worksheet for direct and indirect speech for class 8

Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet

Table of Contents

Access and download a complimentary PDF of CBSE Class 8 English Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet. Obtain printable English Class 8 Worksheets in PDF format. This worksheet aligns with the most recent syllabus and exam format provided by CBSE , NCERT, and KVS. Additionally, access free PDFs of English Class 8 Assignments to practice regularly, enhancing your performance in tests and exams. Class 8 teachers have developed these chapter-wise worksheets with answers, adhering to the latest examination structure.

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Target Exam ---

Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheets Exercise

Direct Speech: “I love ice cream,” said Sarah. Indirect Speech: Sarah said that she loved ice cream.

Direct Speech: “I will finish my homework,” Tom promised. Indirect Speech: Tom promised that he would finish his homework.

Direct Speech: “I am going to the park,” exclaimed Lily. Indirect Speech: Lily exclaimed that she was going to the park.

Direct Speech: “I can swim,” bragged Jack. Indirect Speech: Jack bragged that he could swim.

Direct Speech: “I have a pet dog,” stated Emily. Indirect Speech: Emily stated that she had a pet dog.

Direct Speech: “I want to play outside,” pleaded Timmy. Indirect Speech: Timmy pleaded that he wanted to play outside.

Direct Speech: “I saw a shooting star last night,” exclaimed Anna excitedly. Indirect Speech: Anna excitedly exclaimed that she had seen a shooting star the previous night.

Direct Speech: “I will help you with your project,” offered Mike. Indirect Speech: Mike offered to help with the project.

Direct Speech: “I am tired,” complained Lucy. Indirect Speech: Lucy complained that she was tired.

Direct Speech: “I can’t wait for the party,” said David eagerly. Indirect Speech: David eagerly said that he couldn’t wait for the party.

Bonus: Rewrite the following indirect speech sentences as direct speech sentences.

Indirect Speech: She said that she was reading a book. Direct Speech: “I am reading a book,” she said.

Indirect Speech: He mentioned that he had visited Paris. Direct Speech: “I have visited Paris,” he mentioned.

Indirect Speech: They explained that they were going on vacation. Direct Speech: “We are going on vacation,” they explained.

Indirect Speech: She told me that she liked chocolate ice cream. Direct Speech: “I like chocolate ice cream,” she told me.

Indirect Speech: He admitted that he had made a mistake. Direct Speech: “I have made a mistake,” he admitted.

Answer Key:

• Sarah said that she loved ice cream.
• Tom promised that he would finish his homework.
• Lily exclaimed that she was going to the park.
• Jack bragged that he could swim.
• Emily stated that she had a pet dog.
• Timmy pleaded that he wanted to play outside.
• Anna excitedly exclaimed that she had seen a shooting star the previous night.
• Mike offered to help with the project.
• Lucy complained that she was tired.
• David eagerly said that he couldn’t wait for the party.

Direct Speech Worksheets Exercise

Original Sentence: She said, “I love ice cream.”

Direct Speech: “I love ice cream,” she said.

• Original Sentence: He told me, “I am going to the park.”
• Original Sentence: She asked, “What time is the movie?”
• Original Sentence: They shouted, “Happy birthday!”
• Original Sentence: The teacher said, “Please sit down quietly.”
• Original Sentence: He exclaimed, “I can’t believe it!”
• Original Sentence: She whispered, “I have a secret.”
• Original Sentence: They cried, “Help us!”
• Original Sentence: He said, “I want to be a doctor when I grow up.”
• Original Sentence: She laughed, “That joke is so funny!”
• Original Sentence: They shouted, “We won the game!”
• “I am going to the park,” he told me.
• “What time is the movie?” she asked.
• “Happy birthday!” they shouted.
• “Please sit down quietly,” the teacher said.
• “I can’t believe it!” he exclaimed.
• “I have a secret,” she whispered.
• “Help us!” they cried.
• “I want to be a doctor when I grow up,” he said.
• “That joke is so funny!” she laughed.
• “We won the game!” they shouted.

