change the following sentences into indirect speech

English Grammar
Grammar Exercises
Direct And Indirect Speech Exercises

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises

Direct and indirect speech is one topic in English grammar that confuses most language learners. It need not necessarily be so; if you understand how it works, you can easily use it in your writing.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises with Answers

When converting direct speech to indirect speech or vice-versa, you will have to take care to convert the verb , pronoun and the adverb appropriately. Go through the following exercises and try them out. Answers are given below each exercise; refer to them to see if your answers are right.

change the following sentences into indirect speech

Exercise 1: Change into indirect speech

Read the following sentences and convert them into indirect speech.

Rahul told to me, “When are you leaving?”
“Where do you live?” the stranger asked Aladdin.
The teacher said to Shelly, “Why are you laughing?”
Dhronacharya said to Arjun, “Shoot the bird’s eye.”
“Call the first convict,” said the jury.
“Call the ambulance,” said the man.
Bruce said to me, “I shall do the work.”
My mother said to me, “You were wrong.”
Mr Richard said to me, “Please wait here till I return.”
The captain said to me, “Bravo! You have played well.”
Raj said, “Alas! My pet died.”
Ruchi said, “I may go there.”
Bucky said to Steve, “Do you hear me?”
The boy said, “Let me come in.”
Granny said to me, “May God bless you.”

Answers –

Rahul asked me when I was leaving.
The stranger asked Aladdin where he lived.
The teacher asked Shelly why he was laughing.
Dhronacharya ordered Arjun to shoot the fish’s eye.
The jury ordered to call the first convict.
The man urged to call the ambulance.
Bruce said to me he would do the work.
My mother told me that I was wrong.
Mr Richard requested me to wait there till he returned.
The captain applauded me, saying that I had played well.
Raj exclaimed sadly that his pet died.
Ruchi said that she might go there.
Bucky asked Steve if he heard him.
The boy asked to let him come in.
Granny prayed that God might bless me.

Convert the following into Direct Speech

Read the following passage and convert it into direct speech.

One of them told Issac that the latter had forgotten one thing that belonged to a mill. Issac enquired what that was. The friend asked where the miller was. Issac replied that (absence of the miller) was true – and he must look for one.

“But Issac,” said one of them, “you have forgotten one thing that belongs to a mill.”

“What is that?” asked Issac.

“Why, where is the miller?” said his friend.

“That is true – I must look for one,” said Issac.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct narration.

When the actual words/sentences as spoken by the speaker are quoted in a speech, it’s called direct speech/narration.

What is indirect speech?

When the quoted speech is reported in the form of a narrative without changing the meaning of the actual quotation/words by the speaker, it’s called indirect speech/narration.

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Transformation of Sentence: Direct & Indirect Speech

A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Let’s have an example first.

Tina said to me, “Are you busy now?” [direct speech]
Tina asked me whether I was busy then. [indirect speech]

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

Look, if the reporting verb in direct speech (said) is in past tense, the reporting verb in indirect speech (asked) would also be in past tense. ‘Whether’ is the linker added here as it is a ‘yes-no’ type question (Refer to list 1 below).
‘Are’ changes to ‘was’. As the reporting verb was in past tense, the verb in the reported speech will also be in past. (Refer to list 2 below)
‘Now’ has become ‘then’. Time and place expressions change if the reporting verb is in past tense. (Refer to list 3 below)
The question mark (?) has changed to a full stop(.).
Another important thing, the format of question (v + s + o) has changed to the format of a statement (s + v + o). In indirect speech the pattern always comes to subject + verb + object.

List of Reporting verbs and linkers (list 1)

Verbs of Reported speech (if the reporting verb is in past tense) (list 2) Direct speech → Indirect speech Am / is / are → was / were Was / were → had been Has / have → had Had → had had Shall / will → would Can → could May → might Must, should → must, should Verb1 → verb2 Verb2 → had + verb3

Change of time and place expressions in past tense (list 3) now → then ago → before today → that day yesterday → the previous day tomorrow → the next day last night → the previous night here → there this → that these → those

Narration change of Assertive sentence

Robin said, “I went to Delhi yesterday.” – Robin said that he had gone to Delhi the previous day .
She said to her husband, “I want to go with you.” – She told her husband that she wanted to go with him.

Narration change of Interrogative sentence

He said to me, “Do you know English?” – He asked me whether I knew English.
She said to me, “Did you go there?” – She wanted to know whether I had gone there.
I said to him, “What are you doing?” – I asked him what he was doing.
Rahul said to his mother, “How do you do all these things together?” – Rahul asked his mother how she did all those things together.

Narration change of Imperative sentence

He said to me, “Go there right now.” – He ordered me to go there right then.
My teacher said to me, “Obey your parents.” – My teacher asked me to obey my parents.
She said to me, “Please don’t go there.” – She requested me not to go there.
He said to her, “Let’s go home.” – He suggested her that they should go home.
His mother said, “Let him eat whatever he likes.” – His mother suggested that he might be allowed to eat whatever he liked.

Narration change of Optative sentence

He said to the boy, “May god bless you.” – He prayed that God might bless the boy.
The girl said, “Had I the wings of a dove.” – The girl wished that she had the wings of a dove.

Narration change of Exclamatory sentence

“How happy we are here!” said the children. – The children exclaimed in joy that they were very happy there.
The children said, “How happy we were there!” – The children exclaimed in sorrow that they had been very happy there.
He said to me, “Good bye!” – He bade me good bye.
She said to me, “Good evening!”—She wished me good evening.

Narration change of Vocatives

Teacher said, “ Robin , stand up.” – Teacher asked Robin to stand up.
The Bishop said to the convict, “Always remember, my son , that the poor body is the temple of the living God.” – The Bishop addressed the convict as his son and advised him to always remember that the poor body is the temple of the living God.

Narration change of question tag

He said to me, “You went to Kolkata, didn’t you?” – He asked me whether I had gone to Kolkata and assumed that I had.
I said to him, “Tina didn’t tell a lie, did she?” – I asked him if Tina had told a lie and assumed that she had not.

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise

Turn the following sentences into indirect speech.

1. John said, ‘I am very busy now.’ 2. He said, ‘The horse has been fed.’ 3. ‘I know her name and address,’ said John. 4. ‘German is easy to learn,’ she said. 5. He said, ‘I am writing letters.’ 6. ‘It is too late to go out,’ Alice said. 7. He said to me, ‘I don’t believe you.’ 8. He says, ‘I am glad to be here this evening.’ 9. He said to me, ‘What are you doing?’ 10. ‘Where is the post office?’ asked the stranger. 11. He said, ‘Will you listen to me?’ 12. John said to Peter, ‘Go away.’ 13. She said to me, ‘Please wait here till I return.’ 14. ‘Call the witness,’ said the judge. 15. The speaker said, ‘Be quiet and listen to my words.’

1. John said that he was very busy then. 2. He said that the horse had been fed. 3. John said that he knew/knows her name and address. (Note that the tenses may not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a universal truth.) 4. She said that German is/was easy to learn. 5. He said that he was writing letters. 6. Alice said that it was too late to go out. 7. He told me that he didn’t believe me. OR He said he didn’t believe me. 8. He says that he is glad to be here this evening. (When the reporting verb is in the present tense, adverbs of time and place do not normally change in indirect speech.) 9. He asked me what I was doing. 10. The stranger asked where the post office is/was. 11. He asked me if I would listen to him. 12. John ordered Peter to go away. 13. She asked me to wait there till she returned. 14. The judge commanded them to call the first witness. 15. He urged them to be quiet and listen to them.

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Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )

The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )

He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

Reporting wh -questions

Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who , whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )

He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )

She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When , where , why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :

I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Questions: wh- questions

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )

We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )

He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )

The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors.

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .

Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?

