Direct and Indirect Speech
- Rule Title
- Direct and Indirect Speech
- Category
- Direct/Indirect Speech
- Rule Explanation
Tense Backshift (when reporting verb is in the past tense)
| Direct Speech |
Indirect Speech |
| Simple Present |
Simple Past |
| Present Continuous |
Past Continuous |
| Present Perfect |
Past Perfect |
| Simple Past |
Past Perfect |
| Will |
Would |
| Can |
Could |
| May |
Might |
Pronoun Changes
- I → he/she
- We → they
- You → he/she/they
Time and Place Changes
- now → then
- here → there
- today → that day
- tomorrow → the next day
- Correct Example
- Direct: He said, "I am tired."
- Indirect: He said that he was tired.
- Direct: She said, "I will come."
- Indirect: She said that she would come.
- Incorrect Example
He said that he is tired. (backshift: am → was)She told that she will come. (use said or told him/her/them)
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