Indirect Speech – Free Exercise

show special characters
display incorrect answers

Exercise

Choose the correct pronouns and articles to complete the indirect speech.

  1. Helena: «¡Estoy enferma!»
    → Helena dice que está enferma.1st person in direct speech becomes 3rd person in indirect speech.Helena says she’s sick.
  2. Andrés: «¿Por qué ríe ella?»
    → Andrés pregunta por qué ríe .3rd person stays the same in indirect speech.Andrés is asking why she’s laughing.
  3. Los niños: «Un día seremos mayores».
    → Los niños dicen que un día serán mayores.1st person in direct speech becomes 3rd person in indirect speech.The children say they’re going to be big someday.
  4. La vecina me ha dicho: «Tu pastel de crema estaba delicioso».
    → La vecina me ha dicho que pastel de crema estaba delicioso.the person being addressed in the direct speech is repeating the sentence in indirect speech (signal: me ha dicho)
    tu → mi    The neighbour said that my cream cake was delicious.
  5. Yo he respondido: «¡Es mi plato estrella!»
    → Yo he respondido que es plato estrella.the sentence in direct speech is being repeated by the same person in indirect speech, so the pronoun doesn’t changeI replied that it’s my speciality.

Write the following sentences in indirect speech.

  1. Julia: «Soy buena en matemáticas».
    →Julia afirmó  .reporting verb in the past: presente → imperfectoJulia claimed that she’s good at maths.
  2. Nosotros: «El cartero pasó a las 9».
    → Nosotros confirmamos   a las 9.reporting verb confirmamos could be presente or indefinido
    reporting verb in present: tense stays the same in indirect speech
    reporting verb in preterite: indefinido → pluscuamperfecto    We confirm/confirmed that the postman came/had come at 9.
  3. La profesora: «Esta mañana había mucho tráfico».
    → La profesora contó  .reporting verb in the past: Imperfecto → imperfecto or pluscuamperfectoThe teacher said that there had been a lot of traffic this morning.
  4. El alcalde: «La ciudad está en shock».
    → El alcalde explica  .reporting verb in the present: no changeThe mayor explains that the city is in shock.
  5. Los niños: «No nos gusta la comida».
    → Los niños se han quejado de  .reporting verb in pretérito perfecto: no changeThe children complained that they didn’t like the food.

Write the questions in indirect speech.

  1. Javier: «¿Te has lavado las manos?»
    → Javier pregunta a su hijo  .reporting verb in the present → no change
    In indirect speech, yes-no questions begin with si    Javier asked his son if he had washed his hands.
  2. El profesor: «¿Cuándo murió Carlos V?»
    → El profesor preguntó  .reporting verb in the past: indefinido → pluscuamperfectoThe teacher asked when Carlos V had died.
  3. Verónica: «¿Por qué lloráis?»
    → Verónica preguntó a sus amigos  .reporting verb in the past: presente → imperfectoVeronica asked her friends why they were crying.
  4. Mi hermana: «¿Quieres jugar a las cartas?»
    → Mi hermana me pregunta todos los días  .reporting verb in the present: no change
    In indirect speech, yes-no questions begin with si    My sister asks me every day if I want to play cards.
  5. El revisor: «¿En qué estación se baja usted?»
    → El revisor preguntó al viajero  .reporting verb in the past: presente → imperfectoThe ticket inspector asked the passenger which station he was getting out at.