reported speech questions for class 10

• English Grammar
• Grammar Exercises
• Reported Speech Exercises For Class 10

Reported Speech Exercises with Answers for Class 10

One of the English grammar concepts that almost all of us would have studied in our junior classes is reported speech . Having a clear understanding of reported speech helps students use sentences correctly. This article provides reported speech exercises for class 10 students.

Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 with Answers

Here is an exercise on the transformation of direct speech to indirect speech. Go through the following sentences, work them out and then check your answers to assess how far you have understood their usage.

Change as directed

Read the following sentences and change them into reported speech.

• Mimi said, “I have been writing this letter.”
• I said, “Sam’s driving the car.”
• My uncle said, “I am cooking lunch.”
• My brother said, “I had already eaten.”
• The old lady said to the girl, “Where do you come from?”
• Jon said, “I like to play rugby.”
• My mother said, “I get up early every morning.”
• The maths teacher said, “Three divided by three is one.”
• Mohit said, “Switzerland is a very beautiful country.”
• Ruben said, “It is very cold outside.”
• The teacher said, “The French Revolution took place in 1789.”
• Uma said, “I saw a Royal Bengal Tiger in the zoo.”
• Luke said, “I can do this homework.”
• Aswini said to her mother, “I have passed the test”.
• Daphne said to Antony, “I will go to London tomorrow.”
• The boy said, “My father is sleeping.”
• The traffic police said to us, “Where are you going?”
• The man shouted, “Let me go.”
• Shivina said, “Alas! I am lost.”
• “I know her contact number,” said Helena.
• Stefen said, “My granny is making pasta.”
• Raj said to Simran, “Have you ever been to the National Museum?”
• Anish said to Sid, “Please lend me the book.”
• The teacher said to the parents, “Shelly is working very hard.”
• Joshua said, “I have completed my assignment.”
• I said to Alka, “How long will you stay here?”
• The child told his dad, “I want an ice cream.”
• Meera said, “I am not feeling well.”
• The teacher said to Vivek, “Draw the diagram of the plant’s parts.”
• Irin said, “I am playing the piano.”
• My mother said to me, “Help me carry this bag.”
• Rahul said, “My sister is very helpful.”
• The news reporter said, “The flight will be delayed by a few hours due to heavy rains.”
• Urmi said to her mother, “I want a slice of pizza.”
• I said to Daniel, “Are you reading this book?”
• Mimi said that she had been writing that letter.
• I said that Sam was driving the car.
• My uncle said that he was cooking lunch.
• My brother said that he had already eaten.
• The old lady asked the girl where she came from.
• Jon said that he likes to play rugby.
• My mother said that she gets up early every morning.
• The maths teacher said that three divided by three is one.
• Mohit said that Switzerland was a very beautiful country.
• Ruben said that it was very cold outside.
• The teacher said that the French Revolution took place in 1789.
• Uma said that she saw a Royal Bengal Tiger in the zoo.
• Luke said that he could do that homework.
• Aswini told her mother that she had passed the test.
• Daphne informed Antony that she would go to London the next day.
• The boy said that his father was sleeping.
• The traffic police asked us where we were going.
• The man shouted to them to let him go.
• Shivina exclaimed sadly that she was lost.
• Helena said that she knew her contact number.
• Stefen said that his granny was making pasta.
• Raj asked Simran if she had ever been to the National Museum.
• Anish requested Sid to lend him the book.
• The teacher told the parents that Shelly was working very hard.
• Joshua said that he had completed his assignment.
• I asked Alka how long she would stay there.
• The child told his dad that he wants an ice cream.
• Meera said that she was not feeling well.
• The teacher instructed Vivek to draw the diagram of the plant’s parts.
• Irin said that she was playing the piano.
• My mother asked me to help her carry the bag.
• Rahul said that his sister was very helpful.
• The news reporter said that the flight would be delayed by a few hours due to heavy rains.
• Urmi said to her mother that she wanted a slice of pizza.
• I asked Daniel if he was reading that book.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direct narration.

When the actual words/sentences spoken by the speaker are quoted in a speech, it is known as direct speech/narration.

Is knowing reported speech necessary for Class 10?

Having a basic understanding of reported speech is necessary for students of any class or age. Solving exercises on direct and indirect speech will help them understand thoroughly and use them correctly.

What is indirect speech?

When the quoted speech is reported in the form of a narrative without changing the meaning of the actual quotation/words by the speaker, it is called indirect speech. Indirect speech is also known as reported speech.

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Reported Speech: Dialogue Writing Practice Questions CBSE Class 10 Grammar

• Post last modified: 25 February 2024
• Post category: Grammar Exercises / School Grammar

Reporting the narration is done two ways – Direct or Indirect. The CBSE Class 10 Gramar syllabus includes this reporting in dialogue forms. After that an exercise with blanks to be filled to transform the whole conversation in indirect form. Here are given practice exercises to help practice Dialogue reporting.

Click here for more such grammar study materials

Dialogue Reporting Practice Questions

Q. read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the passage that follows. (cbse set 2, 2022) .

Neha: I’m really looking forward to the class picnic tomorrow. Namita: Yes, after a long time we will be meeting our friends and teachers.

Neha told Namita (1) ______________ looking forward to the class picnic _____________. Namita agreed that after a long time (2) ______________ friends and teachers.

(1) that she was really, the next day (2) they would be meeting their

Q. Read the conversation and complete the passage that follows: (OD 2022)

Ritika: Can I borrow your Math book for a couple of days? Mohit: Yes certainly, I have already studied for the test tomorrow. Ritika asked Mohit (1) ……………. for a couple of days. Mohit agreed and said that (2) ……………. .

(1) if she could borrow his Math book (2) he had already studied for the test the next day.

Q. Read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the passage that follows. (Term 2 SQP 2021-22) 

Biology Teacher: I instructed you to draw the diagram of bacteria. Why did you submit a blank sheet?   Sameer: Sir, I had drawn the diagram of bacteria, but you can’t see it because it is not visible to the naked eye 

The biology teacher had instructed Sameer to draw the diagram of a bacterial cell and asked him (a) ……..… a blank sheet. Sameer respectfully answered that he had drawn the diagram but (b) …….…. to the naked eye. 

(a) why he had submitted (b) he/ the teacher couldn’t see it because it is not visible

Q. Read the following dialogue between a mother and her son. Complete the paragraph that follows by filling in the gaps appropriately. (2012)

Marie: Did you see my new umbrella? Isn’t it fine? Tony: Yes, it is! Did you buy it from the mall? Marie: No, your father has brought it for me.

Marie asked her son Tony (a) …………… and she wanted to know whether it was a fine one. Tony agreed and asked his mother (b) …………… His mother replied in the negative and added that (c) ……………

(a) if he had seen her new umbrella (b) if she had bought it from the mall (c) his father had brought it for her.

Note: A sentence in Simple Past (verb 2nd form or Did + Verb 1st form) need not always be converted to Past Perfect (had + Verb 3rd form) . But it is safe to convert to Past Perfect as others (evaluators) may not be knowing it. Even CBSE marking schemes seem to follow the safe rule i.e. Changing Past Tense to past Perfect tense. An example is given below.

Direct: He said, “I saw the thief myself.”

Indirect: he said that he had seen the thief himself. (The safe rule to follow) OR He said that he saw the thief himself. (It is also correct – but mostly not followed)

Q. Read the following dialogue between Garima and Karan. Complete the paragraph that follows by filling in the gaps appropriately. [AI 2011]

Garima: So, after a decade in the industry, are you truly ‘satisfied’? Karan: I love the film industry. It has its flaws though. Garima: What do you mean by this statement? Karan: We are a bunch of competitive, ambitious, sometimes petty people. But the passion cements us together.

Garima asked Karan if after a decade in the industry (a) _________. Karan told her (b) _________ although it had its flaws. Garima then enquired (c) _________. Karan explained that they were a bunch of competitive, ambitious, sometimes petty people but the passion cemented them together.

(a) he was truly ‘satisfied’ (b) that he loved the film industry (c) what he meant by that statement

Q. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete Venu’s narration. [SQP 2020]

I saw Supanddi standing in the field. When I -(A)- doing there, he -(B)- he was trying to win a Nobel prize. I was confused and enquired how standing in the rice field would help him do so. He stumped me by saying that he -(C)- won Nobel prizes had all been outstanding in their fields!

(A) (a) exclaimed what he was (b) told him what he was (c) asked him what he was (d) says to him about what (B) (a) ordered that (b) refused that (c) questioned that (d) replied that (C) (a) has heard that people who has (b) was hearing that people who were (c) had heard that people who had (d) did hear that people who had

(A) – (c) (B) – (d) (C) – (c)

Q. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete the narration of Patty’s conversation with Charlie. [SQP 2020]

Charlie: Dear Santa, here is a list if what I want. Patty: How do you suppose Santa Claus can afford to give away all those toys? Charlie: Promotion! Don’t kid yourself……Everything these days is promotion! I will bet if the truth were brought about, you will find that he’s being financed by some big eastern chain!

While making the list of what Charlie wanted from Santa Claus, he asked Patty how …..(A)….. all those toys. She said that …..(B)….. and that it was possible as Santa …..(C)….. big eastern chain.

(A) (a) Santa Claus could afford to give away    (b) will give away (c) gave away (d) giving away

(B) (a) everything these days were promotion (b) everything these days was promotion (c) everything those days was promotion (d) everything these days was going to be promotion

(C) (a) was financing by some big eastern chain (b) had been financed by some big eastern chain (c) was being financed by some big eastern chain (d) will be financed by some big eastern chain

(A) – (a) (B) – (c) (C) – (c)

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Story writing class 10 english grammar, modals: english grammar for cbse/icse boards classes, prepositions: rules and usage english grammar cbse/icse schools, discursive comprehension passages for practice grammar class 9 and 10, this post has 66 comments.