Word of the Day

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peanut butter (= a soft food made from crushed peanuts) and jam (= a soft sweet food made from fruit and sugar), or a sandwich with these inside. PB&J is short for peanut butter and jelly.

Sitting on the fence (Newspaper idioms)

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Changes in Indirect Speech

Welcome to a comprehensive tutorial providing guidance on the proper use, types, and rules of indirect speech in English grammar. Indirect speech, also called reported speech, allows us to share another person's exact words without using quotes. It is particularly useful in written language. This tutorial aims to brief you about the changes that occur when switching from direct speech to indirect speech. It further explains the necessary rules which must be followed during this transition.

Table of Contents

Understanding Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct speech refers to the exact wording that someone uses when performing an act of speech. However, indirect speech implicitly shares the content of the person's original words.

Direct Speech: He said, "I am hungry." Indirect Speech: He said that he was hungry.

Notably, an essential component of indirect speech is the change in verb tense. In the direct speech example, the speaker uses the present tense "am." In the indirect version, even though the speaker is still hungry, the tense changes to the past "was."

Changes in Verb Tenses

The verb tense in indirect speech is one step back in time from the tense in the direct speech. Here are the common changes:

Present Simple becomes Past Simple.
Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous.
Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect.
Present Perfect Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous.
Past Simple becomes Past Perfect.

Direct: He says, "I need help." Indirect: He said he needed help.

Direct: She is saying, "I am reading a book." Indirect: She was saying that she was reading a book.

Changes in Time and Place References

Besides the tense, word usage for place and time often changes when converting from direct to indirect speech.

‘Now’ changes to ‘then’.
‘Today’ changes to ‘that day’.
‘Yesterday’ turns into ‘the day before’ or ‘the previous day’.
‘Tomorrow’ changes to ‘the next day’ or ‘the following day’.
‘Last week/month/year’ switches to ‘the previous week/month/year’.
‘Next week/month/year’ changes to ‘the following week/month/year’.
‘Here’ turns into ‘there’.

Direct: He said, "I will do it tomorrow." Indirect: He said that he would do it the next day.

Direct: She said, "I was here."

Indirect: She said that she was there.

Changes in Modals

Modals also change when transforming direct speech into indirect speech. Here are some common changes:

'Can' changes to 'could'.
'May' changes to 'might'.
'Will' changes to 'would'.
'Shall' changes to 'should'.

Direct: She said, "I can play the piano." Indirect: She said that she could play the piano.

Direct: He said, "I will go shopping." Indirect: He said that he would go shopping.

Reporting Orders, Requests, and Questions

When reporting orders, requests, and questions, the structure also changes. The following is the structure:

'To' + infinitive for orders.
Interrogative word + subject + verb for questions.
Could/Would + subject + verb for polite requests.

Direct: He said to her, "Close the door." Indirect: He told her to close the door.

Direct: She asked, "Where is the station?" Indirect: She asked where the station was.

In conclusion, reported speech becomes easier to understand and use effectively with practice. Understanding the transition from direct to indirect speech is vital to expressing yourself accurately and professionally, especially in written English. This guide provides the foundational information for mastering the changes in indirect speech. Practice these rules to become more fluent and confident in your English communication skills.

Changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

Reported Speech – Free Exercise

Write the following sentences in indirect speech. Pay attention to backshift and the changes to pronouns, time, and place.

Two weeks ago, he said, “I visited this museum last week.” → Two weeks ago, he said that . I → he|simple past → past perfect|this → that|last …→ the … before
She claimed, “I am the best for this job.” → She claimed that . I → she|simple present→ simple past|this→ that
Last year, the minister said, “The crisis will be overcome next year.” → Last year, the minister said that . will → would|next …→ the following …
My riding teacher said, “Nobody has ever fallen off a horse here.” → My riding teacher said that . present perfect → past perfect|here→ there
Last month, the boss explained, “None of my co-workers has to work overtime now.” → Last month, the boss explained that . my → his/her|simple present→ simple past|now→ then

Rewrite the question sentences in indirect speech.

She asked, “What did he say?” → She asked . The subject comes directly after the question word.|simple past → past perfect
He asked her, “Do you want to dance?” → He asked her . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you → she|simple present → simple past
I asked him, “How old are you?” → I asked him . The subject comes directly after the question word + the corresponding adjective (how old)|you→ he|simple present → simple past
The tourists asked me, “Can you show us the way?” → The tourists asked me . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you→ I|us→ them
The shop assistant asked the woman, “Which jacket have you already tried on?” → The shop assistant asked the woman . The subject comes directly after the question word|you→ she|present perfect → past perfect

Rewrite the demands/requests in indirect speech.

The passenger requested the taxi driver, “Stop the car.” → The passenger requested the taxi driver . to + same wording as in direct speech
The mother told her son, “Don’t be so loud.” → The mother told her son . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
The policeman told us, “Please keep moving.” → The policeman told us . to + same wording as in direct speech ( please can be left off)
She told me, “Don’t worry.” → She told me . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
The zookeeper told the children, “Don’t feed the animals.” → The zookeeper told the children . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t

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Tense changes in indirect speech

No tense changes.

There are no tense changes in indirect speech if:

Joanna: I have just arrived in Hanoi. Joanna says she has just arrived in Hanoi. (reporting a recent telephone conversation; the reporting verb say is in present simple)

George: I 'm meeting Karen tomorrow. George said he is meeting Karen tomorrow. (reported on the same day, tomorrow still refers to tomorrow)

George said he was meeting Karen the following day. (reported days later, the meeting has already happened)

Copernicus: The planets revolve around the sun. Copernicus stated that the planets revolve around the sun. (it is a general truth)

Once, people believed that the earth was flat. (the reported words are no longer true; people do not believe that the earth is flat)

Mike: I wish I was a year older; then I could enter the race. Mike wished he was a year older, so he could enter the race. (he is not older)

Tense changes

Tenses change in indirect speech if:

Philip in 1980: I have never been to Brunei, but I' m thinking about going there. (the reference point of the present perfect and the present continuous is 1980) When I met Philip in 1980, he said he had never been to Brunei, but he was thinking about going there. (reported years later; the reported words are out of date)

Tim: Sorry, I can't go to work this week. I' m ill. Tim isn't coming to work this week. He said that he was ill.

Tense backshift

As can be seen in the examples above, the verbs in the present perfect, present continuous and present simple tenses in the original statements changed into their corresponding past equivalents (past perfect, past continuous and past simple) in indirect speech. This process is called tense backshift. Note that tense backshift is based on how tenses relate to each other in general:

When I met Philip in 1980, he said he had never been to Brunei. When I arrived at work, I remembered that I hadn't locked the door to my apartment. (two consecutive actions and an earlier action)

When I met Philip in 1980, he said he was thinking about going to Brunei. When I entered the room, I saw that she was studying . (two consecutive actions and a background action in progress)

Tim said that he was ill. I went outside. It was a warm day. (a past action and a past state)

Tense backshift:

The past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses do not change.

In complex sentences, the past simple and past continuous may remain unchanged if the temporal relationship between the events in the clauses is clear from the context:

John: When I got home, I went to bed straight away. John told me that when he got home he went to bed straight away.

Bill: I was reading a book when I heard the crash. Bill said that he was reading a book when he heard the crash.

Helen: When I was writing my thesis, I spent a lot of time at the library. Helen recalled that when she was writing her thesis she spent a lot of time at the library.

Tim: My friends were enjoying themselves playing cards while I was studying in my room. Tim grumbled that his friends were enjoying themselves playing cards while he was studying in his room.

Chris: When I got to her house, she had been waiting for hours. Chris said that when he got to her house she had been waiting for hours.

