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.

References

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