direct to indirect speech activities

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise

Turn the following sentences into indirect speech.

1. John said, ‘I am very busy now.’ 2. He said, ‘The horse has been fed.’ 3. ‘I know her name and address,’ said John. 4. ‘German is easy to learn,’ she said. 5. He said, ‘I am writing letters.’ 6. ‘It is too late to go out,’ Alice said. 7. He said to me, ‘I don’t believe you.’ 8. He says, ‘I am glad to be here this evening.’ 9. He said to me, ‘What are you doing?’ 10. ‘Where is the post office?’ asked the stranger. 11. He said, ‘Will you listen to me?’ 12. John said to Peter, ‘Go away.’ 13. She said to me, ‘Please wait here till I return.’ 14. ‘Call the witness,’ said the judge. 15. The speaker said, ‘Be quiet and listen to my words.’

1. John said that he was very busy then. 2. He said that the horse had been fed. 3. John said that he knew/knows her name and address. (Note that the tenses may not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a universal truth.) 4. She said that German is/was easy to learn. 5. He said that he was writing letters. 6. Alice said that it was too late to go out. 7. He told me that he didn’t believe me. OR He said he didn’t believe me. 8. He says that he is glad to be here this evening. (When the reporting verb is in the present tense, adverbs of time and place do not normally change in indirect speech.) 9. He asked me what I was doing. 10. The stranger asked where the post office is/was. 11. He asked me if I would listen to him. 12. John ordered Peter to go away. 13. She asked me to wait there till she returned. 14. The judge commanded them to call the first witness. 15. He urged them to be quiet and listen to them.

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers (2024)

Direct and indirect speech exercises and answers (2024) help learners understand how to change direct statements into reported speech, improving their comprehension and speaking skills.

We often use direct and indirect speech to clearly convey what someone said or to summarize information. Improve your knowledge with over 200 exercises and answers focused on Direct and Indirect Speech.

By practicing changing quotes into reported speech, you’ll learn the rules and improve your ability to tell the difference between direct and indirect speech. Strengthen your understanding of English with our detailed set of direct and indirect speech exercises and answers, designed to enhance your language proficiency.

Understanding Direct Speech in English

Direct speech is when the exact words spoken by a person are quoted within quotation marks. It provides a direct representation of what was said, maintaining the original wording and tone. Direct speech adds authenticity and immediacy to the narrative.

For example,

Direct Speech: My aunt said, ‘Every mother loves her child.’
Direct Speech: Mon said to me, ‘I shall go, but you will stay.’

English Indirect Speech examples

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, conveys someone else’s words without quoting them directly. Indirect speech offers a concise summary, enabling effective communication and storytelling.

Indirect Speech: My aunt said that every mother loves her child.
Indirect Speech: Mon told me that she would go but I should stay.

Before delving into the direct and indirect speech exercises, consider how Tense , Pronouns , Time , and Place change when transitioning from direct to indirect speech and vice versa.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and answers, along with examples are given in the following for practice. It’s important for students as well as for competitive Exams. For practice and easy comprehension, Direct and indirect speech Exercises and answers have been arranged according to different rules in the following.

Change of Tenses : Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers

Exercises and answers with tense alterations facilitate practice and comprehension of verb tense transformations.

Exercise 1:

Change the mode of narration from direct Speech to indirect speech .

(1) He said , ‘I need some money.’ Ans: He said that he needed some money.

(2) She said, ‘I am waiting for him.’ Ans: She said that she was waiting for him.

(3) The boy said , ‘I have done my homework.’ Ans: The boy said that he had done his homework.

(4) You said, ‘The baby has been sleeping .” Ans: You said that the baby had been sleeping .

(5) You say, ‘I am always busy.’ Ans: You say that you are always busy.

(6) The child will say , ‘Mum knows everything.’ Ans: The child will say that Mum knows everything.

(7) He said , ‘I did it.’ Ans: He said that he had done it.

(8) She said, ‘He was talking .’ Ans: She said that he had been talking .

(9) The monk said , ‘Man will die .’ Ans: The monk said that man will die.

(10) He said , ‘The sun gives us light.’ Ans: He said that the sun gives us light.

Exercise 2:

Switch the narrative style from direct speech to indirect speech.

(1) He said to me, “I can’t recall your name.” Ans: He told me that he could not recall my name.

(2) Poulami says , “I am fine.” Ans: Poulomi says that she is fine.

(3) He said, “I did it.” Ans: He said that he had done it.

(4) “I know her address,” said Gopi. Ans: Gopi said that he knew her address.

(5) Ram said, “The earth is round.” Ans: Ram said that the Earth is round.

(6) “We planted it ourselves,” said the grandfather. Ans: The Gran Father said that they had planted it themselves.

(7) Debu said, “I have been playing rugby.” Ans: Debu said that he had been playing rugby.

(8) Purbasha said to me,” I am afraid of ghosts.” Ans: Purbasha told me that she was afraid of ghosts.

Exercise 3:

Turn the following sentences from direct Speech to indirect speech .

(1) The boys said , “It has been raining since morning. We cannot play today.” Ans: The boys said that it had been raining since morning so they could not play that day.

(2) Anjan’s mother said, “Your father has left for Mumbai.” Ans: Anjan’s mother said that my father had left for Mumbai.

(3) My teacher said , “Practice makes a man perfect.” Ans: My teacher said that practice makes a man perfect.

(4) He says, “I go to the temple every morning.” Ans: He says that he goes to the temple every morning.

(5) He said to me, “I will not get down from the bus.” Ans: He told me that he would not get off the bus.

(6) Rita says to Mita, “I will go with you.” Ans: Rita tells Mita that she w ill go with her.

(7) The boy said to his friend, “I went to school yesterday.” Ans: The boy told his friend that he had gone to school the previous day.

(8) You said, “I was right.” Ans: You said that you had been right.

(9) “I ‘ll go to the top,” said the young lady. Ans: The young lady said that she would go to the top.

(10) I ‘ ve got my rules,” the conductor said to me. Ans: The conductor told me that he had got his rules.

Change of Pronouns in Direct and Indirect Speech: Exercises and Answers

Exercises and answers incorporating pronouns in direct and indirect speech facilitate learners’ understanding and application of pronoun changes in reported speech structures.

Exercise 4:

(1) You said, ‘ I never smoked.” Ans: You said that you never smoked.

(2) I said, ‘ I am always busy.” Ans: I said that I was alway busy

(3) I said to you , ‘ You look tired.” Ans: I said to you that you looked tired.

(4) You said to me , ‘ You are dependable.” Ans: You said to me that I was dependable.

(5) You said, “ He is right.” Ans: You said that he was right.

(6) I said, “ They will be late. Ans: I said that they w ould be late.

(7) He said to (Deep) , ‘ You told it so.” Ans: He said to Deep that he (Deep) had told it so.

(8) Mon said to Moon , “ You are naughty.” Ans: Mon said to Moon that she (Moon) was naughty.

Exercise 5:

Alter the narrative style from direct speech to indirect speech.

(1) He said to me, “ I have done the job.” Ans: He told me that he had done the job.

(2) Rohit said, “ I was absent yesterday.” Ans: Rohit said that he (Rohit) had been absent the previous day.

(3) The boy said, “ My father died two years ago.” Ans: The boy said that his father had died two years before.

(4) He said, “ My goal is to climb Mt Everest. “ Ans: He said that his goal was to climb Mount Everest.

(5) “ I shall certainly do nothing of this kind”, the woman. Ans: The woman said that she would certainly do nothing of that kind.

(6) The man said, “ I am exhausted.” Ans: The man said that he was exhausted.

(7) He said, “ I am washing my hands.” Ans: He said that he was washing his hands.

(8) Mother bird said to her little ones, “Today I will teach you how to fly.” Ans: Mother bird told her little ones that that day, she would teach them how to fly.

(9) Rita’s father says. “ I have done this for you. Ans: Rita’s father says that he had done that for her.

(10) Sumana said to her sister, “ I want to play with you.” Ans: Sumana told her sister that she wanted to play with her.

Time and Place Expressions in Direct and Indirect Speech: Exercises and Answers

Exercises and answers on time and place expressions in direct and indirect speech aid learners in accurately conveying temporal and spatial information while mastering reported speech conventions.

Exercise 6:

Turn the following direct speech into indirect speech

(1) I said to you, “I wish to start business next year. “ Ans: I said to you that I wished to start business the following years.

(2) You said to them, “ Now I shall tell you a nice story.” Ans: You told them that then you would tell them a nice story.

(3) She said to him, “I bought the book yesterday. “ Ans: She told him that she had bought the book the previous day .

(4) He said to me, “I saw your sister two years ago . Ans: He told me that he had seen my sister two years before.

(5) He said to his son, “You may come with me tomorrow. Ans: He told his son that he (his son) might go with him the next day.

(6) He said to her, I’m talking to you now for your good.” Ans: He told her that he was talking to her then for her good.

(7) The girl said to me, My father died two years ago. “ Ans: The girl told me that her father died two years before.

Exception: But if ‘ now ‘, ‘ here ‘, ‘ this ‘ refer to things present before the speaker at the time of reporting, no change is needed.

(8) He said to me, ‘I have no friend here. ‘ Ans: He told me that he had no friend here.

(9) I said, ‘We cannot be happy in this world.’ Ans: I said that we cannot be happy in this world.

(10) She said, “ This is the house where I was born.” Ans: She said that this was the house where she was born.

Exercise 7:

Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

(1) The boy said to his father, “I had my tiffin in school yesterday. “ Ans: The boy told his father that he had had his tiffin in school the previous day .

(2) The captain informed, “The tournament was postponed last year. “ Ans: The captain informed us that the tournament was postponed the previous year .

(3) She said, “We have been living here for two years.” Ans: She said that they had been living there for two years.

(4) Arnab said to Ajit,” I am happy today .” Ans: Arna told Ajit that he was happy that day.

(5) My friend said to me, “We went to the zoo yesterday. “ Ans: My friend told me that they had gone to the zoo the previous day.

(6) The clerk said, “I’ll do the work now. “ Ans: Clark said that he would do the work then.

(7) Hiten said to Mihir, “I received this letter yesterday. “ Ans: Hiten told me that he had received that letter the previous day.

(8) Rajib said to me. “I shall go to the picture today. “ Ans: Rajiv told me that he would go to the picture that day.

(9) He said, “We are very happy here. “ Ans: He said that they were very happy there.

(10) The farmer said, “I’ll sow the seeds now. “ Ans: The farmer said that he will show the seats then.

(12) The man said to me, “I received your gift yesterday. “ Ans: The man told me that he had received my gift the previous day.

(15) I said to my friend, “You were present in the class yesterday. “ Ans: I told my friend that he had been present in the class the previous day.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers of Assertive Sentences

Direct and indirect speech exercises and answers focusing on assertive sentences enable learners to grasp the nuances of reporting statements confidently and accurately.

Exercise 8:

Transform the following direct speech into indirect speech

(1) My aunt said, ‘Every mother loves her child.’ Ans: My aunt said that every mother loves her child.

(2) Mon said to me, ‘I shall go, but you will stay.’ Ans: Mon told me that she would go but I should stay.

(3) He said to his father, ‘I shall always carry out your order.’ Ans: He told his father that he would always carry out his order.

(4) She said, ‘I sang a song at today’s function.’ Ans: She said that she had sung a song at today’s function.

(5) He said to me, ‘You are wicked, so I shall not mix with you.’ Ans: He told me that I was wicked, so he would not mix with me.

Exercise 9:

Change the following sentences converting the direct speeches into indirect speeches.

(1) The teacher said to the boy, “You have forgotten the lesson.” Ans: The teacher told the boy that he had forgotten the lesson.

(2) The boy said, “I shall go out and play.” Ans: The boy said that he would go out and play.

(3) He said, “I am happy to be here today.” Ans: He said that he was happy to be there that day.

(4) They said, “We shall play the game again tomorrow.” Ans: They said that they would play the game again the next day.

(5) The boy said, “Two and two make four.” Ans: The boy said that two and two make four.

Exercise 10:

Change the form of narration from indirect speech into direct speech.

(1) She told them that she had lost her books and theirs too. Ans : “I have lost my books and yours too”, she told them.

(2) The princess says that she has lost her way. Ans: The princess says, “I have lost my way.”

(3) They say that they must keep their locality clean. Ans: They say, “We must keep our locality clean.”

(4) The girl says that those books are theirs, but that one is hers. Ans: The girl says, “These books are theirs, but this one is mine.”

(5) The Happy prince said that he had led the dance in the Great Hall. Ans: The Happy Prince said, “I led the dance in the great hall.”

Interrogative Sentences Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers

Engage with interrogative sentences through direct and indirect speech exercises and answers to sharpen your ability to convey questions effectively within different narrative frameworks.

Exercise 11:

(1) Mother said to her, ‘Are you feeling feverish?’ Ans: Mother inquired of her if she was feeling feverish.

(2) ‘Was it not a piece of luck?’ said Slavator. Ans: Salvtor wanted to know if that was not a piece of luck.

(3) The host said to me, ‘Have all the guests arrived?’ Ans: The host asked me whether all the guests had arrived.

(4) I said, ‘Do you know who will preside over the meeting?’ Ans: I asked whether he knew who would be presiding over the meeting.

(5) I said to the boy, ‘Did you pass the examination?’ Ans: I asked the boy if had passed the examination.

(6) She said to him, ‘Which of the books do you want to buy? Ans: She asked him which of the books he wanted to buy.

(7) The king said, ‘Who is not ready to due for his land, my countryman?’ Ans: The king asked his countrymen who was not ready to due for his land.

(8) He said to her, ‘Whose type writer are you using? Ans: He inquired of her whose type- writer she was using.

(9) The girl said to the strang ‘Whom do you want to see? Ans: The girl asked the stranger whom he wanted to see.

(10) The teacher said to the student, ‘Why are you late regularly? Ans: The teacher asked the student why he was late regularly.

Exercise 12:

Turn the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.

(1) Bulbuli said to her friend, “Will you come tomorrow?” Ans: Bulbuli asked her friend if she would on the next day.

(2) The policeman said to the stranger, “What are you looking for?” Ans: The police asked the stranger what he was looking for.

(3) Nikhil said to me, “Why do you look sad? Ans: Nikhil asked me why I looked sad.

(4) I said to her, “Did you take tea ?” Ans: I asked her if she had taken tea.

(5) The girl said to her mother, “Will you give me your bangles ?” Ans: The girl asked her mother if she would give her her bangles.

(6) Father said to me, “Why are you so upset?” Ans: Father asked me why I was so upset.

Exercise 13:

Change the following indirect speech into Direct speech.

(1) She asked me if I had called her. Ans: She said to me, “Did you call me ?”

(2) He asked me if I was writing a letter. Ans: He asked me, “Are you writing a letter ?”

(3) The man asked the child how he had got there. Ans: “How did you get here, child ?”, the man said.

(4) The police asked me if I could show my identity card. Ans: The police said to me, “Can you show your identity card ?”

(5) He asked us if we were attending the meeting that day. Ans: He said to us, “Are you attending the meeting today?”

(6) I asked her if she had taken medicine. Ans: I said to her, “Did you take medicine ?”

(7) Raja asked Dipu if he would go to school that day. Ans: Raja said to Dipu, “Will you go to school today?

Imperative Sentences Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers

Master imperative sentences through direct and indirect speech exercises and answers, refining your skill in conveying commands and requests within diverse linguistic contexts.

Exercise 14:

Change the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.

(1) The teacher said, ‘Boys, go to your classes.’ Ans: The teacher ordered the boys to go to their classes.

(2) She said to him, ‘Please lend me your pen.’ Ans: She requested him to lend her his pen.

(3) The mother said to her son, ‘Wait here for me.’ Ans: The mother told her son to wait there for her.

(4) He said to me, ‘Go home at once.’ Ans: He advised me to go home at once.

(5) I said to my teacher, ‘Please explain the passage. Ans: I requested my teacher to explain the passage.

(6) The student said to the teacher, “Excuse me, sir.’ Ans: The student begged the teacher to excuse him.

(7) He said, ‘Friends, lend me your ears. Ans: Addressing them as friends, he requested them to lend him their ears.

Exercise 15:

(1) The teacher said to the students, “Keep quiet.” Ans: The teachers ordered the students to keep quiet.

(2) My teacher said to me. “Do not neglect your studies.” Ans: My teacher advised me not to neglect my studies.

(3) The man said to his son, “Always try to be honest.” Ans: The man advised it’s on to always try to be honest.

