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Reported speech - 1

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Worksheets - handouts

Reported speech

Worksheets - pdf exercises.

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  • Indirect speech - exercises
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Grammar - lessons

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Reported Speech Exercises

Perfect english grammar.

quoted and reported speech worksheet

Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site:

( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech )

Reported Statements:

  • Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
  • Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
  • Past Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
  • Present Perfect Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
  • Future Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
  • Mixed Tense Reported Statement Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
  • 'Say' and 'Tell' (quite easy) (in PDF here)

Reported Questions:

  • Present Simple Reported Yes/No Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
  • Present Simple Reported Wh Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
  • Mixed Tense Reported Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)

Reported Orders and Requests:

  • Reported Requests and Orders Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
  • Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 1 (difficult) (in PDF here)
  • Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 2 (difficult) (in PDF here)

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195 FREE Reported Speech Worksheets

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FREE Reported Speech Worksheets

Busyteacher.org says, “we’ve got 195 reported speech worksheets just for you” and once you’ve tried some of them in your classroom, we’re sure you’ll agree with thousands of other teachers all over the world, who’ve said, “busyteacher.org is a great site for esl resources” all cheesiness aside, reported speech can be a little confusing for some esl students, but it’s simple to teach if you have the right tools. just about every language involves some form of reported speech - so once your students get the general idea, they should be off and running with any activities you give them. the question is, how can you make sure you give them a solid foundation in english reported speech by starting with busyteacher.org worksheets, of course when you use some of these 195 worksheets along with the more rigorous exercises in your textbook, your students will quickly gain experience in all the ways english can be used to report speech. then it’s time to turn them loose on some of the fun activities and games you’ll find on this page, so they can start using reported speech in sentences and descriptions. it doesn’t matter if you’re teaching basic reported speech to esl level-one beginners, or practicing advanced reported speech with your level-five students - you’ll find worksheets here that are perfectly adapted for your students’ skill and experience. and whether you want to quiz them with some fill-in-the-blank or multiple-choice worksheets, help them analyze reported speech in english-language movies and tv shows, or get them up and active with some reported speech games, busyteacher.org has got the right worksheets for you. working through a special themed unit we love that we’ve got worksheets based on work and school vocabulary, animals, cartoon characters, emotions, movies, and much more. busyteacher.org even has worksheets that target specific aspects of reported speech, like direct speech, reporting verbs, and impersonal report structures. we’ve got a reported speech worksheet for everybody, from esl beginners to advanced students; from classes full of kids to business english seminars. not sure where to start with our 195 reported speech worksheets try looking through the top ten most popular ones, or searching using the bar at the top of the page. or if you’d prefer to just browse, all our worksheets are easy to preview as thumbnail images, or with our handy “quick view” feature, which lets you get a one-click preview of each worksheet before you download it. and just so you know, every worksheet you’ll find here is totally free to download, share, and duplicate. that’s thanks to our international community of esl teachers, who’ve created each of these worksheets themselves, and tested them in their own classrooms. want to say thanks why not share a worksheet of your own just click the “submit a worksheet” button at the bottom of this page to get started. busyteacher.org’s 195 reported speech worksheets await - so start scrolling we’re sure your students will love the worksheets you find. read more... ...less.

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Humanities LibreTexts

5.6: Quoted Speech versus Reported Speech

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  • Page ID 108098

  • Don Bissonnette
  • South Seattle Community College

Quoted Speech versus Reported Speech

       Quoted speech is repeating the exact words that someone spoke or wrote.  When using quoted speech, a writer must use quotation marks to show that he/she is quoting exactly what another person said.  Quoted speech is rarely used by native speakers.   Reported speech is saying the same information as in quoted speech, but the speaker or writer uses his or her own words.   Reported speech is almost always used by native speakers of English.   Reported speech is VERY difficult for non-native speakers.  (Many native speakers also mix up reported speech with quoted speech.)  When using reported speech, the subjects of sentences, the verbs, the possessive adjectives, and locations change from those used in quoted speech.  I repeat: Reported speech can be VERY confusing for non-native speakers.

Quoted speech:   The man said, “I can’t come to your party.” Reported speech:   The man said that he couldn’t come to my party.

