The 6 Steps of Changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

In the previous lessons, you learned:

What narration is

What direct and indirect speech are

What the parts of a sentence are

Now it is time to learn how to change a sentence.

Many students get confused because they try to change everything at once.

But narration is actually very simple if you follow steps.

There are 6 basic steps.

If you follow them one by one, you can change any sentence easily.

The 6 Steps (Overview)

Here are the 6 steps:

Step 1: Remove quotation marks

Step 2: Change the reporting verb

Step 3: Add that or a link word

Step 4: Change pronouns

Step 5: Change tense

Step 6: Change time and place words

You do not need to remember everything at once.

We will understand each step with examples.

Let Us Start with One Sentence

Direct Speech:

Rafi said, “I am tired.”

We will change this into indirect speech step by step.

Step 1: Remove Quotation Marks

Direct:

Rafi said, “I am tired.”

Indirect:

Rafi said that I am tired

Explanation:

Remove the quotation marks

Write the sentence as part of one sentence

Step 2: Change the Reporting Verb

Sometimes the reporting verb changes.

Example:

said to → told

said → said (sometimes no change)

In this sentence:

Rafi said → no change

So it remains:

Rafi said that I am tired

Step 3: Add “that”

We usually add “that” to connect the two parts.

So:

Rafi said that I am tired

Explanation:

“That” connects the reporting part and reported part.

Step 4: Change Pronouns

Now look at “I”

Who is “I”?

“I” refers to Rafi

So:

I → he

Now the sentence becomes:

Rafi said that he is tired

Step 5: Change Tense

Direct:

I am tired

Indirect:

he was tired

So:

am → was

Now the sentence becomes:

Rafi said that he was tired

Step 6: Change Time and Place Words

In this sentence, there is no time or place word.

So no change is needed.

Final Answer:

Rafi said that he was tired

Full Example Step by Step

Direct:

Mina said, “I like mangoes.”

Step 1: Remove quotation marks

Mina said that I like mangoes

Step 2: Reporting verb stays same

Step 3: Add that (already added)

Step 4: I → she

Mina said that she likes mangoes

Step 5: likes → liked

Mina said that she liked mangoes

Step 6: No time change

Final:

Mina said that she liked mangoes

Another Example

Direct:

The boy said to me, “I will help you.”

Step 1:

Remove quotes

The boy said to me that I will help you

Step 2:

said to → told

The boy told me that I will help you

Step 3:

that already added

Step 4:

I → he

you → me

The boy told me that he will help me

Step 5:

will → would

The boy told me that he would help me

Step 6:

No change

Final:

The boy told me that he would help me

Why These Steps Are Important

If you follow steps:

You will not forget anything

You will not mix rules

You will feel confident

If you skip steps:

You may make mistakes

You may get confused

So always follow the steps in order.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1

Forgetting to remove quotation marks

Mistake 2

Not changing pronouns

Mistake 3

Not changing tense

Mistake 4

Forgetting to add “that”

Mistake 5

Trying to change everything at once

Quick Revision

There are 6 steps:

Remove quotation marks

Change reporting verb

Add that

Change pronoun

Change tense

Change time and place

Follow these steps every time.

Practice

A. Change into indirect speech

1. Rafi said, “I am happy.”

2. Mina said, “I like tea.”

3. The boy said to me, “I will come.”

4. She said, “I am tired.”

B. Fill in the blanks

1. First step is to remove ______

2. “I” changes according to the ______

3. Tense usually changes from present to ______

4. “that” is used to ______ the sentence

Answers

A.

1. Rafi said that he was happy

2. Mina said that she liked tea

3. The boy told me that he would come

4. She said that she was tired

B.

1. quotation marks

2. speaker

3. past

4. connect

Self Check

Can I follow all 6 steps

Can I change pronouns correctly

Can I change tense correctly

Can I explain each step

Homework

Write 5 direct speech sentences.

Change them into indirect speech using all 6 steps.