Thank you for question These were excellent and also improved my spech

It’s speech not spech

clapings it is speech

thank you it will help with my exam preparation

Thanks. New questions are also added from time to time.

Thanks a lot for these questions it helped me to be thorough with the exam pattern.

Are you from India:)

thanks for those questions

Why are there so many mistakes in the given questions?The names of the people in the conversation and the names of the people in the related question are completely different.Pls chk and rectify.It is confusing the kids and the purpose of these practice questions is totally defeated.

Thank you for informing us of the mistakes. We have done the required corrections. I hope all is well now.

page 2 question 3 there is a name error plz rectify it as soon as possible to avoid more confusion

Thank you for informing us of the mistake. The required correction has been done- ‘Mohan’ has been replaced by ‘Vinnet’ in the last line of the question.

Please add more questions

In the second question (page 1) , answer to the first part is wrong as Did changes to had + verb’s 3rd form.

Thank you for referring to the issue. We have updated the post and added a ‘note’ section.

Thanks a lot! These were truly of great help! Excellent questions!

It was very helpful ☺️. Thanks ncert tutorials

Really, it was very helpful.

Sir, i wanted to know where “it” is changed to “that” . I have this confusion as there are many questions where it is changed to that..but in many questions there is “it” only.

Sir, In Question no. 4 , please check the answers of option (c) , (f) , (h) why there is “been”

‘Had been’ is used in place ‘was and were’.

Sir, In question 7 (a), How could ‘may’ change into ‘could’?

Thanks for pointing out the error. We have made the required correction.

It was nice to have such a exercise to practice….

Sir, In question 8(d), It should be ‘ she had been talking’ instead of ‘ she has been talking’

The correction done. Thank You Ayush for sparing time to help us clean the exercises out of mistakes.

Why are you using Wrong English ?

Why are you using Wrong English ? Please use correct English to teach. Thank you.

Please give proper reference. I would do required corrections or elaborate upon your issue.

Thank you for this. Please add more. And I think there are some mistakes please do check and correct them. Thanks again🙌

thank you, Elena, and after reports of some errors corrections also have been done. If future reports received, required corrections will be done.

in the fifth page 4th ques there will be what he had been reading as past progressive changes to past perfect progressive

Thank you Sarthak for informing us of the error. Corrections done and the question has also been modified with one more filling gap (d).

thank u for giving a lot of questions this was useful for my class 10 board term 2 exam

thank you so much

Tomorrow is board

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Best of Luck Aishwarya 👍👍

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Thank you sir , Your questions on reported speech have helped me a lot to study for my exam.

EXCELLENT QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KEEP IT UP………………..

Sir in question no. 3(b) the past tense of buy should be bought and not brought.Pls make the changes.

Correction done 😊.

I love the lessons for they are smart enough to learn personally.

I would like to show my gratitude …….this website was really good and helpful 👍 and more comfortable

Very nice examples They helped me a lot in my exam preparation

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Questions were very helpful and amazing also… Thanks for such practice question..

Good questions thank you

sir on page 1 Q 2 it should be “for tomorrow’s test” instead of “the test tomorrow”.

Hi Arnav, it is written as ‘for the test tomorrow’ so no problem.

Thanks too much this is awesome for my test this help me more

Thank you admin blog. Very good

Please add longer questions

there some questions with mistakes arun and rohit question pls rectrfy the mistakes thanks it helped me a lot because it was my todays homework i referred and completed it Thank you

We revisited the question mentioned by you but did not find any error. May be you have any doubt. Feel free to ask us about that.

Pls take a look at the first question Isnt ‘will’ supposed to be changed to ‘would’

Correction done

THANKS, IT WAS AWESOME…

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Question and Answer forum for K12 Students

Reported Speech Dialogue Exercises for Class 10 CBSE With Answers

Reported speech is when we express or say things that have already been said by somebody else.

Basic  English Grammar  rules can be tricky. In this article, we’ll get you started with the basics of sentence structure, punctuation, parts of speech, and more.

We also providing Extra Questions for Class 10 English Chapter wise.

Reported Speech Dialogue Exercises For Class 10 Cbse With Answers PDF

Reporting of the words of a speaker in one’s own words is called Narration. There are two ways of reporting what people say: Direct Speech and Indirect Speech. Direct Speech. The actual words of the speaker using quotation marks are called Direct Speech. Indirect Speech. When we convey the speaker’s words in our own words it becomes Indirect Speech. It is the reporting of speakers’ words, using a saying or asking verbs. In indirect, verbs giving or asking for instructing are often used with a to-infinitive construction. Verbs expressing intention may also be followed by a to-infinitive.

There are basically four types of sentences in which we can convert direct speech into Indirect speech.

• Assertive Sentences (Statements)
• Interrogative Sentences (Questions)
• Imperative Sentences (Commands and Requests)
• Exclamatory Sentences (Strong Feelings)

To convert a Direct speech into an Indirect speech, we have to make some necessary changes. Change No.1. Remove the commas and inverted commas. Use any conjunction.

Change No.2. In Reported Speech, there are some words which show nearness, but they are always converted into words which show distance.

They are as follows:

Note. ‘Come’ is changed into ‘go’ only in that case when any word showing nearness is given with it. Change No. 3. Change of Person. There are three types of Person in English language which are as follows:

Change No. 4. If the reporting verb is in Present or in Future Tense, there is no change in the tense of the Reported Speech. If the reporting verb is in Past Tense, there is always a change in the tense of the Reported Speech, which is as follows:

• Present Indefinite is changed into Past Indefinite
• Present Continuous is changed into Past Continuous
• Present Perfect is changed into Past Perfect
• Present Perfect Continuous is changed into Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Indefinite is changed into Past Perfect
• Past Continuous is changed into Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous remain unchanged

In case of Future Tense, there are only four words which are changed, i.e.

Changes based on the types of sentences.

1. Assertive Sentences (Statements) Change No. 1. Remove the commas and inverted commas. Use conjunction ‘that’. Change No. 2. Change the reporting verb ‘say into tell’, ‘says into tell’, ‘said into told’, if the reporting object is given in the sentence. But do not change the reporting verb if the reporting object is not given in the sentence. Change No. 3. ‘Said to’ can be changed into told, replied, informed, stated, added, remarked, asserted, assured, reminded, complained, and reported, according to the meaning. Change No. 4. Always remove “to’ from the reporting speech, e.g.

• He said to me, “I cannot help you in this matter.” He told me that he could not help me in that matter.
• He said, “My sister’s marriage comes off next month.” He said that his sister’s marriage would come off the following month.

2. Interrogative Sentences (Questions)

Change No. 1. Change the reporting verb ‘said ‘or ‘said to’into‘ asked’ or ‘inquired of’. In case of a single question, change it into ‘asked’ but in case of more than one question, change it into “inquired of’. Change No. 2. Use conjunction ‘if’ or ‘whether’ if the reported speech starts with a helping verb. But do not use any conjunction if the reported speech starts with an interrogative word. Change No. 3. Change the Interrogative sense into an Assertive sense. Change No. 4. Remove ‘?’ question mark and use ‘ . ‘full stop, e.g.

• She said to her servant, “Is tea ready for me?” She asked her servant if tea was ready for her.
• She asked me, “Who teaches you English?” She asked me who taught me English.

3. Imperative Sentences (Commands and Requests)

Change No. 1. Change the reporting verb‘said’ or ‘said to’ into ordered, commanded, requested, advised, warned, forbade, suggested, encouraged, persuaded, begged, etc. according to the sense. Change No. 2. Remove the commas and inverted commas, use conjunction ‘to’. Change No. 3. Change the Imperative sense into Infinitive sense. Change No. 4. Remove ‘do not and use ‘not to’ in case of Negative Imperative sentences, e.g.

• The teacher said to me, “Stand up on the bench.”. The teacher ordered me to stand up on the bench.
• The General said to the soldiers, “March forward and attack the foe.” The General ordered the soldiers to march forward and attack the foe.
• The gardener said to the boys, “Do not pluck the flowers.” The gardener forbade the boys from plucking the flowers.

4. Exclamatory Sentences (Strong Feelings)

Change No. 1. Change the reporting verb ‘said’ or ‘said to’ into “exclaimed with joy’ or ‘exclaimed with sorrow’, ‘cry out, “pray’, etc., according to the sense, i.e.

• Exclaimed with joy–in case of Aha! Ha! Hurrah!
• Exclaimed with sorrow–in case of Ah! Alas!
• Exclaimed with surprise–in case of Oh! What! How!
• Exclaimed with regret–in case of Sorry!
• Exclaimed with contempt–in case of Pooh! Pshaw!
• Applauded with saying–in case of Bravo! Hear!

Change No. 2. Use very or great by removing what or how. Change No. 3. Use conjunction ‘that. Change No. 4. Remove exclamatory word and exclamation sign ‘!’ The student must select the verb best suited to the sense or context, e.g.

• They said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.” They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
• She said, “Alas! I have lost my bridal ring.” She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her bridal ring.
• She said, “How charming the scenery is!” She exclaimed with surprise that it was a very charming scenery.

Reported Speech Exercises Solved Example With Answers for Class 10 CBSE

Diagnostic Test – 29

Mother: Why are you looking so worried? Daughter: My exams are approaching. Mother: When will they start? Daughter: Next month, Mother.

Mother asked her daughter (a) …………………… The daughter replied that (b) …………………… Mother further asked (c) …………………… The daughter told her mother that they would start in the following month.

Answer: (a) why she was looking very worried (b) her exams were approaching. (c) when they would start.

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• Reported Speech /

Reported Speech For Class 10: Exciting Exercises with Answers [PDF]

• Updated on  
• Jan 12, 2024

Reported speech plays an integral role in maintaining effective communication skills . It also ensures accuracy, objectivity, and clarity among the speakers. Reported Speech is an essential linguistic tool from everyday conversations to formal writing. It is important to teach reported speech to Class 10 to give them a wider scope of the English Language and vocabulary . Reported Speech is effective in conveying the thoughts and ideas of others accurately and without causing any misrepresentation.

