rules of reported speech class 10 pdf

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CBSE Class 10 English Grammar – Direct And Indirect Speech

September 5, 2017 by Bhagya

Formulae Handbook for Class 10 Maths and Science

(Statements, Commands, Requests, and Questions) The words spoken by a person can be reported in two ways—Direct and Indirect. When we quote the exact words spoken by a person, we call it Direct Speech.

• Sohan said to Mohan, “I am going to school.”

The exact words spoken by Sohan are put within inverted commas. But when we give the substance of what Sohan said, it is called the Indirect Speech.

Direct and Indirect Speech

• Sohan told to Mohan that he (Sohan) was going to school.

1. Reporting Clause and Reported Speech: Sohan told Mohan that he was going to school. The words which generally come before the inverted commas are called the reporting clause, i.e. Sohan said to Mohan and the verb ‘said’, is called the reporting verb. The words spoken by Sohan and put within inverted commas are called the reported speech, i.e. “I am going to school.”

2. Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech:

• In the Indirect speech, no inverted commas are used.
• The conjunctions that, if, whether, are generally used after the reporting verb.
• The first word of the reported speech begins with a capital letter.
• The tense of the reporting verb is never changed.
• The reporting verb changes according to sense: it may be told, asked, inquired

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• NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English
• NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Hindi
• NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Sanskrit
• NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Foundation of IT
• RD Sharma Class 10 Solutions

3. Rules for the Change of Pronouns:

• The first person pronouns (I, me, my, we, us, our) in the reported speech change according to the subject of the reporting verb.
• The pronouns of the second person (you, your, yourself) in the reported speech change according to the object of the reporting verb.
• The pronouns of the third person do not change.

For example:

• He said, “I like the book.” He said that he liked the book.
• He said to me, “Do you like the book?” He asked me if I liked the book.
• He said, “He likes the book.” He said that he liked the book.

• If the reporting verb is in the present or the future tense, the tense of the reported speech is not changed: Satish says, “I am flying a kite.” Satish says that he is flying a kite. Satish will say, “I want a glass of milk.” Satish will say that he wants a glass of milk.

• If the direct speech expresses a historical fact, universal truth, or a habitual fact, then the tense of the direct speech will not change: Direct: He said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Indirect: He said that honesty is the best policy. Direct: He said, “The sun rises in the east.” Indirect: He said that the sun rises in the east. Direct: Rakesh said, “I am an early riser.” Indirect : Rakesh said that he is an early riser. Direct: She said, “God is omnipresent.” Indirect: She said that God is omnipresent. Direct: The teacher said, “The First World War started in 1914.” Indirect: The teacher said that the First World War started in 1914.

6. Changing Statements into Indirect Speech:

• The reporting verb ‘said to’ is changed-to ‘told’, ‘replied’, ‘remarked’,
• The reporting verb is not followed by an object, it is not changed.
• The inverted commas are removed. The conjunction is used to connect the reporting clause with the reported speech.

The rules for the change of pronouns, tenses, etc. are followed.

• Direct: Ramu said, “I saw a lion in the forest.” Indirect: Ramu said that he had seen a lion in the forest.
• Direct: Satish said to me, “I am very happy here.” Indirect: Satish told me that he was very happy there.
• Direct: He said, “I can do this work.” Indirect: He said that he could do that work.
• Direct: Renu said to me, “I was washing the clothes.” Indirect: Renu told me that she had been washing the clothes.
• Direct: She said, “I am not well.” Indirect: She said that she was not well.
• Direct: He said to Sita, “I have passed the test.” Indirect: He told Sita that he had passed the test.
• Direct: I said to my friend, “He has been working very hard.” Indirect: I told my friend that he had been working very hard.
• Direct: My friend said to me, “I shall go to Delhi tomorrow.” Indirect: My friend told me that he would go to Delhi the next day.
• Direct: I said, “I agree to what he said.” Indirect: I said that I agreed to what he had said.
• Direct: The student said to the teacher, “I am sorry that I am late.” Indirect: The student told the teacher that he was sorry that he was late.

7. Rules for the Change of Interrogative (Questions) sentences:

The reporting verb “say’ is changed into ask, inquire,

The interrogative sentence is changed into a statement by placing the subject before the verb and the full stop is put at the end of the sentence.

If the interrogative sentence has a wh-word (who, when, where, how, why, etc) the wh-word is repeated in the sentence. It serves as conjunction.

If the interrogative sentence is a yes-no answer type sentence (with auxiliary verbs am, are, was, were, do, did, have, shall, etc), then ‘if or ‘whether’ is used as a conjunction.

The auxiliaries do, does, did in a positive question in the reported speech are dropped.

The conjunction is not used after the reporting clause.

• Direct: I said to him, “Where are you going?” Indirect: I asked him where he was going.
• Direct: He said to me, “Will you go there?” Indirect: He asked me if I would go there.
• Direct: My friend said to Deepak, “Have you ever been to Agra?” Indirect: My friend asked Deepak if he had ever been to Agra.
• Direct: I said to him, “Did you enjoy the movie?” Indirect: I asked him if he had enjoyed the movie.
• Direct: I said to her, “Do you know him?” Indirect: I asked her if she knew him.
• Direct: He said to me, “Will you listen to me?” Indirect: He asked me if I would listen to him.
• Direct: I said to him, “When will you go there?” Indirect: I asked him when he would go there.
• Direct: He said to me, “How is your father?” Indirect: He asked me how my father was.
• Direct: I said to him, “Are you happy?” Indirect: I asked him if he was happy.
• Direct: He said to her, “Do you like apples?” Indirect: He asked her if she liked apples.

8. Changing Commands and Requests into Indirect Speech:

• In imperative sentences having commands, the reporting verb is changed into command, order, tell, allow, request,etc.
• The imperative mood is changed into the infinitive mood by putting ‘to’, before the verb. In case of negative sentences, the auxiliary ‘do’ is dropped and ‘to’ is placed after ‘not’:
• Direct: She said to me, “Open the window.” Indirect: She ordered me to open the window.
• Direct: The captain said to the soldiers, “Attack the enemy.” Indirect: The captain commanded the soldiers to attack the enemy.
• Direct: I said to him, “Leave this place at once.” Indirect: I told him to leave that place at once.
• Direct: The teacher said to the students, “Listen to me attentively.” Indirect: The teacher asked the students to listen to him attentively.
• Direct: The Principal said to the peon, “Ring the bell.” Indirect: The Principal ordered the peon to ring the bell.
• Direct: The master said to the servant, “Fetch me a glass of water.” Indirect: The master ordered the servant to fetch him a glass of water.
• Direct: I said to him, “Please bring me a glass of water.” Indirect: I requested him to bring me a glass of water.
• Direct: I said to my friend, “Please lend me your book.” Indirect: I requested my friend to lend me his book.

9. Sentences with ‘Let’.

• ‘Let’ is used in various meanings.

(i) ‘Let’ is used to make a proposal.

• First change the reporting verb into ‘proposed’ or ‘suggested’.
• Use ‘should’ instead of ‘let’. Example: Direct: He said to me, “Let us go home.” Indirect: He suggested to me that we should go home.

(ii) ‘Let’ is used as ‘to allow’.

• In Indirect Speech, we change the reporting verb to ‘requested’ or ‘ordered’.
• We start Reported Speech with ‘to’. Direct: Ram said to Mohan, “Let him do it.” Indirect: Ram ordered Mohan to let him do that. Or Ram told Mohan that he might be allowed to do that.