(4) Mother said to Raju, “Do not run in the sun.” Ans: Mother ordered Raju not to run in the sun.

(5) The man said to me, “Brother, please help me.” Ans: Addressing as a brother, the man requested me to help him.

(6) The students said, “Please allow us to play in the field.” Ans: The students requested to allow them to play on the field.

(7) He said to me, “Please give me some money.” Ans: He requested me to give him some money.

Exercise 16:

Change the following sentences from Indirect speech to Direct Speech of narration.

(1) He advised me not to waste my valuable time. Ans: He said to me, “Don’t waste your valuable time.”

(2) The grandson advised the children not to pluck flowers. Ans: The gardener said to the children, “Do not pluck flowers.”

(3) Tom forbade Sid to shake him. Ans: Tom said to Sid, “Don’t shake me.”

(4) The master ordered the servant to sort the door. Ans: The master said to the servant, “Shut the door.”

(5) The commander ordered the soldiers to stand at ease. Ans: The commander said to the soldiers, “Stand at ease.”

(6) Addressing as sethji, the vendor told him not to rob the poor. Ans: “Sethji, don’t rob the poor”, said the vendor.

(7) The doctor advised the patient to take proper vitamins to stay healthy. Ans: The doctor said to the patient, “Take proper vitamins to stay healthy.”

(8) The teacher ordered the students to do it then. Ans: The teacher said to the students, “Do it now.”

Direct and indirect speech Exercises and Answers with “Let”

Enhance your understanding of direct and indirect speech through exercises and answers featuring the usage of “let,” allowing you to effectively report permissions, suggestions, or proposals in various contexts

Exercise 17:

Change the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech mode of narration.

(1) He said to her, ‘Let us go out for a walk,’ Ans: He proposed to her that they should go out for a walk.

(2) Mon said to Mohan, ‘Let us dis- cuss the matter,’ Ans: Mon suggested to Mohan that they should discuss the matter.

(3) The chairman said, ‘Let us put the motion to vote. Ans: The chairman proposed that they should put the motion to vote.

(4) I said to her, ‘Let us have some music,’ Ans: I proposed to her that we should have some music.

(5) ‘Let us hurry or we may miss the bus,’ said he, Ans: He urged all to hurry or they might miss the bus.

(6) She said, ‘Let me come in.’ Ans: She requested that she might be allowed to come in.

(7) He said, ‘Let her say whatever she likes.’ Ans: He said that she might say whatever she liked.

(8) He said, ‘Let me have a cup of coffee.’ Ans: He wished that he might have a cup of coffee.

(9) The player said to the captain, ‘Let me have a chance, please.’ Ans: The player requested the captain to let him have a chance.

(10) I said, ‘Let him work ever so hard, he cannot win the prize.’ Ans: He said that the visitor might be allowed to wait outside.

Exercise 18:

(1) Rahim said, “Let us decide the matter together.” Ans: Rahim suggested that they should decide the matter together.

(2) The boy said to me, “Let us play cricket.” Ans: The boy proposed that they should play cricket.

(3) He said, “Let me go home.” Ans: He wished that he might go home.

(4) He said to me, “Let him say whatever he likes.” Ans: He wished me that he might say whatever he liked.

(5) He shouted, “Let me go out. Ans: He shouted at me to go out.

Exercise 19:

Change the following sentences from indirect speech to direct speech mode of narration.

(1) She proposed that they should go to the cinema. Ans: She said, “Let us go to the cinema.”

(2) He suggested that they should drop the matter. Ans: He said, “Let us drop the matter”

(3) They suggested that they should make him give them their fears back. Ans: “Let’s make him give us our fares back,” they said.

(4) Shabnam proposed Chandni that they should go for a walk. Ans: “Let us go for a walk.” said Shabnam to Chandni.

(5) The leader suggested that they should hold a meeting the next day. Ans: The leader said, “Let’s hold a meeting tomorrow.”

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers of Optative Sentences

Practice direct and indirect speech with exercises and answers focusing on optative sentences, enabling you to accurately report wishes, prayers, or blessings while honing your linguistic proficiency.

Exercise 20:

Change the following from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech.

(1) Mother said, ‘May you be happy.’ Ans: Mother wished that I might be happy.

(2) He said to you, ‘May God bless you.’ Ans: He prayed that God might bless you.

(3) She said, ‘Had I been there!’ Ans: She wished that she had been there.

(4) He said to me, ‘May you succeed.’ Ans: He wished that I might succeed.

(5) They said, ‘Long live the leader.’ Ans: They prayed that the leader might live long.

(6) He said to me, ‘May your mother recover soon. Ans: He wished that my mother might recover soon.

(7) The monk said, ‘May peace prevail.’ Ans: The monk hoped that peace would prevail.

(8) The boy siad, ‘Had I the wings of a bird.’ Ans: The boy wished that he could have the wings of a bird.

Exercise 21:

(1) I said to him, “May you be happy.” Ans: I wished that he might be happy.

(2) Mother said to me, “May God bless you.” Ans: Mother prayed that God might bless me.

(3) He said, “May his soul rest in peace.” Ans: He prayed that his soul might rest in peace.

(4) The girl said, “Oh, had I the wings of a dove.” Ans: The girl wished that she could have the wings of a dove.

(5) I said to him, “May you live long.” Ans: I wished him that he might live long.

Exercise 22:

Change the following from Indirect Speech to Direct Speech.

(1) Nilima wished me that I might recover soon. Ans: Nilima said to me, “May you recover soon.”

(2) Mother wished him that God might grant him a long life. Ans : Mother said to him, “May God grant you a long life.”

(3) The holy man wished that peace might prevail. Ans: The holy man said, “May peace prevail.”

(4) She wished that Mother Teresa might recover from illness soon. Ans: She said, “May Mother Teresa recover from illness soon.”

(5) He wished that he could bring his departed friend back to life. Ans: He said, “Oh, if I could bring my departed friend back to life.”

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises of Exclamatory Sentences

Engage in direct and indirect speech exercises focusing on exclamatory sentences to refine your ability in reporting strong emotions or exclamations accurately within different narrative frameworks.

Exercise 23:

(1) The supporters said, ‘Hurrah! we have won?’ Ans: The supporter exclaimed in joy that they had won.

(2) The girl said, ‘How wonderful love is!’ Ans: The girl exclaimed in joy that love is wonderful.

(3) The teacher said, ‘Bravo! Well done!’ Ans: The teacher applauded his students by saying that they had done well.

(4) ‘Alas! I am undone’, said the women. Ans: They women cried out in sorrow that she was undone.

(5) He said, ‘Good bye, my friends !’ Ans: He bade his friends good bye.

(6) The old man said to the youth, ‘Fie! You are such a coward.’ Ans: The old man exclaimed that it was shameful for the youth to be such a coward.

(7) ‘How dirty the house is!’ he observed. Ans: He exclaimed in irritation that the house was very dirty.

(8) ‘Good God! I am saved’, said he. Ans: He exclaimed in the name of merciful God that he was saved.

Exercise 24:

(1) The boys triumphantly said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.” Ans: The boys exclaimed in joy that they had won the match.

(2) The old man said to the girl, “May you be happy !” Ans: The old man wished the girl that she might be happy.

(3) He said, “What good news!” Ans: He exclaimed in joy that it was very good news.

(4) The children said, “How happy we were there!” Ans: The children gloomily said that they had been very happy there.

(5) He said to you. “May God bless you.” Ans: He wished you that God might bless you.

(6) My friend said to me. “What a fool you are!” Ans: My friend exclaimed in despair that she was a big fool.

Exercise 25:

(1) Piyali exclaimed in sorrow that she had lost her phone. Ans: “Alas! I have lost my phone”, said Piyali.

(2) Mother wished Roy that his dreams might come true. Ans: Mother said to Roy, “May your dreams come true.”

(3) The girl exclaimed that she had been very sensible. Ans: How insensible I have been!”, said the girl.

(4) The girl exclaimed in sorrow that she had torn her frock. Ans: The girl said, “Oh dear! I have torn my frock.”

(5) She exclaimed in sorrow that she was undone. Ans: She said, “Alas! I am undone.”

(6) They wished me happy birthday. Ans: They said to me. “Happy birthday!”

(7) The students bade their teacher good morning. Ans: “Good morning, Madam!”, said the students to the teacher.

Unsolved Worksheets for Direct and Indirect Speech

A . Change the following into reported speech .

1. Rita says, “Kishore sang a song”.

2. The saint said, “Man is mortal”

3. You said, “we are learning our lesson’.

4. He said to me, “My father went to Mumbai last week.

5. I said to her, “Are you leaving tonight?”

6. He said to her, “Can you lend me your umbrella?”

7. She said, “I saw a tiger here’.

8. The principal said, “well done! my boys”.

9. She said, “Let them play.”

10. I said to Harsh, “Please help me.”

B. Change the direct speech into Indirect Speech

1. He asked me, “Where has he gone?”

2. The Prime Minister said, “National Integrity will be preserved at all costs.

3. She said, “My uncle came yesterday.”

4. Sheela said to us, “You must work hard.”

5. They said, “We trust in God.”

6. The officer said to him. “You will be dismissed if you do not attend the office in time.'”

7. He said to me “I am reading a book.”

8. He said, “Thanks for reminding me.’

9. She said,” Keep this room open.’

10. I said to him, “I went there on Tuesday.”

C. Choose the correct option .

1. I advised him ____________ it.

(a) to not do

(b) not to do

2. She told me ____________ careful.

3. She asked me if I ____________ my lunch.

(b) have eaten

4. She asked me ____________ going to the movies

(a) that I was

(b) if was I

5. The dentist suggested ____________ get a new toothbrush.

(b) that I should

6. She said that no one ____________ me

7. He asked me ____________ to deserve such a cruel punishment.

(a) what had he done

(b) what he had done

8. He promised he ____________ do it by the end of the week.

9. She said that ____________ me before.

(a) she hadn’t met

(b) she did not meet

10. I requested her____________ me.

(b) to help

D. Complete the sentences in the reported speech.

1. The girl said that it ___________ to be there that evening.

(a) gave her great pleasure

(b) gives her great pleasure

2. The man said that he ___________ as soon as possible.

(a) must go

(b) had gone

3. She said that she ___________ to se any of them.

(a) does not want

(b) did not want

4. The teacher says that if you work hard you ___________

(a) would pass

(b) will pass

5. He said that he ___________

(b) has won

6. He proposed that they ___________ for her return.

(a) shall wait

(b) will wait

7. Alice exclaimed how clever ___________

(a) she was

(b) was she

8. The young man asked which way she ___________

(a) has gone

9. He asked me where ___________ going.

10. She requested them to wait there till she ___________

(a) returns

(b) returned

E. Complete the sentence in the reported speech.

1. Ravi said, “I love this place”.

Ravi said _______________

2. “Do you like football?” He asked me.

He asked me_______________

3. “I can’t drive a lorry”, he said.

He said _______________

4. “Be nice to your brother”, he said

He asked me _______________

5. “Don’t be nasty, “he said

He urged me _______________

6. “Don’t waste your money “she said,

She told the boys _______________

7. “What have you decided to do? “she asked

him. She asked him _______________

8. “I always wake up early”. he said,

He said_______________

9. “You should revise your lessons’, he said,

He advised the students _______________

10. “Where have you been? “he asked me

He wanted to know _______________

F. Complete the sentence in the reported speech.

1. She said, “I went to cinema yesterday,”

She said _______________

2. You said, “I will do this for him.”

You said _______________

3. He said, “I am writing a test tomorrow,

4. She said, “I am not hungry now”,

5. They said, “We have never been here before.”

They said _______________

6. They said, “We were in London last week.”

7. He said, “They won’t sleep.”

8. “Have you been shopping?” he asked us.

9. She said, “It is very quiet here.

10. “I don’t speak Italian”, she said.

She said_______________

G. Read the dialogue and complete the following passage.

Susan: Why have you not brought my party dress? Jenny: I haven’t brought it because I had gone to my uncle’s house with my parents, so I forgot to keep it. Susan: Don’t give me silly excuses. I want to know the truth. Jenny: I am sorry Susan. I was chatting with my friends till late. I forgot that you needed it urgently today.

Susan asked Jenny (a) …………… Jenny said that she (b) …………… . Susan (c) …………… . Jenny said that she was sorry and further added that she was chatting with her friends till late and she had forgotten that Jenny needed it urgently that day.

H. Read the following conversation and complete the passage that follows.

Dilip: I’ve been watching the sea and there hasn’t been any trace of a ship. Ralph: I told you yesterday too that we’ll be rescued, so have patience. Dilip: Why do you ask me to keep quiet whenever I say something? Ralph: Have you ever said anything sensible?

Dilip said (a) ………… . Ralph replied (b) ………… and so asked him to have patience. Dilip angrily asked Ralph (c) ………… to which Ralph wanted to know (d) …………

Direct and Indirect Speech Answers Key

1. Rita says that Kishore sang a song.

2. The saint said that the man is mortal.

3. You said that you were learning your lesson.

4. He hold me that his father had gone to Mumbai the previous week.

5. I asked her if she was leaving that night.

6. He asked her if she could lend him her umbrella.

7. She said that she had seen a tiger there.

8. The principal exclaimed with applause that the boys had done well.

9. She suggested that they should be allowed to play.

10. I requested Harsh to help me.

1. He asked me where he had gone.

2. The Prime Minister declared that the National Integrity would be preserved at all costs.

3. She said that her uncle had come the previous day.

4. Sheela told us that we must work hard.

5. They said that they trusted in God.

6. The officer warned him that he would be dismissed

if he did not attend the office in time.

7. He told me that he was reading a book.

8. He thanked me for reminding him.

9. She ordered to keep that room open.

10. I told him that I had gone there on Tuesday.

1. (b) not to do

2. (b) to be

3. (c) had eaten

4. (c) if I was

5. (b) that I should

6. (c) had called

7. (b) what he had done

8. (b) would

9. (a) she hadn’t met

10. (b) to help

D. Complete the sentences in reported speech.

1. (a) gave her great pleasure.

2. (a) must go

3. (b) did not want

4. (b) will pass

5. (c) had won

6. (c) should wait

7. (a) she was

8. (b) had gone

9. (a) I was

10. (b) returned

E. Complete the sentence in reported speech.

1. that he loved that place

2. whether I liked football

3. that he couldn’t drive a lorry

4. to be nice to my brother

5. not to be nasty

6. not to waste their money

7. what he had decided to do

8. that he always wake up early

9. to revise their lessons

10. where I had been

F. Complete the sentence in reported speech.

1. that she had gone to cinema the previous day.

2. that you would do that for him.

3. that he will be writing a test the next day.

4. that she was not hungry then.

5. that they had never been there before.

6. that they had been in London the previous week.

7. that they wouldn’t sleep.

8. whether we had been shopping.

9. that it was very quiet there.

10. that she didn’t speak Italian.

G. Read the dialogue and complete the following passage

(a) why she had not brought her party dress

(b) hadn’t brought it as she had gone to her uncle’s house with her parents; so she had forgotten to keep it

(a) that he had been watching the sea and that there had not been any trace of a ship

(b) that he had told him the day before that they would be rescued

(d) if he had ever said anything sensible

FAQs on Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers

Q: what’s the purpose of the indirect speech.

A: Indirect speech allows us to convey someone else’s words without quoting them verbatim. It’s useful for summarizing and paraphrasing.

Q: Are tense changes mandatory in indirect speech?

A: Yes, tense changes are often necessary to accurately reflect the timing of the original statement.

Q: Can reporting verbs be used interchangeably?

A: While reporting verbs can be interchangeable to some extent, their nuances can impact the meaning of the reported speech.

Q: Is it possible to transform any direct speech into indirect speech?

A: Yes, most direct speech can be converted into indirect speech, although some cases may require adjustments.

Q: How can I identify indirect speech in a sentence?

A: Look for keywords like “said,” “asked,” or other reporting verbs, as well as changes in pronouns, tenses, and time expressions.

Q: Why is mastering direct and indirect speech important?

A: Mastering these skills enhances communication clarity, adds variety to language use, and fosters effective expression.

Conclusion:

Direct and indirect speech exercises and answers are invaluable tools for effective communication. By honing this skill, you’ll not only convey information accurately but also showcase your language expertise. Remember that practice makes perfect, and the more you engage in these exercises, the more naturally you’ll incorporate them into your everyday language use.