This Blog Includes:

What is reported speech in english grammar, reported speech for class 10 exercise 1 – mcqs, exercise 2 – change the sentences from direct to indirect speech.

Reported Speech is often called Indirect Speech, which is not the exact words spoken by the speaker and is not written inside the quotation marks. It is the representation of the words spoken by the speaker in the past by another person. Reported Speech involves transforming verb tenses, pronouns, and sometimes other elements. The changes are important to accurately represent the reported information while integrating it into the speaker’s sentence structure.

Must Read! Reported Speech: Definition, Rules, Usage with Examples

Here are the MCQs on reported speech for class 10th students. Students have to select the correct option from the given options according to the statement asked based on Reported Speech.

• Which sentence is in the reported speech?

a. She said, “I will be there soon.”

b. She says, “I will be there soon.”

c. She said, “She will be there soon.”

d. She says, “She will be there soon.”

• What is the correct reported speech for: “I am studying for exams.”?

a. He said that he was studying for exams.

b. He says that he is studying for exams.

c. He says that he was studying for exams.

d. He said that he is studying for exams.

• Which pronoun change is correct in reported speech?

a. “I” changes to “he.”

b. “They” changes to “we.”

c. “You” changes to “she.”

d. “He” changes to “it.”

• What is the reported speech for: “Did you finish your homework?”?

a. She asked if she finished her homework.

b. She asked if I finished my homework.

c. She asked if I had finished my homework.

d. She asked if she had finished her homework.

• Which tense change is required in reported speech?

a. Present simple changes to past simple.

b. Past simple changes to present continuous.

c. Present continuous changes to future perfect.

d. Future simple changes to past perfect.

• Which sentence is correctly reported?

a. Sarah told me that she is leaving tomorrow.

b. Sarah told me that she was leaving tomorrow.

c. Sarah tells me that she will leave tomorrow.

d. Sarah told me that she leaves tomorrow.

• What is the reported speech for: “I will call you later.”?

a. She said that she would call me later.

b. She said that she would call me later.

c. She says that she will call me later.

d. She says that she will call me later.

• Which of the following is a reported speech question?

a. He said, “I am going to the store.”

b. She asked, “Have you seen my keys?”

c. They said, “We will arrive soon.”

d. She told me, “Don’t be late.”

• What is the correct reported speech for: “Can you help me with this?”?

a. He asked if he could help me with that.

b. He asked if I can help him with this.

c. He asks if he can help me with this.

d. He asks if I could help him with that.

• Which sentence represents reported speech?

a. “Stop!” she shouted.

b. She shouts, “Stop!”

c. She shouted to stop.

d. She shouted, “Stop!”

Also Read: Useful Idioms for IELTS Exams That Will Boost Your Score

Check Your Answers

Match your answers with the right answers given below:

1. c. She said, “She will be there soon.”

2. a. He said that he was studying for exams.

3. a. “I” changes to “he.”

4. c. She asked if I had finished my homework.

5. a. Present simple changes to past simple.

6. b. Sarah told me that she was leaving tomorrow.

7. b. She said that she would call me later.

8. b. She asked, “Have you seen my keys?”

9. a. He asked if he could help me with that.

10. c. She shouted to stop.

Also Read: 50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Interrogative Sentences

As candidates are well versed with the concept of reported speech it is time for the candidates to solve this exercise based on converting direct speech to indirect speech.

• “I am reading a book,” she said.
• “We will go to the beach tomorrow,” he announced.
• “Can you help me with my homework?” she asked.
• “I have already seen that movie,” he claimed.
• “Please turn off the lights,” she requested.
• “They are cooking dinner,” he mentioned.
• “Why did you arrive late?” she inquired.
• “I cannot solve this math problem,” he admitted.
• “I will call you later,” she promised.
• “Let’s meet at the park,” he suggested.
• “She has been working all day,” he observed.
• “Do you like chocolate ice cream?” she wondered.
• “The concert starts at 8 PM,” he informed.
• “We won the championship,” she exclaimed.
• “I need more time to finish the project,” he confessed.
• “The train departs in 15 minutes,” she reminded.
• “Did you visit the museum?” he asked.
• “I’m going to visit my grandparents next weekend,” she said.
• “We should plant more trees,” he advised.
• “Don’t forget to buy milk,” she reminded.

Must Read: Subject-Verb Agreement: Definition, 12 Rules & Examples

Answers  

• She said that she was reading a book.
• He announced that they would go to the beach the next day.
• She asked if I could help her with her homework.
• He claimed that he had already seen that movie.
• She requested to turn off the lights.
• He mentioned that they were cooking dinner.
• She inquired why I had arrived late.
• He admitted that he couldn’t solve that math problem.
• She promised that she would call later.
• He suggested meeting at the park.
• He observed that she had been working all day.
• She wondered if I liked chocolate ice cream.
• He informed me that the concert started at 8 PM.
• She exclaimed that they had won the championship.
• He confessed that he needed more time to finish the project.
• She reminded me that the train departed in 15 minutes.
• He asked if I had visited the museum.
• She said she was going to visit her grandparents the following weekend.
• He advised that they should plant more trees.
• She reminded me not to forget to buy milk.

More Reads on Reported Speech for Class 10

What are the four types of reported speech?

The four types of reported speech are assertive, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory.

What are the two main types of reported speech?

The two main types of reported speech are direct and indirect speech.

Why do we use reported speech?

Reported Speech is effective in conveying the thoughts and ideas of others accurately and without causing any misrepresentation.

This was all about the Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 Students with Answers. Hope you understand the concept and where it’s used. Keep an eye on Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.

Amanpreet Kaur

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Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 CBSE With Answers

In Online Education When we want to tell somebody else what another person said, we can use either direct speech and reported speech. When we use direct speech, we use the same words but use quotation marks, For example: Scott said, “I am coming to work. I will be late because there is a lot of traffic now.”

When we use reported speech, we usually change the verbs, specific times, and pronouns. For example: Scott said that he was coming to work. He said that he would be late because there was a lot of traffic at that time.

Online Education for Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 CBSE With Answers Pdf

This grammar section explains English Grammar in a clear and simple way. There are example sentences to show how the language is used. NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English will help you to write better answers in your Class 10 exams. Because the Solutions are solved by subject matter experts. https://ncertmcq.com/reported-speech-exercises-for-class-10/

Reported Speech Class 10 Exercise

Rules for Reported Speech While changing direct speech into reported speech or vice-versa the following changes occur:

1. Changes In Reporting Verb Affirmative sentences: said, told (object), asserted, replied, assured, informed, responded, whispered, alleged, believed, assumed, thought Interrogative sentences: asked, enquired, wanted to know Imperative sentences: ordered, begged, pleaded, implored, advised, demanded

2. Change Of Pronouns Direct Speech: Johnny said, ‘I am playing.’ Indirect Speech: Johnny said that he was playing. First-person generally changes to third person {depending upon the subject of the reporting verb).

3. Change Of Tenses

In general, present tense becomes past tense; past tense and present perfect become past perfect.

Reported Speech Exercises For Class 10

4. Change of situations Example: Nagesh said, ‘I read this book last week. (direct speech) Nagesh said that he had read that book the previous week, (indirect speech)

• ‘this’ becomes ‘that’
• ‘last week’ becomes ‘the previous week’
• here – there
• now – then
• today – that day
• yesterday – the day before/the previous day
• tomorrow – the next day/the coming day
• last week – the week before/the previous week
• next month – the next month/the coming month

5. In case of questions and answers Examples:

• Nagesh asked, ‘Have you read this book?’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh asked if’ whether I had read that book, (indirect speech)
• Nagesh asked, ‘Where is the book?’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh asked where the book was. (indirect speech)

(a) For yes/no questions – use if/whether (b) For wh- questions – use the wh-word

Word Order:

• Nagesh asked, ‘What’s the matter?’
• Nagesh asked what the matter was. (what + the matter + was)
• Nagesh asked what was the matter, (what + was + the matter)
• The word order can be either:
• who/which/what + complement + be or ‘
• who/which/what + be + complement

6. Reported Speech using present and future tenses Examples:

• Nagesh said, ‘The sun rises in the east.’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh said that the sun rises in the east, (indirect speech)
• Nagesh said, ‘I will read this book.’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh said that he will read that book, (indirect speech)
• If the original speaker’s present and future is still present and future, the tense remains unchanged.

7. In case of modal verbs can becomes could

• will – would
• shall – should
• may – might

would, should, could, might, ought to and must are unchanged. Example:

• Nagesh said, ‘I can solve this sum.’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh said that he could solve that sum. (indirect speech)

Reported Speech Solved Examples Exercises for Class 10 CBSE

Read the dialogue given below and then complete the passage that follows.

Reported Speech Class 10 Exercise With Answers Question 1. Read the dialogue and complete the passage given below.

Interviewer: So, why do you want to be a computer programmer? Ravi: Well, I have always been interested in computers. Interviewer: I see. Do you have any experience? Ravi: No, but I’m a fast learner. Interviewer: What kind of a computer do you use? Ravi: Computer? Uhm, let me see. I can use a Mac. I also used Windows 10 once. Interviewer: That’s good.

Ravi recently attended an interview for the selection of a computer programmer. At the interview, he was asked (a) ……………………….. To this question he replied that he wanted to change his job because (b) ……………………….. When the interviewer asked him (e) ………………………. he replied that he (d) ……………………….. Finally, the interviewer wanted to know (e) ………………………. . Ravi replied that he could use a Mac and had also used Windows 10 once in the,.past. The interviewer seemed to be pleased with his answers. Answer: (a) why he wanted to be a computer programmer (b) he had always been interested in computers (c) whether he had any experience (d) didn’t but that he was a fast learner (e) the kind of computer he used

Reported Speech Exercises With Answers For Class 10 Question 2. Manu: Where are you going to? Annu: I am going to the market. Do you want anything?

