Engilsh- Grammar- Reported Speech- Exercise

1. Structure: Reported speech typically consists of a reporting verb (such as “said,” “told,” “asked,” etc.) followed by a reported clause. The reported clause contains the reported statement, question, command, or suggestion.
2. Verb Tense Changes: In reported speech, the verb tense in the reported clause often changes relative to the original statement to reflect the perspective of the reporting speaker. For example, present tense verbs may change to past tense, past tense verbs may change to past perfect tense, etc.
3. Pronoun Changes: Pronouns in the reported clause may change to reflect the perspective of the reporting speaker. For example, first-person pronouns (I, me, my) may change based on who is reporting the speech.
4. Time and Place Expressions: Time and place expressions may also change in reported speech to reflect the perspective of the reporting speaker or to convey the passage of time. For example, “yesterday” may change to “the day before” or “tomorrow” may change to “the next day.”
5. Reporting Verbs: Various reporting verbs can be used to introduce reported speech, such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” “explain,” “announce,” etc. The choice of reporting verb may depend on the context and the speaker’s intention.
6. Use of Conjunctions: In reported speech, a conjunction such as “that” is often used to introduce the reported clause. However, in some cases, conjunctions may be omitted, especially in informal contexts.

Choose the best alternative to complete the sentences given below :

(1) Please tell me :
(a) where is the bus stop (b) where the bus stop be
(c) where stops the bus (d) where the bus stop is
(2) I told him :
(a) what the homework was (b) what was the homework
(c) what was to be the homework (d) what is the homework
(3) I think :
(a) will be the plane on time (b) the plane will be on time
(c) the plane to be on time (d) it will be on time the plane
(4) I didn’t know :
(a) what he mean (b) what did he mean
(c) what did he meant (d) what he meant
(5) He said :
(a) that the weather colder than usual (b) the weather be colder than usual
(c) the weather was colder than usual (d) the weather it is colder than usual
(6) I think :
(a) today it is Wednesday (b) that is today Wednesday
(c) today is Wednesday (d) today be Wednesday
(7) He said :
(a) that yesterday he gone downtown (b) he goes downtown yesterday
(c) he go downtown yesterday (d) he went downtown yesterday
(8) I believe :
(a) him he is right (b) he is right
(c) he be right (d) that he right
(9) She said :
(a) that she was hungry (b) she hungry
(c) she be hungry (d) her was hungry
(10) He told us :
(a) that he enjoy the movie (b) he enjoyed the movie
(c) he be enjoying the movie (d) that enjoyed the movie

Answer

(1) (d), (2) (a), (3) (b), (4) (d), (5) (c), (6) (c), (7) (d), (8) (b), (9) (a), (10) (b).

Exercise

Change the following sentences into Indirect Narration :
(1) He says, “I am ill.”

(2) Mohan said to me, “I am doing my work.”
(3) I said to him, “I went there on Tuesday.”

(4) The teacher said to us, “The earth is round.”
(5) The boy said, “I saw him while I was running.”

(6) She said, “You need not wail.”
(7) I said to him, “Your brother has passed.”

(8) I said to him, “Where do you live?”
(9) He said to me, ‘Work hard if you want to pass.”

(10) He said to me, “Do not go there?”
(11) He said, “What a pitiful scene?”

(12) She said, “Where is the hospital.”
(13) The big man said, “Quite right.”

(14) “We’ll wait for you if you’re late”, they said.
(15) Ram asked Mohan, “What is the time?”

(16) The saint said to her, “May God help you!”
(17) “Wish you a happy journey”, said Harsh.

Click for Solution

(1) He says that he is ill.
(2) Mohan told me that he was doing his work.
(3) I told him that I had gone there on Tuesday.
(4) The teacher told us that the earth is round.
(5) The boy said that he had seen him while he (the boy) was running.
(6) She said that I need not wait.
(7) I told him that his brother had passed.
(8) I asked him where he lived.
(9) He advised me to work hard if I wanted to pass.
(10) He forbade me to go there.
(11) He exclaimed that it was a pitiful scene.
(12) She asked where the hospital was.
(13) The big man said that it was quite right.
(14) They told me that they would wait for me if I was late.
(15) Ram asked Mohan what the time was.
(16) The saint wished that God might help her.
(17) Harsh wished me a happy journey.
(18) The boy exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
(19) Sarla exclaimed with sorrow that she had failed.
(20) My mother asked me not to jump on her bed.

Change the following sentences into Indirect Narration :

(1) Sumit said, “Father, I want to go abroad after I finish my studies here.”
(2) I said to Sumit,“Why do you want to go abroad? Where actually do you want to go?”
(3) “Don’t go home yet,” I told my colleague, “ Remember you promised to finish your work before
leaving.”
(4) “Please listen to me,” he answered, ‘‘I must go now because my son is very ill.”
(5) “What a relief to know that the girl has passed !” I exclaimed, “now she can get a job.”
(6) The station master said to me, “You are very late; it is one full hour since the train left.”
(7) Nitin said to me, “Why don’t you come with us? Why do you want to be so unsocial”
(8) The gang leader shouted, “Keep together and run, the police are after us.”
(9) I said to my companions, “Let them not come with us if they don’t want to, let’s not wait for them any
longer”.
(10) “What a pleasant surprise !” I exclaimed on seeing John in the room, “I never expected to find you here.”
(11) I said to Harish, “The man who came to meet you asked if we could see his boss tomorrow.”
(12) He said to his Secretary, “Why don’t you carry out orders exactly ? Remember if you don’t, you will be
punished.”
(13) I said to the boy, “You have no ticket, get out before you are driven out.”
(14) The lecturer paused and said, “Those who are tired of listening to me can go. I shall not mind it.”
(15) They said, “How very awkward ! What shall we say to him?

Answer

(1) Sumit told his father that he wanted to go abroad after he finished his studies here.
(2) I asked Sumit why he wanted to go abroad and where he actually wanted to go.
(3) I requested my colleague not to go home yet and to remember that he promised to finish his work
before leaving.
(4) He answered politely to listen to him and that he must go then because his son was very ill.
(5) I exclaimed with joy that it was a great relief to know that the girl had passed and then she would get
a job.
(6) The station master told me that I was very late and it was one full hour since the train had left.
(7) Nitin asked me why I did not come with them. He further asked why I wanted to be so unsocial.
(8) The gang leader shouted to his followers to keep together and run because the police were after
them.
(9) I told the companions that they need not come with them if they didn’t want to. I suggested that they
(the companions) should not wait for them any longer.
(10) I exclaimed on seeing John in the room that it was a very pleasanst surprise, and I had never accepted
to find him there.
(11) I told Harish that the man who had come to meet him, had asked if we would see his boss the
following day.
(12) He asked his secretary why he did not carry out orders exactly, he warned him that if he did not
(carry out orders) he would be punished.
(13) I ordered the boy to get out (as he had no ticket) before he was driven out.
(14) The lecturer paused and said that those who were tired of listening to him could go and that he would
not mind that.
(15) They cried out with contempt what they would tell him (by way of explanation), exclaimed that it
was very awkward