Indirect Speech Worksheets Exercise

Directions: Read the following sentences and rewrite them in indirect speech.

Example: Direct Speech: “I love chocolate,” said Sarah. Indirect Speech: Sarah said that she loved chocolate.

• Direct Speech: “I am going to the park,” said Tom. Indirect Speech: Tom said that he was going to the park.
• Direct Speech: “She sings beautifully,” said John. Indirect Speech: John said that she sang beautifully.
• Direct Speech: “We have completed our homework,” said the students. Indirect Speech: The students said that they had completed their homework.
• Direct Speech: “They are watching a movie,” said Emily. Indirect Speech: Emily said that they were watching a movie.
• Direct Speech: “He will arrive at 5 o’clock,” said the teacher. Indirect Speech: The teacher said that he would arrive at 5 o’clock.
• Direct Speech: “I can swim very well,” said Peter. Indirect Speech: Peter said that he could swim very well.
• Direct Speech: “She likes to read books,” said Jack. Indirect Speech: Jack said that she liked to read books.
• Direct Speech: “We are going to the beach tomorrow,” said Lily. Indirect Speech: Lily said that they were going to the beach the next day.
• Direct Speech: “I have lost my keys,” said David. Indirect Speech: David said that he had lost his keys.
• Direct Speech: “I want to learn how to play the guitar,” said Tina. Indirect Speech: Tina said that she wanted to learn how to play the guitar.
• Tom said that he was going to the park.
• John said that she sang beautifully.
• The students said that they had completed their homework.
• Emily said that they were watching a movie.
• The teacher said that he would arrive at 5 o’clock.
• Peter said that he could swim very well.
• Jack said that she liked to read books.
• Lily said that they were going to the beach the next day.
• David said that he had lost his keys.
• Tina said that she wanted to learn how to play the guitar.

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• Reported Speech /

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises For Class 8 [PDF Available]

• Updated on  
• July 18, 2024

Direct and Indirect Speech for Class 8: This concept of direct and indirect speech is one of the most fundamental topics in English Vocabulary . Language is used to convey one’s thoughts and feelings, therefore, one must understand the importance of direct and indirect speech . Do you wish to improve your English learning skills? Then you have come to the right place. We have compiled this blog, especially for Class 8 students. 

In this blog, you will get to learn about what direct and indirect speech for class 8 and how they should be used in sentences. 

This Blog Includes:

What is direct speech, what is indirect speech, direct and indirect speech exercises for class 8 with answers pdf, direct and indirect speech exercise 1, direct and indirect speech exercise 2.

Direct Speech is a sentence where the speaker’s exact words are reproduced in speech marks (also known as quotation marks or inverted commas). 

Here are some of the formulas of direct speech.

Simple Present Tense:

(Subject +Verb + Object),

Present continuous and Present Perfect Tense:

(Subject +is/am/are+Verb +ing+ Object) and

(Subject + has/have+Verb+Object) respectively.

• Marie said, “I’ll come back in 15 minutes.”
• Ram said, “You must give men another opportunity.”
• She said,” I wish I were that rich.”
• My mother said to me, “May you get well soon.”
• She said to me, “May you live long.”

Also Read: Reported Speech Rules with Tips and Exercises for Students

Indirect speech is when it tells you what someone said but does not use the person’s actual words. 

Here are some formulas for indirect speech:

The Past Simple Tense did + V1 V2

Past Progressive Tense was /were + V4

Past Perfect Tense had + V3

• I told her I was not very happy at work.
• They told us they were going back to their village.
• She said she had been working out at the gym.
• He said that Julia would be late at work.

Also Read: Direct and Indirect Speech: Comprehensive Guide with Exercises  

Now that we have talked about both direct and indirect speech. The students need to practice and test their knowledge. Moving ahead, we have compiled a few exercises on direct and indirect speech for Class 8 students. Have a look at them. 

Convert the following sentences from direct to indirect speech.

• Direct: He said, “I am going to the park.” 
• Direct: “I have completed my homework,” said Marie.
• Direct: “It’s raining outside,” she said.
• Direct: “We will visit the church tomorrow,” they told us. 
• Direct: “I love waffles,” he exclaimed.