15 Class 9 Reading Comprehension Passages with Answers

Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheets

Sentence Swap

Speech Selector

Indirect Shift

Quote Conversion

Speech Facts

Punctuation Check

Quote Mastery

Dialogue Rewrite

Cartoon Quotes

Statement Shifts

Direct Conversion

Quote Formatter

Speech Shift

Winter Words

Dialogue Craft

About these 15 worksheets.

This series of worksheets is an invaluable resource for teachers and homeschooling parents looking to enhance their students’ understanding of reported speech. These worksheets are thoughtfully designed to be both engaging and educational, providing students with a comprehensive approach to mastering the differences between direct and indirect speech. The collection, available in easy-to-access PDF format, offers a variety of activities that cater to different learning styles, making it an excellent tool for reinforcing this essential grammar concept in a fun and interactive way.

One of the standout features of this collection is its clear and simple explanations that guide students through the nuances of direct and indirect speech. For example, one worksheet starts by introducing the basics of direct speech, where the exact words of a speaker are quoted, and indirect speech, where those words are paraphrased without quotation marks. This foundational knowledge is then applied through exercises that ask students to identify whether a sentence uses direct or indirect speech, providing immediate practice that solidifies their understanding.

The collection also includes worksheets that focus on the practical application of these concepts. In one activity, students are asked to convert direct speech into indirect speech. For instance, a sentence like “Let’s go swimming,” George suggested, would be rewritten as “George suggested that they go swimming.” This exercise not only reinforces the rules of changing pronouns, verb tenses, and time expressions but also encourages students to think critically about how to convey the same meaning without using the speaker’s exact words.

Another engaging activity in this collection involves dialogue rewriting. Students are presented with a short conversation and are tasked with transforming it from direct speech into indirect speech. This type of exercise helps students understand the flow of dialogue and how to maintain the original message while adapting it into a different grammatical structure. It also fosters creativity as students must carefully consider how to rephrase each line while preserving its intent.

The worksheets also include true or false questions that challenge students to test their knowledge of the rules governing direct and indirect speech. These questions cover essential points, such as whether direct speech requires quotation marks and whether indirect speech can change the tense of the original statement. This activity is particularly effective for reinforcing the theoretical aspects of the topic, ensuring that students grasp the underlying rules before moving on to more complex tasks.

In addition to these activities, the collection features worksheets that focus on punctuation, an often overlooked but crucial aspect of direct speech. Students are given sentences and asked to determine whether they are punctuated correctly. This exercise sharpens their attention to detail and reinforces the importance of proper punctuation in conveying clear and accurate speech. By mastering these skills, students gain confidence in their writing and communication abilities.

The visual appeal of these worksheets also deserves mention. Each worksheet is accompanied by engaging illustrations that make the learning process more enjoyable for younger students. For instance, a worksheet might feature a cartoon character speaking a line of dialogue, which students must then convert into indirect speech. These visuals not only make the exercises more fun but also help visual learners better understand and remember the concepts being taught.

The worksheets include exercises that encourage students to think about the context in which direct and indirect speech is used. For example, students might be asked to rewrite a statement from a formal speech into indirect speech, considering the tone and formality required. This helps students understand how the context can influence the choice between direct and indirect speech, making them more versatile communicators.

This worksheet collection provides students with a thorough understanding of reported speech. By combining clear explanations with practical exercises, the worksheets help students grasp the rules of direct and indirect speech, apply them in various contexts, and develop strong communication skills. The variety of activities ensures that students remain engaged and challenged, making the learning process both effective and enjoyable. Whether used in the classroom or at home, these worksheets are an excellent resource for any teacher or parent looking to enhance their students’ grammar skills.

What Is Direct and Indirect Speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two ways of conveying what someone has said, with distinct differences and some similarities. Direct speech involves quoting the exact words of the speaker, typically enclosed in quotation marks, and it maintains the original tense, pronouns, and punctuation used by the speaker. For example, “I am going to the store,” she said. In contrast, indirect speech involves paraphrasing the speaker’s words without using quotation marks, often resulting in changes to pronouns, verb tenses, and time expressions to fit the context of the report. For instance, the previous example in indirect speech would be, “She said that she was going to the store.” Both forms of speech aim to convey the original message, but while direct speech preserves the speaker’s exact words, indirect speech focuses on the meaning and adjusts the language to fit the narrative context. Despite these differences, both forms are used to communicate what someone has said, making them essential tools for reporting speech in various contexts.

ESL Activities

ESL Games, Activities, Lesson Plans, Jobs & More

in Listening · Reading · Speaking

Reported Speech Games, Activities, Worksheets and Lesson Plans

If you’re looking for some of the best reported speech games and activities, then you’re certainly in the right place. Keep on reading for our top picks, along with worksheets, lesson plans and more.

Reported speech activities

ESL Reported Speech Games

Let’s get into the best activities and games for English learners.

Top 5 Reported Speech ESL Games and Activities | Resources for ESL teachers

#1: Reported Speech Board Game

I love to play board games in real life which is why I also like to play them with my students! It’s super easy to make your own to use for just about any grammatical point, including this concept.

In this case, fill the board with a bunch of statements like the following:

Sister-has boyfriend
Friend-fired from job
Dad-playing golf tomorrow

Then, students have to make a reported speech statement using the information. It’s fun, engaging and a nice way to give students some practice with this important concept.

Check out this simple ESL board game so you can see how easy it is to make your own:

ESL Board Game .

#2: Ball Toss

This is a simple but versatile activity that’s perfect for reported speech. I write down a number of questions on the beach ball. Then, students take turns tossing the ball to each other and the person that catches it has to answer the question under their right thumb.

To add a reported speech element, have another student (the one who threw the ball?) report on that student’s answer. It’s simple but effective! Check it out:

Ball Toss Activity .

#3: Is that Sentence Correct

If you want to focus on forms, then consider using this simple error correction activity. Write some sentences that use the target grammar. Some have errors while others do not. Students have to find the incorrect ones and make the required changes.

It’s possible to do this in class, or for a homework activity. Have a look here:

Is that Sentence Correct?

#4: Running Dictation

#5: mixed up sentences.

Making good sentences using reported speech can be a little bit tricky. If you want to focus on forms, consider using this simple activity.

Write some sentences on the board of PowerPoint, but mix them up in terms of the order. Students have to work quickly to put them in the correct order and the first time to finish is the winner. It also makes a nice homework assignment. Try it out for yourself:

Mixed Up Sentences .

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Bolen, Jackie (Author)
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#6: Man/Woman on the Street Interview Activity

If you want to level up the typical ESL interview activity, consider using Man or Woman on the Street. Then, to make it into a reported speech activity, have students tell someone else about what they heard. It’s fun, engaging, and lends itself well to this grammar point. Find out more:

Man/Woman on the Street Activity .

#7: Concentration

This is a fun memory game that’s ideal for a whole bunch of different grammar or vocabulary points. On one card, write down a statement, and then on the other, write down the correct form.

I have a boyfriend (She told me that she has a boyfriend).

Make a number of these sets. I usually do 8 of them per group of 4. Then, students play a matching memory game. Learn more here:

Concentration Game .

#8: Vocabulary Auction

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#9: Find Someone Who Bingo Game

This is a nice icebreaker activity that can also be used for some practice with this grammar point. Students have to circulate around the class, asking their classmates questions to find people to fill their Bingo grid.

To make this into a reported speech activity, have students report some of the things they learned about their classmates to a partner (bigger classes) or to the entire class (smaller classes). Find out more about it:

Find Someone Who Bingo Game .

#10: More Ideas for Teaching English

#11: dictogloss and reported speech.

This is a challenging ESL activity that’s perfect for developing listening skills. It also lends itself to almost any vocabulary set or grammatical point, including this one.

Find (or write) a passage of people talking about something that they heard.. Then, put students into pairs and read it out at a faster than normal pace. Students take notes and then attempt to recreate what they heard. Repeat the process again. Finally, they can compare what they have with the original. Check it out:

Dictogloss Activity .

#12: Surveys and Reported Speech

I love to use surveys and questionnaires in my classes. They’re engaging, student-centred and cover a range of skills in a single activity. They’re also great for working on this concept if you get each student to tell their partner some of the things they learned about their classmates.

This is a simple way to cover a new concept but have a quick review of this grammar point as well. Take a look at this activity:

ESL Surveys .

ESL games and activities

#13: Brochure Scanning Activity

This is a nice activity if you have a bunch of different travel brochures. Have students quickly scan them to find important information. For example:

number of days

Then, have students use reported speech to tell their partner about the trip. Find out more:

Brochure Scanning Activity .

#14: ESL Review Games and Activities

#15: daily routine activities and reported speech.

In terms of topics to combine with this concept, daily routine is one of the best. It’s very simple to set up activities that lead to sentences like the following:

Tim told me that he gets up at 7 am.
Jenny said that she usually sleeps in on the weekends.

For some more ideas, have a look here:

Daily Routine ESL Activities .

#16: Error Correction Relay Race

This is a simple activity that takes something old (error correction) and makes it new again. Students have to work in teams to fix errors in a number of reported speech sentences. The first team to make all the corrections is the winner!

Want to give it a try? Learn more:

Error Correction Relay Race .

#17: Dialogue Substitution

#18: news reporting.

Provide students with news headlines or short news articles. Ask them to transform from direct speech (quoted speech) to reported speech (indirect speech) when retelling the news. This activity helps students practice the appropriate changes in verb tenses, pronouns, and time and place references.

#19: Interview and Report

Pair students up and ask them to conduct mock interviews. Afterward, have them report the interview to a different partner using reported speech. This activity allows students to practice converting direct speech into reported while maintaining the meaning and context of the conversation.

#20: Picture Stories

Provide students with a series of pictures that depict a sequence of events. Ask them to create a story using reported speech to describe what is happening in each picture. This activity encourages students to use this language in a narrative context and practice converting direct speech into reported speech.

#21: Role Plays

Create role play scenarios where students take on different roles and engage in conversations. Afterward, ask them to report the conversations to another person using reported speech. This activity allows students to practice converting direct speech into reported speech in a context that mimics real-life situations.

#22: Song Lyrics Transformation

Choose a song that contains direct speech and ask students to rewrite the lyrics using reported speech. This activity helps students practice converting direct speech in songs into reported speech while exploring the meaning and context of the lyrics.

Online Practice for Reported Speech

There are a number of sites for online practice and quizzes that cover this. They are excellent resources to recommend to students who want a little bit of extra practice. Check it out here:

Perfect English Grammar

Exam English

My English Pages

Reported Speech ESL Lesson Plans

There are lots of nice lesson plans. Here are some of the best ones to consider using:

Lingua House

Reported Speech Worksheets

If you’re a busy teacher then you’re going to know what a huge time saver it can be to use worksheets that other teachers have made. Here are some of the top picks:

ISL Collective

English Grammar

There are a number of common questions that people have about using this method of speech. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

What is reported speech ESL?

Reported speech ESL is when we tell someone what another person said. You often have to use a tense that is further back in time (backshift) and may also need to change the pronouns.

What are some examples of reported speech?

Some examples of reported speech are the following:

They said you didn’t want to come.
My mom told me that she was angry at my dad.
I asked her what her plans were.

How do you teach reported speech?

To teach reported speech, first set the context with a short video clip, discussion question, etc. Then, explain the grammar rules for it and do some controlled practice. Finally, use an ESL game or activity that allows students to practice further.

What are the types of reported speech?

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

Tips for Teaching Reported Speech To English Learners

Teaching reported speech to ESL learners can be challenging, as it involves a shift in verb tense and pronoun usage. Here are some tips to make the teaching process more effective and engaging.

Start with Direct Speech

Begin by introducing and reviewing direct speech, which is the original statement or question spoken by someone. Ensure students are familiar with the use of quotation marks and the appropriate verb tenses in direct speech.

Introduce Reporting Verbs

Teach students a variety of reporting verbs such as say, tell, ask, explain, suggest, etc. Explain the different patterns that follow these reporting verbs, including the use of direct objects, indirect objects, and prepositions.

Present Tense Changes

Demonstrate how to change verb tenses when reporting speech. Provide clear examples of how present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous, and so on. Reinforce the importance of maintaining accuracy in verb tense changes.

Practice Conversion of Pronouns

Show students how pronouns change when reporting speech. Explain the transformation from the speaker’s pronouns (I, you, we) to the appropriate pronouns in reported speech (he, she, they). Emphasize the use of possessive pronouns when necessary.

Provide Contextualized Examples

Use authentic materials, such as dialogues, interviews, or news articles, to provide meaningful examples of reported speech. This helps students understand the purpose and practical application in real-life situations.

Use Reporting Structures

Teach students reporting structures, such as reporting statements, reporting questions, and reporting commands. Practice transforming direct speech into reported speech using these structures and provide opportunities for students to generate their own examples.

Focus on Reporting Verbs of Perception

Highlight reporting verbs of perception like see, hear, feel, notice, etc., which require a change in verb tense but do not require reporting the exact words. Provide examples to help students understand the difference between reporting statements and reporting verbs of perception.

Incorporate Speaking and Writing Activities

Encourage students to practice reported speech through role-plays, interviews, or storytelling activities. Assign writing tasks where students report a conversation or summarize an article using reported speech.

Address Common Errors

Be aware of common errors students make when learning reported speech, such as incorrect verb tense changes or pronoun usage. Provide corrective feedback and offer opportunities for targeted practice to overcome these challenges.

Review and Reinforce

Regularly review with students and provide opportunities for reinforcement through quizzes, games, or interactive exercises. Repetition and reinforcement are key to solidifying understanding and application of this language.

Did you like these Reported Speech Activities?

87 Pages - 10/24/2019 (Publication Date)

Yes? Thought so. Then you’re going to love this book on Amazon: 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Grammar Activities for Teenagers and Adults . It’s the book you need if you want to have more engaging and interactive grammar lessons.

You can find the book in both digital and print formats. Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide. Or, take the e-version with you to your favourite coffee shop for some lesson planning on the go.

Whatever the case, get ready for some ESL grammar teaching awesome in your life. Head over to Amazon to find out more about it:

Have your Say about Reported Speech Games and Activities

What do you think about these activities? Are they a winner, or do you have another one that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

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About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 20 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder , 67 ESL Conversation Topics ,and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

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Fun Ways of Practising Reported Speech

1. Reported speech reversi Prepare cards with reported speech on one side and direct speech of the same sentence on the other. Students have to correctly say what is on the other side to turn it over and score one point. There are many games you can play with these cards, including the TEFL version of Reversi/ Othello that was first described by Mario Rinvolucri in Grammar Games and that is the subject of an upcoming article of mine.

2. Go betweens This is also a game from a classic TEFL supplementary book that can easily be done without access to the book (in this case Intermediate Communication Games). Two students have such a problem with each other that they are refusing to speak, and another student shuttles between them trying to find a compromise. The two students need to be sitting so far apart that they can’t hear the other people speak and so really need to listen to the peacemaker, e.g. by sitting in different rooms or one half of the students sitting in the corridor. Making both sides have complaints about the other and giving out roleplay cards can also help set up this activity well, as can having different groups of students working on different situations so that they can’t listen into the neighbouring teams. Possible situations to roleplay include students who have problems with the other students’ behaviour in class (speaking too much, not speaking enough, holding up the lesson because they haven’t done their homework, distracting the teacher from the lesson plan by asking questions, etc- maybe leading onto discussion of good classroom behaviour), neighbours, neighbouring countries, married couples, or suppliers and customers who are near breaking point in their relationship. This can also be used for non-conflict negotiations such as premarital contracts or price negotiations. Note that students usually get into this activity so much that they completely forget about Reported Speech, so you might want to do this as a controlled activity where they must make an effort to use the structures you have presented.

3. What they told you Give the students a list of people they have probably been spoken to by in their lives (e.g. teachers, policemen, future employers, immigration officers and market researchers) or brainstorm such a list onto the board. Students choose one of the people on the list and say things that this person really said to them, e.g. “He asked me whether I wanted a single or return”, and the other students guess which person from the list was speaking. As a more challenging extension, they can continue the game with people not on the list. This can also be done as Twenty Questions, e.g. “Has this person ever asked you whether you were carrying any drugs?” This game links well with the vocabulary of jobs or practising situational language such as “At the airport”. The same game can also be done with the vocabulary of relationships like “colleague”, “acquaintance” and “classmate”.