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Reported speech: statements

Do you know how to report what somebody else said? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person said.

direct speech: 'I love the Toy Story films,' she said. indirect speech: She said she loved the Toy Story films. direct speech: 'I worked as a waiter before becoming a chef,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd worked as a waiter before becoming a chef. direct speech: 'I'll phone you tomorrow,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd phone me the next day.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 1: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel. indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank.

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked ) than the tense originally used (e.g. work ). This is called 'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for example pronouns.

Present simple, present continuous and present perfect

When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect.

'I travel a lot in my job.' Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job. 'The baby's sleeping!' He told me the baby was sleeping. 'I've hurt my leg.' She said she'd hurt her leg.

Past simple and past continuous

When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect simple, and past continuous usually changes to past perfect continuous.

'We lived in China for five years.' She told me they'd lived in China for five years. 'It was raining all day.' He told me it had been raining all day.

Past perfect

The past perfect doesn't change.

'I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great.' He said he'd tried everything without success, but the new medicine was great.

No backshift

If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. This might happen when the speaker has used a present tense.

'I go to the gym next to your house.' Jenny told me that she goes to the gym next to my house. I'm thinking about going with her. 'I'm working in Italy for the next six months.' He told me he's working in Italy for the next six months. Maybe I should visit him! 'I've broken my arm!' She said she's broken her arm, so she won't be at work this week.

Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time and place

Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech.

'I enjoy working in my garden,' said Bob. Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden. 'We played tennis for our school,' said Alina. Alina told me they'd played tennis for their school.

However, if you are the person or one of the people who spoke, then the pronouns don't change.

'I'm working on my thesis,' I said. I told her that I was working on my thesis. 'We want our jobs back!' we said. We said that we wanted our jobs back.

We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place if they are no longer accurate.

'This is my house.' He said this was his house. [You are currently in front of the house.] He said that was his house. [You are not currently in front of the house.] 'We like it here.' She told me they like it here. [You are currently in the place they like.] She told me they like it there. [You are not in the place they like.] 'I'm planning to do it today.' She told me she's planning to do it today. [It is currently still the same day.] She told me she was planning to do it that day. [It is not the same day any more.]

In the same way, these changes to those , now changes to then , yesterday changes to the day before , tomorrow changes to the next/following day and ago changes to before .

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 1: 2

Language level

Good evening from Turkey.

Is the following example correct: Question: When did she watch the movie?

She asked me when she had watched the movie. or is it had she watched the movie.

Do Subjects come before the verbs? Thank you.

Hello muratt,

This is a reported question, not an actual question, as you can see from the fact that it has no question mark at the end. Therefore no inversion is needed and the normal subject-verb word order is maintained: ...she had watched... is correct.

You can read more about this here:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/reported-speech-questions

The LearnEnglish Team

Thank you for your response.

Hello Sir, kindly help with the following sentence-

She said, "When I was a child I wasn't afraid of ghosts."

Please tell me how to write this sentence in reported/ indirect speech.

Hello! I was studying reported speech and I didn't really understand the difference between 'need' and 'need to' when we shift them. Could you please explain a little bit about the semi-modal need? I came across to this while I was studying: Backshift Changes need (no change) ‘You needn’t come till six o’clock,’ he said. He said we needn’t come till six o’clock. AND need to (becomes needed to) She said, 'I need to have a party.' She said she needed to have a party. Why do we change 'need to' but not 'need'? Could you also please give a positive indirect reported speech with the word 'need' and a negative indirect speech with the word 'need to'? Thanks in advance!

Hello Meldo,

'need' can be used -- and is most often used -- as an ordinary verb. In the text you copied above, this is the second entry ('need to'). Since it is an ordinary verb, in indirect speech, it backshifts in the way other ordinary verbs do. An example of a negative form here is 'They told me I didn't need to bring my passport'.

Particularly in British English (only very rarely in American English), 'need' can also be used as a modal verb. In this case, it behaves as a modal verb, i.e. no 's' is added to a third person singular form, infinitives after it are used without 'to' and 'do/does/did' is not used to form questions, negatives or past simple forms. This is also why '-ed' is not added for a backshift.

When 'need' is a modal, it's most commonly used in the negative. It is possible to use it in questions (e.g. 'Need I bring my passport?' or 'I asked if I need bring my passport'), but it's generally not used in the affirmative.

You might find this BBC page and this Cambridge Dictionary explanation helpful if you'd like to read more.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Do we change 'had better' in indirect reported speech? I think no, but I just wanted to make sure. Can you also give an example with 'had better' in an indirect speech? Thanks a lot! The best English grammar site ever!

Hello Melis_06,

'had better' is not generally changed in reported speech. Here's an example for you:

direct: 'You had better be on time!'
indirect: They told us we had better be on time.

Glad you find our site useful!

Could you tell me why say is sometimes used in reported speech instead of said?

Hello Khangvo2812,

In general, it's used when it's something that people say not just in one specific situation, but in general.

We also sometimes use the present simple to talk about the past when telling stories. You can read more about this on our Present simple page -- scroll down to the very end of the explanation, just after the Present simple 8 exercise.

If there's a specific sentence you want to ask about, please include it in your comment.

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100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of communicating what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. For example, if your friend said, “ I am going to the store ,” in reported speech, you might convey this as, “ My friend said he was going to the store. ” Reported speech is common in both spoken and written language, especially in storytelling, news reporting, and everyday conversations.

Reported speech can be quite challenging for English language learners because in order to change direct speech into reported speech, one must change the perspective and tense of what was said by the original speaker or writer. In this guide, we will explain in detail how to change direct speech into indirect speech and provide lots of examples of reported speech to help you understand. Here are the key aspects of converting direct speech into reported speech.

Reported Speech: Changing Pronouns

Pronouns are usually changed to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech. For example, “I” in direct speech may become “he” or “she” in reported speech, depending on the context. Here are some example sentences:

Direct : “I am going to the park.” Reported : He said he was going to the park .
Direct : “You should try the new restaurant.” Reported : She said that I should try the new restaurant.
Direct : “We will win the game.” Reported : They said that they would win the game.
Direct : “She loves her new job.” Reported : He said that she loves her new job.
Direct : “He can’t come to the party.” Reported : She said that he couldn’t come to the party.
Direct : “It belongs to me.” Reported : He said that it belonged to him .
Direct : “They are moving to a new city.” Reported : She said that they were moving to a new city.
Direct : “You are doing a great job.” Reported : He told me that I was doing a great job.
Direct : “I don’t like this movie.” Reported : She said that she didn’t like that movie.
Direct : “We have finished our work.” Reported : They said that they had finished their work.
Direct : “You will need to sign here.” Reported : He said that I would need to sign there.
Direct : “She can solve the problem.” Reported : He said that she could solve the problem.
Direct : “He was not at home yesterday.” Reported : She said that he had not been at home the day before.
Direct : “It is my responsibility.” Reported : He said that it was his responsibility.
Direct : “We are planning a surprise.” Reported : They said that they were planning a surprise.

Reported Speech: Reporting Verbs

In reported speech, various reporting verbs are used depending on the nature of the statement or the intention behind the communication. These verbs are essential for conveying the original tone, intent, or action of the speaker. Here are some examples demonstrating the use of different reporting verbs in reported speech:

Direct: “I will help you,” she promised . Reported: She promised that she would help me.
Direct: “You should study harder,” he advised . Reported: He advised that I should study harder.
Direct: “I didn’t take your book,” he denied . Reported: He denied taking my book .
Direct: “Let’s go to the cinema,” she suggested . Reported: She suggested going to the cinema .
Direct: “I love this song,” he confessed . Reported: He confessed that he loved that song.
Direct: “I haven’t seen her today,” she claimed . Reported: She claimed that she hadn’t seen her that day.
Direct: “I will finish the project,” he assured . Reported: He assured me that he would finish the project.
Direct: “I’m not feeling well,” she complained . Reported: She complained of not feeling well.
Direct: “This is how you do it,” he explained . Reported: He explained how to do it.
Direct: “I saw him yesterday,” she stated . Reported: She stated that she had seen him the day before.
Direct: “Please open the window,” he requested . Reported: He requested that I open the window.
Direct: “I can win this race,” he boasted . Reported: He boasted that he could win the race.
Direct: “I’m moving to London,” she announced . Reported: She announced that she was moving to London.
Direct: “I didn’t understand the instructions,” he admitted . Reported: He admitted that he didn’t understand the instructions.
Direct: “I’ll call you tonight,” she promised . Reported: She promised to call me that night.

