If you’ve ever wanted to sound like a pro while talking about what someone else said (without repeating their exact words), then this is for you. Ready to level up your grammar? Let’s go! 🚀
What is Indirect Speech?
Indirect speech is when you report someone else’s words without using their exact phrasing. It’s like telling a story, but with your own twist! ✨
For example:
- Direct Speech: John said, “I’m going to the park!”
- Indirect Speech: John said that he was going to the park.
Key Point: When you switch from direct to indirect speech, the words change a little. Let’s see how!
The Changes You Need to Know:
- Tense Shift
In indirect speech, the tense usually changes. So, if someone says something in the present, you might need to move it to the past.- Direct: She says, “I love ice cream!” 🍦
- Indirect: She says that she loves ice cream.
- Direct: He said, “I am eating my lunch.”
- Indirect: He said that he was eating his lunch. 🍽️
- Pronoun Changes
You need to change pronouns to match the new sentence.- Direct: “I am the king,” he said. 👑
- Indirect: He said that he was the king.
- Time Expressions
Time words like “now,” “today,” or “tomorrow” change in indirect speech.- Direct: “I’ll meet you tomorrow!”
- Indirect: She said she would meet me the next day. 📅
Fun Fact About Indirect Speech:
It can sound a little more formal than direct speech, but don’t worry! You can still be cool with it. Just remember, indirect speech is your chance to show off how much you know about how someone else speaks without quoting them directly! 🎤
Ready to use indirect speech like a pro? ✨ You can now talk about all the wild things your friends are saying—just make sure to add your own style to it!
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| Direct Speech Tense | Indirect Speech Tense | Explanation | Emoji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | Past Simple | He says, “I play guitar.” → He said that he played guitar. | 🎸 |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous | She says, “I am studying.” → She said that she was studying. | 📚 |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect | They have said, “We have finished.” → They said that they had finished. | ✅ |
| Past Simple | Past Perfect | He said, “I ate pizza.” → He said that he had eaten pizza. | 🍕 |
| Past Continuous | Past Continuous | She said, “I was working.” → She said that she had been working. | 💼 |
| Future Simple | Would + Verb | They said, “I will go.” → They said that they would go. | 🚶♂️ |
| Future Continuous | Would be + Verb | He says, “I will be singing.” → He said that he would be singing. | 🎤 |
| Future Perfect | Would have + Verb | They said, “I will have finished.” → They said that they would have finished. | ⌛ |
Common Verbs and Their Usage in Direct and Indirect Speech
| Verb | Direct Speech Example | Indirect Speech Example | Emoji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ask | When someone asks, “Where are you?” | He asked where I was. | ❓ |
| Tell | When someone tells you, “I love this book.” | She told me that she loved this book. | 💬 |
| Say | When someone says, “I am happy.” | He said that he was happy. | 😊 |
| Tell | When someone tells you, “Please sit down.” | She told me to sit down. | 📢 |
| Explain | When someone explains, “This is how you solve it.” | He explained how to solve it. | 💡 |
| Advise | When someone advises, “You should study more.” | She advised me to study more. | 💭 |
| Order | When someone orders, “Go to your room!” | He ordered me to go to my room. | 🚪 |
| Suggest | When someone suggests, “Let’s go to the park.” | She suggested going to the park. | 🏞️ |
Indirect Speech: Exercises for You to Practice! ✍️
Here’s your chance to practice the magic of indirect speech! Ready to challenge yourself? Try changing these direct speech sentences into indirect speech.
Exercise 1: Change to Indirect Speech
- Direct: “I am going to the concert tonight,” she said. 🎤
- Direct: “We are planning a surprise party,” they said. 🎉
- Direct: “I can’t find my keys!” he shouted. 🔑
- Direct: “I will call you tomorrow,” John said. 📞
- Direct: “I’ve never been to Paris,” she said. 🗼
- Direct: “We were playing soccer all afternoon,” they said. ⚽
- Direct: “I love reading books,” said Alice. 📚
Exercise 2: Correct the Mistakes in Indirect Speech
Here are some incorrect examples. Your job is to find and fix the errors!
- Direct: “I will visit my grandmother,” said Mike.
Incorrect Indirect: Mike said that he will visit his grandmother. - Direct: “She was eating ice cream when I called,” John said.
Incorrect Indirect: John said that she eats ice cream when he called. - Direct: “I am studying for the exam,” said Emma.
Incorrect Indirect: Emma said that she is studying for the exam.
Solutions:
Exercise 1 Solutions:
- Indirect: She said that she was going to the concert tonight. 🎤
- Indirect: They said that they were planning a surprise party. 🎉
- Indirect: He shouted that he couldn’t find his keys! 🔑
- Indirect: John said that he would call me tomorrow. 📞
- Indirect: She said that she had never been to Paris. 🗼
- Indirect: They said that they had been playing soccer all afternoon. ⚽
- Indirect: Alice said that she loved reading books. 📚
Exercise 2 Solutions:
- Correct Indirect: Mike said that he would visit his grandmother.
- Correct Indirect: John said that she had been eating ice cream when he called.
- Correct Indirect: Emma said that she was studying for the exam.