Manu asked Annu (a) …………………… Annu replied (b) …………………… Annu replied (b) …………………… and she further asked (C) …………………… Answer: (a) where she was going. (b) that she was going to the market (c) if/whether she wanted anything.

Class 10 Reported Speech Exercises Question 3. Sunita: Tomorrow is your birthday, what do you want as a gift? Neetu: That is a lovely thought but I don’t want anything.

Sunita asked Neetu since the next day was her birthday, (a) …………………… Neetu replied that (b) …………………… but (C) ………………….. . Answer: (a) what she wanted as a gift (b) that was a lovely thought (c) she did not want anything.

Reported Speech Worksheet For Class 10 Question 4. Gardener: Did you water the plant today? Dev: No, but I will, today. Gardener: Then tomorrow I will get a sapling of sunflower.

The Gardener asked Dev (a) …………………… Dev replied negatively but (b) …………………… Then the gardener said that (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) if/whether he had watered the plant that day. (b) said he would that day. (c) he would get a sapling of a sunflower the next day.

Reported Speech Exercise Class 10 Question 5. Mr. Harish: Can you polish my shoes? Cobbler: Yes sir. But I will take 10 for each shoe.

Mr. Harish: I will not mind as long as it is done. Mr. Harish asked the cobbler (a) …………………… The cobbler replied affirmatively but (b) …………………… Mr. Harish said that (C) ……………………. Answer: (a) if/whether he could polish his shoes. (b) said that he would take 10 for each shoe (c) he would not mind as long as it was done.

Reported Speech Class 10 Questions Question 6. Electrician: When did your electricity go? Mohan: It is not working since evening. Electrician: Sorry sir, in this case, I will have to check the fuse now.

The electrician asked Mohan (a) …………………… Mohan replied that (b) …………………… The electrician apologetically said that in that case (c) …………………… Answer: (a) when his electricity had gone. (b) it was not working since evening. (c) he would have to check the fuse then.

Reported Speech Questions For Class 10 Question 7. Teacher : Children, let us all pledge to save trees. Children : Yes, mam, we all pledge to save our trees as the trees are the lungs of the city. Teacher : Let us start today by planting a sapling.

The teacher asked all the children to pledge to save trees. The children replied affirmatively (a) …………………… as the (b) …………………… Then the teacher said that (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) saying that they all pledged to save trees (b) trees are the lungs of the city. (c) they should start by planting a sapling that day.

Reported Speech Dialogue Exercises With Answers Pdf Question 8. Buddha : Honesty is the best policy. Disciple : Does honesty always pay? Buddha : It may or may not, but at least you will never feel guilty.

Buddha in his preaching said that (a) …………………… the best policy. A disciple asked him if (b) …………………… always pays, Buddha replied (c) …………………… but at least he would never feel guilty. Answer: (a) Honesty is (b) honesty (c) that it might or might not

Reported Speech Examples With Answers Class 10 Question 9. Doctor : You should take this medicine every day. Patient : Should I take it before dinner or after dinner? Doctor : No, you should take it after breakfast.

The Doctor advised the patient that (a) …………………… The patient further asked (b) …………………… The doctor replied negatively and then said (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) he should take that medicine every day. (b) if/whether he should take it before dinner or after dinner. (c) that he should take it after breakfast

Class 10 Reported Speech Question 10. Reena : Do you know how to swim? Surbhi : Yes I know. I have learnt it during this summer vacation.

Reena asked Surbhi (a) …………………… Then Surbhi replied (b) …………………… and also added that (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) if/whether she knew how to swim (b) in affirmative (c) she had learnt it during the summer vacation.

Grammar | Reported Speech

In the chapter "Reported Speech," students learn how to report what someone else has said. This involves changing the tense of the original sentence, as well as making changes to pronouns, time expressions, and other words.

• Questions & Answers

Introduction to CBSE Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter: Reported Speech

The chapter “Reported Speech” teaches students how to report statements, questions, and requests made by others. It explains the changes that occur when reporting speech, such as changes in verb tense, pronouns, and time expressions. The chapter also covers the use of reporting verbs and the rules for reporting different types of sentences. By the end of the chapter, students should be able to accurately report what someone else has said in both written and spoken English.

Assignment and Activities for CBSE Class 10 English Chapter: Reported Speech

• Reporting Speech: Listen to a conversation or a speech and write a report summarizing what was said.
• Dialogue Rewrite: Rewrite a dialogue in reported speech, making the necessary changes in verb tense, pronouns, and time expressions.
• Reporting Questions: Practice reporting questions by changing direct questions into reported questions.
• Reporting Requests: Report requests made by others, ensuring the correct use of reporting verbs and changes in verb form.
• Mixed Sentences: Create a set of sentences that includes statements, questions, and requests, and then report them using reported speech.
• Reported Speech Game: Play a game where one student reports a statement to another student, who then has to report it to a third student, and so on.
• Interview Reporting: Conduct a mock interview and then report the questions and answers using reported speech.
• Reported Speech Quiz: Prepare a quiz for your classmates to test their understanding of reported speech.
• Storytelling: Tell a short story using reported speech to report what the characters say.
• Reported Speech in Literature: Find examples of reported speech in a piece of literature and analyze how the author uses it to convey information.

Conclusion : Reported Speech

The chapter “Reported Speech” is an essential part of learning English grammar. By understanding how to report what others have said, students can communicate more effectively and accurately in both written and spoken English. Through practice and application, students can master the rules of reported speech and use them confidently in their communication.

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Questions and Answers for CBSE Class 10 English Chapter: Reported Speech

Q1. What is reported speech?

ANS: Reported speech is when we report what someone else has said without quoting their exact words.

Q2. What are the changes that occur in reported speech?

ANS: Changes in verb tense, pronouns, time expressions, and other words occur in reported speech.

Q3. How do you report statements in reported speech?

ANS: Statements are reported by changing the verb tense, pronouns, and other words as necessary.

Q4. Can you report questions in reported speech?

ANS: Yes, questions can be reported by changing them into reported questions.

Q5. What are reporting verbs?

ANS: Reporting verbs are verbs used to report what someone else has said, such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” etc.

Q6. How do you report requests in reported speech?

ANS: Requests are reported by using reporting verbs such as “ask,” “request,” or “beg,” and changing the verb form as necessary.

Q7. What is the importance of reported speech in English?

ANS: Reported speech is important because it allows us to report what others have said accurately and effectively.

Q8. How do you report commands in reported speech?

ANS: Commands are reported by using reporting verbs such as “tell” or “order,” and changing the verb form as necessary.

Q9. What are the common mistakes to avoid in reported speech?

ANS: Common mistakes include incorrect changes in verb tense, pronouns, and word order.

Q10. How can you improve your reported speech skills?

ANS: You can improve your reported speech skills by practicing reporting different types of sentences and paying attention to the changes that occur.

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7. Reported speech

• CBSE Class 10
• Writing Skills with Grammar
• 7. Reported speech Notes
• Online English tutor English Book
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Direct and Indirect (reported) Speech

In our daily conversation many times we describe or report an event or action that happened, and very often that includes repeating what someone said.

In order to describe what people said there are two different types of speech –

• Direct speech
•  Indirect speech (or reported speech)

What is Direct & Indirect Speech?

Direct speech –  in this type of speech qwe report the message of the speaker in the exact words as spoken by him.

Direct speech example : Maya said ‘I am busy now’.

‘I am busy now’ are the exact words of the speaker.

Indirect speech : In this type of speech we report only  the message of the speaker in our own words , we don’t report the exact words of that speaker.

Indirect speech example:  Maya said that she was busy then. – only message is reported not the exact words of speaker

Reporting verb and reported speech

The speech of a person can be divided into two categories

• Reporting verb (verb of the first clause)
• Reported speech ( words within  inverted commas

She said, “I will be late today.”

First clause is ‘She said’ where

Said = reporting verb

 Words within inverted commas are

‘I will be late today ‘ = reported speech

Important points to convert direct speech into indirect speech

• No punctuation marks are used except full stop.
• Tense of the reported speech is changed if the reporting verb is in past tense.
• No change in the tense of the reported speech if it expresses any universal truth, habitual action or historical facts.

Rules to change the reporting verb

Says – says

Says to – tells

Said – said

Said to- told

Rules to change the Pronouns of reported speech

• First person i s change according to the subject of reporting verb
• Second person is changed according to the object of the reporting verb
• Third person is not changed

Rules to change the Direct speech into Indirect speech ( if the reporting verb is in past)

1.   Simple present becomes simple past

Direct - He said, “She often hesitates while speaking in class”.

Indirect - He said that she often hesitates while speaking in class. ( Habitual action thus no change in tense)

Direct - He said, “I go to park”

Indirect - He said that he went to park. (Habitual action thus no change in tense)

Direct - He said, “my mother is in the hospital.”

Indirect - He said that his mother was in the hospital.

2.  Present continuous becomes past continuous

Direct - He said, “She is watering the plants.”

Indirect - He said that she was watering the plants.

Direct - He said, “ I  am looking for my purse”

Indirect - He said that he was looking for his purse.

3.   Present perfect becomes past perfect

Direct - He said, “We have taken our meal.”

Indirect - He said that they had taken their meal.

Direct - He said, “you have won the match.”

Indirect - He said that I had won the match.

4.  Present perfect continuous becomes past perfect continuous

Direct - He said, “I have been suffering with this disease since last week.”

Indirect - He said that he had been suffering with that disease since the previous week.”

Direct - He said, “My parents have been looking for new accommodation for two months. ”

Indirect - He said that his parents had been looking for new accommodation for two months.

5.  Simple past becomes past perfect

Direct - He said, “We visited here a month ago.”

Indirect - He said that they had visited there a month before.

Direct - He said to us, “The police didn’t arrest the thief today.”

Indirect - He told us that the police had not arrested the thief that day.

6.  Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous

Direct - He said, “These boys were quarrelling today”

Indirect - He said that those boys had been quarrelling that day”

Direct - He said, “you were sleeping when I came.”

