CBSE Class 9 English — Kaveri Chapter 5 Reported Speech Worksheet with Answers

Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) is the method of conveying what someone said without quoting their exact words. In CBSE Class 9 English Kaveri Chapter 5, students learn four principal transformations: reporting statements, questions, commands, and exclamations. The key changes involve shifting pronouns to match the reporter's perspective, adjusting tense backwards (present becomes past, past becomes past perfect), modifying time and place adverbs (today becomes that day, here becomes there), and altering sentence structure. For questions, the word order changes from interrogative to assertive, and the reporting verb shifts from 'said' to verbs like 'asked,' 'enquired,' or 'wanted to know.' Commands use 'told,' 'ordered,' 'advised,' or 'requested' with an infinitive structure. Exclamations transform into statements beginning with 'exclaimed with joy/sorrow' or similar expressions, removing the exclamation mark and interjections.

This worksheet is designed for a 60-minute timed practice session, reflecting the grammar section duration in CBSE Class 9 English term exams. Students should allocate approximately 8-10 minutes for Section A (MCQs), 6-8 minutes for Section B (fill-in-the-blanks), 5 minutes for Section C (true/false), 15 minutes for Section D (short answers), 18 minutes for Section E (long answers and HOTS), and 8 minutes for the case study. Keep a pencil, eraser, and the printed worksheet ready. Do not refer to notes or textbooks during the timed attempt. After completing all sections, spend 10-15 minutes reviewing your answers against the provided answer key. Mark incorrect responses and write down the grammar rule you missed in a separate notebook. This self-assessment practice is crucial for identifying patterns in your errors, whether they are tense backshift mistakes, pronoun confusion, or reporting verb selection issues. Parents can use this worksheet for weekend practice or revision before school unit tests.

Multiple-choice questions test your ability to identify correct reported speech transformations quickly and accurately. Each question presents a direct speech sentence followed by four possible indirect speech versions. Read the direct speech carefully, noting the sentence type (statement, question, command, or exclamation), the tense used, and any time or place adverbs. Then apply the transformation rules systematically: change pronouns according to the subject and object, backshift the tense, convert time/place adverbs, and select the appropriate reporting verb. Eliminate obviously incorrect options first—often two choices will have clear errors in tense or pronoun usage. Between the remaining two, check for subtle differences in reporting verb choice or word order. Remember that 'said to' must change to 'told' when followed by an object, and questions require 'asked' or 'enquired,' never 'said.' These MCQs mirror the format used in CBSE Class 9 English term exams and often appear in the first 5-6 questions of the grammar section, so mastering them builds early confidence during the actual exam.

Fill-in-the-blank exercises require you to supply the missing word or phrase in a reported speech conversion, testing precise knowledge of transformation rules. Unlike MCQs where you can eliminate options, here you must actively recall the correct reporting verb, pronoun, tense form, or time adverb. Read the entire sentence first to understand context—note whether you need to fill in a reporting verb, a pronoun change, a tense-shifted verb form, or a transformed time expression. Pay special attention to subject-verb agreement in the reported clause; the verb must agree with the new pronoun. Common errors include forgetting to backshift modals (can → could, may → might, will → would) and overlooking the removal of quotation marks and commas. When the blank appears at the beginning, it is usually the reporting verb; check if the original sentence is a statement, question, command, or exclamation to choose correctly. These questions frequently appear in CBSE Class 9 English Kaveri term exams worth 5-6 marks in the grammar section, making accuracy here essential for scoring well.

True or False questions assess your conceptual understanding of reported speech rules by presenting statements about transformation principles or examples of conversions. Read each statement carefully and evaluate it against the grammar rules you have learned in Chapter 5 of the Kaveri textbook. Some statements may contain subtle errors—for example, a correct tense backshift but an incorrect time adverb, or a proper reporting verb but wrong pronoun change. Look for absolute words like 'always,' 'never,' or 'must,' which often signal false statements because grammar rules can have exceptions (for instance, universal truths do not always backshift tense). When evaluating example conversions marked as correct or incorrect, mentally apply each transformation rule step-by-step: pronouns, tense, time/place words, sentence structure, and reporting verb. If even one element is wrong, the entire statement is false. This section trains you to think critically about reported speech mechanics, a skill valuable for error-detection questions that sometimes appear in CBSE board exams. Quick decision-making here also helps during exam time management, as these questions should take no more than one minute each.