Reported Speech: Tense Shifts

When converting direct speech into reported speech, the verb tense is often shifted back one step in time. This is known as the “backshift” of tenses. It’s essential to adjust the tense to reflect the time elapsed between the original speech and the reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how different tenses in direct speech are transformed in reported speech:

Direct: “I am eating.” Reported: He said he was eating.
Direct: “They will go to the park.” Reported: She mentioned they would go to the park.
Direct: “We have finished our homework.” Reported: They told me they had finished their homework.
Direct: “I do my exercises every morning.” Reported: He explained that he did his exercises every morning.
Direct: “She is going to start a new job.” Reported: He heard she was going to start a new job.
Direct: “I can solve this problem.” Reported: She said she could solve that problem.
Direct: “We are visiting Paris next week.” Reported: They said they were visiting Paris the following week.
Direct: “I will be waiting outside.” Reported: He stated he would be waiting outside.
Direct: “They have been studying for hours.” Reported: She mentioned they had been studying for hours.
Direct: “I can’t understand this chapter.” Reported: He complained that he couldn’t understand that chapter.
Direct: “We were planning a surprise.” Reported: They told me they had been planning a surprise.
Direct: “She has to complete her assignment.” Reported: He said she had to complete her assignment.
Direct: “I will have finished the project by Monday.” Reported: She stated she would have finished the project by Monday.
Direct: “They are going to hold a meeting.” Reported: She heard they were going to hold a meeting.
Direct: “I must leave.” Reported: He said he had to leave.

Reported Speech: Changing Time and Place References

When converting direct speech into reported speech, references to time and place often need to be adjusted to fit the context of the reported speech. This is because the time and place relative to the speaker may have changed from the original statement to the time of reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how time and place references change:

Direct: “I will see you tomorrow .” Reported: He said he would see me the next day .
Direct: “We went to the park yesterday .” Reported: They said they went to the park the day before .
Direct: “I have been working here since Monday .” Reported: She mentioned she had been working there since Monday .
Direct: “Let’s meet here at noon.” Reported: He suggested meeting there at noon.
Direct: “I bought this last week .” Reported: She said she had bought it the previous week .
Direct: “I will finish this by tomorrow .” Reported: He stated he would finish it by the next day .
Direct: “She will move to New York next month .” Reported: He heard she would move to New York the following month .
Direct: “They were at the festival this morning .” Reported: She said they were at the festival that morning .
Direct: “I saw him here yesterday.” Reported: She mentioned she saw him there the day before.
Direct: “We will return in a week .” Reported: They said they would return in a week .
Direct: “I have an appointment today .” Reported: He said he had an appointment that day .
Direct: “The event starts next Friday .” Reported: She mentioned the event starts the following Friday .
Direct: “I lived in Berlin two years ago .” Reported: He stated he had lived in Berlin two years before .
Direct: “I will call you tonight .” Reported: She said she would call me that night .
Direct: “I was at the office yesterday .” Reported: He mentioned he was at the office the day before .

Reported Speech: Question Format

When converting questions from direct speech into reported speech, the format changes significantly. Unlike statements, questions require rephrasing into a statement format and often involve the use of introductory verbs like ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’. Here are some examples to demonstrate how questions in direct speech are converted into statements in reported speech:

Direct: “Are you coming to the party?” Reported: She asked if I was coming to the party.
Direct: “What time is the meeting?” Reported: He inquired what time the meeting was.
Direct: “Why did you leave early?” Reported: They wanted to know why I had left early.
Direct: “Can you help me with this?” Reported: She asked if I could help her with that.
Direct: “Where did you buy this?” Reported: He wondered where I had bought that.
Direct: “Who is going to the concert?” Reported: They asked who was going to the concert.
Direct: “How do you solve this problem?” Reported: She questioned how to solve that problem.
Direct: “Is this the right way to the station?” Reported: He inquired whether it was the right way to the station.
Direct: “Do you know her name?” Reported: They asked if I knew her name.
Direct: “Why are they moving out?” Reported: She wondered why they were moving out.
Direct: “Have you seen my keys?” Reported: He asked if I had seen his keys.
Direct: “What were they talking about?” Reported: She wanted to know what they had been talking about.
Direct: “When will you return?” Reported: He asked when I would return.
Direct: “Can she drive a manual car?” Reported: They inquired if she could drive a manual car.
Direct: “How long have you been waiting?” Reported: She asked how long I had been waiting.

Reported Speech: Omitting Quotation Marks

In reported speech, quotation marks are not used, differentiating it from direct speech which requires them to enclose the spoken words. Reported speech summarizes or paraphrases what someone said without the need for exact wording. Here are examples showing how direct speech with quotation marks is transformed into reported speech without them:

Direct: “I am feeling tired,” she said. Reported: She said she was feeling tired.
Direct: “We will win the game,” he exclaimed. Reported: He exclaimed that they would win the game.
Direct: “I don’t like apples,” the boy declared. Reported: The boy declared that he didn’t like apples.
Direct: “You should visit Paris,” she suggested. Reported: She suggested that I should visit Paris.
Direct: “I will be late,” he warned. Reported: He warned that he would be late.
Direct: “I can’t believe you did that,” she expressed in surprise. Reported: She expressed her surprise that I had done that.
Direct: “I need help with this task,” he admitted. Reported: He admitted that he needed help with the task.
Direct: “I have never been to Italy,” she confessed. Reported: She confessed that she had never been to Italy.
Direct: “We saw a movie last night,” they mentioned. Reported: They mentioned that they saw a movie the night before.
Direct: “I am learning to play the piano,” he revealed. Reported: He revealed that he was learning to play the piano.
Direct: “You must finish your homework,” she instructed. Reported: She instructed that I must finish my homework.
Direct: “I will call you tomorrow,” he promised. Reported: He promised that he would call me the next day.
Direct: “I have finished my assignment,” she announced. Reported: She announced that she had finished her assignment.
Direct: “I cannot attend the meeting,” he apologized. Reported: He apologized for not being able to attend the meeting.
Direct: “I don’t remember where I put it,” she confessed. Reported: She confessed that she didn’t remember where she put it.

Reported Speech Quiz

Thanks for reading! I hope you found these reported speech examples useful. Before you go, why not try this Reported Speech Quiz and see if you can change indirect speech into reported speech?

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises with Answers

Table of Contents

Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting a statement made by a speaker. Learn the definition, rules, and examples of direct and indirect speech, as well as how to convert direct speech into indirect speech.

Background on Communication

Spoken and written communication is like one big game of telephone. Sometimes we hear the original tale, and other times we hear a retelling of the story. In this lesson, we’re going to explore what that means by studying the difference between direct and indirect speech and learning proper grammar techniques for both.

Direct Speech

Direct speech , also known as quoted speech, consists of words or phrases that are taken directly from the source. These words are quoted or written exactly as the words were originally spoken.

With regard to direct speech, there is no interpretation or annotation; the words are taken directly from one source and repeated to another. In other words, we take the words directly from the speaker and repeat them exactly as they were originally stated.

Here are some examples of direct speech:

Jonah said, ”I don’t like your hat.”
Jonah said, ”Please take off that Yankees hat.”
Jane said, ”It’s not my fault that you are a Red Sox fan.”