Indirect - He said that I had been sleeping when he had come.

7.  Past perfect remains unchanged

Direct - He said, “They had gone yesterday.”

Indirect - He said that they had gone a day before.

Direct - He said, “you had slept when I came.”

Indirect - He said that I had slept when he had come.

8.  Past perfect continuous remains unchanged

Direct - He said, “I had been riding the bicycle since morning.”

Indirect - He said that he had been riding the bicycle since morning.

Direct - He said, “I had been swimming for a week”

Indirect - He said that he had been swimming for a week.

9. Shall/will/can/may get converted into should/ would/could/might

  Direct - He said, “I shall drop you home.”

 Indirect - He said that he would drop me home.( Shall is often converted into would )

Direct - He said, “My brother can be coming by bus.”

Indirect - He said that his brother could be coming by bus.

Direct - He said, “ He may have cleaned the home.”

Indirect - He said that he might have cleaned the home.

Direct - He said, “ Raman shall have been walking for an hour.”

Indirect - He said that Raman  would have been walking for an hour.

Changes in time or place expressions in direct speech to indirect speech

Words showing nearness in time and place are changed into  the words showing distance in time and place.

It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we  report speech. ( Generally at the time of speaking)

if it is   Sunday

Mary says "My parents are arriving  today ". If Mona tell someone on Sunday

 Mona say "Mary said  that her parents were arriving today ".

But on Tuesday,

Mona say " Mary said that her parents were arriving  yesterday ".

In the same way,

on Wednesday

Mona say "Mary said that her parents were arriving    on Monday ". after a week

Mona will say "Mary said that her  parents were leaving  that day " .       

Place words ( should be changed according to the given situation )

• When the speech is reported in the same place - no changes in place words
• When the speech is reported in the different place - due changes in place words

  If the speech is reported at the same place.

He said: "Sam has been here." → He said that Sam had been here.

If the speech is reported at the different place.

He said: "Sam has been here." → He said that Sam had been there .

Direct speech     Indirect speech

Here         →   there, in Starbucks

This           →  that

this book    →  the book, that book,              

in this room →  in the room, in that room

  Conversion Of Interrogative sentences into Indirect speech

• ‘Asked’ is used to introduce reported speech.
• The interrogative form is changed into Assertive Forms

The auxiliary verbs is shifted back to the subject.

Direct speech : “Where are you going?” Reported speech : He asked me where  I was going .  ( Verb shifted back to the subject)

• No auxiliary verb is used  , except in negative questions.

Direct -I said to him,” Do you know how to dance.”

Reported - I asked him if he knew how to dance. (‘Do' is dropped)

Yes / no questions

structure :

'ask' + 'if / whether' + clause :

• Direct speech : Sue said “Shall I  ever forget her” Reported speech: Sue asked if she would ever forget her.
• Direct speech : He said “Do you have a laptop?” Reported speech : He asked if I had a laptop.

Interrogatives with Question words

  structure :

'ask' (or another verb like 'ask') + question word + clause .

• Direct speech : Sam said “Why is he wandering here and there ?” Reported speech : Sam  asked  why  he was wandering here and there .
• Direct speech : She said “What do you want?” Reported speech : She asked me  what I wanted .

Conversion Of Imperative sentences into Indirect speech

• Reporting verb is changed into the verbs expressing command request or advise

Ordered, advised, requested, commended, urged, forbade, told, asked etc.

•  Imperative mood is changed into infinitive mood by putting ‘to" before the verb
•  In case of a negative imperative, the auxiliary ‘ do’ is dropped and ‘to’   is placed  after ‘not’
• No conjunction is  to be used to introduce the Reported speech

Direct speech - He said to me, “do it.”

Reported speech -He  asked me to do it.

Direct speech - The teacher said to the boys, “do  not make a noise .”

Reported speech -He  asked the teacher ordered the boys not to make a noise.

Direct speech - The teacher said to the boys, “do  not waste your time.”

Reported speech – The teacher  advised the boys  not to waste their time.

Direct speech - The doctor said to the patient, “Do not have sweets, as there is cavity in the  teeth.”

Reported speech – The doctor forbade the patient to have sweets as there was cavity in the  teeth.

Conversion Of   sentences beginning with ‘Let’ into Indirect speech

When Let expresses

• A proposal – reporting verb   changes into ‘proposed or suggested’   and ‘Let’ is replaced by ‘should’

Direct speech - Mohan  said to me, “ Let us go to park .”

Reported speech – Mohan  Proposed  me that we should go to the park.

Direct speech - I  said to my friends, “ Let us wait for the result.”

Reported speech – I  proposed  my friends that we should wait for the result.

• A permission – it changes into ‘might be allowed ’    or simply into ‘ to Let'

Direct speech -  He  said to the  peon, “ Let the visitor come in.”

Reported speech – He ordered the  peon that the visitor might be allowed to  come in.

                  Or

Reported speech – He ordered the  peon to let  the visitor  come in.

Conversion Of Optative sentences into Indirect speech

• Reporting verb ‘ sa i d’ is changed into ‘ wished or prayed’
• ‘ That’ is used to introduce the reported speech
•   optative sentence changed into an assertive sentence and the sign of exclamation ‘!’ is replaced by a  full stop.  

Direct speech - He said to me, “May you be happy.”

Reported speech – He wished that I might be happy.

Direct speech - They said, “Would that I were rich.”

Reported speech – He wished that he had been rich.

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English Grammar Lessons And Worksheets

• Class 10 worksheets

Reported Speech Worksheet for Class 10 CBSE

by Manjusha Nambiar · Published November 30, 2023 · Updated April 7, 2024

If you want to learn about reported speech before doing this worksheet, go to the reported speech study page.

1. Rahul meets Shyam at the bus stop. Shyam was absent from school yesterday.

Rahul: Why were you absent yesterday?

Shyam: I went to see my grandmother. She has been ill for a while.

Complete the sentence by reporting the question and the reply correctly.

While meeting Shyam at the bus stop, Rahul asked why he …………………………………….. to which Shyam replied that ……………………………….

Rahul asked why he had been absent the previous day to which Shyam replied that he had gone to meet his grandmother who had been ill for a while.

2. Rani is speaking to her hairdresser.

Hairdresser: Hi Rani, what can I do for you?

Rani: Well, I would like a nice short haircut for the summer.

Report the conversation by completing the sentence.

The hairdresser asked Rani ……………………………………………. Rani replied that ……………………………………………

The hairdresser asked Rani what she could do for her . Rani replied that she would like a nice short haircut for the summer.

3. Meera can’t find her kitten. He has been missing since morning. She goes to her neighbours’ house and asks them if they had seen her kitten.

Meera: Have you seen my cat? He has been missing since morning.

Neighbour: No, I haven’t but I will let you know if I find him.

Meera asked her neighbor ……………………………………………………….. who ……………………………………………. Her neighbour replied that ………………………………………………….. but she ……………………………………………………….

Meera asked her neighbour if/whether she had seen her cat who had been missing since morning . Her neighbour replied that she hadn’t seen the cat but she would let her know if she found him.

4. Mother: Ammu, did you eat your lunch?

Ammu: No. I wasn’t hungry.

Report this conversation.

Mother asked Ammu …………………………………………………..  to which Ammu replied that ………………………………………… because ………………………………………………

Mother asked Ammu if / whether she had eaten her lunch to which Ammu replied that she hadn’t because she was not hungry.

5. Rani would like to go to the movies. She asks her friend Priyanka if she would like to come with her.

Rani: I would like to watch a movie tonight. Would you like to come with me?

Priyanka: I would like to but I can’t. I have an important assignment to complete.

Rani told Priyanka that she would like to watch a movie and asked her …………………………………………………….. Priyanka replied that ……………………………………………………. because ……………………………………………………….

Rani told Priyanka that she would like to watch a movie and asked her if she would like to go with her. Priyanka replied that she would like to but she couldn’t because she had an important assignment to complete.

6. Gauri: Mummy, I can’t find my calculator.

Mother: Where did you leave it?

Gauri: I left it on the table.

Mother: Ask Ravi if he has taken it.

Gauri told her mother that ………………………………………………………. to which mother asked ………………………………………………….. Gauri replied that she ………………………………………………… and then mother told her ……………………………………………………………..

Gauri told her mother that she couldn’t find her calculator to which her mother asked where she had left it. Gauri replied that she had left it on the table and then mother told her to ask Ravi if he had taken it.

• Grammar worksheet for classes 9 and 10 | Omission
• Time expressions used with simple present tense
• Non-finite verbs worksheet for class 10
• Preposition worksheet for CBSE Class 9
• Relative pronouns worksheet for CBSE Class 10
• Dialogue completion exercise for Class 10
• Prepositions worksheet for CBSE Class 10

Related posts:

• Reported Speech Worksheet | Dialogue Completion Worksheet For Class 10
• Reported Speech Worksheet for Class 9 CBSE
• Reported Speech Worksheet For Classes 9 And 10
• Reported Speech Worksheet For Class 10 | Reporting Questions
• Reported Speech Worksheet For Class 10
• Direct And Indirect Speech Worksheet For Class 8 CBSE
• Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet for Class 10 CBSE
• Reported Speech Worksheet for Class 10 KSEEB SSLC

Tags: class 10 reported speech worksheet reported speech worksheet for class 10

Manjusha Nambiar

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Reported Speech - English Grammar Class 10 - Class 10 - Notes, Videos & Tests

Part of the course, reported speech study material.

Videos for Reported Speech - English Grammar Class 10 | Class 10

Notes for reported speech - english grammar class 10, online test for reported speech - english grammar class 10, extra questions for reported speech - english grammar class 10, other chapters in english grammar class 10, frequently asked questions on class 10 preparation.

• What are the questions asked in Class 10 examinations? As per the CBSE exam pattern for Class 10 2021, the type of questions asked in the examination are Very Short Answer (VSA) type, Short Answer(SA) type, and Long Answer (LA) type. There will be CBSE internal marks for Class 10 2022 of 20 marks for both the terms.

