Time Expressions and Place
When converting direct speech into indirect speech, certain words that indicate time or place undergo changes. Here’s how these expressions change:
Direct Speech
Indirect Speech
this
that
these
those
now
then
ago
before
today
that day
yesterday
the previous day, the day before
tomorrow
the next day, the following day
tonight
that night
next week
the following week
here
there
Examples
(i) Direct : John said, “David will do this work”.
Indirect : John said that David would do that work.
(ii) Direct : He said, “These are my pens.”
Indirect : He said that those were his pens.
(iii) Direct : The teacher said, “Naveen, do this work now.”
Indirect : The teacher told Naveen to do that work then.
(iv) Direct : He said, “I met her two days ago.”
Indirect : He said that he had met her two days before.
(v) Direct : Sahib said, “My uncle will arrive here today.”
Indirect : Sahib said that his uncle would arrive there that day.
(vi) Direct : Priya said, “My teacher did not come yesterday.”
Indirect : Priya said that her teacher had not come the previous day.