Direct and Indirect Speech Quiz

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

When we speak to the other person it often happens that we start talking about the third person that this girl or that boy said this and that to someone. when this type of conversation arrives we may either speak those words exactly as said by the person or we may change the sentence without changing its meaning and report it.

DIRECT SPEECH: In our speech, when we speak to the other person directly the exact sentence as said by the person to someone then it is direct speech.

Example: 

The girl said to her father, "My bag is empty."

In the above example, "girl" is a third-person whose exact words are written in quotation marks.

Here, the first part of the sentence before the comma is referred to as reporting verb, and the part which is within the inverted commas is called the reported speech.

INDIRECT SPEECH: When we speak to the other person and tell them the sentence that is changed but not the meaning that we had heard from the other person then it is indirect speech.

Example:

The girl said to her father her bag was empty.

Here, the sentence said by the girl has changed but the meaning is the same.

Rules to transform direct speech into indirect speech:

1. Remove comma and put that in its place.
2. Remove inverted commas.
3. Change persons of the pronouns and of the verbs in the reported speech.
4. Change tense and verbs.
5. Change said to in reporting verb into told (if followed by an object) or asked (in case of interrogative sentences).

• Change of person: 

1. First-person pronouns in the direct reported speech change according to the subject of the reporting verb.

Example:

Direct: She says, " I am going to London."

Indirect: She says that she is going to London.

2. Second person pronouns change according to the noun or pronoun coming after the reporting verb.

Second person changes to third, if there is no mention of second person in the reporting verb.

Note: If there is you (second person) in the direct speech, you in the indirect speech remains unchanged.

Example: 

Direct: Ahana said to you, "You are a sweet person".

Indirect: Ahana said to you that you were a sweet person.

3. Third person pronouns of the direct speech remain unchanged when converted to indirect.

Example:

Direct: Miley said to me, "She has come".

Indirect: Miley said to me that she had come.

• Changes in Tense and Verbs

1. Different changes are made regarding tense, verbs, or helping verbs while changing from direct to Indirect.

Changes of Tenses

Changes of Verb

2. If the reporting verb, i.e. the main verb in the first part of the sentence before the comma is in the present or the future tense, the tense of the verbs in the reported speech will not change.

Examples:

Direct: Mummy says, " I will cook pasta today".

Indirect: Mummy says that she will cook pasta today.

3. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the verbs in the reported speech will be changed into their corresponding past tense.

Examples:

Direct: The boy said to his father, "I write every day". (Present Indefinite)

Indirect: The boy said to his father that he wrote every day. (Past indefinite)

Direct: The girl said to her mother, "I shall write a letter". (Future Indefinite)

Indirect: The girl said to her mother that she would write a letter. (Future in the Past)

Direct: The girl said to her friend, "I shall be singing a song. (Future Continuous)

Indirect: The girl said to her friend that she would be singing a song. (Future continuous in the Past)

Note: The tense of the verb does not change in case of universal truth or habitual fact even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.

Some Important Points:

• If the reported speech has two actions both in the past continuous tense then its tense will not change when converting into indirect speech.
• If the reported speech is in the past tense and indicates time or period, its tense will not change.
• In some cases, must and need not are used in place of have to.
• Must is used in place of shall have to when it expresses necessity or compulsion.
• If the question in the reported speech begins with a helping verb is, am, are etc., then replace inverted commas by if or whether.
• Said to can also be changed into enquired or demanded depending on the nature of the sentence.
• If the question starts with who, whose, when, where, no conjunction is used in place of the inverted commas.
• In the case of an imperative sentence, the sense of order, command, advice, request, entreaty, warning, etc., are conveyed. So, said to changes into ordered, requested, advised, commanded, warned, forbade, etc. depending on the nature of the sentence.
• Inverted commas are replaced by to in case of an imperative sentence.
• Don't or do not is substituted by not to in case of a negative imperative sentence.
• If the imperative sentence starts with let and expresses some proposal or suggestion, said to should be changed into proposed to, or suggested to.

He said, "The horse died in the night."

He said that the horse had died in the night. He told that the horse had died in the night. He told that the horse died in the night. He said that the horse have died in the night.

Next Question  

Mummy says. "I will have to go."

Mummy said that she will have to go. Mummy says that she will have to go. Mummy says that I would have to go. Mummy told that she will have to go.

Next Question  

The girl said to her friend, "I shall have written a letter in the evening.

The girl told her friend that she would have written a letter in the evening. The girl said to her friend that I would have written a letter in the evening. The girl said to her friend that she should write a letter in the evening. The girl said to her friend that she shall have written a letter in the evening.

Next Question  

The girl said to her mother, "I have been reading since morning."

The girl said to her mother that she has been reading since morning. The girl said to her mother that I had been reading since morning. The girl told her mother that she had been reading since morning. The girl said to her mother that she had read since morning.

Next Question  

The boy said to her friend, "I shall have been writing a letter."

The boy said to her friend that I would have been writing a letter. The boy told her friend that he shall have been writing a letter. The boy said to her friend that he would have written a letter. The boy told her friend that he would have been writing a letter.

