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100 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech: Do you tend to quote exactly what you listen to, or do you prefer to convey the message instead of quoting word-for-word what you listen to? In any case, both actions are examples of Direct and Indirect speech exercises in practicality. There is no doubt that the English language and its grammar rules can be both tricky and easy at times. After all, where tenses are just the tip of the iceberg, you would find voices and direct and indirect speech at its other end under the ocean to explore. But, once you master their complicated rules through tons of examples and exercises, you can be as proficient as a native English speaker.
So, let’s not forget that there is nothing that you, as a human, cannot conquer. Observe these 50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises given in this blog article and make the most out of the rules involved to upgrade your grammar wizardry.
This Blog Includes:
MUST READ! Reported Speech: Definition, Rules, Usage with Examples, Tips, Exercises for Students
What is Direct and Indirect Speech?
Before we walk through the examples of direct and indirect speech exercises, let’s learn that both direct and indirect speech are a part of Reported Speech. You can identify them on the following grounds of differentiation:
| Particulars | Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| Definition | Direct speech involves quoting the exact words spoken by someone, usually enclosed within quotation marks. | Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, involves conveying the meaning of what someone said without using their exact words. |
| Structure | It maintains the original words, tense, and structure of the speaker’s sentence. | The tense and pronouns might change, and the statement is usually introduced by a reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked). |
| Example | Mary said, “She was going to visit her parents.” | Mary said that she was going to visit her parents. |
Also Read: Figures of Speech with Examples, PDF
Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech
Following are some rules for direct and indirect speech which can be used in making sentences:
- Note the reporting verb, which can be used to establish the tense of the Indirect Speech.
- Adjust the place and time to match the speaker’s current place and time.
- Write the correct pronoun for both the object and the subject.
- Finally, cross-check the sentence if it has the proper structure and word arrangement.
100 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech
Now, you should check these 50 examples of Direct and Indirect Speech exercises for a good insight into the topic:
- Direct Speech: “I love pizza,” said Sarah.
Indirect Speech: Sarah said that she loved pizza.
- Direct Speech: “I’m going to the movies tonight,” said David.
Indirect Speech: David told me that he was going to the movies that night.
- Direct Speech: “Can you pass me the salt?” asked Emily.
Indirect Speech: Emily asked me to pass her the salt.
- Direct Speech: “I have a big test tomorrow,” said Tom.
Indirect Speech: Tom said that he had a big test the next day.
- Direct Speech: “I’m so tired,” said Jessica.
Indirect Speech: Jessica said that she was so tired.
- Direct Speech: “What a beautiful day!” exclaimed Mary.
Indirect Speech: Mary exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
- Direct Speech: “I don’t understand,” said John.
Indirect Speech: John said that he didn’t understand.
- Direct Speech: “Please be quiet,” said the teacher.
Indirect Speech: The teacher asked the students to be quiet.
- Direct Speech: “I’m not feeling well,” said Peter.
Indirect Speech: Peter said that he wasn’t feeling well.
- Direct Speech: “I’m so happy to see you!” said Rachel.
Indirect Speech: Rachel told me that she was so happy to see me.
- Direct Speech: “Please help me with my homework,” said Amy.
Indirect Speech: Amy asked me to help her with her homework.
- Direct Speech: “I’m hungry,” said Ben.
Indirect Speech: Ben said that he was hungry.
- Direct Speech: “I can’t believe I won the lottery!” said Charlie.
Indirect Speech: Charlie couldn’t believe that he had won the lottery.
- Direct Speech: “I’m so sorry for being late,” said Diana.
Indirect Speech: Diana apologised for being late.
- Direct Speech: “I think it’s going to rain,” said Emily.
Indirect Speech: Emily said that she thought it was going to rain.
- Direct Speech: “I’m exhausted,” said Fred.
Indirect Speech: Fred said that he was exhausted.
- Direct Speech: “I hope you had a nice birthday,” said Harry.
Indirect Speech: Harry hoped that I had had a nice birthday.
- Direct Speech: “I’m so excited to go on vacation!” said Isabella.
Indirect Speech: Isabella said that she was so excited to go on vacation.
