JAC Class 10 English Grammar Reported Speech

JAC Board Class 10th English Grammar Reported Speech

JAC Class 10th English Grammar Reported Speech Textbook Questions and Answers

Reported Speech:
A speaker’s words can be reported in two ways, viz., Direct and Indirect.
To report exactly what another person has said, we use direct speech. In direct speech, what the person has said is placed within quotation marks (“…”) and should be word for word.
Examples: He said, “I am cooking food.”
Ratan said, “I love to play cricket.”
In indirect speech, unlike direct speech, there are no quotation marks and it need not be word for word. Another person’s message is conveyed in the speaker’s words.
Examples: He said that he was cooking food.
Ratan said that he loved to play cricket.
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Points to Remember:

Direct Speech

• The Reported Speech is always written within inverted commas.
• The Reporting Verb and the Reported Speech are segregated by a comma.
• The initial letter of the first word of the Reported Speech is always capital.
• In the Reported Speech, one can use any tense to make the point clear.

Indirect Speech

• Inverted commas are not used.
• The comma that separates the Reporting Verb and the Reported Speech is removed.
• A conjunction is used between the Reporting Verb and the Reported Speech.
• The Reporting Verb changes according to the sense.
• The Tense of the Reporting Verb never changes.
• All kinds of sentences are changed into Assertive ones.
• The verb of the Reported Speech changes into its corresponding past tense.

The pronouns change as per the following rule:
• First Person Pronoun (I, We): According to.the person of the Subject of the Reporting Verb.
• Second Person Pronoun (You): According to the person of the Indirect Object (i.e., listener) that is positioned after the Reporting Verb.

Third Person Pronoun (He, She, It, They): No change. Change of Person

	Nominative	Accusative
1. First Person	I We	me us
2. Second Person	You	You
3. Third Person	He She They It	him her them it

The possessive adjectives with respect to their relevant pronouns (I, we, he, she it, they) change in the following ways:

• My changes into your, his, her or its.
• Our changes into your or their.
• His, her and its change into my or your.
• Their changes into our ox your.

Change of Words Denoting Position

Now	changes into	then
Here	changes into	there
This	changes into	that
These	changes into	those
Today	changes into	that day
Tonight	changes into	that night
Tomorrow	changes into	the next day
Ago	changes into	before
Just	changes into	then
Hither	changes into	thither
Hence	changes into	thence
Yesterday	changes into	the previous day
Last night	changes into	the previous night
Next week	changes into	the following week

 

Change of Verbs

Is or am	changes into	was
Are	changes into	were
Has or have	changes into	had
Will	changes into	would
Shall	changes into	should
May	changes into	might
Can	changes into	could

 

Rules for the Change of Tenses

1. Present Indefinite	is changed into	Past Indefinite
2. Present Continuous	is changed into	Past Continuous
3. Present Perfect	is changed into	Past Perfect
4. Present Perfect Continuous	is changed into	Past Perfect Continuous
5. Past Indefinite	is changed into	Past Perfect
6. Past Continuous	is changed into	Past Perfect Continuous
7. Past Perfect	remains unchanged
8. Past Perfect Continuous	remains unchanged

Sole: Helping verbs will and shall in the Future reuse are changed into would. It applies to all the types of Future Tense.
• If the Reporting Verb is in the Present Tense, the tense of the verb in the Reported Speech remains the same. It does not change.
Direct: Kavya says,“Radha is a brave girl.”
Indirect: Kavya says that Radha is a brave girl.

Direct: Virat says, “There will be no apocalypse.”
Indirect: Virat says that there will be no apocalypse.

• If the Reporting Verb is in the Past Tense, the verb in the Reported Speech changes into the corresponding Past Tense.
Direct: Father said, “I give food to the beggar.”
Indirect: Father said that he gave food to the beggar.

Direct: He said to me, “I am going to Lucknow.”
Indirect: He told me that he was going to Lucknow.

