Indirect speech reports words, thoughts, or questions without putting them in quotation marks. In the base form, the dependent clause is introduced with 'that' for statements and with a subordinate structure for questions. In indirect speech pronouns, tenses, and deictics can change to maintain coherence. The main verb functions as the governing verb and governs agreement.

The governing verb is the verb of the sentence that introduces indirect speech, such as 'say', 'ask', 'think', 'tell', 'explain'. The governing verb can be in the present, present perfect, imperfect, or past historic depending on the narrative context. The choice of tense in the subordinate clause depends on the tense of the governing verb and the temporal relation to the reported event. With the governing verb in the present, the original tenses of the subordinate clause are often preserved. With the governing verb in the past, the sequence of tenses is normally applied.

To transform a sentence into indirect speech, the conjunction 'that' is normally used. 'That' introduces the subordinate clause that contains the reported information. Inside the subordinate clause, tenses, pronouns, and deictics are adjusted according to context. The subordinate clause can have a neutral subject-verb-complements order without special inversions.

Indirect questions do not use a question mark and do not require inversion of the subject. They are introduced with 'if' for closed questions and with the appropriate interrogative for open questions ('who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why', 'how'). In indirect questions, the 'di' is often omitted compared to English and the declarative structure is maintained. The verb of the subordinate clause follows the sequence of tenses as in sentences with 'that'.

With the governing verb in the past, the sequence of tenses is applied to indicate whether the event is contemporaneous, anterior, or posterior relative to the governing verb. Contemporaneity usually uses the imperfect or the present (historical present) in the subordinate. Anteriority uses the trapassato prossimo or remoto in the subordinate. Posteriority uses the present conditional or the past conditional in the subordinate.

When transforming from direct to indirect speech with a past governing verb, the tenses in the subordinate clause tend to shift down by one degree. The present becomes often imperfect for contemporaneity. The present perfect becomes trapassato prossimo for anteriority. The future simple becomes conditional present for posteriority. The passato remoto can become trapassato prossimo or trapassato remoto depending on the register.

In indirect speech, personal pronouns are adapted to reflect the narrator's new point of view. The 'I' of the original speaker usually becomes 'he' or 'she' or a name. The 'you' can become 'he', 'she', 'you all', or a specific referent depending on the context. Possessives also change to keep clarity about who owns what in the new perspective.

Deictics are words that depend on the point of view, such as 'today', 'tomorrow', 'yesterday', 'here', 'now'. In indirect speech they are often replaced with expressions related to the new temporal or spatial reference. The choice of replacement depends on when and where the narration takes place relative to the reported facts. 'This' and 'that' can also change for clarity.

Some governing verbs can introduce the infinitive instead of a subordinate clause with 'that', especially with the same subject. 'Want', 'can', 'must', 'know', and 'try' tend to constructions with the infinitive. The subordinate clause with 'that' allows the use of the subjunctive or the indicative depending on the meaning. The choice between indicative and subjunctive in the dependent clause follows the general rules of certainty, opinion, will, and doubt.

The indirect speech in Italian is based on a governing verb that introduces a subordinate clause, with adjustments of tenses, pronouns, and deictics for coherence. The sequence of tenses guides the changes of tense with a past governing verb. Indirect questions use 'se' or an interrogative without inversion and without a question mark. Clarity depends on systematically applying these transformations within the narrative context.