Check Your Answers:

• He said he was going to the park.
• Marie said she had completed her homework.
• She said that it was raining outside.
• They told us that they would visit the church tomorrow.
• He exclaimed that he loved waffles.

Also Read: Tenses Rules: Charts, Examples, Types [PDF Available]

Rewrite the following paragraph into indirect speech.

Direct: “I can’t come to the party,” Julia said. “I have a nail appointment. Andrew won’t be able to make it either. He’s stuck in traffic. But we hope you all have a fantastic time.”

Julia said that she couldn’t come to the party as she had a nail appointment. She also mentioned that Andrew wouldn’t be able to make it as he was stuck in traffic. However, they hoped that everyone would have a fantastic time.

The pdf for the Direct and Indirect speech exercises for class 8 with answers is given below which you can solve further.

Related Posts 

Simply use the reporting verb, “say” or “said” in its correct tense. Make sure you remove the conjunctions such as “that”, “if”, “to” and “whether”. Lastly, insert quotation marks, question marks, exclamation and full stop.

For simple present tense, the formula is (Subject +V1st + Object). While the formula for Present continuous and Present perfect the formula can be (Subject +is/am/are+V1 +ing+ Object) and (Subject + has/have+V3+Object) respectively.

The clauses of direct speech are the reporting clause and the reported clause.

The reported speech class 8 exercises are based on direct and indirect speeches. You should learn them properly to solve them and get the answers right.

This was all about “Direct and Indirect speech exercises for class 8 [PDF Available]”. Hope you understand the concept and know how to proceed. You can also follow the Learn English page of Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs related to grammar. 

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises for Class 8 CBSE With Answers

When we use the exact words of the speaker, it is called direct speech. Indirect or Reported Speech refers to a sentence reporting what someone has said.

Basic  English Grammar  rules can be tricky. In this article, we’ll get you started with the basics of sentence structure, punctuation, parts of speech, and more.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises for Class 8 CBSE With Answers PDF

Direct and indirect speech differ in the following aspects:

• punctuation
• pronouns and their forms
• tense forms
• the reporting verb (introduce/change)
• words that show time and position
• that, if, etc. (if necessary)

Punctuation Indirect speech, the exact words of the person (quote) are placed after the introductory clause, it is always set apart by the use of a comma (,) and quotation marks (“’) or (“”).

Also, the first letter of the exact words of the speaker indirect speech is always capitalized. Example:

• Mother said to me, ‘Please tidy your room.

If the quote is placed at the beginning of the sentence a comma is put before the end quotation mark for a declarative or imperative sentence. A question mark or an exclamatory mark is placed before the end quotation if it is a question or an exclamatory sentence. Examples:

• “Where are we going for our picnic?’ asked Mira.
• “What an excellent idea!’ said Sunny.

If the quote is divided into two we can do either of the following: Examples:

• “That is fine,’ he said. “We don’t mind sharing our room with you.’
• “No!’ he said. “We can’t check into this hotel.’

In reported (indirect) speech, question marks and exclamations are removed because all sentences are converted to statements. We do not use a comma or quotation marks to set apart the words of the speaker. A comma is used only if the sentence calls for one. Example:

• Sally told me that Rosie, Anuja and Jenny are going for a movie tomorrow. . .

A. Punctuate the following sentences in direct speech. Insert (*), (,) and (?), (!) or (.).

Question 1. Divya said to me How are you Answer: Divya said to me,‘How are you?’

Question 2. Wow What a wonderful picture said Lucy Answer: ‘Wow! What a wonderful picture! ’ said Lucy.

Question 3. I said I am fine. Have you seen Sunil anywhere Answer: I said, ‘I am fine. Have you seen Sunil anywhere?’

B. There is one punctuation mark missing in each of these sentences. Add it.

Question 1. Urvashi said ‘Our class teacher is on leave today.’ Answer: Urvashi said,‘Our class teacher is on leave today.’

