40 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Sentences

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Direct And Indirect Speech Examples

While using English, we use direct and indirect speeches quite often. If a sentence is expressed exactly as it came out of the mouth of the person who said it, it becomes a direct speech. However Indirect Speech (also called reported speech) refers to transmitting a sentence that someone has said. It is often used in daily language.

For example,

Susan told me she ate pizza yesterday. (Indirect Speech)

Susan said, “I ate pizza yesterday.”. (Direct Speech)

Mathilda told me she had to go out. (Indirect Speech)

Mathilda said: “I have to go out.”. (Direct Speech)

Julie asked if the train had left when she arrived at the ticket office. (Indirect Speech)

Julie asked: “Did the train leave?” (Direct Speech)

1	Direct	It is too late.
	Indirect	I said it was too late.
2	Direct	I had taken Spanish lessons before.
	Indirect	He said he had taken Spanish lessons before.
3	Direct	Did you do your homework?
	Indirect	He asked me if I did (had done) my homework.
4	Direct	Please help me carry this!
	Indirect	My mother asked me to help her carry that.
5	Direct	I like ice cream.
	Indirect	He said that he liked ice cream.
6	Direct	I’II see you later.
	Indirect	He said he would see me later.
7	Direct	I could swim when I was four.
	Indirect	He said he could swim when he was four.
8	Direct	I should call my mother.
	Indirect	He said he should call her mother.
9	Direct	I might be late.
	Indirect	He said he might be late.
10	Direct	He said, “I was teaching earlier.”
	Indirect	He said he had been teaching earlier.
11	Direct	Mary said, “I have been writing this essay.”
	Indirect	Mary said that he had been writing that essay.
12	Direct	Michael said, “I may go there.’
	Indirect	Michael says that she may go there.
13	Direct	We can´t go the zoo next week.
	Indirect	They said they couldn’t go to the zoo next week.
14	Direct	George is said, “I write a letter”.
	Indirect	George is said that she wrote a letter.
15	Direct	I said, “He is driving a car”
	Indirect	I said that he was driving a car.
16	Direct	I am reading a book, he explained.
	Indirect	He explained that he was reading a book.
17	Direct	My father said, “I am cooking dinner.”
	Indirect	My father said he was cooking dinner.
18	Direct	My sister said, “I had already eaten.”
	Indirect	My sister said she had already eaten.
19	Direct	My boyfriend asked, “Do you like horror films?”
	Indirect	Do you like horror films? my boyfriend asked.
20	Direct	I never get up late, my mother said.
	Indirect	My mother said that she never got up late.

21	Direct	She said, “I might come early.”
	Indirect	She said she might come early.
22	Direct	I am leaving home now.”
	Indirect	He said that he left home then.
23	Direct	Are you living here?
	Indirect	He asked me if I was living here.
24	Direct	I’m going to come.
	Indirect	She said that she was going to come.
25	Direct	We can communicate smoothly.
	Indirect	They said that they could communicate smothly.
26	Direct	I often enjoy myself.
	Indirect	Mary will say that that she often enjoys herself.
27	Direct	Everything is going fine.
	Indirect	The news says that everything is going fine.
28	Direct	My father was born in 1962.
	Indirect	My father told us that he was born in 1962.
29	Direct	She said, “I’ve missed my train.”
	Indirect	She said that she’d missed her train.
30	Direct	I’m sorry for the accident.
	Indirect	Georger told Samuel (that) he was sorry for the accident.
31	Direct	He said, “I am a football player.”
	Indirect	He said that he was a football player.
32	Direct	Michael said, “I will buy a new car.”
	Indirect	Michael said that she will buy a new car.
33	Direct	Mark said, “Bill needs a pencil.”
	Indirect	Mark said that Bill needed a pencil.
34	Direct	She said, “I went to the shopping center.”
	Indirect	She said that she had gone to the shopping center.
35	Direct	I write poems.
	Indirect	He says that he writes poems.
36	Direct	She said: “I would buy new house if I were rich”.
	Indirect	She said that she would buy new house if she had been rich”.
37	Direct	May I go out?
	Indirect	She wanted to know if she might go out.
38	Direct	She is American, she said.
	Indirect	She said she was American.
39	Direct	My son, do the exercise.“
	Indirect	Sh told her son to do the exercise.
40	Direct	I don’t know what to do.
	Indirect	Samuel added that he didn’t know what to do.