10. Sentences with Question Tags (i) In the indirect speech the question-tag is usually left. (ii) In indirect speech these words are removed and the word ‘respectfully’ is used in the reporting clause. Direct: Mahesh said, “Sir, may I go home?” Indirect: Mahesh respectfully asked his sir if he might go home.

11. Sentences with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ Direct     : He said, “Can you dance?” And I said, “No.” Indirect: He asked me if I could dance and I replied that I couldn’t. Direct    : My mother said, “Will you come home on time?” And I said, “Yes.” Indirect: My mother asked me if I would come home on time and I replied that I would.

Note  : ‘Yes’ of ‘No’ hides a complete sentence. Therefore, change yes/no into a short answer.

Direct     : She said to me, “You didn’t break the window, did you?” Indirect: She asked me if/whether I had broken the window. Direct : He said to Geeta, “You are going to the station, aren’t you?” Indirect: He asked Geeta if/ whether she was going to the station.

12. Sentences with ‘have to’ or ‘had to’ (i) Change ‘have to’ according to the rules. (ii) But change ‘had to’ into ‘had had to’ in the indirect speech. Direct    : Hari said, “I have to work a lot.” Indirect: Hari said that he had to work a lot. Direct    : Hari said, “I had to work a lot.” Indirect: Hari said that he had had to work a lot.

13. Sentences with ‘Sir’, ‘Madam’ or ‘Your Honour’ etc.

• Generally such words are used to show respect to the person concerned.

You can master in English Grammar of various classes by our articles like Tenses, Clauses, Prepositions, Story writing, Unseen Passage, Notice Writing etc.

14. Exclamations and Wishes Sometimes Exclamatory sentences contain exclamations like Hurrah!, Alas!, Oh!, Heavens!, Bravo, etc. Such exclamatory words are removed in the indirect speech and we use ‘exclaimed with sorrow’, exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with surprise, etc. instead of ‘said’. Examples:

• Direct    : Rohan said, “Hurrah! We won the match.” Indirect: Rohan exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
• Direct    : Reema said, “Alas! Karina’s mother is suffering from cancer.” Indirect: Reema exclaimed with sorrow that Karina’s mother was suffering from cancer.
• Direct    : The captain said to Kapil, “Bravo! You scored 89 runs.” Indirect: The captain exclaimed with praise that he (Kapil) had scored 89 runs.

(a) Look at these sentences.

• Direct   : My mother said, “May God bless you!” Indirect: My mother prayed to God for my well being.
• Direct    : She said, “May God save the country!” Indirect: She prayed to God to save the country.
• Direct    : They said to the king, “Long live!” Indirect: They blessed the king for his long life.

(b) Look at these sentences.

• Direct    : Mohan said, “What a pity!” Indirect: Mohan exclaimed that it was a great pity.
• Direct    : I said, “How stupid he is!” Indirect: I exclaimed that it was a very stupid of him.
• Direct    : “What a terrible sight it is!” said the traveller. Indirect: The traveller exclaimed that it was a very terrible sight. All the sentences in inverted commas are exclamatory sentences.

(i)  Use ‘exclaimed’ in place of ‘said’ in the reporting verb in the indirect speech. (ii) In Indirect sentences, we use exclamatory sentences as statements. (iii) Indirect speech begins with that and full stop (•) is used instead of the exclamation mark (!). Exercise (Solved)

Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech:

(i) He said, “I will do it now.” Answer: He said that he would do it then.

(ii) He says, “Honesty is the best policy.” Answer: He says that honesty is the best policy.

(iii) Ramesh says, “I have written a letter.” Answer: Ramesh says that he has written a letter.

(iv) She said, “Mahesh will be reading a book.” Answer: She said that Mahesh would be reading a book.

(v) She said, “Where is your father?” Answer: She inquired where his father was.

(vi) He said to me, “Please take your book.” Answer: He requested me to take my book.

(vii) The Principal said to the peon, “Let this boy go out.” Answer: The Principal ordered the peon to let that boy go out.

(viii) He said to me, “May you live long!” Answer: He prayed that I might live long.

(ix) She said, “Goodbye friends!” Answer: She bade goodbye to her friends.

(ix) The student said, “Alas! I wasted my time last year.” Answer: The student regretted that he had wasted his time the previous year. Exercise (Unsolved)

• The captain said, “Bravo! well done, my boys.”
• He said to her, “Why do you read this book?”
• He said to her, “Does your cow not kick?”
• He said to his brother, “Shailesh has broken my glass.”
• Our teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”
• He said to me, “Why have you come here?”
• Usha said, “Father, you are very kind to me.”
• The teacher said to the boys, “Do not make a noise.”
• He said to his friend, “May you prosper in business!”
• The officer said to the peon, “Let the visitor come into my office.”

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CBSE Class 10 English Grammar – Direct And Indirect Speech

CBSE Class 10  Science CBSE Class 10 Social Science CBSE Class 10 Maths

(Statements, Commands, Requests, and Questions) The words spoken by a person can be reported in two ways—Direct and Indirect. When we quote the exact words spoken by a person, we call it Direct Speech.

• Sohan said to Mohan, “I am going to school.”

The exact words spoken by Sohan are put within inverted commas. But when we give the substance of what Sohan said, it is called the Indirect Speech.

Direct and Indirect Speech

• Sohan told to Mohan that he (Sohan) was going to school.

1. Reporting Clause and Reported Speech: Sohan told Mohan that he was going to school. The words which generally come before the inverted commas are called the reporting clause, i.e. Sohan said to Mohan and the verb ‘said’, is called the reporting verb. The words spoken by Sohan and put within inverted commas are called the reported speech, i.e. “I am going to school.”

2. Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech:

• In the Indirect speech, no inverted commas are used.
• The conjunctions that, if, whether, are generally used after the reporting verb.
• The first word of the reported speech begins with a capital letter.
• The tense of the reporting verb is never changed.
• The reporting verb changes according to sense: it may be told, asked, inquired

3. Rules for the Change of Pronouns:

• The first person pronouns (I, me, my, we, us, our) in the reported speech change according to the subject of the reporting verb.
• The pronouns of the second person (you, your, yourself) in the reported speech change according to the object of the reporting verb.
• The pronouns of the third person do not change.

For example:

• He said, “I like the book.” He said that he liked the book.
• He said to me, “Do you like the book?” He asked me if I liked the book.
• He said, “He likes the book.”a He said that he liked the book.

• If the reporting verb is in the present or the future tense, the tense of the reported speech is not changed: Satish says, “I am flying a kite.” Satish says that he is flying a kite. Satish will say, “I want a glass of milk.” Satish will say that he wants a glass of milk.

• If the direct speech expresses a historical fact, universal truth, or a habitual fact, then the tense of the direct speech will not change: Direct: He said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Indirect: He said that honesty is the best policy. Direct: He said, “The sun rises in the east.” Indirect: He said that the sun rises in the east. Direct: Rakesh said, “I am an early riser.” Indirect : Rakesh said that he is an early riser. Direct: She said, “God is omnipresent.” Indirect: She said that God is omnipresent. Direct: The teacher said, “The First World War started in 1914.” Indirect: The teacher said that the First World War started in 1914.

6. Changing Statements into Indirect Speech:

• The reporting verb ‘said to’ is changed-to ‘told’, ‘replied’, ‘remarked’,
• The reporting verb is not followed by an object, it is not changed.
• The inverted commas are removed. The conjunction is used to connect the reporting clause with the reported speech.

The rules for the change of pronouns, tenses, etc. are followed.