Quoted speech:   My mother always said to me, “I want you home at dinner time.” Reported speech:  My mother always said to me that she wanted me home at dinner time.

Quoted speech:   I asked the old woman, “Can I help you to carry your bags”? Reported speech:   I asked the old woman if I could help her with her bags.

Quoted Speech:  I told my two sons, “I have traveled around the world two times.” Reported speech:  I told my two sons that I had traveled around the world two times.

Quoted speech:   My wife said to my son, “You should have fixed the broken light on your car before you got the ticket.” Reported speech:   My wife said to my son that he should have changed the broken light on his car before he got a ticket.

Quoted speech:   I asked my sons, “Can you help me in my garden on Saturday”? Reported speech:   I asked my sons if they could help me in my garden on Saturday.

Quoted speech:  My sister says, “I want to win the lottery.” Reported speech:  My sister says that she wants to win the lottery.

Quoted speech:   My wife told the delivery person, “Put the boxes here.” Reported speech:   My wife told the delivery person to put the boxes there.

From the examples above, you should note that the verb tense of reported speech depends upon the verb that comes before it.  If the first verb is in the present tense, then the reported speech is also in the present tense.  However, if the first verb is in the past tense, then the reported speech is also in the past tense.  If the quoted speech is a present or future tense modal verb, then the reported speech is a past modal.  If the quoted speech is in the present perfect tense, then the reported speech is in the past perfect tense.   This is difficult to understand and use, both for native and non-native speakers and especially writers .

Also, note how pronouns and possessive adjectives change form.  I becomes he/she .  You becomes I/we .  My becomes his/her .  Our becomes their.  Your becomes our .

Here becomes there .  Now becomes then .  This and these become that and those .  Today becomes that day and tomorrow becomes the next day .

Simple yes/no questions change from the helping verbs to if .

With imperative sentences, use infinitives in reported speech. Example:  “Come to class on time.”  He told them to come to class on time.

Verb Forms Used in Reported Speech

Quoted Speech                                       Reported Speech

The student said, “I study hard.”               He said *that he studied hard. The student says, “I study hard.”               He says *that he studies hard. He said, “I am studying hard.”                   He said *that he was studying hard. He said, “I will study hard.”                       He said *that he would study hard. He said, “I am going to study hard.”           He said *that he was going to study hard. He says, “I am going to study hard.”          He says *that he is going to study hard. He said, “I can study hard.”                       He said *that he could study hard. He said, “I have studied hard.”                  He said *that he had studied hard. He says, “I have studied hard.”                  He says *that he has studied hard. He said, “I had studied hard.”                    He said *that he had studied hard. He told them, “Do your homework.”           He told them to do their homework.

       *The word “that” is optional in the reported speech sentences.  In fact, native speakers usually do not say the “that.”  It is understood to be there by native speakers, however.  Common verbs used for reporting words are as follows:  say, tell, ask, inquire, respond, answer, reply, state, comment, report, complain, announce, explain, remark, note .  There are doubtlessly other reported-speech words.  In reported speech, these verbs are almost always used in the past tense.

Exercise 26:  Change quoted speech to reported speech in the following sentences, please. 

Examples: 

“I need to buy a new computer.”   He said he needed to buy a new computer. “We have been working for two days on the project.”   He noted that they had been working for two days on the project.

1.  Alex said, “I will be home in August.”

2.  My sister asked, “Will your son be home in August”?

3.  I said to my neighbor, “I love to work in my garden.”

4.  The housewife said to her husband, “We have to fix the broken window.”

5.  “Boys make a lot of noise,” said the tired mother.

6.  The boy said to his grandmother, “I love you.”

7.  The policeman asked the driver, “Do you have a driver’s license”?

8.  The teacher told the students, “Bring your books to class tomorrow.”

9.  The man said, “The boys are playing soccer.”

10.  The woman said to her husband, “A plane just flew by at a very low altitude.”

11.  “The teacher said, “You will eventually learn English.”

Exercise 27:  Same as above, please.

