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100 examples of direct and indirect speech.

100 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech in English, 100 Examples of reported speech in english;

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Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet, Exercises, Examples, Rules

Understanding the Direct and Indirect Speech examples and rules is crucial for English grammar. Practice all the Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises, worksheet and the rules with examples here.

Table of Contents

Direct and Indirect Speech examples: The concept of indirect and direct speech is one of the fundamental concepts in English Grammar. As language is used to convey our thoughts and feelings to others, the concept of speech becomes even more important from the language perspective. When you use direct speaking, you repeat exactly what someone has stated. To indicate where the speaker’s words begin and end, you use quotation marks. When you report what someone has said without using their exact words, you are utilizing indirect speaking. You do not use quotation marks, and you modify the speaker’s words to fit the grammar and punctuation of the sentence in which they are reported. Here we discussed some direct and indirect speech examples which are very useful for board exams and other one-day exams.

Direct and Indirect Speech Examples

Here are some direct and indirect speech examples are given below:

Direct Speech Examples:

• “I am going to the store,” said Sarah.
• “It’s a beautiful day,” exclaimed John.
• “Please turn off the lights,” Mom told me.
• “I will meet you at the library,” said Tom.
• “We are going to the beach tomorrow,” announced Mary.

Indirect Speech Examples:

• Sarah said that she was going to the store.
• John exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
• Mom told me to please turn off the lights.
• Tom said that he would meet me at the library.
• Mary announced that they were going to the beach the next day.

Remember, when converting from direct to indirect speech:

• Change the pronouns to match the subject of the reporting clause.
• Adjust the tense of the reported verb (usually one step back in time).
• Modify time expressions (today -> that day, tomorrow -> the next day, etc.).
• Use reporting verbs such as “said,” “told,” “asked,” “exclaimed,” etc.
• If the sentence is a question, change it to a statement and use the appropriate reporting verb.

Indirect speech is used when reporting what someone else said without quoting their exact words. It is essential to pay attention to the changes in pronouns, tenses, and reporting verbs to convey the speaker’s original message accurately.

Direct and Indirect Speech Meaning

Since all sentences are constructed, spoken, and written using either direct or indirect speech, as was previously mentioned, this is significant. When we need to repeat a remark or action of someone via written or verbal communication, we employ both direct and indirect speech. It is employed to provide a direct-indirect description of what someone stated. Before proceeding to the Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises and Examples

Direct Speech

Direct speech repeats or quotes what has been expressed or spoken. We may need to quote something spoken by a third person while speaking to another. Direct speech is used when a third party is directly cited. Inverted commas (” “) are used to write sentences in direct speech. The cited statement or sentence is written between the commas.

Indirect Speech

Indirect speech or reported speech is typically used to discuss the past, therefore we modify the tense of the words uttered into. We employ reporting verbs such as ‘tell,”say,’ and ‘ask,’ and the word ‘that’ can be used to introduce the reported in place of (” “) Direct and indirect speech introduces the concepts of’reported speech’ and’reported verb’.

Direct Speech Examples

Direct and Indirect Speech are the two types of speech that are used to explain with examples what other people say (or reported Speech).

Direct Speech: Direct speech is exactly what it sounds like: text that records a person’s exact words as they were spoken at the moment. In order for the reader to realise that the quoted text is the speaker’s own story, it is frequently surrounded by quotation marks.

some examples of direct speech:

• Statement: She said, “I will be there by 5 PM.”
• Question: He asked, “Have you finished the report?”
• Command: The coach shouted, “Run faster!”
• Exclamation: Mary exclaimed, “What a beautiful sunset!”
• Request: Tom said, “Please pass me the salt.”
• Response: John said, “Yes, I can help you with that.”
• Assertion: Sarah declared, “I’m confident that I can do this.”
• Expression of Emotion: Jane cried, “I’m so happy for you!”
• Confirmation: The teacher asked, “Is everyone ready for the test?”
• Offer: Mike said, “Would you like some more coffee?”

