cbse class 6 english grammar reported speech

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Reported Speech Exercises for Class 6 CBSE With Answers

August 29, 2024 by Prasanna

You have learned that we can report the words of a speaker in two ways. We may quote the speaker’s actual words. This is called direct speech. My friends said, “We enjoyed our holiday in London.” Kavish said, “I was working on my project.” “I shall come to your party,” Navya promised.

This grammar section explains English Grammar in a clear and simple way. There are example sentences to show how the language is used. You can also visit the most accurate and elaborate NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English . Every question of the textbook has been answered here.

Reported Speech Exercises for Class 6 CBSE With Answers Pdf

Note that indirect speech

• inverted commas are used to indicate the exact words of the speaker. (You may use either single or double inverted commas.)
• a comma is placed immediately after the reporting verb. (In the third example the sentence ends with the reporting verb and is, therefore, followed by a full stop.)
• the punctuation at the end of the sentence in direct speech is placed before the closed inverted comma(s).

We can also report what the speaker said without quoting his / her exact words. This is called indirect speech or reported speech.

My friends said that they had enjoyed their holiday in London. Kavish said that he was/had been working on his project. Navya promised that she would come to my party.

In indirect speech, we:

• use the conjunction that immediately before the reported words.
• change the person of the first and second-person pronouns.
• change the tense of the verb.
• do not use inverted commas.

Tense Change

Modal Change

Place and Time

Direct Speech

Reported Speech Solved Examples Exercises for Class 6 CBSE

Question 1. Change into reported speech. (i) Rahul said, “I like fiction. (ii) The girl said, ‘I am writing a letter’. (iii) The boy said to the girl, ‘I am waiting for you.’ (iv) The masons said, ‘We have finished the job. (v) The boy said, ‘I have been selected.’ (vi) The teacher said to the girl, ‘Have you done your homework?’ (vii) The teacher said to the boy, ‘Work hard.’ (viii) The man said, ‘I have lost my bag.’ (ix) The traveller said, ‘Where is the nearest inn?’ (x) I said to him, “Will you help me?’ Answer: (i) Rahul said that he like fiction. (ii) The girl said that she was writing a letter. (iii) The boy said that he was waiting for you. (iv) The masons said that they had finished the job. (v) The boy said that he had been selected. (vi) The teacher asked the girl if she had done your homework. (vii) The teacher encouraged the boy to work hard. (viii) The man said that he had lost his bag. (ix) The traveller asked where the nearest inn was. (x) I asked him if he would help me.

Question 2. Change this direct speech into reported speech. (i) ‘He works in a bank’ She said ________________________ (ii) We went out last night She told me ________________________ (iii) ‘I’m coming! She said ________________________ (iv) ‘I was waiting for the bus when he arrived She told me ________________________ (v) ‘I’d never been there before’ She said ________________________ (vi) ‘I didn’t go to the party She told me ________________________ (vii) ‘Lucy’ll come later She said ________________________ (viii) ‘He hasn’t eaten breakfast She told me ________________________ (v) ‘I can help you tomorrow’ She said ________________________ (vi) You should go to bed early She told me ________________________ Answer: (i) She said (that) he worked in a bank. (ii) She told me (that) they went (had gone) out last night (the night before). (iii) She said (that) she was coming. (iv) She told me (that) she was waiting for the bus when he arrived. (v) She said (that) she had never been there before. (vi) She told me (that) she didn’t go (hadn’t gone) to the party. (vii) She said (that) Lucy would come later. (viii) She told me (that) he hadn’t eaten breakfast. (v) She said (that) she could help me tomorrow. (vi) She told me (that) I should go to bed early.

Reported Speech Practice Examples Exercises for Class 6 CBSE

Question 1. Below you can read a conversation between Reena and her husband SorrttL Complete the following sentence reporting what they discussed.

Reena: Our new servant has a tendency to steal things. Somu: Is anything missing? Reena: Yes, he has stolen one of our watches. Somu: Which one? Reena: It’s the one we bought from Pacific Mall.

Reena told her husband that (a) ______________ a tendency to steal things. Somu asked her (b) ______________ She told him that (c) ______________ When Somu asked her which one it was, she replied that it was the one they had bought from Pacific Mall.

Question 2. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph.

Mother: When is the fancy dress competition going to be held in your school? Rani: After two weeks. Mother: Are you taking part in it? Rani: Yes! I am going to be a fairy. Mother: Why have you chosen that part? Rani: So that I can show my magical powers.

Mother asked Rani when the fancy dress competition in her school was going to be held. Rani replied that (a) ______________. Mother enquired whether (b) ______________. Rani (c) ______________. Mother asked why she had chosen that part. She replied that she had chosen that part so that she could show her magical powers.

Class 6 English Grammar Chapter 24 Direct and Indirect Speech

Class 6 English Grammar Chapter 24 Direct and Indirect Speech. The word—speech—means whatever we speak or write. Speaking or writing the words of an another person can be done in two ways, 1. by repeating the words of the other person as they were, 2. by stating the meaning of the words of the other person in your own words. Suppose Aman speaks the words: “I am ill today.” Any person other than Aman can express his words in the following two ways: (a) Either he says: Aman said, “I am ill today.” (b) Or he can say: Aman said that he was ill that day.

• Class 6 English Grammar Direct and Indirect Speech
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Direct Speech

Aman said, “I am ill today.” In this sentence, the very words of the speaker, i.e., “I am ill today” are quoted within inverted commas (” “). This is called the Direct Speech. The sentence within ” ” is called reported speech. The verb that introduces the reporting speech is called reporting verb.

INDIRECT SPEECH Aman said that he was ill that day. In the above sentence, we have reported what the speaker said, i.e. he was ill that day without quoting the exact words. This is called Indirect Speech. Carefully Read the following points: In Direct Speech: 1. The Reported Speech is put within Inverted Commas (” “). 2. The first word of the Reported Speech begins with a capital letter. In Indirect Speech: 1. Inverted commas are not used for the Reported Speech It is generally introduced by the conjunction that, if, etc. 2. The comma separating the Reporting Verb from the Reported Speech is removed. 3. The tense of the Reporting Verb is never changed.

RULES FOR THE CHANGE OF TENSES

Conversion of Assertive Sentences into Indirect Speech Rule: If the Reporting Verb is in the Present or Future Tense, the tense of the verb in the Reported Speech is not changed at all as,

CHANGE IN TENSES

Rule: If the Reporting Verb is in the Past Tense, the tense of the R.S. will change as under: Simple Present changes into Simple Past: Direct: He said, “Sandhya sings a nice song.” Indirect: He said that Sandhya sang a nice song. Present Continuous changes into Past Continuous: Direct: He said, “The girls are picking flowers.” Indirect: He said that the girls were picking flowers. Present Perfect changes into Past Perfect: Direct: Father said to me, “It has been raining since morning.” Indirect: Father told me that it had been raining since morning. Simple Past changes into Past Perfect: Direct: I said to him, “They enjoyed the magic show.” Indirect: I told him that they had enjoyed the magic show. Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous are not changed: Direct: She said, “He had not seen the Taj before.” Indirect: She said that he had not seen the Taj before. Shall and will of future tense become should/would: Direct: I said to her, “I shall help Sagun”. Indirect: I told her that I should/would help Sagun. All Present Tenses change into their corresponding Past forms: is, am become was can becomes could are becomes were may becomes might has, have become had was/were become had been The forms of could, should, would, might, had are not changed: Direct: I said to him, “I am a poor man.” Indirect: I told him that I was a poor man.

CHANGE OF PRONOUN

Pronouns of the first person change according to the person of the Subject of the Reporting Verb: Direct: I said, “I have done my duty.” Indirect: I said that I had done my duty. Rule: Pronouns of the third person remain unchanged. Direct: I said, “He has done his duty.” Indirect: I said that he had done his duty. CHANGE OF WORDS DENOTING TIME AND POSITION here becomes there this becomes that ago becomes before today becomes that day thus becomes so now becomes then CONVERSION OF QUESTIONS INTO INDIRECT SPEECH 1. The Reporting Verb is changed to asked, enquired, demanded etc. 2. Whether or if is used if the R.S. begins with a Helping Verb or a Modal Auxiliary like do, does, did, is, am, are and can, could, should, would etc. in place of comma and inverted commas. 3. All questions beginning with interrogative words like how, what etc. remain unchanged. 4. The Interrogative form is changed into assertive form. The Question Mark is dropped. 5. Tenses, Pronouns and Words denoting nearness are changed according to the rules already stated. Direct: 1. He said to me, “Do you take tea?” Indirect: He asked me if I took tea.

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises for Class 6 with Answers CBSE

Direct and indirect speech exercises for class 6 with answers cbse pdf.

Rules For Changing Direct Speech To Reported Speech

1. Changes in reporting verb

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

2. Change of pronouns

• The conjunction that is used to connect the reporting verb with what is said.
• A first-person and second-person generally change to third person (depending upon object to reporting verb)
• In case the reporting verb is in present, the tense of verb in reported speech continues to remain in the present tense.

3. Change of tenses When we report something after a certain period of time, and what we are talking about has already happened, we change the tense of the sentence being reported into a corresponding past tense. Read the following table carefully.

In general, present tense becomes past tense:

• Past tense becomes past perfect tense.
• Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous tense.
• Past perfect and past perfect continuous remain unchanged.

4. Change of situations When we report sentences in indirect speech, the words denoting places or time are changed.

5. Universal truths When universal truths are being reported we may choose either to retain the original tense of the sentence or to change it.

6. Questions and answers

7. Commands, orders and requests

8. Modals verbs

Changes in modals

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

Would, should, could, might, ought to and must are unchanged.

1. What does Ditya want to buy and why? 2. Why Ditya’s clothes are not suitable for the occasion? 3. What does father reply in the end of the story above?

B. Change the following sentences into indirect speech from the story above.

1. Ditya says to her father, “I want to buy new clothes for my graduation ceremony.” ___________________________________________________ 2. “These dresses are not suitable for the occasion,” says Ditya. ___________________________________________________ 3. “You have just borrowed three dresses a few days ago,” replies father. ___________________________________________________

Direct And Indirect Speech Practice Exercises for Class 6 CBSE

A. Complete the sentences into indirect speech.

1. Mohan (to Seema): I like your hairstyle. Mohan tells Seema : ____________

2. Parrot: I can speak English. The parrot says ____________

3. The fairy (to boy): I will grant you a wish if you won’t tell a lie. The fairy tells the boy ____________

4. The doctor (to a patient): I prescribed you a medicine but I did not charge you for it. The doctor tells ____________

5. The guide (to tourists): We are going to visit the Mahendra caves and there we will get to see bats. The guide says ____________

B. Change the following Direct speech into Indirect.

1. She says, “I will do this work.” ___________________________________

2. Sunita says, “He can come and stay in my flat.” ___________________________________

3. Amrita says to Hari, “I am taking my lunch now.” ___________________________________

4. Nancy says, “I am going to Paris next month.” ___________________________________

5. Vikas says, “I work hard on this project.” ___________________________________

6. She says, “This book is mine.” ___________________________________

7. Aunt Kajol says to me, “You will send these books to my place the day after tomorrow.” ___________________________________

8. Chetan says to mother, “I will tell you the truth.” ___________________________________

9. I have told him, “My father is a doctor.” ___________________________________

10. Meeta says, “I am sure everything will be alright after the operation.” ___________________________________

C. Write the correct pronouns in the following sentences in Reported speech.

1. Ankit: “I work in an office.” Ankit told me (that) ____________ worked in an office.

2. La lit and Puneet: “We play football.” Lalit and Puneet told me (that) ____________ played football.

3. Anjali: “I like my cat.” Anjali told me (that) ____________ liked ____________ cat.

4. Sanju: “Can you see me?” Sanju asked me ¡f ____________ could see ____________.

5. Kanika : “I will have to borrow your pencil.” Kanika told me (that) ____________ would have to borrow ____________ pencil.

