GMAT Focus Edition · English Language & Comprehension
Direct & Indirect Speech
Converting sentences between direct narration and reported indirect speech.
Direct speech quotes the speaker's exact words inside quotation marks; indirect speech reports them inside a that-clause (or an if/whether clause for yes/no questions) with tense, pronoun, and time-word adjustments. Every conversion item follows the same sequence: identify the sentence type, fix the reporting verb, shift what the reporting context demands, then clean word order and punctuation.
- GMAT Focus Edition
- Medium level
- 6 concepts
- 5 practice questions
1Backshift when the reporting verb is past
When the reporting verb is in the past — said, told, asked — the tense inside the quotation moves one step back. Present simple becomes past simple, present continuous becomes past continuous, present perfect becomes past perfect, and past simple becomes past perfect. Modals shift too: will → would, can → could, may → might.
Direct: He said, "I am tired." Indirect: He said that he was tired. The meaning stays the same; only the tense packing changes to match the past frame of the reporting clause.
Backshift is mandatory only when the reporting verb is past. If the reporting verb is present or future — says, will say — exam answers usually keep the quoted tense unchanged. Universal truths stay in the present even after said: He said that the sun rises in the east.
Figure. A past reporting verb usually backshifts the reported tense one step.
How it works
- Check the reporting verbIs it past (said, told, asked)? If not, skip backshift unless the stem explicitly demands it.
- Map the quoted tenseMove one step back on the chain: present → past, past → past perfect, will → would.
- Shift pronouns and time wordsIn the same pass, adjust I→he/she, tomorrow→the next day, today→that day.
| Direct (quoted) | Indirect (reported) |
|---|---|
| present simple (am/is/are) | past simple (was/were) |
| present continuous | past continuous |
| present perfect | past perfect |
| past simple | past perfect |
| will / can / may | would / could / might |
Convert to indirect speech: She said, "I will finish the report tomorrow."
- She said that she would finish the report the next day.
- She said that she will finish the report tomorrow.
- She said that she would finish the report tomorrow.
- She said that I would finish the report the next day.
A past reporting verb (said) triggers backshift: will → would, I → she, tomorrow → the next day. Option B keeps the direct tenses — wrong because said is past. Option C backshifts will but leaves tomorrow unchanged. Option D shifts the pronoun to I instead of she.
2When backshift does not apply
Backshift follows the reporting verb, not a calendar rule. When the reporting verb is present — says, tells — or future — will say — the quoted tense usually stays as spoken: He says that he is tired, not He says that he was tired.
Universal or habitual truths also resist backshift even after a past reporting verb. He said that the earth revolves around the sun keeps revolves in the present because the fact is still true at reporting time.
Exam traps plant a past reporting verb and then offer an option that backshifts a universal truth or a still-current fact. Read whether the inner clause describes something permanently true or something tied to the moment of speaking.
Figure. Skip backshift for truths, still-true facts, or present reporting verbs.
How it works
- Read the reporting verb tensePresent or future → keep the quoted tense. Past → backshift unless an exception below applies.
- Test for universal truthScientific facts, proverbs, and habitual generalisations stay in the present even after said.
- Check whether the fact is still currentIf the situation at reporting time matches the quote, some registers keep the original tense — but on SSC items, universal-truth exceptions are the main trap.
| Situation | Reporting verb | Quoted tense in indirect |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary statement | present (says) | unchanged — am stays am |
| Ordinary statement | future (will say) | unchanged |
| Universal / scientific truth | past (said) | present kept — rises stays rises |
| Ordinary statement | past (said) | backshift — am → was |
Convert to indirect speech: The teacher said, "The sun rises in the east."
- The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
- The teacher said that the sun rose in the east.
- The teacher said that the sun had risen in the east.
- The teacher says that the sun rises in the east.
A universal truth keeps the present tense even after a past reporting verb. Option B applies ordinary backshift to a fact that does not go out of date. Option C over-backshifts with past perfect. Option D changes the reporting verb to present without being asked.
3Pronoun shifts to match the reporter
Direct speech uses the speaker's viewpoint — I, we, my, our. Indirect speech re-anchors every pronoun to the reporter's frame: the subject of the reporting clause and whoever is being addressed.
First person in the quote becomes third person when someone else reports it: She said, "I finished my work" → She said that she had finished her work. The speaker's I becomes she to match She.
Second person shifts with the listener. He said to me, "You must leave" → He told me that I must leave — you becomes I because the original listener is now the reporter's object. Exam distractors often backshift the tense correctly but leave I or you unchanged.
Figure. Pronouns rewrite to the reporter's point of view, not the original speaker's.
How it works
- Name the speaker and listenerWho spoke in the direct quote? Who was spoken to? The reporting clause tells you both.
- Map first personI / my / me / we / our → he/she/they / his/her/their / him/her/them to match the quoted speaker.