• Direct: Ramu said, “I saw a lion in the forest.” Indirect: Ramu said that he had seen a lion in the forest.
• Direct: Satish said to me, “I am very happy here.” Indirect: Satish told me that he was very happy there.
• Direct: He said, “I can do this work.” Indirect: He said that he could do that work.
• Direct: Renu said to me, “I was washing the clothes.” Indirect: Renu told me that she had been washing the clothes.
• Direct: She said, “I am not well.” Indirect: She said that she was not well.
• Direct: He said to Sita, “I have passed the test.” Indirect: He told Sita that he had passed the test.
• Direct: I said to my friend, “He has been working very hard.” Indirect: I told my friend that he had been working very hard.
• Direct: My friend said to me, “I shall go to Delhi tomorrow.” Indirect: My friend told me that he would go to Delhi the next day.
• Direct: I said, “I agree to what he said.” Indirect: I said that I agreed to what he had said.
• Direct: The student said to the teacher, “I am sorry that I am late.” Indirect: The student told the teacher that he was sorry that he was late.

7. Rules for the Change of Interrogative (Questions) sentences:

The reporting verb “say’ is changed into ask, inquire,

The interrogative sentence is changed into a statement by placing the subject before the verb and the full stop is put at the end of the sentence.

If the interrogative sentence has a wh-word (who, when, where, how, why, etc) the wh-word is repeated in the sentence. It serves as conjunction.

If the interrogative sentence is a yes-no answer type sentence (with auxiliary verbs am, are, was, were, do, did, have, shall, etc), then ‘if or ‘whether’ is used as a conjunction.

The auxiliaries do, does, did in a positive question in the reported speech are dropped.

The conjunction is not used after the reporting clause.

• Direct: I said to him, “Where are you going?” Indirect: I asked him where he was going.
• Direct: He said to me, “Will you go there?” Indirect: He asked me if I would go there.
• Direct: My friend said to Deepak, “Have you ever been to Agra?” Indirect: My friend asked Deepak if he had ever been to Agra.
• Direct: I said to him, “Did you enjoy the movie?” Indirect: I asked him if he had enjoyed the movie.
• Direct: I said to her, “Do you know him?” Indirect: I asked her if she knew him.
• Direct: He said to me, “Will you listen to me?” Indirect: He asked me if I would listen to him.
• Direct: I said to him, “When will you go there?” Indirect: I asked him when he would go there.
• Direct: He said to me, “How is your father?” Indirect: He asked me how my father was.
• Direct: I said to him, “Are you happy?” Indirect: I asked him if he was happy.
• Direct: He said to her, “Do you like apples?” Indirect: He asked her if she liked apples.

8. Changing Commands and Requests into Indirect Speech:

• In imperative sentences having commands, the reporting verb is changed into command, order, tell, allow, request,etc.
• The imperative mood is changed into the infinitive mood by putting ‘to’, before the verb. In case of negative sentences, the auxiliary ‘do’ is dropped and ‘to’ is placed after ‘not’:
• Direct: She said to me, “Open the window.” Indirect: She ordered me to open the window.
• Direct: The captain said to the soldiers, “Attack the enemy.” Indirect: The captain commanded the soldiers to attack the enemy.
• Direct: I said to him, “Leave this place at once.” Indirect: I told him to leave that place at once.
• Direct: The teacher said to the students, “Listen to me attentively.” Indirect: The teacher asked the students to listen to him attentively.
• Direct: The Principal said to the peon, “Ring the bell.” Indirect: The Principal ordered the peon to ring the bell.
• Direct: The master said to the servant, “Fetch me a glass of water.” Indirect: The master ordered the servant to fetch him a glass of water.
• Direct: I said to him, “Please bring me a glass of water.” Indirect: I requested him to bring me a glass of water.
• Direct: I said to my friend, “Please lend me your book.” Indirect: I requested my friend to lend me his book.

9. Sentences with ‘Let’.

• ‘Let’ is used in various meanings.

(i) ‘Let’ is used to make a proposal.

• First change the reporting verb into ‘proposed’ or ‘suggested’.
• Use ‘should’ instead of ‘let’. Example: Direct: He said to me, “Let us go home.” Indirect: He suggested to me that we should go home.

(ii) ‘Let’ is used as ‘to allow’.

• In Indirect Speech, we change the reporting verb to ‘requested’ or ‘ordered’.
• We start Reported Speech with ‘to’. Direct: Ram said to Mohan, “Let him do it.” Indirect: Ram ordered Mohan to let him do that. Or Ram told Mohan that he might be allowed to do that.

10. Sentences with Question Tags (i) In the indirect speech the question-tag is usually left. (ii) In indirect speech these words are removed and the word ‘respectfully’ is used in the reporting clause. Direct: Mahesh said, “Sir, may I go home?” Indirect: Mahesh respectfully asked his sir if he might go home.

11. Sentences with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ Direct     : He said, “Can you dance?” And I said, “No.” Indirect: He asked me if I could dance and I replied that I couldn’t. Direct    : My mother said, “Will you come home on time?” And I said, “Yes.” Indirect: My mother asked me if I would come home on time and I replied that I would.

Note  : ‘Yes’ of ‘No’ hides a complete sentence. Therefore, change yes/no into a short answer.

Direct     : She said to me, “You didn’t break the window, did you?” Indirect: She asked me if/whether I had broken the window. Direct : He said to Geeta, “You are going to the station, aren’t you?” Indirect: He asked Geeta if/ whether she was going to the station.

12. Sentences with ‘have to’ or ‘had to’ (i) Change ‘have to’ according to the rules. (ii) But change ‘had to’ into ‘had had to’ in the indirect speech. Direct    : Hari said, “I have to work a lot.” Indirect: Hari said that he had to work a lot. Direct    : Hari said, “I had to work a lot.” Indirect: Hari said that he had had to work a lot.

13. Sentences with ‘Sir’, ‘Madam’ or ‘Your Honour’ etc.

• Generally such words are used to show respect to the person concerned.

You can master in English Grammar of various classes by our articles like Tenses, Clauses, Prepositions, Story writing, Unseen Passage, Notice Writing etc.

14. Exclamations and Wishes Sometimes Exclamatory sentences contain exclamations like Hurrah!, Alas!, Oh!, Heavens!, Bravo, etc. Such exclamatory words are removed in the indirect speech and we use ‘exclaimed with sorrow’, exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with surprise, etc. instead of ‘said’. Examples:

• Direct    : Rohan said, “Hurrah! We won the match.” Indirect: Rohan exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
• Direct    : Reema said, “Alas! Karina’s mother is suffering from cancer.” Indirect: Reema exclaimed with sorrow that Karina’s mother was suffering from cancer.
• Direct    : The captain said to Kapil, “Bravo! You scored 89 runs.” Indirect: The captain exclaimed with praise that he (Kapil) had scored 89 runs.

(a) Look at these sentences.

• Direct   : My mother said, “May God bless you!” Indirect: My mother prayed to God for my well being.
• Direct    : She said, “May God save the country!” Indirect: She prayed to God to save the country.
• Direct    : They said to the king, “Long live!” Indirect: They blessed the king for his long life.

(b) Look at these sentences.

• Direct    : Mohan said, “What a pity!” Indirect: Mohan exclaimed that it was a great pity.
• Direct    : I said, “How stupid he is!” Indirect: I exclaimed that it was a very stupid of him.
• Direct    : “What a terrible sight it is!” said the traveller. Indirect: The traveller exclaimed that it was a very terrible sight. All the sentences in inverted commas are exclamatory sentences.

