Examples:

Tim Said "I love her."

→Tim said that he loved her.(Past simple)

Sara told me "I don't love him!

→Sara told me that she didn't love him.(Present continue)

She told me " I'm hanging out with my friends".

⇒she told me that she was hanging out with her friends.(Past continue)

" I didn't finish it " Rick said.

→Rick said that he hadn't fnished it.(Past perfect)

she told me " I won't try it".

=> she said that she wouldn't try it.

Modal verbs:

Will → Would

Can → Could

Must → Had to

May → Might

• Indirect questions are a polite way to make a request or to ask for information . Also we use them when asking for a favour.

Inform Indirect quit:

Question phrase + Direct question(note: word order reversed, as in affirmative sentence).

Indirect question: with the "to be" verb, the verb comes after the subject.

Could you tell me where the coffee shop is?

→Could you tell me (Question phrase)

→Where the coffee shop is (Direct question).

.Reported Speech

Definition: Reported speech is used to tell someone what another person said, without quoting their exact words.and to report what someone said.

_Key Features:

• No quotation marks are used.

• Verb tenses often shift one step back (called backshifting).

• Pronouns and time expressions change based on context.

• Example:

Direct Speech: She said, “I am tired.”

Reported Speech: She said that she was tired.

Direct speech: he said “I will go.”

Reported speech: He said he would go.

.Indirect Questions

Definition: Indirect questions are more polite and formal ways of asking questions. They don’t use question word or a question mark.(sometimes it’s end with a full stop not a question mark)

_Structure:

•Start with an introductory phrase (ex:Can you tell me, I wonder, Do you know)

• Follow with a statement word order (subject + verb), not a question order.

_Example:

Direct question: where is she?

Indirect question:Can you tell me where she is?

Direct question:Is he coming?

Indirect question:Can you tell me if he coming?

Direct question: Did he call you?

Indirect question: I wonder if he called you.

1. What is Reported (Indirect) Speech?

When we use reported speech, we do not use quotation marks, and we often change the tense, pronouns, and time expressions.

2. Example

-Direct speech (exact words):

She said, “I am hungry.”

-Reported (indirect) speech:

She said that she was hungry.

3. Changes You Usually Make in Reported Speech

a. Tense Changes (if reporting verb is in past)

Direct Speech> reported speech

“I am tired.”

>He said he was tired.

“I like it.”

>She said she liked it.

“I will come.”

>He said he would come.

“I can do it.”

>She said she could do it.

b. Pronoun Changes

• “I am happy” → She said she was happy.

• “We are here” → They said they were there.

c. Time Word Changes

Direct Speech > Reported speech

Today > that day

Now > then

Tomorrow >the next day

Yesterday > the day before

This week > that week

4. Reporting Questions

a. Yes/No Questions

• Direct: “Do you like tea?”

• Reported: She asked if I liked tea.

b. Wh- Questions

• Direct: “Where do you live?”

• Reported: He asked where I lived.

Reported (or indirect) speech is used to say what someone else said, without quoting them directly.

🔄 Key Grammar Changes

1. Tense Changes (Backshifting)

When reporting in the past, shift tenses back:

• Present Simple → Past Simple
  "I work" → He said he worked.

• Present Continuous → Past Continuous
  "I’m eating" → She said she was eating.

• Past Simple → Past Perfect
  "I visited" → He said he had visited.

• Will → Would
  "I will go" → She said she would go.

2. Pronoun Changes

Match the speaker’s perspective:

• "I love my dog" → He said he loved his dog.

3. Time/Place Changes

• Now → then, Today → that day, Tomorrow → the next day, Here → there

❓ Reporting Questions

• Yes/No:
  "Are you coming?" → She asked if I was coming.

• Wh- Questions:
  "Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived.

🗣️ Commands & Requests

• "Sit down" → He told me to sit down.

• "Don’t be late" → She told me not to be late.

Meaning : Reported speech is when you tell someone what another person said, but not using their exact words.

. Example:

Direct: She said, “I am hungry.”

Reported: She said that she is hungry

• Indirect questions

  Meaning : indirect questions are questions that are reported or ask in more polite or formal way.

• Direct question (normal questions)

  . Where is he?

• Indirect question

  . Can you tell me where he is?

  . I wonder where he is?

• They often start with phrase like :

  . Can you tell me…

  . Do you know…

  . I wonder…

  . Could you explain…

  ~Hope you understand about this lesson!~

  
  

  
  

  
  

•Example

•Direct Speech: "I am going to the store," she said.
•Reported Speech: She said that she was going to the store. 

•Direct Speech: "I love ice cream," he said. 

•Reported Speech: He said that he loved ice cream. 

•Direct Speech: "Are you happy?" she asked.
•Reported Speech: She asked if he was happy. 

•Direct Speech: "I'll call you later," he said.
•Reported Speech: He said he would call me later. 

•Direct Speech: "She is coming tomorrow," he said. 

•Reported Speech: He said that she was coming tomorrow. 

•Indirect questions

An indirect question is a question embedded within a broader statement or question, used to politely request information.

•Example

• Direct: Where is the library? 

• Indirect: Could you tell me where the library is? 

• Direct: Is the meeting room available? 

• Indirect: Do you know if the meeting room is available? 

_ Reported speech is conveys what someone said without using their exact words.

Example :

• She said that she was learning Spanish.

• He said that he would call me the next day.

• She asked where I lived.

INDIRECT QUESTION

_ indirect question is a question embedded within a broader statement or question, used to politely request information.

