Reported Speech - Junior Inter - Textbook Exercises

Examples : Declarative Sentences

Direct: Hriday said, “I will do it tomorrow.”

Indirect: Hriday said that he would do it the next day.

Direct: Tanishq said, “I will leave for New Delhi tomorrow.”

Indirect: Tanishq told me that he would leave for New Delhi the next day.

Direct: Chhavi said, “I will arrive here at 10 AM.”

Indirect: Chhavi said that she would arrive there at 10 AM.

Direct: Himanish said, “I visited my grandmother’s house last week.”

Indirect: Himanish said that he had visited his grandmother’s house the previous week.

Direct: Vibha said, “I will come to the party next month.”

Indirect: Vibha said that she would go to the party the following month.

Examples : Questions

Direct: A journalist said to Donald Trump, “Do you plan to change your campaign strategy?”

Indirect: A journalist asked Donald Trump if he planned to change his campaign strategy.

Direct: Yasin said to Sana, “Do you like it or not?”

Indirect: Yasin asked Sana whether she liked it or not.

(‘Whether’ is generally used when an alternative is provided.)

Direct: Agastya said to Vedanshika, “Why are you upset?”

Indirect: Agastya asked Vedanshika why she was upsét.

Direct: She said to me, “What is your opinion?”

Indirect: She asked me what my opinion was.

Direct: My mother said to me, “How did you write the exam?”

Indirect: My mother asked me how I had written the exam.

Examples: Commands/ Requests/ Advice

Direct: The NCC officer said to the cadets, “Stand in line.”

Indirect: The NCC officer ordered the cadets to stand in line.

Direct: Daksha said to her friend, “Please help me.”

Indirect: Daksha requested her friend to help her.

Direct: The teacher said to the students, “Work hard.”

Indirect: The teacher advised the students to work hard.

Direct: I said to my father, “Take medicines regularly.”

Indirect: I advised my father to take medicines regularly

Direct: The mother said to her son, “Don’t watch TV too much.”

Indirect: The mother advised her son not to watch TV too much.

Direct: “Let’s bat first,” the captain said to us.

Indirect: The captain suggested (or proposed) that we should bat first.

Examples: Exclamatory Sentences

Direct: Khushi said, “Hurrah! We won the game.”

Indirect: Khushi exclaimed with joy that they had won the game.

Direct: Julia said, “Oh! If only I had studied harder!”

Indirect: Julia exclaimed with regret that she had not studied harder.

Direct: Bhuvi said, “Alas! The plan failed.”

Indirect: Bhuvi exclaimed with sorrow that the plan had failed.

Direct: “Hush! Be silent in the library,” she said to us.

Indirect: She urged us to be silent in the library.

Direct: Tarini said, “What a beautiful sunset!”

Indirect: Tarini exclaimed that it was a very beautiful sunset.

(When an adjective describes a noun in direct speech, use “very” in indirect speech to modify the adjective.)

Direct: Mahika said, “What an idea!”

Indirect: Mahika exclaimed that it was a great idea.

(When there is only a noun without an adjective, use “great” or “wonderful” in indirect speech)

Direct: The teacher said to the students, “Work hard.”

Indirect: The teacher advised the students to work hard.

Direct: I said to my father, “Take medicines regularly.”

Indirect: I advised my father to take medicines regularly

Direct: The mother said to her son, “Don’t watch TV too much.”

Indirect: The mother advised her son not to watch TV too much.

Direct: “Let’s bat first,” the captain said to us.

Indirect: The captain suggested (or proposed) that we should bat first.

Direct: Vihan said, “How foolish of them to act this way!”

Indirect: Vihan exclaimed with contempt that it was very foolish of them to act that way.

Direct: He said to me, “Bravo! You have done very well.”

Indirect: He applauded me, saying that I had done very well (or) He ‘exclaimed with admiration that I had done very well.

Direct: Deepika said to me, “Congratulations!”

Indirect: Deepika congratulated me.

Direct: Sahima said to her friends, “Good bye!”

Indirect: Sahima bade her friends good bye.

Examples: Optative Sentences 

Direct: The teacher said to the students, “All the best!”

Indirect: The teacher wished the students all the best.

Direct: She said to her son. ‘May God bless you!”

Indirect: She prayed that God might bless her son.

Direct: Esha said to me, “Wish you a happy birthday!”.

Indirect: Esha wished me a happy birthday.

Direct: He said to me, “May you succeed in your mission.”

Indirect: He wished that I might succeed in my mission.

Examples: Reporting “Yes” and “No”

Direct: She said, “Will you come tomorrow?” and he said, “Yes.”

Indirect: She asked him if he would come the next day, and he said he would.

Direct: He said, “Can you swim?” and I said, “No.”

Indirect: He asked me if I could swim, and I said I couldn’t.

Convert the following sentences into indirect speech.

1. Parnika will say, “I am not invited.”

Parnika will say that she is not invited.

2. Our science teacher said, “Oil floats on water.”

Our science teacher said that oil floats on water

3. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Eleanor Roosevelt said that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams

4. Aarav said to Meghana, “You should not reveal my plant them.”

Aarav told Meghana that she should not reveal his plan to them

5. Darshil said to Mayukhi, “I will meet you here tomorrow.”

Darshil told Mayukhi that he would meet her there the next day

6. Aarushi said, “I was watching TV at 10 pm yesterday”.

Aarushi said that she had been watching TV at 10 pm the previous day

7. Mahima said, “I have been studying for three hours.”

Mahima said that she had been studying for three hours

8. We asked the guide, “How far is the museum from here?”

We asked the guide how far the museum was from there

9. Angelina said to Jennifer “When did you submit your project?”

Angelina asked Jennifer when she had submitted her project

10. Vedant asked his mother,” “Can you make me a sandwich?”

Vedant asked his mother if she could make him a sandwich

11. Anokhi said to Sahasra, “Do you like painting?”

Anokhi asked Sahasra if she liked painting

12. Aaradhya said to her brother, “Please pass me the book.”

Aaradhya asked her brother to pass her the book.

13. My father said to me, “Don’t waste your time.”

My father told me not to waste my time.

14. My brother said, “Let’s go to a movie”

My brother suggested that we go to a movie.

15. The doctor said to the patient, “Wish you a speedy recovery.”

The doctor wished the patient a speedy recovery.

16. “May God bless our country,” said the priest.

The priest prayed that God might bless our country.

17. Jatin said, “I can solve this problem.”

Jatin said that he could solve that problem.

18. Arunima said, “I may attend the meeting.”

Arunima said that she might attend the meeting.

19. Yashwin said, “I must finish the report today.”

Yashwin said that he had to finish the report that day.

20. Yamini said, “I would join the team if I had time.”

Yamini said that she would join the team if she had time.