Reported Speech (Direct & Indirect Speech)
Part 1: Basic Rules Refresher
Remember the "Backshift" rule for tenses when the reporting verb is in the past tense (said):
Simple Present -- Simple Past
Present Continuous -- Past Continuous
Present Perfect -- Past Perfect
Simple Past -- Past Perfect
Will/Can/May -- Would/Could/Might
Part 2: Practice Worksheet
A. Assertive Sentences (Statements)
- The teacher said, "The Earth revolves around the Sun."
- Rahul said to me, "I am writing a letter now."
- She said, "I have already finished my breakfast."
B. Interrogative Sentences (Questions)
- The stranger said to me, "Where do you live?"
- Mother said to her son, "Have you completed your homework?"
- "Will you come to the party tomorrow?" Harry asked Meena.
C. Imperative Sentences (Commands/Requests)
- The doctor said to the patient, "Take your medicines on time."
- The Captain said to the soldiers, "Stand at ease!"
- "Please, lend me your pen," said the boy to his friend.
D. Exclamatory & Optative Sentences
- The boy said, "Hurrah! We have won the match."
- She said, "Alas! I failed the test."
- The old man said, "May God bless you!"
Part 3: Answer Key (Self-Check)
Indirect Speech Answer
1. The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun. (Universal truth stays in present tense)
2. Rahul told me that he was writing a letter then.
3. She said that she had already finished her breakfast.
4. The stranger asked me where I lived.
5. Mother asked her son if/whether he had completed his homework.
6. Harry asked Meena if she would come to the party the next day.
7. The doctor advised the patient to take his medicines on time.
8. The Captain commanded the soldiers to stand at ease.
9. The boy requested his friend to lend him his pen.
10. The boy exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
11. She exclaimed with sorrow that she had failed the test.
12. The old man prayed that God might bless me.
Top Tips for Board Exams:
- Universal Truths: Never change the tense of a sentence if it expresses a universal fact or a habitual action.
- Time Words: Don't forget to change now - then, today - that day, and tomorrow - the next day.
- Punctuation: Always remove quotation marks and question marks in the indirect form.
Worksheet: Direct & Indirect Speech
Source: PYQs
Part 1: Individual Sentence Transformation
Transform the following sentences into Indirect Speech.
- The Traveller said, "Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn?"
- The Judge said to the culprit, "I shall find you guilty if you lie again."
- The park keeper said, "Don't play on the grass, boys."
- The daughter said to her father, "I have been studying since morning."
- The teacher said to the student, "What a rare flower you have found!"
- He said, "I visited the British Museum last year."
- The manager said, "The office will remain closed on Monday."
- The captain said, "Let us wait for the result."
Part 2: Dialogue Transformation
Read the dialogue and complete the passage below.
- Doctor: How are you feeling today?
- Patient: I am much better, but I still have a slight headache.
- Doctor: Did you take the medicines I prescribed yesterday?
- Patient: No, I forgot to take them.
Report: The doctor asked the patient (a). The patient replied that (b) but he still had a slight headache. The doctor further enquired (c)______________________ the day before. The patient admitted regretfully that (d)______________________.
Part 3: Accuracy Checklist
Use this list to double-check your work:
- Tense Backshift: Did you move the present tense to the past?
- Pronoun Change: Did you change 'I' to 'he/she' and 'my' to 'his/her'?
- Time/Place Change: Did you change 'today' to 'that day' and 'yesterday' to 'the previous day'?
- Punctuation: Have you removed all quotation marks and question marks?
- Word Order: In questions, is the subject now before the verb (e.g., "where he was" instead of "where was he")?
Answer Key for Self-Correction
- The traveller asked if I could tell him the way to the nearest inn.
- The judge told the culprit that he would find him guilty if he lied again.
- The park keeper forbade the boys to play on the grass.
- The daughter told her father that she had been studying since morning.
- The teacher exclaimed with admiration that the student had found a very rare flower.
- He said that he had visited the British Museum the previous year.
- The manager said that the office would remain closed on Monday.
- The captain suggested that they should wait for the result.
Dialogue Answers:
- (a) how he was feeling that day.
- (b) he was much better.
- (c) if he had taken the medicines he had prescribed.
- (d) he had forgotten to take them.
- Reporting Verbs: Use "told" only when there is a direct object (e.g., He told me...). If there is no object, use "said" (e.g., He said that...).