(i)  Use ‘exclaimed’ in place of ‘said’ in the reporting verb in the indirect speech. (ii) In Indirect sentences, we use exclamatory sentences as statements. (iii) Indirect speech begins with that and full stop (•) is used instead of the exclamation mark (!). Exercise (Solved)

Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech:

(i) He said, “I will do it now.” Answer: He said that he would do it then.

(ii) He says, “Honesty is the best policy.” Answer: He says that honesty is the best policy.

(iii) Ramesh says, “I have written a letter.” Answer: Ramesh says that he has written a letter.

(iv) She said, “Mahesh will be reading a book.” Answer: She said that Mahesh would be reading a book.

(v) She said, “Where is your father?” Answer: She inquired where his father was.

(vi) He said to me, “Please take your book.” Answer: He requested me to take my book.

(vii) The Principal said to the peon, “Let this boy go out.” Answer: The Principal ordered the peon to let that boy go out.

(viii) He said to me, “May you live long!” Answer: He prayed that I might live long.

(ix) She said, “Goodbye friends!” Answer: She bade goodbye to her friends.

(ix) The student said, “Alas! I wasted my time last year.” Answer: The student regretted that he had wasted his time the previous year. Exercise (Unsolved)

• The captain said, “Bravo! well done, my boys.”
• He said to her, “Why do you read this book?”
• He said to her, “Does your cow not kick?”
• He said to his brother, “Shailesh has broken my glass.”
• Our teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”
• He said to me, “Why have you come here?”
• Usha said, “Father, you are very kind to me.”
• The teacher said to the boys, “Do not make a noise.”
• He said to his friend, “May you prosper in business!”
• The officer said to the peon, “Let the visitor come into my office.”

When we want to tell somebody else what another person said, we can use either direct speech and reported speech. When we use direct speech, we use the same words but use quotation marks, For example: Scott said, “I am coming to work. I will be late because there is a lot of traffic now.”

When we use reported speech, we usually change the verbs, specific times, and pronouns. For example: Scott said that he was coming to work. He said that he would be late because there was a lot of traffic at that time.

Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 CBSE With Answers 

This grammar section explains English Grammar in a clear and simple way. There are example sentences to show how the language is used. NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English will help you to write better answers in your Class 10 exams. Because the Solutions are solved by subject matter experts.

Rules for Reported Speech While changing direct speech into reported speech or vice-versa the following changes occur:

1. Changes In Reporting Verb Affirmative sentences: said, told (object), asserted, replied, assured, informed, responded, whispered, alleged, believed, assumed, thought Interrogative sentences: asked, enquired, wanted to know Imperative sentences: ordered, begged, pleaded, implored, advised, demanded

2. Change Of Pronouns Direct Speech: Johnny said, ‘I am playing.’ Indirect Speech: Johnny said that he was playing. First-person generally changes to third person {depending upon the subject of the reporting verb).

3. Change Of Tenses

In general, present tense becomes past tense; past tense and present perfect become past perfect.

4. Change of situations Example: Nagesh said, ‘I read this book last week. (direct speech) Nagesh said that he had read that book the previous week, (indirect speech)

• ‘this’ becomes ‘that’
• ‘last week’ becomes ‘the previous week’
• here – there
• today – that day
• yesterday – the day before/the previous day
• tomorrow – the next day/the coming day
• last week – the week before/the previous week
• next month – the next month/the coming month

5. In case of questions and answers Examples:

• Nagesh asked, ‘Have you read this book?’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh asked if’ whether I had read that book, (indirect speech)
• Nagesh asked, ‘Where is the book?’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh asked where the book was. (indirect speech)

(a) For yes/no questions – use if/whether (b) For wh- questions – use the wh-word

Word Order:

• Nagesh asked, ‘What’s the matter?’
• Nagesh asked what the matter was. (what + the matter + was)
• Nagesh asked what was the matter, (what + was + the matter)
• The word order can be either:
• who/which/what + complement + be or ‘
• who/which/what + be + complement

6. Reported Speech using present and future tenses Examples:

• Nagesh said, ‘The sun rises in the east.’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh said that the sun rises in the east, (indirect speech)
• Nagesh said, ‘I will read this book.’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh said that he will read that book, (indirect speech)
• If the original speaker’s present and future is still present and future, the tense remains unchanged.

7. In case of modal verbs can becomes could

• will – would
• shall – should
• may – might

would, should, could, might, ought to and must are unchanged. Example:

• Nagesh said, ‘I can solve this sum.’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh said that he could solve that sum. (indirect speech)

Reported Speech Solved Examples Exercises for Class 10 CBSE

Read the dialogue given below and then complete the passage that follows.

Question 1. Read the dialogue and complete the passage given below.

Interviewer: So, why do you want to be a computer programmer? Ravi: Well, I have always been interested in computers. Interviewer: I see. Do you have any experience? Ravi: No, but I’m a fast learner. Interviewer: What kind of a computer do you use? Ravi: Computer? Uhm, let me see. I can use a Mac. I also used Windows 10 once. Interviewer: That’s good.

Ravi recently attended an interview for the selection of a computer programmer. At the interview, he was asked (a) ……………………….. To this question he replied that he wanted to change his job because (b) ……………………….. When the interviewer asked him (e) ………………………. he replied that he (d) ……………………….. Finally, the interviewer wanted to know (e) ………………………. . Ravi replied that he could use a Mac and had also used Windows 10 once in the,.past. The interviewer seemed to be pleased with his answers. Answer: (a) why he wanted to be a computer programmer (b) he had always been interested in computers (c) whether he had any experience (d) didn’t but that he was a fast learner (e) the kind of computer he used

Question 2. Manu: Where are you going to? Annu: I am going to the market. Do you want anything?

Manu asked Annu (a) …………………… Annu replied (b) …………………… Annu replied (b) …………………… and she further asked (C) …………………… Answer: (a) where she was going. (b) that she was going to the market (c) if/whether she wanted anything.

Question 3. Sunita: Tomorrow is your birthday, what do you want as a gift? Neetu: That is a lovely thought but I don’t want anything.

Sunita asked Neetu since the next day was her birthday, (a) …………………… Neetu replied that (b) …………………… but (C) ………………….. . Answer: (a) what she wanted as a gift (b) that was a lovely thought (c) she did not want anything.

Question 4. Gardener: Did you water the plant today? Dev: No, but I will, today. Gardener: Then tomorrow I will get a sapling of sunflower.

The Gardener asked Dev (a) …………………… Dev replied negatively but (b) …………………… Then the gardener said that (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) if/whether he had watered the plant that day. (b) said he would that day. (c) he would get a sapling of a sunflower the next day.

Question 5. Mr. Harish: Can you polish my shoes? Cobbler: Yes sir. But I will take 10 for each shoe.

Mr. Harish: I will not mind as long as it is done. Mr. Harish asked the cobbler (a) …………………… The cobbler replied affirmatively but (b) …………………… Mr. Harish said that (C) ……………………. Answer: (a) if/whether he could polish his shoes. (b) said that he would take 10 for each shoe (c) he would not mind as long as it was done.

Question 6. Electrician: When did your electricity go? Mohan: It is not working since evening. Electrician: Sorry sir, in this case, I will have to check the fuse now.

The electrician asked Mohan (a) …………………… Mohan replied that (b) …………………… The electrician apologetically said that in that case (c) …………………… Answer: (a) when his electricity had gone. (b) it was not working since evening. (c) he would have to check the fuse then.

Question 7. Teacher : Children, let us all pledge to save trees. Children : Yes, mam, we all pledge to save our trees as the trees are the lungs of the city. Teacher : Let us start today by planting a sapling.