Direct: Sagar said, “I have completed my assignment.”
Indirect: Sagar said that he had completed his assignment.

• If the direct speech expresses a historical fact, a scientific fact, a universal truth or a habitual fact, then the tense of the direct speech will not change.
Direct: Our teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”
Indirect: Our teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

Direct: The science teacher said, “Oil floats on water.”
Indirect: The science teacher said that oil floats on water.

Direct: My grandpa said, “India got independence on 15th August, 1947.”
Indirect: My grandpa said that India got independence on 15th August, 1947.

Direct: The teacher said, “Water boils at 100°C.”
Indirect: The teacher said that water boils at 100°C.

Let us understand the conversion from direct to indirect speech through some examples.
Present Tense
A. Present Indefinite Tense:
Direct: Ranjan said, “I work in a hospital.”
Indirect: Ranjan said that he worked in a hospital.

Direct: They said, “We do not play football.”
Indirect: They said that they did not play football.

Direct: Rohit said to me, “Niharika does not like junk food.”
Indirect: Rohit told me that Niharika did not like junk food.

B. Present Continuous Tense:
Direct: Vedant said to me, “The servant is cleaning the house.”
Indirect: Vedant told me that the servant was cleaning the house.

Direct: He said, “I am waiting for my friend.”
Indirect: He said that he was waiting for his friend.

Direct: I said, “They are playing basketball.”
Indirect: I said that they were playing basketball.

Direct: Alex said, “I am not cooking food.”
Indirect: Alex said that he was not cooking food.

C. Present Perfect Tense:
Direct: Khushi said, “My cousin has received the letter.”
Indirect: Khushi said that her cousin had received the letter.

Direct: The teacher said to Megha, “You have not completed your homework.”
Indirect: The teacher told Megha that she had not completed her homework.

D. Present Perfect Continuous Tense:
Direct: My mother said to me, “I have been cooking since my childhood.”
Indirect: My mother told me that she had been cooking since her childhood.

Direct: I said to her “Your friend has been waiting here for one hour.”
Indirect: I told her that her friend had been waiting there for one hour.

Past Tense:

A. Past Indefinite Tense
Direct: Mohan said, “It rained yesterday.”
Indirect: Mohan said that that had rained the previous day.

Direct: Kavita said, “I did not want to buy a new dress.”
Indirect: Kavita said that she had not wanted to buy a new dress.

B. Past Continuous Tense:
Direct: The son said to the father, “I was holding a piece of paper in my hands.”
Indirect: The son told the father that he had been holding a piece of paper in his hands.

Direct: The teacher said to the parents,. “Your daughter and son. were solving a difficult problem in the class.”
Indirect: The teacher told the parents that their daughter and son had been solving a difficult problem in the class.

Direct: The driver said to the traffic policeman, “I was not driving fast.”
Indirect: The driver told the traffic policeman that he had not been driving fast.

Future Tense:

A. Future Indefinite Tense
Direct: Rasika said, “I shall write the e-mail after lunch.”
Indirect: Rasika said that she would write the e-mail after lunch.

Direct: The news anchor said to the participants, “You will receive your prize by post.”
Indirect: The news anchor told the participants that they would receive their prize by post.

Direct: My friend said to me, “I shall not see you tomorrow.”
Indirect: My friend told me that he would not see me the next day.

B. Future Continuous Tense:
Direct: He said to me, “Michael will be running a marathon this Saturday.”
Indirect: He told me that Michael would be running a marathon that Saturday.

Direct: Kriti said, “I shall be leaving for Amsterdam in evening.”
Indirect: Kriti said that she would be leaving for Amsterdam in evening.

Direct: They said to the coach, “We shall not be practising for the upcoming match.”
Indirect: They told the coach that they would not be practising for the upcoming match.

C. Future Perfect Tense:
Direct: She said, “I shall have cooked food by 7 pm.”
Indirect: She said that she would have cooked food by 7 pm.

