English Concept

Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet with Answers

Table of contents
  1. What is Direct and Indirect Speech?
  2. Difference Between Direct and Indirect Speech
  3. Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech
  4. Common Reporting Verbs
  5. Tense Change Rules
  6. Pronoun Change Rules
  7. Time and Place Word Changes
  8. Direct and Indirect Speech Practice Questions
  9. Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet with Answers
  10. Fill in the Blanks
  11. Multiple Choice Questions
  12. Error Correction
  13. Sentence Transformation
  14. Common Mistakes Students Make
  15. Tips to Get Better at This Topic
  16. Conclusion
  17. Frequently Asked Questions

Most students get confused the first time they see a sentence like “She said, ‘I am going to the market.'” and are asked to rewrite it without the quotation marks. It looks tricky at first, but once you understand the pattern, it becomes one of the easiest grammar topics to score full marks in. This direct and indirect speech worksheet is meant to make that happen. We’ve kept the rules short, added plenty of examples, and built three separate worksheets easy, medium, and hard with answers right after each one. So if you’re a student getting ready for exams, a parent trying to help with homework, or a teacher who wants something ready to print and hand out, this page should cover what you need.

Let’s begin with the basics.

Direct and Indirect speech worksheet with answers - Oratrics

What is Direct and Indirect Speech?

Direct speech means repeating the exact words someone said, usually inside quotation marks.

Rahul said, “I am reading a book.”

Indirect speech (also called reported speech) means saying the same thing in your own way, without quoting the person word for word. A few things usually change the tense, sometimes the pronouns, and sometimes a word or two describing time or place.

Rahul said that he was reading a book.

Here, “I” turned into “he,” and “am reading” turned into “was reading.” That’s really all indirect speech is saying the same thing, just not in the speaker’s exact words.

Difference Between Direct and Indirect Speech

FeatureDirect SpeechIndirect Speech
Quotation marksYesNo
Exact wordsKept as spokenChanged into your own words
TenseStays the sameUsually shifts one step back
PronounsAs the speaker said themChanged to match who is speaking
Words like today, hereStay the sameChange to that day, there, etc.
Extra wordsNone neededWords like that, if, or whether are added

Keep this table in mind, it answers most of the what’s the difference type questions you’ll see in exams.

Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech

There’s no need to memorise a huge list just these four ideas cover almost everything.

1. Drop the Quotation Marks, Add That

Direct: She said, “I am tired.” Indirect: She said that she was tired.

2. Check the Reporting Verb

If the reporting verb (said, told, asked) is in the past tense, the sentence inside usually shifts back a tense too. If it’s in present or future tense, you can leave it as it is.

3. Change the Pronouns

The pronoun changes depending on who’s speaking and who’s being spoken to.

Direct: He said, “I will help you.” Indirect,He said that he would help her.

4. Move the Tense One Step Back

This is the part most students find tricky, so we’ve made a full table for it below.

Common Reporting Verbs

Not every sentence uses said. The reporting verb depends on what kind of sentence it is:

  • Statements: said, told, mentioned, explained
  • Questions: asked, wondered, wanted to know
  • Commands or requests: ordered, requested, advised, urged
  • Exclamations: exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with sorrow

Using the wrong reporting verb is a common reason marks get cut in exams, so it’s worth paying attention to this.

Tense Change Rules

Direct Speech TenseIndirect Speech TenseExample
Simple PresentSimple PastI play cricket. → He said he played cricket.
Present ContinuousPast ContinuousI am playing. → He said he was playing.
Present PerfectPast PerfectI have played. → He said he had played.
Simple PastPast PerfectI played. → He said he had played.
Past ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousI was playing. → He said he had been playing.
WillWouldI will play. → He said he would play.
CanCouldI can play. → He said he could play.
MayMightI may play. → He said he might play.
MustHad to / MustI must play. → He said he had to play.

One exception to remember: if the sentence is a general truth, like “the sun rises in the east,” you don’t need to change the tense at all.

Pronoun Change Rules

In Direct SpeechBecomes in Indirect Speech
IHe / She
WeThey
YouHe / She / They
MyHis / Her
OurTheir
YourHis / Her / Their

A simple way to remember this, the first person changes based on who’s speaking, and the second person changes based on who’s being spoken to.

Time and Place Word Changes

In Direct SpeechBecomes in Indirect Speech
NowThen
TodayThat day
TomorrowThe next day
YesterdayThe day before
HereThere
ThisThat
TheseThose
AgoBefore
Next weekThe following week
Last nightThe night before

These small word changes matter a lot in fill in the blank questions, so don’t skip over them.

Direct and Indirect Speech Practice Questions

Try changing these into indirect speech on your own before checking the worksheets below.

