📘 Direct & Indirect Speech – Full Grammar Notes (English → Hindi)
1. What is Direct & Indirect Speech?
✔ Direct Speech → Exact spoken words are written in quotes (“ ”).
✔ Indirect Speech → Spoken words are reported without exact quotation.
Hindi Meaning:
Direct → वही शब्द जो व्यक्ति ने बोले।
Indirect → बोले हुए शब्दों का अर्थ अपने शब्दों में।
Examples:
Direct: He said, “I am happy.”
Indirect: He said that he was happy.
2. Two Parts of Narration
✔ Reporting Verb (रिपोर्टिंग क्रिया)
Example: He said, She told me, They asked
✔ Reported Speech (रिपोर्टेड भाषण)
Example: “I am fine.” / “She is coming.”
In Indirect speech, both are changed according to rules.
3. Key Rules of Changing Direct to Indirect
✔ Remove inverted commas (“ ”)
✔ Use “that” for statements
✔ Change pronouns
✔ Change tense (if reporting verb is in past)
Pronoun Changes:
I → he/she
my → his/her
we → they
our → their
Example:
Direct: She said, “I like apples.”
Indirect: She said that she liked apples.
4. Tense Change Rules (Very Important)
If Reporting Verb is in PAST → Change the tense.
Present Indefinite → Past Indefinite
Present Continuous → Past Continuous
Present Perfect → Past Perfect
Past Indefinite → Past Perfect
Will/shall → would
Examples:
Direct: He said, “I am learning.”
Indirect: He said that he was learning.
5. Change of Time & Place Words
now → then
today → that day
yesterday → the previous day
tomorrow → the next day
here → there
this → that
these → those
Example:
Direct: She said, “I will meet you tomorrow.”
Indirect: She said that she would meet me the next day.
6. Changing Statements (Assertive Sentences)
✔ Use “that”
✔ Change pronouns
✔ Change tense
Example:
Direct: He said, “I am tired.”
Indirect: He said that he was tired.
7. Changing Questions (Interrogative Sentences)
✔ Remove question mark (?)
✔ Use “if / whether” for yes–no type
✔ WH-words remain same (what, why, where…)
Examples:
Direct: He said, “Are you coming?”
Indirect: He asked if I was coming.
Direct: She said, “Where do you live?”
Indirect: She asked where I lived.
8. Commands & Requests (Imperative Sentences)
✔ Use “to” before verb
✔ Use “ordered, requested, advised, told”
Examples:
Direct: He said, “Sit down.”
Indirect: He ordered me to sit down.
Direct: She said, “Please help me.”
Indirect: She requested me to help her.
9. Exclamatory Sentences (विस्मयादिबोधक वाक्य)
✔ Remove “!”
✔ Use phrases like:
- exclaimed with joy
- exclaimed with sorrow
- exclaimed with surprise
Example:
Direct: She said, “Wow! What a scene!”
Indirect: She exclaimed with surprise that it was a beautiful scene.
10. Common Mistakes (आम गलतियाँ)
❌ He asked that where I lived.
✔ He asked where I lived.
❌ She told to me to go.
✔ She told me to go.
❌ He said me that he was happy.
✔ He told me that he was happy.