Direct: Neelima said, “The children will have completed their homework.
Indirect: Neelima said that the children would have completed their homework by evening.

Direct: The class monitor said, “The class will not have stopped making noise before teacher’s entry.”
Indirect: The class monitor said that the class would not have stopped making noise before teacher’s entry.

D. Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
Direct: He said, “I shall have been working at my company for three years in December.”
Indirect: He said that he would have been working at his company for three years in December.

Direct: I said, “Mohit will have been gossiping in the coffee shop since morning before leaving.”
Indirect: I said that Mohit would have been gossiping in the coffee shop since morning before leaving.

Direct: The host said, “The poet will not have been writing a poem for twenty minutes before coming on the stage.”
Indirect: The host said that the poet would not have been writing a poem for twenty minutes before coming on the stage.

Conversion based on the types of sentences:
There are five types of sentences in which we can convert direct speech into indirect speech.
1. Assertive Sentences (statements)
2. Interrogative Sentences (questions)
3. Imperative Sentences (commands and requests)
4. Optative Sentences (wish, desire)
5. Exclamatory Sentences (feelings, emotions)

1. Assertive Sentences (Statements):

• Remove the commas and inverted commas and use conjunction that to introduce the Reported Speech.
• The Reporting Verb may be changed into tell, answer, reply, inform, remark, depending upon the context.
• If the Reporting Verb has no object, it is not changed.

Direct: Heena says, “I am going to my nani’s house in summer break.”
Indirect: Heena says that she is going to her nani’s house in summer break.

Direct: Nisha said, “I love eating chocolate.”
Indirect: Nisha said that she loved eating chocolate.

Direct: The student said to the teacher, “I was not able to come yesterday.”
Indirect: The student told teacher that he had not been able to come the previous day.

2. Interrogative Sentences (Questions):

• The Reporting Verb is changed into ask, enquire, inquire, demand, etc.
• If the question begins with a ‘Wh’ word, no conjunction is used, (who, which, whom, why, where, when, how, etc.)
• If the question begins with an auxiliary verb, if or whether is used to introduce the Reported Speech.
• The interrogative sentences become assertive sentences.
• The sentence ends with full stop.

Direct: Kaushal said to his boss, “Are you coming to my home for dinner?”
Indirect: Kaushal asked his boss if he was coming to his home for dinner.

Direct: The monk said to me, “What do you want to achieve in the world?”
Indirect: The monk asked me what I wanted to achieve in the world.

Direct: The stranger said, “Which road leads to Mathura?”
Indirect: The stranger enquired which road led to Mathura.

Direct: The teacher said to the student, “Did you read about the Battle of Panipat?”
Indirect: The teacher asked the student if he had read about the Battle of Panipat.

Direct: Malini said to Neha, “How are you?”
Indirect: Malini asked Neha how she was.

Direct: Naresh said to Ramesh, “Where will you go tomorrow?”
Indirect: Naresh asked Ramesh where he would go the next day.

3. Imperative Sentences (Commands and requests):
• The Reporting Verb is changed into requested, advised, ordered, asked, told, commanded, urged.
Or
The teacher commanded a student to open page no. 93 and read paragraph

2. Direct: My grandpa said to me, “You should respect others.”
Indirect: My grandpa advised me that I should respect others.
Or
My grandpa advised me to respect others.

Direct: The doctor said to him, “Avoid unhealthy food.”
Indirect: The doctor advised him to avoid unhealthy food.
Or
The doctor advised him that he should avoid unhealthy food.

The imperative word is changed into ‘to-infinitive’.
The Reported Speech is not preceded by any conjunction.
If the conjunction ‘that’ is used, ‘should’ is placed before the Infinitive.

Direct: The headmaster said to the peon, “Bring me the attendance register.”
Indirect: The headmaster ordered the peon to bring him the attendance register.

Direct: An old man said to Vikas, “Please help me.”
Indirect: An old man requested Vikas to help him.

