Direct: He said, “I am watching TV.” Indirect: He said that …he is watching TVhe was watching TVhe had watched TVhe watches TVB) he was watching TVPresent continuous changes to past continuous in indirect speech.
Direct: She said to me, “What are you doing?” Indirect: She asked me what …are you doingI am doingI was doingwas I doingC) I was doingThe tense changes and word order becomes statement form.
Direct: He said, “Alas! My friend is dead.” Indirect: He exclaimed with sorrow that …his friend is deadhis friend was deadhis friend had diedhis friend diedC) his friend had diedPresent simple changes to past perfect in indirect speech for reporting past events.
Direct: She said, “I had finished my work.” Indirect: She said that …she finished her workshe has finished her workshe had finished her workshe had been finishing her workC) she had finished her workPast perfect usually remains unchanged in indirect speech.
Direct: He said to me, “Did you see the match?” Indirect: He asked me …did you see the matchif I had seen the matchif I saw the matchthat I had seen the matchB) if I had seen the matchPast simple changes to past perfect in indirect speech.
Direct: She said, “Good morning, everyone.” Indirect: She greeted everyone …good morningthat good morningand said good morningpolitelyD) politelyGreetings are converted into reporting verbs like "greeted" with suitable adverbs.
Direct: He said, “I did my homework.” Indirect: He said that …he did his homeworkhe had done his homeworkhe does his homeworkhe was doing his homeworkB) he had done his homeworkPast simple changes to past perfect in indirect speech.
Direct: She said to me, “Are you ready?” Indirect: She asked me …if I was readythat I was readyif you are readywas I ready A) if I was readyYes/No questions use "if/whether" and the tense shifts to past.
Direct: He said, “What a beautiful painting!” Indirect: He exclaimed that …the painting is very beautifulthe painting was very beautifulthe painting had been beautifulthe painting will be beautifulB) the painting was very beautifulExclamatory sentences are changed into statements with appropriate tense change.
Direct: He said, “I write letters every week.” Indirect: He said that …he writes letters every weekhe wrote letters every weekhe had written letters every weekhe was writing letters every weekB) he wrote letters every weekPresent simple changes to past simple in indirect speech.
Direct: She said to him, “Where do you live?” Indirect: She asked him where …do you livehe liveddid he livehe livesB) he livedIn indirect speech, the tense changes and word order becomes statement form.
Direct: He said, “Oh! I forgot my wallet.” Indirect: He exclaimed with surprise that …he forgets his wallethe had forgotten his wallethe forgot his wallethe has forgotten his walletB) he had forgotten his walletPast simple changes to past perfect in indirect speech.
Direct: She said, “I saw the movie yesterday.” Indirect: She said that …she saw the movie yesterdayshe had seen the movie the previous dayshe has seen the movie yesterdayshe sees the movie yesterdayB) she had seen the movie the previous dayPast simple changes to past perfect and "yesterday" becomes "the previous day."
Direct: He said to me, “Will you help me?” Indirect: He asked me …will you help himif I would help himif I will help himthat I would help himB) if I would help himYes/No questions use "if/whether" and "will" changes to "would."
Direct: The captain said, “Attack the enemy.” Indirect: The captain ordered the soldiers …attack the enemyto attack the enemyattacking the enemyattacked the enemyB) to attack the enemyImperative sentences change to "ordered/told + object + to + verb."
Direct: He said, “I was reading a book.” Indirect: He said that …he was reading a bookhe had been reading a bookhe read a bookhe has been reading a bookB) he had been reading a bookPast continuous changes to past perfect continuous in indirect speech.
Direct: She said to me, “Can you solve this question?” Indirect: She asked me …can you solve that questionif I could solve that questionif I can solve this questionthat I could solve the questionB) if I could solve that question"Can" changes to "could" and "this" changes to "that" in indirect speech.
Direct: He said, “Bravo! You have done well.” Indirect: He applauded me saying that …I have done wellI had done wellI do wellI did wellB) I had done wellPresent perfect changes to past perfect in indirect speech.
Direct: She said, “I ought to help him.” Indirect: She said that …she ought to help himshe oughted to help himshe ought to have helped himshe ought to help himA) she ought to help him"Ought to" generally remains unchanged in indirect speech.
Direct: He said to her, “Have you finished the work?” Indirect: He asked her …have you finished the workif she had finished the workif she has finished the workthat she had finished the workB) if she had finished the workYes/No questions use "if/whether" and present perfect changes to past perfect.
Direct: The officer said, “March forward.” Indirect: The officer commanded the soldiers …march forwardto march forwardmarching forwardmarched forwardB) to march forwardImperative sentences change to "commanded/ordered + object + to + verb."