1.  The man responded to me, “I’ll see you later on tonight.”

2.  I advised the children “Don’t play near the street.”

3.  The man complained to the restaurant manager, “Please make sure the plates are clean the next time I come here.”

4.  The boys asked me, “Do you like classical music”?

5.  When the woman saw the price on the coat, she remarked to her friend, “I think you are crazy if you buy that coat at that price.”

6.  I inquired of the mechanic, “How much will it cost to repair my car”?

7.  The murderer stated to the judge, “I committed the murder because the man owed me some money for a gambling debt and he wouldn’t pay up.”

8.  The mailman said, “I haven’t delivered any mail to that house in over a week.”

9.  The teacher responded to the student’s question by saying, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know the answer.”

10.  The worker told his boss, “I can’t come to work tomorrow because I have a doctor’s appointment.”

11.  The president commented to his staff, “Sometimes this job is like living in hell.”

Exercise 28:  Use the following words to make reported-speech sentences, please.

1.  reported

2.  said

3.  inquired

4.  asked

5.  responded

6.  announced

7.  noted

8.  explained

9.  stated

10.  told

11. replied

12.  complained

13.  said

Quoted & Reported Speech Worksheets

Worksheets & Templates

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This worksheet set reinforces students’ understanding of quoted and reported speech by allowing them to practise identifying the type of speech and converting between quoted and reported speech.

Each of the three differentiated activities includes a brief definition of quoted and reported speech for your students to refer back to.

No prep necessary, just print and go!

Perfect for a pre-assessment, fast finisher task or as part of your relief teacher folder.

Use these worksheets alongside our Quoted & Reported Speech Posters , Story Writing Using Quoted Speech and the Quoted and Reported Speech Passport Activity for a cohesive learning experience.

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According to the above sentence, Joshua said EXACTLY those words.  

The other way of repeating what a person says is called “reported speech.”   Reported speech is NOT EXACTLY what the person said.   It is like a summary or paraphrase of what the speaker said.   Take a look at the following example:

This is NOT EXACTLY what Joshua said.

Here is another example:

Quiz  

The following sentences use quoted speech.   Change the following sentences from quoted speech to reported speech.   Then see below to get the answers and the explanations.

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! Really!”

11.) Sung-Hee said, “Close the windows”

12.) Bobby will say, “I have already done my homework.”

©2003 Advanced Learning Center .  All rights reserved.  If you find an error on this Web site, please email us and let us know.  We appreciate all feedback and suggestions.

Indirect Speech in the English Language

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Using the Past Tense

Using the present tense, pronouns and time expressions, verb changes, worksheet answers.

  • TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London
  • M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music
  • B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music

In conversation and writing, dialogue may be either direct or indirect. Direct speech comes from the source, whether spoken aloud or written as a quotation. Indirect speech, also known as reported speech , is a second-hand account of something a person said. 

Unlike direct speech, which occurs in the present tense, indirect speech usually occurs in the past tense . For example, the verbs "say" and "tell"  are used to relate a conversation that you have had with someone. In this case, the verb that you are relating moves one step back into the past.

  • Tom: I'm working hard these days.
  • You: (relating this statement to a friend): Tom said he was working hard lately.
  • Annie: We bought some truffles for a fancy dinner.
  • You: (relating this statement to a friend): Annie told me they had bought some truffles for a fancy dinner.

Indirect speech sometimes can be used in the  present tense  to report to someone who has not heard the original statement. When using "say" in the present tense, keep the tense the same as the original statement, but make sure to change the appropriate  pronouns  and helping verbs. For example:

  • Direct speech:   I am giving my opinion.
  • Reported speech:   He says he is giving his opinion.
  • Direct speech: I moved back to my parents' house two years ago.
  • Reported speech: Anna says she moved back to her parents' house two years ago.

When changing from direct speech to reported speech, it is often necessary to change the pronouns to match the subject of the sentence.

  • Direct speech:   I'm going to visit Tom tomorrow.
  • Reported speech:   Ken told me he was going to visit Tom the next day.

It is also important to change time expressions when referring to present, past, or future time to match the moment of speaking.

  • Direct speech:   We are working on our end of the year report right now.
  • Reported speech:   She said they were working on their end of the year report at that moment.