Indirect Speech Examples

Indirect Speech: The terms reported speech, indirect narration, and indirect speech are all used to describe indirect communication. Indirect speech is the term used in grammar to describe when you describe someone else’s statement in your own words without changing the statement’s meaning.

some examples of direct speech transformed into indirect speech:

• Indirect Speech: She said that she was going to the store.
• Indirect Speech: He said that he would call me later.
• Indirect Speech: They said that they had finished their project.
• Indirect Speech: She said that it was raining outside.
• Indirect Speech: He exclaimed that he loved that song.
• Indirect Speech: She asked if I could help her with her homework.
• Indirect Speech: They told us that they were going to the party.
• Indirect Speech: He said that he wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting.
• Indirect Speech: She requested me to pass her the salt.
• Indirect Speech: He admitted that he hadn’t seen the movie.
• Indirect Speech: They informed us that the concert started at 7 PM.
• Indirect Speech: She explained that she had been working on that project.
• Indirect Speech: He warned not to touch that.
• Indirect Speech: She promised to meet me at the cafe.
• Indirect Speech: They assured us that they could solve that problem.

Indirect speech is commonly used in writing, conversations, and storytelling to report what someone else has said in a more contextual and flowing manner.

10 Direct and Indirect Speech Examples

• Direct: She said, “I am going to the store.” Indirect: She said that she was going to the store.
• Direct: He asked, “Have you completed your homework?” Indirect: He asked if I had completed my homework.
• Direct: They exclaimed, “We won the match!” Indirect: They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
• Direct: The teacher said, “The exam will be on Friday.” Indirect: The teacher announced that the exam would be on Friday.
• Direct: She whispered, “I have a secret.” Indirect: She whispered that she had a secret.
• Direct: He complained, “I haven’t had any coffee today.” Indirect: He complained that he hadn’t had any coffee that day.
• Direct: The child asked, “Can I have some ice cream?” Indirect: The child asked if he could have some ice cream.
• Direct: She said, “I don’t like spinach.” Indirect: She said that she didn’t like spinach.
• Direct: He warned, “Be careful with that glass!” Indirect: He warned me to be careful with that glass.
• Direct: The manager announced, “The meeting is postponed.” Indirect: The manager announced that the meeting was postponed.

Change into Indirect Speech Answer

we can easily change into indirect speech answer examples are given below.

Direct speech – Reporting the message of the Speaker in the exact words as spoken by him.

Direct speech example : Suman said ‘I am busy now’.

Indirect speech : Reporting the message of the Speaker in our own words

Indirect speech example: Suman said that she was busy then.

Direct and Indirect Speech Examples Rules

Below we have mentioned some rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech. These rules will help students in mastering this topic.

Rule 1: All present tenses in indirect speech are converted to the matching past tense when the reporting verb in direct speech is in the past tense

For example, Direct: She said , ‘I am sad’.

Indirect: She said that she was happy

Rule 2: The tenses of the direct speech are not changed if the words used are within double quotes (“”) or the reporting verb is in the present or future tense

Direct: He said, ” Humans are social animals”

Indirect: He said that Humans are social animals.

Direct: He says/will say, ‘I am running’

Indirect: He says/will say he is running

Rule 3: Past Tense and Future Tense Conversion

The past tense and future tense will change in the following tense in indirect speech.

• Simple past changes to Past Perfect
• Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous
• Simple Future Changes to Present Conditional
• Future Continuous to Conditional Continuous

Rule 4: Interrogative sentences starting with Wh questions do not require a joining clause (conjunction) while converting into indirect speech. They act as a joining clause. Said/Said to changes into demanded, inquired, or asked

Direct: The boy asked, “Where do you live?”

Indirect: The boy inquired where I lived

Rule 5: Interrogative sentences starting with a helping verb or auxiliary verb, while converting them into indirect speech, joining clause “if” or “whether” is used.

Direct: She said, ‘Will you go home?’

Indirect: She asked whether we would go home.

Learn: Rules of Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech Examples: Important for Board Exams

Understanding Direct and Indirect Speech with Examples is the most significant component of English Grammar since direct and indirect speech construct questions in many competitive tests as well as in the board exams.

Direct and Indirect Speech Conversion – Present Tense Examples

Simple Present to Simple Past

Direct: “I am happy”, he said. Indirect: He said that he was happy.

Present Continuous to Past Continuous

Direct: “I am playing football”, she said. Indirect: She said that she was playing football.

Present Perfect to Past Perfect

Direct: He said, “she has completed her work”. Indirect: He said that she had completed her work.

