Reported Speech

LDC ENGLISH GRAMMAR 2026

**Reported Speech (Indirect Speech) നിയമങ്ങൾ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് ഗ്രാമറിൽ** മലയാളത്തിൽ വിശദമായി.

Reported Speech അഥവാ Indirect Speech എന്നത് മറ്റൊരാളുടെ പറഞ്ഞ വാക്കുകൾ ഉദ്ധരിക്കാതെ (quotation marks ഇല്ലാതെ) പറയുന്ന രീതിയാണ്. Direct Speech-ൽ exact words quotation marks-ൽ ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നു. Indirect-ൽ അത് മാറ്റി reporting verb-ന് അനുസരിച്ച് tense, pronoun, time/place words എന്നിവ മാറ്റുന്നു. ഇത് exam-കളിലും spoken English-ലും വളരെ important ആണ്.

### 1. അടിസ്ഥാന നിയമങ്ങൾ (Basic Rules)
– **Quotation marks** നീക്കം ചെയ്യുക.
– Reporting verb (said, told, asked തുടങ്ങിയവ) ഉപയോഗിക്കുക. പൊതുവെ **that** ചേർക്കുക (statements-ൽ, optional ആണ് ചിലപ്പോൾ).
– Reporting verb past tense-ൽ ആണെങ്കിൽ (said/told) reported part-ന്റെ tense ഒരു step back-ലേക്ക് മാറ്റുക.
– Pronouns, time/place expressions മാറ്റുക.
– Reporting verb present/future tense-ൽ ആണെങ്കിൽ (says/will say) tense മാറ്റേണ്ടതില്ല.

**ഉദാഹരണം:**
Direct: He said, “I am happy.”
Indirect: He said that he was happy.

### 2. Pronoun മാറ്റങ്ങൾ (Pronoun Changes)
Pronouns speaker-ന്റെയും listener-ന്റെയും perspective-ന് അനുസരിച്ച് മാറും.

| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|—————|—————–|
| I | He / She |
| Me | Him / Her |
| We | They |
| Us | Them |
| You | He / She / They (context-ന് അനുസരിച്ച്) |
| My | His / Her |
| Our | Their |
| Your | His / Her / Their |

**ഉദാഹരണങ്ങൾ:**
– Direct: She said, “I like my school.”
Indirect: She said that **she** liked **her** school.
– Direct: They said, “We are going.”
Indirect: They said that **they** were going.

### 3. Tense മാറ്റങ്ങൾ (Tense Backshift Rules)
Reporting verb past tense-ൽ ആണെങ്കിൽ മാത്രം പ്രധാനമായും ബാധകം.

**Universal Truth / Habitual facts / Scientific facts** ആണെങ്കിൽ tense മാറ്റേണ്ടതില്ല:
Direct: He said, “The sun rises in the east.”
Indirect: He said that the sun rises in the east.

### 4. Time & Place Expressions മാറ്റങ്ങൾ (Adverbs of Time & Place)

**ഉദാഹരണം:**
Direct: She said, “I will come here tomorrow.”
Indirect: She said that she would come there the next day.

### 5. വ്യത്യസ്ത Sentence തരങ്ങൾ അനുസരിച്ചുള്ള മാറ്റങ്ങൾ

**A. Statements (Assertive Sentences):**
– Said / told + that + …
Direct: He said, “I am tired.”
Indirect: He said that he was tired.

**B. Questions (Interrogative):**
– Asked / enquired / wondered + if/whether (Yes/No questions) അല്ലെങ്കിൽ question word (What/Where etc.)
– Question mark നീക്കം ചെയ്യുക. Word order statement പോലെ ആക്കുക.
Direct: She asked, “Are you coming?”
Indirect: She asked if/whether I was coming.

Direct: He asked, “Where do you live?”
Indirect: He asked where I lived.

**C. Commands / Requests / Orders (Imperative):**
– Told / asked / requested / ordered / advised + object + to + verb (positive)
– Not to + verb (negative)
Direct: “Close the door,” he said.
Indirect: He told me to close the door.

Direct: “Don’t smoke,” the doctor said.
Indirect: The doctor advised him not to smoke.

**D. Exclamatory / Optative Sentences:**
– Exclaimed / wished / prayed + that …
Direct: “What a beautiful flower!” she said.
Indirect: She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful flower.

Direct: “Alas! I am undone,” he said.
Indirect: He exclaimed with sorrow that he was undone.

