The modals could, should, would, might, needn’t, ought to, used to don’t change when used with indirect speech.
Those who change are will → would, can → could, may → might :
Direct speeches | Indirect speeches | |
---|---|---|
will | “They will call you.” | He told her that they would call her. |
would* | “I would help, but I’m sick.” | She said (that) she would help but she was sick. |
can | “I can do it.” | He said he could do it. |
could* | “I could swim when I was four” | She said (that) she could swim when she was four. |
should* | “I should call my mother” | She said (that) she should call her mother. |
may | “May I go out?” | He wanted to know if he might go out. |
must | “She must apply for the job.” | He said that she must/had to apply for the job. |
* do not change
Expressions of time, place and demonstratives change if the context of indirect speech is different from that of direct speech.
She said “I saw him yesterday.” → She said she had seen him the day before.
Direct speeches | Indirect speeches |
---|---|
Time marker | |
today | that day |
now | then |
yesterday | the day before |
… days ago | … days before |
last week | the week before |
next week | the following week |
next year | the following year |
tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
Location marker | |
here | there |
Demonstrative | |
this | that |
these | those |
To relate an order or prohibition to indirect speech, verbs such as tell, order or forbid are used… Be careful, remember to replace Don’t by NOT when it is the main verb of the sentence!
For affirmative sentences, use to + infinitive
For negative sentences use not to + infinitive
If there is an interrogative word like where/who/when/why… in direct speech, we keep it in indirect speech:
If it is a closed-ended question or you have to answer yes/no, you use if or whether :
When the question contains a modal, it is preterite in the reported question:
Some examples of indirect questions:
Expressions of advice such as must, should and ought are usually reported using the verbs advise or urge :
The expression let’s is usually reported using the verb suggest, with gerund or with should:
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Change the following sentences from indirect to direct speech.
Liz said she didn't speak Greek at all. I don't speak Greek at all.
Check test Answer key Clear test
Peter admitted that he had never met us. "I |
They told us they would start the voyage the following day. "We |
We called them that we were walking in the Central Park. "We |
She said she worked in Ford headquarters in Europe. I |
I replied that I had been trying to mend it since the morning. "I |
Bob said that at one o'clock he had been doing nothing. "At one o'clock I |
They explained that they had closed down the previous year. "We |
Neil said he wished he could be an independent accountant. "I wish I |
She told us we had better accept it as soon as possible. "You |
He claimed that someone had screamed in the garden. "Someone |
Moira admitted that she would rather stay at home. "I |
Related pages:
Direct and indirect speech exercises and grammar rules with examples.
If we want to tell someone what another person said or thought, we can use indirect or direct speech.
Indirect speech: Samantha said that she had stayed there the year before. Direct speech: "I stayed here last year," said Samantha.
Moreover, we use different punctuation (commas at the end of statements) and quotation marks in the direct speech.
They told me they didn't want to move to Bristol. "We don't want to move to Bristol," they told me.
Our grandma thought that Timothy would be the best student in his class. "Timothy will be the best student in his class," our grandma thought.
Perfect english grammar.
Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site:
( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech )
Reported Statements:
Reported Questions:
Reported Orders and Requests:
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Test your understanding of indirect speech with this grammar exercise.
Although the reporting verb is in the past tense, a present tense is possible in the reported speech if the original speaker and the reporter are in the same situation.
The original speaker's present perfect and past tenses are often reported using past perfect tenses.
In reported questions constructed with who, what or which, be can go before or after the complement.
5. the ancient greeks and romans thought that the sun ........................................... around the earth..
The original speaker's simple present is often reported using simple past.
When the reporting verb is in the present tense, the original speaker's simple future is reported using simple future.
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the reported speech will also be in the past tense.
In reported questions, the auxiliary verb goes after the subject.
The auxiliary do is not used in reported questions.
Infinitive structures cannot be used after suggest.
Infinitive structures cannot be used after say.
1. I asked how old you are / were. 2. She told me that she had just spoken to my father. 3. I asked him what the matter was / was the matter. 4. She asked which her seat was / was her seat. 5. The ancient Greeks and Romans thought that the sun went around the earth. 6. I want to know if I will be needed tomorrow. 7. He said that he wanted to go home and left. 8. I asked where the minister was staying. 9. I knew how she felt. 10. He suggested that I should quit. 11. The doctor said that I must quit smoking. 12. He said that he had seen Maria at the club a few days before.
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Exercise 3: Turn the following sentences 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.
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.)
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.
Answers. 1. I told him not to worry. 2. The teacher advised us to work hard. 3. She asked me if I had paid for the drinks. 4. He told us to wait for him
Answers 'She is my best friend,' he said. He said that she was his best friend. 'She is waiting for us,' he said. /He said that she was waiting for them.