In these examples, the direct speech is shown in quotations, which signifies that the speech is taken directly from the source with no alterations.

Indirect Speech

Indirect speech , also known as reported speech, is when words or phrases are reported in our own words. The original words are modified and/or interpreted as opposed to being quoted.

When talking about indirect speech, we use words that refer to something that has already happened. To do so, we are speaking in the past tense and are summarizing, modifying, or synthesizing what has already been said.

Here are some examples of indirect speech:

Amy said it was cold.
He said he had been on Facebook since 2010.
She said she had been teaching college classes for two years.

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise with Answers

Turn the following sentences into indirect speech.

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Below are few more examples of converting to direct and indirect speech

Exercise 1: change into indirect speech.

Read the following sentences and convert them into indirect speech.

Rahul told to me, “When are you leaving?”
“Where do you live?” the stranger asked Aladdin.
The teacher said to Shelly, “Why are you laughing?”
Dhronacharya said to Arjun, “Shoot the bird’s eye.”
“Call the first convict,” said the jury.
“Call the ambulance,” said the man.
Bruce said to me, “I shall do the work.”
My mother said to me, “You were wrong.”
Mr Richard said to me, “Please wait here till I return.”
The captain said to me, “Bravo! You have played well.”
Raj said, “Alas! My pet died.”
Ruchi said, “I may go there.”
Bucky said to Steve, “Do you hear me?”
The boy said, “Let me come in.”
Granny said to me, “May God bless you.”
Rahul asked me when I was leaving.
The stranger asked Aladdin where he lived.
The teacher asked Shelly why he was laughing.
Dhronacharya ordered Arjun to shoot the fish’s eye.
The jury ordered to call the first convict.
The man urged to call the ambulance.
Bruce said to me he would do the work.
My mother told me that I was wrong.
Mr Richard requested me to wait there till he returned.
The captain applauded me, saying that I had played well.
Raj exclaimed sadly that his pet died.
Ruchi said that she might go there.
Bucky asked Steve if he heard him.
The boy asked to let him come in.
Granny prayed that God might bless me.

Convert the following into Direct Speech

Read the following passage and convert it into direct speech.

“But Issac,” said one of them, “you have forgotten one thing that belongs to a mill.”

“What is that?” asked Issac.

“Why, where is the miller?” said his friend.

“That is true – I must look for one,” said Issac.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct speech.

When the actual words/sentences as spoken by the speaker are quoted in a speech, it’s called direct speech/narration.

What is indirect speech?

When the quoted speech is reported in the form of a narrative without changing the meaning of the actual quotation/words by the speaker, it’s called indirect speech/narration.

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100+Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers

Improve your knowledge of Direct and Indirect Speech with our comprehensive set of Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers . Practice converting quotes to reported speech, understand the rules and techniques involved, and master the difference between direct and indirect speech. Sharpen your language skills and get a better grasp of the English language with our direct and indirect Speech exercises and answers.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and answers are given in the following for practice. It’s important for students as well as for competitive Exams. For practice and easy comprehension, Direct and indirect speech Exercises and answers have been arranged according to different rules in the following.

With these Direct and indirect speech exercises with answers , the students will make themselves able to change Direct speech into indirect speech and indirect speech into direct speech with a Change of tenses, change of pronouns, and change of time and place words in different sentences .

Exercises on How to Change Tenses with Answers

Change the mode of narration from direct Speech to indirect speech .

(1) He said to me, “I can’t recall your name.” Ans: He told me that he could not recall my name.

(2) Poulami says, “I am fine.” Ans: Poulomi says that she is fine.

(3) He said, “I did it.” Ans: He said that he had done it.

(4) “I know her address,” said Gopi. Ans: Gopi said that he knew her address.

(5) Ram said, “The earth is round.” Ans: Ram said that the Earth is round.

(6) “We planted it ourselves,” said the grandfather. Ans: The Gran Father said that they had planted it themselves.

(7) Debu said, “I have been playing rugby.” Ans: Debu said that he had been playing rugby.

(8) Purbasha said to me,” I am afraid of ghosts.” Ans: Purbasha told me that she was afraid of ghosts.

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Change the following mode of narration from direct Speech to indirect speech .

(1) The boys said, “It has been raining since morning. We cannot play today.” Ans: The boys said that it had been raining since morning so they could not play that day.

(2) Anjan’s mother said, “Your father has left for Mumbai.” Ans: Anjan’s mother said that my father had left for Mumbai.

(3) My teacher said, “Practice makes a man perfect.” Ans: My teacher said that practice makes a man perfect.

(4) He says, “I go to the temple every morning.” Ans: He says that he goes to the temple every morning.

(5) He said to me, “I will not get down from the bus.” Ans: He told me that he would not get off the bus.

(6) Rita says to Mita, “I will go with you.” Ans: Rita tells Mita that she will go with her.

(7) The boy said to his friend, “I went to school yesterday.” Ans: The boy told his friend that he had gone to school the previous day.

(8) You said, “I was right.” Ans: You said that you had been right.

(9) “I ‘ll go to the top,” said the young lady. Ans: The young lady said that she would go to the top.

(10) I ‘ve got my rules,” the conductor said to me. Ans: The conductor told me that he had got his rules.

Change of Pronouns Exercises and Answers

(1) He said to me, “ I have done the job.” Ans: He told me that he had done the job.

(2) Rohit said, “ I was absent yesterday.” Ans: Rohit said that he had been absent the previous day.

(3) The boy said, “ My father died two years ago.” Ans: The boy said that his father had died two years before.

(4) He said, “ My goal is to climb Mt Everest. “ Ans: He said that his goal was to climb Mount Everest.

(5) “ I shall certainly do nothing of this kind”, the woman. Ans: The woman said that she would certainly do nothing of that kind.

(6) The man said, “ I am exhausted.” Ans: The man said that he was exhausted.

(7) He said, “ I am washing my hands.” Ans: He said that he was washing his hands.

(8) Mother bird said to her little ones, “Today I will teach you how to fly.” Ans: Mother bird told her little ones that that day, she would teach them how to fly.

(9) Rita’s father says. “ I have done this for you. Ans: Rita’s father says that he had done that for her.

(10) Sumana said to her sister, “ I want to play with you.” Ans: Sumana told her sister that she wanted to play with her.

Change of Time & place for Direct Indirect Speech

Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

(1) The boy said to his father, “I had my tiffin in school yesterday. “ Ans: The boy told his father that he had had his tiffin in school the previous day .

(2) The captain informed, “The tournament was postponed last year. “ Ans: The captain informed us that the tournament was postponed the previous year .

(3) She said, “We have been living here for two years.” Ans: She said that they had been living there for two years.

(4) Arnab said to Ajit,” I am happy today .” Ans: Arna told Ajit that he was happy that day.

(5) My friend said to me, “We went to the zoo yesterday. “ Ans: My friend told me that they had gone to the zoo the previous day.

(6) The clerk said, “I’ll do the work now. “ Ans: Clark said that he would do the work then.

(7) Hiten said to Mihir, “I received this letter yesterday. “ Ans: Hiten told me that he had received that letter the previous day.

(8) Rajib said to me. “I shall go to the picture today. “ Ans: Rajiv told me that he would go to the picture that day.

(9) He said, “We are very happy here. “ Ans: He said that they were very happy there.

(10) The farmer said, “I’ll sow the seeds now. “ Ans: The farmer said that he will show the seats then.

(12) The man said to me, “I received your gift yesterday. “ Ans: The man told me that he had received my gift the previous day.

(15) I said to my friend, “You were present in the class yesterday. “ Ans: I told my friend that he had been present in the class the previous day.

Assertive Sentences Exercises with Answers

Change the following sentences converting the direct speeches into indirect speeches.