Next Question  

His father taught him, "The Ramayana is a holy book."

His father taught him that the Ramayana was a holy book. His father taught him that the Ramayana had been a holy book. His father taught him that the Ramayana was been a holy book. His father taught him that the Ramayana is a holy book.

Next Question  

He said, " The man was coming."

He said that I had been coming. He said that the man had been coming. He said that the man has been coming. He said that the he had been coming.

Next Question  

Shano said to me, "He will be defeated."

Shano told me that she would be defeated. Shano said to me that she would had been defeated. Shano said to me that she should be defeated. Shano said to me that she would have been defeated.

Next Question  

The policeman said to us, "You must not cross the road against the red light."

The policeman told us that we must had not cross the road against the red light. The policeman told us that we must not cross the road against the red light. The policeman told us that you must not cross the road against the red light. The policeman said to us that we must not cross the road against the red light.

Next Question  

The master said to the servant, "Post the letter at once."

The master ordered the servant that post the letter at once. The master ordered the servant to post the letter at once.

Next Question  

He said to me, "Where are you going?"

He asked me where I was being going? He asked me where I had been going? He asked me that where I was going? He asked me where I was going?

Next Question  

Charlie asked, "Are the boys there?"

Charlie asked were the boys were there. Charlie asked whether the boys were there. Charlie enquired whether the boys were there. Charlie enquired if the boys were there.

Next Question  

She said. "The cat was running and the dog was chasing it."

She said that the cat had been running and the dog had been chasing it. She said that the cat had been running and the dog was chasing it. She said that the cat was running and the dog was chasing it. She said that the cat had been running because the dog was chasing it.

Next Question  

He said to me, "There is no more water."

He told me that there was no more water. He told me that there were no more water. He said to me that there were no more water.

Next Question  

He said. "I cried out when I saw the thief coming."

He said that he cried out when he had seen the thief coming. He said that he had been cried out when he saw the thief coming. He said that he cried out when he saw that thief were coming. He said that he cried out when he saw the thief coming.

Finish

Your Score - 0/100%
Questions	Answer
He said, "The horse died in the night."	He said that the horse had died in the night. He told that the horse had died in the night. He told that the horse died in the night. He said that the horse have died in the night.
Mummy says. "I will have to go."	Mummy said that she will have to go. Mummy says that she will have to go. Mummy says that I would have to go. Mummy told that she will have to go.
The girl said to her friend, "I shall have written a letter in the evening.	The girl told her friend that she would have written a letter in the evening. The girl said to her friend that I would have written a letter in the evening. The girl said to her friend that she should write a letter in the evening. The girl said to her friend that she shall have written a letter in the evening.
The girl said to her mother, "I have been reading since morning."	The girl said to her mother that she has been reading since morning. The girl said to her mother that I had been reading since morning. The girl told her mother that she had been reading since morning. The girl said to her mother that she had read since morning.
The boy said to her friend, "I shall have been writing a letter."	The boy said to her friend that I would have been writing a letter. The boy told her friend that he shall have been writing a letter. The boy said to her friend that he would have written a letter. The boy told her friend that he would have been writing a letter.
His father taught him, "The Ramayana is a holy book."	His father taught him that the Ramayana was a holy book. His father taught him that the Ramayana had been a holy book. His father taught him that the Ramayana was been a holy book. His father taught him that the Ramayana is a holy book.
He said, " The man was coming."	He said that I had been coming. He said that the man had been coming. He said that the man has been coming. He said that the he had been coming.
Shano said to me, "He will be defeated."	Shano told me that she would be defeated. Shano said to me that she would had been defeated. Shano said to me that she should be defeated. Shano said to me that she would have been defeated.
The policeman said to us, "You must not cross the road against the red light."	The policeman told us that we must had not cross the road against the red light. The policeman told us that we must not cross the road against the red light. The policeman told us that you must not cross the road against the red light. The policeman said to us that we must not cross the road against the red light.
The master said to the servant, "Post the letter at once."	The master ordered the servant that post the letter at once. The master ordered the servant to post the letter at once.
He said to me, "Where are you going?"	He asked me where I was being going? He asked me where I had been going? He asked me that where I was going? He asked me where I was going?
Charlie asked, "Are the boys there?"	Charlie asked were the boys were there. Charlie asked whether the boys were there. Charlie enquired whether the boys were there. Charlie enquired if the boys were there.
She said. "The cat was running and the dog was chasing it."	She said that the cat had been running and the dog had been chasing it. She said that the cat had been running and the dog was chasing it. She said that the cat was running and the dog was chasing it. She said that the cat had been running because the dog was chasing it.
He said to me, "There is no more water."	He told me that there was no more water. He told me that there were no more water. He said to me that there were no more water.
He said. "I cried out when I saw the thief coming."	He said that he cried out when he had seen the thief coming. He said that he had been cried out when he saw the thief coming. He said that he cried out when he saw that thief were coming. He said that he cried out when he saw the thief coming.