Are you learning English and want to understand how people talk? You’re in luck! In this blog post, we’ve gathered 100 examples of direct and indirect speech to help you grasp the basics. Plus, you can download a PDF for easy reference. Let’s dive in and improve your English skills!
Imagine you’re telling a friend what someone else said. You can do it in two ways:
- Direct Speech: You repeat exactly what the person said, like quoting them. For example, “She said, ‘I love ice cream.'”
- Indirect Speech: Instead of quoting word-for-word, you put it in your own words. So, you might say, “She said that she loves ice cream.”
Direct speech is like copying, while indirect speech is like rewriting in your style. We’ll explore more examples to make it crystal clear!
Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech
| 1. | Direct: She said, “I have a new job.”
Indirect: She said that she had a new job. |
| 2. | Direct: He asked, “What’s your favorite color?”
Indirect: He asked what my favorite color was. |
| 3. | Direct: They exclaimed, “We won the game!”
Indirect: They exclaimed that they had won the game. |
| 4. | Direct: Mary whispered, “I can’t tell you.”
Indirect: Mary whispered that she couldn’t tell me. |
| 5. | Direct: John said, “I’ll call you later.”
Indirect: John said that he would call later. |
| 6. | Direct: She said, “I like reading books.”
Indirect: She said that she liked reading books. |
| 7. | Direct: He asked, “Do you have any siblings?”
Indirect: He asked if I had any siblings. |
| 8. | Direct: They said, “We’ll be there by 3 PM.”
Indirect: They said that they would be there by 3 PM. |
| 9. | Direct: Sarah told me, “You are very kind.”
Indirect: Sarah told me that I was very kind. |
| 10. | Direct: She said, “I will meet you at the park.”
Indirect: She said that she would meet me at the park. |
| 11. | Direct: He asked, “Have you visited the museum?”
Indirect: He asked if I had visited the museum. |
| 12. | Direct: They exclaimed, “What a fantastic movie!”
Indirect: They exclaimed what a fantastic movie it was. |
| 13. | Direct: Tim said, “I don’t like spicy food.”
Indirect: Tim said that he didn’t like spicy food. |
| 14. | Direct: She said, “I have to go to the dentist.”
Indirect: She said that she had to go to the dentist. |
| 15. | Direct: He shouted, “Don’t touch the painting!”
Indirect: He shouted not to touch the painting. |
| 16. | Direct: Mary asked, “Did you see the accident?”
Indirect: Mary asked if I had seen the accident. |
| 17. | Direct: They said, “We enjoy traveling.”
Indirect: They said that they enjoyed traveling. |
| 18. | Direct: She told him, “Please be careful.”
Indirect: She told him to please be careful. |
| 19. | Direct: He said, “I’m meeting Jane tomorrow.”
Indirect: He said that he was meeting Jane tomorrow. |
| 20. | Direct: Jane said, “I’ll buy a new car.”
Indirect: Jane said that she would buy a new car. |
| 21. | Direct: They asked, “Where is the nearest library?”
Indirect: They asked where the nearest library was. |
| 22. | Direct: Tom said, “I’m going to the party.”
Indirect: Tom said that he was going to the party. |
| 23. | Direct: She said, “I’ve finished my project.”
Indirect: She said that she had finished her project. |
| 24. | Direct: He said, “I might visit Paris next year.”
Indirect: He said that he might visit Paris next year. |
| 25. | Direct: Mary told me, “Please bring some milk.”
Indirect: Mary told me to please bring some milk. |
| 26. | Direct: They said, “We don’t know the answer.”
Indirect: They said that they didn’t know the answer. |
| 27. | Direct: She said, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
Indirect: She said that she was sorry for the inconvenience. |
| 28. | Direct: He exclaimed, “That’s incredible!”
Indirect: He exclaimed that it was incredible. |
| 29. | Direct: Jane asked, “Why are you crying?”
Indirect: Jane asked why I was crying. |
| 30. | Direct: They said, “We’ll help you with the move.”