(1) The teacher said to the boy, “You have forgotten the lesson.” Ans: The teacher told the boy that he had forgotten the lesson.

(2) The boy said, “I shall go out and play.” Ans: The boy said that he would go out and play.

(3) He said, “I am happy to be here today.” Ans: He said that he was happy to be there that day.

(4) They said, “We shall play the game again tomorrow.” Ans: They said that they would play the game again the next day.

(5) The boy said, “Two and two make four.” Ans: The boy said that two and two make four.

Change the form of narration from indirect speech into direct speech.

(1) She told them that she had lost her books and theirs too. Ans : “I have lost my books and yours too”, she told them.

(2) The princess says that she has lost her way. Ans: The princess says, “I have lost my way.”

(3) They say that they must keep their locality clean. Ans: They say, “We must keep our locality clean.”

(4) The girl says that those books are theirs, but that one is hers. Ans: The girl says, “These books are theirs, but this one is mine.”

(5) The Happy prince said that he had led the dance in the Great Hall. Ans: The Happy Prince said, “I led the dance in the great hall.”

Interrogative Sentences Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises

Turn the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.

(1) Bulbuli said to her friend, “Will you come tomorrow?” Ans: Bulbuli asked her friend if she would on the next day.

(2) The policeman said to the stranger, “What are you looking for?” Ans: The police asked the stranger what he was looking for.

(3) Nikhil said to me, “Why do you look sad? Ans: Nikhil asked me why I looked sad.

(4) I said to her, “Did you take tea ?” Ans: I asked her if she had taken tea.

(5) The girl said to her mother, “Will you give me your bangles ?” Ans: The girl asked her mother if she would give her her bangles.

(6) Father said to me, “Why are you so upset?” Ans: Father asked me why I was so upset.

Change the following indirect speech into Direct speech.

(1) She asked me if I had called her. Ans: She said to me, “Did you call me ?”

(2) He asked me if I was writing a letter. Ans: He asked me, “Are you writing a letter ?”

(3) The man asked the child how he had got there. Ans: “How did you get here, child ?”, the man said.

(4) The police asked me if I could show my identity card. Ans: The police said to me, “Can you show your identity card ?”

(5) He asked us if we were attending the meeting that day. Ans: He said to us, “Are you attending the meeting today?”

(6) I asked her if she had taken medicine. Ans: I said to her, “Did you take medicine ?”

(7) Raja asked Dipu if he would go to school that day. Ans: Raja said to Dipu, “Will you go to school today?

Imperative Sentences Exercises with Answers

Change the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.

(1) The teacher said to the students, “Keep quiet.” Ans: The teachers ordered the students to keep quiet.

(2) My teacher said to me. “Do not neglect your studies.” Ans: My teacher advised me not to neglect my studies.

(3) The man said to his son, “Always try to be honest.” Ans: The man advised it’s on to always try to be honest.

(4) Mother said to Raju, “Do not run in the sun.” Ans: Mother ordered Raju not to run in the sun.

(5) The man said to me, “Brother, please help me.” Ans: Addressing as a brother, the man requested me to help him.

(6) The students said, “Please allow us to play in the field.” Ans: The students requested to allow them to play on the field.

(7) He said to me, “Please give me some money.” Ans: He requested me to give him some money.

Exercise 10

Change the following sentences from Indirect speech to Direct Speech of narration.

(1) He advised me not to waste my valuable time. Ans: He said to me, “Don’t waste your valuable time.”

(2) The grandson advised the children not to pluck flowers. Ans: The gardener said to the children, “Do not pluck flowers.”

(3) Tom forbade Sid to shake him. Ans: Tom said to Sid, “Don’t shake me.”

(4) The master ordered the servant to sort the door. Ans: The master said to the servant, “Shut the door.”

(5) The commander ordered the soldiers to stand at ease. Ans: The commander said to the soldiers, “Stand at ease.”

(6) Addressing as sethji, the vendor told him not to rob the poor. Ans: “Sethji, don’t rob the poor”, said the vendor.

(7) The doctor advised the patient to take proper vitamins to stay healthy. Ans: The doctor said to the patient, “Take proper vitamins to stay healthy.”

(8) The teacher ordered the students to do it then. Ans: The teacher said to the students, “Do it now.”

Direct and indirect speech Exercises Answers with “Let”

Exercise 11.

Change the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech mode of narration.

(1) Rahim said, “Let us decide the matter together.” Ans: Rahim suggested that they should decide the matter together.

(2) The boy said to me, “Let us play cricket.” Ans: The boy proposed that they should play cricket.

(3) He said, “Let me go home.” Ans: He wished that he might go home.

(4) He said to me, “Let him say whatever he likes.” Ans: He wished me that he might say whatever he liked.

(5) He shouted, “Let me go out. Ans: He shouted at me to go out.

Exercise 12

Change the following sentences from indirect speech to direct speech mode of narration.

(1) She proposed that they should go to the cinema. Ans: She said, “Let us go to the cinema.”

(2) He suggested that they should drop the matter. Ans: He said, “Let us drop the matter”

(3) They suggested that they should make him give them their fears back. Ans: “Let’s make him give us our fares back,” they said.

(4) Shabnam proposed Chandni that they should go for a walk. Ans: “Let us go for a walk.” said Shabnam to Chandni.

(5) The leader suggested that they should hold a meeting the next day. Ans: The leader said, “Let’s hold a meeting tomorrow.”

Direct and indirect speech Exercises Answers of Optative Sentences

Exercise 13.

Change the following from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech.

(1) I said to him, “May you be happy.” Ans: I wished that he might be happy.

(2) Mother said to me, “May God bless you.” Ans: Mother prayed that God might bless me.

(3) He said, “May his soul rest in peace.” Ans: He prayed that his soul might rest in peace.

(4) The girl said, “Oh, had I the wings of a dove.” Ans: The girl wished that she could have the wings of a dove.

(5) I said to him, “May you live long.” Ans: I wished him that he might live long.

Exercise 14

Change the following from Indirect Speech to Direct Speech.

(1) Nilima wished me that I might recover soon. Ans: Nilima said to me, “May you recover soon.”

(2) Mother wished him that God might grant him a long life. Ans : Mother said to him, “May God grant you a long life.”

(3) The holy man wished that peace might prevail. Ans: The holy man said, “May peace prevail.”

(4) She wished that Mother Teresa might recover from illness soon. Ans: She said, “May Mother Teresa recover from illness soon.”

(5) He wished that he could bring his departed friend back to life. Ans: He said, “Oh, if I could bring my departed friend back to life.”

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises of Exclamatory Sentences

Exercise 15.

(1) The boys triumphantly said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.” Ans: The boys exclaimed in joy that they had won the match.

(2) The old man said to the girl, “May you be happy !” Ans: The old man wished the girl that she might be happy.

(3) He said, “What good news!” Ans: He exclaimed in joy that it was very good news.

(4) The children said, “How happy we were there!” Ans: The children gloomily said that they had been very happy there.

(5) He said to you. “May God bless you.” Ans: He wished you that God might bless you.

(6) My friend said to me. “What a fool you are!” Ans: My friend exclaimed in despair that she was a big fool.

Exercise 16

(1) Piyali exclaimed in sorrow that she had lost her phone. Ans: “Alas! I have lost my phone”, said Piyali.

(2) Mother wished Roy that his dreams might come true. Ans: Mother said to Roy, “May your dreams come true.”

(3) The girl exclaimed that she had been very sensible. Ans: How insensible I have been!”, said the girl.

(4) The girl exclaimed in sorrow that she had torn her frock. Ans: The girl said, “Oh dear! I have torn my frock.”

(5) She exclaimed in sorrow that she was undone. Ans: She said, “Alas! I am undone.”

(6) They wished me happy birthday. Ans: They said to me. “Happy birthday!”