4. Reported speech pairwork dictation This idea lacks the fun element of the other games here (unless you choose or write an amusing dialogue or one with a surprising twist), but is easy to do and check and can lead to examination of things we usually leave out of reported speech such as “well” and “yes”. It can also be a lead in to the similar but more fun activities below. Student A has one person’s part of a dialogue and Student B has the other person’s part, and they convert their part into reported speech and tell their partner what the person on their worksheet said so that their partner can convert it back into direct speech (in their heads) and write it down in the gaps on their sheet. At the end when they check their worksheets with each other they should have identical dialogues written down. This activity can be made more challenging by one of the students having their half of the dialogue in mixed up order.

5. Reported speech pairwork dictation same or different A more intellectually challenging version of pairwork dictation is giving students similar but not identical direct speech sentences on Student A and Student B sheets. They dictate them to each other in reported speech and work together to decide if the original two sentences were the same or not, e.g. Student A reports “Do you feel happy?” as “He asked me whether I felt happy” and Student B reports “Are you feeling happy?” as “He asked me if I was feeling happy”, and they decide together that the original sentences were different (without ever telling their partner exactly what is on their sheet). You can add some trick questions where the direct speech sentences are different but the reported speech versions are the same, e.g. “I have been there” and “I was there” or “I was there that day” and “I have been there today”. They might feel robbed if you include sentences like this as it will stop them finishing the game successfully, but they will really pay attention when you bring that grammar point up later!

6. Pairwork dictation match the sentences Another good way of using sentences that sound similar when converted into reported speech (either correctly or wrongly) is to put the same direct speech sentences on Student A’s and Student B’s worksheets but mixed up and labelled 1 to 10 (for example) on one student’s and a to j on the other. They then dictate them to each other in reported speech and decide which ones are the same.

7. Pairwork dictation match the dialogue pairs Rather than matching identical sentences as above, you can add extra language and challenge by the students trying to match up typical functional language sentence pairs such as “Would you like anything else?” on Student A’s sheet and “No, that’s all thanks” on Student B’s. The sentences on their worksheets can be given in reported speech for them just to read out and convert back to direct speech in their heads while trying to work out which typical sentences or (more challenging) be given as direct speech for them to convert to reported speech when they tell them to their partner as in the games above.

8. Reported Speech sentence completion guessing game Give the students a list of sentence stems that should be completed with reported speech such as “I forgot to tell someone…”, “ or “Someone told me that I…”. They complete as many sentences as they can and then read out only the part they have written for the other students to guess which sentence that comes from.

9. Guess the backshift Students tell their partner(s) something that was said to them in direct speech (maybe using the air speech marks gesture), and their partner(s) convert it into reported speech, using the right kind of backshift or not by guessing whether it is something that is generally true about them, whether it is something their brother always says to them or whether it was a one off thing that is no longer true, e.g. choosing to convert “My brother said ‘You look sad’” to “Your brother said that you looked sad” or “Your brother (often) says that you look sad/ your brother once said that you always look sad” depending on whether they think that is generally true or not.

10. The … thing he ever said Give prompts containing superlatives for real things people said to them, e.g. “The worst thing your siblings have said to you” or “The best advice you have ever had”. Students tell their partner(s) one of these things, and their partners guess which prompt it refers to.

11. Referring to who guessing game Students report something they said or heard about someone else, e.g. gossip about someone famous, news about a politician, a reviewer’s opinion on someone’s acting or a colleague slagging off their boss, and the other students guess who was being spoken about.

12. Which occasion Students tell their partners something that was said to them at an important time, e.g. when they graduated from university or the first time their parents talked to them about sex, and their partners guess which occasion that thing was said at. The list of occasions can be given as a worksheet or brainstormed onto the board. This topic can easily be extended into an interesting cross cultural discussion on the traditional lack of school graduation ceremonies in the UK etc.

13. And this is how I felt sentence completion Students report something that was said to them or they heard that they had a strong emotional reaction to and the other students guess what their reaction was. This ties in well with a lesson on adjectives, and you can maybe give them a worksheet with some suggested adjectives on or brainstorm them before the activity, such as “… and I felt sad/ hungry/ romantic/ nostalgic/ old/ young/ flattered”

14. Reported mingling Almost any mingling activity (e.g. Find Someone Who) can be extended to include reported speech by people reporting back to their partners or the class what they learnt. Before doing this you will need to decide whether you want to encourage them to use Reported Speech or whether it is something you hope will come up naturally and that you might bring up later in an error correction stage.

15. Real or imagined reported speech This one works well with students whose memories freeze under the stress of speaking English or who don’t want to give away too much personal information. Students report something from prompts such as those described above, and then the other students guess whether that was really said to them or whether it was just made up.

11 Comments

thank for the material. it can add my knowledge. it used for may activity

The worksheets link I gave is still working, but the other parts of the article are now here: https://www.tefl.net/elt/ideas/games/games-reported-speech/ https://www.tefl.net/elt/ideas/games/reported-speech-games/

Great ideas shared, Alex!

I’ll try “And this is how I felt” with a twist to be carried out with my online students. I’ll include as a prompt: watching a short video like the ones that appear on Instagram (emotionally charged), for them to react to and report what was said and how it made them feel.

Let’s see how it works! Many thanks for the inspiration :)

Thanks, great ideas to use in my classroom.

Great ideas!! I will definetely try some in my classrrom. Thanks!!

Great ideas, thanks! I incorporated a few themes into a find someone who to start the topic of reported speech:

Find someone who:

1. Can remember some good advice they received

2. Has overheard an interesting conversation recently

3. Has had an interesting discussion recently

4. Knows some celebrity gossip

5. Has heard a joke in English

Parts Two and Three of this article are here:

http://www.tefl.net/elt/ideas/games/reported-speech-games/

http://www.tefl.net/elt/ideas/games/games-reported-speech/

And there are some worksheets here:

https://tefltastic.wordpress.com/worksheets/grammar/reported-speech/

excellent ideas, i will try some of them in my class today. thank you

Great activities. I tried “This is How I felt” as a follow-up and it really worked. Thanks

Hey there, speaking of Reversi games, I just posted a variation for teachers to use in one-to-one classes.

http://strictly4myteacherz.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/phrasal-verb-reversi-for-one-to-one/

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10 Fun Reported Speech Games And Activities

“I love to read, and write,” said Alex.

Notice something in this sentence? Observe how the sentence is “reporting” a particular statement, which could have been conveyed “directly” too.

Now, that you understand the basic difference between reported and direct speech, let me also tell you that no English class is complete without the knowledge of this concept as it plays a crucial role in communication and writing. At the same time, learning this concept can be a bit difficult and challenging at first, as it requires a fair amount of practice and dedication to understanding the rules behind the conversion of direct to reported speech and vice versa.

Hence, in this blog, we will be navigating through a bunch of activities that can help students learn faster and better and also promote interaction and enthusiasm among them. Check the below-mentioned games and activities to create a diversified yet challenging learning experience for stimulating the knowledge of learners.

Engaging games to teach reported speech

From sentence building to grammar to even vocabulary , learning through games promotes enthusiasm as well as knowledge. It gives students a necessary break from the traditional way of learning. It helps them explore, interact and work in teams to achieve their objective. By playing games, they learn more than the subject which is being taught.

A quiz is a great way to interact with students. It helps in engaging the whole class. Everyone is a participant and gets to learn as the one who answers is an active participant and the one who listens is the passive participant.

Prepare a set of sentences that are in direct speech
Divide students into teams of 3 each
Only one student is allowed to answer at a time
Speak the sentence in Direct Speech and teams have to answer in Reported speech
The team to answer the maximum number of right answers wins the game

This game exposes students to interactive learning. This game encourages students to participate in the classroom. It encourages them to listen and learn and also gives them the chance to answer and gain confidence in themselves.

2. Who Am I?

This game is something that can challenge kids to listen carefully. It helps exercise active listening and is a good game to grasp the attention of students and help them participate in class.

Narrate a small story that is full of examples of Direct and Reported Speech
Divide the class into a set of teams as per the rows in the classroom
While narrating, stop when there is any instance of direct or reported speech in the story
Ask students to identify whether it is direct speech or reported speech
The team with the most correct answers win

This game helps all students to participate. This can help in active listening, learning the concept, and the development of a healthy environment in a class.

3. Reporting Whisper

This is an interactive team game that helps in promoting learning the concept of reported speech in a challenging manner. It challenges students to apply the concept of reported speech in their daily life, which can help them retain and understand it better.

Two teams with two members should participate each time a round is played
One team gets a chance to say three normal sentences to the other team
The task of the team which gets the sentence is to convert what Team A said into Reported Speech
For example- Team A: “ My friend Victor works in a pet shop. ” In this case, Team B has to convert and say this in a reported speech. Team B: Team A said that their friend Victor worked in a pet shop.
The team that converts most of the sentences correctly from direct speech to reported speech wins.

This game can help students learn by putting the concept of reported speech in their conversation. It also promotes active listening, encourages teamwork , and helps them gain confidence.

4. Find the Fault

This game is all about having an eagle’s eye. It promotes being clear with the whole concept and knowing even the little mistakes there can be in a reported speech.

Prepare a list of 10-12 sentences
These sentences are to be written in reported speech but should carry errors in them
Reported Speech with errors: Dan said, “that he likes Apples.”
The correct answer is: Dan said that he liked apples.
The student who identifies the fault and correctly writes most sentences in the reported speech wins.

This game is a little difficult compared to others. It can help in polishing and refining the concept of reported speech in a better fashion and help students master it.

5. The Speech Bingo

This is a fun individual game that is based on the concept of Bingo. This game is a creative way of teaching and making students practice the concept of reported speech.

Create a set of 25 statements written in a direct speech on the blackboard
Ask students to make 5 rows and 5 columns giving them a total of 25 boxes
Ask students to write the answers of direct speech in different boxes
Now, put the chits of these direct speech sentences in a bowl
Pick chits and let students form 5 vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines to win the bingo

This game helps in involving students and encourages participation in the class. It also helps them identify what was the direct speech to then understand the reported speech.

Interesting activities to teach reported speech

Activities are another way of helping students learn by actively participating in the classroom. Activities help students explore educational concepts in creative ways and help them learn in a playful manner.

1. Find Your Pair

This is a fun activity that includes music, interaction, and active participation. This activity is a fun way to learn the concept of reported speech.

Prepare a set of 50 cards as per the number of students in your classroom. One card per each student
25 cards should have reported speech and 25 cards should have direct speech
Number each card from 1 to 50
After giving one random card to each student, ask students to form a circle
Play the music and students have to simply walk and enjoy the music
Stop the music and call out a random number
If you call number 28 the student having that card should step out and speak out loud what is the sentence written on the card
After this, the student with the corresponding Reported Speech or Direct Speech should come out within 10 seconds and speak the sentence written on their card

This activity can help students learn in an interactive manner. It is a very creative activity by which students can learn to identify direct and reported speech and its differences.

2. Spin The Wheel

This activity is a lucky draw activity. Students randomly get a chance to learn more about reported and direct speech.

Install a giant spinning wheel with many examples of sentences in Direct Speech
Spin the wheel
Select a student randomly to answer
The selected student has to convert the sentence in Direct Speech into Reported Speech

It is a simple activity that can help students learn better the way of converting Direct Speech into Reported or Indirect Speech.

3. Tell Me About Someone’s Day

This activity is fun and can help students in learning the art of interviewing and help them develop better social skills.

Students have to talk to anyone during day
They would obviously have the conversation in direct speech
Their task is to narrate the entire conversation in reported speech
For example, Dad said that he had a very long day at work. He said that he had a burrito for lunch.

This activity is another activity that can help students master the concept of reported speech. It helps them develop critical thinking and better concentration skills.

4. Choose The Correct Option

This game requires students to be alert as it is a challenging activity. Through this activity, students learn how exactly a sentence is framed in reported speech and what common errors are made.

Prepare a set of 10-15 questions
The question will have a sentence in Direct Speech
There will be 4 options with only 1 correct
Students have to identify and select the correct option and also give an explanation

This activity helps them learn from their mistakes. It also helps in mastering the concept of direct and reported speech.

5. Write A Story

This seems like a simple story-writing activity but there is obviously a twist. This activity challenges students to write creatively and create a story based on the concept which exercises reported speech.

Give students a story-writing prompt
The challenge of writing this story is that they need to have a character who converses in reported speech
The story should be having a conversation between two or three characters where reported speech is used to narrate and convey the message

This activity helps students learn how to use the concept of reported speech in their creative writing activities . It helps them learn the application of this concept which can help them understand and remember this concept better.

Reported Speech is an important grammatical concept and often needs more practice. Due to the existence of many rules in this concept, students can often be perplexed. So, teachers and parents can make use of creative ways to foster a fun and effective learning environment .

The above-mentioned games and activities can help make the daunting and challenging concept of reported speech easier for students. It can also help them learn this concept in a better fashion as compared to the traditional theoretical methods of learning. These games and activities can help them gain confidence, learn teamwork and attain mastery over this concept after a certain period of time.

I am Shweta Sharma. I am a final year Masters student of Clinical Psychology and have been working closely in the field of psycho-education and child development. I have served in various organisations and NGOs with the purpose of helping children with disabilities learn and adapt better to both, academic and social challenges. I am keen on writing about learning difficulties, the science behind them and potential strategies to deal with them. My areas of expertise include putting forward the cognitive and behavioural aspects of disabilities for better awareness, as well as efficient intervention. Follow me on LinkedIn

Direct and indirect speech exercises

There are many occasions in which we need to describe an event or action that happened, and very often that includes repeating what someone said. Such occasions can include a social situation as well as in a work email or presentation. In order to describe what people said there are two different types of speech – direct speech and indirect speech (or reported speech).

Read the article below to find out more about these forms and improve your English storytelling skills.

Do you want to practice your English speaking skills with small classes with native-level teachers? Find out more about Speak+ now

Direct Speech

When we want to describe what someone said, one option is to use direct speech . We use direct speech when we simply repeat what someone says, putting the phrase between speech marks:

Paul came in and said, “I’m really hungry.”

It is very common to see direct speech used in books or in a newspaper article. For example:

The local MP said, “We plan to make this city a safer place for everyone.”

As you can see, with direct speech it is common to use the verb ‘to say’ (‘said’ in the past). But you can also find other verbs used to indicate direct speech such as ‘ask’, ‘reply’, and ‘shout’. For example:

When Mrs Diaz opened the door, I asked, “Have you seen Lee?”
She replied, “No, I haven’t seen him since lunchtime.”
The boss was angry and shouted, “Why isn’t he here? He hasn’t finished that report yet!”

Indirect Speech

When we want to report what someone said without speech marks and without necessarily using exactly the same words, we can use indirect speech (also called reported speech). For example:

Direct speech: “We’re quite cold in here.”
Indirect speech: They say (that) they’re cold.

When we report what someone says in the present simple, as in the above sentence, we normally don’t change the tense, we simply change the subject. However, when we report things in the past, we usually change the tense by moving it one step back. For example, in the following sentence the present simple becomes the past simple in indirect speech:

Direct speech: “I have a new car.”
Indirect speech: He said he had a new car.

All the other tenses follow a similar change in indirect speech. Here is an example for all the main tenses:

The same rule of moving the tenses one step back also applies to modal verbs. For example:

Using ‘say’ or ‘tell’

As an alternative to using ‘say’ we can also use ‘tell’ (‘told’ in the past) in reported speech, but in this case you need to add the object pronoun. For example:

He told me he was going to call Alan.
They told her they would arrive a little late.
You told us you’d already finished the order.

Changing Time Expressions

Sometimes it’s necessary to change the time expressions when you report speech, especially when you are speaking about the past and the time reference no longer applies. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m seeing my brother tomorrow .”
Indirect speech: She said she was seeing her brother the following day .

Here are some other examples:

Direct speech: “I had a headache yesterday .”
Indirect speech: You said you’d had a headache the day before yesterday .
Direct speech: “It’s been raining since this afternoon .”
Indirect speech: He said it’d been raining since that afternoon .
Direct speech: “I haven’t seen them since last week .”
Indirect speech: She said she hadn’t seen them since the previous week .

Reporting Questions

When you report a question you need to change the interrogative form into an affirmative sentence, putting the verb tense one step back, as with normal reported speech.

There are two types of questions that we can report – questions that have a yes/no response, and questions that begin with a question word like ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘who’ etc. When we report a yes/no question, we use ‘if’. For example:

Direct speech: “Do they live here?”
Indirect speech: You asked me if they lived here.