- The "That" Conjunction: In British English, "that" is often optional in spoken English but highly recommended in formal board exam writing.
- Pronoun Consistency: Ensure the pronoun matches the person of the reporting verb (e.g., If He is speaking, my becomes his).
- The "Question-to-Statement" Flip
This is the most common mistake in exams. In indirect speech, the word order must be that of a statement, and the question mark is removed.
- Incorrect: He asked me where was I going? (Maintaining question order)
- Correct: He asked me where I was going**.** (Statement order)
The "If/Whether" Rule: If the question starts with a Helping Verb (Do, Does, Is, Have), ensure you added if or whether.
- The Reporting Verb & Connector Match
Match the "tone" of the sentence to the reporting verb. Using "said" for everything is grammatically correct but will lose you marks in "Expression" categories.
Sentence Type Appropriate Reporting Verb Connector to Use
- Statement Told / Replied / Remarked that
- Question Enquired / Asked / Wanted to if / whether / wh-word
- Command Ordered / Commanded / Forbidden to / not to
- Request Requested / Entreated / Pleaded to
- Exclamation Exclaimed with joy/sorrow/wonder that
Worksheet on Reported Speech (Direct & Indirect Speech) —
It covers statements, questions, imperatives, exclamations, conditionals, and modals.
📘 ADVANCED REPORTED SPEECH WORKSHEET
A. Change the following into Indirect Speech
1. She said, “I can finish this project by tomorrow.”
2. He said to me, “Why didn’t you come to the meeting yesterday?”
3. The teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”
4. He said, “If I were you, I would accept the offer.”
5. She said, “What a beautiful painting this is!”
6. The doctor said to the patient, “Take this medicine twice a day.”
7. My friend said, “Let’s go for a walk.”
8. He said, “May you live long!”
9. The scientist said, “Water boils at 100°C.”
10. She said to her brother, “Don’t be late for school.”
B. Convert into Direct Speech
1. The teacher advised the students to revise their lessons regularly.
2. He exclaimed with joy that he had won the first prize.
3. She asked me if I had seen her notebook anywhere.
4. The manager ordered the clerk to type the letter immediately.
5. He told me that he had been working there since 2015.
C. Identify the type (Statement / Question / Command / Exclamation / Suggestion) and convert into Indirect Speech
1. She said, “Could you help me with this file?”
2. The captain said, “Stand in a straight line!”
3. He said, “I am tired of waiting.”
4. She said, “How cold it is today!”
5. He said, “Shall we go to the library now?”
D. Report these sentences correctly (Mixed Tenses & Modals)
1. She said, “I must complete this before the deadline.”
2. He said, “I will call you when I reach home.”
3. The teacher said, “You should obey your parents.”
4. He said, “I may come if I finish early.”
5. She said, “Could you please lend me your notes?”
E. Error Correction (Find and correct the mistake in reported speech)
1. He said that he will go to Delhi the next day.
2. She asked me where was I going.
3. The teacher told that honesty is the best policy.
4. He said that he can swim across the river.
5. She told me that she has seen that movie before.
F. Challenging Applications
1. “Do you know where the train station is?” she asked.
2. He said, “If it rains, we will stay inside.”
3. “Let’s not waste time talking,” he said.
4. She said, “I wish I had listened to my parents.”
5. The old man said, “Would that I were young again!”
G. Write the Correct Reported Form
Direct Speech Reported Speech
He said, “I am learning French.” ————————————————
She said, “They have been playing since morning.” ————————————————
He said, “Can you solve this problem?” ————————————————
The teacher said, “Work hard to succeed.” ————————————————
She said, “I didn’t know the answer.” ————————————————
💡 Bonus Challenge
Convert this short dialogue into reported speech:
Ravi: “Where are you going, Meena?”
Meena: “I’m going to the library to return some books.”
Ravi: “Can I come with you?”
Meena: “Of course! Let’s go together.”
ANSWER KEY — Advanced Reported Speech Worksheet
A. Change the following into Indirect Speech
1. She said that she could finish that project by the next day.
→ ‘can’ → ‘could’; ‘this’ → ‘that’; ‘tomorrow’ → ‘the next day’
2. He asked me why I hadn’t come to the meeting the previous day.
→ Question → reported with “asked”; past perfect for past simple.
3. The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.
→ Universal truth → tense not changed.
4. He said that if he were me, he would accept the offer.
→ Conditional with “if” stays the same.
