Indirect Speech (Statement)

 DEFINITION

Indirect Speech is speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person's actual words or Indirect speech is reported speech that is presented with grammatical modifications, rather than as it might have been uttered by the original speaker. Indirect speech there are some changes such as 1) Pronoun and posseisive adjective, 2) Adverb of time and place, and 3) Tenses.

  1) Pronoun and posseisive adjective

Direct I You My Our Your

Indirect He/she He/she/me/i/them/him/her His/her Their/our My/his/her

2) Adverb of time and place

Direct Now Today Tomorrow Next

Indirect Then That day The next day The day after The following day A day later The …………. After………… The following,…………

3) Tenses

Direct Statements 1. Simple Present He said, “The Woman comes”. 2. Present Continuous He said,” The woman is coming.” 3. Present Perfect He said, “ The woman has come.” 4. Present Perfect Continuous He said, “ The woman has been coming.” 5. Simple Past He said,” The woman came at seven.” 6. Past Continuous He said, “ The woman was coming.”

Indirect Statements 1. Simple Past He said that the woman came. 2. Past Continuous He said that the woman was coming. 3. Past Perfect He said that the woman had come. 4.  Past Perfect     Continuous He said that the woman had been coming. 5. Past Perfect He said that the woman had come at seven. 6. The Perfect Continuous He said that the woman had been coming.

Exception (for General Truth, Habitual action):

Direct Statements ·      He said, “ London is a great city.” ·      He said,” The su rises in the east.” ·      He said,” The earth moves  round the sun.” ·      He reminded me,” When the cat is away, the mice play.”

Indirect Statements ·      He said that London is a great city. ·      He said that the sun rises in the east. ·      He said that the earth moves  round the sun. ·      He reminded me that when the cat is away, the mice play.

If this, here, now, etc. refer to Noun, Adverb place, and time, there are no change in Adjective or Adverb.

EXAMPLE :

Ali said, ” I will do it now or never.” à Ali said that he would do it now or never.