Grammatical Structure: Direct and Indirect Speech
The word ‘reported’ is often used for the second type; but the truth is that we can ‘report’ EITHER by using ‘direct speech’ OR by using ‘indirect speech’. The difference is that with direct speech we reproduce the actual words of a speaker; with indirect speech we do this ‘indirectly’.
Changes involved in direct and indirect speech
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| Present tenses | Past tenses |
| Past tenses | Past perfect tenses |
| 1st/2nd person pronouns | 3rd person pronouns |
Less important changes are that this, these may change to that, those; here to there; now to then; today to that day e.t.c
Remember that auxiliaries also have present and past forms
Forms of auxiliaries
| Present | Past |
| Am, is | Was |
| Are | Were |
| Has, have | Had |
| Do, does | Did |
| Can | Could |
| May | Might |
| Will | Would |
| Shall | Should |
For must, use had to in the past; ought does not change…
Read more here- https://passnownow.com/lesson/revision-on-direct-and-indirect-speech/
