Notice the following changes in certain words in the passage from Direct to Indirect Speech.

This, these become that, those.

Thus becomes so, in that way.

Here becomes there.

Now becomes then.

Hence becomes thence.

Ago becomes before.

Yesterday becomes the day before, the previous day.

Last night becomes the night before, the previous night.

Today becomes that day, the same day.

Tomorrow becomes the next day.

Come becomes go.

# There are also changes in the pronouns used in Direct Speech.

1. Direct. He says : “I will tell you tomorrow”.
Indirect. He says that he will tell him (or you) tomorrow.

2. Direct. He said: “ I will tell you tomorrow”.
Indirect. He said that he would tell him (or you) the following day.

So we can state the rule simply like this:—

# If the reporting verb is in the Present or Future Tense, the tense of the verb in the reported speech is not changed.

# Now look at these statements in which the reporting verb is in the Past Tense.

Direct. I am tired now, so I will go to bed.
Indirect. He said he was tired then, so he would go to bed.

Direct. I shall be tired by that time, and shall go to bed.
Indirect. He said he would be tired by that time and would go to bed.

From this you will see that when the reporting verb is in the Past Tense, the verb in the reporting speech is changed, i.e. am becomes was, and will and shall become would.

# And there are a number of changes necessary when the reporting verb is in the Past Tense. These are as follow.

(a) When the actual speech is in the Present Indefinite, it becomes the Past Indefinite.

Direct. The doctor comes every day.
Indirect. He said that the doctor came every day.

(b) When the actual speech is in the Present Continuous, it becomes the Past Continuous.

Direct. The doctor is coming every day.
Indirect. He said the doctor was coming every day.

(c) When the actual speech is in the present Subjunctive, it becomes the Past Subjunctive.

Direct. The doctor may come.
Indirect. He said that the doctor might come.
(d) When the actual speech is in the Present Perfect, it becomes the Past Perfect.

Direct. The doctor has come.
Indirect. He said that the doctor had come.

(e) When the actual speech is in the Past

Indefinite, it becomes the Past Perfect.
Direct. The doctor came at noon.

Indirect. He said that the doctor had come (or had been) at noon.

(f) When the actual speech is in the Past Continuous, it becomes the Past Perfect Continuous.

Direct. The doctor was coming yesterday but was prevented.
Indirect. He said that the doctor had been coming the previous day but had been prevented.

This kind of speech gives us the actual words of something said. For example:—

I am tired now, so I am going to bed.*

This sentence contains two statements, both in the Present Tense, but the second with future meaning. When we turn these two statements into Indirect Speech, that is, when we report them, the verbs remain in the Present Tense:

He says that he is tired now, so he is going to bed.

Now look at the following statement:—

I shall be tired by that time, and shall go to bed.

In reported speech this becomes:—

He says tie will be tired by that time, and will go to bed.

From this you see that when the actual words spoken are in the Future Tense, those in the reported statement remain in the Future Tense.

Now let us report the foregoing sentences with the reporting verb in the Future Tense, that is: He will say instead of He says. They will then become:

(a) He will say that he is tired then, and so he is going to bed.

(b) He will say that he will be tired by that time and will go to bed.

Here you see that when the actual words spoken are in the Present Tense, the verbs in the reported statement are also in that tense. And when the actual words spoken are in the Future Tense, the verbs in the reported statement are also in that tense.

*Remember that in English the Present Tense is very frequently used with a Future Meaning. 

For example:

I am going to Anuradhapura next week. 

When I go to Anuradhapura I will buy you that book.

Let us see whether we can lay down any rules for the change from the actual speech to reported speech. First of all we must study the chief ways in which things can be said, and then the ways in which they are usually reported.

#Things can be said as simple statements, as when a story is told. This is called Statement or Assertion.

# They can be asked as questions. This is the Interrogative Form of Speech.

# They can be ordered to be done. This is the Imperative Form of Speech.

# And lastly there are sudden utterances expressing emotion. They are the Exclamatory Form of Speech.

(Indirect Speech = Reported Speech = Indirect Discourse.)

Let us first study the ways of reporting speech—and why should it not be done in class, as actual conversation ? The teacher will ask one student a question. That student will answer. Then the teacher will ask another to report what the first student said. Like this:

Teacher. A. How old are you?

A. I am fifteen years old, sir.

Teacher. B. What does A. say?

B. He says he is fifteen years old, sir.

Teacher. C. What are you reading there?

C. Nothing, sir. I'm looking at pictures.

Teacher. What does he (C.) say, D?

D. He says he is not reading anything, sir, but he is looking at pictures.

Teacher. Where are you going after school, G?

G. I'm going straight home, sir.

Teacher. What does he say, H?

H. He says he's going straight home, sir.

Any number of little conversations like this can be practised (practiced) in class, or out of class, where one of three students can act as teacher.

Interrogative to Affirmative and Negative.

Int. Are you coming with me?
Aff. You are coming with me.
Neg. You are not coming with me.

Int. Did he send an answer?
Aff. He sent me an answer.
Neg. He did not send me an answer.

Notice the following sentences:—

I sleep.	I slept.
I do not (don’t) sleep.	I did not (didn't) sleep.
Do I sleep?	Did I sleep?
Do I not sleep?	Did I not sleep?
Don’t I sleep?	Didn’t I sleep?
I shall / will sleep.	They will sleep.
I shall not (shan’t) / will not (won’t) sleep.	They will not (won’t) sleep.
Shall / Will I sleep?	Will they sleep?
Shall / Will I not sleep?	Will they not sleep?
Shan’t / Won’t I sleep?	Won’t they sleep?

 
In the sentences above you will notice several things which have to be carefully learnt in order that you may be able to take part in English conversation.

Fill up the blanks with the correct tenses of the verbs in brackets:—

If the verb in the Principal clause is in the Future Tense, the verb in the Subordinate Clause may be in Any Tense, according to the meaning.

If the verb in the Principal Clause is in the Present Tense, the verb in the Subordinate Clause may be in Any Tense, according to the meaning.

Principal Clause	Conjunction	Subordinate Clause
I know	what	he does. he is doing. he has done.
I know	what	he did. he was doing. he had done.
I know	what	he will do. he will be doing. he will have done.

When two sentences are joined to form a complex sentence one of them becomes the Principal Clause and the other the Subordinate Clause.

A Complex Sentence: The teacher said that I was improving in English.

Make sentences containing the following Reduplicatives. 

Chit-chat

Ha-ha! 

Helter-skelter

Jingle-jangle

Little-by-little 

Ping-Pong

See-saw 

Sing-song

Tick-tack

Tip-top

Tom-tom

Zig-zag