Direct: The teacher said to a student, “Open page no. 93 and read paragraph 2.”
Indirect: The teacher commanded a student that he should open page no. 93 and read paragraph 2.

4. Optative Sentences (Wish, desire)

• Change the Reporting Verb said into wished or prayed.
• Use that to introduce the Reported Speech.
• Change the Optative Sentence into the Assertive Sentence and replace the sign of Exclamation (!) with a full stop (.).

Direct: She said, “Good morning, Dad!”
Indirect: She wished her dad good morning.

Direct: Vimal said, “Good bye, friends.”
Indirect: Vimal bade his friends good bye.

Direct: The crowd said, “Long live the king!”
Indirect: The crowd prayed that the king might live long.

Direct: He said to her neighbour, “May you get sick!”
Indirect: He cursed her neighbour that he might get sick.

5. Exclamatory Sentences (Feelings, emotions):
• Change the reporting verb said or said to into exclaimed with joy or exclaimed with sorrow, cry out, pray, etc., according to the sense.
Aha, Ha, Hurrah change into exclaimed with joy.
Ah, Alas change into exclaimed with sorrow. .
Oh, What, How change into exclaimed with surprise.
Sorry changes into exclaimed with regret.
Pooh, Phew change into exclaimed with contempt.
Bravo changes into exclaimed with joy.

• Use very or great by removing what or how.
• Use conjunction ‘that’.
• Remove exclamatory word and exclamation sign (!). The student must select the verb best suited to the sense or context.

Direct: Kiara said, “What a beautiful morning it is!”
Indirect: Kiara exclaimed with joy that that was a beautiful morning.

Direct: Rohan said, “Alas! I failed in my examination.”
Indirect: Rohan exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed in his examination.

Direct: They said, “Hurrah! We won the match.”
Indirect: They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

Direct: She said, “How intelligent these children are!”
Indirect: She exclaimed with wonder that those children were very intelligent.

Sentences beginning with ‘Let’:

• When the word let denotes permission, it is changed into might be allowed or simply into to let.
• When let denotes a condition or supposition, it is changed into might and the reporting verb does not change.
• When let denotes a proposal the reporting verb is changed into proposed or suggested and let is replaced by should.

Direct: The father said to everybody, “Let us go for a road trip.”
Indirect: The father proposed everybody that they should go for a road trip.

Direct: Sahil said to his sister, “Let me do my work.”
Indirect: Sahil requested her sister to let him do his work.

Direct: He said, “Let us wait for her.”
Indirect: He suggested that they should wait for her.

Exercise (Solved)

A. Change from Direct to Indirect Speech or Indirect to Direct Speech, Answer any ten of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option. [10 x 1 = 10]

1. He said to Hema, “You have committed a mistake here.”
(a) He told Hema that she committed a mistake here.
(b) He told Hema that she had committed a mistake there.
(c) He told Hema that she would commit a mistake there.
(d) None of the above.
Answer:
(b) He told Hema that she had committed a mistake there.

2. Tushar said, “We are playing a match today.”
(a) Tushar said that they were playing a match today.
(b) Tushar said that they are playing a match today.
(c) Tushar said that they have been playing a match that day.
(d) Tushar said that they were playing a match that day.
Answer:
(d) Tushar said that they were playing a match that day.

3. He said to me, “Are you not visiting Delhi during your trip?”
(a) He asked me if they weren’t visiting Delhi during their trip.
(b) He asked me if they wasn’t visiting Delhi during their trip.
(c) He asked me if they will not be visiting Delhi during their trip.
(d) He asked me if they have not been visiting Delhi during their trip.
Answer:
(a) He asked me if they weren’t visiting Delhi during their trip.

4. He said that it had been hot the previous day.
(a) He said, “It is hot yesterday.”
(b) He said, “It was hot yesterday.”
(c) He said, “It was hot the day before yesterday.”
(d) He said, “It was hot on today.”
Answer:
(b) He said, “It was hot yesterday.”