Indirect: They said that they would help with the move. |
| 31. | Direct: She said, “I’ll visit my grandmother.”
Indirect: She said that she would visit her grandmother. |
| 32. | Direct: He said, “I can’t believe you did that.”
Indirect: He said that he couldn’t believe I had done that. |
| 33. | Direct: Mary asked, “Are you feeling better today?”
Indirect: Mary asked if I was feeling better that day. |
| 34. | Direct: They said, “We won’t be late.”
Indirect: They said that they wouldn’t be late. |
| 35. | Direct: Tom told me, “Please don’t share my secret.”
Indirect: Tom told me not to share his secret. |
| 36. | Direct: She said, “I’m going to the doctor’s appointment.”
Indirect: She said that she was going to the doctor’s appointment. |
| 37. | Direct: He exclaimed, “What a wonderful surprise!”
Indirect: He exclaimed what a wonderful surprise it was. |
| 38. | Direct: Jane asked, “How did you solve the puzzle?”
Indirect: Jane asked how I had solved the puzzle. |
| 39. | Direct: They said, “We’ve learned a lot today.”
Indirect: They said that they had learned a lot that day. |
| 40. | Direct: She said, “I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”
Indirect: She said that she would miss me when I was gone. |
| 41. | Direct: He told her, “You should visit the museum.”
Indirect: He told her that she should visit the museum. |
| 42. | Direct: They said, “We’re coming to your party.”
Indirect: They said that they were coming to my party. |
| 43. | Direct: Mary asked, “Where did you find that book?”
Indirect: Mary asked where I had found that book. |
| 44. | Direct: He said, “I can’t find my keys anywhere.”
Indirect: He said that he couldn’t find his keys anywhere. |
| 45. | Direct: She said, “I’m not feeling well today.”
Indirect: She said that she wasn’t feeling well that day. |
| 46. | Direct: They said, “We’re having a great time.”
Indirect: They said that they were having a great time. |
| 47. | Direct: Tom said, “I’ve never been to Paris before.”
Indirect: Tom said that he had never been to Paris before. |
| 48. | Direct: Jane said, “I’ll bring some snacks.”
Indirect: Jane said that she would bring some snacks. |
| 49. | Direct: He asked, “Have you finished your homework?”
Indirect: He asked if I had finished my homework. |
| 50. | Direct: They said, “We’ll always remember this moment.”
Indirect: They said that they would always remember that moment. |
| 51. | Direct: She said, “I am hungry.”
Indirect: She said that she was hungry. |
| 52. | Direct: He asked, “What time is it?”
Indirect: He asked what time it was. |
| 53. | Direct: They exclaimed, “We won!”
Indirect: They exclaimed that they had won. |
| 54. | Direct: Sarah whispered, “I can’t believe it.”
Indirect: Sarah whispered that she couldn’t believe it. |
| 55. | Direct: John said, “I will come tomorrow.”
Indirect: John said that he would come tomorrow. |
| 56. | Direct: Mary shouted, “Watch out!”
Indirect: Mary shouted to watch out. |
| 57. | Direct: Tom told me, “You are my best friend.”
Indirect: Tom told me that I was his best friend. |
| 58. | Direct: She said, “I like ice cream.”
Indirect: She said that she liked ice cream. |
| 59. | Direct: He asked, “Have you seen my keys?”
Indirect: He asked if I had seen his keys. |
| 60. | Direct: They said, “We are going to the beach.”
Indirect: They said that they were going to the beach. |
| 61. | Direct: She told him, “Don’t be late.”
Indirect: She told him not to be late. |
| 62. | Direct: He said, “I can swim.”
Indirect: He said that he could swim. |
| 63. | Direct: Jane said, “I have finished my homework.”
Indirect: Jane said that she had finished her homework. |
| 64. | Direct: They exclaimed, “What a surprise!”
Indirect: They exclaimed what a surprise it was. |
| 65. | Direct: Tim asked, “Are you coming with us?”
Indirect: Tim asked if I was coming with them. |
| 66. | Direct: She said, “I will call you later.”