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• Reported Speech

Reported Speech How does it Work?

Indirect speech or Reported speech is just a way of expressing your intent in questions, statements or other phrases, without essentially quoting them outrightly as the way it is done in indirect speech.

Reported Speech Rules

To understand Reported Speech Grammar and Reported Verbs, you need to first understand reported speech rules and how it works. Here are some types of reported speech:

Reported Statements

Reported speech is used when someone says a sentence, like, "I'm going to the movie tonight". Later, we want to tell a 3rd person what the first person is doing.

It works like this:

We use a reporting verb i.e 'say' or 'tell'. In the present tense, just put in 'he says.

Direct Speech: I like burgers.

Reported Speech: He says (that) he likes burgers.

You don't need to change the tense, but you do need to switch the 'person' from 'I' to 'he’. You also need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.

But, in case the reporting verb is in the past tense, then change the tenses in the reported speech itself.

Reported Questions

Reported questions to go like 

Direct Speech: Where do you reside?

We make the change to reported speech by-

It is similar to reported statements. The tense changes are exact, and we keep the question’s word. But we need to change the grammar of that normal sentence into positive. For eg:

Reported Speech: He asked me where I resided.

The direct speech question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does'. For that, I need to take that away. Then change the verb to the past simple. 

Direct Speech: Where is Jolly?

Reported Speech: He asked me where Jolly was.

The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We change the question form of the present simple of being by changing the position of the subject and the verb. So, change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.

Here Are Some More Examples

Reported Requests

The reported speech goes a long way. What if a person asks you to do something politely or make a request? It’s called a reported request. For example

Direct Speech: Close the door, please / Could you close the door please? / Would you mind closing the door, please?

All these requests mean the same, so we don't need to report every word there when we tell a 3rd person about it. 

We can simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':

Reported Speech: They asked me to close the door.

Direct Speech: Please be punctual.

Reported Speech: They asked us to be punctual.

Reported Orders

And lastly, how about when someone doesn't ask that politely? This is known as an 'order' in English, which is when someone tells you to do something pretty much directly. This is called a reported order. For example

Direct Speech: Stand up right now!

We make this into a reported speech in the same way as that for a request. Just use 'tell' rather than 'ask':

Reported Speech: She told me to stand up right now.

Time Expressions within the Ambit of Reported Speech

Sometimes when we want to change the direct speech into reported speech, we will have to change the time expressions too. We don't necessarily always have to do that. However, It depends on when we heard the speech in indirect form and when we said the speech in reported form. 

For Example,

It's Sunday. Kiran Ma’am says "I'm leaving today".

If You tell someone on Sunday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving today".

If you tell someone on Tuesday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving yesterday".

If you tell someone on Friday, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving on Sunday ".

If you tell someone a month later, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving that day".

So, technically there's no easy way to convert. You need to put in real effort and have to think about it when the direct speech is said.

Here's a Table of How Some Conversions can be Made 

now can be converted to then / at that time

today can be converted to yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27 th of June

yesterday can be converted to the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December

last night can be converted to the night before, Thursday night

last week can be converted to the week before / the previous week

tomorrow can be converted to today / the next day / the following day / Friday

Now Let us Check our Understanding Through this Table

This is all about reported speech. English grammar is a tricky thing given both the rules and practice. Reading these rules solely will not help you to get a strong grasp of them. You also have to practice reported speech sentences in practical life to know how and when they can be used.

FAQs on Reported Speech

1. How to convert present tenses to reported speech and give some examples.

There are certain rules to follow while converting sentences to reported speech. We need to manage tenses also.

Usually, the present sentences change to simple past tense.

Ex: I do yoga every morning

She said that she did yoga every morning.

I play cricket a lot

He said that he played cricket a lot 

Usually The present continuous tense changes to the past continuous tense. 

Ex: My friend is watching a movie.

She said that her friend was watching a movie.

We are eating dinner

They said that they were eating dinner.

Usually, the  Present Perfect Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense

Ex: I have been to the USA

She told me that she had been to the USA.

She has finished her task.

She said that she had finished her task.

Usually the Present Perfect Progressive Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense

2. How to convert present tenses to reported speech and give some examples.

Usually the Past Simple Tense changes into the Past Perfect Tense.

Ex: He arrived on Friday

He said that he had arrived on Friday.

My mom enjoyed the stay here

He said that his mom had enjoyed the stay there.

Usually, the Past Progressive Tense changes into the Perfect Continuous Tense

Ex: I was playing the cricket

He said that he had been playing cricket.

My husband was cooking

She said that her husband had been cooking.

Usually, the Past Perfect Tense doesn’t change.

Ex: She had worked hard.

She said that she had worked hard.

And also the Past Perfect Progressive Tense doesn’t change.

3. State the rules for conversion of future tenses into reported speech

There are rules to follow while converting the future tenses to reported speech.

In general, the Future Simple Tense changes into would. And also the future Progressive Tense changes into “would be”. The Future Perfect Tense changes into “would have”. The Future Perfect Progressive Tense changes into “would have been”.

Ex: I will be attending the wedding.

She said that she would be attending the wedding.

4. Give examples for conversion of  ‘can ‘, ‘can’t’ and ‘will’,’’won’t’ 

5. Give some examples for reported requests and reported orders.  

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Reported Speech Worksheet For Class 10 CBSE

by Manjusha · Published May 16, 2020 · Updated May 5, 2024

Read the piece of conversation given below and fill in the blanks.

Chiki: Have you bought a birthday gift for Pooja? Miki: Yes, but I don’t know when and how to give it. Chiki: Hello, I don’t get you. Miki: I mean, I am new to such functions. Chiki asked Miki ………(a)…………… Miki ……….(b)………… A surprised Chiki commented ………….(c)……….. Miki defended him by saying ………(d)…………….

Chiki asked Miki if he had bought a birthday gift for Pooja . Miki said Yes and added that he didn’t know when and how to give it . A surprised Chiki commented that she didn’t get him . Miki defended him by saying that he was new to such functions .

Direct and indirect speech worksheet for class 10

• Direct and indirect speech worksheet | Reporting yes/no questions

Reporting Wh-questions

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CBSE Class 10 English Grammar – Direct And Indirect Speech

CBSE Class 10  Science CBSE Class 10 Social Science CBSE Class 10 Maths

(Statements, Commands, Requests, and Questions) The words spoken by a person can be reported in two ways—Direct and Indirect. When we quote the exact words spoken by a person, we call it Direct Speech.

• Sohan said to Mohan, “I am going to school.”

The exact words spoken by Sohan are put within inverted commas. But when we give the substance of what Sohan said, it is called the Indirect Speech.

Direct and Indirect Speech

• Sohan told to Mohan that he (Sohan) was going to school.

1. Reporting Clause and Reported Speech: Sohan told Mohan that he was going to school. The words which generally come before the inverted commas are called the reporting clause, i.e. Sohan said to Mohan and the verb ‘said’, is called the reporting verb. The words spoken by Sohan and put within inverted commas are called the reported speech, i.e. “I am going to school.”

2. Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech:

• In the Indirect speech, no inverted commas are used.
• The conjunctions that, if, whether, are generally used after the reporting verb.
• The first word of the reported speech begins with a capital letter.
• The tense of the reporting verb is never changed.
• The reporting verb changes according to sense: it may be told, asked, inquired

3. Rules for the Change of Pronouns:

• The first person pronouns (I, me, my, we, us, our) in the reported speech change according to the subject of the reporting verb.
• The pronouns of the second person (you, your, yourself) in the reported speech change according to the object of the reporting verb.
• The pronouns of the third person do not change.

For example:

• He said, “I like the book.” He said that he liked the book.
• He said to me, “Do you like the book?” He asked me if I liked the book.
• He said, “He likes the book.”a He said that he liked the book.

• If the reporting verb is in the present or the future tense, the tense of the reported speech is not changed: Satish says, “I am flying a kite.” Satish says that he is flying a kite. Satish will say, “I want a glass of milk.” Satish will say that he wants a glass of milk.

• If the direct speech expresses a historical fact, universal truth, or a habitual fact, then the tense of the direct speech will not change: Direct: He said, “Honesty is the best policy.” Indirect: He said that honesty is the best policy. Direct: He said, “The sun rises in the east.” Indirect: He said that the sun rises in the east. Direct: Rakesh said, “I am an early riser.” Indirect : Rakesh said that he is an early riser. Direct: She said, “God is omnipresent.” Indirect: She said that God is omnipresent. Direct: The teacher said, “The First World War started in 1914.” Indirect: The teacher said that the First World War started in 1914.

6. Changing Statements into Indirect Speech:

• The reporting verb ‘said to’ is changed-to ‘told’, ‘replied’, ‘remarked’,
• The reporting verb is not followed by an object, it is not changed.
• The inverted commas are removed. The conjunction is used to connect the reporting clause with the reported speech.

The rules for the change of pronouns, tenses, etc. are followed.

• Direct: Ramu said, “I saw a lion in the forest.” Indirect: Ramu said that he had seen a lion in the forest.
• Direct: Satish said to me, “I am very happy here.” Indirect: Satish told me that he was very happy there.
• Direct: He said, “I can do this work.” Indirect: He said that he could do that work.
• Direct: Renu said to me, “I was washing the clothes.” Indirect: Renu told me that she had been washing the clothes.
• Direct: She said, “I am not well.” Indirect: She said that she was not well.
• Direct: He said to Sita, “I have passed the test.” Indirect: He told Sita that he had passed the test.
• Direct: I said to my friend, “He has been working very hard.” Indirect: I told my friend that he had been working very hard.
• Direct: My friend said to me, “I shall go to Delhi tomorrow.” Indirect: My friend told me that he would go to Delhi the next day.
• Direct: I said, “I agree to what he said.” Indirect: I said that I agreed to what he had said.
• Direct: The student said to the teacher, “I am sorry that I am late.” Indirect: The student told the teacher that he was sorry that he was late.