5. She said to me, “Please put on the lights of this room.”
(a) She requested me to put on the lights of this room.
(b) She said to me to put on the lights of this room.
(c) She told me to put on the lights of that room.
(d) She requested me to put on the lights of that room.
Answer:
(d) She requested me to put on the lights of that room.

6. He told me that Ishita was reading a novel in front of the fire.
(a) He said to me, “Ishita was reading a novel in front of the fire.”
(b) He said to me, “Ishita has been reading a novel in front of the fire.”
(c) He said to me, “Ishita were reading a novel in front of the fire.”
(d) He said to me, “Ishita is reading a novel in front of the fire.”
Answer:
(d) He said to me, “Ishita is reading a novel in front of the fire.”

7. Karan said, “Pass me the lemonade.”
(a) Karan told me to pass the lemonade.
(b) Karan told me to give the lemonade.
(c) Karan ordered me to pass the lemonade.
(d) All of the above
Answer:
(a) Karan told me to pass the lemonade.

8. Sheila said, “Hurrah! I have cleared the interview finally.”
(a) Sheila said with joy that she has cleared the interview finally.
(b) Sheila exclaimed with joy that she had cleared the interview finally.
(c) Sheila told happily that she have cleared the interview finally.
(d) Sheila exclaimed with joy that she have cleared the interview finally.
Answer:
(b) Sheila exclaimed with joy that she had cleared the interview finally.

9. He said to her, “Have you planned for a vacation this summer?”
(a) He said to her if she would plan for a vacation this summer.
(b) He asked her if she is planning for a vacation this summer.
(c) He asked her if she had planned for a vacation that summer.
(d) He asked her if she has planned for a vacation this summer.
Answer:
(c) He asked her if she had planned for a vacation that summer.

10. The teacher said to the students, “Are there any more doubts regarding this chapter?”
(a) The teacher asked the students if there is any more doubts regarding that chapter.
(b) The teacher asked the students if there are any more doubts regarding this chapter.
(c) The teacher asked the students if there is any more doubts regarding this chapter.
(d) The teacher asked the students if there were any more doubts regarding that chapter.
Answer:
(d) The teacher asked the students if there were any more doubts regarding that chapter.

11. Our neighbours said that they had bought a new car.
(a) Our neighbours said, “We are buying a new car.”
(b) Our neighbours said, “We have bought a new car.”
(c) Our neighbours said, “We were buying a new car.”
(d) Our neighbours said, “We had bought a new car.”
Answer:
(b) Our neighbours said, “We have bought a new car.”

12. John’s mother said, “Oh my God! I forgot to fix an appointment with the paediatrician.”
(a) John’s mother expressed with regret that she had forgotten to fix an appointment with the paediatrician.
(b) John’s mother expressed with regret that she forgot to fix an appointment with the paediatrician.
(c) John’s mother expressed with regret that she has forgotten to fix an appointment with the paediatrician.
(d) All of the above.
Answer:
(a) John’s mother expressed with regret that she had forgotten to fix an appointment with the paediatrician.

B. Change from Direct to Indirect Speech or Indirect to Direct Speech. Answer any ten of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option. [10 x 1 = 10]

1. Tina said, “Ugh! It’s been raining the entire day.”
(a) Tina exclaimed with disgust that it has been raining the entire day.
(b) Tina said with disgust that it is raining the entire day.
(c) Tina exclaimed with disgust that it was raining the entire day.
(d) Tina exclaimed with disgust that it had been raining the entire day.
Answer:
(d) Tina exclaimed with disgust that it had been raining the entire day.

2. I said to her, “Did you eat this apple earlier?”
(a) I told her she eaten this apply earlier.
(b) I asked her if she had eaten that apple earlier.
(c) I told her if she has eaten this apple earlier.
(d) None of these
Answer:
(b) I asked her if she had eaten that apple earlier.