As you can see, in the reported version of the question, ‘do’ is eliminated because it is no longer a question, and the verb ‘live’ becomes ‘lived’.

For questions starting with question words like ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘who’, etc., we report the question using the question word but change the interrogative form to the affirmative form. For example:

Direct speech: “Where do they live?”
Indirect speech: You asked me where they lived.
Direct speech: “When are you leaving?”
Indirect speech: He asked us when we were leaving .
Direct speech: “How will they get here?”
Indirect speech: She asked me how they would get here.

When we report a question we normally use the verb ‘ask’. As with the verb ‘to tell’, the verb ‘to ask’ is normally followed by an object pronoun, though it is possible to omit it.

Reporting Orders and Requests

When you give someone an order, you use the imperative form, which means using just the verb without a subject. For example:

“ Call me back later.”
“ Have a seat.”
“ Don’t do that!”

To report an order we use ‘tell’ and the infinitive of the verb. For example:

You told me to call you back later.
He told me to have a seat.
She told us not to do that.

When you make a request, you normally use words like ‘can’, ‘could’, or ‘will’. For example:

“Could you call me back later?”
“Will you have a seat?”
“Can you not do that please?”

To report a request, we use the verb ‘to ask’ and the infinitive form of the verb. For example:

You asked me to call you back later.
He asked me to have a seat.
She asked us not to do that.

Now you’ve seen how we use direct and indirect speech , practice using them yourself. An excellent and easy way to see how they are used is by reading a short story in English or a news article online, because stories and articles contain many examples of reported speech.

The second conditional is used to express the consequence of a situation in the present or future. Read on to find out more.

The passive form is a very useful structure in English. Read more to find out what it means and how to use it in your everyday English.

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English Grammar

How to Teach Direct and Indirect Speech

Last Updated: October 19, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Lynn Kirkham . Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 62,196 times.

Direct and indirect speech, also known collectively as reported speech, refer to the ways in which a person can report what someone else has said to them. To effectively teach reported speech to your students, it’s important that you first explain what these terms mean and how they should be used. Then, you can use various games and activities to help your students understand and accurately use direct and indirect speech.

Explaining Direct and Indirect Speech

Step 1 Define direct speech so your students will understand what it means.

For example, if your boss asks you “What did you have for dinner last night?” while you’re at work and later, you tell your spouse, “My boss asked me today, ‘What did you have for dinner last night?’,” you have reported what your boss asked you using direct speech.

Step 2 Explain the definition of indirect speech and how it's different from direct speech.

For example, if your boss asks you “What did you have for dinner last night?” while you’re at work and later, you tell your spouse, “My boss asked me what I had for dinner last night,” you’ve used indirect speech to report what your boss asked you.
Indirect speech often is marked by the word "that" before the clause containing what the other person said.

Step 3 Clarify how verb tenses change from direct to indirect speech.

When using direct speech to report, the tenses of the verbs within the quotations do not change, since direct speech involves an exact recitation of the original words spoken.
Simple present tense direct speech changes to simple past tense indirect speech. For example, “She said ‘I am happy’” becomes “She said that she was happy.”
Present continuous direct speech changes to past continuous tense in indirect speech. For example, “He said, ‘I am reading a book’” becomes “He said he was reading a book.”
Simple past tense direct speech changes to past perfect tense in indirect speech. For example, “She said, ‘Meagan arrived on Tuesday’” becomes “She said that Meagan had arrived on Tuesday.”
Past continuous tense direct speech changes to past perfect continuous tense indirect speech. For example, “They said, ‘We were living in Paris’” changes to “They said they had been living in Paris.” [4] X Research source

Step 4 Explain that verb tense never changes for universal truths.

For example, when converted to indirect speech, the direct speech sentence “They said, ‘We can’t live without water’” becomes “They said that we can’t live without water” because the words spoken are a universal truth.

Using Activities to Teach Reported Speech

Step 1 Have your students rephrase sentences using reported speech.

For example, you could read out the sentence, “I don’t like muffins.” The student should then report this information back to you, stating it first in direct speech (“you said, ‘I don’t like muffins’”), followed by indirect speech (“you said you don’t like muffins”).

Step 2 Ask your students to report on each other’s answers to your questions.

The sentences can be statements, questions, or a mix of both.
For example, you could write “Do we know each other?” on an index card. Hand this card to one student and have them read it to a second student. Then, ask the second student to report what the first student read to them. The second student should then respond using direct speech (“She asked me, ‘Do we know each other?’”) or indirect speech (“She asked me if we know each other”).
You can make this activity a bit more fun by telling the students to pretend they are at a party where everyone must circulate and talk to each other. [8] X Research source

Step 4 Get your students to correct a story using reported speech.

For example, write “I live in a big house” on the board. Then, tell a short story stating “I bought a new dining table but it was too big for my small apartment so I had to get another one.” The students will interrupt you after stating that you live in a small apartment. You can then have the students ask for clarification using direct (“But didn’t you say, “I live in a big house”?) or indirect speech (“Didn’t you say you lived in a big house?”). [10] X Research source

Step 5 Play reported speech telephone for a fun learning activity.

For example, ask the first student “What are you doing this summer?” and have them answer to a second student “I am going to the beach.” Then, have the second student report to a third student on what the first student said using direct speech (“John said, “I’m going to the beach”). The third student will then report to a fourth student using indirect speech (“Katie said that John said that he’s going to the beach”) and so on until all the students have had a turn.

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Direct and Indirect Exercises With Answers

We often convey a message or give information about what someone said, thought, or felt to somebody else. In order to do this, you can use the grammar structure named indirect or reported speech. direct and indirect rules have already talked about, below we have prepared direct and indirect exercises with answers for ESL learners.

Direct and Indirect Exercises

Attempt the exercises below then compare your answers with the correct answers given below.

Turn into reported speech.

1. “It’s hot” Tom said that _______________________________________________________. 2. “I have done my homework.” Tom said that __________________________________________________. 3. “I will give you a book” Tom said that _______________________________________________________. 4. “Do you smoke?” Tom asked me if ____________________________________________________. 5. “Where does Bob live?” Tom asked me where _______________________________________________. 6. “Jane has not arrived yet” Tom told us that________________________________________________________. 7. “I’m so worried,” Tom, told us that_______________________________________________________. 8. “I want to go away”. Tom told us that ____________________________________________________. 9. “You should eat less.” The doctor advised me that _______________________________________. 10. “Don’t shout” The teacher told me________________________________.

Direct And Indirect Speech Complete Rules

Turn into direct speech.

1. Mary said she was very tired. Mary said, “____________________________________________________________.” 2. The teacher told the boys to open their books. The teacher said to the boys, “___________________________________________________________.” 3. Tom’s mother told him not to eat any ice cream. Tom’s mother said to Tom: “_____________________________________________________________.” 4. My friend said that he was going skiing at the weekend. My friend said: “__________________________________________________at the weekend.” 5. Bob’s mates told the teacher that Bob was ill that day. Bob’s mates said: “Teacher,__________________________________________________________ today.” 6. Mary told Jane she would help her. Mary said to Jane,”____________________________________________________.” 7. I said I would have bought a new car if I had had the money. I said,”_______________________________________________________________________________.” 8. My father told me to look for a job if I wanted more money. My father said:”_____________________________________________________________.” 9. Tim wrote to his brother that their cat had died that day. Tim wrote to his brother: “________________________________________________________________.” 10. The teacher informed the students that the break lasted ten minutes. The teacher said to the students,”____________________________________________________________.”

Turn the following questions into reported speech.

1. “Where do you live?” Mary asked Tom, “______________________________________________.” 2. “How are you going to travel to Italy?” Mary asked Tom__________________________________________________. 3. “Why did you buy that book?” Mary asked Tom___________________________________________________. 4. “What’s the time?” Mary asked Tom__________________________________________________. 5. “Who helped you with your work?” Mary asked Tom______________________________________________.

Choose the right option

6. I (said/told) her not to disturb me. 7. My friend never (told/said) me about his plans. 8. The teacher (that/said) that we had to study harder. 9. Don’t (tell/say) me what I have to do. 10. He did not (say/tell) why he was late.

How to Check Your Grammar Mistakes in an Essay – 8 Best Tools

The following sentences use quoted speech. Change the following sentences from quoted speech to reported speech.

1) James said, “I am watching TV.” 2) Professor Jones said, “I worked all day!” 3) The president said, “I will be visiting Italy in December.” 4) The weatherman announced, “It may rain today.” 5) My father screamed, “I have to go to the airport, now!” 6) Then my mother said, “I must take your father.” 7) The psychologist said, “You should calm down.” 8) I responded, “I ought to leave the office.” 9) Mark said, “I love visiting China and Korea.” 10) Martin said, “I can be a great president!” 11) Sung-He said, “Close the windows” 12) Bobby will say, “I have already done direct and indirect speech exercises.

Direct and Indirect Exercises With Answers – The Answers

Tom said that it was hot.
Tom said that he had done his homework.
Tom said that he would give me a book.
Tom asked me if I smoked.
Tom asked me where Bob lived.
Tom told us that Jane had not arrived yet.
Tom told us that he was so worried.
Tom told us that he wanted to go away.
The doctor advised me that I should eat less.
The teacher told me not to shout.
Mary said, “I am very tired.”
The teacher said to the boys, “open your books.”
Tom’s mother said to Tom: “Don’t eat any ice cream.”
My friend said:” I am going skiing on the weekend.
Bob’s mates said: “Teacher, Bob is ill today.”
Mary said to Jane, “I will help you.”
I said, “I will have bought a new car if I had had the money.”
My father said: “look for a job if I want more money.”
Tom wrote to his brother:” Our cat died today.”
The teacher said to the student, “the break lasts ten minutes.”
Mary asked Tom, “Where he lived.”
Mary asked Tom how he was going to travel to Italy.
Mary asked Tom why he bought that book.
Mary asked Tom what was the time.
Mary asked Tom who helped him with his work.
I told her not to disturb me.
My friend never told me about his plans.
The teacher said that we had to study harder.
Do not tell me what I have to do.
He did not say why he was late.
James said that he was watching TV.
Professor Jones said that he had worked all day.
The president said that he would be visiting Italy in December.
The weatherman announced that it might rain that day.
My father screamed that he had to go to the airport, then.
Then my mother said that she had to take my father.
The psychologist said that I should calm down.
I responded I ought to leave the office.
Mark said that he loved visiting China and Korea.
Martin said that he could be a great president.
Sung-He ordered to close the windows.
Bobby will say that he has already done Direct and Indirect Exercises.

I hope the direct and indirect exercises were helpful to you and if you would like to know more about direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech, check out more in the book below.

You can read more about the following topics:

Direct and Indirect of Modal Auxiliaries
Direct and Indirect of Future Perfect Progressive
Direct and Indirect of Future Perfect Tense
Direct and Indirect of Future Progressive Tense
Direct and Indirect of Simple Future Tense
Direct and Indirect of Past Perfect Progressive
Direct and Indirect of Past Perfect Tense

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Verbs and tenses

1 Verbs and tenses
2 Lesson Share: Reported speech 1 – article
3 Past perfect aspect – article
4 Past perfect aspect – tips and activities
5 Present perfect aspect – article
6 Present perfect aspect – tips and activities
7 Reported speech – tips and activities
8 Reported speech 2 – article
9 The passive in English – article
10 The passive in English – tips and activities
11 Modal verbs 1 – article
12 Modal verbs 1 – tips and activities
13 Modal verbs 2 – article
14 Modal verbs 2 – tips and activities

Reported speech – tips and activities

By Kerry G. Maxwell and Lindsay Clandfield

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Tips and ideas from Kerry Maxwell and Lindsay Clandfield on teaching reported speech.

Introduction

Reported speech is a very rich grammar area to teach because:

It can involve considerable manipulation of form.
It’s a very easy piece of grammar to locate and exploit with texts.

The activities here are divided into different kinds of drill, ways of exploiting texts and analysis.

Activity: Basic substitution

At it’s most basic, you can simply read out a sentence and ask the students to rephrase it beginning with He said …/She said… For example:

T: I don’t like it.
Ss: He said he didn’t like it.
T: I hate it.
Ss: He said he hated it.

This can be made a little more interesting in the following ways:

Activity: Chain reports

Version 1 The following activity is a variation of the well-known 'broken telephone'. Whisper a sentence in English to a student. That student then whispers it to another and so on until the last student has to say aloud what was said originally.

Version 2 If the above seems too easy, ask students to alternate reported speech/direct speech. If they hear it in reported speech they put it back to direct speech and vice versa. For example:

T: I like it.
S1: He said he liked it.
S2: I like it.

Activity: I didn't get that. What did she say?

This is a quick question drill. Ask a student a question. After they answer, ask another student what was said. For example:

T: Tomas, how did you get to class today?
S1: I came by car.
T: Sorry, I didn’t get that. Yvonne, what did Tomas say?
S2: He said he had come by car.

Activity: Mingle

Prepare a series of cards/slips of paper, each with a different sentence. Here are some examples:

Remember me? We met at last year’s party.

Create enough cards so that each student has one. You can repeat the same sentences on other cards.

Explain that you want the students to role-play the following situation. They are all at a very formal cocktail party. Everybody must circulate and talk to each other. The trick is they must say what is on their card and as little else as possible. If you have a CD player or cassette player in the classroom, you could play some quiet music in the background during the mingle.

After five minutes (or however long it takes for most students to have spoken to each other) tell everyone to sit down again. Ask people to report back on what other people told them, using reported speech.

Activity: Text clarifications

This is another teacher-led activity that also focuses on listening skills. It uses an oral text generated by the teacher. For this activity you need to prepare the following:

a short anecdote (2 minutes long) related to the topic that you are already doing in class (e.g. if you are doing holidays, make it about holidays);
four or five sentences that contradict things in your anecdote.

Write the sentences on the board. Read them out to the students. Now explain that you are going to tell a story, but that some of the facts in the story are different. The students must listen carefully. When they hear a fact that is different from those on the board, someone must interrupt you and seek clarification, using the following structure:

Excuse me, but didn’t you say that …? (include what you had said earlier, the facts that are on the board).

Here is an example: T writes on the board:

I live in a big house.
I’m married.
I don’t have any children.

The teacher reads out the sentences and then she gives the instructions for the activity. She begins the story:

T: Well, the other day I was in my flat. It’s a small flat in the city centre …
S: Excuse me, didn’t you say you lived in a big house?
T: Ah yes, I did say that. So, it was in my big house. My boyfriend was at work …
S: Excuse me, didn’t you say you were married?
T: Of course. I’m married, I meant to say my husband was at work and the baby was crying …
S: Excuse me, didn’t you say you didn’t have any children?
T: That’s right. It isn’t my baby, it’s my sister’s baby.

Activity: Reported interviews

For this activity, search around the internet for an interview. This kind of activity works best if the interviewee is someone that your class is interested in, or at least someone they have heard about.

Select some of the interview from the webpage and paste into a word document. Make copies for every two students in the class. In class, divide the students into pairs.
Distribute the interview and ask them to work together and make a reported version it.
Give them a word limit (150 words). When they have finished their draft report, have them swap reports with another pair. Ask them to reduce the report now to 100 words. Circulate and help.

Activity: Reporting back – famous interviews

In this activity, students create the interview themselves. Divide students into groups. Tell the groups that they must do the following:

Decide on a famous person (living or dead) who they would like to interview.
Nominate ONE person in that group to be the famous person.
Once groups have nominated their famous people ask those people to come up to the front and form a new group.
Explain that the famous people are all on a panel to be interviewed by the class, who are journalists.
Give the journalists some time to think of questions. During this time the famous people can talk about what they are going to say.
When the journalists are ready, begin moderating the interview by asking for questions.
Once all the famous people have answered the questions send them back to their original seats.
Now ask everybody to write a report with at least two things they remember from the interview. They should include examples of reported speech in their report. Ask students to compare their reports in pairs.
Circulate and help. At the end, ask different pairs to read out their reports.

Activity: The news

Prepare for this activity by going to a news website and looking around for short news stories with examples of reported speech. Don’t worry about not finding any, there are usually lots.

Select examples of these texts and create a small worksheet. First, ask students to read the excerpts and tick the stories they already know about.
Then ask them to speculate as what the direct speech was. Tell them to write in direct speech the reported speech. They can add more detail if they like.
At the end, have different students read their quotes and ask the others if they can see what story it came from.

Activity: Shades of meaning 1

The choice of whether or not to 'backshift' the tenses in reported speech often has to do with the reporter’s interpretation. You can ask students to compare the meanings between two examples of reported speech (minimal pair sentences).