The teacher asked all the children to pledge to save trees. The children replied affirmatively (a) …………………… as the (b) …………………… Then the teacher said that (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) saying that they all pledged to save trees (b) trees are the lungs of the city. (c) they should start by planting a sapling that day.

Question 8. Buddha : Honesty is the best policy. Disciple : Does honesty always pay? Buddha : It may or may not, but at least you will never feel guilty.

Buddha in his preaching said that (a) …………………… the best policy. A disciple asked him if (b) …………………… always pays, Buddha replied (c) …………………… but at least he would never feel guilty. Answer: (a) Honesty is (b) honesty (c) that it might or might not

Question 9. Doctor : You should take this medicine every day. Patient : Should I take it before dinner or after dinner? Doctor : No, you should take it after breakfast.

The Doctor advised the patient that (a) …………………… The patient further asked (b) …………………… The doctor replied negatively and then said (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) he should take that medicine every day. (b) if/whether he should take it before dinner or after dinner. (c) that he should take it after breakfast

Question 10. Reena : Do you know how to swim? Surbhi : Yes I know. I have learnt it during this summer vacation.

Reena asked Surbhi (a) …………………… Then Surbhi replied (b) …………………… and also added that (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) if/whether she knew how to swim (b) in affirmative (c) she had learnt it during the summer vacation.

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• Reported Speech /

Reported Speech for Class 10: Exciting Exercises with Answers [PDF]

• Updated on  
• Jun 28, 2024

Reported speech plays an integral role in maintaining effective communication skills . It also ensures accuracy, objectivity, and clarity among the speakers. Reported Speech is an essential linguistic tool from everyday conversations to formal writing. It is important to teach reported speech to Class 10 to give them a wider scope of the English language and vocabulary . Reported Speech is effective in conveying the thoughts and ideas of others accurately and without causing any misrepresentation.

This Blog Includes:

What is reported speech in english grammar, reported speech for class 10 exercise 1 – mcqs, exercise 2 – change the sentences from direct to indirect speech.

Reported Speech is often called Indirect Speech, which is not the exact words spoken by the speaker and is not written inside the quotation marks. It is the representation of the words spoken by the speaker in the past by another person. Reported Speech involves transforming verb tenses, pronouns, and sometimes other elements. The changes are important to accurately represent the reported information while integrating it into the speaker’s sentence structure.

Must Read! Reported Speech: Definition, Rules, Usage with Examples

Here are the MCQs on reported speech for class 10th students. Students have to select the correct option from the given options according to the statement asked based on Reported Speech.

• Which sentence is in the reported speech?

a. She said, “I will be there soon.”

b. She says, “I will be there soon.”

c. She said, “She will be there soon.”

d. She says, “She will be there soon.”

• What is the correct reported speech for: “I am studying for exams.”?

a. He said that he was studying for exams.

b. He says that he is studying for exams.

c. He says that he was studying for exams.

d. He said that he is studying for exams.

• Which pronoun change is correct in reported speech?

a. “I” changes to “he.”

b. “They” changes to “we.”

c. “You” changes to “she.”

d. “He” changes to “it.”

• What is the reported speech for: “Did you finish your homework?”?

a. She asked if she finished her homework.

b. She asked if I finished my homework.

c. She asked if I had finished my homework.

d. She asked if she had finished her homework.

• Which tense change is required in reported speech?

a. Present simple changes to past simple.

b. Past simple changes to present continuous.

c. Present continuous changes to future perfect.

d. Future simple changes to past perfect.

• Which sentence is correctly reported?

a. Sarah told me that she is leaving tomorrow.

b. Sarah told me that she was leaving tomorrow.

c. Sarah tells me that she will leave tomorrow.

d. Sarah told me that she leaves tomorrow.

• What is the reported speech for: “I will call you later.”?

a. She said that she would call me later.

b. She said that she would call me later.

c. She says that she will call me later.

d. She says that she will call me later.

• Which of the following is a reported speech question?

a. He said, “I am going to the store.”

b. She asked, “Have you seen my keys?”

c. They said, “We will arrive soon.”

d. She told me, “Don’t be late.”

• What is the correct reported speech for: “Can you help me with this?”?

a. He asked if he could help me with that.

b. He asked if I can help him with this.

c. He asks if he can help me with this.

d. He asks if I could help him with that.

• Which sentence represents reported speech?

a. “Stop!” she shouted.

b. She shouts, “Stop!”

c. She shouted to stop.

d. She shouted, “Stop!”

Also Read: Useful Idioms for IELTS Exams That Will Boost Your Score

Check Your Answers

Match your answers with the right answers given below:

1. c. She said, “She will be there soon.”

2. a. He said that he was studying for exams.

3. a. “I” changes to “he.”

4. c. She asked if I had finished my homework.

5. a. Present simple changes to past simple.

6. b. Sarah told me that she was leaving tomorrow.

7. b. She said that she would call me later.

8. b. She asked, “Have you seen my keys?”

9. a. He asked if he could help me with that.

10. c. She shouted to stop.

Also Read: 50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Interrogative Sentences

As candidates are well versed with the concept of reported speech it is time for the candidates to solve this exercise based on converting direct speech to indirect speech.

• “I am reading a book,” she said.
• “We will go to the beach tomorrow,” he announced.
• “Can you help me with my homework?” she asked.
• “I have already seen that movie,” he claimed.
• “Please turn off the lights,” she requested.
• “They are cooking dinner,” he mentioned.
• “Why did you arrive late?” she inquired.
• “I cannot solve this math problem,” he admitted.
• “I will call you later,” she promised.
• “Let’s meet at the park,” he suggested.
• “She has been working all day,” he observed.
• “Do you like chocolate ice cream?” she wondered.
• “The concert starts at 8 PM,” he informed.
• “We won the championship,” she exclaimed.
• “I need more time to finish the project,” he confessed.
• “The train departs in 15 minutes,” she reminded.
• “Did you visit the museum?” he asked.
• “I’m going to visit my grandparents next weekend,” she said.
• “We should plant more trees,” he advised.
• “Don’t forget to buy milk,” she reminded.

Must Read: Subject-Verb Agreement: Definition, 12 Rules & Examples

Answers  

• She said that she was reading a book.
• He announced that they would go to the beach the next day.
• She asked if I could help her with her homework.
• He claimed that he had already seen that movie.
• She requested to turn off the lights.
• He mentioned that they were cooking dinner.
• She inquired why I had arrived late.
• He admitted that he couldn’t solve that math problem.
• She promised that she would call later.
• He suggested meeting at the park.
• He observed that she had been working all day.
• She wondered if I liked chocolate ice cream.
• He informed me that the concert started at 8 PM.
• She exclaimed that they had won the championship.
• He confessed that he needed more time to finish the project.
• She reminded me that the train departed in 15 minutes.
• He asked if I had visited the museum.
• She said she was going to visit her grandparents the following weekend.
• He advised that they should plant more trees.
• She reminded me not to forget to buy milk.

More Reads on Reported Speech for Class 10

What are the four types of reported speech?

The four types of reported speech are assertive, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory.

What are the two main types of reported speech?

The two main types of reported speech are direct and indirect speech.

Why do we use reported speech?

Reported Speech is effective in conveying the thoughts and ideas of others accurately and without causing any misrepresentation.

This was all about the Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 Students with Answers. Hope you understand the concept and where it’s used. Keep an eye on Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.