6. Meera: “My father is American.” Meera told me (that) ____________ father is American.

7. Pooja and Rajni: “Can we use your camera?” Pooja and Rajni asked me if could use ____________ camera.

8. Raja: “How is your journey?” Raja asked me how ____________ journey was.

9. Priya and Ritu: “We love our pets.” Priya and Ritu told me (that) ____________ loved ____________ Pets.

10. Grandmother: “Piease bring me a cup of my tea.” Grandmother told me to bring ____________ a cup of tea.

Direct And Indirect Speech Exercises for Class 6 – Part II

Fundamentals: If the Reported Verb is in Past tense (Said, told instead of say, tell) then the tense in the reporting speech changes accordingly.

1. Why does Rita argue with her mother? 2. Why does Rita’s mother never give her a pizza or a burger to eat? Give two reasons. 3. What does Rita’s mother advice her in the end of the story?

B. Read the conversation between mother and daughter in the story above and complete the paragraph that follows.

Mother told Rita 1. ____________. Rita replied that 2. ____________ and told her mother that she never gave her a pizza or burger. Mother said that they are not good for her health and reminded her 3. ____________. Rita then asked her mother to give her french fries and a shake. Mother warned her that if she lived on junk food, she would spoil her health.

Direct And Indirect Speech Worksheets With Answers Pdf

A. Change the following into reported speech.

1. Nikhil said, “I will come tomorrow.” ____________________________________

2. Paras said, “I have passed the examination.” ____________________________________

3. He said, “We are going for a picnic today.” ____________________________________

4. She said, “Aayush is working hard.” ____________________________________

5. She said, “I have been writing for an hour.” ____________________________________

6. Rita said, “The girls were singing in the music period.” ____________________________________

7. The teacher says, “Sehaj does not work hard.” ____________________________________

8. I said to her, “I can solve the sum.” ____________________________________

9. Aman said, “Vinay may not come to school today.” ____________________________________

10. The teacher said, “The earth is round.” ____________________________________

11. He said to his friend, “My sister has written a letter.” ____________________________________

12. The priest said, “God is great.” ____________________________________

13. Arjun said, “I can play sitar.” ____________________________________

14. Mohan said, “My sister has been studying since morning.” ____________________________________

16. They said to me, “We cannot help you now.” ____________________________________

17. Sambhav said, “My father is writing a letter.” ____________________________________

18. She said to me, “I will go to the library tomorrow.” ____________________________________

B. Finish the sentences using Reported speech.

Question 1. Niru: Will you please give me your notebook? Indu: Yes. Which one do you need? Niru asked Indu if ……………………………….. Indu said, ……………………………….. She asked ……………………………….. Answer: Niru asked Indu if she would give Niru her notebook . Indu said yes . She asked Niru which one she needed .

Question 2. Mohini said, “Where can I find the post office?” The policeman said, “It is on the road behind the clock tower.” Mohini said, “Thank you. I have been looking for it for a while.” Mohini asked the policeman ………………………………. . The policeman said ………………………………. . Mohini ……………………………….. him and added that she had ……………………………….. Answer: Mohini asked the policeman where he could find the post office . The policeman said that it was on the road behind the clock tower . Mohini thanked him and added that she had been looking for it for w while .

Question 3. Teacher: Rohan, what are you thinking? Hurry up and finish your work. Rohan: Ma’am, I have almost finished. I was trying to recall my last week’s lessons.

The teacher ……………………………….. Rohan ……………………………….. She told him to ……………………………….. Rohan replied ……………………………….. He said that he ……………………………….. Answer: The teacher asked Rohan what he was thinking . She told him to hurry up and finish his work . Rohan replied that he had almost finished . He said that he was trying to recall his previous week lessons .

Question 4. Father: You look worried. What’s the matter? Son: It’s about my admission to an engineering college. Father: When are your results expected? Son: Within a week, Father.

The father noticed that his son ……………………………….. He asked him ………………………………. . The son replied ………………………………. . The father asked ………………………………. . The son replied ……………………………….. Answer: The father noticed that his son looked worried . He asked him what the matter was . The son replied that it was about his admission to an engineering college . The father asked his son when were his reults expected . The son replied that they were expected within a week .

Question 5. Jenny: Let’s go for a walk. Susan: Yes. Give me ten minutes. Jenny: Let’s go now. Susan: I will just take a few more minutes. Jenny: Why must you delay? Susan: What makes you so impatient?

Jenny asked Susan ……………………………….. Susan replied politely ……………………………….. Jenny was, however, impatient and said ……………………………….. Susan ……………………………….. Answer: Jenny asked Susan to go for a walk . Susan replied politely in the affirmative and asked to be given ten minutes . Jenny was, however, impatient and said that she wanted to go then . Susan said that she would take a few more minutes. Jenny asked her why she must delay. To this, Susan asked Jenny what made her so impatient .

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Direct and Indirect Speech English Grammar For Class 6

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Direct and Indirect Speech

There are two different ways speaker in which we can report the words of a speaker :  (a) Direct Speech or Direct Narration  (b) Indirect Speech or Indirect Narration  (a) Direct Speech or Direct Narration: It contains the actual  Example: Sarla said, “My father has a roaring business in Delhi.”  In this sentence, the actual words of the speaker are given within inverted commas without any change.  (b) Indirect Speech or Indirect Narration: It reports the speaker’s speech without quoting the actual words.  Example: Sarla said that her father had a roaring business in Delhi. Direct Speech or Direct Narration has two parts: (i) Reporting Verb and (ii) Reported Speech.

Reporting Verb: The verb which introduces the reported speech is called the reporting verb. Reported Speech: The actual words of the speaker given in inverted commas are called the reported speech. In the above sentence, “said” is the Reporting Verb and “My father has a roaring business in Delhi” is the Reported Speech.  Here are some distinctive points regarding the Direct Speech and the Indirect Speech.  (a) In Direct Speech 1. The reported speech is put within inverted commas.  2. The reporting verb is separated from the reporting speech by a comma. 3. The first word of the reported speech begins with a capital letter. 4. In the reported speech, we may use any tense required by the sense and any kind of sentence.

(b) In Indirect Speech 1. Inverted commas are not used. 2. The comma separating the reporting verb from the reported speech is removed. 3. The reported speech is introduced by some Conjunction (that, if, what, why, etc.).  4. The tense of the reported speech changes according to the reporting verb. 5. The tense of the reporting verb is never changed.  6. All kinds of sentences change into assertive ones. RULES FOR CHANGE OF TENSES Rule 1: If the Reporting Verb is in the Present or Future Tense, the Tense of the Verb in the reported speech remains unchanged.  1. Direct : Sonia says, “Monica will meet me on Monday.” (Simple Present)  Indirect : Sonia says that Monica will meet her on Monday. (Unchanged)  2. Direct : Rajesh says, “She has brought a fair name to her family.” (Simple Present) Indirect: Rajesh says that she has brought a fair name to her family. (Unchanged) 3. Direct : The servant will say, “Dinner is ready.” (Simple Future) Indirect: The servant will say that dinner is ready. (Unchanged)  Rule 2: If the Reporting Verb is in the Past Tense, the Tenses in the Reported Speech are changed according to the Past Tense.  The Simple Present is changed into the Simple Past Tense (play-played; do-did, etc.). 1. Direct : Anil said, “I write a letter.” (Past) (Simple Present) Indirect: Anil said that he wrote a letter.  2. Direct : Sohan said, “Rama works efficiently.” (Past) (Simple Present)  Indirect : Sohan said that Rama worked efficiently. The Present Continuous is changed into Past Continuous  is/am/are playing-was/were playing).  1. Direct : He said, “Rohan is singing a sweet song.” (Past) (Present Continuous)  Indirect: He said that Rohan was singing a s weet song.  2. Direct : The students said, “The teachers are teaching a lesson.” (Past) (Present Continuous)  Indirect: The students said that the teachers were teaching a lesson.  

The Present Perfect is changed into the Past Perfect  (has/have played-had played). 1. Direct : She said, “The bus has arrived at the bus stand.”  (Past)(Present Perfect)  Indirect : She said that the bus had arrived at the bus stand.  2. Direct : The teacher said, “All the boys have gone to their homes.” (Past) (Present Perfect) Indirect: The teacher said that all the boys had gone to their homes.  The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is changed into the Past Perfect Continuous Tense. (has been/have been playing-had been playing)  1. Direct : Mohit said, “Malini has been waiting for a long time.” (Past) (Present Perfect Continuous)  Indirect : Mohit said that Malini had been waiting for a long time. 2. Direct : Ramesh said, “Dinesh has been playing since morning.” (Past) (Present Perfect Continuous) Indirect : Ramesh said that Dinesh had been playing since morning. The Simple Past is changed into the Past Perfect.  (played had played; did not play-had not played) 1. Direct : Mohit said, “Rakesh wrote a letter.” (Simple Past) (Past) Indirect : Mohit said that Rakesh had written a letter.  2. Direct : The mother said, “Shanti waited for her sister.” (Past) (Simple Past)  Indirect: The mother said that Shanti had waited for her sister.

The Past Continuous Tense is changed into the Past Perfect Continuous Tense. (was/were playing had been playing) 1. Direct : Rama said, “She was solving the sums.” (Past) (Past Continuous) Indirect : Rama said that she had been solving the sums.  2. Direct : She said, “Sarita was collecting information.” (Past) (Past Continuous) Indirect : She said that Sarita had been collecting information. The Past Perfect Tense remains unchanged. Direct : Ashish said, “Rohan had already finished his work.” (Past) (Past Perfect)  Indirect : Ashish said that Rohan had already finished his work.