Short-answer questions require you to convert given direct speech sentences into reported speech, writing complete sentences with proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Each question is worth 2 marks: typically 1 mark for correct structural transformation (pronouns, tense, word order) and 1 mark for appropriate reporting verb selection and time/place adverb changes. Write your answers in full sentences, beginning with the subject and reporting verb, followed by 'that' for statements (though 'that' is sometimes optional in informal speech, include it for exam clarity). For questions, choose between 'asked,' 'enquired,' or 'wanted to know,' and remember to use 'if' or 'whether' for yes/no questions, or the original question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) for wh-questions. For commands, pick the reporting verb that matches the tone: 'ordered' for strict commands, 'requested' for polite requests, 'advised' for suggestions, and 'forbade' for negative commands. Double-check your tense backshift, especially in complex sentences with multiple clauses. In the 2024 CBSE Class 9 English Delhi region exam, short-answer reported speech questions carried 10 marks, making this section high-value for scoring.

Long-answer and Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions test your ability to handle complex sentences, mixed sentence types, and paragraph-level conversions from direct to indirect speech. These questions may present dialogue between two speakers, requiring you to convert multiple exchanges while maintaining logical flow and pronoun consistency. Pay close attention to who is speaking to whom, as this determines pronoun and object changes. Some HOTS questions ask you to convert a short paragraph containing a mix of statements, questions, and commands, challenging you to apply all transformation rules within a cohesive narrative. Another variant asks you to explain the difference between two reporting verbs or justify why a particular tense does not backshift (as with universal truths or habitual actions in the past). Allocate about 6 minutes per question in this section, spending 3-4 minutes on the conversion itself and 2 minutes reviewing for errors. Structure your answer clearly, using line breaks or numbering if converting multiple sentences. The CBSE 2025 marking scheme awards 1 mark for overall coherence and 2 marks for grammatical accuracy in these questions, so ensure your reported speech reads naturally and maintains the original meaning.

The case-study format, introduced in CBSE competency-based assessments from 2023 onward, presents a real-world scenario or extended passage requiring application of reported speech rules in context. You will read a short paragraph (80-100 words) containing direct speech dialogues, followed by sub-questions that ask you to convert specific sentences, identify errors in given conversions, or explain the reasoning behind particular transformations. This format tests not only mechanical conversion skills but also reading comprehension and analytical thinking. Read the passage twice: first for overall understanding of the situation and speakers involved, then a second time to locate the sentences referenced in the questions. When converting, maintain the narrative flow—if the passage is in past tense, your reported speech should align temporally. Sub-questions may include: (a) a 1-mark MCQ asking you to identify the correct conversion, (b) a 2-mark question requiring you to convert two sentences, and (c) a 1-mark question asking you to explain a rule. Case studies in the 2024 CBSE Class 9 English exam were worth 4-5 marks and often appeared in the grammar section, so practicing this format is essential for scoring above 30/40 in grammar.

This comprehensive answer key provides correct answers for all worksheet sections along with brief explanations of the transformation rules applied. Use this key only after attempting the entire worksheet under timed conditions. When checking your answers, do not simply mark them right or wrong; read the explanation to understand why the correct answer follows specific grammar rules. If you made a mistake, identify whether it was a pronoun error, tense backshift mistake, reporting verb confusion, or time adverb oversight. Keep a separate error log noting the question number, your incorrect answer, the correct answer, and the rule you missed. After completing the worksheet, count your total correct answers and calculate your percentage. A score of 80% or above indicates strong readiness for CBSE Class 9 English term exams; 60-79% suggests you need focused revision on weak areas; below 60% means you should revisit Chapter 5 in the Kaveri textbook and practice additional exercises before attempting another worksheet. Many students find that reattempting the same worksheet after a week, without referring to previous answers, helps consolidate learning and improves speed. Parents can use the answer key to guide their children through difficult transformations, turning mistakes into teaching moments.

1. C) Amit said that he would visit Delhi the next day. [Explanation: 'Will' backshifts to 'would'; 'tomorrow' changes to 'the next day'; 'said to' without object remains 'said'.] 2. A) She asked me if I was coming to the party. [Explanation: Yes/no question uses 'if'; 'said to' changes to 'asked' for questions; 'are' backshifts to 'was'; 'you' changes to 'I' from asker's perspective.] 3. B) The coach told the boys to run faster. [Explanation: Imperative uses 'told' + object + infinitive; 'said to' is incorrect for commands.] 4. A) Mother exclaimed with joy that that was a very beautiful flower. [Explanation: Exclamation uses 'exclaimed with joy'; 'what a' structure converts to 'very'; 'this is' becomes 'that was'.] 5. A) He asked her where she lived. [Explanation: Wh-question uses original question word; 'said to' changes to 'asked'; word order becomes statement form; 'do you live' backshifts to 'she lived'.] 6. B) Rahul said that he had been working since morning. [Explanation: Present Perfect Continuous backshifts to Past Perfect Continuous; 'I' changes to 'he'; time expression 'since morning' remains unchanged as it is already in past reference.]