When reporting questions, it is especially important to pay attention to sentence order. In these examples, note how the response repeats the question. Simple past, present perfect , and past perfect all change to past perfect in the reported form.

  • Direct speech:   Do you want to come with me?
  • Reported speech:   She asked me if I wanted to come with her.
  • Direct speech:  Where did you go last weekend?
  • Reported speech:   Dave asked me where I had gone the previous weekend.
  • Direct speech:   Why are you studying English?
  • Reported speech:   She asked me why I was studying English.

Although the past tense is most often used in indirect speech, you can also use other verb tenses . Here is a chart of the most common verb changes for reported speech.

Present simple to past simple tense:

  • Direct speech: I work hard.
  • Reported speech: He said he worked hard.

Present continuous to past continuous tense:

  • Direct speech:   She is playing the piano.
  • Reported speech:   He said she was playing the piano.

Future tense (using "will"):

  • Direct speech:   Tom will have a good time.
  • Reported speech:   He said Tom would have a good time.

Future tense (using "going"):

  • Direct speech:   Anna is going to attend the conference.
  • Reported speech:   Peter said Anna was going to attend the conference.

Present perfect to past perfect tense:

  • Direct speech:  I have visited Rome three times.
  • Reported speech:   He said he had visited Rome three times.

Past simple to past perfect tense:

  • Direct speech:   Frank bought a new car.
  • Reported speech:   She said Frank had bought a new car.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense by moving the reported verb one step back into the past when necessary.

  • I'm working in Dallas today. / He said he _____ (work) in Dallas that day.
  • I think he will win the election. / She said she _____ (think) he _____ (win) the election.
  • Anna lives in London. / Peter says Anna _____ (live) in London.
  • My father is going to visit us next week. / Frank said his father ______ (visit) them the following week.
  • They bought a brand new Mercedes! / She said they _____ (buy) a brand new Mercedes.
  • I have worked at the company since 1997. / She said she _____ (work) at the company since 1997.
  • They are watching TV at the moment. / She said they _____ (watch) TV at that moment.
  • Francis drives to work every day. / He said Francis _____ (drive) to work every day.
  • Alan thought about changing his job last year. / Alan said that he _____ (thought) about changing his job the previous year.
  • Susan is flying to Chicago tomorrow. / Susan said she _____ (fly) to Chicago the next day.
  • George went to the hospital last night. / Peter said that George _____ (go) to the hospital the preceding night.
  • I enjoy playing golf on Saturdays. / Ken says that he _____ (enjoy) playing golf on Saturdays.
  • I will change jobs soon. / Jennifer told me she _____ (change) jobs soon.
  • Frank is getting married in July. / Anna tells me that Frank ______ (get married) in July.
  • October is the best month of the year. / The teacher says that October _____ (be) the best month of the year.
  • Sarah wants to buy a new house. / Jack told me that his sister ______ (want) to buy a new house.
  • They are working hard on the new project. / The boss told me that they _____ (work) hard on the new project.
  • We've lived here for ten years. / Frank told me that they _____ (live) there for ten years.
  • I take the subway to work every day. / Ken tells me he _____ (take) the subway to work every day.
  • Angela prepared lamb for dinner yesterday. / Peter told us that Angela ______ (prepare) lamb for dinner the day before.
  • I'm working in Dallas today. / He said he  was working  in Dallas that day.
  • I think he will win the election. / She said she  thought  he  would win  the election.
  • Anna lives in London. / Peter says Anna  lives  in London.
  • My father is going to visit us next week. / Frank said his father  was going to visit  them the following week.
  • They bought a brand new Mercedes! / She said they  had bought  a brand new Mercedes.
  • I have worked at the company since 1997. / She said she  had worked  at the company since 1997.
  • They are watching TV at the moment. / She said they  were watching  TV at that moment.
  • Francis drives to work every day. / He said Francis  drove  to work every day.
  • Alan thought about changing his job last year. / Alan said that he  had thought  about changing his job the previous year.
  • Susan is flying to Chicago tomorrow. / Susan said she  was flying  to Chicago the next day.
  • George went to the hospital last night. / Peter said that George  had gone  to the hospital the preceding night.
  • I enjoy playing golf on Saturdays. / Ken says that he  enjoys  playing golf on Saturdays.
  • I will change jobs soon. / Jennifer told me she  would change  jobs soon.
  • Frank is getting married in July. / Anna tells me that Frank  is getting  in July.
  • October is the best month of the year. / The teacher says that October  is  the best month of the year.
  • Sarah wants to buy a new house. / Jack told me that his sister  wanted  to buy a new house.
  • They are working hard on the new project. / The boss told me that they  were working  hard on the new project.
  • We've lived here for ten years. / Frank told me that they  had lived  there for ten years.
  • I take the subway to work every day. / Ken tells me he  takes  the subway to work every day.
  • Angela prepared lamb for dinner yesterday. / Peter told us that Angela  had prepared  lamb for dinner the day before.
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  • Reporting Verbs for English Language Learners
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  • Time Expressions and Tenses
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  • ESL Present Perfect Worksheets
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Reported speech, direct and indirect speech, direct speech | indirect speech tense change | time change | pronoun change reporting verbs | use of 'that'.

