Direct and Indirect
In this section, We are going to see How the conversion of Direct to Indirect Speech and Indirect to Direct Speech is done?
We may report the words
of a speaker in two ways.
1.) Direct
Speech :
We may quote the actual words of the speaker. This
method is called Direct Speech.
2.) Indirect
Speech :
We may report what he said without quoting his exact
words. This method is called Indirect Speech or Reported Speech.
Example:
-
Direct :
Clinton said, “I am very busy now.”
Indirect :
Clinton said that he was very busy then.
-
Direct :
He said, “ my mother is writing letter.”
Indirect :
He said that his mother was writing
letter.
How to change Direct to Indirect
Speech?
It will be noticed that in Direct Speech, we use
inverted commas to mark off the exact words of the speaker. In Indirect Speech
we do not use the inverted commas.
It will be further noticed that in changing the above
Direct Speech into Indirect speech, certain changes have been made.
Thus:
1.
We have used the conjunction ‘that’ before the
Indirect Statement.
2.
The pronoun “I” is changed to “HE”. (The Pronoun is
changed in Person)
3.
The verb “am” is changed to “was”.
4.
The adverb “now” is changed to “then”.
Rules for changing Direct
into Indirect Speech:
A. When
the reporting or principal verb is in the Past Tense, all the Present Tenses in
the Direct Speech are changed into Past Tense.
·
A simple present tense becomes simple past tense.
Example:
-
Direct : He said, “I am unwell.”
-
Indirect: He said that he was unwell.
·
A present continuous tense becomes a past continuous.
Example:
-
Direct : He said, “ my mother is writing letter.”
-
Indirect: He said that his mother was writing letter.
·
A present perfect becomes a past perfect: Are you clear about the conversion of Direct to
Indirect Speech?
Example:
-
Direct: He said, “I have passed the examination.”
-
Indirect: he said that he had passed the examination.
·
As a rule the simple past tense in the Direct Speech
becomes the past perfect tense in Indirect Speech.
Example:
-
Direct: He said, “His horse died in the night.”
-
Indirect: he said that his horse had died in the
night.
v NOTE :
The shall of the future is changed into should.
The will of the future is changed into would.
The can and may of the future are changed into could and mightrespectively.
Are you clear about the conversion of Direct to
Indirect Speech?
B. The
tenses will not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a
universal truth. We can often choose whether to keep The original tenses or
change them.
Examples:
-
Direct: “I know her address”, said John.
-
Indirect: John said that he knows/knew her address.
In this Indirect Speech, both the past tense and the
present tense make the sentence a correct one.
-
Direct: The teacher said, “The earth goes round the
sun.”
Indirect: The teacher said that the earth goes/went
round the sun.
-
Direct: She said, “German is easy to learn.”
Indirect: She said that German was/is easy to learn.
The past tense is often used when it is uncertain if
the statement is true or when we are reporting objectively. Are you clear about the conversion of Direct to Indirect Speech?
C. If the
reporting verb is in present tense, the tenses of the Direct Speech do not
change. For example, we may rewrite the above examples, putting the reporting
verb in the present tense.
Examples:
-
Direct : He says, “I am unwell.”
Indirect: He says that he is unwell.
-
Direct : He says, “ my mother is writing letter.”
Indirect: He says that his mother is writing letter.
-
Direct: He says, “I have passed the examination.”
Indirect: he says that he has passed the examination.
-
Direct: He says, “His horse died in the night.”
Indirect: he says that his horse died in the night.
Are you clear about the conversion of
Direct to Indirect Speech?
D. The
pronouns of the Direct Speech are changed where necessary, so that their
relations with the reporter and his hearer, Rather than with the original
speaker are indicated.
Examples :
-
Direct: He said to me, “I do not believe you.”
Indirect: He said that he did not believe me.
-
Direct: She said to him, “I do not believe you.”
Indirect: She said to him that she did not believe
him.
-
Direct: I said to him, “I did not believe you.”
Indirect: I said to him that I did not believe him.
-
Direct: I said to you, “I do not believe you.”
Indirect: I said to you that I do not believe you.
Are you clear about the conversion of Direct to
Indirect Speech?
E. Words
expressing nearness in time or places are generally changed into words
expressing distance.
Examples:
-
Direct: He said, “I am glad to be here this evening.”
