DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

I. Fill in the blank spaces with a verb in the correct tense. The first one has been
done for you.
1. “I am very tired,” said Dad.
Dad said that he was very tired.
2. “You look very handsome, Mike,” said Mom.
Mom told Mike that he __________ very handsome.
3. The teacher said, “Sam has not made any mistakes.”
The teacher said that Sam __________ not made any mistakes.
4. “I am losing my patience,” said Mr. Carter.
Mr. Carter said that he __________ losing his patience.
5. “You can come to my house for dinner,” Maggie told Jason.
Maggie told Jason that he __________ come to her house for dinner.
6. Dad said, “Hurry up or we will be late.”
Dad told us to hurry up or we __________ be late.
7. “The train is coming,” said Peter.
Peter said that the train__________ coming.
8. “I have cleaned up my room,” said Kathleen.
Kathleen said that she __________ cleaned up her room.
9. The teacher said, “It is time to stop writing.”
The teacher said that it __________ time to stop writing.
10. “I don’t want to watch TV,” said John.
John said that he __________ want to watch TV.
Exercise 2
II. Complete these indirect speech sentences with the correct pronoun or
determiner.
1. “My head is aching,” said Sarah.
Sarah said that head was aching.
2. “I like your new bike,’ Dan told me.
Dan told me that he liked __________ new bike.
3. Tom and Peter said, “We’ll give you Tom and Peter said that they would give us
our seats.” seats.
4. “You can borrow my book,” Michael said.
Michael said that I could borrow __________ book.
5. “I haven’t brushed my teeth,” said Paul.
Paul said that he hadn’t brushed __________ teeth.
6. “You are late again,” Mr. Chen told me.
Mr. Chen said that __________ was late again.
7. “We have finished our homework,” said the boys.
The boys said that they had finished __________ homework.
8. Sue and Maggie said, “We want to watch football on TV.”
Sue and Maggie said that __________ wanted to watch football on TV.
9. “I don’t like your green hair,” said Uncle David.
Uncle David said that __________ didn’t like my green hair.

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10. Dad said, “We’ll have to phone for a taxi.”
Dad said that __________ would have to phone for a taxi.
Exercise 3
III. Rewrite the following sentences as indirect questions or indirect commands. The
first one has been done for you.
1. “Are you feeling ill?” Mom asked.
Mom asked if I was feeling ill.

2. “When will you finish the work?” Dad asked the plumber.
________________________________________________

3. The teacher said, “Open your books, children.”

________________________________________________

4. “Turn the music down, Maggie,” said Mom.

________________________________________________

5. “Please take your shoes off at the door, Tom,” said Uncle David.
________________________________________________

6. “Have you read the Harry Potter books?” Michael asked.

________________________________________________

7. Jenny said, “Would you like some more orange juice, Peter?”
________________________________________________

8. “Don’t be rude to your teacher, children,” said the principal.

________________________________________________

9. “Write your name at the top of the page, everyone,” said Miss Lee.
________________________________________________

10. “Does the ball belong to you boys?” the woman asked.
________________________________________________

IV. Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and time
expressions where necessary.
She said, "I am reading."
→ She said that
They said, "We are busy."
→ They said that
He said, "I know a better restaurant."
→ He said that
She said, "I woke up early."
→ She said that
He said, "I will ring her."

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→ He said that
They said, "We have just arrived."
→ They said that
He said, "I will clean the car."
→ He said that
She said, "I did not say that."
→ She said that
She said, "I don't know where my shoes are."
→ She said that
He said: "I won't tell anyone."
→ He said that

V. Imagine you want to repeat sentences that you heard two weeks ago in another
place. Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and expressions
of time and place where necessary.
They said, "This is our book."
→ They said
She said, "I went to the cinema yesterday."
→ She said
He said, "I am writing a test tomorrow."
→ He said
You said, "I will do this for him."
→ You said
She said, "I am not hungry now."
→ She said
They said, "We have never been here before."
→ They said
They said, "We were in London last week."
→ They said
He said, "I will have finished this paper by tomorrow."
→ He said
He said, "They won't sleep."
→ He said
She said, "It is very quiet here."
→ She said

VI. Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns and
tenses.
"Where is my umbrella?" she asked.
→ She asked
"How are you?" Martin asked us.
→ Martin asked us
He asked, "Do I have to do it?"
→ He asked
"Where have you been?" the mother asked her daughter.
→ The mother asked her daughter

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"Which dress do you like best?" she asked her boyfriend.
→ She asked her boyfriend
"What are they doing?" she asked.
→ She wanted to know
"Are you going to the cinema?" he asked me.
→ He wanted to know
The teacher asked, "Who speaks English?"
→ The teacher wanted to know
"How do you know that?" she asked me.
→ She asked me
"Has Caron talked to Kevin?" my friend asked me.
→ My friend asked me

VII. Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns and
tenses.
"What's the time?" he asked.
→ He wanted to know
"When will we meet again?" she asked me.
→ She asked me
"Are you crazy?" she asked him.
→ She asked him
"Where did they live?" he asked.
→ He wanted to know
"Will you be at the party?" he asked her.
→ He asked her
"Can you meet me at the station?" she asked me.
→ She asked me
"Who knows the answer?" the teacher asked.
→ The teacher wanted to know
"Why don't you help me?" she asked him.
→ She wanted to know
"Did you see that car?" he asked me.
→ He asked me
"Have you tidied up your room?" the mother asked the twins.
→ The mother asked the twins

VIII. Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns in
some sentences.
"Stop talking, Joe," the teacher said.
→ The teacher told Joe
"Be patient," she said to him.
→ She told him
"Go to your room," her father said to her.
→ Her father told her
"Hurry up," she said to us.
→ She told us

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"Give me the key," he told her.
→ He asked her
"Play it again, Sam," she said.
→ She asked Sam
"Sit down, Caron" he said.
→ He asked Caron
"Fill in the form, Sir," the receptionist said.
→ The receptionist asked the guest
"Take off your shoes," she told us.
→ She told us
"Mind your own business," she told him.
→ She told him

IX. Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns in some
sentences.
"Don't touch it," she said to him.
→ She told him
"Don't do that again," he said to me.
→ He told me
"Don't talk to me like that," he said.
→ He told her
"Don't repair the computer yourself," she warned him.
→ She warned him
"Don't let him in," she said.
→ She told me
"Don't go out without me," he begged her.
→ He begged her
"Don't forget your bag," she told me.
→ She told me
"Don't eat in the lab," the chemistry teacher said.
→ The chemistry teacher told his students
"Don't give yourself up," he advised her.
→ He advised her
"Don't hurt yourselves, boys," she said.
→ She told the boys