Direct and indirect speech

1. Direct and indirect speech English Language IV

2. Change the following from direct speech to indirect speech: • “This time-table is too complicated for me.” • “I have to go to the dentist tomorrow.” • “This is the book we have been looking for.” • “He has to catch an early train every morning.” • “I caught sight of John this morning.”

3. Change the following from direct speech to indirect speech: • “I must go to the Post Office before it closes.” • “I shall be doing exactly the same work next Monday as I am doing today.” • “I wrote to them only last week.” • “This book was lent to him weeks ago and he has only just returned it.”

4. The following sentences are in indirect speech. Give the direct words of the speaker. • My father told me that I could go to England for a year. • Mary promised Ellen that she would write to her every week. • Timothy shouted that he would bring help. • Richard said that he was sorry to be late. • Mary said that she would be 18 on the 15th of May.

5. The following sentences are in indirect speech. Give the direct words of the speaker. • Mrs. Green asked Margaret if she was tired. • George asked if they had taken his dog Jock for a walk. • The hunter asked if they had heard the sound of wolves. • The little girl asked if the baby had the name yet. • The passenger inquired what time the train for London left.

6. The following sentences are in indirect speech. Give the direct words of the speaker. • He told him to do some exercises every day if he wanted to pass the examination. • The teacher told Henry to get his work done properly or he would punish him. • Richard’s father told him not to climb that tree in his new trousers. • The farmer asked the visitors not to leave the gate open. • The teacher told Timothy to do the exercise correctly or he would have to stay in.

7. Turn the following imperatives into indirect speech: • “Release the prisoners,” said the officer to the sergeant. • The captain of the shipwreck vessel said to the sailors, “Lower the boats at once.” • Teacher to George: “Be careful; think before you answer.” • Richard: “Read my exercise, John, and tell me if it is correct.” • Teacher: “Write your name at the top of your paper and answer four questions.”

8. Turn the following questions into indirect speech: • Mary said, “Are you hungry, Margaret?” • Lilian said, “What do you want, Ellen?” • John said, “Shall I close the window?” • Teacher: “Have you all understood me?” • Margaret (to Richard): “Where are you going for your holidays?”

9. Turn the following questions into indirect speech: • Richard (to shopkeeper): “What is the price of that bicycle?” • George said, “When will you be back from London, John?” • George said, “How long does it take to get to London, John?” • Richard said, “Can you swim, John?” • George (to teacher): “Shall I finish my exercise at home?”

10. Re-write the following short story in indirect speech. Begin: The writer said that… (Call the ant he and the grasshopper she.) I will tell you the story of the ant and the grasshopper. It is a cold winter’s day and an ant is bringing out some grans of corn that he gathered in the summer as he wants to dry them. A grasshopper who is very hungry sees him and say, “Give me a few grains of corn; I am dying of hunger.”

11. Re-write the following short story in indirect speech. Begin: The writer said that… (Call the ant he and the grasshopper she.) “But,” says the ant, “what did you do in the summer? Didn’t you store up any corn?” “No,” replies the grasshopper, “I was too busy.” “What did you do?” says the ant. “I sang all day,” answers the grasshopper. “If you sang all summer,” says the ant, “you can dance all winter.”