Indirect Speech – Free Exercise

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Exercise

The following sentences need to be converted into indirect speech.
Choose the correct pronoun/article.

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

Write the following sentences in indirect speech.

  1. Julia afirmó: «Soy buena en matemáticas.»
    →Julia afirmó .[Julia claimed that she’s good at maths.]|introductory clause in the past: presente → imperfecto
  2. Nosotros confirmamos: «El cartero pasó a las 9.»
    → Nosotros confirmamos a las 9.[We confirm/confirmed that the postman comes/came at 9.]|The verb form is the same in the presente and indefinido in 1st personal plural, so we have two possibilities:|1st possibility: introductory clause in the present: tense stays unchanged|2nd possibility: introductory clause in indefinido: indefinido → pluscuamperfecto
  3. La profesora contó: «Antes tenía un perro.»
    → La profesora contó .[The teacher said that she used to have a dog.]|introductory clause in the past: Imperfecto → imperfecto or pluscuamperfecto
  4. El alcalde explica: «La ciudad está en shock.»
    →El alcalde explica .[The mayor explains that the city is in shock.]|introductory clause in the present: tense stays unchanged
  5. Los niños se han quejado: «No nos gusta la comida.»
    → Los niños se han quejado de .[The children complained that they didn’t like the food.]|introductory clause in the pretérito perfecto: tense stays unchanged

Write the questions in indirect speech.

  1. La mamá pregunta a su hijo: «¿Te has lavado las manos?»
    → La mamá pregunta a su hijo .[The mother asked her child if it had washed its hands.]|introductory clause in the present → tense unchanged. In indirect speech, yes-no questions begin with si.
  2. El profesor preguntó: «¿Cuándo murió Carlos V?»
    → El profesor preguntó .[The teacher asked when Carlos V. died.]|introductory clause in the past: indefinido → pluscuamperfecto
  3. Verónica preguntó a sus amigos: «¿Por qué lloráis?»
    → Verónica preguntó a sus amigos .[Veronica asked her friends why they were crying.]|introductory clause in the past: presente → imperfecto
  4. Mi hermana me pregunta todos los días: «¿Quieres jugar a las cartas?»
    → Mi hermana me pregunta todos los días .[My sister asks me every day if I want to play cards.]|introductory clause in the present: tense unchanged|In indirect speech, yes-no questions begin with si.
  5. El revisor preguntó al viajero: «¿En qué estación se baja usted?»
    → El revisor preguntó al viajero .[The ticket collector asked the passenger which station he was going to get out at.]|introductory clause in the past: presente → imperfecto