  1. She said, “I am going to school.”
  2. He said, “I have finished my homework.”
  3. They said, “We will visit the museum tomorrow.”
  4. The teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”
  5. Ravi said, “I can swim very well.”
  6. She said, “I was reading a novel.”
  7. My mother said, “I have cooked dinner.”
  8. He said, “I must complete this project today.”
  9. Sita said, “I saw him yesterday.”
  10. The boy said, “I am playing football now.”
  11. She asked, “Where do you live?”
  12. He asked me, “What is your name?”
  13. The teacher asked, “Have you finished the test?”
  14. She asked him, “Are you coming to the party?”
  15. He asked, “Why are you late?”
  16. The officer ordered, “Stand up straight!”
  17. She requested, “Please help me with this.”
  18. The doctor advised, “Take rest for two days.”
  19. He said, “Let’s go for a walk.”
  20. The teacher told the students, “Do not make noise.”
  21. She exclaimed, “What a beautiful morning it is!”
  22. He exclaimed with joy, “I have won the competition!”
  23. She exclaimed with sorrow, “Alas! I have lost my purse.”
  24. They said, “We are very tired.”
  25. He said, “I shall meet you tomorrow.”
  26. She said, “My brother is coming today.”
  27. The manager said, “The meeting will be held next week.”
  28. Rita said, “I bought this dress yesterday.”
  29. He said, “I don’t like this movie.”
  30. She said, “I am not feeling well.”
  31. The children said, “We want to play outside.”
  32. He said, “I had already left when she called.”
  33. She said, “I will not attend the function.”
  34. The guard said, “No one is allowed inside.”
  35. He asked her, “Did you complete the assignment?”
  36. She said, “I have been waiting here since morning.”
  37. The tourist asked, “Where is the nearest hotel?”
  38. He said, “I would like to join this course.”
  39. She said, “I can’t understand this chapter.”
  40. The principal said, “The school will remain closed tomorrow.”

Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet with Answers

To make practice easier, here are three worksheets one for each level with the answers placed right after.

Beginner Worksheet (Questions 1–10)

Instructions: Change these sentences into indirect speech.

  1. She said, “I am going to school.”
  2. He said, “I have finished my homework.”
  3. They said, “We will visit the museum tomorrow.”
  4. The teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”
  5. Ravi said, “I can swim very well.”
  6. She said, “I was reading a novel.”
  7. My mother said, “I have cooked dinner.”
  8. He said, “I must complete this project today.”
  9. Sita said, “I saw him yesterday.”
  10. The boy said, “I am playing football now.”

Answers:

  1. She said that she was going to school.
  2. He said that he had finished his homework.
  3. They said that they would visit the museum the next day.
  4. The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.
  5. Ravi said that he could swim very well.
  6. She said that she had been reading a novel.
  7. My mother said that she had cooked dinner.
  8. He said that he had to complete that project that day.
  9. Sita said that she had seen him the day before.
  10. The boy said that he was playing football then.

Intermediate Worksheet (Questions 11–20)

Instructions: Change these questions and commands into indirect speech.

  1. She asked, “Where do you live?”
  2. He asked me, “What is your name?”
  3. The teacher asked, “Have you finished the test?”
  4. She asked him, “Are you coming to the party?”
  5. He asked, “Why are you late?”
  6. The officer ordered, “Stand up straight!”
  7. She requested, “Please help me with this.”
  8. The doctor advised, “Take rest for two days.”
  9. He said, “Let’s go for a walk.”
  10. The teacher told the students, “Do not make noise.”

Answers:

  1. She asked where he lived.
  2. He asked me what my name was.
  3. The teacher asked if I had finished the test.
  4. She asked him if he was coming to the party.
  5. He asked why I was late.
  6. The officer ordered him to stand up straight.
  7. She requested me to help her with that.
  8. The doctor advised him to take rest for two days.
  9. He suggested that they go for a walk.
  10. The teacher told the students not to make noise.

Advanced Worksheet (Questions 21–30)

Instructions: Change these exclamations and mixed-tense sentences into indirect speech.

  1. She exclaimed, “What a beautiful morning it is!”
  2. He exclaimed with joy, “I have won the competition!”
  3. She exclaimed with sorrow, “Alas! I have lost my purse.”
  4. They said, “We are very tired.”
  5. He said, “I shall meet you tomorrow.”
  6. She said, “My brother is coming today.”
  7. The manager said, “The meeting will be held next week.”
  8. Rita said, “I bought this dress yesterday.”
  9. He said, “I don’t like this movie.”
  10. She said, “I am not feeling well.”

Answers:

  1. She exclaimed that it was a beautiful morning.
  2. He exclaimed with joy that he had won the competition.
  3. She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her purse.
  4. They said that they were very tired.
  5. He said that he would meet me the next day.
  6. She said that her brother was coming that day.
  7. The manager said that the meeting would be held the following week.
  8. Rita said that she had bought that dress the day before.
  9. He said that he did not like that movie.
  10. She said that she was not feeling well.

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence with the correct word.

