Direct and indirect speech exercises

Direct and indirect speech exercises Direct and indirect speech in English grammar Direct speech is when we quote someone’s exact words, for example : “I’m going out,” said John. In this case, the word ‘said’is called a reporting verb. Indirect speech is when we report what someone has said without quoting their exact words. For example: John said that he was going out. Reported Speech in English grammar Indirect speech is also called reported speech. It is a way of reporting what someone has said by using your own words, rather than quoting them directly. For example, you might say “She said that she was tired” instead of “She said ‘I am tired.'”Reported speech is when you report what someone has said. It is common in conversation, and it is also used in writing. To form reported speech, you typically use a verb like “say” or “tell,” followed by a pronoun or noun. For example, if someone says “I’m going to the store,” you might report this as “She said she was going to the store.” Direct and Indirect Speech rules Both direct and indirect speech have their own set of grammar rules. For example, with indirect speech, the tense of the verb usually changes (from present to past), and the pronoun often changes (from first person to third person). Direct speech is when we report the actual words that were spoken. Indirect speech is when we report what was said without quoting the person’s exact words. Examples of direct speech • My aunt said that she would gladly go to the cine...

What is indirect speech or reported speech? When we tell people what another person said or thought, we often use reported speech or indirect speech. To do that, we need to change verb tenses (present, past, etc.) and pronouns ( I, you, my, your, etc.) if the time and speaker are different. For example, present tenses become past, I becomes he or she, and my becomes his or her, etc. • Sally: ‘ I don’t have time.’ ⇒ Sally said that she didn’t have time. • Peter: ‘ I am tired .’ ⇒ He said that he was tired. Omission of that We often leave out that after reporting verbs like say, think, etc. • She said she was late. (= She said that she was late.) • I thought I would get the job. Say or tell? The most common verbs we use in reported speech are say and tell. We must pay attention here. We say tell somebody something, and say something (to somebody). • They told me (that) they would help me. (NOT They said me they would help me.) • He said (that) he didn’t have a car. (NOT He told that he didn’t have a car.) Tense changes in indirect speech When a person said something in the past and now we tell somebody what that person said, the time is different, and for this reason, the verb tenses change. Look at a summary of these changes. Changes in expressions There are adverbs or expressions of time and place that change when we report what someone said. Here you have a list. Questions in indirect speech We use the normal order of words in reported questions, i.e. the subject comes be...

Want to test your English grammar skills in a fun way? Take this direct and indirect speech quiz to see how well you know about these two types of reported speech. There are different ways in which we can report a speech, that is, either by using direct or indirect speech. In the case of indirect speech, the report uses the same words as the speaker, whereas, in indirect speech, we do not use the speaker's exact words. So, are you ready to play this quiz? Let's begin, then.

• Tim: "She works in an office." Tim said (that) she . • Jessica: "I am going to clean the room." Jessica told me (that) she . • Jeff: "They like the song." Jeff said (that) they . • Ian and Marvin: "We need new shoes." Ian and Marvin remarked (that) they . • Kathy: "He can speak Spanish." Kathy told us (that) he . • Teacher: "Rachel has never been to Philadelphia." The teacher said (that) Rachel . • Lucy: "The train didn't arrive on time." Lucy said to Gerry (that) the train . • Emma: "I'm sitting on the chair." Emma said (that) she . • Nick: "Walter doesn't eat meat." Nick told us (that) Walter . • Holly: "Abby and Nathan will travel to Alaska." Holly remarked (that) Abby and Nathan .

Download PDF 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. 1...