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense also remains unchanged. Direct : The father said, “He had been working for an hour.” (Past) (Past Perfect Continuous) Indirect: The father said that he had been working for an hour.  Note the changes given below in case the reporting verb is in Past Tense

Some examples are given below:  1. Direct: Rajesh said, “I am in the room.”  Indirect: Rajesh said that he was in the room. 2. Direct : Pritam said, “He will tell the truth.” Indirect : Pritam said that he would tell the truth.  3. Direct : Priyanka said, “Priya will help her.” Indirect Priyanka said that Priya would help her.  4. Direct : He said, “It may rain in the evening.” Indirect : He said that it might rain in the evening. 5. Direct : :Shalini said, “She can swim in the river.” Indirect: Shalini said that she could swim in the river.  6. Direct : Raja said, “There is no sugar in the tea.” Indirect : Raja said that there was no sugar in the tea.  7. Direct : The boys said, “They have no homework to do.” Indirect: The boys said that they had no homework to do. 8. Direct: Mother said, “There are no apples in the basket.” Indirect: Mother said that there were no apples in the basket.  Rule 3 (Exception to Rule 2): If the reported speech expresses a universal truth or a habitual fact, its tense is not changed. Examples: 1. Direct: The teacher said, “The Earth moves around the Sun.” (The reported speech is a Universal Truth).  Indirect: The teacher (Unchanged) said that the Earth moves around the Sun. 2. Direct : She said, “She is an early riser.” (A habitual fact) Indirect : She said that she is an early riser. (Unchanged) 3. Direct : The science master said, “Heat expands gases.” (A Universal Truth) Indirect: The science master said that heat expands gases. (Unchanged) Exercise 1  Change the following sentences into Indirect Form of Speech: 1. The teacher said, “He is the best student.”  2. She said, “Mother is cooking food.” 3. The doctor said, “The patient will be all right soon.” 4. The father said, “Radha is working hard.” 5. The principal said, “The students will remain in discipline in the school.” 6. The farmer said, “It may rain.”  7. Shakuntala said, “Father will not attend the meeting.” 8. She said, “Manu was living in Japan.”  9. The inspector said, “The police were trying to arrest the culprit.” 10. Surjit Singh said, “They have planted a tree in the school compound.” 11. The postman said, “He will deliver all the letters in time.”  12. The doctors said, “Swine flu is not a serious disease.” 13. Our teachers said, “Honesty is the best policy.”  14. She said, “My mother does not eat meat at all.” 15. He said, “He daily goes out for a walk.” RULES FOR CHANGE OF PRONOUNS Rule 1: The First person pronouns of the reported speech are changed according to the subjects of the reporting verbs. Examples: 1. Direct : I said, “I have taken my dinner.”  Indirect : I said that I had taken my dinner. 2. Direct : You said, “I have taken my dinner.”  Indirect: You said that you had taken your dinner. 3. Direct : She said, “I have taken my dinner.”  Indirect : She said that she had taken her dinner.  4. Direct : The teacher said, “I have taken my dinner.” Indirect : The teacher said that he (the teacher) had taken the dinner. 

Rule 2: The Second person pronouns of the reported speech are changed according to the objects of the reporting verbs. Note: Change ‘said to’ of the reporting verb into ‘told’. Also, told is not followed by preposition ‘to’. Examples: 1. Direct : Mihir said to me, “You have taken your dinner.”  Indirect Mihir told me that I had taken my dinner. 2. Direct : Mihir said to you, “You have taken your dinner.”  Indirect: Mihir told you that you had taken your dinner. 3. Direct: Mihir said to him, “You have taken your dinner.”  Indirect: Mihir told him that he had taken his dinner. 

Rule 3: The Pronouns of the third person remain unchanged. Examples: 1. Direct : I said to my sister, “She has taken her dinner.”  Indirect: I told my sister that she had taken her dinner. 2. Direct : She said to me, “She is doing her homework.”  Indirect: She told me that she was doing her homework. Exercise 2 Change the following into Indirect Form of Speech:  1. Ram said, “I am punctual.” 2. His brother said, “My purse has been stolen.”  3. Radha said to Sharmila, “I can help you solve the problem.” 4. The officer said to the peon, “You should reach the office in time.” 5. My brother said, “I have been very tired.”  6. She said, “I am quite well.” 7. You said to her, “You are in the wrong.” 8. The passenger said, “I shall go to Delhi.”  9. You said to her, “She is quite lazy.” 10. You said to him, “I have warned my servant many times.”  11. He said to her, “I have found your purse.” 12. He said to me, “You are an intelligent boy.”  13. Smith said to the peon, “You have not obeyed my orders.” 14. The saint said, “God is everywhere.” 15. Sheela said to her mother, “I want to go on a tour.” 16. The teacher said, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”  17. Lalit said to me, “I have lost my pen.” 18. Ramesh said to Suresh, “You waited for him.”  19. The boys said to the teacher, “We are going to see the match in the ground.”

Change of words denoting nearness words are changed if the reporting verb is in the Past Tense: Direct Speech/Indirect Speech

Examples: 1. Direct : He said, “I am feeling out of sorts today.”  Indirect He said that he was feeling out of sorts that day. 2. Direct : She said, “Father will have reached home by now.”  Indirect She said that father would have reached home by then.  3. Direct : Sonam said, “I may go to Chandigarh tomorrow.”  Indirect: Sonam said that she might go to Chandigarh the next day. 4. Direct : They said, “We saw the movie three days ago.”  Indirect They said that they had seen that movie three days before.

Exercise 3 Change the following sentences into Indirect Form of Speech and rewrite:  1. He said, “I went to the zoo yesterday.” 2. Shankar said, “I shall go to Bhopal tomorrow.” 3. He said to me, “I am not going to school today.” 4. My father said, “He will construct a house here.” 5. He said, “I saw Mr. Sharma this morning.” 6. The teacher said, “Tomorrow will be a holiday.” 7. Dinesh said, “I cannot waste my time now.” 8. She said, “I had a peaceful sleep last night.” 9. The visitor said, “I came here three days ago.” 10. Hari said, “Rice does not grow here.” CONVERSION OF INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES (QUESTIONS) INTO INDIRECT SPEECH  While changing direct speech into indirect speech, the following changes are made:  (i) ‘said’ or ‘said to’ is changed into ‘asked, enquired or demanded’, etc.  (ii) After removing inverted commas, use ‘if’ or ‘whether’, when the question begins with ‘Do, Does, Is, Are, Am, Has, Have, Did, Was, Were, Had, Will, Shall, Can, May (helping words), etc.’ (iii) The interrogative sentence is changed into an assertive sentence.  (iv) The sign of interrogation mark is removed. (v) If relative pronouns like Who, Whose, Whom, When, Where, Why, What, How, Which, make the sentences Interrogative, these words are retained after removing inverted commas. (vi) Tenses, Pronouns are changed according to the rules already stated. Examples: 1. Direct : He said to me, “Do you play any game?” Indirect He asked me if (whether) I played any game.  2. Direct : I said to my friend, “Are you going to join some academy?”  Indirect I asked my friend if he was going to join some academy.  3. Direct : The teacher said to the boys, “Why are you making a noise?” Indirect: The teacher asked the boys why they were making a noise.  4. Direct : My friend said to him, “Did you attend the meeting yesterday?” Indirect My friend asked him if he had attended the meeting the previous day. 5. Direct : The clerk said to me, “What do you want?” Indirect: The clerk asked me what I wanted.  Exercise 4 Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech:  1. My mother said to me, “Where do you come from?” 2. The teacher said, “Boys, have you understood the sum?” 3. He said, “Who is waiting for me?” 4. My mother said to me, “Shall I write a letter to him tomorrow?” 5. I said to the bookseller, “Can you show me some good books?” 6. His teacher said to him, “Where have you come from?” 7. “Have you taken the breakfast?” said Mohan to his brother. 8. They said to us, “Did you learn your lesson?” 9. Our teacher said to him, “Why are you disturbing the class?”  10. The stranger said to me, “Does he know the way to the market?” 11. You said to him, “Can you cross this river?” 12. “Do you respect your elders?” said I to Roma. CONVERSION OF IMPERATIVE SENTENCES INTO INDIRECT SPEECH Rules: Change the Reporting Verb according to its sense. 1. Request: request, beg, entreat, ask, etc. 2. Advice: advise, forbid, urge, etc. 3. Order: order, command, etc.  4. The imperative word is changed into infinitive one. 5. No conjunction is used to introduce the reported speech. 6. If the conjunction that is used, ‘should’ is placed before the infinitive. 7. Observe the rules for the change of pronouns and words showing nearness.

Examples: 1. Direct : Father said to me, “Put the book on the table.” Indirect Father told me to put the book on the table.  2. Direct : The teacher said to the boys, “Work hard and be regular in your studies.”  Indirect: The teacher advised the boys to work hard and be regular in their studies.  3. Direct : The officer said to the peon, “Bring me a glass of water.”  Indirect: The officer ordered the peon to bring him a glass of water.  4. Direct: The Principal said to the boys, “Do not pluck the flowers.”  Indirect : The Principal forbade the boys to pluck the flowers. or  Indirect : The Principal ordered the boys not to pluck the flowers.  5. Direct : Ramesh said to Leela, “Please help me in this matter.”  Indirect: Ramesh requested Leela to help him in that matter.  6. Direct : Sonu said to his father, “Let us go to Shimla in summer holidays.”  Indirect:  Sonu suggested to his father that they should go to Shimla in summer holidays. Exercise 5 Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech:  1. The student said, “Let me go home now, Sir.” 2. The master said to the servant, “Send the visitors inside.” 3. The teacher said, “Open your books, boys.” 4. The commander said, “Attack the enemy.” 5. The teacher said, “Do not disturb the class.” 6. The beggar said, “Give me alms.” 7. “Please do me a favour,” said he to you. 8. The boys said to their teacher, “Allow us to go on a tour to Agra.” 9. The teacher said to the boys, “Stand up on the benches.” 10. Father said to me, “Go and wash your hands.” 11. He said to me, “Have a cup of tea with me, please.” 12. The old man said to his child, “My son, don’t make a noise.” 13. Mother said, “Son, always help the needy.” 14. The boys said to the teacher, “Repeat this lesson, please.” 15. “Do not spit on the floor, boys,” said the teacher. CONVERSION OF EXCLAMATORY AND OPTATIVE SENTENCES TO INDIRECT SPEECH In reporting a wish or exclamation in Indirect Speech:  1. The Reporting Verb is changed into wish, bless, cry, exclaim, curse, etc. with phrases such as ‘with regret’, ‘with delight or joy’, ‘with sorrow’, etc., wherever necessary. 2. The interjections and exclamatory words, such as ‘Oh, well, hurrah, , pray, alas, bravo’, are omitted and their sense is expressed by means of phrases. 3. The exclamatory sentences are changed into statements before they are converted into indirect speech. 4. The mark of exclamation is omitted.  5. Other rules are followed as explained earlier. Examples: 1. I said, “How sad he is!”  I exclaimed that he was very sad. 2. He said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.” He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match. 3. The poor man said to him, “May you live long!” The poor man wished that he might live long. Exercise 6 Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech:  1. She said, “May you live long!” 2. The father said to his son, “May God bless you with a good fortune!” 3. The merchant said, “Alas! I am undone.” 4. The visitor said, “What a beautiful sunset!” 5. The player said, “Hurrah! India has won the cricket match.” 6. She said, “Alas! I have lost my gold ring.” 7. The spectators said, “Bravo! Well played, Ram.” 8. She said, “How lovely the child is!” 9. “Oh! I am hurt!” said the captain. 10. She said to me, “Wish that I were rich!”

Exercise 7 Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech:  1. He says, “I daily go out for a walk.” 2. You will say to them, “We cannot cross the lake.” 3. He said to me, “I am solving the sums of Arithmetic.” 4. The teacher said, “Girls, do not make a noise.” 5. I said to him, “May I help you?” 6. The teacher said to me, “Can you tell me how you solved the sum?” 7. She said to me, “Who taught you English?” 8. The General said to the soldiers, “March forward.” 9. The king said to the executioner, “Put the prisoner to death.” 10. The gardener said, “Do not pluck the flowers.”

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CBSE Class 6 English Grammar Reported Speech

Reported Speech Class 6 CBSE

1. There are two different ways in which we can report the words of a speaker : (a) Direct Speech or Direct Narration. (b) Indirect Speech or Indirect Narration.

