Direct -Indirect Speech Exercises with Answer for class 8

Direct -Indirect Speech Exercises with Answer for class 8 and worksheet with solution from the book Elementary English Grammar for CBSE and ICSE students.

Indirect Speech

Exercise 25.1 Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech :-

1. Our teacher said to us, “Do not make a noise while I am away.”
2.”I haven’t seen you for ages,” said Leela to her cousin Sumit.
3. The detective said to Raman, “I saw you at the hotel last week.”
4. He said, “Key West is the southern most point of the United States.”
5. My mother said to me, “I think your friend Tania is not a trustworthy girl.”
6. My father said to my brother, “Pay attention while you are driving.”
7. My friend said , I will bring your birthday cake in the evening.”
8. Rashmi said, “Please help in carrying these heavy packages to my car.”
9. “Don’t put any sugar in my coffee. “said my friend to me.
10. The shopkeeper said to my friend, ‘Buy this pair of shoes. They are the latest design and will last you a long time.”

Answers:
1. Our teacher told us not to make a noise while she was away.
2. Leela told her cousin Sumit that she hadn’t seen him for ages.
3. The detective told Raman that he had seen him at the hotel the previous week.
4. He said that Key West is the southernmost point of the United States.
5. My mother told me that she thought my friend Tania was not a trustworthy girl.
6. My father told my brother to pay attention while he was driving.
7. My friend said that she would bring my birthday cake in the evening.
8. Rashmi requested me to help in carrying those heavy packages to her car.
9. My friend told me not to put any sugar in his coffee.
10. The shopkeeper told my friend to buy that pair of shoes, saying they were the latest design and would last him a long time.

Speech

Exercise 24.2 Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech :-

1. My mother said to me, “Are your brothers playing in the garden?”
2. The teacher said to the boys, “When did the match end?”
3. The master said, ” Mohan, why didn’t you inform me earlier about this accident?”
4. ‘Please Sir, can I have some more food?” said Oliver.
5. My father said to me, “Have you paid the electricity bill?”
6. The Director said to the young applicant for the job, “Is it for the first time you have applied for a manager’s post?”
7. She said to the beautician, “How can I lose weight?”
8. “Why don’t you come over for dinner on Friday?” Sheila said to me.

Answers:
1. My mother asked me if my brothers were playing in the garden.
2. The teacher asked the boys when the match had ended.
3. The master asked Mohan why he had not informed him earlier about the accident.
4. Oliver requested the Sir if he could have some more food.
5. My father asked me if I had paid the electricity bill.
6. The Director asked the young applicant for the job if it was the first time he had applied for a manager’s post.
7. She asked the beautician how she could lose weight.
8. Sheila asked me why I didn’t come over for dinner on Friday.

Indirect speech

Exercise 25.3 Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech. Use the words given in box for the Introductory Verb “said” :-

Command, advise, beseech, request, deny, order, promise, remind, apologise, inform

1. The nurse said to me, “The doctor can spare only a few minutes for you,”
2. The boy said, I didn’t hit Ramesh.”
3. The gardener said the boys, “Get off the grass immediately.”
4. Jasbir said to his mother, “I will tidy up my room when I come back from the match.”
5. Radha said to her teacher, “I am sorry I forgot to do the homework”
6. My brother said to me, “Remember to thank your friend for his help.”
7. The mother said to them, “I beg you not to hurt my child.”
8. The Instructor said, “Don’t cry, you try again to do the exercise.”
9. “Would you please lend me your camera?” said the boy to his friend.
10. The teacher said to the boy, “You must work hard if you want to win the scholarship.”

Answers:
1.The nurse informed me that the doctor could spare only a few minutes for me.
2. The boy denied having hit Ramesh.
3. The gardener ordered the boys to get off the grass immediately.
4. Jasbir promised his mother that he would tidy up his room when he came back from the match.
5. Radha apologised to her teacher, saying that she was sorry she had forgotten to do the homework.
6. My brother reminded me to thank my friend for his help.
7. The mother beseeched them not to hurt her child.
8. The Instructor ordered not to cry and to try again to do the exercise.
9. The boy requested his friend to lend him his camera.
10. The teacher advised the boy that he must work hard if he wanted to win the scholarship.