For example:

See the section on tense choices in reported and reporting clauses for further examples that you could use and explanation of the differences in meaning.

Activity: Shades of meaning 2

You can also do the above exercise with examples from the news stories. Give the example and ask students to speculate why the tense was chosen. For example:

Why not … that Madonna owed them …?

Activity: What I think and don't think

This activity is a dictation activity. Prepare some sentences that are opinions on a certain topic that you’ve covered recently in class. There should be a mixture of affirmative and negative sentences. Here are some examples on the topic of ART for an intermediate class (some of these are stronger opinions – you may want to change them to reflect your own opinion).

A lot of modern art isn’t very good.
Art galleries are great places for conversation.
There aren’t many famous painters from my country.
Graffiti isn’t art.
Art shouldn’t be only for rich people.
Some art is worth far too much money.

Explain that you are going to dictate these sentences, but that the students must write down a report of each one beginning with The teacher thinks … or The teacher doesn’t think … (see grammar explanation on negatives in reporting for when to use which stem). The above sentences would give the following:

The teacher thinks art galleries are great places for conversation.

Ask students to compare their answers in pairs, and then decide if they agree or disagree with you. Ask different groups to report back and have a short open class discussion.

Activity: Reacting to the news

Prepare a series of slips of paper each with a sentence beginning You’ve been asked to… or You’ve been told to… Prepare a mixture of good and bad things. For example:

You’ve been asked to work next Saturday morning.
You’ve been told to not drink any more wine.
You’ve been asked to present an award at a film festival.
You’ve been told to go the principal’s office.
You’ve been asked to participate in a television show.
You’ve been told to stay in bed for three weeks.

Pre-teach common social expressions for reacting to good or bad news, for example:

That’s great!
Congratulations!
That’s good news
That’s too bad.
Oh dear. Oh no.
That’s terrible!

Distribute the slips of paper to the students and ask them to read them silently. Then tell them to move around the class and 1) tell other students what they’ve been asked or told to do. 2) react to what other students tell them.

As a follow-up, you could ask them to work in groups and transcribe what they think was probably originally said.

Activity: Conspiracy theories

Prepare a small handout with the following 'claims' on it.

Elvis lives? It’s claimed that the singer Elvis is still alive today.

Think of four or five other conspiracy claims that you could add (you can add local ones too). Include one or two which are more 'believable' than the others (maybe even true ones). Write them in a similar style (i.e. headline, then the sentence stem It is claimed/said/believed that … ). Make one copy of this handout for every three or four students in the class.

Divide students into groups and give each group a card. They must read the card and then assign a score (0 to 5) to each theory 0 = we don’t believe this at all to 5 = we believe this is true . Do some feedback at the end, then collect the handouts. Ask students to try and rewrite from memory what the theories were, paying attention to the reporting structure.

Activity: Drill sergeant

This is another simple drill for reporting orders. Explain that you are going to be a drill sergeant: you are going to give four different students orders and then ask someone to report back what was said. Give short simple orders to different students in a brisk, sergeant-like voice. For example:

Put down your pen!
Listen to me!
Pick up your bag!
Answer your mobile phone!

The students must carry out the orders. Once you’ve given orders to four students, ask a fifth: What did I just say? The fifth student must report the orders (e.g. You told Maria to put down her pen, you told Giovanni to listen to you. ). If they can do it correctly, they become the drill sergeant.

This is a drill but with a role play element (that of being the sergeant) – to make the role even more effective you could use a prop, like a ruler or some kind of stick to wave around. You then give the prop to the next drill sergeant. Make sure nobody gets hit with the prop though!

Activity: things I was asked/told to do

To provide more practice in reporting structures with ask/tell, ask students to make a list of things they were asked or told to do in different situations. For example:

when they were a child
when they first started learning English
in their first job
on their first day at school/university

Tell students to compare with each other once they have written their lists. Then ask different students to report back.

Activity: Survivors mingle

This is a group role play, where students imagine that they have survived a plane accident and are stranded on a desert island. Prepare a series of cards/slips of paper, each with a different suggestion for the situation. Here are some examples:

We should just wait for someone to come and find us.
Why don’t we explore the island?
Let’s get wood for a fire.
We should all stay together. There are dangerous animals around here.
I think you and I should try to escape together.
Let’s build a boat.
We should try and fix the plane.

(you can make your own. Begin with Why don’t we… Let’s …. We should…) Create enough cards so that each student has one. You can repeat the same sentences on other cards.

Explain that you want the students to role play the situation described above (to make it more 'real' you could elaborate on the story of how they got there). Everybody must circulate and talk to each other. They must say what is on their card and as little else as possible.

Here is a variation which lets the students choose more of the language. Set up the scene, then give the students the sentence stems: Why don’t we … Let’s …. We should … and ask them to write a suggestion. Give them one of the above as an example. Then continue the activity.

Activity: Election pledges

To practise the structures following verbs like promise and offer , you can ask students to imagine they are speechwriters for a candidate for President or Prime Minister of their country. They must prepare a very short speech. You could give them the following outline to help:

I know that …
So I promise to … and to …
If we are elected, my government pledges* to …
My opponent has promised to …
But we all know that …
Together we can …

* pre-teach pledge – it has the same reporting structure as promise, or offer

Students can write this in groups. Then have different students read out their election speeches. Who is the most convincing?

British English
Reference Material
Reported speech

Lesson Share: Reported speech 1 – article

Photo to illustrate the concept of past.

Past perfect aspect – article

Photo that shows the concept of teaching tips

Past perfect aspect – tips and activities

Present perfect aspect – article, present perfect aspect – tips and activities.

Reported speech 2 – article

The passive in english – article, the passive in english – tips and activities, modal verbs 1 – article, modal verbs 1 – tips and activities, modal verbs 2 – article, modal verbs 2 – tips and activities, related articles.

Articles, tips and activities on teaching adjectives, from our panel of expert authors.

An article by Kerry Maxwell and Lindsay Clandfield on approaches to teaching reported speech.

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Nouns and phrases

Our experts provide a compendium of tips and ideas for teaching nouns, prepositions and relative clauses in English.

Tips and ideas from Kerry Maxwell and Lindsay Clandfield on teaching the passive in English.

An article by Kerry Maxwell and Lindsay Clandfield on approaches to teaching the passive in English.

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Direct and indirect speech exercises PDF

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Direct and indirect speech

Online exercises
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Direct and indirect speech exercises

Reported speech exercises PDF

Learn how to change tenses, pronouns, expressions of time and place in the reported speech.

Reported questions + commands exercises PDF

Practise the difference between the direct and indirect speech in questions, commands and requests.

Online exercises with answers:

Direct - indirect speech exercise 1 Rewrite sentences in the reported speech.

Direct - indirect speech exercise 2 Report a short dialogue in the reported speech.

Direct - indirect speech exercise 3 Find and correct mistakes in the reported speech.

Direct - indirect speech exercise 4 Choose correct answers in a multiple choice test.

Indirect - direct speech exercise 5 Rewrite sentences from the reported speech to direct speech.

Reported questions, commands and requests:

Reported questions exercise 6 Change the reported questions and orders into direct questions and orders.

Reported questions exercise 7 Change direct questions into reported questions.

Reported commands exercise 8 Make reported commands and requests.

Grammar rules PDF:

Reported speech rules PDF Changes of tenses, pronouns, time and place in reported statements, questions and commands.

English grammar PDF All PDF rules with examples on e-grammar.org.

Direct + indirect speech

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises

Direct and indirect speech is one topic in English grammar that confuses most language learners. It need not necessarily be so; if you understand how it works, you can easily use it in your writing.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises with Answers

When converting direct speech to indirect speech or vice-versa, you will have to take care to convert the verb , pronoun and the adverb appropriately. Go through the following exercises and try them out. Answers are given below each exercise; refer to them to see if your answers are right.

Exercise 1: Change into indirect speech

Read the following sentences and convert them into indirect speech.

Rahul told to me, “When are you leaving?”
“Where do you live?” the stranger asked Aladdin.
The teacher said to Shelly, “Why are you laughing?”
Dhronacharya said to Arjun, “Shoot the bird’s eye.”
“Call the first convict,” said the jury.
“Call the ambulance,” said the man.
Bruce said to me, “I shall do the work.”
My mother said to me, “You were wrong.”
Mr Richard said to me, “Please wait here till I return.”
The captain said to me, “Bravo! You have played well.”
Raj said, “Alas! My pet died.”
Ruchi said, “I may go there.”
Bucky said to Steve, “Do you hear me?”
The boy said, “Let me come in.”
Granny said to me, “May God bless you.”

Answers –

Rahul asked me when I was leaving.
The stranger asked Aladdin where he lived.
The teacher asked Shelly why he was laughing.
Dhronacharya ordered Arjun to shoot the fish’s eye.
The jury ordered to call the first convict.
The man urged to call the ambulance.
Bruce said to me he would do the work.
My mother told me that I was wrong.
Mr Richard requested me to wait there till he returned.
The captain applauded me, saying that I had played well.
Raj exclaimed sadly that his pet died.
Ruchi said that she might go there.
Bucky asked Steve if he heard him.
The boy asked to let him come in.
Granny prayed that God might bless me.

Convert the following into Direct Speech

Read the following passage and convert it into direct speech.

One of them told Issac that the latter had forgotten one thing that belonged to a mill. Issac enquired what that was. The friend asked where the miller was. Issac replied that (absence of the miller) was true – and he must look for one.

“But Issac,” said one of them, “you have forgotten one thing that belongs to a mill.”

“What is that?” asked Issac.

“Why, where is the miller?” said his friend.

“That is true – I must look for one,” said Issac.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct narration.

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

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’s called indirect speech/narration.

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Indirect Questions ESL Worksheets, Activities, Role-Plays and Games

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Intermediate ( B1 )

Ask Politely

Esl indirect questions worksheet - grammar exercises: answering, reforming and completing questions - speaking activity: asking and answering questions, freer practice - pre-intermediate (a2) - 20 minutes.

Direct and Indirect Questions

Esl direct vs. indirect questions worksheet - grammar exercises: writing and rewriting questions, unscrambling - speaking activity: asking and answering questions - pre-intermediate (a2) - 25 minutes.

I was wondering...

Esl indirect questions activity - speaking: asking and answering questions from prompts, communicative practice - intermediate (b1) - 25 minutes.

Indirect Questions Practice

Esl indirect questions worksheet - grammar exercises: gap-fill, unscrambling, error correction, rewriting questions - intermediate (b1) - 25 minutes.

Street Interviews

Esl indirect questions role-play - speaking activity: forming, asking and answering questions, communicative practice - intermediate (b1) - 35 minutes.

Super Polite

Esl indirect questions role-play - speaking activity: asking and answering questions from prompts, communicative practice - pair work - intermediate (b1) - 30 minutes.

Would you mind telling me...?

Esl indirect questions board game - speaking: reforming, asking and answering questions - group work - intermediate (b1) - 25 minutes.

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Reported Speech /

9+ Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises (with Answers) for Practice

Updated on
May 8, 2024

Direct and indirect speech exercises: Effective communication involves accurate reporting of the words of others. Direct and indirect speech are the tools that help us achieve this. They help in communicating information with accuracy and clarity. In this blog post, you will learn about reported speech and practice exercises to master the concept of direct and indirect speech.

This Blog Includes:

What are direct speech and indirect speech, exercises 6.

Must Read: Reported Speech

Direct Speech

Direct Speech is the actual words spoken by the person. It is often enclosed within inverted commas, providing readers with deep insight into the speaker’s words.

For example: Rohit said, “ I will attend the office tomorrow.”

In the above example, the words enclosed in the commas depict the speaker’s actual words in the sentence.

Indirect Speech

On the other hand, indirect speech includes the reporting of the words of the speaker without quoting their exact words. While changing a sentence from direct speech to indirect speech there are a few changes that need to be kept in mind while changing. These changes include changes in the pronouns, verb tense, and the removal of quotation marks.

For example:

Direct Speech Rohit said, “ I will attend the office tomorrow.”

Indirect Speech Rohit said that he would attend the office the next day.

In Indirect Speech, there is a change in pronoun, verb tense, and the removal of quotation marks.

Also Read: Tenses Rules: Charts, Examples, Types [PDF Available]

4 Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises with Answers

We have compiled several exercises for you which will allow you to check your knowledge.

Instruction: Change the following sentences from direct to indirect speech.

She said, “ I live in Noida”.
He said,” I am going out”.
Sita said,” I have done my homework.”
Rohan said, “ I have finished”.
They said,” We are going to the market”.
She said, “ The concert starts at 7 pm”.
She said,” I ate an apple.”
They said,” We were there in the party.”
Soham said,” Two and two makes four.”
Rohan said, “ I love ice cream.”

Match the following answers with the solved exercise:

Sita said that she had done her homework.
Rohan said that he had finished.
They said that they were going to the market.
She said that the concert started at 7 pm.
She said that she had eaten an apple.
They said that they had been there at the party.
Soham said that two and two made four.
Rohan said that he loved ice cream.
She said that she lived in Noida.
He said that he was going out.

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

Instruction: Change the following sentences from indirect to direct speech.

Rohan asked me when I was leaving.
The stranger asked Rohan where he lived.
The teacher asked Soham why he was talking.
The hunter ordered the group to shoot the tiger.
The judge ordered to call the first convict.
The women urged them to call an ambulance.
Brut said to me he would do the work.
My brother told me that I was wrong.
Mr Richav requested me to wait there till he returned.
The captain applauded Rohit, saying that he had played well.
Rohan asked, “When are you leaving?”
The stranger asked Rohan, “Where do you live?”
The teacher asked Soham, “Why are you talking?”
The hunter commanded the group, “Shoot the tiger.”
The judge said, “Call the first convict.”
The woman said, “Call an ambulance.”
Brut said, “I will do the work.”
My brother said, “You are wrong.”
Mr. Richav said, “Please wait here till I return.”
The captain said to Rohit, “You played well.”

Instruction: Convert the following sentences into indirect speech.

He said, ‘The rabbits have been fed.’
‘It is too late to go out,’ Mary said.
He said, ‘I am writing letters.’
He said to me, ‘I don’t believe you.’
He said that the rabbits had been fed.
Mary said that it was too late to go out.
He said that he was writing letters.
He told me that he didn’t believe me.

Must Read: Figures of Speech: Types, Usage & Examples [Download PDF]

Instruction: Fill in the following blanks with the appropriate words:

He asked me ________________ .
She said that she ________________ .
They wondered ________________ .
He commanded that ________________ .
He asked me where I was going.
She said that she was going to the store.
They wondered where he had gone.
He commanded that everyone must stay quiet.

5+ Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises

Instruction: Fill in the blanks.

She informed me that _ (she had already eaten).
They wondered _ (when the train was arriving).
He ordered _ (every one to remain seated).
He asked me _ (why I was late).

Instruction : Rewrite the following dialogue using indirect speech:

Peter: “Have you seen my phone?”

Mary: “No, I haven’t. Did you check your backpack?”

Peter: “Yes, I did. I can’t seem to find it anywhere.”

Mary: “Don’t worry, I’m sure it will turn up. Maybe you left it in your car?”

Peter: “That’s possible. I’ll go and check my car.”

Instruction: Identify the following sentences whether they are Direct Speech or Indirect Speech. Write (DS) for Direct Speech and (IS) for Indirect Speech.

“I can’t believe I won the lottery!” she exclaimed.
He told me he was going camping next weekend.
“Please be careful crossing the street,” the teacher warned.
Did anyone ask why she was late?
“I’ll call you as soon as I arrive,” he promised.

Instruction: Rewrite the following sentences in indirect speech.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you apologized?” she said, her voice laced with disappointment.
“The movie was fantastic,” she said.
“I will be back soon,” he promised.
“Have you seen my keys?” she asked.

Instruction: Change the following sentences into direct speech.

She informed me that she had already finished the task.
He inquired if I would be interested in joining them for dinner.
They mentioned that they might be visiting their grandparents soon.

Instruction: Match the sentences.

Indirect: She informed me that she wouldn’t be able to make it to the event.
a) I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to the event tonight.
b) She mentioned she was feeling a bit under the weather.
c) She couldn’t wait to celebrate with everyone.
Indirect: He inquired if I had any plans for Monday.
a) Tell me, what are you up to this Monday?
b) Just curious, do you have anything exciting planned?
c) I hope you’re free for some fun!