2. (a) Direct Speech contains the actual words of the speaker ; as— Sarla said, “My father has a roaring business in Mumbai” He said to me, “I am feeling unwell today.” In these sentences, actual words of the speaker are given within inverted commas without any change. (b) Indirect Speech gives the substance of the speaker’s actual words and not the exact words spoken by him or her ; as— Sarla said that her father had a roaring business in Mumbai He told me that he was feeling unwell that day.

3. The actual words of the speaker, given within ‘ inverted commas’ are called the Reported Speech. In the same way, the Verb which introduces the Reported Speech is called the Reporting Verb. In the sentence above ‘said’ is the Reporting Verb and ‘My father has a roaring business in Mumbai’ is the Reported Speech.

Reporting Verb and Reported Speech. Look at the following sentences : Radha says, “I shall’ finish my home-work today.” Sushma said to Pushpa, “Show me your dolls.”

The verbs ‘says and said’ in the above sentences are ‘Reporting Verbs’. The exact words of the speaker given within the inverted commas are ‘Reported Speech’.

4. Here are some distinctive points regarding the Direct Speech and Indirect Speech :

In the Direct Speech

• The Reported Speech is put within Reported (Inverted) Commas.
• The Reported Speech and the Reporting Verb are separated by a Comma.
• The first word of the Reported Speech begins with a capital letter.

Reported Speech For Class 6 CBSE

Transformation of Direct Speech into Indirect Speech I. Rules for the Change of Tense

Examples 1. Direct: Rajesh says, “She has brought fame to her family.” Indirect: Rajesh says that she has brought fame to her family. 2. Direct: Rohit has said, “I cannot displease my friend.” Indirect: Rohit has said that he cannot displease his friend. 3. Direct: I shall say, “I went to Agra on Monday.” Indirect: I shall say that I went to Agra on Monday. 4. Direct: She will say, “I have sent him a present.” Indirect:She will say that she has sent him a present.

Examples 1. Direct: I said, “I am speaking the truth.” Indirect: I said that I was speaking the truth. 2. Direct: The teacher said, “Boys fail because they do not study regularly.” Indirect: The teacher said that boys Jailed because they did not study regularly.

Exception to Rule II (i) If there is a Universal Truth or Habitualfact in the Reported Speech, the Tense of the verb is never changed ; as— 1. Direct : He said, “Face is the index of mind.” (Proverbial truth) Indirect: He said that face is the index of mind. 2. Direct: The teacher said, “The earth rotates round its axis.” (Geographical truth) Indirect: The teacher said that the earth rotates round its axis. 3. Direct: Horatius said, “Death comes sooner or later.” (Universal truth) Indirect : Horatius said that death comes sooner or later.

(ii) The Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech does not change if the reported speech states a past historical fact; as— 1. Direct : He said, “India became free on 15th August, 1947.” Indirect : He said that India became free on 15th August, 1947. 2. Direct : She said, “Her father lived at Lahore for ten years.” Indirect : She said that her father lived at Lahore for ten years.

(iii) If two such actions are given in the Reported Speech which take place at the same time, the Past Indefinite or Continuous Tense does not change. Direct: He said, “Mohan was singing a song while Gopal was playing on a flute.” Indirect: He said that Mohan was singing a song while Gopal was playing on a flute. Examples 1. Direct: She said, “I am a top-class singer.” Indirect: She said that she was a top-class singer. 2. Direct: We said, “He is writing a poem.” Indirect: We said that, he was writing a poem. 3. Direct: He said, “It may rain tonight.” Indirect: He said that it might rain that night. 4. Direct: He said, “A devil ever remains a devil.” Indirect: He said that a devil ever remains a devil.

The future tense of the reported speech Is changed as under : Future Indefinite—would / should Future Continuous—would/should be Future Perfect—would/should have Future Perfect Continuous—would/should have been Examples 1. Direct: You said, “He is a very good athlete.” Indirect: You said that he was a very good athlete. 2. Direct: I said, “I have finished my work.” Indirect: I said that I had finished my work. 3. Direct: He said, “Her parents will pay a visit to Delhi.” Indirect: He said that her parents would pay a visit to Delhi.

B. Interrogative Sentences

Conversion Of Interrogative Sentences A From Direct Into Indirect

Examples (a) Questions beginning with a Helping Verb 1. Direct: He said to her, “Shall I accompany you to Agra ?” Indirect: He asked her if he would (should) accompany her to Agra. 2. Direct: She said to him, “Had I been absenting myself from school for a month ?” Indirect: She asked him if she had been absenting herself from school for a month. 3. Direct: He said to us, “Has she been spinning since yesterday ?” Indirect: He asked us if she had been spinning since the previous day. 4. Direct: They said to you, “Shall we be going on picnic tomorrow ?” Indirect: They asked you if they would be going on picnic the next day. 5. Direct: I said to her, “Will you have ironed your clothes ?” Indirect: I asked her if she would have ironed her clothes.

(b) Sentences having ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ 1. Direct: “Are there any more files ?” He asked. “Yes, sir,” said the peon. Indirect: He asked the peon if there were any more files. The peon replied respectfully in affirmative. 2. Direct: The teacher said to Lila, “Did you break the window pane ?” “No, sir,” said Lila, “I did not.” Indirect: The teacher asked Lila if she had broken the window pane. Lila replied respectfully and refused it (to have done it). 3. Direct: “If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees ?” said the astrologer. “No, ’ replied the customer. Indirect: The astrologer asked the customer whether he would give him five rupees if he found his answers satisfactory. The customer replied in negative. 4. Direct: I said to him, “Do you want to go to Chandigarh ?” He said, “No, sir.” Indirect: I asked him if he wanted to go to Chandigarh and respectfully he replied in negative. 5. Direct: He said to me, “Does Mohan still play ?” I. said, “Yes, sir.” Indirect: He asked me if Mohan still played and I replied in positive.

(c) Questions beginning with Interrogative Words 1. Direct: He said to me, “Whom does she want to contact ?” Indirect: He asked me whom she wanted to contact. 2. Direct: They said to her, “Whose house are you purchasing ?” Indirect: They asked her whose house she was purchasing. 3. Direct: You said to him “Why are you making mischief ?” Indirect: You asked him why he was making mischief. 4. Direct: They said to us, “How have you solved this sum ?” Indirect: They asked us how we had solved that sum. 5. Direct : We said to them, “Who has misguided you ?” Indirect: We asked them who had misguided them.

(d) Questions beginning with modal auxiliaries 1. Direct: I said to him, “May Sunita come in to discuss with you something ?” Indirect: I asked him if Sunita might come in to discuss with him something. 2. Direct: The traveller said to me, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn ? Indirect: The traveller asked me if I could tell him the way to the nearest inn. 3. Direct: He said to me, “Must I leave for Mumbai tomorrow ?” Indirect: He asked me if he had to leave for Mumbai the next day. 4. Direct: I said to her, “Could you give me your notes ?” Indirect: I asked her if she could give me her notes. 5. Direct: I said to him, “Need I go to him ?” Indirect: I asked him if I had to go to him.

Multiple Choice Questions

Read the statements given below and tick the correct option : I. Identify the Reporting Verbs as directed : Question 1. Present (i) Radha will say ……… (ii) Radha said …… (iii) Radha had said ……….. (iv) Radha says ………..

Question 2. Past (i) The commander orders (ii) the commander order (iii) The commander said (iv) The commander will order

Question 3. Future (i) She requests (ii) She will say (iii) She informed (iv) She will enquire.

Question 4. Direct Speech (i) He said that the sun rises in the east (ii) Sun rises in the east (iii) She enquired about the holiday (iv) He enquired to be given a holiday

Question 5. Indirect speech (i) ‘I want to go for a walk’. (ii) He suggested going out for a walk (iii) ‘Get me a book’. (iv) ‘GO out’.

II. Fill in the blanks : Question 6. I said ……….. (i) why are you going (ii) him to go (iii) that he was going (iv) to go out of the room

Question 7. He asked …….. (i) whether was he fine (ii) was he fine (iii) if he is fine (iv) if he was fine

III. Tick the correct option : Question 8. The teacher said to them, (i) ‘Who had been teaching them English ?’ (ii) ‘Who teaches you English ?’ (iii) ‘Who taught your English ?’ (iv) ‘Whom you teach English ?’

Question 9. The teacher asked the students (i) whom were they taught English (ii) who taught them English. (iii) by whom were they taught English (iv) were they taught English

Question 10. He said, “The earth revolves around its axis” (i) He said that the earth revolved around its axis (ii) He said that the earth will revolve around its axis (iii) He said that the earth would revolve around its axis (iv) He said that the earth revolves around its axis. Answers 1. (iv) 2. (iii) 3. (ii) 4. (ii) 5. (ii) 6. (iii) 7. (iv) 8. (ii) 9. (ii) 10. (iv)

NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English

Reported speech: How to say what someone said in English?

Reported speech is the name we give to the set of grammatical structures we use to tell someone what another person said or thought. A statement that reports speech always has two main parts: a reporting verb No definition set for verb Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (e.g. say , tell , ask , …) and the message (what the person said or thought). Exactly how we combine and phrase these, though, depends on a lot of different factors.

There are two main types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech .

Direct speech (or “quoted speech”) repeats someone’s exact words, usually within quotation marks. For example:

Rachel said, “I will meet you at the entrance at 9 a.m.”

Indirect speech shares someone’s message without using their exact words. For example:

Rachel said that she would meet us at the entrance at 9 a.m.

Rachel suggested we meet at the entrance at 9 a.m.

Indirect speech is more common in everyday conversation, but sentences like this involve more complex grammar rules.

It is important to know how to report speech in English. We repeat what other people said all the time in both writing and speaking. Whether you’re retelling a conversation, summarizing a book, or discussing a news report, understanding how to use reported speech in English is important.

In this post, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about reporting speech in English. We’ll start by looking at direct speech, and then we’ll spend the rest of the post on indirect speech. We’ll first cover some general rules for indirect speech and then we’ll go through how to report different types of speech, like statements, questions, instructions, and more. Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

How to give a direct quote in english.

When you want to give a direct quote in English, it means you’re reporting someone’s exact words , and you put those words inside quotation marks. We use this method a lot in books and the news, but it can also be used in speech, particularly in longer stories.

To do this correctly, we need to follow some grammar rules:

Put quotation marks ( “ ” ) around the words that you want to quote. For example:

Rachel said, “ I love to watch movies. ”

Put reporting verbs like say , tell , ask , and others before or after the quoted words. But where you put them affects the punctuation rules!

Before the quote:

Follow these punctuation rules:

Add a comma ( , ) after the reporting verb.

Keep the same punctuation from the original text inside the closing quotation mark.

For example:

Rachel said , “I love to watch horror movies . ”

Rachel asked , “What time does the movie start ? ”

Rachel thought , “What an excellent movie ! ”

After the quote:

End the sentence with a period .

Keep the question mark (?) or exclamation mark (!), but change the period (.) to a comma inside the closing quotation mark.

“I love to watch movies , ” said Rachel.

“What time does the movie start ? ” asked Rachel.

“What a great movie ! ” thought Rachel.

In casual spoken English, you will probably hear native speakers use be like to introduce a direct quote. Check it out:

I was like , “Why are you hiding here?” and Margot was like , “We’re waiting to surprise Jim” So I was like , “Can I join you?” and she was like , “Sure!” So we stood behind the corner and when Jim came out of class we jumped out at him and Jim just went “WAAAAAA!” in this super high-pitched voice and it was so funny!

