Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

1. She said to me, "It has been raining heavily and you cannot go".

She told me that it had been raining heavily and I could not go.

2. John said to me, "Where have you been last night ?"

John asked me where I had been the previous night

3. "I'm taking my children to the zoo tomorrow", she said, "to see the baby white tiger".

She said that she was taking her children to the zoo the next day to see the baby white tiger.

4. She said, "Mother, please cook me something nice today".

She requested her mother to cook her something nice that day

5. John said, "I shall be 21 tomorrow".

John said that he would be 21 the following day

6. She asked, "Is the secretary coming to the meeting ?"

She asked if the secretary was coming to the meeting

7. The convict said, "Let me speak freely please".

The convict requested that he be allowed to speak freely

8. Nisha told Monica, "What a beautiful dress you are wearing ".

Nisha exclaimed that Monica was wearing a very beautiful dress

9. "Call the witness", said the magistrate.

The magistrate ordered to call the witness

10. "Have you done this sort of work before?" said his new employer.

His new employer asked him whether he had done that sort of work before.

11. Rahul says, "Azhar loves cricket".

Rahul says that Azhar loves cricket.

12. "I came home last night", said he.

He said that he had come home the previous night.

13. The beggar said, "Poverty is a great curse".

The beggar said that poverty is a great curse.

14. "If you want to smoke, you'll have to go out", said the conductor

The conductor said that if I wanted to smoke, I would have to go out.

15. "Be careful, the steps are very slippery", I warned him.

I warned him to be careful as the steps were very slippery.

16. The old lady : "I am going to walk where I please. We have the liberty".

The old lady declared that she was going to walk where she pleased. They had the liberty.

17. The teacher asked me, "Why were you absent yesterday".

The teacher asked me why I had been absent the day before.

18. "My son," said Mr Robinson, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Mr Robinson asked his son what he wanted to be when he grew up.

19. "Good morning Madam," said the boys to their teacher.

The boys respectfully wished their teacher good morning.

20. She said, "I am sorry, I am not able to submit those papers."

She apologized for not being able to submit those papers

21. The girl said, "Oh! Where have the sparrows gone?"

The girl wondered where the sparrows had gone.

22. She said to me, "I'm going shopping. Can I get you something?"

She said she was going shopping and asked if she could get me something.

23. Ramesh said to his friend, "You can make use of my car while I am away".

Ramesh informed his friend that he could make use of his car while he was away.

24. Kala said to Radha, "Who were you speaking to over the phone?"

Kala asked Radha who she had been speaking to over the phone.

25. The king said to his men, "Do not be afraid of the enemy. Face them bravely".

26. Kannan said to Subha, "I'll return the book after I have read it".

Kannan told Subha that he would return the book after he had read it.

27. The boss said to his secretary, "Did you discuss this matter with the manager?"

The boss asked his secretary if he had discussed that matter with the manager.

28. The boy said to the Principal, "Thank you, madam for granting me a fee-concession."

The boy thanked the Principal for granting him a fee-concession.

29. "They are late," she has already told us.

She has already told us (that) they are late.

30. Dr. Ratan said to the patient, "Take light food and do not go out in the Sun."

Dr. Ratan advised the patient to take light food and not go out in the Sun.

31. He said to me, "Would you like to have lunch with me today?"

He asked me if I would like to have lunch with him that day.

32. Vipul said, "Alas ! How thoughtless I have been !"

Vipul confessed with regret that he had been thoughtless.

33. "Sam, will you help me carry my bags?" asked the old woman.

The old woman asked Sam whether he would help her carry her bags.

34. The guide said to the swimmer, "Don't swim out too far."

The guide told the swimmer to not swim out too far.

35. Rahul said, "Yes I am mistaken."

Rahul admitted that he was mistaken.

36. He said to me, "Good morning Sir ! I have come to join the office."

He wished me respectfully and told that he had come to join the office.

37. The officer said, "Cowards ! you shall soon be put to death."

The officer called them cowards and said that they would soon be put to death.

38. He said, "Oh ! how foolish I have been in money matters !"

He confessed regretfully that he had been very foolish in money matters.

39. The teacher said to me, "I hope you will bring credit to my school."

The teacher hoped that I would bring credit to his school.

40. He said to his father, "Shall I go to market now?"

He asked his father if he should go to market then.

41. I said to my mother, "Please warm this milk. Don't boil it."

I requested my mother to warm that milk and asked her not to boil it.

42. I said to my friend, "Can I borrow your dictionary for one day only?"

I asked my friend if I could borrow his dictionary for one day only.

43. My father said to me, "Will you sit and study at least now."

My father asked me if I would sit and study at least then.

44. The commander said, "Let the gates be left open."

The commander ordered for the gates to be left open.