- Direct Speech: “I’m really proud of you,” said Jack.
Indirect Speech: Jack said that he was really proud of me.
- Direct Speech: She said, “I am studying for my exam.”
Indirect Speech: She said that she was studying for her exam.
- Direct Speech: “We will go to the beach,” he said.
Indirect Speech: He said that they would go to the beach.
- Direct Speech: “I don’t like seafood,” she exclaimed.
Indirect Speech: She exclaimed that she didn’t like seafood.
- Direct Speech: “They are coming to visit us tomorrow,” he told me.
Indirect Speech: He told me that they were coming to visit us the next day.
- Direct Speech: “I have finished my homework,” she mentioned.
Indirect Speech: She mentioned that she had finished her homework.
- Direct Speech: “It’s raining heavily,” he observed.
Indirect Speech: He observed that it was raining heavily.
- Direct Speech: “I will call you later,” she promised.
Indirect Speech: She promised that she would call me later.
- Direct Speech: “We are going on a trip next week,” they announced.
Indirect Speech: They announced that they were going on a trip the following week.
- Direct Speech: “I want to buy a new car,” he said.
Indirect Speech: He said that he wanted to buy a new car.
- Direct Speech: “Don’t touch the hot stove,” she warned.
Indirect Speech: She warned not to touch the hot stove.
- Direct Speech: “We have been waiting here for hours,” they complained.
Indirect Speech: They complained that they had been waiting there for hours.
- Direct Speech: “Let’s have dinner together,” she suggested.
Indirect Speech: She suggested that they should have dinner together.
- Direct Speech: “I might visit Spain next summer,” he mentioned.
Indirect Speech: He mentioned that he might visit Spain the following summer.
- Direct Speech: “The movie starts at 7 PM,” she informed us.
Indirect Speech: She informed us that the movie started at 7 PM.
- Direct Speech: “I can’t attend the meeting tomorrow,” he explained.
Indirect Speech: He explained that he couldn’t attend the meeting the next day.
- Direct Speech: “I am going to Paris next month,” she said.
Indirect Speech: She said that she was going to Paris the following month.
- Direct Speech: “I have lived here for ten years,” he stated.
Indirect Speech: He stated that he had lived there for ten years.
- Direct Speech: “Please pass me the salt,” she requested.
Indirect Speech: She requested to pass her the salt.
- Direct Speech: “I lost my keys yesterday,” he admitted.
Indirect Speech: He admitted that he had lost his keys the day before.
- Direct Speech: “I will be ready in five minutes,” she assured.
Indirect Speech: She assured that she would be ready in five minutes.
- Direct Speech: “She plays the piano beautifully,” he remarked.
Indirect Speech: He remarked that she played the piano beautifully.
- Direct Speech: “I want to be a doctor when I grow up,” she said.
Indirect Speech: She said that she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up.
- Direct Speech: “I have a busy schedule this week,” he mentioned.
Indirect Speech: He mentioned that he had a busy schedule that week.
- Direct Speech: “I don’t like horror movies,” she confessed.
Indirect Speech: She confessed that she didn’t like horror movies.
- Direct Speech: “We finished the project last night,” they explained.
Indirect Speech: They explained that they had finished the project the previous night.
- Direct Speech: “I will buy some groceries on my way home,” she mentioned.
Indirect Speech: She mentioned that she would buy some groceries on her way home.
- Direct Speech: “He can speak three languages fluently,” they informed us.
Indirect Speech: They informed us that he could speak three languages fluently.
- Direct Speech: “I finished reading that book last week,” he stated.
Indirect Speech: He stated that he had finished reading that book the previous week.
- Direct Speech: “I am attending the conference next month,” she declared.
Indirect Speech: She declared that she was attending the conference the following month.
- Direct Speech: “The train leaves at 8 AM,” he reminded me.
Indirect Speech: He reminded me that the train left at 8 AM.
- Direct Speech: “Please pass the message to Sarah,” Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech are requested.
Indirect Speech: He requested to pass the message to Sarah.
- Direct Speech: “We should submit the report by Friday,” she suggested.
Indirect Speech: She suggested that they should submit the report by Friday.
