answer: C) The guide advised us not to touch the exhibits.

   Explanation: For negative imperatives, "advise" or "warn" can be used, with the negative form "not to."

5. Direct Speech: He wondered, “Why is she crying?”

    A) He wondered why was she crying.

    B) He wondered why she was crying.

    C) He wondered why is she crying.

   Answer: B) He wondered why she was crying.

   Explanation: In indirect questions, we use statement word order (subject + verb).

6. Direct Speech: “Bring me the file,” he said.

    A) He said to bring him the file.

    B) He told to bring him the file.

    C) He told me to bring him the file.

   Answer: C) He told me to bring him the file.

  Explanation: For direct commands, use "told/asked" + object + to-infinitive.

7. Direct Speech: “What time does the train leave?” she inquired.

    A) She inquired what time did the train leave.

    B) She inquired what time the train left.

    C) She inquired what time the train leaves.

   Answer: B) She inquired what time the train left.

   Explanation: In indirect speech, the present simple changes to past simple.

8. Direct Speech: “Could you help me with this?” he asked.

    A) He asked if I could help him with that.

    B) He asked could I help him with that.

    C) He asked if could I help him with that.

   Answer: A) He asked if I could help him with that.

   : The modal "could" remains the same, but the order is changed to if + subject + modal.

9. Direct Speech: They said, “Let’s go to the park.”

    A) They suggested going to the park.

    B) They said let us go to the park.

    C) They said that let’s go to the park.

   Answer: A) They suggested going to the park.

   Explanation: "Let’s" is often turned into "suggested" + gerund in indirect speech.

10. Direct Speech: “Why didn’t you call me?” she asked.

     A) She asked why I hadn’t called her.

     B) She asked why I didn’t call her.

     C) She asked why hadn’t I called her.

    Answer: A) She asked why I hadn’t called her.

    Explanation: In indirect speech, past simple changes to past perfect.

11. Direct Speech: “Please don’t be late,” he said.

     A) He said me not to be late.

     B) He told me not to be late.

     C) He requested me don’t be late.

    Answer: B) He told me not to be late.

    Explanation: For requests, "told" + object + not to-infinitive is used.

12. Direct Speech: “Shall we start the meeting now?” asked the manager.

     A) The manager asked if they should start the meeting now.

     B) The manager asked if they started the meeting now.

     C) The manager asked if should they start the meeting now.

    Answer: A) The manager asked if they should start the meeting now.

    Explanation: "Shall we" is often changed to "should" in indirect speech.

13. Direct Speech: “How do you make this dish?” asked Tom.

     A) Tom asked how do I make this dish.

     B) Tom asked how was this dish made.

     C) Tom asked how I made that dish.

    Answer: C) Tom asked how I made that dish.

    Explanation: Present simple questions change to past simple statements in indirect speech.

14. Direct Speech: “Don’t forget to lock the door,” she reminded.

     A) She reminded me don’t forget to lock the door.

     B) She reminded me to lock the door.

     C) She reminded me not to forget to lock the door.

    Answer: C) She reminded me not to forget to lock the door.

    Explanation: Negative imperatives in indirect speech use "not to" + verb.

15. Direct Speech: “When will you return?” he asked.

     A) He asked when I will return.

     B) He asked when would I return.

     C) He asked when I would return.

    Answer: C) He asked when I would return.

    Explanation: Future simple changes to "would" in indirect speech. 

These questions and answers should help in understanding how direct speech is converted into indirect speech, especially focusing on interrogative and imperative sentences.

👉At last,some exam tips:

Don't forget using "that" to connect

"Reporting Verb" and " Reporting Speech".

Focus on pronoun change.

Always check tense of reporting verb.

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