Question 2. “But I saw her in the canteen today, said Heena. Answer: ‘But I saw her in the canteen today,’ said Haya.

Question 3. How sad ’ said Urvashi, “I thought we would have two free periods today.’ Answer: ‘How sad! ’ said Urvashi, ‘I thought we would have two free periods today.’

Pronouns While reporting, we must pay close attention to personal pronouns, possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives—1, we, you, they, he, she, my, our, your, their, his, her, mine, ours, yours, theirs, hers. Examples: 1. Teacher said to me, ‘This is Radhika’s book, please give it to her.’ What would you tell Radhika?—Teacher told me that this was your book and asked me to give it to you. But if you report this to your friend Sashi, you would say—Teacher told me that this was Radhika’s book and asked me to give it to her.

2. His mother said to Raghu, ‘You must work hard.’ His mother told Raghu that he must work hard.

3. Mohan said to me, “My books are on your desk.’ Mohan told me that his books were on my desk.

As we see in these examples, the words we use to refer to people change to match the speaker/ writer and listener/reader.

C. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.

Question 1. Manny said to me, “We must play more football.’ Manny told me that ………………………. (we/you) must play more football. Answer: Manny said to me, ‘We must play more football. ’ Manny told me that we (we/you) must play more football.

Question 2. Mr Chandresh said to me, ‘You must visit my house.’ Mr Chandresh insisted that I must visit ………………………. (my/his) house. Answer: Mr Chandresh said to me, ‘You must visit my house. ’ Mr Chandresh insisted that I must visit his (my/his) house.

Question 3. Amrit said to Neeta, ‘Our friends will meet us in Noida.’ Amrit told Neeta that ………………………. (their/our) friends would meet ………………………. (them/us) in Noida. Answer: Amrit said to Neeta, ‘Our friends will meet us in Noida.’ Amrit told Neeta that their (their/our) friends would meet them (them/us) in Noida.

Reporting verbs

We usually use verbs like said (say), told (tell) to introduce what somebody said. Verbs that help us convey what was said are called reporting verbs. They are used in direct and indirect speech.

Says and told are the reporting verbs in the following sentences:

• He says, “The world is a flat piece of paper.
• He told me he could help me with my homework.

Said and told are used in similar contexts but in reported speech we say something, and we tell somebody something. In direct speech, we use said to me/him/her, etc. Examples:

• Dipti said to me, ‘I might not come to school tomorrow.’
• Dipti said that she might not come to school the next day.
• Dipti told me that she might not come to school the next day.

D. Fill in the blanks with told or said.

Question 1. Rosy ………………………. that he was going to the supermarket. Answer: Rosy said that he was going to the supermarket.

Question 2. He ………………………. Sonia that he had to get some stationery. Answer: He told Sonia that he had to get some stationery.

Question 3. I ………………………. to him, “You have to hand in your work on time.’ Answer: I said to him, ‘You have to hand in your work on time.’

Question 4. Sameer ………………………. that he that he didn’t believe in aliens. Answer: Sameer said that he didn’t believe in aliens.

Question 5. My grandmother ………………………. me that when she was little, computers were unheard of. Answer: My grandmother told me that when she was little, computers were unheard of.

Some of the other reporting verbs we use are answered, added, promised, replied, suggested, explained, etc. The use of the reporting verb depends on the type of sentence reported.

Interrogative Sentences

While reporting questions we use the reporting verbs asked, enquired, etc. and while reporting the answer to the questions we use verbs like replied, answered, etc. Examples:

• Salim said to me, ‘Have you read The Wind in the Willows?’ Salim asked me if I had read The Wind in the Willows. I told Salim, ‘Yes, it is my favourite book.’ I replied that I had and that it was my favourite book
• Tarun said to me, ‘Where is our next class?’ Tarun asked me where our next class was.