Indirect: She said that she would call later. |
| 67. | Direct: He shouted, “Don’t touch that!”
Indirect: He shouted not to touch that. |
| 68. | Direct: Mary asked, “Did you see the movie?”
Indirect: Mary asked if I had seen the movie. |
| 69. | Direct: They said, “We love playing soccer.”
Indirect: They said that they loved playing soccer. |
| 70. | Direct: She told me, “Please help me.”
Indirect: She told me to please help her. |
| 71. | Direct: He said, “I have a dog.”
Indirect: He said that he had a dog. |
| 72. | Direct: She asked, “Is it raining outside?”
Indirect: She asked if it was raining outside. |
| 73. | Direct: They said, “We will visit you soon.”
Indirect: They said that they would visit soon. |
| 74. | Direct: Tom said, “I can’t come to the party.”
Indirect: Tom said that he couldn’t come to the party. |
| 75. | Direct: She said, “I don’t like broccoli.”
Indirect: She said that she didn’t like broccoli. |
| 76. | Direct: He exclaimed, “Wow, it’s amazing!”
Indirect: He exclaimed that it was amazing. |
| 77. | Direct: She asked, “Are you coming to the party?”
Indirect: She asked if I was coming to the party. |
| 78. | Direct: They said, “We have already eaten.”
Indirect: They said that they had already eaten. |
| 79. | Direct: Mary told him, “Please bring me some water.”
Indirect: Mary told him to please bring her some water. |
| 80. | Direct: He said, “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Indirect: He said that he would be there in ten minutes. |
| 81. | Direct: She whispered, “Don’t tell anyone.”
Indirect: She whispered not to tell anyone. |
| 82. | Direct: They asked, “Have you met our new neighbor?”
Indirect: They asked if I had met their new neighbor. |
| 83. | Direct: Jane said, “I’m feeling tired.”
Indirect: Jane said that she was feeling tired. |
| 84. | Direct: He told her, “You should study harder.”
Indirect: He told her that she should study harder. |
| 85. | Direct: She said, “I’m going to the store.”
Indirect: She said that she was going to the store. |
| 86. | Direct: They exclaimed, “What a beautiful sunset!”
Indirect: They exclaimed what a beautiful sunset it was. |
| 87. | Direct: Tom said, “I have to leave early.”
Indirect: Tom said that he had to leave early. |
| 88. | Direct: Mary told me, “Please don’t forget my birthday.”
Indirect: Mary told me not to forget her birthday. |
| 89. | Direct: He asked, “Can you help me with my homework?”
Indirect: He asked if I could help him with his homework. |
| 90. | Direct: She said, “I’m sorry for the mistake.”
Indirect: She said that she was sorry for the mistake. |
| 91. | Direct: They exclaimed, “We did it!”
Indirect: They exclaimed that they had done it. |
| 92. | Direct: Jane asked, “Where are you going?”
Indirect: Jane asked where I was going. |
| 93. | Direct: He said, “I might come later.”
Indirect: He said that he might come later. |
| 94. | Direct: She said, “I don’t know the answer.”
Indirect: She said that she didn’t know the answer. |
| 95. | Direct: They told us, “Don’t be late for the meeting.”
Indirect: They told us not to be late for the meeting. |
| 96. | Direct: Tom said, “I can’t believe it’s true.”
Indirect: Tom said that he couldn’t believe it was true. |
| 97. | Direct: Mary asked, “Are you feeling better now?”
Indirect: Mary asked if I was feeling better now. |
| 98. | Direct: He said, “I’m going to the gym.”
Indirect: He said that he was going to the gym. |
| 99. | Direct: She exclaimed, “What a beautiful dress!”
Indirect: She exclaimed what a beautiful dress it was. |
| 100. | Direct: They said, “We will miss you.”
Indirect: They said that they would miss me. |
Also Study: Degree of Adjectives List
Also study: List of Adverbs in english
Infographics (Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech)
Download this List of direct and indirect speech in PDF (Download Here)
