CBSE Class 10 English Grammar Practice Assignment Set 09

Direct Indirect Speech

Question 1. Change the following sentence into indirect speech.
I said to him, “Do you want my help?”
Answer: I asked him whether he wanted my help.

Question 2. Change the following sentence into indirect speech.
She said to me, “I have written a letter.”
Answer: She told me that she had written a letter.

Question 3. Change the following sentence into indirect speech.
I said to Anil, “Girls were singing a song.”
Answer: I told Anil that girls had been singing a song.

Question 4. Change the following sentence into indirect speech.
He said to me, “You are honest.”
Answer: He told me that I was honest.

Question 5. Change the following sentence into indirect speech.
The teacher said to the students, “Don’t waste your time.”
Answer: The teacher advised the students not to waste their time.

Question 6. Change the following sentence into indirect speech.
He said to her, “Why do you read this book?”
Answer: He asked her why she read that book.

Question 7. Change the following sentence into indirect speech.
He said to me, “Don’t do it.”
Answer: He asked me not to do it.

Question 8. Change the following sentence into indirect speech.
“Where have you spent your money?” she asked him.
Answer: She asked him where he had spent his money.

Question 9. Report the following conversation in indirect speech. Put the reporting verb in the past tense.
Reporter: Sir, it’s my pleasure to meet the ‘star of the Millennium’.
Amitabh Bachchan: It’s my pleasure too. I am not as great as you have described. There have been greater actors before me too.
Reporter: Can you name a few?
Amitabh Bachchan: Well, Dilip is one and Balraj Sahni was another.
Reporter: No doubt, they were great actors. But no one has ever influenced or changed Bollywood so much as you have done. You have influenced the cinema goers of two centuries, 20th and 21st.
Amitabh Bachchan: No, many new actors are coming ahead. Actors like Naseeruddin, late Irrfan Khan and Ayushmann Khurrana are giving new direction and dimension to the Indian Cinema. I’m just one actor in that long list.
Reporter: That’s your modesty. Whenever anything will be written about Indian Cinema, it will start before and after Amitabh Bachchan.
Answer: The reporter greeted Amitabh Bachchan respectfully and said that it was a great pleasure to meet the ‘star of the Millennium’. Amitabh Bachchan replied that it was his pleasure too. He added that he was not as great as the reporter had described him and that there had been greater actors before him too. The reporter asked if he could name a few of them. Amitabh Bachchan replied that Dilip was one of them and Balraj Sahni had been another. The reporter agreed that no doubt they had been great actors. He added that no one had ever influenced or changed Bollywood so much as he had done, and that he had influenced the cinema goers of two centuries, the 20th and the 21st. Amitabh Bachchan replied in the negative and added that many new actors like Naseeruddin, late Irrfan Khan and Ayushmann Khurrana were giving new direction and dimension to the Indian Cinema. He further added that he was just one actor in that long list. The reporter replied that it was his modesty. He added that whenever anything would be written about Indian Cinema, it would start before and after Amitabh Bachchan.

Question 10. Report the following conversation in indirect speech. Put the reporting verb in the past tense.
Mukesh: How did you spend your summer vacation?
Malini: Well, I really enjoyed the vacation.
Mukesh: How? Did you do something special?
Malini: Yes, of course. We went to Kashmir and stayed there for a month.
Mukesh: For a month! You’re really lucky.
Malini: My parents are very fond of travelling. So are we.
Mukesh: What did you see in Kashmir?
Malini: All places. We visited Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonmarg.
Mukesh: How did you find these places?
Malini: They were absolutely fantastic.
Mukesh: Which place did you like the best?
Malini: Pahalgam is superb. I think it is the most beautiful place in Kashmir.
Mukesh: I also think so.
Answer: Mukesh asked Malini how she had spent her summer vacation. Malini replied that she had really enjoyed the vacation. Mukesh asked how and further asked if she had done something special. Malini replied in the affirmative and added that they had gone to Kashmir and had stayed there for a month. Mukesh exclaimed with surprise that they had stayed there for a month. He added that she was really lucky. Malini told Mukesh that her parents were very fond of travelling and so were they. Mukesh asked what they had seen in Kashmir. Malini replied that they had seen all the places. They had visited Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonmarg. Mukesh asked how she had found those places. Malini told him that they had been absolutely fantastic. Mukesh asked which place she had liked the best. Malini replied that Pahalgam was superb. She added that she thought that it was the most beautiful place in Kashmir. Mukesh added that he also thought so.

