This document discusses the differences between direct and indirect speech. When changing a statement from direct to indirect speech, there are typically changes to pronouns, tense, and time/place references. Pronouns often change to reflect the new subject. Verb tenses usually change to the past tense. References to time and place are also adjusted to reflect when the statement is being reported rather than when it was originally said.

1. Direct / Indirect Speech
I am feeling
ill!
Paul said that
he was feeling
ill.

2. • Paul said, “I am feeling ill”.
 Paul said that he was feeling ill.
What are the changes?
1. No speech markers (, “”) in the Indirect
Speech.
2. We added that (optional)
3. Pronoun change (I  He)
4. Tense change ( am was)

3. Pronoun change
• I  He /she
• You  He /she/ they
The doctor said, “You are getting better”.
The doctor said that she was getting
better.
You are
getting
better!

4. • My his/her
Jane said, “They are my friends”.
 Jane said they were her friends.
They are
my friends

5. • Me him/her
• Jane said, “He loved me”.
 Jane said he had loved her.
He loved
me.

6. • Mine his/hers
• Jane said, “It is mine”.
 Jane said it was hers.
It is
mine!

7. Tense change
• In general, the present
form in direct speech
changes to the past form
in reported speech:
• am/is  was
• are  were
• do/does  did
• have/has  had
• will  would
• can  could
• want/like/know/go etc.
wanted/liked/knew/wen
t etc.
• The past simple can stay
the same or you can
change it to the past
perfect (had done / had
seen / had known etc.)

8. “My parents
are very
well”.
James said that his parents were very well.

9. My father has been
in New York.
He said that his father had been in New
York.

10. “I'm going to
learn to
drive.”
Jenny said that she was going to learn to drive.

11. “We can
finish in
time”.
Jason said they could finish in time.

12. I watched TV and
I did my homework.
Sami said that he had watched TV and he had done his
homework.

13. Change of time and place
reference
"I saw him today", she said.
She said that she had seen him that day.
today that day

14. "I saw him yesterday"
He said that he had seen him the day before.
yesterday the day
before

15. End of presentation
Thank you!
Tarak Brahmi September 2009