Direct-Indirect Speech - Additional Tips

1.  You can use single quotation marks in place of double quotation marks; for example :

The gardener said, "I shall pluck a few flowers for you."

The gardener said, 'I shall pluck a few flowers for you."

2.  The Reporting Verb can follow the Reported Speech. In that case, the structure of different sentences is as follows :

Ramesh said, "I am your friend."/"I am your friend," said Ramesh./"I am," said Ramesh, "your friend."

3.  There can be two or more different types of sentences in Direct Speech; they have to be dealt with independently; for example :

Direct : The teacher said, "This is not the right answer. Did you study well today?"

Indirect : The teacher said that that was not the right answer. He asked if they had studied well that day.

Direct : The student said, "Good morning, Teacher. May I come in? I am late because it is raining outside."

Indirect : The student wished his (or her) teacher good morning. He asked if he might go in. He said that he was late because it was raining outside.

4.  Sometimes, the sentences may be given in dialogue form, but they have to dealt as per the above rules; for example :

Direct : The officer said to the peon, "I gave you an envelope. Where is it?" The peon said, "Sir, I posted it in the letter-box."

Dialogue form :

Officer : I gave you an envelope. Where is it?

Peon : Sir, I posted it in the letter-box.

Indirect : The officer said to the peon that he had given him an envelope. He asked where it was. The peon replied respectfully that he had posted it in the letter-box.

5.  Sometimes, a dialogue may be given in a pictorial form; for example :

fig. calf telling cow : Can I go out? I have grown now.

fig. cow telling calf : You are still a child.

Indirect : The calf asked his mother if he could go out. He said that he had grown then. The cow told the calf that he was still a child.