Indirect: he said that he was glad to be there that
evening.
-
Direct: He said, “I was here yesterday.”
Indirect: He said that he was there the day before.
Are you clear about the conversion of
Direct to Indirect Speech?
Now, let us see the words which get changed when the
Direct Speech is changed into Indirect Speech.
·
Now becomes then
·
Here becomes there
·
Ago becomes before
·
Thus becomes so
·
Today becomes that day
·
Tomorrow becomes the next day
·
Yesterday becomes the day before
·
Last night becomes the night before
·
This becomes that
·
These becomes those
Are you clear about the conversion of
Direct to Indirect Speech?
F.
How the questions used in the Direct Speech are
changed into Indirect Speech? In reporting
questions, the indirect Speech is introduced by such verbs as asked, inquired
etc…
Examples:
-
Direct: He said to me, “What are you doing?”
Indirect: He asked me what I was doing.
-
Direct: A stranger asked me, “Where do you live?”
Indirect: A stranger enquired where I lived.
-
Direct: The Policemen said to us, “Where are you
going?”
Indirect: The Policemen asked us where we were going.
-
Direct: He said, “Will you listen to such a man?”
Indirect: He asked them whether they would listen to
such a man.
-
Direct: His angry mother jeered, “Do you suppose you
know better than your father?”
-
Indirect: His angry mother jeered and asked whether he
supposed that he knew better than his father.
Are you clear about the conversion of Direct to
Indirect Speech?
G. How the
Commands and the Requests in the Direct Speeches are changed when the Direct
Speeches are changed into indirect Speeches?
In reporting commands and requests, the indirect
speech is introduced by some verb expressing commands and requests, and the
Imperative Mood is changed into Infinitive Mood.
Examples:
-
Direct: Raja said to John, “Go away.”
Indirect: Raja ordered John to go away.
-
Direct: He said to Mary, “Please wait here till I
return.”
Indirect: he requested Mary to wait there till he
returned.
Are you clear about the conversion of Direct to
Indirect Speech?
-
Direct: “Call the first witness”, said the Judge.
Indirect: The Judge commanded them to call the first
witness.
-
Direct: He shouted, “Let me go.”
Indirect: he shouted to them to let him go.
-
Direct: He said, “Be quite and listen to my words”.
Indirect: He urged them to be quite and listen to his
words.
Are you clear about the conversion of Direct to
Indirect Speech?
H. How the
Exclamation and the Wishes in the Direct Speeches are changed when the Direct
Speeches are changed into Indirect Speeches?
In reporting exclamation and wishes, the Indirect
Speech is introduced by some verb expressing Exclamation and Wishes.
Examples:
-
Direct: He said, “Alas! I am undone”.
Indirect: He exclaimed sadly that he was undone.
-
Direct: Alice said, “How clever I am?”
Indirect: Alice exclaimed that he was very clever.
-
Direct: He said, “Bravo! You have done well.”
Indirect: he applauded him, saying that he had done
well.
-
Direct: “So help me, Heaven!” he cried, “I will never
steal again”.
Indirect: He called upon Heaven to witness his resolve
never to resolve.
Are you clear about the conversion of
Direct to Indirect Speech?
What is an object?
An object in grammar is a part of a sentence, and often part of
the predicate.
It refers to someone or something involved in the subject's
"performance" of the verb. It is what the verb is being done to. As
an example, the following sentence is given:
·
Leila wrote the poem - the "poem" is the object.
"Leila" is the subject,
the doer or performer, while "wrote" is the action, and "poem"
is the object involved in the action.
There are two types of object:
1)
Direct object
A direct object answers the question "What?"
Examples :
·
David repaired his car - his car is
the direct object of the verb repaired ( What
did David repair?)
·
The man visited the museum - the
museum is the direct object of the verb visited (what
did the man visit?)
2)
Indirect Object
An indirect object answers the question "To whom?" or "For
whom?". An indirect object is the recipient of the direct object, or an
otherwise affected participant in the event. There must be a direct object for
an indirect object to be placed in a sentence. In other words an indirect
object cannot exist without a direct object.
Examples:
·
They sent him a postcard - him is the indirect
object of the verb sent.(To whom did they send a
postcard?)
·
He bought his son a bike - his son is the indirect
object of the verb bought. (For whom he bought
a bike?)
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