Reported speech exercise

Change the following sentences into reported speech.

1. ‘Who is the best player here?’ she asked.

2. ‘Are you coming home with me?’ he asked.

3. She said to me, ‘What do you want?’

4. He said to me, ‘What is the matter?’

5. She said, ‘Which is my seat?’

6. I said, ‘Don’t you know the way home?’

7. Aladdin said to the magician, ‘What have I done to deserve so severe a blow?’

8. ‘Have you anything to tell me, little bird?’ asked Ulysses.

9. He asked me, ‘What is your name?’

10. ‘What can I do for you?’ the kind man asked the boy.

Answers

1. She asked me who was the best player. OR She asked me who the best player was.

2. He asked me if I was going home with him.

3. She asked me what I wanted.

4. He asked me what was the matter. OR He asked me what the matter was.

5. She enquired which was her seat. OR She enquired which her seat was.

6. I asked whether he/she/they did not know the way home.

7. Aladdin asked the magician what he had done to deserve so severe a blow.

8. Ulysses asked the little bird whether it had anything to tell him.

9. He asked me what my name was.

10. The kind man asked the boy what he could do for him.

Notes

When we report questions constructed with who / what / which + be + complement, be can be put before or after the complement.

Direct: She asked, ‘Who is the cleverest boy in the class?’
Indirect speech: She asked who the cleverest boy in the class was.
Indirect speech: She asked who was the cleverest boy in the class.