Direct and Indirect Speech of Simple Present Tense

We often convey a message or give information about what someone said, thought or felt to somebody else. In order to do this you can use the grammar structure named direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech. Scroll down to learn about direct and indirect speech of simple present tense. 

Direct and Indirect Speech of Simple Present Tense

Affirmatives

• Direct speech: RP +, + S + V1 s/es + ROTS
  He said, “My father drives a truck.”
• Indirect speech: RP + that + S + V2 + ROTS
  He said to me that his father drove a truck.

With to be verbs

• Direct speech: He said, “I am very happy today.”
• Indirect speech: He told me that he was very happy that day.

Interrogatives

• Direct speech: RP +, + Do/Does + S + V1 + ROTS
  He asked, “Does your brother go to Learn ESL academy?”
• Indirect speech: RP + if/whether + S + V2 + ROTS
  He asked me if my brother came to Learn ESL academy.

With to be verbs

• Direct speech: He asked Ahmad, “Are you tired tonight?”
• Indirect speech: He asked Ahmad if/whether he was tired that night.

Negatives

• Direct speech: RP +, + S + do/does not + V1 ROTS
  He said to me, “I don`t like selfish people.”
• Indirect speech: RP + that + S + did not + V1 + ROTS
  He told me that he didn`t like selfish people.

With to be verbs

• Direct speech: She said, “The weather is not cold today.”
• Indirect speech: She told me that the weather was not cold that day.

Negative interrogatives

• Direct speech: RP +, + do/does not + S + V1 + ROTS
  They asked, “Don`t you want to come with us?”
• Indirect speech: RP + if + S + did not + V1 + ROTS
  They wanted to know if I didn`t want to go with them.

With to be verbs

• Direct speech: My father asked, “Aren`t you busy today?”
• Indirect speech: My father wanted to know if I wasn’t busy that day.

WH/Information Questions

• Direct speech: RP +, + WH + do/does + S + V1 + ROTS
  The students asked, “When does our school start?”
• Indirect speech: RP + that + WH + S + V2 + ROTS
  The students wanted to know when their school started.

With to be verbs

• Direct speech: He asked, “Why is Ahmad absent today?”
• Indirect speech: He wanted to know why Ahmad was absent that day.

Check out Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises With Answers

If you would like to know more about direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech, check out more in the book below.