Be aware, though, that when English speakers use be like to report speech, they are not always representing someone’s exact words! This uses the grammar of a direct quote, but you can use be like even if nobody spoke at all! For example:

Jim and I were hiding in a bush and Margot came along and found us and was like “What the heck?” and so we explained that we were waiting there to surprise Mr. Hastings.

What are some general rules for indirect speech in English?

The biggest difference in indirect speech is that you don’t use quotation marks. Instead, you integrate the reported speech into your own statement using a subordinate clause No definition set for subordinate clause Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or an infinitive phrase No definition set for infinitive phrase Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. . Exactly how this is done depends on whether you are reporting a statement, question, command, suggestion, etc.

Lisa said that she is very tired .

Lisa asked whether she could stay up late .

Lisa’s mother ordered her to go to sleep .

In this section, we will focus on some general rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech. Here are key aspects to consider:

Pronoun changes

Adverbial expressions for time alteration

Verb tense adjustments

We’ll talk more about how to report different types of speech further down.

While indirect speech is a common method to report what someone has said, there are other ways to communicate a person’s words or reactions, such as by using reporting verbs with actions. Here are some examples:

He agreed with the proposal.

She expressed surprise at the unexpected news.

He confirmed his participation in the project.

He denied his involvement in the incident.

How to change pronouns in English indirect speech?

In English indirect speech, we change all pronouns No definition set for pronouns Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and related words ( possessive adjectives , demonstrative words ) to reflect the context in which the speech is reported . For example:

Make sure to change the form of the verb to agree with the new subject pronoun as well!

How to change time expressions in English indirect speech?

In English indirect speech, we also change time expressions (e.g. that day , yesterday , soon , ...) to reflect the context in which the speech is reported . For example:

Here are some common ways to change time expressions if you are reporting a quote that was given a long time ago, or on a non-specific day. You will often see these in stories written in the past tense as well:

When to use a different tense in indirect speech?

We also change the tense of the verb in reported speech to reflect the context in which the speech is reported. However, you will only need to change the tense if the situation has changed or might have changed since the original quote was given.

For example, imagine John, Mary, and Lisa are at a party together. John had a conversation with Mary first, then he talks to Lisa:

Here are the most common ways to change the tense in reported speech to show that a situation has changed or might have changed since the original quote:

* Should I use past perfect or past simple in reported speech?

You can often use either the past simple or the past perfect to report a quote that originally used the past simple. However, there is a slight difference. Let’s have a look!

Mary said, “I ate already.”

Mary said that she ate already.

Mary said that she had eaten already.

The difference is not always important, but you are more likely to see the past perfect if it has been a long time since someone spoke.

How to use different reporting verbs in English?

As mentioned earlier, reporting verbs play a crucial role in connecting a speaker’s reported statement with the original text. Different reporting verbs are used for various sentence types. Let’s explore how to use these verbs for different purposes.

How to report statements in English?

In English, a statement can be reported using a direct quote or an indirect speech clause that begins with the word that (though the word that can sometimes be deleted).

We use two different types of verbs to report statements: those which require a recipient and those that do not.

Reporting verbs with a recipient:

Reporting verbs in this group always specify the person who someone spoke to. The recipient is the object of the verb. Common verbs in this group include tell , inform , notify , make aware , or let know .

Tom told Mary , “I have a cold.” Tom told Mary (that) he had a cold.

“Tom has a cold,” Mary informed me . Mary informed me that Tom has a cold.

When you use make aware or let know the object comes after the first part of the reporting verb:

Tom made Mary aware that he had a cold.

Mary let me know that Tom had a cold.

These verbs are not used for direct speech and are always used with that .

Reporting verb without a recipient:

These reporting verbs do not take an object and do not require a recipient. All verbs for thoughts, beliefs, and writing fall into this group, but most reporting verbs for speaking are part of this group as well, for example: say , yell , state , whisper , write , think , and more.

Tom told , “I can’t come to school today.” Tom said (that) he couldn't come to school.

Tom thought , “I should start working on the assignment.” Tom thought (that) he should start working on the assignment.

Tom wrote , “Mary is a liar.” Tom wrote that Mary was a liar.

If you want to specify a recipient with a verb like this, you can usually do that by adding to + recipient , but usually it is better to just use another reporting verb.

Tom said to Julie , “I can’t come to school today.”

Tom thought to himself that he should start working on the assignment.

How to report questions?

In English, we use reporting verbs like ask , inquire , wonder , ponder , or want to know to report a question.

When you report a question directly, you can just use one of the reporting verbs above, and use a question mark at the end of the direct quote:

Margot asked , “Are you coming ? ”

Margot wondered , “Is he lying to me ? ”

When reporting questions in indirect speech, there are additional important rules to remember:

No subject-auxiliary inversion:

In direct questions in English , we usually switch the order of the subject No definition set for subject Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and auxiliary No definition set for auxiliary Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. , but in indirect questions, we maintain the usual order of subject and verb.

She asked, “Who was he chasing?”

She asked who he was chasing.

Use if or whether for yes/no questions:

When you indirectly report a yes-no question No definition set for yes-no question Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. , you’ll need to introduce the question with if or whether (or sometimes whether or not ). If you’re reporting a content question, though, the interrogative word (e.g. who , what , which , where , ...) is all that you need.

Margot wondered if James was coming to the party.

Margot wondered whether James was coming to the party.

Margot wondered who was coming to the party.

Margot wondered when James was coming to the party.

End with a full stop (period):

Notice in the example above that the direct question ends in a question mark, but the indirect question does not. This is because the indirect question becomes part of a statement. The sentence states that a question was asked.

Just like the reporting verbs we use for statements, the reporting verbs we use in questions can be used in different grammatical patterns. The three main patterns are:

Reporting verb + reported question:

Most reporting verbs for questions can be used in this structure, including ask , wonder , ponder , want to know , and inquire .

He wanted to know if he needed to submit the paper that night.

She asked who she needed to talk to for an extension.

“What am I doing?” she wondered .

Reporting verb + object + reported question:

The most commonly used reporting verb in this structure is ask . It is used when one person is asking another person an indirect question.

Mom asked me whether I was hungry.

Mom asked me , “What do you want for dinner?”

Reporting verb + about / as to + indirect question:

This structure is often used to express a more formal or detailed inquiry. Reporting verbs such as ask and inquire are typically used in this context.

He asked about whether she was hungry.

He inquired as to who she was.

How to report instructions?

There are several ways to report that someone gave an instruction, command, request, or advice. You can report a command using direct speech, for example:

“Pick up your toys!” she demanded.

However, it is more common to hear these types of speech reported using indirect speech. Here are four common structures and reporting verbs to use:

Reporting verb + object + infinitive No definition set for infinitive Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. with to :

This structure is the most basic way to report a command. It is used with verbs like ask , advise , order , command , tell , instruct , and urge .

Mom asked Dad to come home early that night.

Mom told us to wait there till she returned.

For negative commands, you can add not to the to infinitive.

The coach advised us not to run in the swimming pool.

Mom instructed us not to touch that hot stove.

Reporting verb + that + subject + bare infinitive No definition set for bare infinitive Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. :

This structure for reporting a command is more formal. Common verbs used in this structure include , ask request , demand , advise , order , command , bid , suggest , argue , propose , recommend , and insist .

He demanded that she leave .

Teacher requests that students be on time for class.

This structure is often used when the command was not spoken directly to the person who must follow it. For example, when a teacher makes a rule or a government makes a law.

say + infinitive with to :

This is a very informal way to report a command. Usually the command is for both the person reporting the command and the person who the command is reported to.

Mom said to clean up our lunch.

bid + object + bare infinitive

This structure is very uncommon in modern English, but you might hear it in poetry or old writing.

He bade her stay a while.

Have a look at our chart of reporting verbs for indirect speech to see a few other ways to report commands, requests, or advice!

How to report requests for permission?

There are two main ways to indirectly report that someone asked for or demanded permission:

Reporting verb + infinitive with to :

Common reporting verbs used with this structure include ask , request , demand , and beg .

She asked to use the restroom.

They begged to stay up a little longer.

Reporting verb + (object) + if / whether + subject + can / could :

In this structure, we use reporting verbs that generally report questions, like ask , inquire , or wonder . For example:

Sam will ask her boss if Martha can leave.

They asked if they could bring their pets to the store.

These are used to report polite requests.

In indirect speech, you don’t need to use words like please and they are often removed.

How to report suggestions?

There are two main ways to indirectly report that someone made a suggestion. In general, we use reporting verbs like suggest , recommend , and propose in both structures:

Reporting verb + ( that ) + subject + bare infinitive

This structure is used for a strong or confident suggestion.

He suggested (that) they attend .

She recommended (that) he come early.

Reporting verb + ( that ) + subject + modal of possibility

Use this structure for a hesitant or very polite suggestion.

He suggested (that) she might attend.

She proposed (that) they could meet later.

How to report a promise in English?

There are a couple different ways to report that someone made a promise:

Promise + (object) + infinitive with to :

This is the most common way to report that someone made a promise about their own behavior.

Sarah promised to finish the project on time.

Sarah promised her friend to help with the project.

Promise / say + ( that ) + subject + will / would :

You can use this structure to report that someone made a promise about their own behavior or about someone else’s behavior. For example:

Sarah said / promised (that) she would finish the project on time.

Sarah said / promised (that) her friend would finish the project on time.

Promise / assure / tell + object + that + subject + will / would :

This structure is used when a promise is spoken to someone specific.

Sarah told her friend that she would help with the homework.

And now you’ve seen how to report speech in English! Here are the most important things to take away from this post:

Direct speech reports exact words using quotation marks. Indirect speech reports the message, using a subordinate clause or infinitive phrase.

When reporting speech in a subordinate clause (for indirect speech), the pronouns, time adverbs, and verb tenses depend on the reporting context and do not always match the original quote.

We saw the sentence patterns used to report statements, questions, requests for behavior, requests for permission, suggestions, and promises. Check out this list of English reporting verbs and their patterns to review!

Now, let’s practice using English reporting verbs !

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CBSE Class 6 English Grammar Reported Speech

1. There are two different ways in which we can report the words of a speaker : (a) Direct Speech or Direct Narration. (b) Indirect Speech or Indirect Narration.

2. (a) Direct Speech contains the actual words of the speaker ; as— Sarla said, “My father has a roaring business in Mumbai” He said to me, “I am feeling unwell today.” In these sentences, actual words of the speaker are given within inverted commas without any change. (b) Indirect Speech gives the substance of the speaker’s actual words and not the exact words spoken by him or her ; as— Sarla said that her father had a roaring business in Mumbai He told me that he was feeling unwell that day.

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3. The actual words of the speaker, given within ‘ inverted commas’ are called the Reported Speech. In the same way, the Verb which introduces the Reported Speech is called the Reporting Verb. In the sentence above ‘said’ is the Reporting Verb and ‘My father has a roaring business in Mumbai’ is the Reported Speech.

Reporting Verb and Reported Speech. Look at the following sentences : Radha says, “I shall’ finish my home-work today.” Sushma said to Pushpa, “Show me your dolls.”

The verbs ‘says and said’ in the above sentences are ‘Reporting Verbs’. The exact words of the speaker given within the inverted commas are ‘Reported Speech’.

4. Here are some distinctive points regarding the Direct Speech and Indirect Speech :

In the Direct Speech

• The Reported Speech is put within Reported (Inverted) Commas.
• The Reported Speech and the Reporting Verb are separated by a Comma.
• The first word of the Reported Speech begins with a capital letter.