A. Punctuate the following sentences in direct speech. Insert (..) and ()

Imperative Sentences While reporting imperative sentences we use a reporting verb to match the mood of the sentence. Apart from say and rell we can also use as request, beg, command in it, ander warm remind, exicowa gesi, pryse, etc. Examples:

• The Judge said to the people, “Maintain silence.” The Judge ordered the people to maintain silence.
• I said to John, “Please pass me the salt.” Trieste Jolino pass me the salt.
• Linda said, ‘Let’s go for a swim. Linda menekled going for a swim

Please note that in reported speech we use the non-finite form of the verbs in quotes. We use infinitive forms (base verb, lo + base verb) or gerund forms (ing).

Exclamatory Sentences While reporting exclamatory sentences we use reporting verbs like exclaimed, admired, apologize cried, wished thanked, etc. Interjections like wow, oh, oh dear, alas, etc. and nouns of addres are removed Examples:

• Ritu said to me ‘Wow! What a beautiful dress! Ritu admired my dress.
• I said to my teacher, ‘Good morning, Ma’am!-I wished my teacher good morning
• ‘Oh, no! I didn’t bring my lunchbox!’ said Deepak. Deepak exclaimed that hadn’t brought his lunchbox.
• Surya said to Shayan, ‘I am so sorry! Surya apologized to Shayan.

E. Fill in the blanks with appropriate reporting verbs from the box.

1. Sanjay said, ‘Shall we go to the chemistry lab? Sanjay ……………………… to go to the chemistry lab. 2. He said to me, ‘T’ll definitely help you.” He ……………………… to help me. 3. Manish said to me, I’m sorry. I forgot to bring your packet.” Manish ……………………… for forgetting to bring my packet. 4. Natasha said to her little brother, “Don’t cross the street carelessly” Natasha ……………………… her little brother not to cross the street carelessly 5. Nisha said to the receptionist, ‘Is Dr Gregory here?’ Nisha ……………………… if Dr Gregory was there. 6. ‘Oh dear! I have lost my keys!’ said Chandu. Chandu ……………………… that he had lost his keys. Answer: 1. Sanjay said, ‘Shall we go to the chemistry lab?’ Sanjay asked to go to the chemistry lab.

2. He said to me, ‘I’ll definitely help you. He offered to help me.

3. Manish said to me, ‘I’m sorry. I forgot to bring your packet. Manish apologized for forgetting to bring my packet

4. Natasha said to her little brother, ‘Don’t cross the street carelessly. Natasha advised/warmed her little brother not to cross the street carelessly.

5. Nisha said to the receptionist, ‘Is Dr Gregory here?’ Nisha asked if Dr Gregory was there.

6. ‘Oh dear! I have lost my keys! ’ said Chandu. Chandu exclaimed that he had lost his keys.

TENSES When we report a statement, we must look at the tense of the reporting verb.

1. If the reporting verb is in the present tense, we need not change the tense of the rest of the sentence. Examples:

• a. She says, “They are on their way.’—She says that they are on their way.
• Kina says, “All birds are friendly.”—Kina says that all birds are friendly.

2. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, we change the tense of the rest of the sentence being reported into corresponding past tense.

Sometimes, when universal truths are being reported we can choose to retain the original tense of the sentence or change it. Examples:

• Mother said, “The earth revolves around the sun. Mother said that the earth revolves/revolved around the sun.
• Jose said, “Hot air rises to the top.’ Jose said that hot air rises/rose to the top.

Time And Place Words When there are words that show time and place in direct speech, we have to change them appropriately in reported speech. Example:

• Rajesh said, “I will finish this project by next week.’
• Rajesh said that he would finish that project by the following week.

Here are a few such words: But this is done in accordance with the time and place of reporting. The expressions change if the time is long past. They do not change if the speech is reported in the same place and period of time.

• Sayani says, “I will not come to school tomorrow.’ (said on 12 August)”
• Sayani says that she will not come to school tomorrow. (also said on 12 August)
• Sayani told me that she would not come to school the next day. (30 November)

Reporting Conversations

In normal conversation we don’t always speak in full sentences. But while reporting them we must complete these sentences. Avoid using said and told too many times.