### 6. Reporting Verb-ന്റെ പ്രത്യേകതകൾ
– **Say / Said** → general ആയി ഉപയോഗിക്കാം.
– **Tell / Told** → object (ആരോട് പറഞ്ഞു) ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ.
– **Ask** → questions-ന്.
– **Request / Order / Advise / Suggest** → commands-ന്.

### 7. പ്രധാന Exceptions & Nuances (Edge Cases)
– Reporting verb present tense-ൽ ആണെങ്കിൽ (He says) tense മാറ്റേണ്ടതില്ല.
– Modal verbs ചിലത് no change: could, might, should, would, ought to.
– “That” ചിലപ്പോൾ omit ചെയ്യാം (informal).
– Indirect speech-ൽ sentence structure normal statement പോലെ ആകും.

### 8. Practice Examples (മൾട്ടിപ്പിൾ ആംഗിളുകൾ)
1. Direct: “I have finished my work,” he said.
Indirect: He said that he had finished his work.

2. Direct: “Will you help me?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked if I would help her.

3. Direct: “Don’t touch it!” the mother shouted.
Indirect: The mother ordered not to touch it. (or warned)

4. Direct: The teacher said, “Honesty is the best policy.”
Indirect: The teacher said that honesty is the best policy. (universal truth)

Reported Speech പഠിക്കുമ്പോൾ **context** വളരെ important ആണ് — ആരാണ് speaker, ആരാണ് listener, എപ്പോൾ പറഞ്ഞത് എന്നിവയെല്ലാം മാറ്റങ്ങൾ ബാധിക്കും. പതിവായി exercises ചെയ്താൽ എളുപ്പമാകും.

**Reported Speech Exercises** (Indirect Speech) – മലയാളത്തിൽ വിശദമായി

നിങ്ങൾക്ക് Reported Speech നിയമങ്ങൾ മനസ്സിലായതിനാൽ ഇപ്പോൾ **പ്രാക്ടീസ്** ചെയ്യാം. താഴെ വ്യത്യസ്ത തരം വ്യായാമങ്ങൾ തയ്യാറാക്കിയിരിക്കുന്നു.

**നിർദ്ദേശം:**
– ഓരോ ഗ്രൂപ്പിലും 10-15 വാക്യങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ട്.
– ആദ്യം സ്വയം ശ്രമിക്കുക, പിന്നീട് ഉത്തരങ്ങൾ (Answer Key) നോക്കുക.
– എല്ലാ തരം sentences (Statements, Questions, Commands, Exclamatory) ഉൾപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.

### **Exercise 1: Statements (Assertive Sentences)**

Direct Speech-നെ Indirect ആക്കുക:

1. He said, “I am going to the market.”
2. She said, “I have finished my homework.”
3. They said, “We will visit you tomorrow.”
4. The teacher said, “The Earth revolves around the Sun.”
5. He said, “I met my friend yesterday.”
6. Mary said, “I am reading a book now.”
7. The doctor said, “Smoking is harmful to health.”
8. Rahul said, “I can solve this problem.”
9. She said, “My brother has gone to Delhi.”
10. They said, “We were playing football.”

—

### **Exercise 2: Questions (Interrogative Sentences)**

1. He asked, “Where are you going?”
2. She asked me, “Have you seen my pen?”
3. The teacher asked, “Why are you late today?”
4. He asked, “Will you help me?”
5. “What is your name?” she asked.
6. Mother asked, “When will you come back?”
7. He asked, “Did you complete the project?”
8. The stranger asked, “Which is the way to the station?”
9. She asked, “Can I borrow your book?”
10. “Are you coming with us?” they asked.

—

### **Exercise 3: Commands, Requests & Orders (Imperative)**

1. “Close the door,” he said to me.
2. The teacher said, “Don’t make noise.”
3. Mother said, “Please bring me a glass of water.”
4. The captain said, “Attack the enemy.”
5. Doctor said, “Take this medicine twice a day.”
6. “Don’t touch the wire,” father warned.
7. She said, “Help me with this bag.”
8. The principal ordered, “All students must attend the meeting.”
9. “Sit down quietly,” the librarian said.
10. He requested, “Let me go home early.”

—

### **Exercise 4: Mixed Exercises (All Types)**

Convert the following into Indirect Speech:

1. “What a beautiful painting!” she exclaimed.
2. He said, “Alas! I am ruined.”
3. The boy said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.”
4. She said, “May God bless you.”
5. “I must finish this work today,” he said.
6. The guide said, “This is the Taj Mahal.”
7. “I would rather die than beg,” the beggar said.
8. Father said, “We should help the poor.”
9. “How clever you are!” the teacher said.
10. She said, “I wish I were a bird.”