Amanpreet Kaur

📚✨ From Classroom Chats Entered Into The Wordy World ….. Yes , If you all Remember that teacher who kept you on your toes with pop quizzes and endless homework? YEP! THAT WAS Me ! 🌟 But with the blessings of almighty and the key motivation of my husband who came across the spark of writing in me has insisted me to pave my way away from chalk dust to creative burst!💫  Being in this new world of writing I can compose pun-tastic content, poetry full of emotions and humorous articles that can even make Shakespeare envious of me 📝🎭.Yippee! from teaching young minds to educating worldwide readers it's an epic career switch. From teaching grammar lessons to grammatically flawless copy, I'm todays' wordsmith on a mission! Let me spin literary magic all around and conquer my exact destination of proving myself as The Best Writer in The World.🚀🏆 My promise is to provide you with valuable insights, solutions to your questions, and a momentary escape from the routine. I believe in the power of words to create connections, provoke thought, and foster growth. Woods are lovely dark and deep  But I have promises to keep and  Miles to go before I sleep ……..🌳✨🌌

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Reported Speech with Examples and Test (PDF)

Reported speech is used when we want to convey what someone else has said to us or to another person. It involves paraphrasing or summarising what has been said , often changing verb tenses , pronouns and other elements to suit the context of the report.

*doesn’t change

Formula of Reported Speech

The formula for reported speech involves transforming direct speech into an indirect form while maintaining the meaning of the original statement. In general, the formula includes:

• Choosing an appropriate reporting verb (e.g., say, tell, mention, explain).
• Changing pronouns and time expressions if necessary.
• Shifting the tense of the verb back if the reporting verb is in the past tense.
• Using reporting clauses like “that” or appropriate conjunctions.
• Adjusting word order and punctuation to fit the structure of the reported speech.

Here’s a simplified formula:

Reporting Verb + Indirect Object + Conjunction + Reported Clause

For example:

• She said (reporting verb) to me (indirect object) that (conjunction) she liked ice cream (reported clause).

Here’s how we use reported speech:

Reporting Verbs: We use verbs like ‘say’ or ‘tell’ to introduce reported speech. If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tense of the reported speech generally remains the same.

If the reporting verb is in the past tense , the tense of the reported speech often shifts back in time.

Tense Changes: Tense changes are common in reported speech. For example, present simple may change to past simple, present continuous to past continuous, etc. However, some verbs like ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘might’, ‘must’, and ‘ought to’ generally don’t change.

Reported Questions: When reporting questions, we often change them into statements while preserving the meaning. Question words are retained, and the tense of the verbs may change.

Reported Requests and Orders: Requests and orders are reported similarly to statements. Reported requests often use ‘asked me to’ + infinitive, while reported orders use ‘told me to’ + infinitive.

Time Expressions: Time expressions may need to change depending on when the reported speech occurred in relation to the reporting moment. For instance, ‘today’ may become ‘that day’ or ‘yesterday’, ‘yesterday’ might become ‘the day before’, and so forth.

Reported Speech with Examples PDF

  Reported Speech PDF – download

Reported Speech Test

  Reported Speech A2 – B1 Test – download

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• Reported Speech

What is Reported Speech?

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of conveying what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. Instead of using quotation marks , the speaker paraphrases or summarises the original statement. This transformation often involves changes in pronouns, tenses, and time expressions to fit the context of the reporting. Understanding reported speech is crucial for effective communication , as it allows you to relay information accurately and fluently in both spoken and written English.

Reported Speech - How Does it Work?

Indirect speech or Reported speech is just a way of expressing your intent in questions, statements or other phrases, without essentially quoting them outrightly as the way it is done in indirect speech.

Reported Speech Rules

To understand Reported Speech Grammar and Reported Verbs, you need to first understand reported speech rules and how it works. Here are some types of reported speech:

Reported Statements

Reported speech is used when someone says a sentence, like, "I'm going to the movie tonight". Later, we want to tell a 3rd person what the first person is doing.

It works like this:

We use a reporting verb i.e 'say' or 'tell'. In the present tense, just put in 'he says.

Direct Speech: I like burgers.

Reported Speech: He says (that) he likes burgers.

You don't need to change the tense, but you do need to switch the 'person' from 'I' to 'he’. You also need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.

But, in case the reporting verb is in the past tense, then change the tenses in the reported speech itself.

Reported Questions

Reported questions to go like

Direct Speech: Where do you reside?

We make the change to reported speech by-

It is similar to reported statements. The tense changes are exact, and we keep the question’s word. But we need to change the grammar of that normal sentence into positive. For eg:

Reported Speech: He asked me where I resided.

The direct speech question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does'. For that, I need to take that away. Then change the verb to the past simple.

Direct Speech: Where is Jolly?

Reported Speech: He asked me where Jolly was.

The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We change the question form of the present simple of being by changing the position of the subject and the verb. So, change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.

Reported Speech Examples with Answers

Reported Requests

The reported speech goes a long way. What if a person asks you to do something politely or make a request? It’s called a reported request. For example

Direct Speech: Close the door, please / Could you close the door please? / Would you mind closing the door, please?

All these requests mean the same, so we don't need to report every word there when we tell a 3rd person about it.

We can simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':

Reported Speech: They asked me to close the door.

Direct Speech: Please be punctual.

Reported Speech: They asked us to be punctual.

Reported Orders

And lastly, how about when someone doesn't ask that politely? This is known as an 'order' in English, which is when someone tells you to do something pretty much directly. This is called a reported order. For example

Direct Speech: Stand up right now!

We make this into a reported speech in the same way as that for a request. Just use 'tell' rather than 'ask':

Reported Speech: She told me to stand up right now.

Time Expressions within the Ambit of Reported Speech

Sometimes when we want to change the direct speech into reported speech, we will have to change the time expressions too. We don't necessarily always have to do that. However, It depends on when we heard the speech in indirect form and when we said the speech in reported form.

For Example,

It's Sunday. Kiran Ma’am says "I'm leaving today".

If You tell someone on Sunday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving today".

If you tell someone on Tuesday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving yesterday".

If you tell someone on Friday, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving on Sunday ".

If you tell someone a month later, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving that day".

So, technically there's no easy way to convert. You need to put in real effort and have to think about it when the direct speech is said.

Conversions of Direct Speech to Reported Speech

Now Let us Check our Understanding Through this Table

This is all about reported speech. English grammar is a tricky thing given both the rules and practice. Reading these rules solely will not help you to get a strong grasp of them. You also have to practice reported speech sentences in practical life to know how and when they can be used.

Change of Pronouns

Change of Adverbs Time and Place

Change of Modal Verbs

Test your Knowledge of Reported Speech with Reported Speech Exercises

Exercise 1: Convert the following sentences from direct speech to reported speech.

Direct: "I am going to the market now," said John.

Reported: __________________________

Direct: "We will finish the project tomorrow," the team leader said.

Direct: "Can you help me with my homework?" Sarah asked Tom.

Direct: "She is studying French," said her teacher.

Direct: "I must complete this assignment by tonight," the student mentioned.

Exercise 2: Correct the error in the following reported speech sentences.

He said that he will go to the party the next day.

Correction: __________________________

She told me that she can come to the meeting.

They said that they are going to visit their grandparents.

The teacher told us that we must complete the homework by tomorrow.

He said that he might will arrive late.

Exercise 3: Convert the following sentences from reported speech to direct speech.

Reported: She said that she had finished her work .

Direct: __________________________

Reported: He told me that he would help me later.

Reported: They mentioned that they were planning a trip.

Reported: The doctor said that the patient needed rest.

Reported: She said that she could not attend the party.

Find out if you got them right from the answers below.

John said that he was going to the market then.

