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Reported Speech: A Complete Guide for High School Students

Dive into this comprehensive guide on , crafted exclusively for high school students. Learn how to transform direct speech into indirect effortlessly with simple rules, day-to-day examples, and practice . Based on ‘s iconic grammar book, this tutorial covers everything from statements and questions to commands and exclamations. Perfect for exams and everyday communication—start mastering Reported Speech today!


Reported Speech (also known as ) is a way to express what someone said, without quoting their exact words. Instead of using quotation marks, we rephrase the speaker’s words.

This guide is based on the rules and examples provided in Wren and Martin’s Grammar and Composition.


What is Reported Speech?

Reported speech involves two main parts:

  1. Direct Speech: Quoting the speaker’s exact words.
    • Example: He said, “I am going to the market.”
  2. Indirect Speech: Paraphrasing the speaker’s words.
    • Example: He said that he was going to the market.

Rules of Conversion: Direct to Indirect Speech

1. Change of Pronouns

  • Pronouns in indirect speech change according to the subject of the reporting verb.
  • Example:
    • Direct: She said, “I love my cat.”
    • Indirect: She said that she loved her cat.

2. Change of Tense

  • The tense of the verb in the reported speech changes based on the tense of the reporting verb.
Rule:
  • If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the reported speech is shifted back one tense.
    • Present Simple → Past Simple
    • Present Continuous → Past Continuous
    • Present Perfect → Past Perfect
    • Past Simple → Past Perfect
Examples:
  • Direct: He said, “I play football.”
    Indirect: He said that he played football.
  • Direct: She said, “I am reading a book.”
    Indirect: She said that she was reading a book.
Exception:
  • If the statement is a universal truth, the tense does not change.
    • Direct: The teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”
      Indirect: The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.

3. Change of Adverbs and Time References

Words indicating time or place in direct speech are modified in indirect speech.

Direct SpeechIndirect Speech
nowthen
todaythat day
yesterdaythe previous day
tomorrowthe next day
herethere
thisthat
Example:
  • Direct: He said, “I will meet you here tomorrow.”
    Indirect: He said that he would meet me there the next day.

Types of Sentences in Reported Speech

1. Statements

  • Use ‘that’ to connect the reporting verb and the reported speech.
    • Direct: She said, “I am happy.”
      Indirect: She said that she was happy.

2. Questions

  • Remove question marks and use if or whether for yes/no questions.
  • Use the question word (e.g., who, what) for WH-questions.
Examples:
  • Direct: He asked, “Do you know her?”
    Indirect: He asked if I knew her.
  • Direct: She asked, “Where are you going?”
    Indirect: She asked where I was going.

3. Commands and Requests

  • Use to + verb for commands and requests.
  • Add not to for negative commands.
Examples:
  • Direct: He said, “Close the door.”
    Indirect: He told me to close the door.
  • Direct: She said, “Don’t make noise.”
    Indirect: She told me not to make noise.

4. Exclamations

  • Replace the exclamation with that and adjust the verb.
  • Expressions like Oh!, Wow!, Alas! are omitted or replaced with descriptive phrases.
Examples:
  • Direct: She said, “What a beautiful painting!”
    Indirect: She said that it was a beautiful painting.
  • Direct: He said, “Alas! I failed the test.”
    Indirect: He exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed the test.

Reporting Verbs

The verb in the reporting clause determines the tone of the sentence. Common verbs include:

  • Statements: said, told
  • Questions: asked, inquired
  • Commands/Requests: ordered, requested, advised
  • Exclamations: exclaimed, cried, remarked

Practice Exercises

  1. Convert the following sentences into indirect speech:
    • a) He said, “I am learning French.”
    • b) She asked, “Where is my book?”
    • c) The teacher said, “Read the chapter carefully.”
    • d) They exclaimed, “How lucky we are!”
  2. Identify the errors in these :
    • a) She told that she is .
    • b) He said if he could help me.

Key Points to Remember

  • Always identify the type of sentence before converting.
  • Adjust pronouns, verbs, and time references carefully.
  • Do not change the tense for universal truths or habitual actions.

By mastering these rules from Wren and Martin, you’ll be able to handle any sentence conversion confidently. Keep practicing, and soon, reported speech will become second nature to you!

Here’s a one-page worksheet design for Reported Speech that you can print and distribute. It includes a header section for student information and activities to test their understanding.


Name of the Student: _________________________________
Class: _____________________ Roll No.: ______________
Date: ___________________


Worksheet: Reported Speech

Instructions:

  1. Read each sentence carefully.
  2. Convert the sentences from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech or vice versa as instructed.
  3. Write your answers in the space provided.

Section A:

Rewrite the following sentences in Indirect Speech.

  1. He said, “I am going to the library.”
  2. She said, “We have finished our homework.”
  3. They asked, “Do you know where the station is?”
  4. The teacher said, “Don’t talk during the exam.”
  5. He exclaimed, “What a beautiful sunset!”

Section B: Indirect to Direct Speech

Rewrite the following sentences in Direct Speech.

  1. She said that she was feeling tired.
  2. He told me to be careful with the glass.
  3. They asked if I had completed the project.
  4. The manager said that the meeting would start at 3 PM.
  5. He exclaimed with joy that he had won the competition.

Section C:

Find and correct the errors in the following sentences:

  1. She told that she is going to the park.
  2. He asked that what time the train arrives.
  3. The teacher said me to study harder.

Section D: Creative Practice

Convert the following dialogue into Indirect Speech:

John: “Where were you yesterday?”
Mary: “I was at home studying for the test.”
John: “Did you finish the entire syllabus?”
Mary: “Yes, I even revised some chapters.”

Your Answer:






Answer Key: Reported Speech Worksheet

Section A: Direct to Indirect Speech

  1. He said, “I am going to the library.”
    → He said that he was going to the library.
  2. She said, “We have finished our homework.”
    → She said that they had finished their homework.
  3. They asked, “Do you know where the station is?”
    → They asked if I knew where the station was.
  4. The teacher said, “Don’t talk during the exam.”
    → The teacher told us not to talk during the exam.
  5. He exclaimed, “What a beautiful sunset!”
    → He exclaimed that it was a beautiful sunset.

Section B: Indirect to Direct Speech

  1. She said that she was feeling tired.
    → She said, “I am feeling tired.”
  2. He told me to be careful with the glass.
    → He said, “Be careful with the glass.”
  3. They asked if I had completed the project.
    → They asked, “Have you completed the project?”
  4. The manager said that the meeting would start at 3 PM.
    → The manager said, “The meeting will start at 3 PM.”
  5. He exclaimed with joy that he had won the competition.
    → He said, “I have won the competition!”

Section C: Error Correction

  1. She told that she is going to the park.
    → She said that she was going to the park.
  2. He asked that what time the train arrives.
    → He asked what time the train arrived.
  3. The teacher said me to study harder.
    → The teacher told me to study harder.

Section D: Creative Practice

Dialogue:

John: “Where were you yesterday?”
Mary: “I was at home studying for the test.”
John: “Did you finish the entire syllabus?”
Mary: “Yes, I even revised some chapters.”

Answer:
John asked Mary where she had been the previous day. Mary replied that she had been at home studying for the test. John then asked if she had finished the entire syllabus. Mary said that she had and added that she had even revised some chapters.


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