Reported Speech - Definition, Types (Direct and Indirect Speech), Usage, Examples
International English Language Testing System ( IELTS )
Has it ever happened to you that you couldn't narrate a conversation to your friends? In such cases, you need to use Reported Speech. It is an important topic in B1 grammar that makes quoting and paraphrasing someone effortless. Whether you are answering questions in the IELTS test or want to communicate in day-to-day life, knowing Reported Speech rules will always help you to make your communication easy.
There are two types of Reported Speech: Direct Speech and Indirect Speech. We use direct speech to quote someone or the exact words the person used. To report what the person said without quoting them directly, we use Indirect Speech. For Example:
- Direct Speech: He said, "I am working to improve my IELTS vocabulary"
- Indirect Speech: He said that he was working to improve his IELTS vocabulary.
Well, in this article, we are going to help you learn reported speech from the basics to the advanced level, including its rules, uses and more. By the end of this article, you will be able to answer better in the IELTS writing and speaking.
What is Reported Speech?
Reported Speech helps you to narrate or report what someone else has said in the past. There are two forms of Reported speech: Direct speech and Indirect speech. Both forms of speech can be used for communicating spoken words without always using the exact words said by the person.
Direct Speech
Direct speech uses the exact words spoken by a person or how we recall them.
- Quotation marks ("...") are an essential part of direct speech, indicating the speaker's exact words.
- Punctuation like commas, question marks and exclamation marks will remain inside the quotation mark.
- No change in tense pronouns. It will remain the same as the original.
Indirect Speech
In Indirect speech, there is no use of quotation marks. It paraphrases the sentence said by the speaker. So that, you understand the exact meaning without getting confused. Indirect speech focuses on the meaning of the said by others. Here we have mentioned a few points that you need to keep in mind:
-
Verb tenses mostly change.
-
Pronouns and time expressions change to match the new context.
-
Question marks and exclamation marks are not used.
-
"That" is often used in the sentence.
-
Modal verbs may change.
Reported Speech Examples:
Here we have mentioned few examples of Reported speech. These examples will help you to understand easily how Direct speech is converted into Indirect speech.
| Direct Speech Examples | Indirect Speech Examples |
|---|---|
| He said, "I love ice cream." | He said that he loved ice cream. |
| She said, "I am studying for the exam." | She said that she was studying for the exam. |
| "I will visit my parents tomorrow," he said. | He said that he would visit his parents the next day. |
| She said, "I have finished my homework." | She said that she had finished her homework. |
| He said, "I ate pizza for dinner." | He said that he had eaten pizza for dinner. |
| She said, "I can swim very well." | She said that she could swim very well. |
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Difference Between Direct and Indirect Speech
To make you understand better, I have mentioned point wise difference between Direct and Indirect Speech in the table below.
| Aspect |
Direct Speech |
Indirect Speech |
|---|---|---|
| Form of Tense |
No Change in the speaker's words |
Often involves tense changes (e.g., present → past). |
| Quotation Marks |
Uses quotation marks around the exact words said by the speaker. |
No use of quotation marks. |
| Pronouns |
Remain the same as in the original statement. |
Adjusted to match the new context. |
| Time Expressions |
Remain as they were in the original statement. |
Changed to reflect the time of reporting. |
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Reported Speech Sentence Types with Examples
Check out the examples of different sentence types in Reported Speech:
| Sentence Type |
Example (Direct Speech) |
Example (Indirect Speech) |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative |
I said, “I am happy.” |
I said that I was happy. |
| Negative |
He said, “I don’t like coffee” |
He said that he didn’t like coffee. |
| Interrogative (Yes/No) |
She asked, “Do you want to go for higher studies?” |
She asked if I wanted to go for higher studies. |
| Interrogative (Wh-) |
He asked, “Where are you going?” |
He asked where I was going. |
| Imperative (Commands) |
She ordered, “Close the door.” |
She ordered me to close the door. |
| Imperative (Requests) |
He requested, “Please help me.” |
He requested me to help him. |
| Exclamatory |
She said, “What a beautiful view!” |
She exclaimed that it was a beautiful view. |
Reported Speech Usage
Indirect speech can be used in various contexts including formal and informal communication. We have mentioned some context and examples so you can understand reported speech usage.
| Context |
Examples of Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Everyday Conversation |
Direct: Rahul said, “I am preparing to study in the USA.” Indirect: Rahul said that he was preparing to study in the USA. |
| Academics and Professional Writing |
Direct: A study concluded, “90% of students are using AI for their university work.” Indirect: A study concluded that 90% of students were using AI for their university work. |
| English Proficiency Exams |
Direct: The examiner asked, “What are your plans for this weekend?” Indirect: The examiner asked what my plans were for the weekend. |
| Storytelling and Narration |
Direct: "I got 340 in the GRE exam," she said. Indirect: She said that she had got 340 in the GRE exam. |
| Legal and Formal Reporting |
Direct: "The government is introducing new policies from next year," the Canadian Government said. Indirect: The Canadian Government announced that the government was introducing new policies from the following year. |
How Sentences Change in Reported Speech
According to the rules of Reported Speech, pronouns, tenses, and adverbs in a sentence change when transforming a sentence from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech. Below, we have mentioned a table that will help you to understand it better with examples.