Reported Speech

We often have to give information about what people say or think. In order to do this you can use direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech.

Direct Speech / Quoted Speech

Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech)

Here what a person says appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be word for word.

For example:

She said, "Today's lesson is on presentations."

"Today's lesson is on presentations", she said.

Indirect Speech / Reported Speech

Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech), doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word.

When reporting speech the tense usually changes. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too.

Tense change

As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense: (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right):

Modal verb forms also sometimes change:

!Note - There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.

You can use the present tense in reported speech if you want to say that something is still true i.e. my name has always been and will always be Lynne so:-

You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event.

Time change

If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting.

For example we need to change words like here and yesterday if they have different meanings at the time and place of reporting.

In addition if you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard it you must change the place (here) to the place (there).

For example:-

Pronoun change

In reported speech, the pronoun often changes.

Reporting Verbs

Said, told and asked are the most common verbs used in indirect speech.

We use asked to report questions:-

For example: I asked Lynne what time the lesson started.

We use told with an object.

For example: Lynne told me she felt tired.

!Note - Here me is the object.

We usually use said without an object.

For example: Lynne said she was going to teach online.

If said is used with an object we must include to ;

For example: Lynne said to me that she'd never been to China.

!Note - We usually use told .

For example: Lynne told me (that) she'd never been to China.

There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked.

These include:-

Using them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative.

He asked me to come to the party:-

Use of 'That' in reported speech

In reported speech, the word that is often used.

For example: He told me that he lived in Greenwich.

However, that is optional.

For example: He told me he lived in Greenwich.

!Note - That is never used in questions, instead we often use if.

For example: He asked me if I would come to the party.

The sneaky comma

I'm British, so I only tend to place the comma inside quotation marks when it's part of the sentence being quoted.

"I didn't notice that the comma was inside the quotation marks," Lynne said, "but Hekner did."

That said, I read so much American literature, that even I tuck them away sometimes.

Really, no one has set in stone what the rules of the English language are. It's a diverse language, and the rules that exist have arisen through usage, and they can change in exactly the same way, so maybe it doesn't matter, but it's best to be consistent. (Thanks Hekner.)

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Reported Speech Exercises

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Direct Speech and Reported Speech Illustrated Workbook

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quoted and reported speech worksheet

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Direct and Indirect Exercises With Answers

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 Speech Complete Rules
  • Direct and Indirect Objects Exercise With Answers

Direct and Indirect Exercises

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

Exercise 1:

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________________________________.

Exercise 2:

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,”____________________________________________________________.”

Exercise 3:

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.

Exercise 4:

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.”

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Exercise 1.

  • 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.

Exercise 2.

  • 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.”

Exercise 3.

  • 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.

Exercise 4.

  • 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.

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quoted and reported speech worksheet

Exercise 3 Mary asked Tom why he HAD bought that book. Mary asked Tom who HAD helped him with his work.

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  1. Reported Speech: English ESL worksheets pdf & doc

    quoted and reported speech worksheet

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