7. Rules for the Change of Interrogative (Questions) sentences:

The reporting verb “say’ is changed into ask, inquire,

The interrogative sentence is changed into a statement by placing the subject before the verb and the full stop is put at the end of the sentence.

If the interrogative sentence has a wh-word (who, when, where, how, why, etc) the wh-word is repeated in the sentence. It serves as conjunction.

If the interrogative sentence is a yes-no answer type sentence (with auxiliary verbs am, are, was, were, do, did, have, shall, etc), then ‘if or ‘whether’ is used as a conjunction.

The auxiliaries do, does, did in a positive question in the reported speech are dropped.

The conjunction is not used after the reporting clause.

• Direct: I said to him, “Where are you going?” Indirect: I asked him where he was going.
• Direct: He said to me, “Will you go there?” Indirect: He asked me if I would go there.
• Direct: My friend said to Deepak, “Have you ever been to Agra?” Indirect: My friend asked Deepak if he had ever been to Agra.
• Direct: I said to him, “Did you enjoy the movie?” Indirect: I asked him if he had enjoyed the movie.
• Direct: I said to her, “Do you know him?” Indirect: I asked her if she knew him.
• Direct: He said to me, “Will you listen to me?” Indirect: He asked me if I would listen to him.
• Direct: I said to him, “When will you go there?” Indirect: I asked him when he would go there.
• Direct: He said to me, “How is your father?” Indirect: He asked me how my father was.
• Direct: I said to him, “Are you happy?” Indirect: I asked him if he was happy.
• Direct: He said to her, “Do you like apples?” Indirect: He asked her if she liked apples.

8. Changing Commands and Requests into Indirect Speech:

• In imperative sentences having commands, the reporting verb is changed into command, order, tell, allow, request,etc.
• The imperative mood is changed into the infinitive mood by putting ‘to’, before the verb. In case of negative sentences, the auxiliary ‘do’ is dropped and ‘to’ is placed after ‘not’:
• Direct: She said to me, “Open the window.” Indirect: She ordered me to open the window.
• Direct: The captain said to the soldiers, “Attack the enemy.” Indirect: The captain commanded the soldiers to attack the enemy.
• Direct: I said to him, “Leave this place at once.” Indirect: I told him to leave that place at once.
• Direct: The teacher said to the students, “Listen to me attentively.” Indirect: The teacher asked the students to listen to him attentively.
• Direct: The Principal said to the peon, “Ring the bell.” Indirect: The Principal ordered the peon to ring the bell.
• Direct: The master said to the servant, “Fetch me a glass of water.” Indirect: The master ordered the servant to fetch him a glass of water.
• Direct: I said to him, “Please bring me a glass of water.” Indirect: I requested him to bring me a glass of water.
• Direct: I said to my friend, “Please lend me your book.” Indirect: I requested my friend to lend me his book.

9. Sentences with ‘Let’.

• ‘Let’ is used in various meanings.

(i) ‘Let’ is used to make a proposal.

• First change the reporting verb into ‘proposed’ or ‘suggested’.
• Use ‘should’ instead of ‘let’. Example: Direct: He said to me, “Let us go home.” Indirect: He suggested to me that we should go home.

(ii) ‘Let’ is used as ‘to allow’.

• In Indirect Speech, we change the reporting verb to ‘requested’ or ‘ordered’.
• We start Reported Speech with ‘to’. Direct: Ram said to Mohan, “Let him do it.” Indirect: Ram ordered Mohan to let him do that. Or Ram told Mohan that he might be allowed to do that.

10. Sentences with Question Tags (i) In the indirect speech the question-tag is usually left. (ii) In indirect speech these words are removed and the word ‘respectfully’ is used in the reporting clause. Direct: Mahesh said, “Sir, may I go home?” Indirect: Mahesh respectfully asked his sir if he might go home.

11. Sentences with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ Direct     : He said, “Can you dance?” And I said, “No.” Indirect: He asked me if I could dance and I replied that I couldn’t. Direct    : My mother said, “Will you come home on time?” And I said, “Yes.” Indirect: My mother asked me if I would come home on time and I replied that I would.

Note  : ‘Yes’ of ‘No’ hides a complete sentence. Therefore, change yes/no into a short answer.

Direct     : She said to me, “You didn’t break the window, did you?” Indirect: She asked me if/whether I had broken the window. Direct : He said to Geeta, “You are going to the station, aren’t you?” Indirect: He asked Geeta if/ whether she was going to the station.

12. Sentences with ‘have to’ or ‘had to’ (i) Change ‘have to’ according to the rules. (ii) But change ‘had to’ into ‘had had to’ in the indirect speech. Direct    : Hari said, “I have to work a lot.” Indirect: Hari said that he had to work a lot. Direct    : Hari said, “I had to work a lot.” Indirect: Hari said that he had had to work a lot.

13. Sentences with ‘Sir’, ‘Madam’ or ‘Your Honour’ etc.

• Generally such words are used to show respect to the person concerned.

You can master in English Grammar of various classes by our articles like Tenses, Clauses, Prepositions, Story writing, Unseen Passage, Notice Writing etc.

14. Exclamations and Wishes Sometimes Exclamatory sentences contain exclamations like Hurrah!, Alas!, Oh!, Heavens!, Bravo, etc. Such exclamatory words are removed in the indirect speech and we use ‘exclaimed with sorrow’, exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with surprise, etc. instead of ‘said’. Examples:

• Direct    : Rohan said, “Hurrah! We won the match.” Indirect: Rohan exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
• Direct    : Reema said, “Alas! Karina’s mother is suffering from cancer.” Indirect: Reema exclaimed with sorrow that Karina’s mother was suffering from cancer.
• Direct    : The captain said to Kapil, “Bravo! You scored 89 runs.” Indirect: The captain exclaimed with praise that he (Kapil) had scored 89 runs.

(a) Look at these sentences.

• Direct   : My mother said, “May God bless you!” Indirect: My mother prayed to God for my well being.
• Direct    : She said, “May God save the country!” Indirect: She prayed to God to save the country.
• Direct    : They said to the king, “Long live!” Indirect: They blessed the king for his long life.

(b) Look at these sentences.

• Direct    : Mohan said, “What a pity!” Indirect: Mohan exclaimed that it was a great pity.
• Direct    : I said, “How stupid he is!” Indirect: I exclaimed that it was a very stupid of him.
• Direct    : “What a terrible sight it is!” said the traveller. Indirect: The traveller exclaimed that it was a very terrible sight. All the sentences in inverted commas are exclamatory sentences.

(i)  Use ‘exclaimed’ in place of ‘said’ in the reporting verb in the indirect speech. (ii) In Indirect sentences, we use exclamatory sentences as statements. (iii) Indirect speech begins with that and full stop (•) is used instead of the exclamation mark (!). Exercise (Solved)

Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech:

(i) He said, “I will do it now.” Answer: He said that he would do it then.

(ii) He says, “Honesty is the best policy.” Answer: He says that honesty is the best policy.

(iii) Ramesh says, “I have written a letter.” Answer: Ramesh says that he has written a letter.

(iv) She said, “Mahesh will be reading a book.” Answer: She said that Mahesh would be reading a book.

(v) She said, “Where is your father?” Answer: She inquired where his father was.

(vi) He said to me, “Please take your book.” Answer: He requested me to take my book.

(vii) The Principal said to the peon, “Let this boy go out.” Answer: The Principal ordered the peon to let that boy go out.

(viii) He said to me, “May you live long!” Answer: He prayed that I might live long.

(ix) She said, “Goodbye friends!” Answer: She bade goodbye to her friends.

(ix) The student said, “Alas! I wasted my time last year.” Answer: The student regretted that he had wasted his time the previous year. Exercise (Unsolved)

• The captain said, “Bravo! well done, my boys.”
• He said to her, “Why do you read this book?”
• He said to her, “Does your cow not kick?”
• He said to his brother, “Shailesh has broken my glass.”
• Our teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”
• He said to me, “Why have you come here?”
• Usha said, “Father, you are very kind to me.”
• The teacher said to the boys, “Do not make a noise.”
• He said to his friend, “May you prosper in business!”
• The officer said to the peon, “Let the visitor come into my office.”

When we want to tell somebody else what another person said, we can use either direct speech and reported speech. When we use direct speech, we use the same words but use quotation marks, For example: Scott said, “I am coming to work. I will be late because there is a lot of traffic now.”

When we use reported speech, we usually change the verbs, specific times, and pronouns. For example: Scott said that he was coming to work. He said that he would be late because there was a lot of traffic at that time.

Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 CBSE With Answers 

This grammar section explains English Grammar in a clear and simple way. There are example sentences to show how the language is used. NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English will help you to write better answers in your Class 10 exams. Because the Solutions are solved by subject matter experts.

Rules for Reported Speech While changing direct speech into reported speech or vice-versa the following changes occur:

1. Changes In Reporting Verb Affirmative sentences: said, told (object), asserted, replied, assured, informed, responded, whispered, alleged, believed, assumed, thought Interrogative sentences: asked, enquired, wanted to know Imperative sentences: ordered, begged, pleaded, implored, advised, demanded

2. Change Of Pronouns Direct Speech: Johnny said, ‘I am playing.’ Indirect Speech: Johnny said that he was playing. First-person generally changes to third person {depending upon the subject of the reporting verb).

3. Change Of Tenses

In general, present tense becomes past tense; past tense and present perfect become past perfect.