5. She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful painting.
→ Exclamation → “exclaimed that” + adjective form.
6. The doctor advised the patient to take that medicine twice a day.
→ Imperative → “advised + to-infinitive.”
7. My friend suggested going for a walk.
→ “Let’s” → suggestion → “suggested + gerund.”
8. He wished that I might live long.
→ Optative sentence → “wished that.”
9. The scientist said that water boils at 100°C.
→ Scientific fact → tense unchanged.
10. She told her brother not to be late for school.
→ Negative command → “told … not to + verb.”
B. Convert into Direct Speech
1. The teacher said, “Revise your lessons regularly.”
2. He said, “Hurrah! I have won the first prize!”
3. She said to me, “Have you seen my notebook anywhere?”
4. The manager said to the clerk, “Type the letter immediately.”
5. He said to me, “I have been working here since 2015.”
C. Identify and Convert
1. (Request)
→ She asked if I could help her with that file.
2. (Command)
→ The captain ordered them to stand in a straight line.
3. (Statement)
→ He said that he was tired of waiting.
4. (Exclamation)
→ She exclaimed that it was very cold that day.
5. (Suggestion)
→ He suggested going to the library then.
D. Reported Form (Mixed Tenses & Modals)
1. She said that she had to complete that before the deadline.
→ “must” → “had to”
2. He said that he would call me when he reached home.
→ “will” → “would”; sequence of tenses.
3. The teacher said that I should obey my parents.
→ “should” remains unchanged.
4. He said that he might come if he finished early.
→ “may” → “might”
5. She asked if I could lend her my notes.
→ Polite request → “asked if.”
E. Error Correction
1. ❌ He said that he will go → ✅ would go
2. ❌ She asked me where was I going → ✅ I was going
3. ❌ The teacher told that honesty is the best policy → ✅ said that
4. ❌ He said that he can swim → ✅ could swim
5. ❌ She told me that she has seen → ✅ had seen
F. Challenging Applications
1. She asked if I knew where the train station was.
→ Indirect question structure (no question order).
2. He said that if it rained, they would stay inside.
→ Conditionals: “will” → “would.”
3. He suggested not wasting time talking.
→ “Let’s not…” → “suggested not + gerund.”
4. She said that she wished she had listened to her parents.
→ Wish sentences keep past perfect form.
5. The old man wished that he were young again.
→ Subjunctive “were” remains unchanged.
G. Reported Forms (Fill in the Blanks)
Direct Speech
- He said, “I am learning French.”
- She said, “They have been playing since morning.”
- He said, “Can you solve this problem?” .
- The teacher said, “Work hard to succeed.”
- She said, “I didn’t know the answer.”
Reported Speech
- He said that he was learning French.
- She said that they had been playing since morning.
- He asked if I could solve that problem.
- The teacher told us to work hard to succeed.
- She said that she hadn’t known the answer.
💬 Bonus Dialogue (Reported Form)
Ravi asked Meena where she was going.
Meena replied that she was going to the library to return some books.
Ravi asked if he could go with her.
Meena agreed and said that they could go together.
✅ Tip for Exams:
Universal truths → tense not changed.
Reporting verbs → change according to meaning:
said → stated / exclaimed / advised / suggested / requested / asked / told
Time and place words change:
now → then, today → that day, here → there, tomorrow → the next day, ago → before.
🧾 Advanced Reported Speech Worksheet — Part 2 (Extension Set)
A. Transform into Indirect Speech
1. She said, “I didn’t recognize him at first sight.”
2. The student said to the teacher, “May I come in, please?”
3. He said, “I have been reading this novel for two hours.”
4. The manager said, “Don’t forget to email the client today.”
5. She said, “I was wondering if you could lend me your umbrella.”
6. He said, “What did you buy from the market yesterday?”
7. The coach said, “Run faster if you want to win!”
8. She said, “I am not sure whether he will agree.”
9. The nurse said to the patient, “Please lie down on the bed.”
10. He said, “Alas! My best friend has failed the exam.”
B. Convert into Direct Speech
1. She asked me whether I knew the way to the museum.
2. He ordered the servant to bring him a glass of water.
3. The teacher exclaimed with pride that the students had performed excellently.
4. He requested me to post the letter for him.
5. She told me that she couldn’t attend the meeting because she was ill.
C. Mixed Type Practice (Statements, Questions, Commands, Wishes)
1. He said, “Can you tell me how this works?”
2. She said, “I wish I could travel the world someday.”
3. The officer said, “File the report before 6 p.m.”
4. The child said, “How lovely this garden looks!”
5. He said, “If I study hard, I might get a scholarship.”
6. She said, “Let’s have dinner at the new restaurant.”
7. The teacher said, “Why are you making noise in the class?”
8. He said, “Would you mind opening the window?”
9. She said, “Who broke the vase in the kitchen?”
10. The judge said, “The accused is found guilty.”
D. Identify and Correct the Error
(Each of these sentences contains an error in reported speech — rewrite correctly.)
