There are two ways of reporting people’s words and thoughts. When we give the exact words of the speaker, it is called direct speech.

• Rahul said, ‘I am going home.’
• The man asked, ‘What do you want?’
• The mother asked the girl, ‘Why are you crying?’

We can also report these questions and statements by making them a part of our sentence. This is called indirect speech or reported speech.

When we change a sentence from direct speech to indirect speech, there is usually a change in tense and pronouns. Also, words showing nearness in time and place will be replaced by words indicating distance in indirect speech. Can you use indirect speech correctly?

Basic rules for indirect speech

If the reporting verb / main verb is in the past tense, the rest of the sentence too will be in the past tense.

• Radha said, ‘I am feeling sick.’
• Radha said that she was feeling sick.
• ‘I can’t find my phone,’ the girl said.
• The girl that she couldn’t find her phone.

Generally speaking, the present verb in the direct speech changes to the past verb in the indirect speech.

• is / am -> was
• are -> were
• has / have -> had
• do / does -> did
• will -> would; can -> could; may -> might; shall -> should

• The employee said, ‘I have finished the job.’ (Direct speech)
• The employee said that he/she had finished the job. (Indirect speech)
• I don’t want to live here,’ said the old woman. (Direct speech)
• The old woman said that she didn’t want to live there.
• She said, ‘I will be leaving in an hour.’ (Direct speech)
• She said that she would be leaving in an hour. (Indirect speech)
• She said, ‘I want to go.’
• She said that she wanted to go.
• The boy said, ‘I can’t find my watch.’
• The boy said that he couldn’t find his watch.
• The students said, ‘We waited for hours.’
• The students said that they had waited for hours.

When the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense in the indirect speech does not change.

• He says, ‘I am tired.’
• He says that he is tired.
• She will say, ‘I am not coming.’
• She will say that she is not coming.

We use if or whether to report a ‘Yes/No’ question.

• Rahul said, ‘Are you going to the party.’
• Rahul asked if/whether I was going to the party.

Worksheet 1

Change the following sentences in direct speech to indirect speech.

1. Shyam said, “I want to buy a new laptop.’

2. Rahul said to me, ‘I am going to the movies.’

3. Mother said to me. ‘Learn your lessons.’

4. Madhav said, ‘I am hungry.’

5. Supriya said, ‘I am preparing for my exam.’

6. Rahul said, ‘I have to send a letter to my grandmother.’

7. Venu said, ‘I failed my exam.’

8. Manohar said to me, ‘I like your attitude.’

9. The girls said, ‘We are rehearsing for the programme.’

10. He said, ‘I know the answer.’

11. ‘I want to talk to the manager,’ said the woman.

12. ‘Do you know anyone here?’ he asked me.

13. ‘I will return in an hour,’ he said to me.

14. ‘Will you accept the job?’ my mother asked.

15. ‘When will you arrive?’ she asked me.

16. ‘I don’t enjoy this party,’ he said.

17. ‘I can’t bear the pain,’ said the boy.

18. ‘Say something,’ the investigators asked him.

19. ‘Leave me alone,’ she said to me.

20. ‘This is my seat,’ the boy told me.

Answers

1. Shyam said that he wanted to buy a new laptop.

2. Rahul told me that he was going to the movies.

3. Mother told me to learn my lessons. / Mother asked me to learn my lessons.

4. Madhav said that he was hungry.

5. Supriya said that she was preparing for her exam.

6. Rahul said that he had to send a letter to his grandmother.

7. Venu said that he had failed his exam.

8. Manohar told me that he liked my attitude.

9. The girls said that they were rehearsing for the programme.

10. He told me that he knew the answer.

11. The woman said that she wanted to talk to the manager.

12. He asked me if / whether I knew anyone there.

13. He told me that he would return in an hour.

14. My mother asked me if / whether I would accept the job.

15. ‘She asked me when I would arrive.

16. He said that he didn’t enjoy that party.

17. The boy cried that he couldn’t bear the pain.

18. The investigators asked /told him to say something.

19. She asked/told me to leave her alone.

20. The boy told me that that was his seat.

Worksheet 2

Sentences are given in the direct speech. Change them into indirect speech / reported speech.

1. ‘Can I have two tickets?’ the woman said to the clerk.

2. ‘I need to book two tickets,’ the man said.

3. ‘I don’t want to waste any more time,’ the boy added.

