Rules For Changing Direct into Indirect Speech

               Change of Tenses.....                                                    If the verb of the reporting speech is in the present or future tense,there will be no change in the verb of the reported speech,for  example.   DIRECT :Rahim says,I get up early in the morning.  INDIRECT;:.  Rahim says that he gets up early in the morning. DIRECT; Rahim will say that he does not take eggs. INDIRECT; Rahim will say that he does not take eggs.            If the reporting verb is in the past tense,we shall note the following change in the verb of the reported speech;.        (I)Present indefinite tense into past indefinite tense:. DIRECT: He said ,I like this book.INDIRECT: He said that he liked that book.     (ii)present continuous tense into past continuous tense   DIRECT; He said ,It is raining.    INDIRECT; He  said that it was raining.      (III) present perfect tense into past perfect tense: DIRECT; He said ,I have broken the leg of the chair .     INDIRECT; He said that he had broken the leg of chair .                ( iv) present perfect continuous tense in to past perfect continuous  tense:     DIRECT: He said ,I have been suffering from fever since Monday.      INDIRECT; He said that he had been suffering from fever  since Monday.      (V)past Indefinite tense into past perfect tense.    DIRECT: He said ,I went to Karachi.     INDIRECT; He said that he had gone to Karachi.       DIRECT; Rehan said ,I lived many years in Japan. INDIRECT: Rehan said that he had lived many years in Japan.            (Vi)past Continuous tense into past perfect Continuous tense;  Note .....we do not change past perfect and past perfect Continues tense in any other tense . 3. When the reported speech expresses a universal truth or a habitual action we do not change the tense of the reporting speech.    DIRECT: He said ,The earth moves round the sun. INDIRECT; He said that the earth moves round the sun.    DIRECT;. He said ,there thirty days in November.   INDIRECT; He said that there are thirty days in November.    DIRECT;. He said ,The Muslim believe in one god .    INDIRECT; He said that the Muslim believe in one god.         ( b) Change of Pronouns;        First person Pronouns;.  The first person Pronouns in the reported speech are changed into the case of the subject of the reporting speech .The Pronouns of the first person are I,me,my,mine ,we,us,our,ours.        DIRECT; He said to me ,I  am going to market.   INDIRECT ; He told me that he was going to market. DIRECT; He said ,I have broken the chair.   INDIRECT; He said that he had broken the chair.   DIRECT; The boy said to the teacher ,I will not read today.                  INDIRECT; The boy told the teacher that he would not read that day.                                      (Second  person Pronouns ) The second person Pronouns.     (thou,thee,thy,thine,you,your,yours) in the reported speech are changed into the person and gender of the person addressed in the reporting speech. If there is no person addressed in the reporting speech,Pronouns of the second person are changed into Pronouns of the third person .if the subject of the reporting verb is in the third person ,it should be preferably changed into first person Pronouns.  DIRECT; He said to me, you have done your duty.   INDIRECT;. He told me that I had done my duty.                       DIRECT;.  He said to me ,your are going to market .   INDIRECT; He told me that I was going to market. DIRECT;. I said ,you are reading a novel.     INDIRECT: I said that he was reading a novel.                                            (Third person Pronouns).  Third person Pronouns (He, him,his,she,her,it,its,they ,them,their) in the reported speech are not changed in the Indirect speech.we should also remember that all nouns are in third person ,and so they do not changed .DIRECT..: The boy said to me,he wants to serve his country .INDIRECT ; The boy told me that he wanted to serve his country.           (  C ) Change into words Showing Nearness;;;  words expressing Nearness in time or place in the reported speech are generally changed as mentioned on the following page: 

(d) Rules for Statements:. When we change an assertive (or statement) sentence into Indirect speech ,we use the conjunction that between the reporting speech it into tell ,or ,told,or according to the sense of the reported speech such as promised reminded replied etc..            DIRECT: He says ,I am going .INDIRECT; He says that he is going.   DIRECT: He Said to me ,I am writing a letter.  INDIRECT:. He told me that he was writing a letter.         When we change yes, or no, into the Indirect speech we use replied in the affirmative for yes, and replied in the negative for no,.   DIRECT; The painter said to me ,yes I have painted this picture. INDIRECT: The painter replied in the affirmative and told me that he had painted that picture.    DIRECT:He said ,No I have not broken the glass. INDIRECT: He replied that in the negative and said that he had not broken the glass.            (e) Reported speech (Imperative) Commands and Request.                The Imperative mood in direct speech is changed into Indirect speech into the infinitive. The verb say is changed into some other verb appropriate to the context ,such as tell ,ask,request,order,advise, command,etc.A negative Imperative is reported by means of a negative infinitive.   DIRECT: The teacher said to the boys,sit down.    INDIRECT:.  The teacher ordered the boys to sit down.                 (Use. Of Must and Need,t,in the Reported speech) Must usually expresses a necessity ,frequently a command ,sometime as assumption or conclusion with not it expresses a prohibition . Must is ordinery speech has three possible meanings, each of which has a different from when reported .Needn,t sometimes behaves in the similar way.    1) In the present or at the moment of speaking must changes into a word showing past tense when reported e.g.:  I must go now. He said he had to go then. I Needn,t go,.  He said he didn,t have to go.   I must,t go. He said he was ,t to go .    2)In the future tense must and Needn,t change to the condition in the reported speech ,e.g,

 3) Must remains unchanged in necessity,command,permanent ruling or prohibition ,e.g,.    • He told us we must all be ready at nine.• He told us we mustn,t touch the pictures .• you mustn,t cross the road against the red light.                                               Reported Speech (Question).  1 .For question the word order is the same as for an ordinary direct statement .Tenses Pronouns,possessives,Adjective and Adverbs of time and place change as they do in the sentences of statement.      2 .If the introductory verb is say,it must be changed according to the sense into ask,inquire ,query, demand ,want to know ,wonder,etc.         3. The reporting verb say is changed into wonder to express a pure future e.g., •He said ,where shall I be in 2005?   • He wondered where he would be in 2005.                                   (Change of  Shall, and will,) 1 .Question beginning with shall I are changed into whether he would for a pure future whether he should for a request or an instruction,e.g..  (a) Shall I ever go there again ? (he asked)  he asked whether he would ever go there again.  (b)Shall I come with you? (he asked ) He asked whether he should come with me.           (Reported Speech (Exclamation) 1.Exclamatory sentences in direct speech can be changed into Indirect speech as though they were ordinary assertive sentences. 2. The introductory verb is changed according to the sense into wish ,bless ,pray, cry,exclaim,or some other similar verb.   3 .Interjections such as Alas, Hurrah, huh,oh,bravo etc .are dropped: I)what a splendid performance   the spectator said when the match was over .(Direct) when the match was over the spectator exclaimed that it was a very splendid performance.(Indirect) ii) what a ghastly accident the passer -by said.(Direct).     The passer by exclaimed that it was a very ghastly accident.(Indirect)    III) Bravo  well done  he said .(Direct) He applauded him saying that he had done very well. (INDIRECT)