Reported questions + commands exercises PDF. Practise the difference between the direct and indirect speech in questions, commands and requests. Online exercises with answers: Direct - indirect speech exercise 1 Rewrite sentences in the reported speech. Direct - indirect speech exercise 2 Report a short dialogue in the reported speech.
Direct speech: "I'm seeing my brother tomorrow.". Indirect speech: She said she was seeing her brother the following day. Here are some other examples: Direct speech: "I had a headache yesterday.". Indirect speech: You said you'd had a headache the day before yesterday. Direct speech: "It's been raining since this afternoon.".
In order to do this, you can use the grammar structure named indirect or reported speech. direct and indirect rules have already talked about, below we have prepared direct and indirect exercises with answers for ESL learners. Also Read: Direct And Indirect Speech Complete Rules; Direct and Indirect Objects Exercise With Answers
Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech. Change of Pronouns. Change of Tenses. Change of Time and Place References. Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech. Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks. Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker. Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb. Step 4: Change the Pronouns.
Exercises: 1 2 3. Indirect speech - reported speech. Exercise 1. Choose the correct form to complete the sentences below. 1 'I work in a bank.' ⇒ He said that he in a bank. 2 'I am working today.' ⇒ She told us she that day. 3 'I've been ill for a couple of weeks.' ⇒ He told me he for a couple of weeks.
Direct and indirect speech exercise. October 26, 2013 -. A sentence has been given in direct speech. Out of the four alternatives, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in indirect speech. 1. Rahul asked me, 'Did you see the cricket match on TV last night?'. Rahul asked me if I had seen the cricket match on TV the previous ...
Preview 20 Quizzes about Direct vs. Indirect Speech. He said, " I went to school yesterday." A. He said that he had gone to school yesterday. B. He said that he had gone to school the day after. C. He said that he had gone to school the previous day. D. He said that he had gone to school the next day.
Our online quiz consists of 30 carefully crafted questions that cover various aspects of direct and indirect speech. Read each question and select the most appropriate answer from the provided choices. Once you complete the quiz, you'll receive immediate feedback on your performance, allowing you to identify areas where you excel and areas ...
Direct and Indirect Speech: In English Grammar, direct and Indirect speech are used in instances when we wish to repeat or convey a speech or statement of some other person.Both direct and indirect speech describes what a third person said or conveyed in the past. Indirect speech is more commonly employed unless it's a direct quotation, which is consistently enclosed in double quotation marks.
Reported Statements 1. Change the direct speech into reported speech. Use 'she said' at the beginning of each answer. It's the same day, so you don't need to change the time expressions. 1) "He works in a bank." [ . Check. Show.
Examples of major changes in time: Direct speeches. Indirect speeches. Present simpleHe said: "I am happy". Preterite He said (that) he was happy. Present continue / progressiveHe said: "I'm looking for my phone". Past Continuous He said (that) he was looking for his phone. PreteriteHe said: "I visited Paris last year".
Indirect speech to direct speech - exercise 5. Change the following sentences from indirect to direct speech. Liz said she didn't speak Greek at all. I don't speak Greek at all. Peter admitted that he had never met us. "I ," admitted Peter. They told us they would start the voyage the following day. "We the voyage tomorrow," they told us.
In indirect speech, words spoken by one person is reported in another place at a different time by a different person. Because of this, there are many grammatical differences between direct and indirect speech. It is not necessary to learn complicated rules about indirect speech in English, because most of the changes are natural and logical.
Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise for Class 12 - with Answer. Since you are already familiar with the importance of practising exercises in the realm of English grammar, go ahead confidently with Direct and Indirect Speech exercises with answers for class 12, mentioned henceforth while preparing for your CBSE, ICSE, UP, or any other board exam.
Perfect English Grammar. Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site: ( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech ) Reported Statements: Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here) Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy)
Discover the intricacies of reported speech in English grammar with this comprehensive guide. Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a fundamenta...
Answers. 1. The stranger asked Harry if / whether he was a clever boy.. 2. The little girl asked me if / whether I believed in God.. 3. The teacher asked the boy if he knew the answer.. 4. The man asked the boy if he had gone there yesterday.. 5. Mr. Smith asked me if I had ever been to a zoo.. 6. The old woman asked me if I had any difficulty in finding her address.
Advanced Grammar Skills: Advanced Verb Forms, Clauses and Phrases, Modifiers, Passive Voice, Direct and Indirect Speech, Complex Punctuation and more. Gamified Learning Experience: Interactive games make grammar lessons engaging, allowing students to practice grammar rules through fun activities and challenges.
Practice using reported speech with this online exercise designed for English as a Second Language (ESL) students. ... English Grammar Exercises. English Teaching Materials. liveworksheets.com. 981k followers. Comments. ... It is a drill for turning direct wh-questions into indirect speech. I hope it comes in useful for those students who find ...
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