—

### **Exercise 5: Advanced / Edge Cases**

1. He said, “I shall be visiting my uncle next week.”
2. The scientist said, “Water boils at 100°C.”
3. She said, “I could solve the puzzle easily.”
4. He said, “I might come late.”
5. “You must obey your parents,” the teacher said.
6. She said, “I had completed the work before you came.”
7. He asked, “What would you do if you were in my place?”
8. The manager said, “The meeting has been postponed till tomorrow.”
9. “Don’t forget to lock the door when you leave,” she reminded me.
10. He said, “I am going to Chennai the day after tomorrow.”

—

### **Answer Key** (ഉത്തരങ്ങൾ – സ്വയം പരിശോധിക്കാൻ)

**Exercise 1:**
1. He said that he was going to the market.
2. She said that she had finished her homework.
3. They said that they would visit me the next day.
4. The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun. (Universal truth)
5. He said that he had met his friend the previous day.
6. Mary said that she was reading a book then.
7. The doctor said that smoking is harmful to health.
8. Rahul said that he could solve that problem.
9. She said that her brother had gone to Delhi.
10. They said that they had been playing football.

**Exercise 2:**
1. He asked where I was going.
2. She asked me if/whether I had seen her pen.
3. The teacher asked why I was late that day.
4. He asked if/whether I would help him.
5. She asked what my name was.
6. Mother asked when I would come back.
7. He asked if/whether I had completed the project.
8. The stranger asked which the way to the station was.
9. She asked if/whether she could borrow my book.
10. They asked if/whether I was coming with them.

**Exercise 3:**
1. He told me to close the door.
2. The teacher told us not to make noise.
3. Mother requested me to bring her a glass of water.
4. The captain ordered to attack the enemy.
5. The doctor advised me to take that medicine twice a day.
6. Father warned me not to touch the wire.
7. She asked me to help her with that bag.
8. The principal ordered that all students must attend the meeting.
9. The librarian told us to sit down quietly.
10. He requested to let him go home early.

**Exercise 4:**
1. She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful painting.
2. He exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.
3. The boy exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
4. She prayed that God might bless me.
5. He said that he had to finish that work that day.
6. The guide said that that was the Taj Mahal.
7. The beggar said that he would rather die than beg.
8. Father said that we should help the poor.
9. The teacher exclaimed that I was very clever.
10. She wished that she were a bird.

**Exercise 5:** (Advanced)
1. He said that he would be visiting his uncle the following week.
2. The scientist said that water boils at 100°C. (Scientific fact)
3. She said that she could solve the puzzle easily.
4. He said that he might come late.
5. The teacher said that we must obey our parents.
6. She said that she had completed the work before I came.
7. He asked what I would do if I were in his place.
8. The manager said that the meeting had been postponed till the next day.
9. She reminded me not to forget to lock the door when I left.
10. He said that he was going to Chennai two days later / the day after the next day.

—

**നുറുങ്ങുകൾ (Tips for Better Practice):**
– Reporting verb-ന്റെ tense ശ്രദ്ധിക്കുക (Past → Backshift).
– Pronouns, Time & Place words എപ്പോഴും മാറ്റുക.
– Universal truths, habits, modals (could, might, should) എന്നിവയിൽ മാറ്റം വരുത്തരുത്.
– Questions-ൽ if/whether അല്ലെങ്കിൽ wh-word ഉപയോഗിക്കുക.
– Imperative-ൽ to + verb / not to + verb.

**Reported Speech (Indirect Speech) നിയമങ്ങൾ – വിശദമായ വിശദീകരണം**

Reported Speech എന്നത് ഒരു വ്യക്തി മറ്റൊരാളുടെ പറഞ്ഞ വാക്കുകൾ quotation marks ഉപയോഗിക്കാതെ, സ്വന്തം വാക്കുകളിൽ പറയുന്ന രീതിയാണ്. ഇത് English Grammar-ന്റെ വളരെ പ്രധാനപ്പെട്ട ഭാഗമാണ്, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് exams (SSLC, Plus One/Two, Kerala PSC, SSC, Bank exams) ലും spoken/written English-ലും.

