Direct speech Vs. Indirect speech (Assertive sentences)

Direct speech Vs. Indirect speech

Assertive sentences:

Statement (or) Assertive Sentence
Rules :

·         Remove the quotation marks in the statement

·         Use the conjunction ‘that’

·         Change the reporting verb ‘say to’ into ‘tell’

·         Change the reporting verb ‘said to’ into ‘told’

Note :

·         He said that (correct)

·         He told me that (correct)

·         He told that (Incorrect)

When the reporting verb is in the present or future tense there is no change in the tense of the reported clause:

Direct Speech	Simi says, “I like kids”.
Indirect Speech	Simi says that she likes kids.

When the reporting verb is in the past tense the verb of the reported clause is changed into the corresponding past tense:

Direct Speech	Ramsy said, “I have a habit of reading before I go to bed”.
Indirect Speech	Ramsy said that she had a habit of reading before she went to bed.
Direct Speech	Gagan said, “I have written a novel”.
Indirect Speech	Gagan said that he had written a novel.

Present Progressive used as a future form becomes would be + present participle, not Past Progressive:

Direct Speech	She said, “I am seeing the dentist next week”.
Indirect Speech	She said that she would be seeing the dentist the following week.

 Simple Past / past Progressive in adverb clauses of time do not usually change into the corresponding past tense:

Direct Speech	She said, “When I lived / was living in a village I faced a lot of hardships”.
Indirect Speech	She said that when she lived / was living in a village she faced a lot of hardships. (Don’t use had lived / had been living)

Unreal past tense (subjunctive mood) after wish / it is time remains unchanged:

Direct Speech	She said, “I wish I were an angel.”
Indirect Speech	She said that she wished she were an angel. (Don’t use had been)

Would rather / would sooner / had better remains unchanged:

Direct Speech	He said, “I would rather starve than beg.”
Indirect Speech	He said that he would rather starve than beg.

Verbs used in clauses expressing improbable or impossible condition remain unchanged:

Direct Speech	He said, “If won the election I would become a minister.”
Indirect Speech	He said that if he won the election he would become a minister.

When the direct speech expresses universal truth (fundamental truths of science) saying / proverbs / habitual action, the tense does not change:

Direct Speech	He said, “Habit is a second nature.”
Indirect Speech	He said that habit is a second nature.

A noun / pronoun in the vocative case is made the object of a reporting verb should be left out:

Likewise a comment clause (parenthesis) is left out

you see, as you know, to tell you frankly etc.

Words of expressions used just to introduce a sentence are left out:

Well, very well, now, so etc.

Likewise a comment clause (parenthesis) is left out

The teacher asked the children to listen to him. (now left out)

A statement employing all the techniques:

Well, very well, now, so etc.

Likewise a comment clause (parenthesis) is left out

Sentence with the same concept should be joined with ‘and’ but when there is a contract use ‘but’

Direct Speech	My neighbour said, “My guests arrived last evening. They are staying with us today. They will be leaving early tomorrow morning.”
Indirect Speech	My neighbour told me that her guests had arrived the previous evening and they were staying with them that day but they would be leaving early the following morning.