1. He told that he is busy at the moment.
2. She asked where was he living now.
3. The teacher said that the sun rises in the east. (Correct or incorrect? Explain why.)
4. He said that he may goes to Delhi tomorrow.
5. She said that she will completed the project yesterday.
E. Contextual Dialogue Conversion
Convert the following short dialogues into reported speech paragraphs.
1️⃣
Amit: “Where have you been all this time?”
Ravi: “I was waiting for you near the canteen.”
Amit: “Let’s go for lunch now.”
2️⃣
Priya: “Did you call the mechanic?”
Rahul: “Yes, he said he would arrive within an hour.”
Priya: “Good! Let’s wait for him.”
3️⃣
Teacher: “Students, submit your assignments by Monday.”
Students: “We will, ma’am.”
F. Challenge Section — Modals & Conditionals
1. He said, “You mustn’t reveal this secret to anyone.”
2. She said, “If I had known, I would have helped you.”
3. He said, “I might go to London next year.”
4. She said, “You needn’t worry about the result.”
5. The old man said, “Would that I could see my hometown again!”
Answer Key — Part 2
A.
1. She said that she hadn’t recognized him at first sight.
2. The student asked the teacher if he might come in.
3. He said that he had been reading that novel for two hours.
4. The manager reminded them not to forget to email the client that day.
5. She said that she was wondering if I could lend her my umbrella.
6. He asked what I had bought from the market the previous day.
7. The coach instructed them to run faster if they wanted to win.
8. She said that she wasn’t sure whether he would agree.
9. The nurse requested the patient to lie down on the bed.
10. He exclaimed with sorrow that his best friend had failed the exam.
B.
1. She said, “Do you know the way to the museum?”
2. He said to the servant, “Bring me a glass of water.”
3. The teacher said, “I am proud that you have performed excellently.”
4. He said to me, “Please post the letter for me.”
5. She said, “I can’t attend the meeting because I’m ill.”
C.
1. He asked if I could tell him how that worked.
2. She said that she wished she could travel the world someday.
3. The officer ordered them to file the report before 6 p.m.
4. The child exclaimed that the garden looked very lovely.
5. He said that if he studied hard, he might get a scholarship.
6. She suggested having dinner at the new restaurant.
7. The teacher asked why they were making noise in the class.
8. He politely asked if I would mind opening the window.
9. She asked who had broken the vase in the kitchen.
10. The judge declared that the accused was found guilty.
D.
1. ❌ He told that he is busy → ✅ He said that he was busy. (“told” must have an object)
2. ❌ She asked where was he living → ✅ She asked where he was living. (no inversion)
3. ✅ Correct — universal truth, no tense change.
4. ❌ He said that he may goes → ✅ He said that he might go.
5. ❌ She said that she will completed → ✅ She said that she had completed.
E.
1. Amit asked Ravi where he had been all that time. Ravi replied that he had been waiting for Amit near the canteen. Amit suggested going for lunch then.
2. Priya asked Rahul if he had called the mechanic. Rahul replied that he had and added that the mechanic would arrive within an hour. Priya said that was good and suggested waiting for him.
3. The teacher told the students to submit their assignments by Monday. The students replied that they would, addressing her respectfully as “ma’am.”
F.
1. He said that I mustn’t reveal that secret to anyone.
2. She said that if she had known, she would have helped me.
3. He said that he might go to London the following year.
4. She said that I needn’t worry about the result.
5. The old man wished that he could see his hometown again.
Reported Speech Worksheet with Answers
1. Mr. Rahul to Priya: 'Is your passport ready for verification?'
Answer: Mr. Rahul asked Priya if her passport was ready for verification.
2. Teacher to student: 'Have you completed the assignment on time?'
Answer: The teacher asked the student if he/she had completed the assignment on time.
3. Principal to coordinator: 'Can we organize the seminar next week?'
Answer: The principal asked the coordinator if they could organize the seminar the following week.