3. The teacher said to students, “Could you solve the equation yesterday?”
(a) The teacher asked the students if they could solve the equation the previous day.
(b) The teacher asked the students if they can solve the equation yesterday.
(c) The teacher asked the students if they could solve the equation yesterday.
(d) The teacher asked the students if they was able to solve the equation the previous day.
Answer:
(a) The teacher asked the students if they could solve the equation the previous day.

4. The teacher said, “Pluto is no longer considered as a planet.”
(a) The teacher told that Pluto is no longer considered as a planet.
(b) The teacher said that Pluto is no longer considered as a planet.
(c) The teacher informed that Pluto was no longer considered as a planet.
(d) None of the above.
Answer:
(b) The teacher said that Pluto is no longer considered as a planet.

5. They told him that they were leaving for Delhi the next day.
(a) They said to him, “We will leave for Delhi tomorrow.”
(b) They said to him, “We are leaving for Delhi the next day.”
(c) They said to him, “We are leaving for Delhi tomorrow.”
(d) They said to him, “We will be leaving for Delhi the next day.”
Answer:
(c) They said to him, “We are leaving for Delhi tomorrow.”

6. He said to the office boy, “Please make three copies of this report.”
(a) He requested the office boy to make three copies of that report.
(b) He said to the office boy to make three copies of this report.
(c) He requested the office boy to make three copies of this report.
(d) He asked the office boy to make three copies of that report.
Answer:
(a) He requested the office boy to make three copies of that report.

7. The boss asked us whether we had finished the project yet.
(a) The boss asked, “Did you finish the project yet?”
(b) The boss asked, “Are you finished the project yet?”
(c) The boss said to us, “If you finished the project yet?”
(d) The boss said to us, “Have you finished the project yet?”
Answer:
(d) The boss said to us, “Have you finished the project yet?”

8. The sports teacher said to the athlete, “Start working on your speed.”
(a) The sports teacher commanded the athlete to start working on your speed.
(b) The sports teacher commanded the athlete to start working on his speed.
(c) The sports teacher said to the athlete to start working on the speed.
(d) The sports teacher told the athlete to start working on your speed.
Answer:
(b) The sports teacher commanded the athlete to start working on his speed.

9. The police ordered the thief to surrender himself or he would have to shoot him.
(a) The police said to the thief, “Surrender yourself or I will have to shoot you.”
(b) The police said to the thief, “Surrender yourself or I will shoot you.”
(c) The police ordered the thief, “Surrender or I will have to shoot you.”
(d) The police said to the thief, “Surrender yourself or I would have to shoot you.”
Answer:
(a) The police said to the thief, “Surrender yourself or I will have to shoot you.”

10. Gopal’s mother said, “How can you fail in your art exam?”
(a) Gopal’s mother said how could he fail in his art exam.
(b) Gopal’s mother asked how can he fail in his art exam.
(c) Gopal’s mother asked how could he fail in his art exam.
(d) None of the above.
Answer:
(c) Gopal’s mother asked how could he fail in his art exam.

11. Jamil said to the shopkeeper, “Could I get two kilos of potatoes?
(a) Jamil asked the shopkeeper for two kilos of potatoes.
(b) Jamil requested the shopkeeper for two kilos of potatoes.
(c) Jamil asked the shopkeeper if he could get two kilos of potatoes.
(d) Jamil told the shopkeeper for two kilos of potatoes.
Answer:
(c) Jamil asked the shopkeeper if he could get two kilos of potatoes.

12. The manager instructed his team to follow the procedure accordingly.
(a) The manager told to his team, “Follow the procedure accordingly.”
(b) The manager instructed to his team, “Follow the procedure accordingly.”
(c) The manager ordered his team, “Follow the procedure accordingly.”
(d) The manager said to his team, “Follow the procedure accordingly.”
Answer:
(d) The manager said to his team, “Follow the procedure accordingly.”

JAC Class 10 English Solutions