[📘 REPORTED SPEECH (Page 76)
Simple Rules, Examples and Textbook Questions with Answers
🌟 1. What is Reported Speech?
Reported Speech is used to tell someone what another person has said without using their exact words.
There are two types of speech:
🔹 Direct Speech: We repeat the exact words of a speaker.
Example: Raju said, "I am happy."
🔹 Reported Speech (Indirect Speech): We report what the speaker said.
Example: Raju said that he was happy.
📝 2. Easy Rules for Reported Speech
✅ Rule 1: Remove Quotation Marks
Remove the inverted commas (" ") when changing into reported speech.
Direct: She said, "I am tired."
Reported: She said that she was tired.
✅ Rule 2: Change the Pronouns
Change words like I, we, my, our according to the speaker.
Direct: He said, "I am busy."
Reported: He said that he was busy.
✅ Rule 3: Change the Tense
When the reporting verb is in the past, the tense usually changes.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| am / is | was |
| are | were |
| do / does | did |
| have / has | had |
| will | would |
| can | could |
| may | might |
| simple past | past perfect |
Example:
Direct: She said, "I will help you."
Reported: She said that she would help me.
Note: Tenses do not always change, especially when the reporting verb is in the present or the statement is still true.
✅ Rule 4: Change Time and Place Words
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day |
| yesterday | the previous day |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
These words change only when the situation requires it.
🎯 3. FIVE TYPES OF REPORTED SPEECH
🟢 1. Statements – Said / Told
Use said or told to report a statement.
Direct: Jimmy said, "I work in a company."
Reported: Jimmy said that he worked in a company.
Remember: Use told when mentioning the listener.
Example: Jimmy told Annabel that he worked in a company.
🔵 2. Questions – Asked
Use asked to report questions.
- Remove the question mark.
- Use if / whether for Yes/No questions.
- Keep question words like what, why, how, where.
- Use normal statement word order.
Direct: She asked, "Are you happy?"
Reported: She asked if I was happy.
Direct: He asked, "Where do you live?"
Reported: He asked where I lived.
🟣 3. Advice – Advised
Use advised + person + to + verb.
For negative advice, use not to + verb.
Direct: The teacher said, "Study well."
Reported: The teacher advised the students to study well.
Direct: Mother said, "Don't waste time."
Reported: Mother advised me not to waste time.
🟠 4. Requests – Requested
Use requested + person + to + verb.
Direct: She said, "Please help me."
Reported: She requested him to help her.
🔴 5. Exclamations – Exclaimed
Use exclaimed to report strong feelings such as surprise, joy or sadness.
Direct: She said, "How beautiful the flower is!"
Reported: She exclaimed that the flower was very beautiful.
Remember: Remove the exclamation mark and change the sentence into a statement.
✍️ 4. TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Rewrite the following sentences in reported speech using suitable reporting verbs.
(said, asked, advised, requested, exclaimed)
✅ Question 1 – Advised
Direct: "Stop breaking safes open and live a better life," said the chief prison officer to Jimmy Valentine.
Answer:
The chief prison officer advised Jimmy Valentine to stop breaking safes open and live a better life.
✅ Question 2 – Said
Direct: "I work for the New York Famous Bread and Cake Makers Company," said Jimmy.
Answer:
Jimmy said that he worked for the New York Famous Bread and Cake Makers Company.
✅ Question 3 – Exclaimed
Direct: "How heavy this bag is!" said Annabel.
Answer:
Annabel exclaimed that the bag was very heavy.
✅ Question 4 – Requested
Direct: "Can you please do something, Ralph?" said Annabel.
Answer:
Annabel requested Ralph to do something.
✅ Question 5 – Asked
Direct: "How was the shoe business? Was there already a good shoe-shop?" asked Jimmy.
Answer:
Jimmy asked how the shoe business was and whether there was already a good shoe-shop.
📚 5. QUICK REVISION TABLE
| Sentence Type | Reporting Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Statement | Said / Told | He said that he was happy. |
| 🔵 Question | Asked | She asked if he was ready. |
| 🟣 Advice | Advised | He advised me to study. |
| 🟠 Request | Requested | She requested him to help her. |
| 🔴 Exclamation | Exclaimed | She exclaimed that it was wonderful. |
⭐ 6. IMPORTANT EXAM TIPS
- ✅ Remove quotation marks.
- ✅ Change pronouns correctly.
- ✅ Change the tense when necessary.
- ✅ Use that for statements when appropriate.
- ✅ Use if / whether for Yes/No questions.
- ✅ Use to + verb for advice and requests.
- ✅ Use not to + verb for negative advice or commands.
- ✅ Remove question marks and exclamation marks.
🌟 Easy Memory Trick
SAID → Statement
ASKED → Question
ADVISED → Advice
REQUESTED → Request
EXCLAIMED → Strong Feeling
🌼 മലയാളം – ലഘുസംഗ്രഹം
മറ്റൊരാൾ പറഞ്ഞ കാര്യങ്ങൾ അതേ വാക്കുകൾ ഉപയോഗിക്കാതെ സ്വന്തം വാക്കുകളിൽ പറയുന്നതാണ് Reported Speech (Indirect Speech).
- Said: പറഞ്ഞതായി അറിയിക്കുക.
- Asked: ചോദിച്ചതായി അറിയിക്കുക.
- Advised: ഉപദേശിച്ചതായി അറിയിക്കുക.
- Requested: അഭ്യർത്ഥിച്ചതായി അറിയിക്കുക.
- Exclaimed: ആശ്ചര്യമോ സന്തോഷമോ പോലുള്ള ശക്തമായ വികാരം പ്രകടിപ്പിച്ചതായി അറിയിക്കുക.
ഓർക്കുക: Reported Speech എഴുതുമ്പോൾ quotation marks ഒഴിവാക്കണം. ആവശ്യമായിടത്ത് pronouns, tense, time expressions എന്നിവ മാറ്റണം.]