Step-by-Step Guide to Solving Reported Speech Questions
Mastering direct and indirect speech is crucial for clear English communication, especially for students. On this page, you will find a complete set of direct and indirect speech exercises with answers for class 10, designed to improve your reported speech skills. Practice with these updated exercise sets and examples to understand the concepts thoroughly and enhance your writing accuracy.
Direct and Indirect Speech: Definition, Types, and Key Rules
| Aspect | Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Exact words spoken by the speaker, enclosed in quotation marks. | Rephrasing the speaker's words, no quotation marks used. |
| Example | He said, "I am happy." | He said that he was happy. |
| Reporting Verb | Generally followed by a comma and then the quote. | Often includes 'that' and changes in pronouns, tenses, time words. |
| Tense Changes | Original tense is retained. | Tense usually shifts back (e.g., present to past). |
| Pronoun Changes | No change in pronouns. | Pronouns change according to the context. |
Understanding these differences is essential for attempting reported speech exercises for class 10 with answers. Keeping the rules in mind when solving exercises leads to better results. You can also explore related grammar topics like determiners and clauses for deeper clarity.
Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 with Answers
This section provides a range of reported speech exercises for class 10 with answers, including sentence transformations, conversation style reporting, and MCQs. Practicing these exercises builds your confidence and prepares you to handle all types of statements, questions, and commands in direct and indirect speech.
These exercises include conversational styles, interrogatives, and common conversion pitfalls. You’ll also find reported speech exercises with answers PDF content presented directly here for easy practice.
Statement: Priya said, "I finish my homework early every day."
Change to indirect speech: Priya said that she finished her homework early every day.Question: Ravi asked, "Are you coming with us?"
Indirect form: Ravi asked if I was coming with them.Command: The teacher said, "Please open your textbooks."
Indirect form: The teacher requested the students to open their textbooks.Exclamation: He exclaimed, "What a wonderful view!"
Indirect form: He exclaimed that it was a wonderful view.Request: Sita said, "Could you help me?"
Indirect form: Sita asked if I could help her.
More Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 CBSE
Multiple Choice: Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10 Online Test
Test your skills with these quick reported speech exercises for class 10 multiple choice options. Each question gives four choices. Select the correct indirect speech conversation version.
"I can't attend the meeting tomorrow," John said.
A) John said that he will not attend the meeting the next day.
B) John said that he could not attend the meeting the next day.
C) John said that he can’t attend the meeting tomorrow.
D) John said that he was not attending the meeting."Do you like pizza?" she asked me.
A) She asked me if I like pizza.
B) She asked me if I liked pizza.
C) She asked me whether did I like pizza.
D) She asked me if I likes pizza.
For more interactive practice, try this reported speech quiz with instant feedback.
50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises with Answer Key
Below are 50 direct and indirect speech sentences, including imperative and interrogative sentences. Use these for revision and as a reference for reported speech exercises for class 10 with answers online and in classroom settings.
He said, "I have finished my work." → He said that he had finished his work.
She said, "I am reading a novel." → She said that she was reading a novel.
They said, "We will go for a walk." → They said that they would go for a walk.
I said, "I can solve this problem." → I said that I could solve that problem.
Rahul said, "Do you want some help?" → Rahul asked if I wanted some help.
The teacher said, "Be quiet." → The teacher commanded the class to be quiet.
"Where is the library?" Ananya asked. → Ananya asked where the library was.
Mother said, "Bring me a glass of water." → Mother asked me to bring her a glass of water.
"Did you enjoy the movie?" He asked me.
→ He asked me if I had enjoyed the movie."How old are you?" She asked Rohan.
→ She asked Rohan how old he was.Father said, "Don't talk during dinner." → Father advised not to talk during dinner.
She said, "When can you come?" → She asked when I could come.
Priya said, "May you succeed!" → Priya wished that I might succeed.
The doctor said, "Take your medicine regularly." → The doctor advised me to take my medicine regularly.
They said, "We have arrived safely." → They said that they had arrived safely.
"Do not touch the painting," the guard said. → The guard told us not to touch the painting.
The coach said, "Well done, team!" → The coach applauded the team, saying they had done well.
Teacher said, "Work hard to succeed." → Teacher advised to work hard to succeed.
He said, "I might see you tomorrow." → He said that he might see me the next day.
She asked, "Are you feeling better now?" → She asked if I was feeling better then.
...and more. Continue practicing for a solid grasp of reported speech changes. For advanced exercises, explore clauses exercises and pronoun exercises that work in tandem with speech transformation skills.
Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech for Class 10 with Examples
Remember these essential rules for direct and indirect speech exercises for class 10 CBSE with answers. Correctly applying these rules ensures accuracy in narrative and conversation-based questions. This is especially important for reported speech exercises for class 10 with answers interrogative type.
Important Rules
1. Change in Pronouns: Adjust pronouns depending on the speaker and listener.
2. Change in Tense: Usually change the verb tense one step back in time, except with reporting verbs in present/future tense.
3. Change in Time and Place Words: "Today" becomes "that day", "now" becomes "then", "tomorrow" becomes "the next day", etc.
4. No Quotation Marks in Indirect Speech: Use 'that' or appropriate reporting patterns.
Exceptions and Tips
Do not change the tense of universal truths, habitual actions, or facts. For example, "She said, 'The sun rises in the east.'" → She said that the sun rises in the east. Explore more examples on direct and indirect speech and quiz your understanding with interactive activities.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Students sometimes forget to change time expressions or incorrectly shift tenses. Double-check each pronoun and verb agreement. Practice with reported speech exercises for class 10 online test formats to recognize possible pitfalls and solidify your skills further. Use resources like grammar exercises and error correction exercises for continued learning.
Practice and Learn: More Related Topics
If you wish to strengthen other grammar areas alongside reported speech exercises for class 10 CBSE with answers, explore topics such as verb forms, determiners, pronoun rules, and tenses exercises for a well-rounded approach. Vedantu provides extensive English grammar resources for all levels.
Reported speech exercises for class 10 with answers simplify direct and indirect speech learning, making communication skills strong and error-free. This guide covers definitions, practical rules, and key examples, further enhanced with practice sets and real-life scenarios. Keep refining your skills through regular practice and Vedantu’s interactive resources on all English grammar concepts.
FAQs on Reported Speech Exercises for Class 10
1. What is reported speech in English grammar?
Reported speech is a way of expressing what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. In English grammar, it is also called Indirect Speech.
Main points about reported speech:
- The verb tense usually changes (past form).
- Pronouns and time expressions are also adjusted.
- Used to retell someone’s statements, questions, and commands.
2. How do you change direct speech into reported speech?
To convert direct speech into reported speech, follow these steps:
- Remove the quotation marks.
- Change the reporting verb (e.g., said, told) and tense as per sequence of tenses.
- Shift pronouns and time/place words as needed.
- For example, Direct: He said, “I am going.” → Reported: He said that he was going.
3. What are the rules for changing pronouns in reported speech?
While changing to reported speech, pronouns must match the perspective of the reporting sentence:
- First person changes as per the subject of the reporting verb.
- Second person changes as per the object.
- Third person usually remains the same.
- For example, ‘I’ becomes ‘he/she’, and ‘you’ becomes ‘he/she/they’.
4. Can you give examples of sentences changed from direct to reported speech?
Sample sentences for transforming direct speech into reported speech:
- Direct: She said, “I love reading.”
Reported: She said that she loved reading. - Direct: The teacher said, “You must do your homework.”
Reported: The teacher told us that we had to do our homework.
5. What tense changes take place in reported speech?
In reported speech, the verb usually shifts one step back in tense:
- Present simple ⟶ Past simple (e.g., says → said)
- Present continuous ⟶ Past continuous
- Present perfect ⟶ Past perfect
- Will ⟶ Would
- However, if the reporting verb is in present or if the statement is still true, tense may not change.
6. What changes occur in time and place expressions in reported speech?
When converting to reported speech, words related to time and place are changed accordingly:
- Today → that day
- Tomorrow → the next day
- Yesterday → the previous day
- Here → there
- Now → then
7. How do you report yes/no questions in reported speech?
To report yes/no questions in reported speech:
- Use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ after the reporting verb.
- Change the pronoun and tense as required.
- Example: Direct: He asked, “Are you coming?” → Reported: He asked if I was coming.
8. How do you report Wh-questions in reported speech?
To change Wh-questions into reported speech:
- Retain the Wh-word (what, where, who, etc.).
- Change the sentence structure to that of a statement (no question mark at the end).
- Example: Direct: She asked, “Where do you live?” → Reported: She asked where I lived.
9. What are some common mistakes students make in reported speech?
Common errors in reported speech include:
- Not changing the verb tense or pronouns appropriately.
- Forgetting to use ‘that’ in statements.
- Incorrect changes of time/place words.
- Using question word order in reported Wh-questions instead of statements.
10. What are the basic rules of reported speech for Class 10 CBSE?
The basic rules of reported speech for Class 10 CBSE include:
- Change the tense, pronouns, and time expressions where required.
- Use a reporting verb, often followed by ‘that’.
- Do not use quotation marks in reported speech.
- Follow the sequence of tenses as per CBSE pattern.
