Direct & Indirect Speech

At a glance 10 rules

1. 1Said, told, asked'Said to' + listener becomes 'told' + listener; plain 'said' takes no listener. Questions take 'asked', orders 'told' or 'ordered', requests 'requested'.
2. 2Tense steps backWith a past reporting verb, move each tense one step back: is to was, is going to was going, has done and did to had done, will to would, can to could, may to might.
3. 3When the tense staysNo change when the reporting verb is present (says, tells) or the words are a universal truth: The teacher said that the earth goes round the sun.
4. 4Pronouns follow the peopleFirst person matches the speaker, second person the listener, third person stays: Om said to me, 'You are late' becomes Om told me that I was late.
5. 5Time and place wordsnow to then, today to that day, tomorrow to the next day, yesterday to the day before, ago to before, this to that, here to there.
6. 6QuestionsYes/no questions take 'if' or 'whether'; wh-questions keep the wh-word. Both use statement order, no 'that', and a full stop: She asked where I lived.
7. 7Orders and requeststold, ordered, requested or advised + listener + to + verb; 'Don't' becomes 'not to': She told us not to wait.
8. 8Exclamations and wishesExclamations: exclaimed (with joy, with sorrow) that + a statement, so 'What a fine day!' becomes it was a very fine day. Wishes with 'May': prayed that... might.
9. 9Let us'Let us' as a suggestion becomes suggested (or proposed) that they should: He said, 'Let us rest' becomes He suggested that they should rest.
10. 10Two kinds in one quoteGive each sentence its own reporting verb, joined by 'and': He said that he was lost and asked where the station was.