When the actual words spoken by the person are written without making any changes, they are written in quotation marks to mark them as real words spoken by the speaker. For example: Rita said, ” I love to play Table-tennis”.

When the actual words are not written in the quoted form but are expressed in the form of narrative without changing the meaning of the words spoken by the speaker. It is called indirect narration. For example: Rita said that she loved to play Table-tennis.

The most common reporting verbs used in indirect speech are “said,” “told,” “asked,” “explained,” “mentioned,” and “suggested.” The choice of reporting verb influences the tone and meaning of the reported speech.

Learn More About Reported Speech

To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu .

Amanpreet Kaur

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

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Worksheets - handouts

Exercises: indirect speech

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Indirect and direct speech

Examples from our community, 10,000+ results for 'indirect and direct speech'.

Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples

Are you having trouble understanding the difference between direct and indirect speech? Direct speech is when you quote someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. This can be a tricky concept to grasp, but with a little practice, you’ll be able to use both forms of speech with ease.

Direct and Indirect Speech

When someone speaks, we can report what they said in two ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is when we quote the exact words that were spoken, while indirect speech is when we report what was said without using the speaker’s exact words. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I love pizza,” said John. Indirect speech: John said that he loved pizza.

Using direct speech can make your writing more engaging and can help to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion. However, indirect speech can be useful when you want to summarize what someone said or when you don’t have the exact words that were spoken.

To change direct speech to indirect speech, you need to follow some rules. Firstly, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb. Secondly, you need to change the pronouns and adverbs in the reported speech to match the new speaker. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will go to the park,” said Sarah. Indirect speech: Sarah said that she would go to the park.

It’s important to note that when you use indirect speech, you need to use reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked” to indicate who is speaking. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is it?” asked Tom. Indirect speech: Tom asked what time it was.

In summary, understanding direct and indirect speech is crucial for effective communication and writing. Direct speech can be used to convey the speaker’s tone and emotion, while indirect speech can be useful when summarizing what someone said. By following the rules for changing direct speech to indirect speech, you can accurately report what was said while maintaining clarity and readability in your writing.

Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech

When it comes to reporting speech, there are two ways to go about it: direct and indirect speech. Direct speech is when you report someone’s exact words, while indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words. Here are some of the key differences between direct and indirect speech:

Change of Pronouns

In direct speech, the pronouns used are those of the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the pronouns have to be changed to reflect the perspective of the reporter. For example:

Direct speech: “I am going to the store,” said John.
Indirect speech: John said he was going to the store.

In the above example, the pronoun “I” changes to “he” in indirect speech.

Change of Tenses

Another major difference between direct and indirect speech is the change of tenses. In direct speech, the verb tense used is the same as that used by the original speaker. However, in indirect speech, the verb tense may change depending on the context. For example:

Direct speech: “I am studying for my exams,” said Sarah.
Indirect speech: Sarah said she was studying for her exams.

In the above example, the present continuous tense “am studying” changes to the past continuous tense “was studying” in indirect speech.

Change of Time and Place References

When reporting indirect speech, the time and place references may also change. For example:

Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” said Tom.
Indirect speech: Tom said he would meet you at the park the next day.

In the above example, “tomorrow” changes to “the next day” in indirect speech.

Overall, it is important to understand the differences between direct and indirect speech to report speech accurately and effectively. By following the rules of direct and indirect speech, you can convey the intended message of the original speaker.

Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

When you need to report what someone said in your own words, you can use indirect speech. To convert direct speech into indirect speech, you need to follow a few rules.

Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks

The first step is to remove the quotation marks that enclose the relayed text. This is because indirect speech does not use the exact words of the speaker.

Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker

To indicate that you are reporting what someone said, you need to use a reporting verb such as “said,” “asked,” “told,” or “exclaimed.” You also need to use a linker such as “that” or “whether” to connect the reporting verb to the reported speech.

For example:

Direct speech: “I love ice cream,” said Mary.
Indirect speech: Mary said that she loved ice cream.

Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb

When you use indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb.

Indirect speech: John said that he was going to the store.

Step 4: Change the Pronouns

You also need to change the pronouns in the reported speech to match the subject of the reporting verb.

Direct speech: “Are you busy now?” Tina asked me.
Indirect speech: Tina asked whether I was busy then.

By following these rules, you can convert direct speech into indirect speech and report what someone said in your own words.

Converting Indirect Speech Into Direct Speech

Converting indirect speech into direct speech involves changing the reported speech to its original form as spoken by the speaker. Here are the steps to follow when converting indirect speech into direct speech:

Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb used in the indirect speech. This will help you determine the tense of the direct speech.
Change the pronouns: The next step is to change the pronouns in the indirect speech to match the person speaking in the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “She said that she was going to the store,” the direct speech would be “I am going to the store,” if you are the person speaking.
Change the tense: Change the tense of the verbs in the indirect speech to match the tense of the direct speech. For example, if the indirect speech is “He said that he would visit tomorrow,” the direct speech would be “He says he will visit tomorrow.”
Remove the reporting verb and conjunction: In direct speech, there is no need for a reporting verb or conjunction. Simply remove them from the indirect speech to get the direct speech.

Here is an example to illustrate the process:

Indirect Speech: John said that he was tired and wanted to go home.

Direct Speech: “I am tired and want to go home,” John said.

By following these steps, you can easily convert indirect speech into direct speech.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech are two ways to report what someone has said. Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by a person, while indirect speech reports the meaning of what was said. Here are some examples of both types of speech:

Direct Speech Examples

Direct speech is used when you want to report the exact words spoken by someone. It is usually enclosed in quotation marks and is often used in dialogue.

“I am going to the store,” said Sarah.
“It’s a beautiful day,” exclaimed John.
“Please turn off the lights,” Mom told me.
“I will meet you at the library,” said Tom.
“We are going to the beach tomorrow,” announced Mary.

Indirect Speech Examples

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. It is often used in news reports, academic writing, and in situations where you want to paraphrase what someone said.

Here are some examples of indirect speech:

Sarah said that she was going to the store.
John exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
Mom told me to turn off the lights.
Tom said that he would meet me at the library.
Mary announced that they were going to the beach tomorrow.

In indirect speech, the verb tense may change to reflect the time of the reported speech. For example, “I am going to the store” becomes “Sarah said that she was going to the store.” Additionally, the pronouns and possessive adjectives may also change to reflect the speaker and the person being spoken about.

Overall, both direct and indirect speech are important tools for reporting what someone has said. By using these techniques, you can accurately convey the meaning of what was said while also adding your own interpretation and analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech refer to the ways in which we communicate what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, using quotation marks to indicate that you are quoting someone. Indirect speech, on the other hand, involves reporting what someone has said without using their exact words.

How do you convert direct speech to indirect speech?

To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb, such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.” For example, “I love ice cream,” said Mary (direct speech) can be converted to “Mary said that she loved ice cream” (indirect speech).

What is the difference between direct speech and indirect speech?

The main difference between direct speech and indirect speech is that direct speech uses the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. Direct speech is usually enclosed in quotation marks, while indirect speech is not.

What are some examples of direct and indirect speech?

Some examples of direct speech include “I am going to the store,” said John and “I love pizza,” exclaimed Sarah. Some examples of indirect speech include John said that he was going to the store and Sarah exclaimed that she loved pizza .

What are the rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech?

The rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech include changing the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions. You also need to introduce a reporting verb and use appropriate reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” or “asked.”

What is a summary of direct and indirect speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone has said. Direct speech involves repeating the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said without using their exact words. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, you need to change the tense of the verbs, pronouns, and time expressions and introduce a reporting verb.

BusyTeacher.org

“He Said What?” Top 10 ESL Activities for Reported Speech

He said…She said…He asked her if, when, where or what… Reported Speech, also known as Indirect Speech, is not one the most fun to teach.

What ESL teachers usually do is simply have one student supply a statement or ask a question and then have another student report what was said/asked. However, there are others ways to practice Reported Speech , more creative and engaging ways, which should prevent students tuning out and help them tune in to the lesson.

Try These Top 10 ESL Activities for Reported Speech

Reported speech card games.

For some students, the best way to learn Reported Speech is by reading the statements they have to report. This is why we often write them on the board. Try these card games instead! For the first game, prepare a set of index card each with a direct speech statement on one side and the indirect statement on the other. Divide students into pairs. Student A picks up a card and reads the direct statement. Student B must change what they heard into an indirect statement. Student A checks B’s reply on the back of the card. The team with the most correct points wins.

You may also try this easier version. Write the direct statements on index cards and their indirect versions on another set of cards. Divide the class into two teams. Each student must pick up a card and find the matching statement. You can make this more challenging by using statements that are similar but in different tenses.

What Did They Ask You?

Ask students to brainstorm a list of people who might ask them questions and what those questions might be: a police officer, their mother/father, a teacher, a taxi driver, etc., Then a student reports something that someone asked, without revealing who it was: This person asked me if I had my driver’s license . Students must guess it was the police officer: The police officer asked you if you had your driver’s license .

Words to Live by

Give students snippets of things that famous people have said about their lives and experiences. Students read them out loud and then take turns reporting what someone said: Einstein said peace could not be kept by force. He said it could only be achieved by understanding. “The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on,” said former President Obama. President Obama said that the future rewards those who press on, that he does not have time to complain and is going to press on.

Celebrity Buzz

Hand out several copies of entertainment magazines or the showbiz section of the newspaper. Students must read through them and find at least one juicy bit of celebrity gossip to report to the rest of the class: Miley Cyrus said she was officially engaged to her boyfriend . To make this into a game, ask students to withhold the celebrity’s name and have the other students guess: Which famous celebrity said she was engaged to boyfriend Liam Hemsworth?

Take advantage of story time by asking students to report on what some of the main characters said/asked in the stories or works they are reading : What did the Evil Queen ask the magic mirror? She asked it who the fairest of them all was .

Student Reporter

Any budding reporters can have the chance to show off their reporting skills with this fun activity. Divide students into pairs. One student will be the reporter and the other will be someone worthy of an exclusive interview:

A famous actress
A rich entrepreneur
An Olympic athlete and so on.

Ask each student to write Dear Abby letter asking for advice on a problem ; ask them to use Reported Speech in their letter: My parents said we were moving to another country but I don’t want to move . Students then exchange letters and reply to a classmate’s problem: Don’t be afraid to tell your parents how you feel . Students get their original problem letters back and report to the class on what Dear Abby said: Dear Abby told me not to be afraid to tell my parents how I feel . With this activity you are giving your students two opportunities to use Reported Speech.

I Heard it Through the Grapevine

One student whispers something to a classmate: I love chocolate more than anything else . This student whispers it to another: Juan said he loved chocolate more than anything else . The whispering continues through the grapevine, until it reaches the last student who must then say the original statement in direct speech. If there are differences, they must find out who made the mistake: Karen said Juan loved chocolate more than life itself. - I said he loved it more than anything else .

Comic Strip Gaps

To prepare for this activity cut out comic strips from a newspaper or print some you find online. Then use some liquid paper to white out what some of the characters say in their speech bubbles. Write these lines down on separate cards. Students pick up a card and try to match it to a character: Garfield said he wanted to eat lasagna .

First you need some flashcards with sentences in direct or indirect speech, a basic timer and a bean bag or ball. Have the students stand in a circle. Give the first one a bean bag or the ball and set the timer for a random interval, even a short one — one minute or even six seconds, or you can even vary the intervals to make it more interesting — depending on the size of your class. When the timer stops, the student holding the bean bag must read one of the flashcards and convert it into the opposite e.g., direct speech to indirect speech, or the other way round. If they are wrong, they must leave the circle. You can vary the game by changing the flashcards to contain other words where students would need to come with sentences containing, say for example, superlative adjectives , add suffixes , countable and uncountable nouns .

Try not to give your students random direct statements to report.

Each of the activities suggested above should establish a situation, a context that should help your students see just how useful Reported Speech really is.

If you have any activities that have worked for you, please share them below!

Like it? Tell your friends:

How to teach reported speech - statements.

Let’s Be Indirect: Teachers’ Top 9 Fun and Creative Activities for Practicing Reported Speech

Don’t Get to the Point: Teaching Indirect Questions

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Direct dan Indirect Speech: Apa Itu? Pengertian dan Contoh Lengkapnya

Penasaran apa itu Direct dan Indirect Speech? Pelajari pengertian, perbedaan, dan contoh lengkapnya di sini! Artikel ini menjelaskan dengan jelas bagaimana cara menggunakan Direct dan Indirect Speech dalam kalimat bahasa Inggris. Cocok untuk pemula hingga tingkat lanjutan yang ingin meningkatkan kemampuan bahasa Inggris mereka.

Pernah nggak sih, kamu merasa bingung ketika harus menyampaikan ucapan orang lain dalam bahasa Inggris? Nah, di sinilah konsep Direct dan Indirect Speech berperan. Keduanya adalah cara kita mengutip atau melaporkan apa yang orang lain katakan, tapi dengan sedikit perbedaan. Dalam artikel ini, kita akan mengupas tuntas apa itu Direct dan Indirect Speech, perbedaan antara keduanya, serta contoh-contoh penggunaannya dalam kalimat sehari-hari. Yuk, kita pelajari bersama!

Pengertian Direct Speech

Direct Speech adalah ketika kita mengutip perkataan seseorang secara langsung, persis seperti yang diucapkan. Dalam penulisannya, kita menggunakan tanda kutip ("") untuk menandai ucapan tersebut. Direct Speech sering digunakan ketika kita ingin mengutip seseorang secara akurat, seperti dalam kutipan berita atau dialog dalam cerita.

Pengertian Indirect Speech

Berbeda dengan Direct Speech, Indirect Speech adalah ketika kita menyampaikan kembali apa yang seseorang katakan, tetapi dengan sedikit perubahan dalam kalimat. Biasanya, kita tidak lagi menggunakan tanda kutip dan perlu menyesuaikan tenses serta kata ganti (pronouns) sesuai konteks. Indirect Speech lebih umum digunakan dalam percakapan sehari-hari dan dalam penulisan yang lebih formal, di mana kita menceritakan kembali apa yang orang lain katakan tanpa harus mengutip kata per kata.

Ciri-ciri Direct & Indirect Speech

Rumus Direct

Rumus Direct Speech: Kalimat Pengantar + , + "Ucapan Langsung"

Contoh: She said, "I am going to the store." John asked, "Are you coming to the party?"

Kalimat Pengantar: he said, she told me, they asked, etc.
Ucapan langsung selalu diapit tanda kutip.
Tanda baca (koma, tanda tanya, tanda seru) ada di dalam tanda kutip.

Rumus Indirect Speech

Rumus Umum: Kalimat Pengantar + that/if/whether + Ucapan Tidak Langsung

that/if/whether digunakan untuk menghubungkan kalimat pengantar dengan ucapan tidak langsung.
Ucapan Tidak Langsung mengalami perubahan sesuai dengan aturan.

Pernyataan (Statement): Direct Speech: She said, "I am tired." Indirect Speech: She said that she was tired.

Pertanyaan (Yes/No Question): Direct Speech: He asked, "Are you coming?" Indirect Speech: He asked if I was coming.

Pertanyaan (WH-Question): Direct Speech: She asked, "Where do you live?" Indirect Speech: She asked where I lived.

Contoh Perubahan Tenses

Contoh Perubahan Pronoun

Contoh Perubahan Waktu

Latihan Soal

1. Ubah kalimat berikut dari direct speech menjadi indirect speech:

Direct Speech: "I am going to the store," she said.

Indirect Speech: She said that _____________.

a) she is going to the store. b) she was going to the store. c) she were going to the store. d) she will be going to the store.

2.Pilih kalimat indirect speech yang benar untuk kalimat berikut:

Direct Speech: "Do you like pizza?" John asked me.

a) John asked me did I like pizza. b) John asked me if I liked pizza. c) John asked me if I like pizza. d) John asked me whether I like pizza.

3. Ubah kalimat berikut dari direct menjadi indirect speech:

Direct Speech: "Where are you going?" she asked him.

Indirect Speech: She asked him _____________.

a) where he is going. b) where is he going. c) where was he going. d) where he was going.

4.Tentukan kalimat indirect speech yang benar untuk perintah tersebut:

Direct Speech: The teacher said, "Finish your homework."

a) The teacher said me to finish my homework. b) The teacher told me finish my homework. c) The teacher told me to finish my homework. d) The teacher said to finish your homework.

