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Direct & Indirect Speech

IBPS PO · English Language

· ✏️ 1 Practice MCQs· Free preview — login for full access

Also prepare for:IBPS Clerk SBI PO SBI Clerk RBI Gr B

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Core Concept

Read this first — the foundation of the topic

→Core Concept

Direct Speech uses the exact words spoken by someone, enclosed in quotation marks. Indirect Speech reports what someone said without using their exact words

✏️Example

Direct - He said, "I am happy." Indirect - He said that he was happy

💡Key Conversion Rules

Remove quotation marks and add 'that' after reporting verb 2. Change pronouns according to subject and object 3. Shift tense backward (present becomes past, past becomes past perfect) 4. Change time expressions (today → that day, yesterday → the day before) 5.

Change place references (here → there, this → that) Tense Conversion Formula: Present Simple → Past Simple Present Continuous → Past Continuous Present Perfect → Past Perfect Past Simple → Past Perfect Will → Would Can → Could May → Might

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Exam Patterns

What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

📋SSC CGL typically asks 2 types

1

Remove quotes, add 'that' → She said that

2

Change pronoun 'I' to 'she' (follows subject)

3

Change 'will' to 'would'

4

Change 'my' to 'her'

5

Change 'tomorrow' to 'the next day' Answer: She said that she would visit her grandmother the next day

✏️Worked Example 2

1

Add reporting verb + comma

2

Change 'he had finished' to 'I have finished' (past perfect to present perfect)

3

Change 'his' to 'my'

4

Change 'the day before' to 'yesterday' Answer: He said to me, "I have finished my work yesterday." Shortcut Trick #3 - Quick Tense Check: If reporting verb is in past tense, shift all tenses backward. If reporting verb is present tense, no tense change needed

⚠️Most Common Mistake

Students forget to change pronouns correctly. The #1 error is keeping 'I' as 'I' instead of changing it according to the subject

💡Remember

'I' in direct speech becomes 'he/she' in indirect speech based on who is speaking. Also, students often miss changing time expressions like 'today' to 'that day'

→Question Types in SSC CGL

Type 1: Simple statements (70% of questions) Type 2: Questions and commands (20% of questions) Type 3: Exclamatory sentences (10% of questions) For interrogative sentences, use 'asked' instead of 'said' and convert question structure to statement structure. For imperative sentences, use 'told/ordered/requested' and add 'to' before the verb.

🔑 Key Points

Remove quotation marks and add 'that' when converting direct to indirect speech
First person pronouns change according to subject, second person according to object
Tense shifts backward: present becomes past, past becomes past perfect
Formula: Today→that day, Tomorrow→next day, Yesterday→day before, Here→there
Reporting verb in past tense requires all tenses to shift backward
Use 'asked' for questions, 'told/ordered' for commands instead of 'said'
Third person pronouns (he, she, they) never change in conversion
Quick check: Can→could, Will→would, May→might in indirect speech
Time and place expressions must be changed from speaker's perspective to reporter's
Most common error is incorrect pronoun conversion, especially first and second person

📌 Exam Facts

SSC CGL contains 2-3 direct-indirect speech questions per exam
Present perfect tense becomes past perfect in indirect speech conversion
Modal verb 'shall' changes to 'should' in indirect speech
Exclamatory sentence conversion uses 'exclaimed with joy/sorrow' as reporting verb
Universal truth statements do not change tense even in indirect speech
Imperative sentences use 'to + verb' structure in indirect speech
Question word 'what/where/when' remains same in indirect speech conversion
Past perfect tense remains unchanged when converting to indirect speech

💪 Practice Questions (1)

Q 1medium

Select the correct indirect speech for the sentence: He said, 'I am writing a letter to my friend.'

🚀 60-Second Revision

Remember: First person→subject, Second person→object, Third person→no change
Formula: Remove quotes, add 'that', shift tense backward
Trap: Don't forget to change time expressions (today, tomorrow, yesterday)
Quick check: Present→past, Past→past perfect, Will→would, Can→could
For questions: Use 'asked' + question word + statement order
For commands: Use 'told/ordered' + object + 'to' + base verb
Universal truths and past perfect tense do not change

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