General Rules of Changing Speech I
- If the Reporting Verb of the Direct Speech is in the Present Tense, Present Perfect Tense, or Future Tense, there is no change in the Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech; only the Person changes.
- Direct: Sabina says, “I am ill.”
- Indirect: Sabina says that she is ill.
- Direct: Farid has said, “I have done my duty.”
- Indirect: Farid has said that he has done his duty.
- Direct: Bilkis will say, “I read a book.”
- Indirect: Bilkis will say that she reads a book.
- If the Reporting Verb is in the Past Tense, the Verb in the Reported Speech changes to the corresponding Past Tense.
- Direct: Nabil said, “I write a letter.”
- Indirect: Nabil said that he wrote a letter.
Present Indefinite Tense to Past Indefinite Tense
- Present Indefinite Tense changes to Past Indefinite Tense.
- Direct: Zia said, “I write a letter.”
- Indirect: Zia said that he wrote a letter.
Present Continuous Tense to Past Continuous Tense
- Present Continuous Tense changes to Past Continuous Tense.
- Direct: Shamim said, “I am working.”
- Indirect: Shamim said that he was working.
Present Perfect Tense to Past Perfect Tense
- Present Perfect Tense changes to Past Perfect Tense.
- Direct: Shaheen said, “I have done my work.”
- Indirect: Shaheen said that he had done his work.
Present Perfect Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous Tense
- Present Perfect Continuous Tense changes to Past Perfect Continuous Tense.
- Direct: Shilpi said, “We have been reading for two hours.”
- Indirect: Shilpi said that they had been reading for two hours.
Past Indefinite Tense to Past Perfect Tense
- sentences containing ‘wish’, ‘would’, ‘rather’, ‘sooner’, or ‘it is time’ followed by an unreal past tense, there is no change in the tense of the verb in Indirect Speech.
- Direct: He said, “It is time we left the place.”
- Indirect: He said that it was time they left the place.
- Direct: The girl said, “I wish I prayed.”
- Indirect: The girl said that she wished she prayed.
- When ‘had better’ is used in Direct Speech with a first or third person subject, it generally remains unchanged in Indirect Speech. However, if the subject is a second person, ‘had better’ can change to ‘advised’ or ‘suggested’ + infinitive.
- Direct: He said to me, “You had better go.”
- Indirect: He told me that I had better go.
- Indirect (alternative for second person): He advised me to do the work.
- The modals ‘might’, ‘ought to’, ‘should’, and ‘would’ do not change in Indirect Speech.
- Direct: I said to him, “You might