Section B: 7. she was [Present Continuous backshifts to Past Continuous; 'I' becomes 'she'; 'these days' becomes 'those days'.] 8. ordered/told [Commands use 'ordered' or 'told' + object + infinitive.] 9. the previous day [Yesterday changes to 'the previous day' or 'the day before'.] 10. if/whether [Yes/no question uses 'if' or 'whether'; 'can' backshifts to 'could'; 'you' becomes 'he'.] 11. was [Present Continuous 'is recovering' backshifts to Past Continuous 'was recovering'; 'now' becomes 'then'.] Section C: 12. False [Word order in reported questions changes to statement form, not the same as the original.] 13. True ['Said to' must change to 'told' when an object follows.] 14. False ['Tomorrow' must change to 'the next day' or 'the following day'; the given answer retains 'tomorrow'.] 15. False [Exclamations can use 'exclaimed with joy/sorrow/surprise' or simply 'said,' depending on tone.] 16. True ['Ago' becomes 'before' in reported speech.] Section D: 17. The guide requested the tourists not to touch the exhibits. [Polite command uses 'requested'; infinitive structure with 'not to'.] 18. My friend said that he/she had never been to Goa. [Present Perfect 'have been' backshifts to Past Perfect 'had been'.] 19. The teacher asked Rohan why he was late again. [Question uses 'asked'; 'are' backshifts to 'was'; 'you' becomes 'he'.] 20. She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her purse. ['Alas' indicates sorrow; Present Perfect 'have lost' backshifts to Past Perfect 'had lost'.] 21. He said that his father would retire the following year. ['Will' backshifts to 'would'; 'next year' becomes 'the following year'; 'my' changes to 'his'.] Section E: 22. Rahul asked Meera where she was going. Meera replied that she was going to the library to return some books. Rahul asked if he could come with her. Meera replied affirmatively. [Multiple exchanges require consistent pronoun shifts; 'asked' for questions, 'replied' for answers; 'you' becomes 'she/her' from Rahul's perspective.] 23. The teacher said that the sun rises in the east and that it is a universal truth. He/She added that students must remember that fact. [Universal truths do not backshift tense; 'rises' and 'is' remain in present tense; 'must' can optionally remain 'must' or change to 'had to' depending on interpretation.] 24. The captain told his team that they had to win that match. He asked if they had all practiced well. He urged them to give their best performance that day. ['Must' becomes 'had to'; question uses 'asked if'; command uses 'urged' + infinitive; 'today' becomes 'that day'.] Section F: (a) ii) The school won the state-level science competition. (b) Principal Sharma told the students that their school had won the state-level science competition and that it was a proud moment for all of them. He congratulated the winning team. [Reporting verb 'said' with audience becomes 'told'; tense backshifts; 'our' becomes 'their'; 'us' becomes 'them'.] (c) The reporting verb changes from 'said to' to 'asked' because the sentence is a question, not a statement. Questions require verbs like 'asked,' 'enquired,' or 'wanted to know.'

Many CBSE Class 9 students struggle with reported speech because it requires simultaneous application of multiple grammar rules—pronoun shifts, tense backshifts, adverb changes, and reporting verb selection—all while maintaining sentence meaning and coherence. Classroom teaching often covers the rules quickly, leaving students confused about which rule applies when. CBSETUTOR.ai offers a 24/7 AI tutor designed specifically for CBSE students in classes 6-12, providing instant help on every reported speech question. Students can upload a photo of any worksheet question or textbook exercise, and the AI tutor explains the step-by-step conversion process, highlighting exactly which pronouns change, why the tense backshifts, and how to choose the correct reporting verb. Unlike generic grammar apps, CBSETUTOR.ai is trained on the NCERT and Kaveri English curricula, so explanations align perfectly with what students learn in school and what appears in CBSE board exams. The platform costs just ₹999 per month, covering all subjects and classes with one flat fee—no per-subject charges or hidden costs. Parents appreciate the three-day free trial, which lets students test the AI tutor on their actual Class 9 English grammar doubts before committing. Whether practicing at 6 a.m. before school or 11 p.m. after tuition, students get immediate, curriculum-aligned support that builds both understanding and exam confidence.