Direct to indirect speech converter online free

A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Let’s have an example first. • Tina said to me, “Are you busy now?” [direct speech] • Tina asked me whether I was busy then. [indirect speech] Direct Speech Advertisements Speaker Reporting verb Direct speech Tina said “Are you busy now?” Indirect Speech Speaker Reporting verb Linker Reported Speech Tina asked whether I was busy then. • Look, if the reporting verb in direct speech (said) is in past tense, the reporting verb in indirect speech (asked) would also be in past tense. ‘Whether’ is the linker added here as it is a ‘yes-no’ type question (Refer to list 1 below). • ‘Are’ changes to ‘was’. As the reporting verb was in past tense, the verb in the reported speech will also be in past. (Refer to list 2 below) • ‘Now’ has become ‘then’. Time and place expressions change if the reporting verb is in past tense. (Refer to list 3 below) • The question mark (?) has changed to a full stop(.). • Another important thing, the format of question (v + s + o) has changed to the format of a statement (s + v + o). In indirect speech the pattern always comes to subject + verb + object. List of Reporting verbs and linkers (list 1) Sentence Reporting verb (past) Linker Assertive Said, told That Interrogative 1. Yes-no question 2. Wh-question Asked, wanted to know, enquired If / whether Asked, wanted to know, enquired wh-word Imperative 1. With...

Reported speech tenses will change from that of the direct speech in most cases. This is known as backshifting in reported speech, with the basic rule that a tense is shifted back to its past tense form. This is because we are usually talking about something in the past. You can also watch a video of this lesson: Backshifting in Reported Speech Here are some examples of backshifting, with tenses going back from present to past: Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart Below is a reported speech tense change chart with the rules for backshifting for each tense and for modal verbs. You will see reported speech does not go back a tense if it is already in the past perfect (there is no further back it can go), and some modal verbs also do not change. If you are tested on this, though, these are the changes you need to make. Exceptions to the rules This is a useful starting point. However, it is a simplification as we may not always decide or need to shift the tense back. For instance, if the circumstances we are reporting on have not changedsince they were directly said, then the tense would not need to be changed. For example: Reported Speech • She said she is happy • (present simple) So if we want to convey that the situation is still true then we may keep the tense the same. Alternatively, the tense could even forward shift. An example would be in relation to a film or book. In this case, the person may use the past tense to say that the film was good, but the present or past te...

Direct and Indirect Speech Direct Speech In direct speech, the original speaker's exact words are given and are indicated by quotation marks. "I don't know what to do," said Dean. In some grammar books, said Dean is referred to as a reporting clause. "I don't know what to do," is referred to as the reported clause. Indirect Speech In indirect speech, the exact meaning of the speaker's words is given, but the exact words are not directly quoted. Dean said that he didn't know what to do. To convert direct speech into indirect speech: • If the main verb is past tense, present tense verbs in the that clause must also be changed to past tense. Dean said that he didn't know what to do. • First and second person pronouns must be changed to third person pronouns. Dean said that he didn't know what to do. (The that can often be left out: Dean said he didn't know what to do.) Indirect Questions • The same rules apply to indirect questions as to indirect statements. The difference is that a wh clause is used instead of a that clause. Direct question: "Did Marama's horse win a prize?" Owen asked. Indirect questions: Owen asked whether (or if) Marama's horse had won a prize. Direct question: "Why won't you marry me?" asked Donald. Indirect question: Donald asked her why she wouldn't marry him. In telling a story or recounting events, a speaker using direct speech has all the resources of intonation to produce a lively account. Because indirect speech is always speech reported by someon...

Change into indirect speech 1. John said, ‘I am trying to find a new job.’ 2. He said, ‘I wrote a letter.’ 3. The girl said, ‘I want something to eat.’ 4. The teacher said, ‘Stop writing.’ 5. The man said, ‘I have nowhere to go.’ 6. The girl said, ‘I have been practicing the violin for six months.’ 7. Mother said, ‘I have laid the table.’ 8. He said, ‘Who are you?’ 9. He said, ‘Are you happy here?’ 10. The father said to his son, ‘Go and pay your fee at once.’ 11. He said, ‘Let’s go for a drive.’ Answers 1. John said that he was trying to find a new job. 2. He said that he had written a letter. 3. The girl said that she wanted something to eat. 4. The teacher asked them to stop writing. 5. The man said that he had nowhere to go. / The man lamented that he had nowhere to go. 6. The girl said that she had been practicing the violin for six months. 7. Mother said that she had laid the table. 8. He asked who I was. 9. He enquired if I was happy there?’ 10. The father told his son to go and pay his fee at once. 11. He suggested going for a drive. / He suggested that we should go for a drive.