52. Direct Speech: I said to her, When do you do your homework.”
Indirect Speech: I asked her when she did her homework.
53. Direct Speech: We said to him, “Are you ill?”
Indirect Speech: We asked him if he was ill.
54. Direct Speech: You said to me, “Have you read the articles?”
Indirect Speech: You asked me if I read the article.
55. Direct Speech: He said, “May you live long.”
Indirect Speech: He prayed that I may live long.
If you are looking for more examples of direct and indirect speech then we’ve got you which will help you.
Direct Speech
- “I love pizza,” she said.
- “Where are you going?” he asked.
- “We will be late,” they said.
- “I have finished my homework,” she said.
- “Can you help me?” he asked.
- “I am going to the park,” she said.
- “I don’t like vegetables,” he said.
- “We will be back soon,” they said.
- “I am hungry,” she said.
- “I need to go to the bathroom,” he said.
- “I’ve already eaten dinner,” he said.
- “Can you please pass the salt?” she asked.
- “I’ll be home late tonight,” he said.
- “I’m so excited about my vacation!” she exclaimed.
- “Where did you buy that shirt?” he asked.
- “I’ll call you back later,” she said.
- “I don’t like spicy food,” he said.
- “Have you seen my keys?” she asked.
- “I’m sorry, I can’t help you,” he said.
- “I’m going to the library,” she said.
Indirect Speech
- She said that she loved pizza.
- He asked where I was going.
- They said that they would be late.
- She said that she had finished her homework.
- He asked if I could help him.
- She said that she was going to the park.
- He said that he didn’t like vegetables.
- They said that they would be back soon.
- She said that she was hungry.
- He said that he needed to go to the bathroom.
- He said that he had already eaten dinner.
- She asked if I could pass the salt.
- He said that he would be home late tonight.
- She exclaimed that she was so excited about her vacation.
- He asked where I had bought that shirt.
- She said that she would call me back later.
- He said that he didn’t like spicy food.
- She asked if I had seen her keys.
- He said that he was sorry, but he couldn’t help me.
- She said that she was going to the library.
Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise
Exercise 1: Convert the following sentences from direct to indirect speech.
- She said, “I am going to the market.”
- He said, “I will help you tomorrow.”
- They said, “We have finished our work.”
- She asked, “Where do you live?”
- He ordered, “Don’t make noise.”
Exercise 2: Convert the following sentences from indirect to direct speech.
- He said that he was tired.
- She asked me if I could help her.
- The teacher ordered the students to be quiet.
- He said that he would be late.
- She exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
Answers to Exercise 1:
- She said that she was going to the market.
- He said that he would help me the next day.
- They said that they had finished their work.
- She asked where I lived.
- He ordered not to make noise.
Answers to Exercise 2:
- He said, “I am tired.”
- She asked, “Can you help me?”
- The teacher said, “Be quiet, students.”
- He said, “I will be late.”
- She exclaimed, “What a beautiful day!”
Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise PDF
If you believe that the examples of direct and indirect speech from above have garnered you the needed confidence, you should download the following practice reported speech exercise and test your learning for assurance.
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FAQs
Direct speech is a way of quoting someone’s exact words. It uses quotation marks to enclose the spoken words.
Example: She said, “I am going to the market.
Indirect speech reports what someone said without using their exact words. It often uses reporting verbs like “said,” “asked,” “told,” etc.
Example: She said that she was going to the market.
Direct speech: Used for dramatic effect, to quote someone directly, or to emphasize a specific point.
Indirect speech: Used to report information, summarize what someone said, or to make a conversation more concise.
Direct: He said, “I have finished my work.”
Indirect: He said that he had finished his work.
Direct: She said, “I will go tomorrow.”
Indirect: She said that she would go the next day.
Other reporting verbs: told, replied, exclaimed, whispered, shouted, begged, suggested, advised, warned, etc.
Direct: She exclaimed, “What a beautiful day!”
Indirect: She exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
This was all about the 100 examples of Direct and Indirect Speech exercises. Hopefully, you understood the usage of the speech. To read more voice blogs, follow Leverage Edu.
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