45. "What an excellent piece of art !" she said.

She exclaimed with appreciation that it was an excellent piece of art.

46. The teacher said to his student, "Do you have any excuse for coming late to the school, today?"

The teacher asked his student whether he had any excuse for coming late to the school that day.

47. Rajiv said to me, "He plays with right hand."

Rajiv told me that he plays with right hand.

48. The teacher said to him, "Do not go out."

The teacher advised him not to go out.

49. The teacher said, "Don't come to school on Monday because it is a holiday."

The teacher told us not to come to school on Monday because it was a holiday.

50. He said to me, "Where are you going?"

He asked me where I was going.

51. "There is no need for you to be so angry !" said Mrs. Sen to her husband.

Mrs. Sen told her husband that there was no need for him to be so angry.

52. I said, "Good-bye, my beloved friends."

I bade my beloved friends good-bye.

53. They said, "We were living in Paris."

They told me that they had been living in Paris.

54. I'll say to my friends, "I have started learning computer."

I'll tell my friends that I have started learning computer.

55. The prisoner asked, "Has a lawyer been arranged for me?"

The prisoner enquired if a lawyer had been arranged for him.

56. "It is time you visited your uncle", said his father.

His father said that it was time he visited his uncle.

57. She said to the children, "You mustn't play with fire."

She told the children that they mustn't play with fire.

58. Anne said, "It is time to leave for the meeting."

Anne said that it was time to leave for the meeting.

59. He says, "I am very sorry."

He says that he is very sorry.

60. The lady said to me, "How is your uncle?"

The lady asked me how my uncle was.

61. The old man said, "I shall soon be leaving the world."

The old man said that he would soon be leaving the world.

62. You will say, "I am ill."

You will say that you are ill.

63. I said to him, "Will you go to Delhi?"

I asked him if he would go to Delhi.

64. He said, "I have read this novel."

He said that he had read that novel.

65. Sita said, "I may go there."

Sita said that she might go there.

66. "Come home early", said Mr Mathew to his clerk.

Mr Mathew asked his clerk to come home early.

67. "I intend to leave for Surat tonight", he said.

He said that he intended to leave for Surat that night.

68. I said, "Water is essential for life."

I said that water is essential for life.

69. He said, "I was doing it."

He said that he had been doing it.

70. She said to me, "Are you going to college?"

She asked me if I was going to college.

71. The teacher said to him, "Is not poverty a curse?"

The teacher asked him if poverty was not a curse.

72. He said, "Honesty is the best policy."

He said that honesty is the best policy.

73. He said, "If I had the tools I could mend the car."

He said that if he had the tools he could mend the car.

74. He exclaimed, "Hurrah! Our team has won the tournament!"

He exclaimed with joy that their team had won the tournament.

75. Daman says, "Priya is working in Ahmedabad."

Daman says that Priya is working in Ahmedabad.

76. Everybody says, "How well she sings !"

Everybody says that she sings well.

77. Phila said to her brother, "Turn down the television and let me work in peace."

Phila ordered her brother to turn down the television and let her work in peace.

78. Iba said, "I may go home tomorrow with my sister."

Iba said that she might go home the next day with her sister.

79. He said, "Goodbye, my friends."

He bade his friends goodbye.

80. "Please bring me a sandwich", said my friend.

My friend requested me to bring him a sandwich.

81. Tania said to her friend, "Can you lend me an umbrella?"

Tania requested her friend to lend her an umbrella.

82. "Where were you last evening?" said the lady to her maid.

The lady asked her maid where she had been the previous evening.

83. "Those who sowed the seeds last season will reap the harvest this season," said the leader to her followers.

The leader said to her followers that those who had sown the seeds the previous season would reap the harvest that season.

84. He said to his manager, "Could you please pass the bill this week?"

He requested his manager to pass the bill that week.

85. The village chief said to the villagers, "All of us need to adopt new regulations. We will protect our Earth forever."

The village chief told the villagers that all of them needed to adopt new regulations and that they would protect their Earth forever.

86. The grandfather said to the baby, "May you live long with all good things of life".

The grandfather wished the baby a long life filled with all the good things of life.

87. Rahul said to his teacher, "Madam, what is the way to solve the question?".

Rahul asked his teacher what the way to solve the question was.

88. He said to his friend, "Could you please close the door?".

He requested his friend to close the door.

89. Raj said to Sheela, "The Sun rises in the east."

Raj told Sheela that the Sun rises in the east.

90. Navanitha said to her friends, "What a scintillating beauty it is!"

Navanitha exclaimed to her friends that it was a scintillating beauty.

91. The Captain said to the soldiers, "March forward and aim at the peak of the hill today."

The Captain ordered the soldiers to march forward and aim at the peak of the hill that day.