Reported Speech

---

Reported Speech: Easy Explanation for Class 9

When we tell someone what another person said, we use Reported Speech. Let’s break it down into simple steps.

What is Reported Speech?

There are two ways to talk about what someone said:

• Direct Speech: We use the exact words of the speaker. Example: She said, "I am happy."
• Reported Speech: We explain what the speaker said, but not the exact words. Example: She said that she was happy.

How to Change Direct Speech to Reported Speech?

Follow these four simple steps:

1. Remove Quotation Marks

In Reported Speech, we don’t use quotation marks.

Example:

Direct: He said, "I am tired."
Reported: He said that he was tired.

2. Change the Pronouns

The pronouns may change based on who is speaking.

Example:

Direct: She said, "I love my dog."
Reported: She said that she loved her dog.

3. Change the Tense

If the reporting verb (e.g., "said") is in the past tense, the tense of the speech also changes. Here’s a simple chart:

Direct Speech Tense	Reported Speech Tense
Present Simple	Past Simple
Present Continuous	Past Continuous
Past Simple	Past Perfect
Will (Future Simple)	Would

Example:

Direct: He said, "I eat apples."
Reported: He said that he ate apples.

4. Change Time and Place Words

Some words need to change in Reported Speech:

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
now	then
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day
yesterday	the previous day
here	there

Reporting Questions

When reporting questions, follow these rules:

• If the question has a question word (like where, what, why), use it.
• If it’s a Yes/No question, use if or whether.

Example:

Direct: She asked, "Where are you going?"
Reported: She asked where I was going.

Reporting Commands and Requests

For commands and requests, use to + verb.

Example:

Direct: She said, "Close the door."
Reported: She told me to close the door.

Practice Examples

Here are some examples to help you practice:

• Direct: She said, "I am playing." → Reported: She said that she was playing.
• Direct: He said, "I will come later." → Reported: He said that he would come later.
• Direct: They said, "We saw a movie yesterday." → Reported: They said that they had seen a movie the previous day.

Keep practicing, and you’ll master Reported Speech in no time!

Reported Speech Practice Questions

Here are some practice questions to help you master Reported Speech. Convert the following Direct Speech into Reported Speech:

1. She said, "I am learning French."

2. He said, "I will visit my grandmother tomorrow."

3. They said, "We are going to the park now."

4. She said, "I watched a movie yesterday."

5. He asked, "Where are you going?"

6. She asked, "Did you complete your homework?"

7. The teacher said, "Don't talk during the class."

8. He asked, "Can you help me with this task?"

9. She said, "I have never been to London."

10. He said, "I am reading a very interesting book."

Answers: Practice converting these sentences to Reported Speech! If you're stuck, go back to the rules and examples for guidance. 😊