Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct Speech  : Sentences spoken directly by the speaker and if the written sentences will be quoted.

Indirect Speech : Sentences which spoken to report speaker’s words to another. It used when we want to    report someone words to another by indirectly.

·         Some changes that we need know :

1.        To be & Auxiliary Verbs

Direct                                       Indirect

Am/is/are                              was/were

Shall/will                              should/would

Can                                        could

May                                        might

Have/has to                            had to

2. Time & Place

Direct                                       Indirect

now                                        then

tomorrow                               the following day

next week                               the following week

tonight                                    that night

today                                      that day

yesterday                                the day before

last night                                 the night before

last week                                 the week before

 3.        Tenses

Direct                                           Indirect

Simple present                          simple past

Simple past                                past perfect

Present continous                      past continous

Present perfect continous          past perfect continous

Simple future                             past future

Direct and indirect speech consists of three types, that is :

1.       Statement

2.      Command

3.      Question

1.      Statement

Indirect statement we use “that” as a relatival between introduce phrase and reported words. For example :

Direct Speech              : She said, “I buy a blanket for my younger brother”

Indirect Speech           : She said that she bought a blanket for her younger brother

2.      Command

·         Positive command

            Command phrase which we need add “to” front of command phrase. For example:

Direct Speech                : He asked me, “clean the room”

Indirect Speech             : He asked me to clean the room

·         Negative command

We need add “not to” after reported command phrase. For example :

Direct Speech                : She asked me, “don’t read this books”

Indirect Speech             : She asked me not to read this books.

3.     Question

If direct question use 5W + 1H, then the words are used as a relatival in reported speech. 

For example : 

Direct Speech                : The girl asked me, “where do you live?”

Indirect Speech             : The girl asked me where I lived

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