Present Perfect Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: “I have been to San Francisco”, She told me. Indirect: She told me that she had been to San Francisco.

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Direct and Indirect speech conversion – Past Tense Examples

Simple Past to Past Perfect

Direct: “I did the work”, he said. Indirect: He said that he had done the work.

Past Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: “I was reading a novel”, she said. Indirect: She said that she had been reading a novel.

Direct and Indirect Speech Conversion – Interrogative Sentences Examples

Direct: “Where do you stay?” asked the boy. Indirect: The boy enquired where I stayed.

Note: While changing the interrogative sentence into indirect speech remove the question mark ‘?’.

Direct: She said, “Will you come to the party?” Indirect: She asked whether I would come to the party.

Note: While changing the interrogative sentence reporting verbs (verbs used in the first part) such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired, asked, or demanded.

Direct and Indirect Speech Conversion- Modals Examples

• Can becomes Could
• May changes to Might
• Must change to had to /Would have to
• Will changes would
• Direct: She said, “Her sister can dance.”
• Indirect: She said that her sister could dance.
• Direct: They said, “We may go to the party.”
• Indirect: They said that they might buy a dress.
• Direct: Rahul  said, “I must complete the work on time.”
• Indirect: Rahul said that he had to complete the work on time.

Note: Could, Would, Should, Might, and Ought to modal verbs do not change.

Direct and Indirect Speech Conversion- Pronoun Examples

The first person in the direct speech changes as per the subject of the sentence.

Direct: My brother said, “I am in class Twelfth.” Indirect: My brother said that he was in class Twelfth.

The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech.

Direct: She says to her students, “You have done your work.” Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.

The third person of direct speech doesn’t change.

Direct: My friend says, “She dances well.” Indirect: My friend says that she dances well.

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises

Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises 1: Convert the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.

• Direct: She said, “I am going to the park.” Indirect: She said that she was going to the park.
• Direct: “I love ice cream,” he exclaimed. Indirect: He exclaimed that he loved ice cream.
• Direct: “We will visit the museum tomorrow,” they told us. Indirect: They told us that they would visit the museum the next day.
• Direct: “I have completed my homework,” said Jane. Indirect: Jane said that she had completed her homework.
• Direct: “It’s raining outside,” he said. Indirect: He said that it was raining outside.

Direct and Indirect speech Exercises 2: Rewrite the following paragraph in indirect speech.

Direct: “I can’t come to the party,” Lisa said. “I have a doctor’s appointment. Peter won’t be able to make it either. He’s stuck in traffic. But we hope you all have a fantastic time.”

Indirect: Lisa said that she couldn’t come to the party as she had a doctor’s appointment. She also mentioned that Peter wouldn’t be able to make it as he was stuck in traffic. However, they hoped that everyone would have a fantastic time.

Direct and Indirect speech Exercises 3: Convert the following questions from direct speech to indirect speech.

• Direct: She asked, “Are you coming to the meeting?” Indirect: She asked if I was coming to the meeting.
• Direct: “Will they finish the project on time?” he wondered. Indirect: He wondered if they would finish the project on time.
• Direct: “Can you pass me the salt?” she asked her friend. Indirect: She asked her friend if she could pass her the salt.
• Direct: “Have you seen my keys?” he inquired. Indirect: He inquired if I had seen his keys.
• Direct: “Did they enjoy the movie?” he asked. Indirect: He asked if they had enjoyed the movie.

Remember to change the pronouns, tenses, time expressions, and other relevant changes when converting from direct to indirect speech. Practicing these exercises will help you become more proficient in reporting speech accurately.

50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises

50 examples of direct and indirect speech exercises are given below. Read 50 examples of direct and indirect speech exercises to improve your practice

