Grammar: Reported Speech (Direct and Indirect Speech) PART- 2

Grammar: Reported Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech

Negative Imperative

Negative imperative in direct speech changes into Negative infinitive (i.e., not to + infinitive) in the Reported (Indirect) speech:

He said to me, "Don't make a noise."

Reported: He asked me not to make a noise.

He said to me, "Do not tell a lie."

Reported: He told me not to tell a lie.

‘MUST’ and 'NEEDN'T’ denoting future necessity or compulsion(or instead of shall have to) change into the conditional in indirect Speech.

She said, "l must go tomorrow."

Reported: She said that she would have to go that day.

She said, "l needn’t go next week."

Reported: She said that she wouldn't have to go the following week.

She said, 'I mustn't go'! (This has no future form)

Reported: She said she wasn't to go.

‘MUST' denoting permanent statement or prohibition does not change. (At the same time, natural laws and eternal truths can be expressed in the Simple Present.)

She said to me, "You mustn't smoke in the hospital."

Reported: She told me that / mustn't smoke in the hospital.

Questions in Reported Speech

Wh-questions in Direct Speech take the affirmative form in Indirect Speech, and the question mark is avoided. The Reporting verb can be ask, inquire, wonder, or want to know.

They said, "How can we help?"

Reported: They asked how they could help.

She said, "Why don't you learn to read?"

Reported: She wanted to know why he didn't learn to read.

Yes/No Questions

If there is no question-word in the Direct speech, if or whether must be used in the Reported (Indirect) speech.

He said to me, "Do you drink tea?"

Reported: He asked me if I drank tea. Or He asked me whether I drank tea.

Exclamation and Wish

For expressing exclamation and wish, the Reporting verb is accordingly changed into exclaim, desire, wish, bless, curse, etc. in the Indirect speech.

He said, "May you succeed!"

Reported: He wished that he might succeed.

What a ……. !, What ……….!, How……..! are changed in this way:

He said, “How terrible!”

Reported: He said that it was (very) terrible.

Oh!, Ugh!, Alas! Bravo! Hurrah! etc. are changed into exclaim + with joy/sorrow, etc. in Reported Speech.

He said, “Hurrah! My aunt has come.”

Reported: He exclaimed with joy that his aunt had come.