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Direct and Indirect Speech: Direct Indirect Speech Rules and examples. Direct Speech to Indirect
speech exercises with answers
TIPS(/module-view/27-direct-&-indirect- MCQ(/module-view/27-direct-&-indirect-
speech/1-english-grammar-tips--- speech/2-english-grammar-test-on-
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Grammar Test Questions on Direct and Indirect Speech
(https://learningpundits.com/module-view/27-direct-&-indirect-speech/2-
english-grammar-test-on-direct-&-indirect-speech/)
What is Direct & Indirect Speech?
Direct Speech: the message of the speaker is
conveyed or reported in his own actual words without any change.
Indirect Speech: the message of the speaker is conveyed or reported in our own words.
Example on Process of Conversion from Direct to Indirect Speech
1. All inverted commas or quotation marks are omitted and the sentence ends with a full stop.
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If the reporting verb is in the Present or Future Tense, the tenses of the Direct Speech do not
change.
The Tense in Indirect Speech is NOT CHANGED if the words within the quotation marks talk of a
universal truth or habitual action.
b) Indirect: She said that she would be using the car next Friday.
Modals that DO NOT Change: Would, Could, Might, Should, Ought to.
If sentence begins with auxiliary verb, the joining clause should be if or whether.
b) Indirect: He asked them whether they would come for the meeting.
If sentence begins with ‘wh’ questions then no conjunction is used as the "question-word" itself act
as joining clause.
The second person of reported speech changes according to the object of reporting speech.
Now -- then
Here -- there
Ago -- before
Thus -- so
This -- that
These -- those
Hither-- thither
Come -- go
Hence -- thence
b) Indirect: She said that her father had come the day before.
Tip 9: Punctuation
The words that are actually spoken should be enclosed in quotes and begin with a capital letter
Comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark must be present at the end of reported
sentences and are placed inside the closing inverted comma or commas.
If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, comma is used to introduce the
piece of speech, placed before the rst inverted comma.
Example: “Thinking back,” she said, “he didn't expect to win.” (Comma is used to
separate the two reported speech and no capital letter to begin the second sentence).
3. Insert quotation marks, question mark, exclamation and full stop, as per the mood of the
sentence.
6. Change the past tense into present tense wherever the reporting verb is in the past tense.
7. Convert the past perfect either into past tense or present perfect as found necessary.
Example
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Spot the Errors:
Each of the following sentences will contain a mistake in the usage of Direct and Indirect Speech.
See if you can spot that mistake.
#1:
Direct: The boy said, “I’m happy with my results.”
Indirect: The boy said that he is happy with his results. (Incorrect)
Indirect: The boy said that he was happy with his results. (Correct)
#2:
Direct: She said, “I have baked a cake.”
#3:
Direct: He said, “All people have equal rights.”
#4:
Direct: Roshni said, “I may meet him here”.
Indirect: Roshni said that she may meet him here. (Incorrect)
Indirect: Roshni said that she might meet him there. (Correct)
#5:
Direct: She says, “I will go to school tomorrow.”
Indirect: She says that she would go to school the day after. (Incorrect)
#6:
Direct: He said, “She is coming this week to discuss this.”
Indirect: He said that she was coming this week to discuss this. (Incorrect)
Indirect: He said that she was coming that week to discuss it. (Correct)
#7:
Direct: He said to them, “Will you come for dinner?”
Indirect: The teacher urged /ordered them to be quiet and listen to his words. (Correct)
#9:
Direct: The old man said, “Ah! I am ruined.”
Indirect: The old man exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.
#10:
Indirect: The policeman enquired where we were going.
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