Change of Tense Forms
| Direct Speech |
Reported Speech |
Reported Speech Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present Tense |
Direct: The student said, “I study English every day.” |
|
| Past Continuous Tense |
Direct: The candidate said, “I am preparing for my IELTS exam.” |
|
| Past Perfect Tense |
Direct: Rahul said, “I have completed all my practice tests.” |
|
| Past Perfect Continuous Tense |
Direct: The candidate said, “I have been working on my writing skills.” |
|
| Simple Past Tense |
Direct: Students said, "We took the IELTS exam last month." |
|
| Past Continuous Tense |
Past Perfect Continuous Tense |
Direct: Students said, “I was practising my IELTS speaking test when I received the results.” |
| Past Perfect Tense |
No Change in Tense |
Direct: The candidate said, “I had completed all my preparation before the exam.” |
| Past Perfect Continuous Tense |
No Change in Tense |
Direct: The candidate said, “I had been studying for months before I took the IELTS exam.” |
Direct to Indirect Speech: Change of Pronouns
| Direct Speech Pronoun |
Indirect Speech Pronoun |
Reported Speech Examples |
|---|---|---|
| I |
He, she |
Direct: She said, "I am going to the market." |
| Me |
Him, her |
Direct: She told me, “I will help you.” |
| We |
They |
Direct: They said, "We are planning a trip." |
| You (singular) |
He, She, They |
Direct: You should study harder. |
| You (plural) |
Him, Her, Them |
Direct: She said, "You all are invited to the party." |
| My |
His, Her |
Direct: He said, "This is my book." |
| Mine |
His, Hers |
Direct: "The book is mine." |
| Our |
Their |
Direct: They said, "Our team won the match." |
| Ours |
Theirs |
Direct: They said, "The house is ours." |
| Your (singular) |
His, her |
Direct: She asked, "Is this your pen?" |
| Your (plural) |
His, her, their |
Direct: She said, "Your answers are correct." |
Change of Time Transitions in Indirect Speech
| Direct Speech |
Indirect Speech |
Reported Speech Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Now |
Then |
Direct: She said, “I am revising for the IELTS exam now.” |
| Today |
That day |
Direct: John said, “I have a lecture on writing skills today.” |
| Tomorrow |
The next day |
Direct: Emma said, “I will complete my speaking practice tomorrow.” |
| Yesterday |
The previous day |
Direct: They said, “We attended an IELTS writing workshop yesterday.” |
| Last week |
The previous week |
Direct: She said, “I submitted my IELTS writing task last week.” |
| Next month |
The following month |
Direct: Peter said, “I plan to take the IELTS exam next month.” |
Common Mistakes While Learning Reported Speech
You are learning Reported Speech and its rules. It is completely okay to make mistakes as a learner. This is part of the learning process. To improve, it's important to identify the common mistakes people make. By avoiding these mistakes, you can confidently use Reported Speech and potentially boost your IELTS band score.
Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid when converting Direct Speech to Indirect Speech:"
Wrong Tense Transitions
While changing the sentence from direct to indirect speech, always take care of tense transitions. Many students make this mistake and lose their scores in exams.
- Direct Speech: Students said, “We have completed our assignment.”
- Incorrect Indirect Speech: Students said that they have completed their assignment.
- Correct Indirect Speech: Students said that they had completed their assignment.
Incorrect Pronoun Changes
When transforming direct speech into indirect speech, it’s important to correctly adjust the pronouns. Many candidates overlook this, which results in low scores.
- Direct Speech: Rahul said, “I will join the IELTS coaching class.”
- Incorrect Indirect Speech: Rahul said that I will join the IELTS coaching class.
- Correct Indirect Speech: Rahul said that he would join the IELTS coaching class.
Incorrect Question Structure
At the time of using Reported speech for question sentences follow the correct word order. Keeping this small thing in mind you can add a few more scores in your final IELTS score.
- Direct Speech: She asked, “Where are you going?”
- Incorrect Indirect Speech: She asked where are you going.
- Correct Indirect Speech: She asked where I was going.
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