Verbal Abipty - Direct & Reported Speech

Introduction

Direct speech are exact quotes of the speech. They are completely identical transcripts of speech between two people.

For Example

He said, “Tell me what you know.”

I said, “I don’t know anything on this topic.”

Reported speech is the way a pstener would narrate the incident in front of another person.

For Example

He asked me to tell what I knew

I said that I didn’t know anything on that topic.

Direct to Reported Speech

The verbs in present tense will change into their corresponding past tenses in the following manner −

Simple present to simple past

Present progressive to past progressive

Present perfect to past perfect

Present perfect progressive to past perfect progressive.

The word “will, shall” will be replaced by “would”.

The word “can” will be replaced by “could”.

Important

The only action words that will not change its tense are actions that are universal truth.

For Example

Direct Speech − “The Sun rises in the east.”

Indirect Speech − He told me that the sun rises in the east.