Direct and indirect speech exercises for class 8

Direct and Indirect Speech Identify Direct and Indirect Speech ID: 1156810 Language: English School subject: English language Grade/level: 8th Age:12-14 Main content: Direct Indirect Speech Other contents: Identify Direct and Indirect Speech Add to my workbooks (68) Download filepdf Add to Google Classroom Add to Microsoft Teams Share through Whatsapp Link to this worksheet: Copy simran1295

Direct speech is when the person is speaking the actual words. These words are always placed between inverted commas or quotation marks ( ”” ) For example –“It is raining tonight,” said Anil. The tense within the inverted commas can be anything. The tense of the small section before or after the inverted commas are usually in the past with words such as ‘said’, ‘exclaimed’, ‘whispered’, ‘shouted’, ‘blurted’, ‘growled’ etc. If the words of the speaker are reported or stated without the speaker actually saying them , then it is called indirect or reported speech – For example – Anil said that it was raining that night. A key part of getting the conversion from direct to indirect speech or vice versa is getting the tense correct. The following table should help in getting some context. Direct Speech Indirect Speech Equivalent now then this that here there these those come go today that day tonight that night tomorrow the next day yesterday the previous day next week the following week thus so ago before just then last night the night before next day the following day last year the previous year next year the following year the day before yesterday two days before Now try changing the following from direct to indirect speech. The answers are given below for you to check. 1. “I go to school by bus,” said Rita. 2. Sheeba said, ” Mother, I am very sleepy.” 3. “When do you return from work?” said John to Mr. Brown. 4. “I have to go to Hannah’s party.” said Rita to her mother. 5. M...

Play Again! Answers • ‘She is my best friend,’ he said. He said that she was his best friend. • ‘She is waiting for us,’ he said. /He said that she was waiting for them. • ‘I have visited all the continents,’ he said. / He said that he had visited all the continents. • ‘She has been living alone for years,’ he said. / He said that she had been living alone for years. • ‘She will help us,’ he said. / He said that she would help them. • ‘I want to go,’ he said. He said that he wanted to go. • ‘I don’t want to go,’ she said. / She said that she didn’t want to go. • ‘I have watched that movie,’ he said. / He said that he had watched that movie. • ‘She must leave now,’ he said. / He said that she had to / must leave then. • I can’t help you,’ he said. / He said that he couldn’t help me. • ‘They will have gone,’ he said. / He said that they would have gone. • ‘I am busy,’ he shouted. / He shouted that he was busy.

Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person said. direct speech: 'I love the Toy Story films,' she said. indirect speech: She said she loved the Toy Story films. direct speech: 'I worked as a waiter before becoming a chef,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd worked as a waiter before becoming a chef. direct speech: 'I'll phone you tomorrow,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd phone me the next day. Try this exercise to test your grammar. Grammar test 1 Read the explanation to learn more. Grammar explanation Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech. direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel. indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank. In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for example pronouns. Present simple, present continuous and present perfect When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect. 'I travel a lot in my job.' • Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job. 'The baby's sleeping!' • He told me the baby was sleeping. 'I've hurt my leg.' • She said she'd hurt her leg. Past simple and past continuous When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past ...

• Class 6 • NCERT English • Class 7 • NCERT English • Class 8 • NCERT English • Class 9 • English • Beehive • Moments • Social Science • History • Geography • Political Science • Economics • Map Work • Maths • Class 10 • English • First Flight • Footprints Without Feet • School Grammar • Social Science • History • Geography • Economics • Political Science • Map Work • Toppers Solutions • Grammar • School Grammar • Toggle website search Q. Change the following assertive sentences into indirect speech. 1. She said to me, “I liked your goodwill shown to me through your help.” 2. I said, “I care not a bit for him.” 3. ‘‘Mohan,’’ said the teacher, “you will pass only if you work hard.” 4. “Today it is clear,” said the teacher to the class, “but it will rain heavily tomorrow.” 5. He said to me, “Your speech was heart-touching.” 6. She said to him, “Your sister is a naughty girl.” 7. The servant said to the master, “I have finished all my work.” 8. Bhim said to the Yaksha, “I have come here to drink water.” 9. The teacher said to the students, “I shall take you to Dehradun tomorrow.” 10. The Principal said, “Mr. Sharma’s work is neither neat nor satisfactory.” Answer 1. She told me that she liked (had liked) my goodwill shown to her through my help. 2. I said that I cared not a bit for him. 3. The teacher told Mohan that he would pass only if he worked hard. 4. The teacher told the class that that day it was clear, but it would rain heavily the next day. 5. He told me that my spe...

PRACTICE EXERCISE: 1 Direct and Indirect speech exercise for class 8 Q1. Change the following into indirect speech: • He says, ‘I am going soon.” • She said sadly, ‘I have forgotten to lock the door.” • The crocodile said to the monkey, ‘My wife wants to eat your heart.”“My heart is in the tree,’ said the monkey. • You have kept the rule but broken its spirit, the judge said to the lawyer. • The teacher said to the students. The students will not go unless the work is over.’ • He said to his friend, ‘I have plans to set up my own industry.”‘I don’t have any such plans and I depend on my job,’ stated his friend. • Jesus said, “You always have the poor with you. • ” She says, ‘I am tired, yet I will try to do well.” ‘I don’t believe her,’ says the coach. • He said, ‘Nancy, let us put our Christmas presents away and keep them awhile. They are too nice to be used just at present.’ • The children said to me, “Sir, we went on a picnic last year.’ • The teacher said, ‘The sun rises in the east.” • He said to us, ‘I do not know how to write an essay.” REPORTING QUESTIONS The reporting verb most often used for reporting wh-questions is ask. Questions may also be reported more formally using enquire or inquire. The teacher said to him, “Why are you late?”(direct) The teacher asked him why he was late. (indirect) He said to her, ‘How have you been able to do all this?” (direct) He asked her how she had been able to do all that. (indirect) The teacher said to her, ‘Where are you going...