Direct and Indirect Speech: Statements, Questions, Commands, and Exclamations

Direct and Indirect Speech by Types of Sentences

📘 Table of Contents

• 1. Statements (Assertive Sentences)
• 2. Questions (Interrogative Sentences)
• 3. Commands (Imperative Sentences)
• 4. Exclamations (Exclamatory Sentences)
• 5. Summary

Here, we are going see how to change direct speech to indirect speech for different types of sentences: statements, questions, commands, and exclamations. 

1. Statements (Assertive Sentences)

Structure:

• Direct Speech: She said, "I am happy."
• Indirect Speech: She said that she was happy.

Changes:

1. Remove quotation marks.
2. Use "that" after the reporting verb.
3. Change the tense of the verb in the reported speech.
4. Change pronouns and time expressions as necessary.

Examples:

• Direct: He said, "I like this movie."
• Indirect: He said that he liked that movie.

• Direct: They said, "We will come tomorrow."
• Indirect: They said that they would come the next day.

2. Questions (Interrogative Sentences)

Structure:

• Direct Speech: She asked, "Do you like chocolate?"
• Indirect Speech: She asked if I liked chocolate.

Changes:

1. Remove quotation marks and question marks.
2. Use "if" or "whether" after the reporting verb for yes/no questions.
3. Use the question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) for WH-questions.
4. Change the tense of the verb in the reported speech.
5. Change pronouns and time expressions as necessary.
6. The word order is changed to that of a statement (subject before verb).

Examples:

• Direct: He asked, "Where are you going?"
• Indirect: He asked where I was going.

• Direct: They asked, "Have you finished your homework?"
• Indirect: They asked if I had finished my homework.

3. Commands (Imperative Sentences)

Structure:

• Direct Speech: He said, "Close the door."
• Indirect Speech: He told me to close the door.

Changes:

1. Remove quotation marks.
2. Use "to" + base form of the verb after the reporting verb.
3. Use "told" instead of "said" if it's a command or request.
4. For negative commands, use "not to" + base form of the verb.

Examples:

• Direct: She said, "Do your homework."
• Indirect: She told me to do my homework.

• Direct: They said, "Don't be late."
• Indirect: They told me not to be late.

4. Exclamations (Exclamatory Sentences)

Structure:

• Direct Speech: He said, "What a beautiful day!"
• Indirect Speech: He exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.

Changes:

1. Remove quotation marks and exclamation marks.
2. Use "exclaimed" or "said with joy/surprise" after the reporting verb.
3. Convert the exclamation into a statement.
4. Change the tense of the verb in the reported speech.
5. Change pronouns and time expressions as necessary.

Examples:

• Direct: She said, "How amazing this is!"
• Indirect: She exclaimed that it was amazing.

• Direct: They said, 'Wow, we won the game!"
• Indirect: They exclaimed with joy that they had won the game.

5. Summary

1. Statements: Use "that" after the reporting verb, change pronouns and tenses.

2. Questions: Use "if" or "whether" for yes/no questions; use the question word for WH-questions, change word order.

3. Commands: Use "to" + base form of the verb, or "not to" for negative commands.

4. Exclamations: Use "exclaimed" and convert the exclamation to a statement.

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References

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