(7) The students bade their teacher good morning. Ans: “Good morning, Madam!”, said the students to the teacher.

Practice Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises

A . Change the following into reported speech .

1. Rita says, “Kishore sang a song”.

2. The saint said, “Man is mortal”

3. You said, “we are learning our lesson’.

4. He said to me, “My father went to Mumbai last week.

5. I said to her, “Are you leaving tonight?”

6. He said to her, “Can you lend me your umbrella?”

7. She said, “I saw a tiger here’.

8. The principal said, “well done! my boys”.

9. She said, “Let them play.”

10. I said to Harsh, “Please help me.”

B. Change the direct speech into Indirect Speech

1. He asked me, “Where has he gone?”

2. The Prime Minister said, “National Integrity will be preserved at all costs.

3. She said, “My uncle came yesterday.”

4. Sheela said to us, “You must work hard.”

5. They said, “We trust in God.”

6. The officer said to him. “You will be dismissed if you do not attend the office in time.'”

7. He said to me “I am reading a book.”

8. He said, “Thanks for reminding me.’

9. She said,” Keep this room open.’

10. I said to him, “I went there on Tuesday.”

C. Choose the correct option .

1. I advised him ____________ it.

(a) to not do

(b) not to do

2. She told me ____________ careful.

3. She asked me if I ____________ my lunch.

(b) have eaten

4. She asked me ____________ going to the movies

(a) that I was

(b) if was I

5. The dentist suggested ____________ get a new toothbrush.

(b) that I should

6. She said that no one ____________ me

7. He asked me ____________ to deserve such a cruel punishment.

(a) what had he done

(b) what he had done

8. He promised he ____________ do it by the end of the week.

9. She said that ____________ me before.

(a) she hadn’t met

(b) she did not meet

10. I requested her____________ me.

(b) to help

D. Complete the sentences in reported speech.

1. The girl said that it ___________ to be there that evening.

(a) gave her great pleasure

(b) gives her great pleasure

2. The man said that he ___________ as soon as possible.

(a) must go

(b) had gone

3. She said that she ___________ to se any of them.

(a) does not want

(b) did not want

4. The teacher says that if you work hard you ___________

(a) would pass

(b) will pass

5. He said that he ___________

(b) has won

6. He proposed that they ___________ for her return.

(a) shall wait

(b) will wait

7. Alice exclaimed how clever ___________

(a) she was

(b) was she

8. The young man asked which way she ___________

(a) has gone

9. He asked me where ___________ going.

10. She requested them to wait there till she ___________

(a) returns

(b) returned

E. Complete the sentence in reported speech.

1. Ravi said, “I love this place”.

Ravi said _______________

2. “Do you like football?” He asked me.

He asked me_______________

3. “I can’t drive a lorry”, he said.

He said _______________

4. “Be nice to your brother”, he said

He asked me _______________

5. “Don’t be nasty, “he said

He urged me _______________

6. “Don’t waste your money “she said,

She told the boys _______________

7. “What have you decided to do? “she asked

him. She asked him _______________

8. “I always wake up early”. he said,

He said_______________

9. “You should revise your lessons’, he said,

He advised the students _______________

10. “Where have you been? “he asked me

He wanted to know _______________

F. Complete the sentence in reported speech.

1. She said, “I went to cinema yesterday,”

She said _______________

2. You said, “I will do this for him.”

You said _______________

3. He said, “I am writing a test tomorrow,

4. She said, “I am not hungry now”,

5. They said, “We have never been here before.”

They said _______________

6. They said, “We were in London last week.”

7. He said, “They won’t sleep.”

8. “Have you been shopping?” he asked us.

9. She said, “It is very quiet here.

10. “I don’t speak Italian”, she said.

She said_______________

Direct and Indirect Speech Answers Key

1. Rita says that Kishore sang a song.

2. The saint said that the man is mortal.

3. You said that you were learning your lesson.

4. He hold me that his father had gone to Mumbai the previous week.

5. I asked her if she was leaving that night.

6. He asked her if she could lend him her umbrella.

7. She said that she had seen a tiger there.

8. The principal exclaimed with applause that the boys had done well.

9. She suggested that they should be allowed to play.

10. I requested Harsh to help me.

1. He asked me where he had gone.

2. The Prime Minister declared that the National Integrity would be preserved at all costs.

3. She said that her uncle had come the previous day.

4. Sheela told us that we must work hard.

5. They said that they trusted in God.

6. The officer warned him that he would be dismissed

if he did not attend the office in time.

7. He told me that he was reading a book.

8. He thanked me for reminding him.

9. She ordered to keep that room open.

10. I told him that I had gone there on Tuesday.

1. (b) not to do

2. (b) to be

3. (c) had eaten

4. (c) if I was

5. (b) that I should

6. (c) had called

7. (b) what he had done

8. (b) would

9. (a) she hadn’t met

10. (b) to help

1. (a) gave her great pleasure.

2. (a) must go

3. (b) did not want

4. (b) will pass

5. (c) had won

6. (c) should wait

7. (a) she was

8. (b) had gone

9. (a) I was

10. (b) returned

1. that he loved that place

2. whether I liked football

3. that he couldn’t drive a lorry

4. to be nice to my brother

5. not to be nasty

6. not to waste their money

7. what he had decided to do

8. that he always wake up early

9. to revise their lessons

10. where I had been

1. that she had gone to cinema the previous day.

2. that you would do that for him.

3. that he will be writing a test the next day.

4. that she was not hungry then.

5. that they had never been there before.

6. that they had been in London the previous week.

7. that they wouldn’t sleep.

8. whether we had been shopping.

9. that it was very quiet there.

10. that she didn’t speak Italian.

FAQs on Direct and Indirect speech

Q: what’s the purpose of the indirect speech.

A: Indirect speech allows us to convey someone else’s words without quoting them verbatim. It’s useful for summarizing and paraphrasing.

Q: Are tense changes mandatory in indirect speech?

A: Yes, tense changes are often necessary to accurately reflect the timing of the original statement.

Q: Can reporting verbs be used interchangeably?

A: While reporting verbs can be interchangeable to some extent, their nuances can impact the meaning of the reported speech.

Q: Is it possible to transform any direct speech into indirect speech?

A: Yes, most direct speech can be converted into indirect speech, although some cases may require adjustments.

Q: How can I identify indirect speech in a sentence?

A: Look for keywords like “said,” “asked,” or other reporting verbs, as well as changes in pronouns, tenses, and time expressions.

Q: Why is mastering direct and indirect speech important?

A: Mastering these skills enhances communication clarity, adds variety to language use, and fosters effective expression.

Conclusion:

Direct and indirect speech exercises and answers are invaluable tools for effective communication. By honing this skill, you’ll not only convey information accurately but also showcase your language expertise. Remember that practice makes perfect, and the more you engage in these exercises, the more naturally you’ll incorporate them into your everyday language use.

Reported Speech

Reported Speech: Whenever you are quoting someone else’s words , you use two kinds of speeches – Direct or Indirect speech . In this chapter, we will learn all about Direct and Indirect speech and how to convert one into another.

Browse more Topics under Transformation Sentences

Active and Passive Voice
Parts of Speech
Types of Sentences

Reported speech- Play of the tenses:

Learn more about Parts of Speech here in detail

This is a summary table that will be crystal clear to you as you read further. Just come back to this table after this section and use this as a summary table:

Some word transitions from direct to reported speech that will come in handy:

Will becomes would
Can becomes could
would stays would
should stays should
must stays must or had to(matter of choice)
shall becomes should

Exception : A present tense in direct speech may not become a past tense in the reported speech if it’s a fact or something generic we are talking about in the sentence. For example-

Direct speech: The sun rises from the East.

Reported speech: She said that the sun rises/rose from the East.