Indirect Speech

Exercise 25.4 Change the following into Indirect Speech :-

1. “Oh! what a lovely dress, “said Roshni.
2. “Happy New Year,” said John to Mary.
3. “Alas ! I lost my best gold chain,” said Rani to her friend.
4. “What a tragedy!” said he.
5. “May God bless you for your kindness!” said the poor boy to his master.

Answers:
1. Roshni exclaimed that it was a lovely dress.
2. John wished Mary a Happy New Year.
3. Rani exclaimed with regret that she had lost her best gold chain.
4. He exclaimed that it was a tragedy.
5. The poor boy prayed that God might bless his master for his kindness.

Indirect speech

Exercise 25.5 Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech :-

1. The teacher cried out angrily, “What are you doing, Raman? If you do not attend to the lesson, I shall send you to the Headmaster and you will be punished. Look into your book and do not let me catch you playing again.”
2. Next morning at breakfast his wife said to him, “George, I think I can tell what is wrong with our clock.” “Well, what is it?” He sharply asked. “It wants winding up,” said his partner quietly.
3. The father said angrily to his son, “Where have you been all this time? I saw you here last at ten in the morning. Go at once and change for dinner.”
4. “What will you give me if I spin this straw into gold?” he asked. “You shall have the ring from my finger,” said the girl.
5. “Will you come to my palace with me and be my wife?” said the king. “Yes”, said she, “if you allow me to have my fawn with me always.”
6. He said, “Who are you to speak to me like this? Don’t you know that I am your master and you are my servant? You must carry out my orders, whether you like them or not.”
7. “Are you angry, my friends,” said the king, “Because you have lost your leader? I am your king; I will be your leader.”
8. “Curse it!” exclaimed the driver. “Who could have foreseen such ill-luck? But for the accident we should have reached home before the sunset.”
9. The traveller said to the policeman, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest hotel?” “Yes,” said the policeman, “Do you want one in which you can spend the night?” “No,” replied the traveller, “I only want a meal.”
10. “You say,” said the judge, “The bag you lost contained one hundred and ten rupees.” “Yes, your Honour,” replied the miser. “Then as this one contains one hundred rupees it cannot be yours.”

Answers :
1. The teacher cried out angrily and asked Raman what he was doing. He warned him that if he did not attend to the lesson, he would send him to the Headmaster and he would be punished. He then instructed him to look into his book and not to let him catch him playing again.
2. Next morning, at breakfast, his wife told George that she thought she could tell what was wrong with their clock. He sharply asked her what it was. She quietly replied that it wanted winding up.
3. The father angrily asked his son where he had been all this time, telling him that he had last seen him at ten in the morning. He then ordered him to go at once and change for dinner.
4 .He asked her what she would give him if he spun the straw into gold. The girl replied that he should have the ring from her finger.
5. The king asked her if she would come to his palace with him and be his wife. She replied that she would if he allowed her to have her fawn with her always.
6. He asked angrily who she was to speak to him like that, and if she did not know that he was her master and she was his servant. He then commanded her to carry out his orders, whether she liked them or not.
7. The king asked his friends if they were angry because they had lost their leader, and then assured them that he was their king and would be their leader.
8. The driver cursed the situation and exclaimed that no one could have foreseen such ill-luck. He lamented that but for the accident, they would have reached home before sunset.
9. The traveller asked the policeman if he could tell him the way to the nearest hotel. The policeman replied affirmatively and asked if he wanted one where he could spend the night. The traveller replied that he only wanted a meal.
10. The judge said that the miser had stated that the bag he lost contained one hundred and ten rupees. The miser replied affirmatively. The judge then said that as the bag contained only one hundred rupees, it could not be his.

Direct speech

Exercise 25.6 Turn the following into Direct Speech :-
1. The policeman ordered the driver to step out oft he car.
2. The policeman charged the driver with speeding.
3. The driver denied the charge.
4. The policeman insisted that he did and would have to pay a fine for speeding.
5. The driver protested but then gave Rs 600 as fine.

Answers:
1. The policeman said to the driver, “Step out of the car.”
2. The policeman said to the driver, “You have been speeding.”
3. The driver replied, “I did not speed.”
4. The policeman said, “Yes, you did, and you will have to pay a fine for speeding.”
5. The driver protested, “But this is unfair!” However, he then said, “Here is Rs 600 as the fine.”

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