General English
Direct and Indirect Speech
Convert statements, questions, commands and exclamations accurately by controlling tense, pronouns and reporting verbs.
Study progress
1. Core Changes
Change pronouns according to speaker/listener, remove quotation marks, and apply tense changes when the reporting verb is in the past and the situation requires them.
2. Tense Backshift
Present simple → past simple; present continuous → past continuous; present perfect → past perfect; past simple → past perfect in standard backshift patterns.
3. Time/Place Words
now → then; today → that day; tomorrow → the next day; yesterday → the previous day; here → there.
4. Questions
Use statement word order after the reporting verb: He asked where I lived, not where did I live.
5. Commands/Exclamations
Use appropriate reporting verbs such as ordered, requested, advised, exclaimed, wished, etc.
Memory Tricks & Quick Recall
Think P-T-T: Pronoun → Tense → Time. For questions, remember “reported question = statement order.”