You have learned that we can report the words of a speaker in two ways.
We may quote the speaker’s actual words. This is called direct speech.
My friends said, “We enjoyed our holiday in London.”
Kavish said, “I was working on my project.”
“I shall come to your party,” Navya promised.
This grammar section explains English Grammar in a clear and simple way. There are example sentences to show how the language is used. You can also visit the most accurate and elaborate NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English. Every question of the textbook has been answered here.
Reported Speech Exercises for Class 6 CBSE With Answers Pdf
Note that indirect speech
- inverted commas are used to indicate the exact words of the speaker. (You may use either single or double inverted commas.)
- a comma is placed immediately after the reporting verb. (In the third example the sentence ends with the reporting verb and is, therefore, followed by a full stop.)
- the punctuation at the end of the sentence in direct speech is placed before the closed inverted comma(s).
We can also report what the speaker said without quoting his / her exact words. This is called indirect speech or reported speech.
My friends said that they had enjoyed their holiday in London.
Kavish said that he was/had been working on his project.
Navya promised that she would come to my party.
In indirect speech, we:
- use the conjunction that immediately before the reported words.
- change the person of the first and second-person pronouns.
- change the tense of the verb.
- do not use inverted commas.
Tense Change
| is/am | was |
| are | were |
| have | had |
| do | did |
| was/ were | had been |
| will | would |
| can | could |
Modal Change
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
| will | would |
| can | could |
| must/ have to | must or had to |
| may/might | might |
| should | should |
| ought to | ought to |
Place and Time
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
| today | that day |
| now | then/at the moment |
| yesterday | the day before |
| days ago | days before |
| last week | the week before |
| next year | the following years |
| tomorrow | the next day, the following day |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
| ago | previously/before |
| tonight | that night |
Direct Speech
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
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Reported Speech Solved Examples Exercises for Class 6 CBSE
Question 1.
Change into reported speech.
(i) Rahul said, “I like fiction.
(ii) The girl said, ‘I am writing a letter’.
(iii) The boy said to the girl, ‘I am waiting for you.’
(iv) The masons said, ‘We have finished the job.
(v) The boy said, ‘I have been selected.’
(vi) The teacher said to the girl, ‘Have you done your homework?’
(vii) The teacher said to the boy, ‘Work hard.’
(viii) The man said, ‘I have lost my bag.’
(ix) The traveller said, ‘Where is the nearest inn?’
(x) I said to him, “Will you help me?’
Answer:
(i) Rahul said that he like fiction.
(ii) The girl said that she was writing a letter.
(iii) The boy said that he was waiting for you.
(iv) The masons said that they had finished the job.
(v) The boy said that he had been selected.
(vi) The teacher asked the girl if she had done your homework.
(vii) The teacher encouraged the boy to work hard.
(viii) The man said that he had lost his bag.
(ix) The traveller asked where the nearest inn was.
(x) I asked him if he would help me.
Question 2.
Change this direct speech into reported speech.
(i) ‘He works in a bank’
She said ________________________
(ii) We went out last night
She told me ________________________
(iii) ‘I’m coming!
She said ________________________
(iv) ‘I was waiting for the bus when he arrived
She told me ________________________
(v) ‘I’d never been there before’
She said ________________________
(vi) ‘I didn’t go to the party
She told me ________________________
(vii) ‘Lucy’ll come later
She said ________________________
(viii) ‘He hasn’t eaten breakfast
She told me ________________________
(v) ‘I can help you tomorrow’
She said ________________________
(vi) You should go to bed early
She told me ________________________
Answer:
(i) She said (that) he worked in a bank.
(ii) She told me (that) they went (had gone) out last night (the night before).
(iii) She said (that) she was coming.
(iv) She told me (that) she was waiting for the bus when he arrived.
(v) She said (that) she had never been there before.
(vi) She told me (that) she didn’t go (hadn’t gone) to the party.
(vii) She said (that) Lucy would come later.
(viii) She told me (that) he hadn’t eaten breakfast.
(v) She said (that) she could help me tomorrow.
(vi) She told me (that) I should go to bed early.
Reported Speech Practice Examples Exercises for Class 7 CBSE
Question 1.
Below you can read a conversation between Reena and her husband SorrttL Complete the following sentence reporting what they discussed.
Reena: Our new servant has a tendency to steal things.
Somu: Is anything missing?
Reena: Yes, he has stolen one of our watches.
Somu: Which one?
Reena: It’s the one we bought from Pacific Mall.
Reena told her husband that (a) ______________ a tendency to steal things. Somu asked her (b) ______________ She told him that (c) ______________ When Somu asked her which one it was, she replied that it was the one they had bought from Pacific Mall.
Question 2.
Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph.
Mother: When is the fancy dress competition going to be held in your school?
Rani: After two weeks.
Mother: Are you taking part in it?
Rani: Yes! I am going to be a fairy.
Mother: Why have you chosen that part?
Rani: So that I can show my magical powers.
Mother asked Rani when the fancy dress competition in her school was going to be held. Rani replied that (a) ______________. Mother enquired whether (b) ______________. Rani (c) ______________. Mother asked why she had chosen that part. She replied that she had chosen that part so that she could show her magical powers.