Chapter 10 — Direct and reported speech
Track: SI + objective | Study time: 75–100 minutes | Recall task: write the rule before checking the key.
Pareeksha English foundation notes
2. Direct and indirect speech
Direct speech gives the exact words in quotation marks. Indirect (reported) speech reports them without quotation marks, usually with "that".
Steps:
- Choose the correct reporting verb: said, told, asked, ordered, requested, advised, exclaimed.
- Remove the quotation marks and add "that" for statements.
- Change the pronouns to match the speaker and listener.
- Change the tense if the reporting verb is in the past.
- Change the words of time and place.
Tense shift (when the reporting verb is past)
Direct | Indirect
Simple present | Simple past
Present continuous | Past continuous
Present perfect | Past perfect
Simple past | Past perfect
will | would
can | could
may | might
Word changes
Direct | Indirect
now | then
today | that day
tomorrow | the next day
yesterday | the previous day
ago | before
here | there
this | that
these | those
Points:
- No tense change when the reporting verb is in the present or future ("He says that he is ill"), or when the statement is a universal truth or habit.
- Questions with a helping verb (is, are, did, can) use "if" or "whether" and normal order: "She asked, 'Are you ready?'" becomes "She asked if I was ready."
- Wh-questions keep the question word and use normal order, with no auxiliary before the subject: "He asked, 'Where do you live?'" becomes "He asked where I lived."
- Commands and requests use "to": "He said to me, 'Go home.'" becomes "He ordered me to go home."
- Exclamations use "exclaimed with joy/sorrow": "She said, 'Alas! I am ruined.'" becomes "She exclaimed with sorrow that she was ruined."
- Wishes and prayers use "wished" or "prayed".
- "Said to" is changed to "told" in statements, and to "asked" in questions.
- The word "that" is used only for statements, not for questions or commands.
Worked reasoning and learner clinic
Reported speech requires a chain of decisions: what kind of utterance was made; who spoke to whom; what pronouns now refer to; whether the reporting verb is past; and whether time/place expressions still refer to the same moment. Do not mechanically change every word if the reporting context has not changed.
Statements and questions. A statement can use “that”. A yes/no question uses if or whether and statement word order. A wh-question keeps its question word but removes subject–auxiliary inversion: “Where is the office?” → “She asked where the office was.”
Commands and requests. Use a reporting verb that reflects the force: asked, ordered, advised, warned or requested + object + to-infinitive. Negative command: verb + object + not to + base form. Avoid using “said” with an object as though it were “told”.
Backshift is contextual. When the reporting verb is past, tense often moves one step back. A universal truth or a still-valid fact can remain in present. Time words change only when the reference point changes: “tomorrow” becomes “the next day” only if the report is made later than the original speech.
Telugu-medium transfer check
For reported speech, identify statement, yes/no question, wh-question or command. Adjust pronouns and time expressions to the reporting context; reported questions use statement word order.
Retrieval practice
Convert one direct question and one statement. Underline the reporting verb, change the pronoun reference and read the result as a statement rather than a question.
Error-log prompt
Record which element changed—pronoun, tense, time word or word order. Preserve a universal truth in the present when context supports it.
Study plate 10. Recall the sequence before you begin the question set.
Chapter 10 practice questions
001. Ravi said, “I am ready.” Choose the report.
A. Ravi said that I am ready.
B. Ravi says that he were ready.
C. Ravi told that ready he is.
D. Ravi said that he was ready.
Key: D | Explanation: A past reporting verb usually shifts present to past and changes “I” to the speaker’s pronoun.
002. She asked me, “Where do you work?”
A. She asked me that where I work.
B. She asked me where do I worked.
C. She asked me where did I work.
D. She asked me where I worked.
Key: D | Explanation: Reported wh-questions use statement order: question word + subject + verb.
003. He said to me, “Please wait here.”
A. He requested that I will wait.
B. He requested me to wait there.
C. He said me that wait here.
D. He asked that I waited here?
Key: B | Explanation: A polite command can be reported with requested + object + to-infinitive; “here” changes with context.
004. Mina said, “I have completed the form.”
A. Mina said that she had completed the form.
B. Mina said she has complete the form.
C. Mina told that I completed form.
D. Mina asked whether she completed the form.
Key: A | Explanation: Past reporting usually shifts present perfect to past perfect and “I” refers to Mina.
005. He asked, “Do you know the address?”
A. He asked do I know the address.
B. He asked that I know the address.
C. He told whether I knew the address.
D. He asked whether I knew the address.
Key: D | Explanation: A yes/no reported question uses if/whether and normal statement order.
006. The officer said to the team, “Do not enter the room.”
A. The officer asked that the team did not entered.
B. The officer warned not entering room.
C. The officer warned the team not to enter the room.
D. The officer said the team do not enter room.
Key: C | Explanation: A negative command takes reporting verb + object + not to + base verb.
007. Ravi asked, “Where did you keep the file?”
A. Ravi told where had I kept the file.
B. Ravi asked where I had kept the file.
C. Ravi asked where did I keep the file.
D. Ravi asked that where I kept it.
Key: B | Explanation: Reported wh-questions use statement order; the past event can shift to past perfect.
008. She said, “We will return tomorrow.”
A. She said that they would return the next day.
B. She said we will return yesterday.
C. She told that they return tomorrow.
D. She asked if we would return.
Key: A | Explanation: Pronoun, modal and time expression shift with the reporting context.
009. The teacher said, “Water boils at 100°C at standard pressure.”
A. The teacher said water boiled yesterday.
B. The teacher asked if water boils.
C. The teacher told water to boil.
D. The teacher said that water boils at 100°C at standard pressure.
Key: D | Explanation: A general scientific truth normally remains in present tense.
010. The clerk asked me, “Have you attached the certificate?”
A. The clerk said that I have attached it.
B. The clerk told whether I attached.
C. The clerk asked whether I had attached the certificate.
D. The clerk asked have I attached it.
Key: C | Explanation: A yes/no question uses whether and statement order; present perfect often backshifts.
011. She said to him, “Please sign here.”
A. She requested him that sign there.
B. She requested him to sign there.
C. She said him please sign here.
D. She asked that he signed here?
Key: B | Explanation: A polite request uses requested + object + to-infinitive; “here” shifts if the location changes.