Instead, use reporting verbs like added, informed, wanted, etc. Examples:

• Direct speech:
• Salim: How is Sanjay?
• Sanjukta: He is fine now.
• Salim: Was he seriously ill last month?
• Sanjukta: Not exactly. But he had some minor ailments. He is at home now.

Reported speech: Salim asked Sanjukta how Sanjay was. She replied that he was fine then. Salim wanted to know if Sanjay had been seriously ill the previous month. Sanjukta said that he had not been seriously ill, but he had had some minor ailments. Then she added that Sanjay was at home then.

Omission Of That

In reported speech, that is often used to introduce the speaker’s words. But even if we omit that, the meaning would remain the same. Examples:

• Zoey told me (that) Rosie, Anuja and Shehnaaz were going for a movie the next day.
• Angmo said (that) she might not come to school the next day.

F. Read the following conversation and rewrite it in reported speech. Some reporting verbs you may want to use are informed, congratulated and thanked. Sneha: Good morning, Pari. How are you? Pari: Good morning, Sneha. I am getting on fine. You know, I got selected for the school table tennis team. We are going for the inter-school match on Friday. Sena: Wow! Great! Wish you the best of luck for Friday. I’m sure you’ll win the match. Pari: Thanks, Sneha. I hope we’ll win this time.

Sneha greeted Pari and asked ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… Answer: Sneha greeted Pari and asked her how she was. Pari greeted Sneha back and told her that she was getting on fine. She also told Sneha that she had gotten selected for the school table tennis team, and that the team was going for the inter-school match on Friday .

Sneha exclaimed that was great, and then wished Pari the best of luck for Friday. She said that she was sure that Pari would win the match. Pari thanked Sneha and said that she hoped to win that time .

G. Here are a few lines from the famous story The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle. Punctuate these sentences. 1. By Jove said Sherlock Holmes this is treasure trove indeed I suppose you know what you have got ……………………………………………………………………………… 2. A precious diamond said Peterson it cuts into glass as though it were putty ……………………………………………………………………………… 3. It is more than a precious stone said Holmes it is the precious stone ……………………………………………………………………………… 4. Not the Countess of Morcar’s blue carbuncle Watson exclaimed ……………………………………………………………………………… 5. Precisely so said Holmes ……………………………………………………………………………… Answer: 1. By Jove said Sherlock Holmes, this is treasure trove indeed. I suppose you know what you have got‘ By Jove!’ said Sherlock Holmes, ‘this is treasure trove indeed. I suppose you know what you have got!

2. A precious diamond, sir? said Peterson. It cuts into glass as though it were putty ‘A precious diamond, sir?’ said Peterson. ‘It cuts into glass as though it were putty.’

3. It is more than a precious stone said Holmes it is the precious stone ‘It is more than a precious stone.’ said Holmes, ‘it is the precious stone.’

4. Not the Countess of Morcar’s blue carbuncle Watson exclaimed ‘Not the Countess of Morcar’s blue carbuncle!’ Watson exclaimed.

5. Precisely so said Holmes ‘Precisely so.’ said Holmes.

NCERT Guides.Com

Free NCERT Solutions

• Class 8 NCERT Solutions
• Direct And Indirect Speech Worksheet For Class 8 CBSE

by Manjusha · Published March 6, 2022 · Updated April 30, 2024

Sentences are given in the direct speech. Change them into indirect speech.

1. ‘I have lost my phone,’ said Rani.

2. ‘Do you know who I am?’ she asked me.

3. ‘I would like a cup of coffee,’ the woman said.

4. ‘Can I talk to the manager?’ the girl asked the receptionist.

5. ‘I want to get this document translated into Spanish,’ she said.

6. ‘I met with an accident in the morning,’ he said to his manager.

7. ‘The soup is too salty,’ the boy said.

8. ‘Have you seen my key?’ Rahim said to his mother.

9. ‘I have read that novel,’ she said.

10. ‘Where is my bag?’ she asked.

11. ‘You will pay for your action,’ she said.

12. ‘We do not permit smoking in the house,’ they said.

