CBSE Class 7 English Direct Indirect Speech Worksheet

Change the following into indirect speech using appropriate reporting verbs :

Question. The Doctor said, “The operation should begin as soon as possible”.
Answer : The doctor warned that the operation had to begin as soon as possible.

Question. The landlord said, “Open the door at now”.
Answer : The landlord ordered the door to be opened at that moment.

Question. The father said, I want to see all of your living happily”.
Answer : The father expressed that he wanted to see all of them lining happily.

Question. “Please wait with me till my parents arrive”, the little girl told the teacher.
Answer : The little girl requested the teacher to wait with her till parents arrived.

Question. The scientist said, “Let us wait and watch what will happen”.
Answer : The teacher advised that if we put in our best we would emerge a champion.

Question. The little girl said, “How pretty I look”.
Answer : The little girl exclaimed that she looked very pretty.

Question. The chief guest announces, “It gives me great pleasure to give away the prizes”.
Answer : The chief guest announces that it gives him great pleasure to give away the prizes.

Question. Which road should I take to reach my destination”? asked the traveller.
Answer : The traveller enquired which road he should take to reach his destination.

Question. He said to me, “What are you intending to do?”
Answer : He asked me what I was intending to do.

Question. The teacher said “If you put in your best, you will emerge a champion”.
Answer : The scientist proposed that they should wait and watch, what would happen.

Change the following into Direct Speech. 

Question. She asked me what I did for a living.
Answer : She enquired, “What do you do for a living?”

Question. She commented that it was a pleasant day.
Answer : She commented, “It is a pleasant day”.

Question. The fox warned that it would teach him a fine lesson one day.
Answer : The fox warned, “I will teach you a fine lesson one day”.

Question. My mother advised me to eat healthy in order to stay fit.
Answer : My mother advised me, “Eat healthy in order to stay fit”.

Question. I informed her that I didn’t speak French.
Answer : I informed her, “I don’t speak french”.

Punctuate the following sentences : 

Question. The teacher observed shilpa is signing very well.
Answer : The teacher observed, “Shilpa is singing very well”.

Question. My mother said to my frinds he is resting after a long day.
Answer : My mother said to my friends, “He is resting after a long day.

Question. Priya said I have been giving my best to this project.
Answer : Priya said, “I have been giving the best to this project”.

Question. My brother said I will gift you a beautiful bracelet.
Answer : My brother said, “I will gift you a beautiful bracelet”.

Question. The family said we are quite happy and content.
Answer : The family said, “We are quite happy and content”.

There are two ways of relating what a person has said: Direct and Indirect

Direct Speech reports the exact words of the speaker.

e.g. -- She said, „I am going to Paris.‟---------------In this sentence the exact words of the speaker are reproduced and is put within inverted commas.

The verb introducing the actual words of the speaker is called the Reporting Verb .In the above example, the verb „said‟ is called the Reporting Verb.

Indirect Speech or Reported Speech reports what the speaker said without quoting his or her exact words.

e.g.-- She said that she was going to Paris.----------------Here the words of the speaker are reproduced in the past tense and are not within inverted commas.

GENERAL RULES FOR CHANGING DIRECT SPEECH (DS) INTO INDIRECT SPEECH (IS)

1. Change in PRONOUNS

a. The pronouns of the First Person in the direct speech change into the person and gender of the subject of the Reporting Verb in the indirect speech.

e.g.— He said, “I am not guilty.”(DS)

He said that he was not guilty.(IS)

b. The pronouns of the Second Person change into the person and gender of the object of the Reporting Verb.

e.g.– He said to me, “You are right”(DS)

He told me that I was right.(IS)

c. The pronouns of the Third Person suffer no change.

e.g.– He said to her, “He is writing.”

He told her that he was writing.

2. Change in words and expressions of TIME and PLACE

The words and expressions showing nearness in time and place in the direct speech are changed into words and expressions showing distance.

REPORTED SPEECH-DIRECT AND INDIRECT

What is a Direct Speech?
In a Direct Speech, the speaker‘s own words are quoted without making any change.
For example: Ravi said, ―Mohit has gone to Delhi.‖

What is an Indirect Speech?
In an Indirect Speech, the essence of the Speaker‘s words is given.
For Example: Ravi said that Mohit had gone to Delhi.

Some Important Points

1. In a Direct Speech-
(a) The Speaker‘s actual words are placed within inverted commas (―).
(b) His actual words start with a capital letter.
(c) There is a comma after the reporting verb.
(d) At the end of his actual words, a full stop or a question mark or a sign of exclamation is put according to the need of the sentence.
(e) The tense of the speaker‘s words remains the same.

2. In an Indirect Speech-
(a) Inverted commas are not used.
(b) Only the first letter of the sentence starts with a capital letter.
(c) There is no comma after the reporting verb.
(d) Conjunctions like that, to, if/whether are used to link the reporting verb and the reported speech.
(e) At the end of the sentence, only a full stop is put. Question marks are not allowed.
(f) The tense of the speaker‘s words undergoes a change.