Transformation of Direct Speech into Indirect Speech I. Rules for the Change of Tense

Examples 1. Direct: Rajesh says, “She has brought fame to her family.” Indirect: Rajesh says that she has brought fame to her family. 2. Direct: Rohit has said, “I cannot displease my friend.” Indirect: Rohit has said that he cannot displease his friend. 3. Direct: I shall say, “I went to Agra on Monday.” Indirect: I shall say that I went to Agra on Monday. 4. Direct: She will say, “I have sent him a present.” Indirect:She will say that she has sent him a present.

Examples 1. Direct: I said, “I am speaking the truth.” Indirect: I said that I was speaking the truth. 2. Direct: The teacher said, “Boys fail because they do not study regularly.” Indirect: The teacher said that boys Jailed because they did not study regularly.

Exception to Rule II (i) If there is a Universal Truth or Habitualfact in the Reported Speech, the Tense of the verb is never changed ; as— 1. Direct : He said, “Face is the index of mind.” (Proverbial truth) Indirect: He said that face is the index of mind. 2. Direct: The teacher said, “The earth rotates round its axis.” (Geographical truth) Indirect: The teacher said that the earth rotates round its axis. 3. Direct: Horatius said, “Death comes sooner or later.” (Universal truth) Indirect : Horatius said that death comes sooner or later.

(ii) The Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech does not change if the reported speech states a past historical fact; as— 1. Direct : He said, “India became free on 15th August, 1947.” Indirect : He said that India became free on 15th August, 1947. 2. Direct : She said, “Her father lived at Lahore for ten years.” Indirect : She said that her father lived at Lahore for ten years.

(iii) If two such actions are given in the Reported Speech which take place at the same time, the Past Indefinite or Continuous Tense does not change. Direct: He said, “Mohan was singing a song while Gopal was playing on a flute.” Indirect: He said that Mohan was singing a song while Gopal was playing on a flute. Examples 1. Direct: She said, “I am a top-class singer.” Indirect: She said that she was a top-class singer. 2. Direct: We said, “He is writing a poem.” Indirect: We said that, he was writing a poem. 3. Direct: He said, “It may rain tonight.” Indirect: He said that it might rain that night. 4. Direct: He said, “A devil ever remains a devil.” Indirect: He said that a devil ever remains a devil.

The future tense of the reported speech Is changed as under : Future Indefinite—would / should Future Continuous—would/should be Future Perfect—would/should have Future Perfect Continuous—would/should have been Examples 1. Direct: You said, “He is a very good athlete.” Indirect: You said that he was a very good athlete. 2. Direct: I said, “I have finished my work.” Indirect: I said that I had finished my work. 3. Direct: He said, “Her parents will pay a visit to Delhi.” Indirect: He said that her parents would pay a visit to Delhi.

B. Interrogative Sentences

Conversion Of Interrogative Sentences A From Direct Into Indirect

Examples (a) Questions beginning with a Helping Verb 1. Direct: He said to her, “Shall I accompany you to Agra ?” Indirect: He asked her if he would (should) accompany her to Agra. 2. Direct: She said to him, “Had I been absenting myself from school for a month ?” Indirect: She asked him if she had been absenting herself from school for a month. 3. Direct: He said to us, “Has she been spinning since yesterday ?” Indirect: He asked us if she had been spinning since the previous day. 4. Direct: They said to you, “Shall we be going on picnic tomorrow ?” Indirect: They asked you if they would be going on picnic the next day. 5. Direct: I said to her, “Will you have ironed your clothes ?” Indirect: I asked her if she would have ironed her clothes.

(b) Sentences having ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ 1. Direct: “Are there any more files ?” He asked. “Yes, sir,” said the peon. Indirect: He asked the peon if there were any more files. The peon replied respectfully in affirmative. 2. Direct: The teacher said to Lila, “Did you break the window pane ?” “No, sir,” said Lila, “I did not.” Indirect: The teacher asked Lila if she had broken the window pane. Lila replied respectfully and refused it (to have done it). 3. Direct: “If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees ?” said the astrologer. “No, ’ replied the customer. Indirect: The astrologer asked the customer whether he would give him five rupees if he found his answers satisfactory. The customer replied in negative. 4. Direct: I said to him, “Do you want to go to Chandigarh ?” He said, “No, sir.” Indirect: I asked him if he wanted to go to Chandigarh and respectfully he replied in negative. 5. Direct: He said to me, “Does Mohan still play ?” I. said, “Yes, sir.” Indirect: He asked me if Mohan still played and I replied in positive.

(c) Questions beginning with Interrogative Words 1. Direct: He said to me, “Whom does she want to contact ?” Indirect: He asked me whom she wanted to contact. 2. Direct: They said to her, “Whose house are you purchasing ?” Indirect: They asked her whose house she was purchasing. 3. Direct: You said to him “Why are you making mischief ?” Indirect: You asked him why he was making mischief. 4. Direct: They said to us, “How have you solved this sum ?” Indirect: They asked us how we had solved that sum. 5. Direct : We said to them, “Who has misguided you ?” Indirect: We asked them who had misguided them.

(d) Questions beginning with modal auxiliaries 1. Direct: I said to him, “May Sunita come in to discuss with you something ?” Indirect: I asked him if Sunita might come in to discuss with him something. 2. Direct: The traveller said to me, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn ? Indirect: The traveller asked me if I could tell him the way to the nearest inn. 3. Direct: He said to me, “Must I leave for Mumbai tomorrow ?” Indirect: He asked me if he had to leave for Mumbai the next day. 4. Direct: I said to her, “Could you give me your notes ?” Indirect: I asked her if she could give me her notes. 5. Direct: I said to him, “Need I go to him ?” Indirect: I asked him if I had to go to him.

Multiple Choice Questions

Read the statements given below and tick the correct option : I. Identify the Reporting Verbs as directed : Question 1. Present (i) Radha will say ……… (ii) Radha said …… (iii) Radha had said ……….. (iv) Radha says ………..

Question 2. Past (i) The commander orders (ii) the commander order (iii) The commander said (iv) The commander will order

Question 3. Future (i) She requests (ii) She will say (iii) She informed (iv) She will enquire.

Question 4. Direct Speech (i) He said that the sun rises in the east (ii) Sun rises in the east (iii) She enquired about the holiday (iv) He enquired to be given a holiday

Question 5. Indirect speech (i) ‘I want to go for a walk’. (ii) He suggested going out for a walk (iii) ‘Get me a book’. (iv) ‘GO out’.

II. Fill in the blanks : Question 6. I said ……….. (i) why are you going (ii) him to go (iii) that he was going (iv) to go out of the room

Question 7. He asked …….. (i) whether was he fine (ii) was he fine (iii) if he is fine (iv) if he was fine

III. Tick the correct option : Question 8. The teacher said to them, (i) ‘Who had been teaching them English ?’ (ii) ‘Who teaches you English ?’ (iii) ‘Who taught your English ?’ (iv) ‘Whom you teach English ?’

Question 9. The teacher asked the students (i) whom were they taught English (ii) who taught them English. (iii) by whom were they taught English (iv) were they taught English

Question 10. He said, “The earth revolves around its axis” (i) He said that the earth revolved around its axis (ii) He said that the earth will revolve around its axis (iii) He said that the earth would revolve around its axis (iv) He said that the earth revolves around its axis. Answers 1. (iv) 2. (iii) 3. (ii) 4. (ii) 5. (ii) 6. (iii) 7. (iv) 8. (ii) 9. (ii) 10. (iv)

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CBSE Class 6 English Grammar Reported Speech

February 24, 2023 by Sastry.CBSE

1. There are two different ways in which we can report the words of a speaker : (a) Direct Speech or Direct Narration. (b) Indirect Speech or Indirect Narration.

2. (a) Direct Speech contains the actual words of the speaker ; as— Sarla said, “My father has a roaring business in Mumbai” He said to me, “I am feeling unwell today.” In these sentences, actual words of the speaker are given within inverted commas without any change. (b) Indirect Speech gives the substance of the speaker’s actual words and not the exact words spoken by him or her ; as— Sarla said that her father had a roaring business in Mumbai He told me that he was feeling unwell that day.

3. The actual words of the speaker, given within ‘ inverted commas’ are called the Reported Speech. In the same way, the Verb which introduces the Reported Speech is called the Reporting Verb. In the sentence above ‘said’ is the Reporting Verb and ‘My father has a roaring business in Mumbai’ is the Reported Speech.

Reporting Verb and Reported Speech. Look at the following sentences : Radha says, “I shall’ finish my home-work today.” Sushma said to Pushpa, “Show me your dolls.”

The verbs ‘says and said’ in the above sentences are ‘Reporting Verbs’. The exact words of the speaker given within the inverted commas are ‘Reported Speech’.

4. Here are some distinctive points regarding the Direct Speech and Indirect Speech :

In the Direct Speech

• The Reported Speech is put within Reported (Inverted) Commas.
• The Reported Speech and the Reporting Verb are separated by a Comma.
• The first word of the Reported Speech begins with a capital letter.

Transformation of Direct Speech into Indirect Speech I. Rules for the Change of Tense

Examples 1. Direct: Rajesh says, “She has brought fame to her family.” Indirect: Rajesh says that she has brought fame to her family. 2. Direct: Rohit has said, “I cannot displease my friend.” Indirect: Rohit has said that he cannot displease his friend. 3. Direct: I shall say, “I went to Agra on Monday.” Indirect: I shall say that I went to Agra on Monday. 4. Direct: She will say, “I have sent him a present.” Indirect:She will say that she has sent him a present.

Examples 1. Direct: I said, “I am speaking the truth.” Indirect: I said that I was speaking the truth. 2. Direct: The teacher said, “Boys fail because they do not study regularly.” Indirect: The teacher said that boys Jailed because they did not study regularly.

Exception to Rule II (i) If there is a Universal Truth or Habitualfact in the Reported Speech, the Tense of the verb is never changed ; as— 1. Direct : He said, “Face is the index of mind.” (Proverbial truth) Indirect: He said that face is the index of mind. 2. Direct: The teacher said, “The earth rotates round its axis.” (Geographical truth) Indirect: The teacher said that the earth rotates round its axis. 3. Direct: Horatius said, “Death comes sooner or later.” (Universal truth) Indirect : Horatius said that death comes sooner or later.

(ii) The Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech does not change if the reported speech states a past historical fact; as— 1. Direct : He said, “India became free on 15th August, 1947.” Indirect : He said that India became free on 15th August, 1947. 2. Direct : She said, “Her father lived at Lahore for ten years.” Indirect : She said that her father lived at Lahore for ten years.

(iii) If two such actions are given in the Reported Speech which take place at the same time, the Past Indefinite or Continuous Tense does not change. Direct: He said, “Mohan was singing a song while Gopal was playing on a flute.” Indirect: He said that Mohan was singing a song while Gopal was playing on a flute. Examples 1. Direct: She said, “I am a top-class singer.” Indirect: She said that she was a top-class singer. 2. Direct: We said, “He is writing a poem.” Indirect: We said that, he was writing a poem. 3. Direct: He said, “It may rain tonight.” Indirect: He said that it might rain that night. 4. Direct: He said, “A devil ever remains a devil.” Indirect: He said that a devil ever remains a devil.

