HERITAGE XPERIENTIAL LEARNING SCHOOL, GURUGRAM

English
Grade X (2025-26)
Reported Speech Revision Handout

Name: _______________________ ​ ​ ​ ​ Class & Sec: __________

Learning Targets

●​ I can identify the kind of speech.

●​ I can change reported speech to direct speech and vice versa.
●​ I can transform speech as per the rules of transformation.

Use this reported speech sheet as a quick guide to check tense, pronoun, and word
changes while doing your exercises.

Important Definitions

Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) is used to report what someone else has said,
without quoting them exactly.
●​ Direct Speech: Meera said, “I love painting.”
●​ Reported Speech: Meera said that she loved painting.

Reporting Verb- The verb that introduces the reported speech.

●​ Example: He said, “I am tired.”--> “said” is the reporting verb.
Common reporting verbs:
said, told, asked, replied, explained, suggested, requested, ordered, etc,.

Reported Clause- The part that tells us what was said.

●​ He said that he was tired. → “that he was tired” is the reported clause.

Basic Rules

If the RV is says/tells (in simple present tense) or will say (simple future tense)- the tense of
the RS and the adverb of time and place do not change.

Jiya says, “I am studying for a test.”

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Jiya says that she is studying for a test.

If the RV is in past tense, the tense of the RS and the adverb of time and place change too.

He said, “I don’t understand this question.”

He said that he did not understand that question.

Revise the Steps

1.​ Remove the quotation marks. Example: Riya said, “I am tired.”

2.​ Check the reporting verb. ●​ Remove quotation marks
- If it’s in the past tense, change the -​ Riya said I am tired.
tense of the spoken words. ●​ Check the reporting verb
3.​ Change the tense of the sentence -​ ‘said’ is in past tense → tense will
(only if needed). change.
4.​ Change the pronouns to match the
speaker and listener. ●​ Change the tense
5.​ Change time and place words (e.g., -​ am → was
now → then, here → there). -​ Riya said I was tired.
6.​ Use ‘that’, ‘if’, or a question word ●​ Change the pronouns
depending on the sentence type. -​ I → she
7.​ Remove commas and question -​ Riya said she was tired.
marks. ●​ Change time/place words (if any)
-​ No change needed here.
●​ Use 'that', 'if', or a question word
-​ Add ‘that’
-​ Riya said that she was tired.
●​ Remove commas and question marks
-​ Already removed in earlier steps.

Final Sentence: Riya said that she was tired.

Change in Reporting Verb

●​ Says > says

●​ says to > tells
●​ said > said

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 ●​ said to > told

As per the context, said to can be replaced by replied, informed, stated, added, remarked,
asserted, assured, pleaded, reminded, reported or complained etc.

Change in Pronouns

Direct Reported Direct Speech Reported Speech

Pronoun Pronoun

I he/ she He said, “I am tired.” He said he was tired.

you I / he / she / I said, “You are kind.” I said she was kind.
they

we they She said, “We are going to She said they were going to
the market.” the market.

my his / her Rani said, “My book is new.” Rani said her book was new.

your my / our / their He said, “Your ideas are He said my ideas were good.
good.”

our their They said, “Our team won.” They said their team had
won.

me him / her She said, “Give me the bag.” She said to give her the bag.

us them He said, “Call us later.” He said to call them later.

Change in Tenses

Direct Speech Reported Speech Direct Speech Example Reported Speech

Tense Tense Example

Simple Present Simple Past She said, “I like tea.” She said she liked tea.

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Present Continuous Past Continuous He said, “I am reading.” He said he was reading.

Present Perfect Past Perfect I said, “I have finished I said I had finished my
my work.” work.

Present Perfect Past Perfect She said, “I have been She said she had been
Continuous Continuous waiting.” waiting.

Simple Past Past Perfect He said, “I ate early.” He said he had eaten
early.

Past Continuous Past Perfect They said, “We were They said they had
Continuous sleeping.” been sleeping.

Simple Future Conditional He said, “I will work He said that he would

hard”. work hard.

Universal Truth / No Change He said, “The sun rises He said the sun rises in
Fact in the east.” the east.

Change in Modals

Direct Modal Reported Direct Speech Reported Speech Example

Modal Example

will would She said, “I will help She said she would help me.
you.”

shall should / He said, “I shall return He said he would return soon. /

would soon.” He said he should return soon.

can could I said, “I can finish it I said I could finish it that day.
today.”

may might She said, “I may visit She said she might visit the next
tomorrow.” day.

must had to He said, “I must leave He said he had to leave then.

now.”

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should / could / (No change) She said, “You should She said I should sleep early.
might / would sleep early.”

Change in Time and Places Words

Direct Speech Reported Speech

now then

here there

ago before

thus so

today that day

tomorrow the next day / following day

yesterday the day before / previous

day

last night the night before

this that

these those

Change in Different Types of Sentences

Interrogative Sentences (WH questions)

Interchange the position of the helping verb and the noun/pronoun to change it to
Reported Speech. Retain the question word.

My uncle asked me, “What are you studying?”

My uncle asked me what I was studying.

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 Interrogative Sentences (Yes/No questions)

If the interrogative sentence is a Yes/No question, the sentence can begin with If/whether.

She asked me, “Do you still work here?”

She asked me if I still worked there.

Exclamatory Sentences

To change exclamatory sentences use phrases like, ‘exclaimed with joy’, ‘exclaimed with
sorrow’ or ‘exclaimed with wonder’ in the reporting verb depending upon the nature of the
exclamatory sentence in the reported speech.

“What a wonderful surprise!” she said.

She exclaimed with joy that it was a wonderful surprise.

Imperative Sentences

To report imperatives, use a reporting verb + “to” + base verb for commands, and “not to” +
base verb for negative commands.

He said: “Go home.”

He told me to go home. (Infinitive= to+verb)

“Don’t shout”, I said to Jim.

I told Jim not to shout.

Mistakes to Avoid:
●​ Don’t forget to change the pronouns according to the speaker and listener.
●​ Always change the verb tense if the reporting verb is in the past.
●​ Don’t keep quotation marks in reported speech.
●​ Remember to change time and place words (e.g., now → then).
●​ Use if/whether for yes/no questions, not the question form.
●​ Keep the WH-words for WH-questions.
●​ For commands, use “to + verb” or “not to + verb”- don’t repeat the imperative form.