Direct and Indirect Speech-5 - skoolon.com - Free Printable

Let's solve each of these sentences by converting the direct speech (quoted questions) into indirect speech. In indirect speech, we report what someone said without using quotation marks, and we usually change the tense, pronouns, and sometimes the word order.

Here are the solutions with explanations:

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1. Sofia said to Harry, "How is your new school?"

Indirect Speech:
Sofia asked Harry how his new school was.

✔ Explanation:
- "How is" becomes "how was" (but since it’s a general question about current condition, we keep present tense in reporting if context allows).
- The object "your" changes to "his" because Harry is male.
- We use "asked" instead of "said" for questions.
- No comma after the reporting verb.

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2. The Home Minister said, "How did the accident occur?"

Indirect Speech:
The Home Minister asked how the accident had occurred.

✔ Explanation:
- "How did...occur?" → "how the accident had occurred"
- Past perfect ("had occurred") is used because the original action is in the past.
- "Asked" is used for a question.
- The auxiliary "did" disappears in reported speech.

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3. The stranger said to the man, "What was the name of the Mayor?"

Indirect Speech:
The stranger asked the man what the name of the Mayor was.

✔ Explanation:
- The question is already in past tense ("was"), so no tense shift needed.
- "What was..." becomes "what the name...was".
- Use "asked" as the reporting verb.

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4. Thomas said to Sara, "Is the work over?"

Indirect Speech:
Thomas asked Sara if the work was over.

✔ Explanation:
- "Is" → "was" (past tense in reported speech)
- Yes/no questions become "if" or "whether"
- "Over" remains unchanged
- Pronoun stays same: "the work"

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5. Mother said to the daughter, "Are you feeling better?"

Indirect Speech:
Mother asked her daughter if she was feeling better.

✔ Explanation:
- "Are you" → "if she was"
- "Daughter" → "her daughter" (to show relationship)
- "Feeling better" stays same but tense shifts to past

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6. Alice said, "Is Daisy at home?"

Indirect Speech:
Alice asked if Daisy was at home.

✔ Explanation:
- Simple yes/no question → use "if"
- "Is" → "was"
- No subject change needed

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7. Sophie asked Jacob, "Did you like the movie?"

Indirect Speech:
Sophie asked Jacob if he had liked the movie.

✔ Explanation:
- "Did you like" → "if he had liked"
- Past perfect ("had liked") shows the action happened before the time of speaking
- "You" → "he" (Jacob)

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8. Adam said to Toby, "Are you attending the Farewell Party?"

Indirect Speech:
Adam asked Toby if he was attending the Farewell Party.

✔ Explanation:
- "Are you" → "if he was"
- "Attending" remains same
- Tense shifts from present to past: "was attending"

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9. The guard said to the passenger, "Where are you going?"

Indirect Speech:
The guard asked the passenger where he was going.

✔ Explanation:
- "Where are you going?" → "where he was going"
- "Are" → "was" (past tense)
- "You" → "he" (passenger)

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✔ Final Answers (Summary):

1. Sofia asked Harry how his new school was.
2. The Home Minister asked how the accident had occurred.
3. The stranger asked the man what the name of the Mayor was.
4. Thomas asked Sara if the work was over.
5. Mother asked her daughter if she was feeling better.
6. Alice asked if Daisy was at home.
7. Sophie asked Jacob if he had liked the movie.
8. Adam asked Toby if he was attending the Farewell Party.
9. The guard asked the passenger where he was going.

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💡 Key Rules Used:
- Change "said" to "asked" for questions.
- Use "if" or "whether" for yes/no questions.
- Use "wh-word" (what, where, when, etc.) for wh-questions.
- Shift tenses back (present → past, past → past perfect).
- Adjust pronouns and possessives accordingly.

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