Example:

• Direct question:What time is it?

• Indirect question:Could you tell me what time it is?

+ what is the rule for indirect question?

_ When we write the indirect questions remember these three things: Start each indirect question with a polite phrase such as 'Do you know ...' or 'Could you tell me ...'. We don't use auxiliary verbs 'do', 'does' and 'did' in indirect questions. Use 'if' or 'whether' in indirect questions if there is no question word.

Example:

1. Jake said " I hate Laura so much".

Jake said that he hates Laura so

much.

2. Kai said " I missed Jennie 😭 and I always dream of Jennie.

Kai said that he missed Jennie and he always dream of Jennie.

WHAT IS INDIRECT QUESTION ❓

Indirect questions are more polite or formal versions of direct questions. Instead of asking the question directly, you embed it into a longer sentence, often starting with phrases like:

• Can you tell me…?

• Do you know…?

• I was wondering…

• Could you explain…?

Key Differences Between Direct and Indirect Questions:

1. No question word order (in indirect questions):

The sentence structure becomes subject + verb, not question word + auxiliary + subject.

2. No question mark at the end (unless you're actually asking something politely).

Examples:

1. Direct: Where is she?

Indirect: Can you tell me where she is?

2. Direct: What time does the train leave?

Indirect: Do you know what time the train leaves?

3. Direct: Did he finish the project?

Indirect: I was wondering if he finished the project.

: for it we can use direct speech and indirect speech .

1. I'm sleepy. ( direct speech)

2. She said she sleepy. ( indirect speech)

• What's Indirect question

  -Indirect question is a question embedded within a broader statement or question, used to politely request information.

• The key word of it is "politeness"

  example : " Where is the bus station? " instead of it we can say " Would you mind telling me where the bus station is?

• What's Reported speech?

  -Actually reported speech is known as Report that tell someone what another person said .

: for it we can use direct speech and indirect speech .

1. I'm sleepy. ( direct speech)

2. She said she sleepy. ( indirect speech)

• What's Indirect question

  -Indirect question is a question embedded within a broader statement or question, used to politely request information.

• The key word of it is "politeness"

  example : " Where is the bus station? " instead of it we can say " Would you mind telling me where the bus station is?

Used to express what someone said or thought without using exact word they used.

Example:

-I like ice cream.> She said that she liked ice cream.

-I'm living in Phnom Penh.> She said that she was living in Phnom Penh.

-I bought a car.> She said she bought a car.

-I was walking a long the street.> She said she had been walking a long the street.

-I had taken Spanish lesson before.> She said she had taken Spanish lesson before.

-I'll see you later.> She said she would see me later.

##An indirect question is a question embedded within a broader statement or question, used to politely request information.

Example:

-Direct question: when will they arrive?

-Indirect question: He asked when they would arrive.

#Rules of Direct question and Indirect question :

Direct and indirect questions serve the same purpose of asking for information, but indirect questions are generally used when being more polite or formal. Direct questions use a question word (what, why, where, when, how) or an auxiliary verb to form the question. Indirect questions are formed by including a phrase like "Can you tell me..." or "Do you know..." and then using the word order of a positive statement.

>Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is when you tell what someone else said, but not using their exact words.

Example:

1_Present Simple → Past Simple

Direct speech :

• She said, “I eat rice every day.”

Reported speech :

She said that she ate rice every day.

2_Present Continuous → Past Continuous

Direct speech :

• He said, “I am studying English.”

Reported speech :

• He said that he was studying English.

Past Simple → Past Perfect

Direct speech :

•hey said, “We watched a movie.”

Reported speech :

• They said that they had watched a movie.

( Indirect speech )

>Indirect questions are polite or formal ways of asking questions.

They don’t follow normal question word order, and they often start with phrases like:

• Can you tell me…

• Do you know…

• I wonder…

• Could you explain…

  
  

❗ Key Points:

• No question word order
  (Subject comes before the verb, like a normal sentence)

• No question mark at the end (unless it’s a polite question)

Examples:

1.

With question words

(what, where, when, why, how):

Direct:

• “Where is the bank?”

Indirect:

•Can you tell me where the bank is?

Direct:

• “What time does the movie start?”

Indirect:

•Do you know what time the movie starts?

2.Yes/No questions(use if or whether):

Direct:

• “Is she at home?”

Indirect:

• Do you know if she is at home?

Direct:

• “Did he finish his work?”

Indirect:

• Can you tell me if he finished his work?

direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel.
indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank.

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for example pronouns.

Present simple, present continuous and present perfect

When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect.

'I travel a lot in my job.'

• Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job.

'The baby's sleeping!'

• He told me the baby was sleeping.

'I've hurt my leg.'

• She said she'd hurt her leg.

Past simple and past continuous

When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect simple, and past continuous usually changes to past perfect continuous.

'We lived in China for five years.'

• She told me they'd lived in China for five years.

'It was raining all day.'

• He told me it had been raining all day.

Past perfect

The past perfect doesn't change.

'I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great.'

• He said he'd tried everything without success, but the new medicine was great.

No backshift

If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. This might happen when the speaker has used a present tense.

'I go to the gym next to your house.'

• Jenny told me that she goes to the gym next to my house. I'm thinking about going with her.

'I'm working in Italy for the next six months.'

• He told me he's working in Italy for the next six months. Maybe I should visit him!

'I've broken my arm!'

• She said she's broken her arm, so she won't be at work this week.