The future tense of the reported speech Is changed as under : Future Indefinite—would / should Future Continuous—would/should be Future Perfect—would/should have Future Perfect Continuous—would/should have been Examples 1. Direct: You said, “He is a very good athlete.” Indirect: You said that he was a very good athlete. 2. Direct: I said, “I have finished my work.” Indirect: I said that I had finished my work. 3. Direct: He said, “Her parents will pay a visit to Delhi.” Indirect: He said that her parents would pay a visit to Delhi.

B. Interrogative Sentences

Conversion Of Interrogative Sentences A From Direct Into Indirect

Examples (a) Questions beginning with a Helping Verb 1. Direct: He said to her, “Shall I accompany you to Agra ?” Indirect: He asked her if he would (should) accompany her to Agra. 2. Direct: She said to him, “Had I been absenting myself from school for a month ?” Indirect: She asked him if she had been absenting herself from school for a month. 3. Direct: He said to us, “Has she been spinning since yesterday ?” Indirect: He asked us if she had been spinning since the previous day. 4. Direct: They said to you, “Shall we be going on picnic tomorrow ?” Indirect: They asked you if they would be going on picnic the next day. 5. Direct: I said to her, “Will you have ironed your clothes ?” Indirect: I asked her if she would have ironed her clothes.

(b) Sentences having ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ 1. Direct: “Are there any more files ?” He asked. “Yes, sir,” said the peon. Indirect: He asked the peon if there were any more files. The peon replied respectfully in affirmative. 2. Direct: The teacher said to Lila, “Did you break the window pane ?” “No, sir,” said Lila, “I did not.” Indirect: The teacher asked Lila if she had broken the window pane. Lila replied respectfully and refused it (to have done it). 3. Direct: “If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees ?” said the astrologer. “No, ’ replied the customer. Indirect: The astrologer asked the customer whether he would give him five rupees if he found his answers satisfactory. The customer replied in negative. 4. Direct: I said to him, “Do you want to go to Chandigarh ?” He said, “No, sir.” Indirect: I asked him if he wanted to go to Chandigarh and respectfully he replied in negative. 5. Direct: He said to me, “Does Mohan still play ?” I. said, “Yes, sir.” Indirect: He asked me if Mohan still played and I replied in positive.

(c) Questions beginning with Interrogative Words 1. Direct: He said to me, “Whom does she want to contact ?” Indirect: He asked me whom she wanted to contact. 2. Direct: They said to her, “Whose house are you purchasing ?” Indirect: They asked her whose house she was purchasing. 3. Direct: You said to him “Why are you making mischief ?” Indirect: You asked him why he was making mischief. 4. Direct: They said to us, “How have you solved this sum ?” Indirect: They asked us how we had solved that sum. 5. Direct : We said to them, “Who has misguided you ?” Indirect: We asked them who had misguided them.

(d) Questions beginning with modal auxiliaries 1. Direct: I said to him, “May Sunita come in to discuss with you something ?” Indirect: I asked him if Sunita might come in to discuss with him something. 2. Direct: The traveller said to me, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn ? Indirect: The traveller asked me if I could tell him the way to the nearest inn. 3. Direct: He said to me, “Must I leave for Mumbai tomorrow ?” Indirect: He asked me if he had to leave for Mumbai the next day. 4. Direct: I said to her, “Could you give me your notes ?” Indirect: I asked her if she could give me her notes. 5. Direct: I said to him, “Need I go to him ?” Indirect: I asked him if I had to go to him.

Multiple Choice Questions

Read the statements given below and tick the correct option : I. Identify the Reporting Verbs as directed : Question 1. Present (i) Radha will say ……… (ii) Radha said …… (iii) Radha had said ……….. (iv) Radha says ………..

Question 2. Past (i) The commander orders (ii) the commander order (iii) The commander said (iv) The commander will order

Question 3. Future (i) She requests (ii) She will say (iii) She informed (iv) She will enquire.

Question 4. Direct Speech (i) He said that the sun rises in the east (ii) Sun rises in the east (iii) She enquired about the holiday (iv) He enquired to be given a holiday

Question 5. Indirect speech (i) ‘I want to go for a walk’. (ii) He suggested going out for a walk (iii) ‘Get me a book’. (iv) ‘GO out’.

II. Fill in the blanks : Question 6. I said ……….. (i) why are you going (ii) him to go (iii) that he was going (iv) to go out of the room

Question 7. He asked …….. (i) whether was he fine (ii) was he fine (iii) if he is fine (iv) if he was fine

III. Tick the correct option : Question 8. The teacher said to them, (i) ‘Who had been teaching them English ?’ (ii) ‘Who teaches you English ?’ (iii) ‘Who taught your English ?’ (iv) ‘Whom you teach English ?’

Question 9. The teacher asked the students (i) whom were they taught English (ii) who taught them English. (iii) by whom were they taught English (iv) were they taught English

Question 10. He said, “The earth revolves around its axis” (i) He said that the earth revolved around its axis (ii) He said that the earth will revolve around its axis (iii) He said that the earth would revolve around its axis (iv) He said that the earth revolves around its axis. Answers 1. (iv) 2. (iii) 3. (ii) 4. (ii) 5. (ii) 6. (iii) 7. (iv) 8. (ii) 9. (ii) 10. (iv)

NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English

Grammar | Reported Speech

In the chapter "Reported Speech," students learn how to report what someone else has said. This involves changing the tense of the original sentence, as well as making changes to pronouns, time expressions, and other words.

• Questions & Answers

Introduction to CBSE Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter: Reported Speech

The chapter “Reported Speech” teaches students how to report statements, questions, and requests made by others. It explains the changes that occur when reporting speech, such as changes in verb tense, pronouns, and time expressions. The chapter also covers the use of reporting verbs and the rules for reporting different types of sentences. By the end of the chapter, students should be able to accurately report what someone else has said in both written and spoken English.

Assignment and Activities for CBSE Class 10 English Chapter: Reported Speech

• Reporting Speech: Listen to a conversation or a speech and write a report summarizing what was said.
• Dialogue Rewrite: Rewrite a dialogue in reported speech, making the necessary changes in verb tense, pronouns, and time expressions.
• Reporting Questions: Practice reporting questions by changing direct questions into reported questions.
• Reporting Requests: Report requests made by others, ensuring the correct use of reporting verbs and changes in verb form.
• Mixed Sentences: Create a set of sentences that includes statements, questions, and requests, and then report them using reported speech.
• Reported Speech Game: Play a game where one student reports a statement to another student, who then has to report it to a third student, and so on.
• Interview Reporting: Conduct a mock interview and then report the questions and answers using reported speech.
• Reported Speech Quiz: Prepare a quiz for your classmates to test their understanding of reported speech.
• Storytelling: Tell a short story using reported speech to report what the characters say.
• Reported Speech in Literature: Find examples of reported speech in a piece of literature and analyze how the author uses it to convey information.

Conclusion : Reported Speech

The chapter “Reported Speech” is an essential part of learning English grammar. By understanding how to report what others have said, students can communicate more effectively and accurately in both written and spoken English. Through practice and application, students can master the rules of reported speech and use them confidently in their communication.

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Questions and Answers for CBSE Class 10 English Chapter: Reported Speech

Q1. What is reported speech?

ANS: Reported speech is when we report what someone else has said without quoting their exact words.

Q2. What are the changes that occur in reported speech?

ANS: Changes in verb tense, pronouns, time expressions, and other words occur in reported speech.

Q3. How do you report statements in reported speech?

ANS: Statements are reported by changing the verb tense, pronouns, and other words as necessary.

Q4. Can you report questions in reported speech?

ANS: Yes, questions can be reported by changing them into reported questions.

Q5. What are reporting verbs?

ANS: Reporting verbs are verbs used to report what someone else has said, such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” etc.

Q6. How do you report requests in reported speech?

ANS: Requests are reported by using reporting verbs such as “ask,” “request,” or “beg,” and changing the verb form as necessary.

Q7. What is the importance of reported speech in English?

ANS: Reported speech is important because it allows us to report what others have said accurately and effectively.

Q8. How do you report commands in reported speech?

ANS: Commands are reported by using reporting verbs such as “tell” or “order,” and changing the verb form as necessary.

Q9. What are the common mistakes to avoid in reported speech?

ANS: Common mistakes include incorrect changes in verb tense, pronouns, and word order.

Q10. How can you improve your reported speech skills?

ANS: You can improve your reported speech skills by practicing reporting different types of sentences and paying attention to the changes that occur.

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• English Grammar
• Grammar Exercises
• Reported Speech Exercises For Class 10

Reported Speech Exercises with Answers for Class 10

One of the English grammar concepts that almost all of us would have studied in our junior classes is reported speech . Having a clear understanding of reported speech helps students use sentences correctly. This article provides reported speech exercises for class 10 students.

Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 with Answers

Here is an exercise on the transformation of direct speech to indirect speech. Go through the following sentences, work them out and then check your answers to assess how far you have understood their usage.

Change as directed

Read the following sentences and change them into reported speech.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct narration.

When the actual words/sentences spoken by the speaker are quoted in a speech, it is known as direct speech/narration.

Is knowing reported speech necessary for Class 10?

Having a basic understanding of reported speech is necessary for students of any class or age. Solving exercises on direct and indirect speech will help them understand thoroughly and use them correctly.

What is indirect speech?

When the quoted speech is reported in the form of a narrative without changing the meaning of the actual quotation/words by the speaker, it is called indirect speech. Indirect speech is also known as reported speech.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12

CBSE Class 7 English Grammar Reported Speech

April 30, 2019 by Bhagya

CBSE Class 7 English Grammar Reported Speech are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English . Here we have given CBSE Class 7 English Grammar Reported Speech.

1. There are two different ways in which we can report the words of a speaker : (a) Direct Speech or Direct Narration. (b) Indirect Speech or Indirect Narration.

2. (a) Direct Speech contains the actual words of the speaker ; as— Sarla said, “My father has a roaring business in Mumbai.” He said to me, “/ am feeling unwell today.” In these sentences, actual words of the speaker are given within inverted commas without any change. (b) Indirect Speech gives the substance of the speaker’s actual words and not the exact words spoken by him or her ; as— Sarla said that her father had a roaring business in Mumbai He told me that he was feeling unwell that day.

3. The actual words of the speaker, given within ‘inverted commas’ are called the Reported Speech. In the same way, the Verb which introduces the Reported Speech is called the Reporting Verb. In the sentence above ‘said’ is the Reporting Verb and ‘My father has a roaring business in Mumbai’ is the Reported Speech. Reporting Verb and Reported Speech Look at the following sentences : Radha says, “I shall finish my home-work today.” Sushma said to Pushpa, “Show me your dolls.” The verbs ‘says and said’ in the above sentences are ‘Reporting Verbs’. The exact words of the speaker given within the inverted commas are ‘Reported Speech’. ,

4. Here are some distinctive points regarding the Direct Speech and Indirect Speech : In the Direct Speech

1. The Reported Speech is put within Reported (Inverted) Commas. 2. The Reported Speech and the Reporting Verb are separated by a Comma. 3. The first word of the Reported Speech begins with a capital letter.

Transformation of Direct Speech into Indirect Speech Ruuds for the Change of Tense

1. Direct: Rajesh says, “She has brought fame to her family.” InDirect: Indirect: Rajesh says that she has brought fame to her family. 2. Direct: Rohit has said, “I cannot displease my friend.” InDirect: Rohit has said that he cannot displease his friend. 3. Direct: I shall say, “I went to Agra on Monday.” InDirect: I shall say that I went to Agra on Monday. 4. Direct: She will say, “I have sent him a present.” InDirect: She will say that she has sent him a present.