• Direct : The weather is nice today, said George. Indirect : George said that the weather was nice that day.
• Direct : He asked her, “How often do you play?” Indirect : He asked her how often she played.
• Direct : She said, “I work in a bank.” Indirect : She said that she worked in a bank.
• Direct: My mother said , “ I’m angry with you.” Indirect : My mother said she was angry with me.
• Direct : She said’ “I can help you tomorrow.” Indirect : She said that she could help me tomorrow.
• Direct : My son says, “I will not eat food.” Indirect : My son says that he will not eat food.
• Direct : “Dance with me!” Maria said to me Indirect : Maria told me to dance with her.
• Direct : Must I do the city? Indirect : My sister asked if she had to do the city.
• Direct : Please wash your hands! Indirect : My father told me to wash my hands.
• Direct : She said, “I went to the shopping center.” Indirect : She said that she had gone to the shopping center.
• Direct : I write poems. Indirect : He says that he writes poems.
• Direct : She said: “I would buy new house if I were rich”. Indirect : She said that she would buy new house if she had been rich”.
• Direct : May I go out? Indirect : She wanted to know if she might go out.
• Direct : She is American, she said. Indirect : She said she was American.
• Direct : My son, do the exercise.“ Indirect : Sh told her son to do the exercise.
• Direct : I don’t know what to do. Indirect : Samuel added that he didn’t know what to do.
• Direct : I am reading a book, he explained. Indirect : He explained that he was reading a book.
• Direct : My father said, “I am cooking dinner.” Indirect : My father said he was cooking dinner.
• Direct : My sister said, “I had already eaten.” Indirect : My sister said she had already eaten.
• Direct : My boyfriend asked, “Do you like horror films?” Indirect : Do you like horror films? my boyfriend asked.
• Direct : I never get up late, my mother said. Indirect : My mother said that she never got up late.
• Direct : She said, “I might come early.” Indirect : She said she might come early.
• Direct : I am leaving home now.” Indirect : He said that he left home then.
• Direct : Are you living here? Indirect : He asked me if I was living here.
• Direct : I’m going to come. Indirect : She said that she was going to come.
• Direct : We can communicate smoothly. Indirect : They said that they could communicate smoothly.
• Direct : My mother isn’t very well. Indirect : She said that her mother wasn’t very well.
• Direct : I need help with my work. Indirect : George said “I need help with my homework.”
• Direct : I was walking along the Street. Indirect : He said he had been walking along the Street.
• Direct : I haven’t seen George recently. Indirect : She said that she hadn’t seen George recently.
• Direct : I would help, but… Indirect : He said he would help but…
• Direct : I’m waiting for Michael, she said. Indirect : She said (that) she was waiting for Michael”.
• Direct : They said, “They have taken exercise.” Indirect : They said that they had taken exercise.
• Direct : I can speak perfect Spanish. Indirect : He said he could speak perfect Spanish.
• Direct : I haven’t seen Mary. Indirect : He said he hadn’t seen Mary.
• Direct : What is your name? she asked me. Indirect : She asked me what my name was.
• Direct : I was sleeping when Mary called. Indirect : He said that he had been sleeping when Mary called.
• Direct : Please help me! Indirect : He asked me to help his.
• Direct : “I’ve found a new job,” my mother said. Indirect : My mother said that she had found a new job.
• Direct : Go to bed! mother said to the children. Indirect : The mother told the children to go to bed.
• Direct : Mark arrived on Sunday, he said. Indirect : He said that Mark had arrived on Sunday.
• Direct : I have been to France, she told me. Indirect : She told me that she had been to France.
• Direct : Michael said, “I have finished my lunch.” Indirect : She said that she had finished his lunch.
• Direct : My brother said, “I met Alex yesterday.’ Indirect : My brother said that he had met Alex yesterday.
• Direct : The dentist said, “Your father doesn’t need an operation.” Indirect : The dentist said that my father doesn’t need an operation.
• Direct : He said, “Man is mortal.” Indirect : He said that man is mortal.
• Direct : Sansa said, “I am very busy now”. Indirect : Sansa said that she was very busy then.
• Direct : He said, “I am a football player.” Indirect : He said that he was a football player.
• Direct : Michael said, “I will buy a new car.” Indirect : Michael said that she will buy a new car.
• Direct : Mark said, “Bill needs a pencil.” Indirect : Mark said that Bill needed a pencil.

Reported Speech Examples with Answers

Example 1: Direct Speech: “I am going to the party tonight,” she said. Reported Speech: She said that she was going to the party tonight.

Example 2: Direct Speech: “We have been working on this project for months,” they exclaimed. Reported Speech: They exclaimed that they had been working on that project for months.

Example 3: Direct Speech: “He will come back tomorrow,” he assured us. Reported Speech: He assured us that he would come back the next day.

Example 4: Direct Speech: “I won’t be able to attend the meeting,” she told him. Reported Speech: She told him that she wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting.