1. Rani said that she had lost her phone.

2. She asked me if / whether I knew who she was.

3. The woman said that she would like a cup of coffee.

4. The girl asked the receptionist if she could talk to the manager.

5. She said that she wanted to get that document translated into Spanish.

6. He told his manager that he had met with an accident that morning.

7. The boy complained that the soup was too salty.

8. Rahim asked his mother if she had seen his key.

9. She said that she had read t hat novel.

10. She asked where her bag was.

11. She threatened me that I would pay for my action.

12. They said that they do not / did not permit smoking in the house.

• Direct and indirect speech worksheet for class 7
• Direct and indirect speech worksheet for classes 7 and 8
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English Grammar Direct and Indirect Speech Class 8

English Grammar

• Direct And Indirect Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech Class 8 - Download Free PDF with Solutions

In simple terms, we can understand direct speech as the precise words that a speaker or writer uses. The spoken words are enclosed in inverted commas in a direct speech. On the other hand, indirect speech entails summarising another person’s words using our own language. In indirect speech, we do not write someone else’s precise words, and we do not use inverted commas. Learning direct and indirect speech in Class 8 is an integral part of their overall grammar syllabus, and having a firm grasp on the topic is essential to score good marks in exams.

In today’s day and age, solely sticking to NCERT textbooks and exercises is not enough. Some extra hand holding goes a long way, and students need some ancillary academic support in the form of revision notes, sample tests, etc. Teachers and parents should go the extra mile to provide children with additional study material from credible sources. 

English Grammar for Class 8 Direct and Indirect Speech Download Free PDF

Today we will study an exciting topic “Reported speech”. Reported speech refers to how we have interpreted the words of the speaker. 

Definition of Reported Speech

In simple terms, Reported speech refers to reporting the speech of the speaker i.e. whether conveying directly the words of the speaker or indirectly conveying after altering the words of the speaker. For good understanding and idea clarity, practice questions and solved examples are provided throughout the article. Let's start our journey on this pretty topic.

The Convey of Speech

Parts of reported speech in a sentence

Reported verb 

Reported speech,

For example, Ram said to me,” he wants to eat pizza”.

Here in the sentence, Ram said to me is the reporting verb, 

And the sentence in inverted commas “he wants to eat pizza” is the reported speech.

The reported verb refers to the simple sentence at the starting of the sentence and reported speech refers to the sentence in inverted commas that defines someone else.

Reporting Verb

The part of the sentence which is not in the inverted commas is called the reported verb.

When we change a direct speech into indirect speech then there are 3 types/ forms of changes that take place.

Change of person

Change of tense and

Change of other parts of speech

For example, Priya said to the class,” keep quiet teacher is coming”.

Here in the sentence, Priya said to the class is the reporting verb.

Reporting Speech

The part of the sentence which is under inverted commas is called reporting speech.

The second part of the sentence refers to some other person, universal facts, imaginary parts, historical facts, happening events, etc.

For example, Shyam said,” taj mahal was built by Shahjahan”

Here the sentence “taj mahal was built by Shahjahan” is the reported speech. 

Basically, there are two types of speech.

Direct speech 

Indirect speech

Direct Speech

It refers to reporting the exact words spoken by the speaker. There is no change in the verb or the sentence.

For example, Ram said to Riya, “go to school”

Priya asked Ram, “where is her bag”

Ratan enquired Raman,” why was he not picking up her call”.

Rules of Direct Speech

Speech should be opened with quotations or inverted commas.

The word said is used to connect two sentences.

Reporting clause should be used at the end of the sentence.

At the end of the sentence full stop should be placed.

Indirect Speech

It is the speech that tells what someone has said but it does not explain the actual words spoken by the person. It just conveys the basic narration of what is being said to the third person.

For example, Ram asked Riya to go to school.

Priya asked Ram where was her bag.

Ratan enquired Raman why was he not picking up her call.

Rules of Indirect Speech

Past tense is used when the situation is uncertain

The present tense of the sentence is changed to the past tense in indirect speech. 

Universal facts tense remains the same.