4. Change of situations Example: Nagesh said, ‘I read this book last week. (direct speech) Nagesh said that he had read that book the previous week, (indirect speech)

• ‘this’ becomes ‘that’
• ‘last week’ becomes ‘the previous week’
• here – there
• today – that day
• yesterday – the day before/the previous day
• tomorrow – the next day/the coming day
• last week – the week before/the previous week
• next month – the next month/the coming month

5. In case of questions and answers Examples:

• Nagesh asked, ‘Have you read this book?’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh asked if’ whether I had read that book, (indirect speech)
• Nagesh asked, ‘Where is the book?’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh asked where the book was. (indirect speech)

(a) For yes/no questions – use if/whether (b) For wh- questions – use the wh-word

Word Order:

• Nagesh asked, ‘What’s the matter?’
• Nagesh asked what the matter was. (what + the matter + was)
• Nagesh asked what was the matter, (what + was + the matter)
• The word order can be either:
• who/which/what + complement + be or ‘
• who/which/what + be + complement

6. Reported Speech using present and future tenses Examples:

• Nagesh said, ‘The sun rises in the east.’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh said that the sun rises in the east, (indirect speech)
• Nagesh said, ‘I will read this book.’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh said that he will read that book, (indirect speech)
• If the original speaker’s present and future is still present and future, the tense remains unchanged.

7. In case of modal verbs can becomes could

• will – would
• shall – should
• may – might

would, should, could, might, ought to and must are unchanged. Example:

• Nagesh said, ‘I can solve this sum.’ (direct speech)
• Nagesh said that he could solve that sum. (indirect speech)

Reported Speech Solved Examples Exercises for Class 10 CBSE

Read the dialogue given below and then complete the passage that follows.

Question 1. Read the dialogue and complete the passage given below.

Interviewer: So, why do you want to be a computer programmer? Ravi: Well, I have always been interested in computers. Interviewer: I see. Do you have any experience? Ravi: No, but I’m a fast learner. Interviewer: What kind of a computer do you use? Ravi: Computer? Uhm, let me see. I can use a Mac. I also used Windows 10 once. Interviewer: That’s good.

Ravi recently attended an interview for the selection of a computer programmer. At the interview, he was asked (a) ……………………….. To this question he replied that he wanted to change his job because (b) ……………………….. When the interviewer asked him (e) ………………………. he replied that he (d) ……………………….. Finally, the interviewer wanted to know (e) ………………………. . Ravi replied that he could use a Mac and had also used Windows 10 once in the,.past. The interviewer seemed to be pleased with his answers. Answer: (a) why he wanted to be a computer programmer (b) he had always been interested in computers (c) whether he had any experience (d) didn’t but that he was a fast learner (e) the kind of computer he used

Question 2. Manu: Where are you going to? Annu: I am going to the market. Do you want anything?

Manu asked Annu (a) …………………… Annu replied (b) …………………… Annu replied (b) …………………… and she further asked (C) …………………… Answer: (a) where she was going. (b) that she was going to the market (c) if/whether she wanted anything.

Question 3. Sunita: Tomorrow is your birthday, what do you want as a gift? Neetu: That is a lovely thought but I don’t want anything.

Sunita asked Neetu since the next day was her birthday, (a) …………………… Neetu replied that (b) …………………… but (C) ………………….. . Answer: (a) what she wanted as a gift (b) that was a lovely thought (c) she did not want anything.

Question 4. Gardener: Did you water the plant today? Dev: No, but I will, today. Gardener: Then tomorrow I will get a sapling of sunflower.

The Gardener asked Dev (a) …………………… Dev replied negatively but (b) …………………… Then the gardener said that (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) if/whether he had watered the plant that day. (b) said he would that day. (c) he would get a sapling of a sunflower the next day.

Question 5. Mr. Harish: Can you polish my shoes? Cobbler: Yes sir. But I will take 10 for each shoe.

Mr. Harish: I will not mind as long as it is done. Mr. Harish asked the cobbler (a) …………………… The cobbler replied affirmatively but (b) …………………… Mr. Harish said that (C) ……………………. Answer: (a) if/whether he could polish his shoes. (b) said that he would take 10 for each shoe (c) he would not mind as long as it was done.

Question 6. Electrician: When did your electricity go? Mohan: It is not working since evening. Electrician: Sorry sir, in this case, I will have to check the fuse now.

The electrician asked Mohan (a) …………………… Mohan replied that (b) …………………… The electrician apologetically said that in that case (c) …………………… Answer: (a) when his electricity had gone. (b) it was not working since evening. (c) he would have to check the fuse then.

Question 7. Teacher : Children, let us all pledge to save trees. Children : Yes, mam, we all pledge to save our trees as the trees are the lungs of the city. Teacher : Let us start today by planting a sapling.

The teacher asked all the children to pledge to save trees. The children replied affirmatively (a) …………………… as the (b) …………………… Then the teacher said that (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) saying that they all pledged to save trees (b) trees are the lungs of the city. (c) they should start by planting a sapling that day.

Question 8. Buddha : Honesty is the best policy. Disciple : Does honesty always pay? Buddha : It may or may not, but at least you will never feel guilty.

Buddha in his preaching said that (a) …………………… the best policy. A disciple asked him if (b) …………………… always pays, Buddha replied (c) …………………… but at least he would never feel guilty. Answer: (a) Honesty is (b) honesty (c) that it might or might not

Question 9. Doctor : You should take this medicine every day. Patient : Should I take it before dinner or after dinner? Doctor : No, you should take it after breakfast.

The Doctor advised the patient that (a) …………………… The patient further asked (b) …………………… The doctor replied negatively and then said (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) he should take that medicine every day. (b) if/whether he should take it before dinner or after dinner. (c) that he should take it after breakfast

Question 10. Reena : Do you know how to swim? Surbhi : Yes I know. I have learnt it during this summer vacation.

Reena asked Surbhi (a) …………………… Then Surbhi replied (b) …………………… and also added that (c) ………………….. . Answer: (a) if/whether she knew how to swim (b) in affirmative (c) she had learnt it during the summer vacation.

Reported Speech Quiz

You can do this grammar quiz online or print it on paper. It tests what you learned on the Reported Speech pages.

1. Which is a reporting verb?

2. He said that it was cold outside. Which word is optional?

3. "I bought a car last week." Last week he said he had bought a car

4. "Where is it?" said Mary. She

5. Which of these is usually required with reported YES/NO questions?

6. Ram asked me where I worked. His original words were

7. "Don't yell!" is a

8. "Please wipe your feet." I asked them to wipe

9. She always asks me not to burn the cookies. She always says

10. Which structure is not used for reported orders?

Your score is:

Correct answers:

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Reported Speech (Direct - Indirect) Clas...

9th - 10th grade.

Reported Speech (Direct - Indirect) Class 10

20 questions

Introducing new   Paper mode

No student devices needed.   Know more

Direct Speech is..

the reporting of speech by using similar words to the speaker.

the reporting of speech by rephrasing what the speaker said.

the reporting of speech by repeating the exact words of the speaker.

the reporting of speech at the exact time it was said.

Mr. Bheem asked the students ................... their test.

Have they finished

Have they finish

If they have finished

Whether they had finished

Whether they have finished

John, " I am going to visit my grandma next week". It means

John said that he was going to visit my grandma the following week

John said that he is going to visit his grandma the following week

John said that he will going to visit grandma next week

John said that he was going to visit his grandma the following week

John said that he will be going to visit his garndma the following week

John asked me, "What are you doing here?". It means ....

John said what are you doing here

John asked me what I am doing there?

John asked me what I was doing there

John asked me what I was doing here?

John asked me what I was doing there?

He said, "I like this song."

He said that I liked this song.

He said that he likes this song.

He said that he liked that song.

He said that he likes that song.

Indirect speech is also known as

Repeated speech

Repeated statements

Reported speech

Reported statements

Kuldip said "I was writing a letter yesterday."

Kuldip said that he had been writing a letter before that day.

Kuldip said that he was writing a letter the day before.

Kuldip said that he had written a letter before that day.

Kuldip said that he wrote a letter the day before.

Janci said, "I will read this book next week."

Janci said that she would read this book next week.

Janci said that she would read that book the week after.

Janci said that she will read this book next week.

Janci said that she would read that book next week.

Indirect speech is...

expresses what was said without using the exact words.

expresses what was said using the exact words.

where someone else expresses what was said.

where someone expresses their own words.

Convert the following sentence into indirect speech: The police man said to the boy, "Where do you live?"

"Where do you live?", the policeman asked the boy.

The policeman asked the boy where he lives.

When speaking to the boy, the policeman asked where do you live?

The policeman wanted to know where the boy lives.

Convert the followiing statement into direct speech: She asked the teacher when they could eat their snacks.

The teacher was asked when the girl could eat her snacks.

When can we eat our snacks?

"When can we eat our snacks? She asked"

She asked the teacher, "When can we eat our snacks?"

My father said to me, "You must work hard".

My father said to me that I must work hard.

My father said to me that you must work hard.

My father said to me that you have to work hard.

My father said to me that I had to work hard.

She said, "My parents are going to Karachi".

She said that my parents going to Karachi.

She said that my parents gone to Karachi.

She said that her parents were going to Karachi.

She said that her parents are going to Karachi.

Peter said, "Don't worry, I will fix it."

Peter told me don't worry and he will fix it.

Peter told me don't worry and that he would fix it.

Peter told me to not worry and that he would fix it.

Peter told me not to worry and that he would fix it.

She said, "I saw him."

She said who she had seen him.

She said she saw him.

She said that ahe had seen him.

She said, “I am going to London tomorrow.”

She said that she was going to go to London the next day.

She said that she is going to London the next day.

She said that she was going to London the next day.

The teacher asked me, “Do you like working in teams?

The teacher asked if I liked working in teams.

The teacher asked if I liked work in teams.

The teacher asked if I liked working in team.

"He works in a bank." she said

She said that he worked in a bank.

She said that he works in a bank.

She said that he work in a bar.

She say that he works in a bank.

"When did you go to the library?" James asked me

James asked me when he went to the library.

James asked me when I went to the library.

James asked me when went he to the library.

Change into direct speech:

Paul said to me that he had been sick the previous day.

Paul said to me," He was sick yesterday."

Paul said to me, "I was sick yesterday."

Paul said to me," I am sick today."

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