Direct: He said, “I shall return soon.” Indirect: He said that …he shall return soonhe would return soonhe will return soonhe returned soonB) he would return soon"Shall" changes to "would" in indirect speech.
Direct: She said to me, “Why are you late?” Indirect: She asked me why …are you lateI am lateI was latewas I lateC) I was lateIn indirect speech, the tense changes and word order becomes statement form.
Direct: He said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.” Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that …they have won the matchthey had won the matchthey win the matchthey were winning the matchB) they had won the matchPresent perfect changes to past perfect in indirect speech.
Direct: She said, “I must finish this work today.” Indirect: She said that …she must finish that work that dayshe had to finish that work that dayshe has to finish this work todayshe must have finished that workB) she had to finish that work that day"Must" changes to "had to" and "today" changes to "that day."
Direct: He said, “Where have you been?” Indirect: He asked where …I has beenhave you beenyou have beenI had beenD) I had beenIn indirect speech, present perfect changes to past perfect and word order becomes statement form.
Direct: She said, “Let us go for a walk.” Indirect: She suggested that …we should go for a walkwe go for a walklet us go for a walkwe shall go for a walkA) we should go for a walkSentences starting with "Let us" are changed into "suggested that + should."
Direct: He said, “I may visit Karachi.” Indirect: He said that …he may visit Karachihe might visit Karachihe will visit Karachihe visited KarachiB) he might visit Karachi"May" changes to "might" in indirect speech.
Direct: She said to him, “Do you like coffee?” Indirect: She asked him …do you like coffeeif he liked coffeeif he likes coffeethat he liked coffeeB) if he liked coffeeYes/No questions are converted using "if/whether" and tense shifts to past.
Direct: He said, “Alas! I have failed the exam.” Indirect: He exclaimed sadly that …he has failed the examhe had failed the examhe failed the examhe fails the examB) he had failed the examPresent perfect changes to past perfect in indirect speech.
Direct: He said, “I have been waiting for an hour.” Indirect: He said that …he has been waiting for an hourhe had been waiting for an hourhe waited for an hourhe was waiting for an hourB) he had been waiting for an hourPresent perfect continuous changes to past perfect continuous in indirect speech.
Direct: She said, “I will call you tomorrow.” Indirect: She said that …she will call me tomorrowshe would call me the next dayshe would call me tomorrowshe will call me the next dayB) she would call me the next day"Will" changes to "would" and "tomorrow" changes to "the next day" in indirect speech.
Direct: “Please don’t make noise,” he said. Indirect: He requested us …not to make noisedon’t make noisenot make noiseto not make noiseA) not to make noisePolite requests are converted using "requested + object + not to + verb."
Direct: She said, “I can solve this problem.” Indirect: She said that …she can solve this problemshe could solve that problemshe could solve this problemshe can solve that problemB) she could solve that problem"Can" changes to "could" and "this" changes to "that" in indirect speech.
Direct: He said, “I am going to Lahore.” Indirect: He said that …he was going to Lahorehe is going to Lahorehe has gone to Lahorehe had gone to LahoreA) he was going to LahorePresent continuous changes to past continuous in indirect speech.
Direct: The teacher said, “Work hard.” Indirect: The teacher advised us …work hardto work hardworking hardworked hardB) to work hardImperative sentences change to "advised/told + object + to + verb."
Direct: He said, “I have completed my work.” Indirect: He said that …he has completed his workhe completed his workhe had completed his workhe completes his workC) he had completed his workPresent perfect changes to past perfect in indirect speech.
Direct: She said, “We will go tomorrow.” Indirect: She said that …they would go the next daywe would go tomorrowthey will go tomorrowthey would go tomorrowA) they would go the next day"Will" changes to "would" and "tomorrow" changes to "the next day."
Direct: He said to me, “Please help me.” Indirect: He requested me …help himto help himhelping himhelped himB) to help himPolite requests are changed using "requested + object + to + verb."
Direct: She said, “I am tired.” Indirect: She said that …she was tiredshe is tiredshe has tiredshe had tiredA) she was tiredPresent tense in direct speech changes to past tense in indirect speech.
Direct: He asked, “Where is the station?” Indirect: He asked …where the station iswhere is the stationwhere the station waswhere was the stationC) where the station wasQuestions in indirect speech require tense adjustment; "is" becomes "was."
Direct: “Don’t touch the vase,” she said. Indirect: She told me …not to touch the vasedon’t touch the vasenot touch the vaseto not touch the vaseA) not to touch the vaseImperatives in direct speech are converted to "told/asked + not to" in indirect speech.