What is Direct Speech?
Direct speech is when you quote the exact words spoken by someone. The sentence remains unchanged, and the speaker’s words are presented within quotation marks.
For example:
She said, "I am going to the market."
"I can’t wait to see the new movie," John exclaimed.
What is Indirect Speech?
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is when you report what someone has said without quoting their exact words. Instead, you paraphrase or summarize their message. When converting direct speech to indirect speech, you often change the tense, pronouns, and remove the quotation marks.
For example:
She said that she was going to the market.
John exclaimed that he couldn't wait to see the new movie.
Key Differences Between Direct and Indirect Speech
1. Quotation Marks: Direct speech uses quotation marks to enclose the speaker’s words, while indirect speech does not.
2. Tense Change: In indirect speech, the tense often changes (e.g., present tense becomes past tense).
3. Pronoun Changes: The pronouns in the sentence are often changed in indirect speech to fit the reporting sentence’s subject.
4. Reporting Verb: Indirect speech uses reporting verbs like "said," "told," or "asked," while direct speech uses no such verbs.
100 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech
1-10: Simple Statements
1. Direct: She said, "I am tired."
Ans: Indirect: She said that she was tired.
2. Direct: He said, "I like ice cream."
Ans: Indirect: He said that he liked ice cream.
3. Direct: The teacher said, "We have a test tomorrow."
Ans: Indirect: The teacher said that they had a test the next day.
4. Direct: Tom said, "I have finished my homework."
Ans: Indirect: Tom said that he had finished his homework.
5. Direct: She said, "I am learning to play the guitar."
Ans: Indirect: She said that she was learning to play the guitar.
Read about: 50 direct and indirect speech examples https://pcrsrpr.blogspot.com/2025/02/50ExamplesofDirectandIndirectSpeecAComprehensiveGuide.html
6. Direct: John said, "I will call you later."
Ans: Indirect: John said that he would call me later.
7. Direct: Mary said, "I need a new phone."
Ans: Indirect: Mary said that she needed a new phone.
8. Direct: They said, "We have been waiting for hours."
Ans: Indirect: They said that they had been waiting for hours.
9. Direct: He said, "I don't understand the question."
Ans: Indirect: He said that he didn’t understand the question.
10. Direct: Sarah said, "I am excited for the trip."
Ans: Indirect: Sarah said that she was excited for the trip.
You can also read about the type of sentences
https://pcrsrpr.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-z-of-4-type-of-sentenses.html
11-20: Questions
11. Direct: She asked, "Where are you going?" Ans:Indirect: She asked where I was going.
12. Direct: He asked, "Do you want some coffee?"
Ans: Indirect: He asked if I wanted some coffee.
13. Direct: "What time does the movie start?" he asked.
Ans: Indirect: He asked what time the movie started.
14. Direct: "Are you coming to the party?" she asked.
Ans: Indirect: She asked if I was coming to the party.
15. Direct: He asked, "How old are you?" Ans: Indirect: He asked how old I was.
16. Direct: They asked, "Why didn’t you attend the meeting?"
Ans: Indirect: They asked why I hadn’t attended the meeting.
17. Direct: "Did you see my keys?" she asked. Ans: Indirect: She asked if I had seen her keys.
18. Direct: "Can you help me with this?" he asked.
Ans: Indirect: He asked if I could help him with that.
19. Direct: "When is your birthday?" she asked. Ans: Indirect: She asked when my birthday was.
20. Direct: "What’s your favorite book?" John asked.
Ans: Indirect: John asked what my favorite book was.
You can also read about 50 examples of direct to indirect speech: https://pcrsrpr.blogspot.com/2025/02/50ExamplesofDirectandIndirectSpeechExercisesAComprehensiveGuide.html
21-30: Commands and Requests
21. Direct: She said, "Please close the door." Ans: Indirect: She asked me to close the door.
22. Direct: He said, "Give me the book."
Ans: Indirect: He told me to give him the book.
23. Direct: "Don’t touch that!" the teacher said. Ans: Indirect: The teacher told us not to touch that.
24. Direct: "Sit down," he said.
Ans: Indirect: He told me to sit down.
25. Direct: She said, "Please help me with the dishes."
Ans: Indirect: She asked me to help her with the dishes.
26. Direct: He said, "Take a seat."
Ans: Indirect: He told me to take a seat.
27. Direct: "Please pass the salt," she said.
Ans: Indirect: She asked me to pass the salt.
28. Direct: "Call me when you arrive," she said. Ans: Indirect: She asked me to call her when I arrived.
29. Direct: "Send me the report," the manager said.
Ans: Indirect: The manager asked me to send him the report.
30. Direct: "Stop talking," he said angrily.
Ans: Indirect: He told me to stop talking angrily.
31-40: Statements with Modal Verbs
31. Direct: "I can help you," she said.
Ans: Indirect: She said that she could help me.
32. Direct: "I may go to the event," he said.
Ans: Indirect: He said that he might go to the event.
33. Direct: "We should leave now," she said. Ans: Indirect: She said that we should leave then.
34. Direct: "I must finish this project," John said.
Ans: Indirect: John said that he must finish the project.
35. Direct: "They will come tomorrow," she said.
Ans: Indirect: She said that they would come the next day.
36. Direct: "He might visit us next week," she said.
Ans: Indirect: She said that he might visit them the following week.
37. Direct: "I would like to meet you," he said. Ans: Indirect: He said that he would like to meet me.
38. Direct: "You must finish your homework before playing," she said.
Ans: Indirect: She said that I must finish my homework before playing.
39. Direct: "She can speak three languages," he said.
Ans: Indirect: He said that she could speak three languages.
40. Direct: "We should have left earlier," he said.
Ans: Indirect: He said that they should have left earlier.
Some Guidance about Direct to indirect speech
41-50: Complex Sentences
41. Direct: "Although it’s raining, I will go for a walk," he said.
Ans: Indirect: He said that although it was raining, he would go for a walk.
42. Direct: "I will attend the meeting if I finish my work," she said.
Ans: Indirect: She said that she would attend the meeting if she finished her work.
43. Direct: "Because it was late, they decided to leave," John said.
Ans: Indirect: John said that because it was late, they decided to leave.
44. Direct: "If I were you, I would take that job," she said.
Ans: Indirect: She said that if she were me, she would take that job.
45. Direct: "I didn’t like the movie even though everyone else enjoyed it," she said.
Ans: Indirect: She said that she hadn’t liked the movie, even though everyone else enjoyed it.
46. Direct: "I’ll be home by 7 if the traffic is clear," he said.
Ans: Indirect: He said that he would be home by 7 if the traffic was clear.
47. Direct: "I will finish the report before the deadline," he said.
Ans: Indirect: He said that he would finish the report before the deadline.
48. Direct: "Though it’s expensive, I plan to buy it," she said.
Ans: Indirect: She said that though it was expensive, she planned to buy it.
49. Direct: "If you study hard, you will pass the exam," the teacher said.
Ans: Indirect: The teacher said that if I studied hard, I would pass the exam.
50. Direct: "Even though I was tired, I continued working," he said.
Ans: Indirect: He said that although he was tired, he continued working.
Final Thoughts
Understanding and using direct and indirect speech correctly is a crucial skill for effective communication. By practicing these 100 examples, you’ll be able to switch between these forms of speech with ease, whether you’re writing, speaking, or reporting someone else’s words. Remember, the key is to be mindful of the changes in tense, pronouns, and structure when converting direct speech to indirect speech.
Happy practicing!