Question 11. Report the following conversation in indirect speech. Put the reporting verb in the past tense.
Leela: Who’s your favourite star?
Latika: Among female actors, I like Kangana Ranaut.
Leela: What is so great about her?
Latika: She’s a talented actress.
Leela: Who is your favourite among the male actors?
Latika: I like Ayushmann Khurrana for his versatility.
Leela: He’s also my favourite. What a great actor he is!
Latika: He lives his roles. He puts his heart and soul in them.
Answer: Leela asked Latika who her favourite star was. Latika replied that among female actors, she liked Kangana Ranaut. Leela asked what was so great about her. Latika replied that she was a talented actress. Leela asked who Latika’s favourite among the male actors was. Latika replied that she liked Ayushmann Khurrana for his versatility. Leela agreed that he was also her favourite. She exclaimed that he was a very great actor. Latika replied that he lives his roles and puts his heart and soul in them. (The present tense is kept as it shows a regular feature of his acting.)

Question 12. Report the following conversation in indirect speech. Put the reporting verb in the past tense.
Lencho: Now we’re really going to get some water.
Wife: Yes, God willing. Come for dinner.
Lencho: These aren’t raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. The big drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are fives.
Wife: God’s merciful.
Lencho: God forbid the hailstorm. It’s really getting bad. I hope it passes quickly.
Wife: The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no corn.
Answer: Lencho told his wife that they were really going to get some water then. His wife agreed, saying that they would if God willed, and asked him to come for dinner. Lencho told her that those were not raindrops falling from the sky but new coins. He added that the big drops were ten cent pieces and the little ones were fives. His wife said that God is merciful. Lencho prayed that God would forbid the hailstorm. He added that it was really getting bad and that he hoped it would pass quickly. Lencho’s wife told him that the hail had left nothing. She feared that that year they would have no corn.

Question 13. Report the following conversation in indirect speech. Put the reporting verb in the past tense.
Pilot: I should call Paris Control soon. Paris Control, Dakota DS 088 here. Can you hear me? I’m on my way to England. Over.
Paris Control: DS 088, I can hear you. You ought to turn two degrees west now, DS 088. Over.
Pilot: I ought to go back to Paris. I’ll take the risk. Paris Control! Can you hear me?
Paris Control: Yes, I can. Follow the instructions.
Answer: The pilot decided that he should call Paris Control soon. He told Paris Control that Dakota DS 088 was calling and asked if they could hear him. He added that he was on his way to England. Paris Control informed DS 088 that they could hear him and advised him to turn two degrees west then. The pilot realised that he ought to go back to Paris but decided that he would take the risk. He again asked Paris Control if they could hear him. Paris Control replied in the affirmative and instructed him to follow the instructions.

Question 14. Change into reported speech: Jim said, “I had read this book before.”
Answer: Jim said that he had read that book before.

Question 15. Change into reported speech: Jane said, “I will read this book.”
Answer: Jane said that she would read that book.

Question 16. Change into reported speech: Surabhi said, “The sun rises in the east.”
Answer: Surabhi said that the sun rises in the east.

Question 17. Change into reported speech: Jack said, “I need a new research project.”
Answer: Jack said that he needed a new research project.

Question 18. Change into reported speech: Rohit said, “I have done the painting.”
Answer: Rohit said that he had done the painting.

Question 19. Change into reported speech: The teacher said, “The students will collect money for the picnic.”
Answer: The teacher said that the students would collect money for the picnic.

Question 20. Change into reported speech: Simran said, “My grandmother is going to cook dinner for us.”
Answer: Simran said that her grandmother was going to cook dinner for them.

Question 21. Change into reported speech: Jovi said to me, “You are late. I have been waiting for you since morning.”
Answer: Jovi told me that I was late and that she had been waiting for me since morning.

Question 22. Change into reported speech: “The book is interesting,” Rohit said.
Answer: Rohit said that the book was interesting.

Question 23. Change into reported speech: The student said, “Oil floats on water.”
Answer: The student said that oil floats on water.

Question 24. Change into reported speech: He said, “Sunil is going to learn programming.”
Answer: He said that Sunil was going to learn programming.

Question 25. Change into reported speech: The traveller said, “Can you tell me the way to the police station?”
Answer: The traveller asked if I could tell him the way to the police station.