How to Use Time and Place in Reported Speech – Key Rules and Examples
🕒🗺️ Time and Place
When converting direct
speech into reported speech, it’s not just the verbs and pronouns
that change — time and place expressions must also be updated to reflect
the shift in perspective. This guide explains how time and place words
change in reported speech with examples and Urdu translations.
📌 What Is Reported Speech?
Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is used when we report what
someone else has said, without quoting their exact words.
رپورٹ شدہ تقریر (جسے بالواسطہ تقریر بھی کہا جاتا
ہے) اس وقت استعمال ہوتا ہے جب ہم کسی اور کے کہے ہوئے الفاظ کا حوالہ دیئے بغیر اس
کی اطلاع دیتے ہیں۔
🕒 Time and Place Changes in Reported Speech
When we report speech that was spoken in the past,
we usually shift words related to time and place to match the new
point of reference.
🔄 Time Expressions – Conversion Table
|
Direct Speech Word |
Reported Speech
Word |
Urdu Translation |
|
today |
that day |
آج → اُس دن |
|
yesterday |
the day before |
کل → ایک دن پہلے |
|
tomorrow |
the next day / the following day |
کل → اگلے دن |
|
now |
then |
اب → تب |
|
tonight |
that night |
آج رات → اُس رات |
|
this week |
that week |
اس ہفتے → اُس ہفتے |
|
last week |
the previous week |
پچھلا ہفتہ → گزشتہ ہفتہ |
|
next week |
the following week |
اگلا ہفتہ → آئندہ ہفتہ |
|
ago |
before |
پہلے → اس سے پہلے |
🗺️ Place Expressions – Conversion Table
|
Direct Speech Word |
Reported Speech
Word |
Urdu Translation |
|
here |
there |
یہاں → وہاں |
|
this place |
that place |
یہ جگہ → وہ جگہ |
|
come |
go |
آنا → جانا |
✅ Examples of Time and Place Changes in
Sentences
📌 Example 1
Direct Speech:
He said, “I will call you tomorrow.”
Reported Speech:
He said (that) he would call me the next day.
Urdu Translation:
اس نے کہا کہ وہ مجھے اگلے دن فون کرے گا۔
📌 Example 2
Direct Speech:
She said, “I visited my grandmother yesterday.”
Reported Speech:
She said (that) she had visited her grandmother the day before.
Urdu Translation:
اس نے کہا کہ وہ اپنی نانی سے ایک دن پہلے ملنے گئی تھی۔
📌 Example 3
Direct Speech:
Ali said, “I am staying here for two days.”
Reported Speech:
Ali said (that) he was staying there for two days.
Urdu Translation:
علی نے کہا کہ وہ دو دن کے لیے وہاں ٹھہر رہا ہے۔
🧠 Important Note
These changes only happen when the reporting
verb is in the past tense (e.g., said, told, asked).
If the reporting verb is in the present
or future tense, you don’t always need to change time and place words.
Example:
- She says, “I will meet you tomorrow.”
→ She says she will meet me tomorrow. ✅ No change in “tomorrow.”
🧪 Practice Exercise
Convert the following to reported speech and
adjust time/place:
- He said, “I am going to the party tonight.”
- She said, “I was at the mall yesterday.”
- They said, “We will go there tomorrow.”
- I said, “I met him here last week.”
- My friend said, “Come to this place now!”