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.’
Answers
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.
Change as directed
Read the following sentences and change them into reported speech.
Mimi said, “I have been writing this letter.”
I said, “Sam’s driving the car.”
My uncle said, “I am cooking lunch.”
My brother said, “I had already eaten.”
The old lady said to the girl, “Where do you come from?”
Jon said, “I like to play rugby.”
My mother said, “I get up early every morning.”
The maths teacher said, “Three divided by three is one.”
Mohit said, “Switzerland is a very beautiful country.”
Ruben said, “It is very cold outside.”
The teacher said, “The French Revolution took place in 1789.”
Uma said, “I saw a Royal Bengal Tiger in the zoo.”
Luke said, “I can do this homework.”
Aswini said to her mother, “I have passed the test”.
Daphne said to Antony, “I will go to London tomorrow.”
The boy said, “My father is sleeping.”
The traffic police said to us, “Where are you going?”
The man shouted, “Let me go.”
Shivina said, “Alas! I am lost.”
“I know her contact number,” said Helena.
Stefen said, “My granny is making pasta.”
Raj said to Simran, “Have you ever been to the National Museum?”
Anish said to Sid, “Please lend me the book.”
The teacher said to the parents, “Shelly is working very hard.”
Joshua said, “I have completed my assignment.”
I said to Alka, “How long will you stay here?”
The child told his dad, “I want an ice cream.”
Meera said, “I am not feeling well.”
The teacher said to Vivek, “Draw the diagram of the plant’s parts.”
Irin said, “I am playing the piano.”
My mother said to me, “Help me carry this bag.”
Rahul said, “My sister is very helpful.”
The news reporter said, “The flight will be delayed by a few hours due to heavy rains.”
Urmi said to her mother, “I want a slice of pizza.”
I said to Daniel, “Are you reading this book?”
Answers
Mimi said that she had been writing that letter.
I said that Sam was driving the car.
My uncle said that he was cooking lunch.
My brother said that he had already eaten.
The old lady asked the girl where she came from.
Jon said that he likes to play rugby.
My mother said that she gets up early every morning.
The maths teacher said that three divided by three is one.
Mohit said that Switzerland was a very beautiful country.
Ruben said that it was very cold outside.
The teacher said that the French Revolution took place in 1789.
Uma said that she saw a Royal Bengal Tiger in the zoo.
Luke said that he could do that homework.
Aswini told her mother that she had passed the test.
Daphne informed Antony that she would go to London the next day.
The boy said that his father was sleeping.
The traffic police asked us where we were going.
The man shouted to them to let him go.
Shivina exclaimed sadly that she was lost.
Helena said that she knew her contact number.
Stefen said that his granny was making pasta.
Raj asked Simran if she had ever been to the National Museum.
Anish requested Sid to lend him the book.
The teacher told the parents that Shelly was working very hard.
Joshua said that he had completed his assignment.
I asked Alka how long she would stay there.
The child told his dad that he wants an ice cream.
Meera said that she was not feeling well.
The teacher instructed Vivek to draw the diagram of the plant’s parts.
Irin said that she was playing the piano.
My mother asked me to help her carry the bag.
Rahul said that his sister was very helpful.
The news reporter said that the flight would be delayed by a few hours due to heavy rains.
Urmi said to her mother that she wanted a slice of pizza.
I asked Daniel if he was reading that book.