Example 5: Direct Speech: “They had already left,” he informed me. Reported Speech: He informed me that they had already left.

Example 6: Direct Speech: “I didn’t see her at the event,” John said. Reported Speech: John said that he hadn’t seen her at the event.

Example 7: Direct Speech: “We’re planning a surprise for you,” they whispered. Reported Speech: They whispered that they were planning a surprise for me.

Example 8: Direct Speech: “It’s raining outside,” she observed. Reported Speech: She observed that it was raining outside.

Example 9: Direct Speech: “I have finished my homework,” he mentioned. Reported Speech: He mentioned that he had finished his homework.

Example 10: Direct Speech: “I am reading a great book,” she told me. Reported Speech: She told me that she was reading a great book.

Remember that in reported speech, the tense may shift back (usually one tense back) from the original direct speech, and some pronoun changes might occur depending on the context. Also, changes in time expressions, adverbs, and demonstratives might be necessary.

Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet

Direct and indirect speech worksheet is a great way to practice and understand how reported speech works in English. Below, you’ll find a direct and indirect speech worksheet with exercises designed to test knowledge of converting sentences from direct to indirect speech and vice versa.

Instructions: Convert the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech, and vice versa. Make sure to change the tense, pronouns, and time expressions where necessary.

Part A: Convert from Direct to Indirect Speech

• She said, “I am reading a book.”
• He said, “I will go to the park tomorrow.”
• The teacher said, “The Earth revolves around the Sun.”
• “I have finished my homework,” said John.
• The doctor said, “You need to take this medicine twice a day.”

Part B: Convert from Indirect to Direct Speech

• She said that she had been waiting for the bus since morning.
• He told me that he was going to visit his grandparents the next day.
• They said that they had seen the movie the previous week.
• She mentioned that she could play the piano.
• The boy exclaimed that he had won the race.
• She said that she was reading a book.
• He said that he would go to the park the next day.
• The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
• John said that he had finished his homework.
• The doctor said that I needed to take that medicine twice a day.
• “I have been waiting for the bus since morning,” she said.
• “I am going to visit my grandparents tomorrow,” he told me.
• “We saw the movie last week,” they said.
• “I can play the piano,” she mentioned.
• “I have won the race!” the boy exclaimed.

This worksheet covers basic transformations between direct and indirect speech, focusing on the changes in verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions. Adjustments in complexity can be made to cater to different learning levels.

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Q. How do you know if a speech is direct or indirect?

Ans. Direct speech is exactly what it sounds like: text that records a person's exact words as they were spoken at the moment. Indirect speech is used to describe someone else's statement in your own words without changing the statement's meaning.

Q. Why do we use indirect speech?

Ans. Indirect speech is used to report what someone may have said, so it is always used in the past tense.

Q. What are the two parts of direct speech?

Ans. The two parts of direct speech are reporting verb and reported speech.

Q. Why do we learn direct and indirect speech?

Ans. Direct speech reveals the tone and moods of the characters. Indirect speech, if not used properly, creates a distance between the utterance and the reader's perception of it.

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English Grammar Here

50 examples of direct and indirect speech.

English Direct and Indirect Speech Example Sentences, 50 examples of direct and indirect speech

Transferring the sentence that someone else says is called  indirect speech . It is also called  reported speech . Usually, it is used in spoken language . If the transmitted action is done in the past, the sentence becomes the past tense.

Here are 50 examples of direct and indirect speech

1. Direct : Today is nice, said George. Indirect : George said that day was nice.

2. Direct : He asked her, “How often do you work?” Indirect : He asked her how often she worked.

3. Direct : He works in a bank. Indirect : She said that he worked in a bank.

6. Direct : I often have a big meat. Indirect : My son says that he often has a big hamburger.

7. Direct : Dance with me! Indirect : Maria told me to dance with her.

8. Direct : Must I do the city? Indirect : My sister asked if she had to do the city.

9. Direct : Please wash your hands! Indirect : My father told me to wash my hands.

10. Direct : She said, “I went to the shopping center.” Indirect : She said that she had gone to the shopping center.

11. Direct : I write poems. Indirect : He says that he writes poems.

12. Direct : She said: “I would buy new house if I were rich”. Indirect : She said that she would buy new house if she had been rich”.