4. Supervisor to intern: 'Did you attend the online workshop yesterday?'
Answer: The supervisor asked the intern if he/she had attended the online workshop the previous day.
5. Neha to Rehan: 'Are your parents coming to the annual function?'
Answer: Neha asked Rehan if his parents were coming to the annual function.
6. Manager to Aman: 'Will you be able to finish the project before the deadline?'
Answer: The manager asked Aman if he would be able to finish the project before the deadline.
7. Teacher to class: 'Has the homework been submitted by Sam?'
Answer: The teacher asked the class if the homework had been submitted by Sam.
8. Aditi to her group: 'Is it possible to solve this mathematics problem without a calculator?'
Answer: Aditi asked her group if it was possible to solve that mathematics problem without a calculator.
9. Rohan to Meera: 'Have you ever visited the new science museum?'
Answer: Rohan asked Meera if she had ever visited the new science museum.
10. Students to librarian: 'May we use the computer lab after school today?'
Answer: The students asked the librarian if they might use the computer lab after school that day.
Advanced Reported Speech Worksheet
1. 'Why have you not participated in the international science fair yet?' asked Dr. Mehra to Riya.
2. Professor Kim asked the faculty, 'How will the new curriculum affect the assessment standards next year?'
3. 'May I have been mistaken about the experiment's result?' wondered Aryan aloud.
4. She said, 'Where will the guests from the other university be accommodated during their stay?'
5. 'Did the committee approve the last-minute changes to the timetable?' enquired the principal.
6. 'Will you and your team submit the robotics project by the revised deadline?' asked the judge to the participants.
7. 'Has the funding for the academic symposium been finalized by the board?' asked the dean.
8. 'Had they expected such a challenging question in the final round?' asked the quizmaster.
9. Mira asked her friend, 'Who had written the anonymous article in the college magazine?'
10. 'Could the visiting scholar possibly deliver a guest lecture next week?' wondered the department head.
Advanced Reported Speech Worksheet - Answers
1. Dr. Mehra asked Riya why she had not participated in the international science fair yet.
2. Professor Kim asked the faculty how the new curriculum would affect the assessment standards the following year.
3. Aryan wondered aloud if he might have been mistaken about the experiment's result.
4. She asked where the guests from the other university would be accommodated during their stay.
5. The principal enquired if the committee had approved the last-minute changes to the timetable.
6. The judge asked the participants if they and their team would submit the robotics project by the revised deadline.
7. The dean asked if the funding for the academic symposium had been finalized by the board.
8. The quizmaster asked if they had expected such a challenging question in the final round.
9. Mira asked her friend who had written the anonymous article in the college magazine.
10. The department head wondered if the visiting scholar could possibly deliver a guest lecture the following week.
- The Guide said, "The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world."
- The mother said to her daughter, "Why did you come home so late?"
- The old woman said to the boy, "May you live long!"
- "Keep quiet!" the teacher said to the students.
- He said, "I shall go to Delhi tomorrow."
- Chef: Have you seasoned the soup?
- Assistant: No, I will do it in a few minutes.
- Chef: Don't forget to add the herbs.
- Direct: She said, "I can't find my keys."
Error: __________ Correction: __________
2.Direct: Rahul asked, "Where is the post office?"
Reported: Rahul asked where was the post office.
Error: __________ Correction: __________
- The Guide said that the Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. (No tense change for universal facts).
- The mother asked her daughter why she had come home so late. (Simple Past- Past Perfect).
- The old woman wished that the boy might live long. (Optative sentence: May- Might).
- The teacher ordered the students to keep quiet. (Imperative: use to + verb).
- He said that he would go to Delhi the next day. (Shall becomes would when it indicates a future plan).
- (a) if he had seasoned the soup.
- (b) that he would do it.
- (c) reminded him/advised him not to forget.
- Error: cannot | Correction: could not (Tense must backshift).
- Error: was the | Correction: the post office was (Reported questions must use statement word order).
- Verb Shift: Did you change the tense?
- Pronoun Shift: Did you change I/You to He/She/They?
- Deictic Shift: Did you change Tomorrow- The next day?
- Question Order: Did you put the Subject before the Verb?
- ❌ Incorrect: He suggested me to go.
- ✅ Correct: He suggested that I should go.
- Example: The Captain suggested setting sail for the North the next day.
- Example: The Captain suggested that they should set sail for the North the next day.
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