The use of the word “that” connects the reported verb and reported speech.

Difference Between Direct Speech and Indirect Speech

Difficult words meaning, practice question.

Rewrite the following sentence converting from direct speech to indirect speech.

He asked me “ what is your mother’s name”.

Riya said to the shopkeeper, “ what is the price of the item?”

Ram said, “How is the weather”.

Commander said to militarians, “practice well”.

Honey told his mother, “I am not feeling well”.

The Doctor said, “Health is your wealth”.

Traffic police said, “Don't rush”.

He asked me what my mother's name is.

Riya asked the shopkeeper what the price of the items was.

Ram asked how the weather was.

Commander ordered militarians to practice well.

Honey told he mother that he was not feeling well.

The Doctor advised that health is wealth.

Traffic police asked the public not to rush.

Importance of Learning Direct and Reported Speech Class 8 

Having a firm grasp on direct and reported speech in Class 8 is integral to building the foundation of English grammar for young minds.

Knowing when and how to use direct and indirect speech can help students form grammatically correct sentences.

The essay writing and answer composition skills of young minds improve significantly when they know the nitty-gritty of direct and indirect speech.

Learning the rules of changing speech from direct to indirect enables students to summarise texts more aptly.

Lastly, indirect and direct speech introduces young students to the fundamentals of quoting, which is an aspect of grammar that they will need for years on end.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech for Class 8 Students

Riya said, “I am going on a long vacation.” – Direct Speech

Riya said that she was going on a long vacation. – Indirect Speech

The stranger asked me, “Where is your house?” – Direct Speech

The stranger asked me where my house was. – Indirect Speech

Rina asked Steve if he had overheard her conversation. – Indirect Speech

Rina asked Steve, “Did you overhear my conversation?” – Direct Speech

The direct and indirect speech exercises for Class 8 with answers PDF should include simple and relatable examples like the ones stated above.

Interesting Facts about Direct and Indirect Speech for Class 8 Students

While changing a sentence from direct to indirect speech, we use the conjunction ‘that.’

Likewise, while changing a sentence from direct to reported speech, the tense of the verb is changed from present to past.

Direct speech helps in defining the character of a person.

The prolonged use of direct speech in an essay can slow its pace. However, the use of indirect speech smoothens the pace of a writeup.

If the reported speech expresses some universal truth, then we do not have to change the tense of the sentence.

All direct and indirect worksheets with answers in Class 8 ought to be an amalgamation of examples, definitions, and interesting facts to make learning more interesting for young minds. 

Important Topics of Direct and Indirect Speech Class 8 

The 17th Chapter of the Class 8 NCERT grammar book is on direct and indirect speech. Below are the topics students will learn from this chapter. 

Understanding direct speech

Understanding indirect speech

Rules for changing direct speech into indirect speech

Exceptions to rules

Therefore, all direct and indirect speech exercises for Class 8 with answers PDF should encompass the following topics.

Learn English Grammar Direct and Indirect Speech with PDFs

Meticulously designed by the subject matter experts of Vedantu, the English grammar PDFs for Class 8 students on direct and indirect speech are the one-stop destination for all young minds keen on expanding their horizons. The PDFs include reported speech exercises for Class 8 CBSE with answers , tips and tricks to learn grammar faster, sample question papers, etc.

The PDFs of Vedantu are downloadable from the comfort of your homes.

They are free.

The content is regularly updated by Vedantu’s subject matter experts.

The PDFs contain more than 50 examples of direct and indirect speech exercises.

So, do not wait any longer and download Vedantu’s PDFs now to watch your child reach new academic zeniths.

FAQs on English Grammar Direct and Indirect Speech Class 8

1. What is direct narration?

When we quote the exact words of the speaker, then it is direct narration.

2. What is the indirect speech of the sentence – Rima said, “The sun rises in the east.”

Rima said that the sun rises in the east.

3. When should I use direct speech in a sentence?

The ideal time to use direct speech is when you want to precisely quote the words of some other person. Direct speech can help break the monotony in an essay and make it more interesting to readers.