13. Direct : May I go out? Indirect : She wanted to know if she might go out.

14. Direct : She is American, she said. Indirect : She said she was American.

15. Direct : My son, do the exercise.“ Indirect : Sh told her son to do the exercise.

16. Direct : I don’t know what to do. Indirect : Samuel added that he didn’t know what to do.

17. Direct : I am reading a book, he explained. Indirect : He explained that he was reading a book.

18. Direct : My father said, “I am cooking dinner.” Indirect : My father said he was cooking dinner.

21. Direct : I never get up late, my mother said. Indirect : My mother said that she never got up late.

22. Direct : She said, “I might come early.” Indirect : She said she might come early.

23. Direct : I am leaving home now.” Indirect : He said that he left home then.

24. Direct : Are you living here? Indirect : He asked me if I was living here.

25. Direct : I’m going to come. Indirect : She said that she was going to come.

26. Direct : We can communicate smoothly. Indirect : They said that they could communicate smothly.

27. Direct : My mother isn’t very well. Indirect : She said that her mother wasn’t very well.

28. Direct : I need help with my work. Indirect : George said “I need help with my homework.”

29. Direct : I was walking along the Street. Indirect : He said he had been walking along the Street.

30. Direct : I haven’t seen George recently. Indirect : She said that she hadn’t seen George recently.

31. Direct : I would help, but… Indirect : He said he would help but…

32. Direct : I’m waiting for Michael, she said. Indirect : She said (that) she was waiting for Michael”.

33. Direct : They said, “They have taken exercise.” Indirect : They said that they had taken exercise.

34. Direct : I can speak perfect Spanish. Indirect : He said he could speak perfect Spanish.

35. Direct : I haven’t seen Mary. Indirect : He said he hadn’t seen Mary.

36. Direct : What is your name? she asked me. Indirect : She asked me what my name was.

37. Direct : I was sleeping when Mary called. Indirect : He said that he had been sleeping when Mary called.

38. Direct : Please help me! Indirect : He asked me to help his.

39. Direct : “I’ve found a new job,” my mother said. Indirect : My mother said that she had found a new job.

40. Direct : Go to bed! mother said to the children. Indirect : Mother told the children to go to bed.

41. Direct : Mark arrived on Sunday, he said. Indirect : He said that Mark had arrived on Sunday.

44. Direct : My brother said, “I met Alex yesterday.’ Indirect : My brother said that he had met Alex yesterday.

45. Direct : The dentist said, “Your father doesn’t need an operation.” Indirect : Dentist said that my father doesn’t need an operation.

46. Direct : He said, “Man is mortal.” Indirect : He said that man is mortal.

47. Direct : Sansa said “I am very busy now”. Indirect : Sansa said that she was very busy then.

48. Direct : He said, “I am a football player.” Indirect : He said that he was a football player.

49. Direct : Michael said, “I will buy a new car.” Indirect : : Michael said that she will buy a new car.

50. Direct : Mark said, “Bill needs a pencil.” Indirect : : Mark said that Bill needed a pencil.

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English Notes

English notes latest questions, he said, “will you please help me with my homework” change into indirect speech.

Indirect Speech : He asked pleadingly if I would help him  with  his  homework.

He requested me to help him with his homework.

Explanation: If the reporting verb is in the past tense, then the modals like will/shall change to would.

And if the sentence is interrogative, we use the reporting verbs like asked, enquired, etc.

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Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )

The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )

He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

Reporting wh -questions

Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who , whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )

He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )

She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When , where , why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :

I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Questions: wh- questions

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )

We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )

He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )

The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors.

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .

Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?

Word of the Day

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peanut butter (= a soft food made from crushed peanuts) and jam (= a soft sweet food made from fruit and sugar), or a sandwich with these inside. PB&J is short for peanut butter and jelly.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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I had trouble <in> doing my homework vs. I needed help <with> doing my homework

• Thread starter saadkhan01
• Start date Jul 3, 2020

• Jul 3, 2020

Hey guyz! There is a ommission of preposition, But i don't know whether they are adjectival phrase called prepositional phrase or adverbial phrase that modify verb I had trouble doing my homework. I needed help doing my homework. Here is how i would analyze it below I had trouble in doing my homework. I needed help with doing my homework. are in doing and with doing simple preposition that modify nouns help and trouble or do they modify verbs ? i would appreciate that one who helps!  