### 1. അടിസ്ഥാന ആശയം (Basic Concept)
– **Direct Speech**: ആളുടെ exact വാക്കുകൾ quotation marks-ൽ.
ഉദാ: He said, “I am happy.”
– **Reported/Indirect Speech**: Quotation marks നീക്കി, reporting verb (said, told, asked) ഉപയോഗിച്ച് മാറ്റി പറയുന്നത്.
ഉദാ: He said that he was happy.

**പ്രധാന മാറ്റങ്ങൾ വരുന്നത്:**
– Tense (കാലം)
– Pronouns (സർവനാമങ്ങൾ)
– Time & Place expressions
– Sentence structure

### 2. Reporting Verb-ന്റെ പ്രാധാന്യം
– Reporting verb past tense-ൽ ആണെങ്കിൽ (said, told, asked) → Reported part-ൽ **tense backshift** (ഒരു step പിന്നോട്ട്) ആവശ്യമാണ്.
– Reporting verb present/future tense-ൽ ആണെങ്കിൽ (says, will say, has said) → Tense മാറ്റേണ്ടതില്ല.
– **Said** – general ആയി ഉപയോഗിക്കാം.
– **Told** – ഒരു object (ആരോട്) ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ.
ഉദാ: He told me that…

### 3. Pronoun മാറ്റങ്ങൾ (Person Changes)
Speaker, listener, ആരെ കുറിച്ച് പറയുന്നു എന്നതിന് അനുസരിച്ച് മാറും.

### 4. Tense Backshift Rules (വിശദമായ ടേബിൾ)

Reporting verb past tense-ൽ ആണെങ്കിൽ മാത്രം ഈ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ:

**No Backshift ആവശ്യമില്ലാത്ത സാഹചര്യങ്ങൾ (Exceptions):**
– Universal Truth / Scientific facts / Proverbs
Direct: “The sun rises in the east.”
Indirect: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east. (rises തന്നെ)
– Habitual actions / General truths
– Reporting verb present tense-ൽ ആണെങ്കിൽ
– Certain modals (could, might, should, would, ought to)

### 5. Time, Place, Demonstrative മാറ്റങ്ങൾ

### 6. വ്യത്യസ്ത Sentence തരങ്ങൾ അനുസരിച്ചുള്ള Rules

**A. Assertive (Statements)**
– Said / Told + that + subject + verb…
– “I am happy,” she said. → She said that she was happy.

**B. Interrogative (Questions)**
– Yes/No questions → Asked + if/whether
– Wh-questions → Asked + wh-word (what, where, why…)
– Question mark നീക്കം ചെയ്യുക, word order statement ആക്കുക.
– ഉദാ: “Are you coming?” → He asked if I was coming.
– “Where do you live?” → He asked where I lived.

**C. Imperative (Commands, Requests, Orders)**
– Told / Asked / Requested / Ordered / Advised + object + to + verb
– Negative → not to + verb
– ഉദാ: “Close the door.” → He told me to close the door.
– “Don’t smoke.” → The doctor advised him not to smoke.

**D. Exclamatory & Optative**
– Exclaimed / Wished / Prayed / Cried out…
– “What a beautiful flower!” → She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful flower.
– “May you live long!” → He prayed that I might live long.
– “Alas! I am undone.” → He exclaimed with sorrow that he was undone.

### 7. Common Mistakes & Nuances (Edge Cases)
– “That” ചിലപ്പോൾ omit ചെയ്യാം (informal speech-ൽ).
– “Said to” → “Told” ആക്കാം.
– Past Perfect-ൽ backshift ഇല്ല.
– Conditional sentences-ൽ type 2 & 3-ൽ പലപ്പോഴും മാറ്റം വരുത്തരുത്.
– Context വളരെ important: ആരാണ് listener? എപ്പോഴാണ് സംഭവം? എന്നിവയെല്ലാം മാറ്റങ്ങൾ ബാധിക്കും.
– Reported speech-ൽ sentence structure normal ആയിരിക്കും (question form ഇല്ല).

### 8. Practical Tips & Implications
– പതിവായി Direct → Indirect, Indirect → Direct conversion practice ചെയ്യുക.
– Newspaper-ൽ quotes കണ്ടാൽ അത് indirect ആക്കി മാറ്റി നോക്കുക.
– Spoken English-ൽ informal ആയി “that” ഒഴിവാക്കാറുണ്ട്.
– Competitive exams-ൽ error spotting, sentence improvement, conversion questions വരാറുണ്ട്.
– ശരിയായ reported speech ഉപയോഗിച്ചാൽ നിങ്ങളുടെ English കൂടുതൽ natural ആകും.