The team leader said that they would finish the project the next day.

Sarah asked Tom if he could help her with her homework.

Her teacher said that she was studying French.

The student mentioned that he/she had to complete the assignment by that night.

He said that he would go to the party the next day.

She told me that she could come to the meeting.

They said that they were going to visit their grandparents.

The teacher told us that we had to complete the homework by the next day.

He said that he might arrive late.

"I have finished my work," she said.

"I will help you later," he told me.

"We are planning a trip," they mentioned.

"The patient needs rest," the doctor said.

"I cannot attend the party," she said.

Takeaways from this Page

Understanding the reported speech requires understanding how pronouns shift based on the speaker and context.

Recognising the necessary tense changes when converting from direct to reported speech is crucial for accurate communication.

Knowing how adverbs of time and place change in reported speech ensures clarity in conveying when and where something occurred.

Familiarity with how modal verbs like "will" change to "would" helps maintain the intended meaning when reporting statements.

FAQs on Reported Speech

1. How do you convert present tenses to reported speech?

To convert present tenses to reported speech, follow these rules:

Present Simple changes to Past Simple.

Present Continuous changes to Past Continuous.

Present Perfect changes to Past Perfect.

Present Perfect Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous.

"I do yoga every morning." → She said that she did yoga every morning.

"My friend is watching a movie." → She said that her friend was watching a movie.

"I have been to the USA." → She told me that she had been to the USA.

2. How do you convert past tenses to reported speech?

To convert past tenses to reported speech, follow these rules:

Past Simple changes to Past Perfect.

Past Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous.

Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous remain unchanged.

"He arrived on Friday." → He said that he had arrived on Friday.

"I was playing cricket." → He said that he had been playing cricket.

"She had worked hard." → She said that she had worked hard.

3. What are the rules for converting future tenses to reported speech?

When converting future tenses to reported speech:

Future Simple (will) changes to would.

Future Continuous (will be) changes to would be.

Future Perfect (will have) changes to would have.

Future Perfect Continuous (will have been) changes to would have been.

"I will be attending the wedding." → She said that she would be attending the wedding.

4. How do you convert sentences with 'can' and 'can't' to reported speech?

'Can' changes to 'could'.

'Can't' changes to 'couldn't'.

"I can help you." → She said that she could help me.

"I can't come to the party." → He said that he couldn't come to the party.

5. How do you convert sentences with 'will' and 'won't' to reported speech?

'Will' changes to 'would'.

'Won't' changes to 'wouldn't'.

"I will call you tomorrow." → She said that she would call me the next day.

"I won't attend the meeting." → He said that he wouldn't attend the meeting.

6. What are some examples of reported requests?

Reported requests typically use the verb "ask" followed by an infinitive.

Direct: "Please open the window."

Reported: She asked me to open the window.

Direct: "Could you help me with this?"

Reported: He asked me to help him with that.

7. What are some examples of reported orders?

Reported orders often use the verb "tell" followed by an infinitive.

Direct: "Sit down."

Reported: The teacher told the student to sit down.

Direct: "Don't touch that."

Reported: He told me not to touch that.

8. How do time expressions change in reported speech?

Time expressions change as follows:

Today → That day

Tomorrow → The next day

Yesterday → The day before

Next week → The following week

Last week → The previous week

9. Does the past perfect tense change in reported speech?

No, the past perfect tense remains the same in reported speech.

"She had left early." → He said that she had left early.

10. What happens to pronouns in reported speech?

Pronouns in reported speech usually change based on the speaker and listener.

"I am going to the store." → He said that he was going to the store.

"You should see this." → She told me that I should see that.

Reported speech - 1

Reported speech - 2

Reported speech - 3

Worksheets - handouts

Reported speech

Worksheets - pdf exercises.

• Reported statements - worksheet
• Worksheet - reported questions
• Reported yes/no questions
• Worksheet - reported speech
• Reported speech - exercises pdf
• Indirect speech - exercises
• Reported speech - exercises
• Mixed reported speech 1
• Mixed reported speech 2
• Reported speech 1 
• Reported speech 2  
• Reported speech 3 
• Reported speech 4
• Reported speech 5
• Reported wh- questions
• Reported speech - worksheet 
• Reported commands
• Reported questions
• Reported speech 1
• Reported speech 2
• Reported requests and orders
• Reported speech exercise
• Reported questions - worksheet
• Indirect speech - worksheet
• Worksheets pdf - print
• Grammar worksheets - handouts

Grammar - lessons

• Reported speech - grammar notes
• How to use reported speech - lesson
• Tense changes - grammar

Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples

Reported speech is a very common aspect of the English language. You use it nearly every day, both in conversations and in writing. This reference covers key sections about reported speech, including what it is, examples, rules, and verb tense changes. You’ll also learn about modal verbs, changes in time and place, and different reporting verbs.

Reported Speech

What Is Reported Speech?

Reported speech is simply when you tell somebody what someone else said. You can do this in your writing, or in speech. Reported speech is very different from  direct speech , which is when you show what somebody said  in the exact way that they said it . In reported speech though, you do not need to quote somebody directly.

Instead, you use a reporting verb, such as ‘say’ or ‘ask’. These reporting verbs are used to report the speech to someone else. There are many different reporting verbs that can be used.

In short, reported speech is the linguistic technique that you use to tell somebody what someone else’s  direct speech  was. In reported speech though, you may need to make certain changes to the grammar to make the sentence make sense. Some examples below highlight what needs to be changed.

Reported Speech Examples

When using reported speech, you are usually talking about the past. The verbs, therefore, usually have to be in the past too.

For example :

• Direct speech:  I’ve lost my umbrella .
• Reported speech:  He said (that) he had lost his umbrella.

Another example :

• Direct speech:  She is doing her homework .
• Reported speech:  He said (that) she was doing her homework.

Table of Changes :

Reported Speech Rules

Verb tense changes in reported speech.

When the reporting verb is in the present tense, only small changes are needed.

• Direct speech:  I like dogs.
• Reported speech:  She  says  she likes dogs.

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, you need to change the tense of both the reporting verb and the main verb.

• Reported speech:  She  said  she  liked  dogs.

The tenses generally move backward as follows:

For sentences about the future, you also need to change the future verbs.

• Direct speech:  I shall leave in a moment.
• Reported speech:  She said that she would leave in a moment.

Here are the changes for future tenses:

Modal Verbs and Reported Speech

Modal verbs also change when used in reported speech.

• Direct speech:  Will I see you later?
• Reported speech:  He asked if he  would  see me later.

Some modal verbs do not need to change tense because they fit naturally.

• Direct speech:  I should go to the park.
• Reported speech:  He told me he  should  go to the park.

Here are both correct and incorrect examples of reported speech for clarity:

• Reported speech:  He told  me  he should go to the park.
• Reported speech:  He said he should go to the park.
• Incorrect reported speech:  He told he should go to the park.
• Incorrect reported speech:  He said me he should go to the park.

To correct these:

• Add ‘me’: He told  me  he should go to the park.
• Remove ‘me’ or add ‘to’: He said he should go to the park or He said  to  me he should go to the park.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Changes in time and place in reported speech.

References to  time  and  place often need to change when you use indirect speech. Here is a useful guide to these changes:

No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

In some cases,  verb tenses  do not change when you report speech indirectly. Here are the key instances:

• When the introductory verb is in the present , present perfect , or future .
• When the reported sentence deals with a  fact  or  general truth .
• When the reported sentence contains a  time clause .
• If the verb of the sentence is in the  unreal past  (the  second  or the  third conditional ).
• The  subjunctive  stays unchanged in the  subordinate clause .
• Had better ,  could ,  would ,  used to ,  should ,  might ,  ought to , and  mustn’t  remain unchanged.
• If the speaker reports  something immediately  or  soon after it was said .