4. ‘How long does the tour last?’ the tourist asked the guide.

5. ‘How long does it take to get there?’ the traveler asked.

6. ‘How much is a student ticket?’ the girl asked.

7. ‘I would like a map of the area,’ the inspector said.

8. ‘Do you have any brochures in English?’ the visitor asked the receptionist.

9. ‘Is there somewhere to leave our coats?’ the students asked.

10. ‘What time does the park close?’ the visitor asked.

Answers

1. The woman asked the clerk if she could have two tickets.

2. The man said that he needed to book two tickets.

3. The boy added that he didn’t want to waste any more time.

4. The tourist asked the guide how long the tour lasted.

5. The traveler asked how long it took to get there.

6. The girl asked how much a student ticket was.

7. The inspector said that he would like a map of the area.

8. The visitor asked the receptionist if he/she had any brochures in English.

9. The students asked if there was somewhere to leave their coats.

10. The visitor asked what time the park closed.

Worksheet 3

Sentences are given in direct speech. Change them into indirect speech.

1. ‘I don’t want to wait any longer,’ she said.

2. ‘What do you want?’ he asked me.

3. ‘You are not going to watch TV,’ said mother.

4. ‘Have you ever been to the US?’ he asked me.

5. ‘Somebody is stealing my cucumbers,’ she said.

6. ‘I had a strange experience yesterday,’ he said.

7. Maya said, ‘I am not going to the party.’

8. The girl said, ‘This colour does not suit me.’

9. Ravi said, ‘I don’t enjoy this party.’

10. ‘Are you coming with me?’ Sheela asked me.

11. ‘I haven’t eaten anything since morning,’ said the boy.

12. ‘The patient needs blood transfusion,’ said the doctor.

13. ‘Have you done your homework?’ the teacher asked the students.

14. ‘Why don’t you listen to me?’ he said to her.

15. ‘Why did you do that?’ he asked me.

16. ‘How can you be so careless?’ said my mother.

17. ‘What did you do then?’ he asked me.

18. ‘We have been waiting for hours,’ they said.

19. ‘How will I solve this problem?’ she asked.

20. ‘If you don’t learn your lessons, you will not get good marks,’ the teacher told me.

Answers

1. She said that she didn’t want to wait any longer.

2. He asked me what I wanted.

3. Mother said that I was not going to watch TV.

4. He asked me if / whether I had ever been to the US.

5. She said / complained that somebody was stealing her cucumbers.

6. He said that he had had a strange experience the previous day.

7. Maya said that she was not going to the party.

8. The girl said that that colour did not suit her.

9. Ravi said that he didn’t enjoy that party.

10. She asked me if / whether I was going with her.

11. The boy said that he hadn’t eaten anything since morning.

12. The doctor said that the patient needed blood transfusion.  

13. The teacher asked the students if they had done their homework.

14. He asked her why she didn’t listen to him.

15. He asked me why I had done that.

16. My mother wondered how I could be so careless.

17. He asked me what I had done then.

18. They said that they had been waiting for hours.

19. She asked / wondered how she would solve that problem.

20. The teacher told me that if I didn’t learn my lessons, I would not get good marks.

Worksheet 4

Change sentences in direct speech to indirect speech.

1. Rahul said to Madhav, ‘Can you lend me a few hundred rupees?’

2. She said, ‘I might be working late tonight.’

3. The girl asked the librarian, ‘Can I borrow two books at a time?’

4. The man said, ‘I want to quit this job.’

5.  The teacher said, ‘Every student should submit their work before Friday.’

6. The doctor said to the patient, ‘Get enough rest.’

7. The teacher said to the student, ‘Have you had your lunch?’

8. The teacher asked, ‘Can anybody solve this problem?’

9. ‘I will not put up with this,’ she said.

10. ‘I am looking for a job,’ the man said.

Answers

1. Rahul asked Madhav if / whether he could lend him a few hundred rupees.

2. She said that she might be working late that night.

3. The girl asked the librarian if she could borrow two books at a time.

4. The man said that he wanted to quit his job.

5.  The teacher said that every student should submit their work before Friday.

6. The doctor advised the patient to get enough rest.

7. The teacher asked the student if / whether he/she had had his/her lunch.

8. The teacher asked if anybody could solve that problem.

9. She said that she would not put up with that.

10. The man said that he was looking for a job.