Direct and Indirect Speech: The Rules

Direct speech gives a speaker's exact words in inverted commas. Indirect (reported) speech gives the meaning without quoting.

Rule 1: Tense changes (when the reporting verb is past)

• Present simple → past simple: "I write" → he wrote
• Present continuous → past continuous: "I am writing" → he was writing
• Present perfect → past perfect: "I have written" → he had written
• Past simple → past perfect: "I wrote" → he had written
• will → would, can → could, may → might, shall → should
• must usually stays, or becomes had to.

No change when the reporting verb is present or future (he says, he will say), or when the speech is a universal truth.

Rule 2: Pronouns change to fit the reporter

Rule 3: Words of time and place

now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the previous day, ago → before, here → there, this → that, these → those, last night → the previous night.

Statements

Use said or told (+ object) and that.

Questions

Use asked. Drop the question mark and use statement word order.

• Yes/no questions take if or whether: She said, "Are you ready?" → She asked if I was ready.
• Wh- questions keep the question word: He said, "Where do you live?" → He asked me where I lived.

Commands and requests

Use ordered, told, requested, advised + to + verb. For negatives, use not to.

Exclamations and wishes