Direct Indirect Assertive - Class 8 - English

Basic Changes

Below, I've mentioned the most commonly used rules for converting assertive sentences to indirect voice. Please make sure to learn these by heart, since you're going to be using them all the time:

• Is ------------- was 
•  Are ------------- were
• Am ------------- was 
•  3Was ------------- had been
• Were ------------- had been 
•  Has ------------- had
• Have ------------- had 
•  Will ------------- would 
• Shall ------------- should/ would 
• May ------------- might 
•  Can ------------- could 
• Must ------------- had to 
•  This ------------- that
• These ------------- Those 
•  Here ------------- there 
• Now ------------- Then 
•  Ago ------------- Before 
• Today ------------- That day 
•  Yesterday ------------- The previous day 
• Tomorrow ------------- The next day
• Next week ------------- The following week 
• Next year ------------- The following year
• Last year ------------- The previous year
• Last Week ------------- The previous week 

Broadly speaking, there are only four types of assertive sentences. I'll teach you how to convert each type into indirect voice.

Let’s take a sentence and see how to change it.

The coach said to me,” You need to swing your arm”. 

• Step 1. Change ‘said to’ ---- told  
  •  The coach told me, “You need to swing your arm.”
• Step 2. Change the first double quotes to "that" and remove the double quotes from the end of the sentence. 
  •  The coach told me that you need to swing your arm. 
• Step 3. Change pronouns
  •  The coach told me that I need to swing my arm. 
• Step 4. Change Present to Past tense 
  •  The coach told me that I needed to swing my arm. 

1. Chandra Prabha said to me, “Your work is pending.”
   • Chandra Prabha told me that my work was pending. 
2. The pilgrims said, “We are hungry and thirsty.”
   • The pilgrims said that they were hungry and thirsty. 
3. My brother said, “I am busy today.”
   • My brother said that he was busy that day. 
4. He said, “I am very well now.”
   • He said that he was very well then. 
5. Doctor Michael said to the boy, “I know your uncle.”
   • Doctor Michael told the boy that he knew his uncle. 
6. She said, “This is my book.”
   • She said that that was her book. 
7. Rev. Watson said, “I am right.”
   • Rev. Watson said that he was right. 
8. Franklin said that he played cricket very well. 
   • Franklin said that he played cricket very well. 
9. Mahendra told him, “He was a gifted man.”
   • Mahendra told him that he had been a gifted man. 
10. Ma'am said to the students, “Earth revolves around the sun”
    • Ma'am told the students that Earth revolves around the sun. 
11. Samuel has said, “I am being taught English."
    • Samuel has said that he is being taught English. 
12. Prem Lata will say to him, "You are at fault.” 
    • Prem Lata will say to him that he is at fault. 
13. Sister Elizabeth says, “I am the owner of this flat.”
    • Sister Elizabeth says that she is the owner of this flat.