5. Pilih kalimat indirect speech yang benar untuk kalimat berikut

Direct Speech: "I will call you tomorrow," she said.

a) She said that she will call me tomorrow. b) She said that she would call me tomorrow. c) She said that she would call me the next day. d) She said that she will call me the next day.

Kunci Jawaban:

b) she was going to the store.
b) John asked me if I liked pizza.
d) where he was going.
c) The teacher told me to finish my homework.
c) She said that she would call me the next day.

Dengan memahami Direct dan Indirect Speech, kamu kini memiliki alat penting untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berbahasa Inggrismu. Jangan berhenti di sini—teruslah berlatih dan gunakan pengetahuan ini dalam setiap kesempatan. Semakin sering kamu berlatih, semakin alami kemampuanmu berkembang. Good luck, Englishnesian!

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Indirect Sales Explained: Key Strategies and Advantages

Indirect Sales: Four people stand in circles connected by lines, a bee flies in the background.

Expand your market reach without the burden of creating a large sales team from scratch.

Richard Harris

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Nine out of 10 sales teams currently use indirect sales, and of those who don’t, 58% expect to within a year, according to the latest State of Sales report.

I’ve seen how indirect sales can be a game changer for businesses looking to scale quickly. It’s a strategy I’ve personally used to help companies expand their market reach without the heavy lifting of building a large sales team from scratch. By using the networks of distributors, resellers, and affiliates, businesses can access a wider audience with minimal direct involvement.

Read on to discover the key strategies and benefits associated with indirect sales.

What you’ll learn:

What is indirect sales, types of indirect sales strategies, advantages of indirect sales, indirect sales tips and best practices, indirect sales tools: what to look for, grow revenue by empowering your partners.

Grow with better partner tools and exceed revenue targets together — with Partner Relationship Management.

Indirect sales, also known as partner sales or channel sales , brings in third-party resellers, brokers, and distributors to generate new sales without adding headcount.

Indirect sales vs. direct sales

Indirect sales relies on partner resources — networks, knowledge, and existing relationships — to amplify a company’s sales efforts. This approach allows businesses to scale quickly and efficiently, keeping costs down.

In contrast, direct sales do not use third-party sellers. Instead, sellers interact directly with customers, often making a significant investment in a sales team, resources, and infrastructure necessary. With all the current disruption, noise, confusion, and AI entering the sales world, this distinction is crucial. Best practice is having both and it is very hard to build indirect sales channels first if you don’t have a strong understanding of your sales motion.

Additionally, understanding the distinction shapes your company’s sales strategy, customer interactions, and overall business approach in both short and long-term revenue growth and retention.

How indirect sales contributes to business growth

This sales model allows businesses to reach a broader audience by using the established networks and expertise of their partners. Indirect selling is like having an army of octopuses supporting you. Each partner is a single octopus, each with up to eight arms. Those arms could be their sales team, current customers, their potential prospects, or other relationships. Working together, these partners create new opportunities you might otherwise have missed.

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There are several strategies you can use to reap the benefits of indirect sales. Understanding these strategies can help you choose the best approach for your business needs and market conditions. Let’s look at a few:

Reseller and distribution channels

Resellers and distributors — often called value-added resellers (VARs) — purchase products from companies to sell to end customers. I’ve found VARs to be particularly effective in sectors where services such as installation, customization, or training are needed. Their ability to provide a full solution package can help close deals faster. Distributors often handle bulk purchases and logistical challenges, while resellers enhance the overall value proposition through these additional services. Consequently, this channel can be especially useful for businesses looking to penetrate new markets or regions where they lack a direct presence.

Affiliate marketing and referral programs

Affiliate marketing is when individuals or other companies promote a company’s products in exchange for a commission on sales. Referral programs incentivize existing customers or partners to recommend the company’s products to others, expanding the customer base through trusted recommendations. These strategies are cost-effective ways to tap into new customer segments and enhance brand credibility.

Strategic partnerships and alliances

Strategic partnerships involve formal agreements between companies to market and sell each other’s products. These alliances can significantly enhance market reach and credibility, particularly when partners have complementary offerings. For example, a tech company might partner with a hardware manufacturer to bundle products and offer a more comprehensive solution to customers.

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Indirect sales is an attractive strategy for many businesses. Here are some of its most common advantages:

Expanded reach: One of the primary benefits is its ability to reach a broader audience. Partners often have established relationships with customers the company might not be able to access directly. This facilitates entry into new or untapped markets. As a result, the expanded reach can drive significant growth and help businesses scale quickly.
Reduced costs and overhead: Indirect sales can lead to cost savings by reducing the need for a large in-house sales team. Instead, companies can work with the infrastructure and sales force of their partners, potentially lowering certain overhead costs. This model allows businesses to allocate resources more efficiently and focus on core competencies while their partners handle sales and distribution.
Partner expertise and resources: Partners often bring specialized knowledge, relationships, and resources that can enhance your company’s sales efforts. VARs, for example, not only sell your product or service but provide valuable services such as training and support. Furthermore, this expertise can be particularly valuable in complex or highly regulated industries. By using the skills and networks of your partners, you can achieve better market penetration and customer engagement.

Implementing an indirect sales strategy requires careful planning and execution. Consider these best practices:

Build strong relationships: Success in indirect sales hinges on strong, mutually beneficial relationships with partners. Invest in building trust and collaboration, especially early in the partnership.
Provide training and support: I’ve always emphasized the importance of training and supporting your partners. Giving them the right tools and information with regular updates ensures they can effectively represent your products and services. This is something I’ve seen make a significant difference in the success of indirect sales channels.
Choose a robust CRM system: Strong customer relationship management (CRM) software is crucial for tracking sales activities, managing customer data, and ensuring seamless communication between you and your partners.
Invest in AI tools: AI is making it easier than ever to work more efficiently. The right tools can help you accelerate the sales process with automated workflows, AI-driven insights, next-step suggestions, and more.
Monitor and optimize performance using data: Regularly assess the performance of your partners and overall indirect sales strategy by regularly reviewing data and analytics. Then, make adjustments to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
Manage your expectations: To build an effective and profitable indirect sales model it typically takes two years. In my experience, it’s rare for an organization to can build an effective indirect sales model quickly.

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Effective partner relationship management (PRM) is crucial in indirect sales, and PRM software helps streamline the process. With AI-powered tools built into this software, you can optimize your indirect sales efforts and ensure your partners have everything they need to be successful.

The right software and tools are essential for managing indirect sales channels efficiently. Here are some key features to look for in a partner relationship management solution:

AI-driven deal insights: With personalized deal insights and suggestions for the next-best action to take, ensure your partners stay on track and achieve more wins.
Pipeline inspection: Improve your sales process efficiency by prioritizing leads and streamlining workflows with AI. This ensures partners focus on high-potential opportunities, leading to faster deal closures and increased sales.
Automated partner sales workflows: Reduce the friction of partner selling with lead routing. Tools like Einstein Lead and Opportunity Scoring ensure the right leads are routed to your partners so they can start selling immediately.
AI-powered analytics: Offer personalized dashboards, reports, and access to AI-generated insights. Consequently, your partners will get a full picture of revenue potential and guidance about what steps to take to close more deals.
Best-in-class partnership programs: Generally speaking, you have a team who handles many partners. With the help of Sales Cloud, your rep can now better support your channel partners, making them want to position your product or service alongside theirs.

Maximize your market reach with indirect sales

Indirect sales can be an exciting strategy for expanding market reach, reducing costs, and accessing powerful partner expertise and resources. By understanding various indirect sales strategies, implementing best practices, and using the right tools, you can unlock significant growth opportunities for your business.

Set partners up for success and win together

See how to give partners clear onboarding goals and automated business insights to grow faster, together.

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COMMENTS

Let's Be Indirect: Teachers' Top 9 Fun and Creative Activities for
Then write sentences using indirect speech on five to ten separate cards. Shuffle the cards together and lay them in a grid face down on the table. Students play against a partner to find the most matches for the sentences. To keep a pair, they must match the direct quote with the correct reported speech. 4.
Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise
Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise. Turn the following sentences into indirect speech. 1. John said, 'I am very busy now.'. 2. He said, 'The horse has been fed.'. 3. 'I know her name and address,' said John. 4.
200+Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers (2025)
Exercise 3: Turn the following sentences from direct Speech to indirect speech. (1) The boys said, "It has been raining since morning. We cannot play today.". Ans: The boys said that it had been raining since morning so they could not play that day. (2) Anjan's mother said, "Your father has left for Mumbai.".
Reported Speech ESL Games, Activities and Worksheets
ESL Reported Speech Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Forming Sentences, True or False, Guessing - Group Work - Pre-intermediate (A2) - 40 minutes. In this entertaining reported speech speaking activity, students interview each other giving true or false answers and then use reported speech to compare what the ...
5 Fun Activities for Practising Reported Speech
Shaken not stirred.". "The power of Christ compels you!". "Remember: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.". 3. Reported Speech Cards. This is another fun speaking activity that will help students learn reported speech. Hand out slips of paper to students. One side of the paper is a direct speech sentence.
Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheets
The collection, available in easy-to-access PDF format, offers a variety of activities that cater to different learning styles, making it an excellent tool for reinforcing this essential grammar concept in a fun and interactive way. ... Direct and indirect speech are two ways of conveying what someone has said, with distinct differences and ...
Reported Speech Games, Activities, Worksheets and Lesson Plans
Provide students with news headlines or short news articles. Ask them to transform from direct speech (quoted speech) to reported speech (indirect speech) when retelling the news. This activity helps students practice the appropriate changes in verb tenses, pronouns, and time and place references. #19: Interview and Report
Fun Ways of Practising Reported Speech
Fun Ways of Practising Reported Speech. By Alex Case. Alex Case offers 15 ideas for getting learners to use indirect speech. 1. Reported speech reversi. Prepare cards with reported speech on one side and direct speech of the same sentence on the other. Students have to correctly say what is on the other side to turn it over and score one point.
"He Said What?" Top 10 ESL Activities for Reported Speech
Reported Speech Card Games. For some students, the best way to learn Reported Speech is by reading the statements they have to report. This is why we often write them on the board. Try these card games instead! For the first game, prepare a set of index card each with a direct speech statement on one side and the indirect statement on the other.
10 Fun Reported Speech Games And Activities
It can help in polishing and refining the concept of reported speech in a better fashion and help students master it. 5. The Speech Bingo. This is a fun individual game that is based on the concept of Bingo. This game is a creative way of teaching and making students practice the concept of reported speech.
Direct and indirect speech exercises
Direct speech: "I'm seeing my brother tomorrow.". Indirect speech: She said she was seeing her brother the following day. Here are some other examples: Direct speech: "I had a headache yesterday.". Indirect speech: You said you'd had a headache the day before yesterday. Direct speech: "It's been raining since this afternoon.".
How to Teach Direct and Indirect Speech: 9 Steps (with Pictures)
2. Ask your students to report on each other's answers to your questions. First, ask one student a question. Once they answer, ask another student to report what the first student said using direct speech. Then, ask a third student to report what the first student said using indirect speech.
Direct and Reported Speech Worksheet
In this fun and engaging direct and indirect speech activity pack, you'll find a PowerPoint and worksheet. First, share the included The Differences Between Direct and Indirect Speech PowerPoint with your class, stopping when needed to discuss this more together and think of examples of the different kinds of speech. Once you've completed the PowerPoint, your children will be ready to have ...
Direct and Indirect Exercises With Answers
7) The psychologist said, "You should calm down.". 8) I responded, "I ought to leave the office.". 9) Mark said, "I love visiting China and Korea.". 10) Martin said, "I can be a great president!". 11) Sung-He said, "Close the windows" 12) Bobby will say, "I have already done direct and indirect speech exercises.
Reported speech
Tell them to write in direct speech the reported speech. They can add more detail if they like. At the end, have different students read their quotes and ask the others if they can see what story it came from. Activity: Shades of meaning 1. The choice of whether or not to 'backshift' the tenses in reported speech often has to do with the ...
Direct and indirect speech exercises PDF
Reported questions + commands exercises PDF. Practise the difference between the direct and indirect speech in questions, commands and requests. Online exercises with answers: Direct - indirect speech exercise 1 Rewrite sentences in the reported speech. Direct - indirect speech exercise 2 Report a short dialogue in the reported speech.
Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises
Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises with Answers. When converting direct speech to indirect speech or vice-versa, you will have to take care to convert the verb, pronoun and the adverb appropriately. Go through the following exercises and try them out. Answers are given below each exercise; refer to them to see if your answers are right.
Indirect Questions ESL Worksheets Activities Role-Plays Games
Super Polite. ESL Indirect Questions Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Communicative Practice - Pair Work - Intermediate (B1) - 30 minutes. In this free indirect questions speaking activity, students role-play two situations where someone politely asks for information using indirect questions.
Direct and Indirect Speech Game Cards
These reported speech game cards are the perfect way to help your students revise their understanding of direct and reported or indirect speech in an engaging way! There are a total of 40 cards in the deck. 20 red cards provide examples of direct speech, while 20 blue cards provide examples of indirect speech. Students must work in pairs and take turns choosing a card and reading it aloud ...
9+ Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises (with Answers) for Practice
Instruction:Change the following sentences from direct to indirect speech. She said, " I live in Noida". He said," I am going out". Sita said," I have done my homework.". Rohan said, " I have finished". They said," We are going to the market". She said, " The concert starts at 7 pm". She said," I ate an apple.".
Reported speech
Reported speech - questions. Reported questions - write. Reported speech - imperatives. Reported speech - modals. Indirect speech - tenses 1. Indirect speech - tenses 2. Indirect speech - write 1. Indirect speech - write 2. Indirect speech - quiz.
Indirect and direct speech
Just make your own! Wordwall makes it quick and easy to create your perfect teaching resource. Find Out More. Direct and indirect speech - Direct and indirect question forms - Direct into indirect speech - Direct speech and Reported speech - Indirect Speech.
Direct and Indirect Speech: Useful Rules and Examples
Differences between Direct and Indirect Speech. Change of Pronouns. Change of Tenses. Change of Time and Place References. Converting Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech. Step 1: Remove the Quotation Marks. Step 2: Use a Reporting Verb and a Linker. Step 3: Change the Tense of the Verb. Step 4: Change the Pronouns.
"He Said What?" Top 10 ESL Activities for Reported Speech
For some students, the best way to learn Reported Speech is by reading the statements they have to report. This is why we often write them on the board. Try these card games instead! For the first game, prepare a set of index card each with a direct speech statement on one side and the indirect statement on the other. Divide students into pairs.
Direct dan Indirect Speech: Apa Itu? Pengertian dan Contoh Lengkapnya
1. Ubah kalimat berikut dari direct speech menjadi indirect speech: Direct Speech: "I am going to the store," she said. Indirect Speech: She said that _____. a) she is going to the store. b) she was going to the store. c) she were going to the store. d) she will be going to the store. 2.Pilih kalimat indirect speech yang benar untuk kalimat ...
What is Indirect Sales?
What is indirect sales? Indirect sales, also known as partner sales or channel sales, brings in third-party resellers, brokers, and distributors to generate new sales without adding headcount.. Indirect sales vs. direct sales. Indirect sales relies on partner resources — networks, knowledge, and existing relationships — to amplify a company's sales efforts.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers (2024)

Understanding Direct Speech in English

English Indirect Speech examples

Change of Tenses : Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers

Exercise 1:

Exercise 2:

Exercise 3:

Change of Pronouns in Direct and Indirect Speech: Exercises and Answers

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Exercise 5:

Time and Place Expressions in Direct and Indirect Speech: Exercises and Answers

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers of Assertive Sentences

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Exercise 10:

Interrogative Sentences Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers

Exercise 11:

Exercise 12:

Exercise 13:

Imperative Sentences Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers

Exercise 14:

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Exercise 16:

Direct and indirect speech Exercises and Answers with “Let”

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers of Optative Sentences

Exercise 20:

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Exercise 22:

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises of Exclamatory Sentences

Exercise 23:

Exercise 24:

Exercise 25:

Unsolved Worksheets for Direct and Indirect Speech

D. Complete the sentences in the reported speech.

E. Complete the sentence in the reported speech.

F. Complete the sentence in the reported speech.

G. Read the dialogue and complete the following passage.

H. Read the following conversation and complete the passage that follows.

Direct and Indirect Speech Answers Key

D. Complete the sentences in reported speech.

F. Complete the sentence in reported speech.

G. Read the dialogue and complete the following passage

FAQs on Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Answers

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ESL Reported Speech Games

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