1. Direct: I said, “I am speaking the truth.” InDirect: I said that I was speaking the truth. 2. Direct: The teacher said, “Boys fail because they do not study regularly.” InDirect: The teacher said that boys Jailed because they did not study regularly.

Exception to Rule II (i) If there is a Universal Truth or Habitualfact in the Reported Speech, the Tense of the verb is never changed ; as— 1. Direct: He said, “Face is the index of mind.” (Proverbial truth) InDirect: He said that face is the index of mind. 2. Direct: The teacher said, “The earth rotates round its axis.” (Geographical truth) InDirect: The teacher said that the earth rotates round its axis. 3. Direct: Horatius said, “Death comes sooner or later.” (Universal truth) InDirect: Horatius said that death comes sooner or later.

(ii) The Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech does not change if the reported speech states a past historical fact; as— 1. Direct: He said, “India became free on 15th August, 1947.” InDirect: He said that India became free on 15th August, 1947. 2. Direct: She said, “Her father lived at Lahore for ten years.” InDirect: She said that her father lived at Lahore for ten years.

(iii) If two such actions are given in the Reported Speech which take place at the same time, the Past Indefinite or Continuous Tense does not change. Direct: He said, “Mohan was singing a song while Gopal was playing on a flute.” Indirect: He said that Mohan was singing a song while Gopal was playing on a flute. Examples: 1. Direct: She said, “I am a top-class singer.” Indirect: She said that she was a top-class singer. 2. Direct: We said, “He is writing a poem.” Indirect: We said that he was writing a poem. 3. Direct: He said, “It may rain tonight.” Indirect: He said that it might rain that night. 4. He said, “A devil ever remains a devil.” Indirect: He said that a devil ever remains a devil.

The future tense of the reported speech is changed as under : Future Indefinite— would/ should Future Continuous— would/should be Future Perfect— would/ should have Future Perfect Continuous— would/should have been

Examples 1. Direct: You said, “He is a very good athlete.” Indirect: You said that he was a very good athlete. 2. Direct: I said, “I have finished my work.” Indirect: I said that I had finished my work. 3. Direct: He said, “Her parents will pay a visit to Delhi.” Indirect: He said that her parents would pay a visit to Delhi. 4. Direct: She said, ‘You will be helping me.” Indirect: She said that I/he/we/they would be helping her. 5. Direct: They said, “We shall have won the race.” Indirect: They said that they would have won the race. 6. Direct: We said, “We shall have been swimming since morning.” Indirect: We said that we would have been swimming since morning.

Interrogative Sentences Conversion Of Interrogative Sentences From Direct Into Indirect

Examples (a) Questions beginning with a Helping Verb 1. Direct: He said to her, “Shall I accompany you to Agra ?” Indirect: He asked her if he would (should) accompany her to Agra. 2. Direct: She said to him, “Had I been absenting myself from school for a month ?” Indirect: She asked him if she had been absenting herself from school for a month. 3. Direct: He said to us, “Has she been spinning since yesterday ?” Indirect: He asked us if she had been spinning since the previous day. 4. Direct: They said to you, “Shall we be going on picnic tomorrow ?” Indirect: They asked you if they would be going on picnic the next day. 5. Direct: I said to her, “Will you have ironed your clothes ?” Indirect: I asked her if she would have ironed her clothes.

(b) Sentences having ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ 1. Direct; “Are there any more flies ?” He asked. “Yes, sir,” said the peon. Indirect: He asked the peon if there mere any more files. The peon replied respectfully in affirmative. 2. Direct: The teacher said to Lila, “Did you break the window pane ?” “No, sir,” said Lila, “I did not.” Indirect: The teacher asked Lila if she had broken the window pane. Lila respectfully replied that she hadn’t. 3. Direct: “If you find my answers satisfactory, mill you give me five rupees ?” said the astrologer. “No,” replied the customer. Indirect: The astrologer asked the customer whether he would give him five rupees if he found his answers satisfactory. The customer replied in negative. 4. Direct: I said to him, “Do you want to go to Chandigarh ?” He said, “No, sir.” Indirect: I asked him if he wanted to go to Chandigarh. He respectfully said that he didn’t. 5. Direct: He said to me, “Does Mohan still play ?” I said, “Yes, sir.” Indirect: He asked me if Mohan still played and I replied in positive.

(c) Questions beginning with Interrogative Words 1.Direct: He said to me, “Whom does she want to contact ?” Indirect: He asked me whom she wanted to contact.. 2.Direct: They said to her, “Whose house are you purchasing ?” They asked her whose house she was purchasing. Indirect: You said to him “Why are you making mischief ?” 3.Direct: You asked him why he was making mischief. Indirect: They said to us, “How have you solved this sum ?” They asked us how we had solved that sum. 4. Direct: We said to them, “Who has misguided you ?” Indirect: We asked them who had misguided them.

(d) Questions beginning with modal auxiliaries 1. Direct: I said to him, “May Sunita come in to discuss with you something ?” Indirect: I asked him if Sunita might come in to discuss with him something. 2. Direct: The traveller said to me, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn ?” Indirect: The traveller asked me if I could tell him the way to the nearest inn. 3. Direct: He said to me, “Must I leave for Mumbai tomorrow ?” Indirect: He asked me if he had to leave for Mumbai the next day. 4. Direct: I said to her, “Could you give me your notes ?” Indirect: I asked her if she could give me her notes. 5. Direct: I said to him, “Need I go to him ?” Indirect: I asked him if I had to go to him.

Exercise 1 (Solved)

I. Convert the following sentences into Indirect Speech : 1. He said to her, “Do you want to go home ?” 2. He said to you, “Where Eire you going ?” 3. I said to him, “What brings you here ?” 4. You ssdd to us, “How do you solve this sum ?” 5. She said to me, “How Eire you getting on with your studies ?” 6. I said to my friend, “Have you been to England ?”

II. Convert the following sentences into Indirect Speech : 1. She SEiid to me, “Who taught you English ?” 2. He said to his mother, “Why did you not wash my school dress ?” 3. The mother said to the child, “Did you have your breakfast ?” 4. Anil said to his sister, “How did you fare in the interview ?” 5. The policeman asked me, “Had the thief stolen your watch ?” Answers: I. 1. He asked her if she wanted to go home. 2. He asked you where you were going. 3. I asked him what brought him there. 4. You asked us how we solved that sum. 5. She asked me how I was getting on with my studies. 6. I asked my friend if he had been to England.

II. 1. She asked me who had taught me English. 2. He asked his mother why she had not washed his school dress. 3. The mother asked the child if he had his breakfast. 4. Anil asked his sister how she had fared in the interview. 5. The policeman asked me if the thief had stolen my watch.

Exercise 2 (Solved)

Change the following into indirect speech : 1. He said to me, “I have often told you not to play with me.” 2. They wrote, “It is time we thought about settling this matter.” 3. The teacher promised me, “If you come to school tomorrow, I will explain it.” 4. “What do you want ?” he said to her. 5. He said to me, “How’s your father ?” 6. “Don’t you know the way home ?” asked I. 7. “Do you really come from China ?” said the prince. 8. “Sit down, boys,” said the teacher. 9. “Run away, children,” said the mother. Answers: 1. He told me that he had often told me not to play with him. 2. They wrote that it was time they (had) thought about settling that matter. 3. The teacher promised to me that he would explain it if I went to school the following day. 4. He asked her what she wanted. 5. He enquired about my father. Or He enquired how my father was. 6. I asked if he did not know the way home. 7. The Prince asked him if he really came from China. 8. The teacher asked the boys to sit down. 9. The mother asked the children to run away.

Exercise 3 (Solved)

The following passage has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Write the error along with the correction. Do not forget to underline the error. Her mother told her that you must go straight to (a) _______ your grandmother. There was a wolf (b) _______ in the wood through which she are (c) _______ going. But if she keep the road, he (d) _______ will not do any harm. The mother (e) _______ asked her to do as she told her. (f) _______ Answer: (a) you—she (b) your—her (c) are—was (d) keep—kept (e) will—would (f) told—had told

Exercise 4 (For Practice)

Each of the pair of sentences given below is a dialogue between a man and a woman. Change each pair into one simple sentence. Complete the answers. The first one has been done as an example. Question 1. “Shall we get married ?” “Yes, let us.” Answer. They decided to get married.

Question 2. “Please hplp me”. “O.K.” Answer. She agreed

Question 3. “May I help you ?” “No, thanks.” Answer His offer of help

Question 4. “Let’s meet after the class.” “O.K. fine.” Answer. They arranged

Question 5. “What’s your name ?” “I won’t tell you”. Answer. She refused

Question 6. “I have stood first.” “Congratulations”. Answer. She congratulated

Exercise 5 (For Practice)

The following passage has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Write the error along with the correction. Do not forget to underline the error. Police told Maninder that he is entitled (a) _______ to have a solicitor present. He denies (b) _______ that he knows anyone by the name of (c) _______ Surinder. Maninder confirmed that he has been (d) _______ in the vicinity of the factory last Monday. (e) _______ However, he said that he is visiting his mother. (f) _______ He maintains that he is innocent. (g) _______

Exercise 6 (For Practice)

Multiple Choice Questions

Read the statements given below and choose the correct option I. Identify as directed : Question 1. The sentence which contains Reporting verb : (i) You are my friend (ii) He said to me (iii) I am fond of oranges (iv) Radha can walk

Question 2. The Indirect speech : (i) I cannot run (ii) you cannot run (iii) that he could not run (iv) Both (i) and (ii)

Question 3. Find the correct sentence : (i) He asked his friend where was he putting up. (ii) He asked his friend where he was putting up. (iii) He asked his friend where he is putting up. (iv) Both (i) and (ii)

II. Fill in the blank : Question 4. The customer asked the man (i) if he can lend the umbrella (ii) if he would lend him the umbrella (iii) if he will lend him the umbrella (iu) Both (i) and (ii)

Question 5. He said (i) to go to the market (ii) “Go to the market.” (iii) he could go to the market (iv) Both (i) and (it)

III. Choose the correct option : Question 6. (i) India had become free in 1947. (ii) India was free in 1947. (iii) India became free in 1947. (iv) Both (i) and (ii)

Question 7. (i) The boy asked Hari when would he see the Principal. (ii) The boy asked Hari when he would see the Principal. (iii) The boy asked Hari when will he see the Principal. (iv) The boy asked Hari when he will see the Principal.

Question 8. (i) He said me if I felt better. (ii) He said to me if I felt better. (iii) He asked me if I felt better. (iv) both (i) and (ii)

Question 9. (i) The boy said to the teacher goodmoming. (ii) The boy said to the teacher that he wished him goodmoming. (iii) The boy respectfully wished the teacher goodmoming. (iv) Both (i) and (ii)

Question 10. “I missed the school bus” (i) He said that he had missed the school bus. (ii) He said that he missed the school bus. (iii) He said that he has missed the school bus. (iv) both (ii) and (iii). Answers: 1. (iii) 2. (iii) 3. (ii) 4. (ii) 5. (ii) 6. (iii) 7. (ii) 8. (iii) 9. (iii) 10. (i)

We hope the CBSE Class 7 English Grammar Reported Speech help you. If you have any query regarding CBSE Class 7 English Grammar Reported Speech, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

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