- Map second personyou / your → I/me/my if the listener is the reporter; he/she/him/her if a third person was addressed.
| Direct (in quote) | Indirect (someone else reports) |
|---|---|
| I / my / me | he/she + his/her + him/her (match quoted speaker) |
| we / our / us | they / their / them |
| you / your (listener = reporter) | I / my / me |
| you / your (listener = third person) | he/she + his/her |
Convert to indirect speech: Ravi said to me, "You should submit your form today."
- Ravi told me that I should submit my form that day.
- Ravi told me that you should submit your form that day.
- Ravi told me that I should submit your form that day.
- Ravi said that I should submit my form today.
The listener (you) becomes I because me is the object of told. your → my, and today → that day after a past reporting verb. Option B leaves you/your — the direct-speech viewpoint. Option C mixes my with your. Option D keeps today and uses said instead of told me.
4Time and place words shift with viewpoint
Words that mean "here and now" from the speaker's position must move when the sentence is reported from another time and place. now becomes then, today becomes that day, tomorrow becomes the next day, yesterday becomes the previous day or the day before.
Place deixis shifts the same way: here → there, this → that, these → those. Direct: "I will meet you here tomorrow." Indirect: He said that he would meet me there the next day.
Half-shift traps are common: the tense and pronouns change but tomorrow or here survives from the direct quote. After a past reporting verb, every time-and-place anchor in the quotation needs its reported form unless the reporting context makes the original word still accurate.
Figure. Near-time and near-place words shift when the reporting viewpoint moves.
How it works
- Scan the quote for deictic wordsFlag now, today, tomorrow, yesterday, here, this, these — each one must move or be justified.
- Apply the standard mapnow→then, today→that day, tomorrow→the next day, yesterday→the previous day, here→there, this→that.
- Re-read after tense shiftTime words and tense shift in the same pass; a correct tense with a leftover tomorrow is still wrong.
| Direct word | Indirect (after past reporting verb) |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day |
| yesterday | the previous day / the day before |
| here / this / these | there / that / those |
Convert to indirect speech: He said, "I saw her here yesterday."
- He said that he had seen her there the previous day.
- He said that he saw her here yesterday.
- He said that he had seen her here the previous day.
- He said that he had seen her there yesterday.
Past reporting triggers backshift (saw → had seen) and deictic shift (here → there, yesterday → the previous day). Option B skips both shifts. Option C shifts tense but leaves here. Option D shifts here but leaves yesterday.
5Reporting questions in statement order
Reported questions are not questions anymore. Drop the question mark, put the subject before the verb, and embed the clause after asked (plus an object if someone was addressed). Direct: She asked, "Where do you live?" Indirect: She asked where I lived.
Yes/no questions add if or whether before the subject–verb pair: He asked, "Are you ready?" → He asked if I was ready. Wh-questions keep the wh-word but still use statement order: "Where are you going?" → asked where I was going — never asked where was I going.
Change said to + a question into asked + object. Backshift and pronoun rules still apply inside the embedded clause. The auxiliary moves after the subject — inverted question order is the most planted error in this topic.
Figure. Reported questions drop question order and use statement word order.
How it works
- Switch the reporting verbsaid to + question → asked (+ me/him/her if an object is present).
- Choose if/whether or the wh-wordYes/no → if/whether + subject + verb. Wh- → wh-word + subject + verb.
- Restore statement order and backshiftMove the auxiliary after the subject, backshift the tense, shift pronouns, drop the question mark.
| Direct question type | Indirect frame |
|---|---|
| Yes/no: "Are you ready?" | asked if/whether + subject + was ready |
| Wh-: "Where do you live?" | asked where + subject + lived |
| With object: said to me, "…?" | asked me + embedded clause |
| Wrong order trap | asked where was I … ✗ → asked where I was … ✓ |
Convert to indirect speech: She said to me, "Where are you going?"
- She asked me where I was going.
- She asked me where was I going.
- She said to me where I was going.
- She asked me where am I going.
A wh-question becomes asked + object + wh-word + statement order: where I was going. Option B keeps inverted order (where was I). Option C keeps said to instead of asked. Option D leaves present tense and inverted order (where am I).
6Commands, requests, and exclamations
Commands and requests do not use a that-clause. They use told / ordered / requested / advised + object + (not) to + base verb. Direct: "Close the door," he said to me. Indirect: He told me to close the door.
The main verb stays in base form after to — never close → closed or closing in the infinitive slot. Negatives insert not before to: "Do not open the window" → told me not to open the window.
Exclamations report with exclaimed + that + backshifted clause, often with with joy, with sorrow, or with surprise: "What a beautiful day!" → She exclaimed with joy that it was a beautiful day. Pick the reporting verb that matches force: ordered for commands, requested for polite asks, advised for suggestions.
Figure. Commands use told/ordered + to; requests use requested/asked + to; exclamations use exclaimed that.
How it works
- Classify the forceCommand → told/ordered; polite request → requested; advice → advised; exclamation → exclaimed with … that.