Reported speech- Handling questions:

What happens when the sentence we are trying to report was actually a question? That’s something we are going to deal with in this section. Reported questions- It’s quite interesting. let’s get into it:

Well the good news is that the tense change you learnt above stays the same in reported speech for questions. The only difference is that when you report a question, you no more report it in the form of a question but in the form of a statement. For example:

Direct speech: Where do you want to eat?

Reported speech: She asked me where I wanted to eat.

Notice how the question mark is gone from the reported speech. The reported speech is a statement now. Keep that in mind as you read further.

Remember the tense change? Let’s apply that to a few questions now.

Now these are questions that have wordy answers to them. What about the questions that has yes/no answers to them? In these type of questions just add “if” before asking the question. For example:

Direct speech: Would you like to eat some cupcakes?
Reported speech: He asked me if i would like to eat some cupcakes.
Direct speech: Have you ever seen the Van Gogh paintings?
Reported speech: She asked me if I had ever seen the Van Gogh paintings.
Direct speech: Are you eating your vegetables?
Reported speech: She asked if I was eating my vegetables.

Reported speech- Reported requests:

Well not all questions require answers. Some questions are polite requests. Remember? Could you please try to remember? And then there are request statements. Let’s see how do we convert these into reported speech.

Reported request = ask me + to + verb or requested me + to +verb

Just add this rule to your reported speech and you have what is called a reported request.

Reported speech- Reported orders:

Well, not everyone is going to be polite. Sometimes, we get orders. Now how will you report them? Unlike the request, the reporting verb isn’t ask but told or tell. Also, when in orders, sometimes subjects are omitted but while reporting we have to revive the subjects. Let’s see a few examples:

Direct speech: Sit down!
Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Direct speech: don’t worry!
Reported speech: She told me not to worry.

Reported speech- Time transitions:

With that, you have everything it takes to understand reported speech. you are all se to change the direct to reported speech. Go ahead and try a few examples. All the best!

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Transformation of Sentences

Active and Passive voice

37 responses to “Active and Passive voice”

Simple but very nice explanation and helpfull too.

What is the voice change of ” I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths.”

ENDEAVOUR HAS BEEN MADE BY ME TO UNDERSTAND THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH.

The fundamental truths have been endeavoured to be understood by me

The fundamental truths to understand had been endeavoured by him

The fundamental truths have endeavoured to be understood by me

The fundamental truths has been understood endeavoured to by me

How to change the voice for the following sentence – the books will be received by tomorrow

By whom? We need a subject. If the subject was for example “The library”, then the sentence in active voice would read “The library will receive the books by tomorrow”.

You will receive the books by tomorrow.

Tomorrow you will receive the book

You will receive the books (by) tomorrow.

Someone will receive the books by tomorrow

Tomorrow will be receive the books

HE WILL RECEIVE THE BOOKS BY TOMORROW.

By tomorrow the books will be received.

By tomorrow, you will receive the books

Tomorrow received the book

Change this “take right and turn left” into passive voice

Let the right be taken amd left be turned

‘amd’ is “and” 😅

You are advised to take right and turn left

Very helpful information thanks

Very well explained all basics that can lead to gain further knowledge very easily

What is in this box change into passive

what is the voice change of,” some people think nuclear is the best, because it doesnt add to global warming “….

Brilliant stuff!! – Rishabh

A kite was made by Ravi . What is the active form of this statement???

how to change into passive this sentence “when they were shifting the patient to the I.C.U.,he died

change into passive voice this sentence “when they were shifting the patient to I.C.U.,he died .

May you tell us tense conversion in voice.

Sentences without action like…. Jim is a doctor . Is it active or passive and if any how would you decide without having a main verb ?

It is named after the name of its principal tree ‘sundari'(passive)

how can ocean be object 🙄???

They made a bag

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Reported Speech: Exclamatory Sentences Practice Questions with Answers

Post last modified: 10 April 2022
Post category: Grammar Exercises / School Grammar

Learn how to change Exclamatory sentences into indirect speech. We are giving here rules of as well as some practice exercises to help learners master the direct and indirect transformation of sentences. watch the video tutorials also to learn how to change a direct speech exclamation into its indirect speech exclamation.

New exercises are added from time to time, so keep coming here .

Click here for rules of Reported Speech

Click here for more English Grammar Topics.

Narration: Exclamatory Sentences

Exclamatory sentences:.

Sentences which express some sudden feelings ( such as pleasure, anger, surprise ) about something which has been said or done, are called Exclamatory sentences.

Exclamatory sentences or expressions take a mark of exclamation (!) at their end.

Hurrah! we have won.
Alas! he is ruined.
What a lovely flower!
How foolish he is!

Exclamatory Sentences: General Rules

Use ‘exclaimed’ in place of ‘said’ in the reporting verb in the indirect speech: Sometimes Exclamatory sentences contain exclamations like Hurrah! Alas! Oh! Heavens! Bravo, etc. Such exclamatory words are removed in the indirect speech and we use ‘ exclaimed with sorrow’, exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with surprise, applaud, pray etc. instead of ‘said’.
Generally, Indirect speech begins with that the Conjunction ‘ that’
Use ‘wish’ and ‘pray to God’ in sentences involving wish and prayer.
Convert the exclamatory sentence to a statement i.e. end with a full stop dot ( . )
Direct: Kohli said, “Hurrah! We won the match.” Indirect: Kohli exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
Direct: Reena said, “Alas! Sheela’s mother is suffering from cancer.” Indirect: Reena exclaimed with sorrow that Sheela’s mother was suffering from cancer.
Direct: My mother said, “May God bless you!” Indirect: My mother prayed to God for my wellbeing.
Direct: He said, “What a pity!” Indirect: He exclaimed that it was a great pity.
Direct: I said, “How stupid he is!” Indirect: I exclaimed that it was a very stupid of him.

Solved Exercises -1

Q. Change the following sentences into Indirect narration.

He said, “Alas! I am undone.”
She said, “Hoe clever I am!”
He said, “Bravo! You have done well.”
“Oh, help me, Heaven!” he cried, “I will never steal again.”
She said, “May you succeed, my son.”
He said, “What a great misery!”
The captain said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.”
Sita said, “Goodbye, my friend!”
The spectators said, “Bravo! Well played, Rahul!”
The merchant said, “Alas! I am ruined.”
He exclaimed sadly (with sorrow) that he was undone.
She exclaimed that she was very clever.
He applauded him saying that he had done well.
He called upon Heaven to witness his resolve never to steal again.
She wished success for her son. OR She prayed for the success of her son.
He exclaimed that it was a great misery.
The captain exclaimed with joy that they had won.
She bade her friend goodbye.
The spectators applauded Rahul saying that he had played well.
The merchant exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

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Cbse class 10 english paper 2022-23 grammar portion solutions, reported speech: practice exercises in interrogative sentences, subject verb concord – english grammar for cbse & icse schools, prepositions: practice exercises english grammar, this post has 7 comments.

Thank s and it is very helpful ffor me

did you ride the titanic submarineee??????????????????? cz i am virat kohli’s father, australia cricket team!!!!!!

Thank s and this is useful examples

thanks! helped alot during my exams! I would surely reccomend this to all of those who are seeing this comment and to all of my friends…!

Thanks a lot

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Transformation of Sentence: Direct & Indirect Speech

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise

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Past perfect

No backshift

Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time and place

Language level

Online courses

100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Reported Speech: Changing Pronouns

Reported Speech: Reporting Verbs

Reported Speech: Tense Shifts

Reported Speech: Changing Time and Place References

Reported Speech: Question Format

Reported Speech: Omitting Quotation Marks

Reported Speech Quiz

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises with Answers

Background on Communication

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise with Answers

Below are few more examples of converting to direct and indirect speech

Convert the following into Direct Speech

Frequently Asked Questions

What is indirect speech?

Feeba Mahin

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