  1. She said that she _______ (be) tired.
  2. He told me that he _______ (finish) his work.
  3. They said that they _______ (go) to the market the next day.
  4. The teacher asked if I _______ (complete) my homework.
  5. She said that she _______ (not like) the food.

Answers: 1. was 2. had finished 3. would go 4. had completed 5. did not like

Multiple Choice Questions

1. He said, “I am busy.” Choose the correct indirect speech. a) He said that he is busy b) He said that he was busy c) He says that he was busy d) He said he is busy

Answer: (b)

2. She asked, “Where is my book?” — Choose the correct indirect speech. a) She asked where was her book b) She asked where her book was c) She asked where is her book d) She asked that where her book was

Answer: (b)

3. The teacher said, “Water boils at 100 degrees.” — Choose the correct indirect speech. a) The teacher said that water boiled at 100 degrees b) The teacher said that water had boiled at 100 degrees c) The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees d) The teacher said water will boil at 100 degrees

Answer: (c) — general facts don’t need a tense change.

4. He said, “Please close the door.” — Choose the correct indirect speech. a) He said to close the door b) He requested to close the door c) He requested me to close the door d) He said that close the door

Answer: (c)

5. She said, “I will call you tomorrow.” — Choose the correct indirect speech. a) She said she will call me tomorrow b) She said she would call me the next day c) She said that she calls me tomorrow d) She said she would call me tomorrow

Answer: (b)

Error Correction

Find the mistake and correct it.

  1. He said that he is happy. → He said that he was happy.
  2. She asked that where I was going. → She asked where I was going.
  3. They told that they will come. → They said that they would come.
  4. He said to me that he can help me. → He told me that he could help me.
  5. She requested that I should help her. → She requested me to help her.

Sentence Transformation

This part of the direct and indirect speech worksheet focuses on rewriting full sentences rather than just picking an answer a good way to check if you’ve actually understood the rules, not just memorised them.

Rewrite each sentence in indirect speech.

  1. “I am the winner,” she said proudly. → She proudly said that she was the winner.
  2. “Don’t touch that wire,” the electrician warned. → The electrician warned them not to touch that wire.
  3. “I wish I could fly,” said the child. → The child wished she could fly.
  4. “Let’s start the meeting,” said the manager. → The manager suggested that they start the meeting.
  5. “I have never seen such a beautiful place,” he said. → He said that he had never seen such a beautiful place.

Common Mistakes Students Make

A few mistakes come up again and again, no matter the level:

  • Forgetting to shift the tense when the reporting verb is in past tense.
  • Getting the pronouns wrong, especially when a sentence has both I and you in it.
  • Using that in questions, when it should really be if, whether, or the question word itself.
  • Leaving time and place words unchanged like keeping tomorrow instead of changing it to the next day.
  • Using said everywhere, even for commands and requests, where ordered, requested, or advised fits better.

Tips to Get Better at This Topic

  1. Learn the tense-change table properly most mistakes happen because this step gets skipped.
  2. Practice with real conversations. Try turning a scene from a movie or a book into reported speech.
  3. Before converting anything, figure out if it’s a statement, question, command, or exclamation. That decides your reporting verb.
  4. Keep a small list of pronoun changes handy until they become automatic.
  5. Do the worksheets in order beginner first, then move up instead of jumping straight to the hard ones.
  6. If you’re preparing for a competitive exam like SSC or Bank PO, practice with a timer so you get used to answering quickly.

Conclusion

Once you know the tense-change table, the pronoun rules, and how time and place words shift, most of this topic becomes memory work rather than something you need to think hard about. The real learning happens when you sit down with this direct and indirect speech worksheet try the questions without looking at the answers first, then check where you went wrong. Go through each worksheet in order, revise the parts you struggled with, and repeat it after a few days. That’s really all it takes to get comfortable with direct and indirect speech.

Frequently Asked Questions

Indirect speech reports what was said without quotation marks. The tense usually shifts back a step, and pronouns and time/place words change to match the situation.

Not always. If the sentence is a general truth or a habit, or if the reporting verb is present or future tense, you can leave the tense as it is.

For yes/no questions, add if or whether. For questions starting with words like “what, where, or why, keep that question word and drop the question mark, since it’s no longer a direct question.

Depending on the sentence, you might use told, asked, requested, ordered, advised, exclaimed, or suggested.

Yes. The MCQs and error correction sections follow a similar pattern to what usually shows up in these exams.

Yes. You usually remove the exclamation mark and add a phrase like with joy or with sorrow, along with that.

Direct speech repeats the exact words someone said. Indirect speech explains what they said, in your own words, without quoting them directly.

A simple way is to turn it into a daily habit after a phone call or conversation, ask your child to repeat what was said using reported speech.

Because someone else is now reporting the sentence, the pronouns need to match who is actually speaking and who they’re talking about.

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Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet with Answer - Oratrics