Reporting Verbs in Indirect Speech

Reporting verbs are crucial in indirect speech. Here is a list categorized by their usage:

• Basic Verbs : Tell, say, ask
• Verb + that + clause : Complain, deny, explain, exclaim, remark, promise, boast, inform somebody, claim, agree, suggest
• Verb + to + infinitive : Agree, offer, refuse, demand, threaten, promise, claim
• Verb + indirect object + to + infinitive : Advise, allow, beg, command, encourage, forbid, invite, want, instruct, permit, urge, order, remind, warn
• Verb + “ing” form : Admit (to), accuse somebody of, apologize for, boast about/of, complain to somebody of, deny, insist on, suggest
• Verb + how : Explain to somebody

Reported Questions

When converting questions from direct to indirect speech, you follow rules similar to those for statements.  Verbs  used include inquire, wonder, want to know, ask.

Reported Commands and Requests

Commands and requests  in Indirect Speech are formed using the  to-infinitive  and  not to-infinitive . Common reporting verbs include order, shout, demand, warn, beg, command, tell, insist, beseech , threaten, implore, ask, propose, forbid.

Pronoun and tense changes  are needed when shifting from direct to indirect speech.

Reported Speech Video

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Reported Speech – Rules, Examples

| Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

They say gossip is a natural part of human life. That’s why language has evolved to develop grammatical rules about the “he said” and “she said” statements. We call them reported speech.

Every time we use reported speech in English, we are talking about something said by someone else in the past. Thinking about it brings me back to high school, when reported speech was the main form of language!

Learn all about the definition, rules, and examples of reported speech as I go over everything. I also included a worksheet at the end of the article so you can test your knowledge of the topic.

What Does Reported Speech Mean?

Reported speech is a term we use when telling someone what another person said. You can do this while speaking or writing.

There are two kinds of reported speech you can use: direct speech and indirect speech. I’ll break each down for you.

A direct speech sentence mentions the exact words the other person said. For example:

• Kryz said, “These are all my necklaces.”

Indirect speech changes the original speaker’s words. For example:

• Kryz said those were all her necklaces.

When we tell someone what another individual said, we use reporting verbs like told, asked, convinced, persuaded, and said. We also change the first-person figure in the quotation into the third-person speaker.

Reported Speech Examples

We usually talk about the past every time we use reported speech. That’s because the time of speaking is already done. For example:

• Direct speech: The employer asked me, “Do you have experience with people in the corporate setting?”

Indirect speech: The employer asked me if I had experience with people in the corporate setting.

• Direct speech: “I’m working on my thesis,” I told James.

Indirect speech: I told James that I was working on my thesis.

Reported Speech Structure

A speech report has two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. Read the example below:

• Harry said, “You need to help me.”

The reporting clause here is William said. Meanwhile, the reported clause is the 2nd clause, which is I need your help.

What are the 4 Types of Reported Speech?

Aside from direct and indirect, reported speech can also be divided into four. The four types of reported speech are similar to the kinds of sentences: imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, and declarative.

Reported Speech Rules

The rules for reported speech can be complex. But with enough practice, you’ll be able to master them all.

Choose Whether to Use That or If

The most common conjunction in reported speech is that. You can say, “My aunt says she’s outside,” or “My aunt says that she’s outside.”

Use if when you’re reporting a yes-no question. For example:

• Direct speech: “Are you coming with us?”

Indirect speech: She asked if she was coming with them.

Verb Tense Changes

Change the reporting verb into its past form if the statement is irrelevant now. Remember that some of these words are irregular verbs, meaning they don’t follow the typical -d or -ed pattern. For example:

• Direct speech: I dislike fried chicken.

Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken.

Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form.

Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting. This verb tense also works if the report is something someone would repeat. For example:

• Slater says they’re opening a restaurant soon.
• Maya says she likes dogs.

This rule proves that the choice of verb tense is not a black-and-white question. The reporter needs to analyze the context of the action.

Move the tense backward when the reporting verb is in the past tense. That means:

• Present simple becomes past simple.
• Present perfect becomes past perfect.
• Present continuous becomes past continuous.
• Past simple becomes past perfect.
• Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous.

Here are some examples:

• The singer has left the building. (present perfect)

He said that the singers had left the building. (past perfect)

• Her sister gave her new shows. (past simple)
• She said that her sister had given her new shoes. (past perfect)

If the original speaker is discussing the future, change the tense of the reporting verb into the past form. There’ll also be a change in the auxiliary verbs.

• Will or shall becomes would.
• Will be becomes would be.
• Will have been becomes would have been.
• Will have becomes would have.

For example:

• Direct speech: “I will be there in a moment.”

Indirect speech: She said that she would be there in a moment.

Do not change the verb tenses in indirect speech when the sentence has a time clause. This rule applies when the introductory verb is in the future, present, and present perfect. Here are other conditions where you must not change the tense:

• If the sentence is a fact or generally true.
• If the sentence’s verb is in the unreal past (using second or third conditional).
• If the original speaker reports something right away.
• Do not change had better, would, used to, could, might, etc.

Changes in Place and Time Reference

Changing the place and time adverb when using indirect speech is essential. For example, now becomes then and today becomes that day. Here are more transformations in adverbs of time and places.

• This – that.
• These – those.
• Now – then.
• Here – there.
• Tomorrow – the next/following day.
• Two weeks ago – two weeks before.
• Yesterday – the day before.

Here are some examples.

• Direct speech: “I am baking cookies now.”

Indirect speech: He said he was baking cookies then.

• Direct speech: “Myra went here yesterday.”

Indirect speech: She said Myra went there the day before.

• Direct speech: “I will go to the market tomorrow.”

Indirect speech: She said she would go to the market the next day.

Using Modals

If the direct speech contains a modal verb, make sure to change them accordingly.

• Will becomes would
• Can becomes could
• Shall becomes should or would.
• Direct speech: “Will you come to the ball with me?”

Indirect speech: He asked if he would come to the ball with me.

• Direct speech: “Gina can inspect the room tomorrow because she’s free.”

Indirect speech: He said Gina could inspect the room the next day because she’s free.

However, sometimes, the modal verb should does not change grammatically. For example:

• Direct speech: “He should go to the park.”

Indirect speech: She said that he should go to the park.

Imperative Sentences

To change an imperative sentence into a reported indirect sentence, use to for imperative and not to for negative sentences. Never use the word that in your indirect speech. Another rule is to remove the word please . Instead, say request or say. For example:

• “Please don’t interrupt the event,” said the host.

The host requested them not to interrupt the event.

• Jonah told her, “Be careful.”
• Jonah ordered her to be careful.

Reported Questions

When reporting a direct question, I would use verbs like inquire, wonder, ask, etc. Remember that we don’t use a question mark or exclamation mark for reports of questions. Below is an example I made of how to change question forms.

• Incorrect: He asked me where I live?

Correct: He asked me where I live.

Here’s another example. The first sentence uses direct speech in a present simple question form, while the second is the reported speech.

• Where do you live?

She asked me where I live.

Wrapping Up Reported Speech

My guide has shown you an explanation of reported statements in English. Do you have a better grasp on how to use it now?

Reported speech refers to something that someone else said. It contains a subject, reporting verb, and a reported cause.

Don’t forget my rules for using reported speech. Practice the correct verb tense, modal verbs, time expressions, and place references.

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