Note: If the speaker‘s words express a habitual action, a universal truth, a scientific statement, a proverb or a permanent truth, the tense of the speaker‘s words remain the same.

Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech

1. Tense And Verb Forms

(a) Simple Present-Simple Past
Direct: Rahul said to me, ―I am your friend.‖
Indirect: Rahul told me that he was my friend.

(c) Present Continuous-Past Continuous
Direct: Rahul said, ―I am playing.‖
Indirect: Rahul said that he was playing.

(d) Present Perfect- Past Perfect
Direct: Rahul said, ―I Have done my work.‖
Indirect: Rahul said that he had done his work.

(e) Present Perfect Continuous – Past Perfect Continuous
Direct: Rahul said, ―I have been playing since morning.‖
Indirect: Rahul said that he had been playing since morning.

(f) Simple Past – Past perfect
Direct: Rahul said, ―I did my work.‖
Indirect: Rahul said that he had done his work.

(g) Past Continuous- Past perfect Continuous
Direct: Rahul said, ―I was doing my work.‖
Indirect: Rahul said that he had been doing his work.

2. Change of Time, Place

Words showing nearness of time and place change into words showing distance, time and place.

Now-then
Ago-before
This-that
These-those
Here-there
Today-that day
Tomorrow- the following day/the next day
Yesterday-the previous day/ the day before
Last night- the previous night
Last week- the previous week
Will- would
May-might
Can-could

3. Change of Pronouns
S - First person according to subject
O - Second person according to object.
N - Third person no change.

4. Change of Different Kinds of Sentences

(a) Questions
(I) „Wh‟ questions: The questions beginning with which, when, where, why, how, whose, etc. do not need any conjunction.

For example,
He said to me, ―which book were you reading last night?‖ (Direct)
He asked me which book I had been reading the previous night. (Indirect)

(II) Yes/No questions: The question that begin with helping verbs like is, am, are, was, were, will, shall, do, does, it, has, have, had, etc., that the conjunction if or whether‘.
For example,
The teacher said to children, ―Have you finished your work?‖ (Direct)
The teacher asked the children if they had finished their work. (Indirect)

(b) Commands:
(i) The imperative sentences or commands take the conjunction to‘.
(ii) The reporting verb said‘ or said to‘ changes into ordered, commanded, advised or requested.
For example:
The doctor said to the patient, ―Take this tablet daily.‖ (Direct)
The doctor advised to patient to take that tablet daily. (Indirect)
The master said to the servant, ―Bring me a glass of milk.‖ (Direct)
The master ordered the servant to bring him a glass of milk. (Indirect)

(c) Exclamations:
(i) The reporting verb said‘ is changed into exclaimed, exclaimed with joy exclaimed with sorrow,exclaimed with wonder, wished or prayed etc.
(ii) The conjunction that‘ is used to introduce the reported speech.
For example,
He said, ―What a beautiful painting!‖(Direct)
He exclaimed with wonder that it was a beautiful painting. (Indirect)
The boys said, ―Hurrah! We have won the match.‖(Direct)
The boys exclaimed with joy that they had won the match. (Indirect)

(d) Sentences beginning with “Let”:
(i) The man said to the servant, ―let the children play.‖ (Direct)
The man asked the servant to let the children play. (Indirect)
(ii) She said to her friend, ―Let us go for a picnic.‖ (Direct)
She proposed to her friends that they should go for picnic. (Indirect)
(iii) The Principal said to the peon, ―Don‘t let the children enter my study.‖ (Direct)
The Principal ordered the peon not to let the children enter his study. (Indirect)

Solved Example

Read the conversation below and complete the report that follows.

Lady: What a beautiful painting! Is it for sale?
Shopkeeper: No, ma‘am. This painting is not for sale.
The lady exclaimed with appreciation (a)………………… and inquired the shopkeeper (b) ……………….. .
The shopkeeper answered in the negative informing the lady that(c)…………….
Answer.
(a) that was a beautiful painting
(b) if that was for sale
(c) that painting was not for sale

Practice Questions

1. Rearrange the following sentences to make meaningful sentences.

(a) Friends/Archie/movie/the/asked his / what / of they / thought/
(b) preferred/said/book/had/the/his/friend/he
(c) his/was/same/Ram/answer//always/said/the

2. Read the dialogue given below an report it by filling in the blanks

Traffic police: You are going too fast. You have exceeded the speed limit.
Reena: I am late for my work. Please let me go this time.
Traffic Police: Don‘t worry. You have to report at the Police Station only tomorrow.
The Traffic Police stopped Reena and told her that she was going very fast and that she (a) ………..………
………………………Reena pleaded with the policemen and said that (b) ………………… the traffic Police asked her not to worry and said that (c)………………