- Build the to-infinitive framereporting verb + object + (not) to + base verb. Shift possessives and time words in the rest of the phrase.
- Handle exclamations separatelyWhat/How exclamations become exclaimed that + statement with backshifted tense — no to-infinitive.
| Direct force | Reporting pattern |
|---|---|
| Command: "Sit down." | told/ordered + object + to + base verb |
| Request: "Please help me." | requested + object + to + base verb |
| Advice: "You should rest." | advised + object + to + rest |
| Exclamation: "How cold it is!" | exclaimed with … that + it was cold |
Convert to indirect speech: The teacher said to the students, "Submit your assignments today."
- The teacher told the students to submit their assignments that day.
- The teacher told the students that they submitted their assignments that day.
- The teacher told the students to submitted their assignments today.
- The teacher said the students to submit their assignments that day.
A command uses told + object + to + base verb; your → their, today → that day. Option B wrongly uses a that-clause with past tense. Option C puts submitted after to — the infinitive must stay base form. Option D omits to after said.
Notes
- Backshift of Tense: When the reporting verb is in the past ('said', 'told'), the tense inside the quotation moves one step back. Present simple → past simple, present continuous → past continuous, present perfect/past simple → past perfect. Direct: He said, 'I am tired.' Indirect: He said that he was tired.
- Pronoun Changes: Pronouns shift to match the reporter's viewpoint. Direct: She said, 'I did my work.' Indirect: She said that she had done her work. First-person pronouns usually change to match the subject of the reporting verb.
- Time & Place Words Shift: now→then, today→that day, tomorrow→the next day, yesterday→the previous day, here→there, this→that, these→those. Direct: 'I will meet you tomorrow.' Indirect: He said he would meet me the next day.
- Questions in Reported Speech: Drop the question mark and use statement word order (subject before verb). Yes/no questions use 'if/whether'; wh-questions keep the wh-word. Direct: She asked, 'Where do you live?' Indirect: She asked where I lived.
- Commands, Requests & Exclamations: Use 'told/ordered/requested + object + to + base verb' for commands. Direct: 'Close the window,' he said. Indirect: He told me to close the window. Exclamations use 'exclaimed with joy/sorrow that...'.
Formulas
- Statement template: Subject + told/said (that) + reported clause with backshifted tense and adjusted pronouns.
- Backshift chain: present simple→past simple; present continuous→past continuous; present perfect→past perfect; past simple→past perfect; will→would; can→could; may→might.
- Yes/No question template: asked + (object) + if/whether + subject + verb (statement order, no '?').
- Wh-question template: asked + (object) + wh-word + subject + verb (statement order, no '?').
- Command/request template: told/ordered/requested/advised + object + (not) to + base verb.
- Time/place conversion: now→then, today→that day, tomorrow→the next day, yesterday→the previous day, here→there, this→that.
Exam traps & shortcuts
- If the reporting verb is present or future ('says', 'will say'), do NOT backshift the tense — only a past reporting verb triggers backshift.
- A universal truth stays in the present even after 'said': He said that the sun rises in the east.
- For questions, first remove the question mark, then rearrange into subject-verb (statement) order before adding if/whether or the wh-word.
- Pick the correct reporting verb for the sentence type: 'told/ordered' (commands), 'requested' (requests), 'asked' (questions), 'advised' (advice).
Reference tables
Use this when the reporting verb is past and the clause is not a universal truth.
| Direct tense / modal | Indirect after said/told/asked |
|---|---|
| am / is / are | was / were |
| am/is/are + -ing | was/were + -ing |
| have / has + past participle | had + past participle |
| past simple (did / saw / went) | past perfect (had done / had seen / had gone) |
| will / shall | would / should |
| can / may | could / might |
Scan every direct quote for these words and these shapes before you pick an option.
| Direct form | Indirect form |
|---|---|
| now / today / tomorrow / yesterday | then / that day / the next day / the previous day |
| here / this / these | there / that / those |
| Yes/no question | asked if/whether + subject + verb |
| Wh- question | asked + wh-word + subject + verb |
| Command or request | told/requested + object + to + base verb |
Recap
Read only this the night before.
- Backshift gate
- Past reporting verb → backshift one step. Present/future reporting verb → keep the quoted tense. Universal truths stay present even after said.
- Half-shift
- Tense without pronouns, or pronouns without tomorrow→the next day, is still wrong. Run every shift in one pass.
- Questions
- Drop the question mark; put the subject before the verb. Yes/no → if/whether; wh- keeps the wh-word. asked, not said to.
- Commands
- told/ordered/requested + object + to + base verb — never a that-clause, never a past form after to.
- Viewpoint
- I in the quote becomes he/she when someone else reports; you addressed to the reporter becomes I.
- Reporting verb
- Match force: asked (questions), told/ordered (commands), requested (polite asks), exclaimed with … that (exclamations).
Practise Direct & Indirect Speech
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