• These help use to quote the exact words of the speaker or to report what has been said by a known or sometimes an unknown speaker
• Direct Speech: In direct speech, we identify or quote the exact words of the speaker in a sentence. Usually such words are enclosed in inverted commas (“). For example:
  • The teacher said, “Any student who comes late to the class will be punished.”
  • “Where are you going?” Jane asked
• Indirect Speech: In indirect speech, we simply report what a known (and sometimes an unknown) speaker has said. For example:
  • The teacher said that any student who came late to the class would be punished
  • Jane wanted to know where Dick was going OR Jane asked Dick where he was going
  • The man was sentenced to ten years imprisonment
• NOTE: The effect on the verbs, adverbials, and personal pronouns when direct speech is converted to indirect speech

Rules for Changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

• Omit the inverted commas
• Put the conjunction ‘that’ after a reporting verb
• Introduce questions with the verb of asking or inquiring
• Change the verb to the past tense. E.g am – was, has – had, will – would, have been – had been, etc.
• Change the pronouns in the first or the second person to the third person. E.g. I – He/she, him/her – they, etc.
• Change the adverbs. E.g. now – then, today – that day, ago – before, here – there, etc.
• Change these adjectives: this – that, these – those, my – his/her, our – their, your – their, etc.

Rules for Changing Indirect Speech to Direct Speech

• Starting with capital letters, put the actual words of the speaker in inverted commas
• Omit the reporting verb and the conjunction ‘that’
• Use the question mark after the principal verb of asking or inquiring and put the depending verb in the present tense
• Change correctly all pronouns in the third person to either the first or the second person. For example:
  • Indirect: The mother asked her son where he had been all afternoon
  • Direct: The mother said to her son, “Where have you been all afternoon?”

Different Direct Sentences Changed Into Reported Speech

• Statement:
  • Direct: ‘Olu comes here every day’, said James
  • Indirect: James said that Olu comes here every day
• Question:
  • Direct: John said, ‘Where are you going, Tunde?’
  • Indirect: John asked Tunde where he was going
• Command:
  • Direct: ‘Get out of this room’, said the teacher to Ade
  • Indirect: The teacher ordered Ade to get out of that room
• Request:
  • Direct: Ranti said, ‘Cole, please lend me your ruler”
  • Indirect: Ranti asked Cole to lend her his ruler
• Wish:
  • Direct: ‘Good luck to you, Olu’, said Joseph
  • Indirect: Joseph wished Olu good luck
• Exclamation:
  • Direct: Olu said, ‘What a clever rogue the boy is!’
  • Indirect: Olu exclaimed that the boy was a clever rogue