Thomas Tompion

Member emeritus.

Thomas Tompion said: I needed help doing my homework would be much more usual than While doing my homework I needed help , but they'd mean much the same. I needed help with my homework would also be fine. Click to expand...

Senior Member

saadkhan01 said: Hey guyz! There is a ommission of preposition, But i don't know whether they are adjectival phrase called prepositional phrase or adverbial phrase that modify verb I had trouble doing my homework. I needed help doing my homework. Here is how i would analyze it below I had trouble in doing my homework. I needed help with doing my homework. are in doing and with doing simple preposition that modify nouns help and trouble or do they modify verbs ? i would appreciate that one who helps! Click to expand...

SevenDays said: There's always two things: form (what something is) and function (what something does). So, what's the form of "doing my homework"? It's a non-finite clause. It's got a non-finite verb ("doing") an object ("my homework") and an implied subject (the speaker). What is the function of "doing my homework"? You need to analyze each sentence independently. In the first sentence, "had trouble" is an idiom/fixed expression. The label isn't important; what's important is that "had trouble" forms a unit, and this idiom is equivalent to the verb "struggle:" I had trouble I struggled Both can stand on their own, if it's understood contextually what the problem was. But if "doing my homework" is necessary to fully understand the intended meaning, then you might as well call "doing my homework" a complement of the idiom "had trouble" rather than "modifier." Similarly, you can call "doing my homework" complement too in your second sentence, complement of the object "help." Click to expand...

Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

• I (just / finish) my homework.
• Mary (already / write) five letters.
• Tom (move) to this town in 1994.
• My friend (be) in Canada two years ago.
• I (not / be) to Canada so far.
• But I (already / travel) to London a couple of times.
• Last week, Mary and Paul (go) to the cinema.
• I can't take any pictures because I (not / buy) a new film yet.
• (they / spend) their holiday in New Zealand last summer?
• (you / ever / see) a whale?

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By Helen Simpson

“I can’t do it,” George groaned, and brought his forehead to rest on the block of lined paper in front of him.

“Can’t do what?” I asked, looking up from peeling the carrots for the evening meal. I work from home, so I’m around when George gets in from school. He sits at the kitchen table, and I bring him some milk in his Manchester United mug and a plate with a teatime snack. This might be a slice of toast and honey with a peeled satsuma from which I have removed any stray threads of pith, or perhaps an apple, cored and cut into fine slices, with a few cubes of Cheddar.

Quite often I’m not able to stop what I’m doing, and then I have to stay put. I call out from my desk to say hello when I hear the front door. He calls hello back and makes his way to the television. I’d rather catch up on work in the evening, but I don’t always have a choice.

“Can’t do what?” I repeated. “I’m sure you can.”

“You don’t know . Everybody says it’s really hard. And now I’ve got to give it in for tomorrow.”

“Why do you do this? Why do you leave it to the last minute?”

That’s another wonderful thing about George—you can tell him off and he won’t immediately go into orbit like some I could mention. He’s not a great one for flying off the handle.

“It’s just so hard,” he moaned.

“Now, come on,” I said, drying my hands and patting his nice strong shoulder. “Sit up and tell me what it is. You never know, I might be able to help.”

“It’s Mr. Mottram,” he said, heaving himself up from his slump. “It’s English, so it should be all right, but he still wants to make it hard. We’ve got to do three sides of paper out of our own heads.”

George is already taller than me and can lift me off the ground. One or two of his friends have had their growth spurts, so that I find myself deferring to the sudden height and booming voice of a boy whom last year I knew as a clear-skinned little pipsqueak.

“What is it, this terrible task he’s set you?”

“ ‘Write About an Event That Changed Your Life,’ ” George said with mournful sarcasm. “ That’s what it is.”

“Three pages is a lot.” Then a thought occurred to me. “You’ve had all the Easter holidays to do this, haven’t you? And you just didn’t let on about it. Now it’s your first week back and the chickens have come home to roost.”

“I know,” he said, spreading his hands palms upward in front of him. “There’s no excuse.”

“What have your friends done?”

“Dylan’s written about when he went to a football match with his uncle, Crystal Palace versus Queens Park Rangers, and realized Crystal Palace was the team he wanted to follow for the rest of his life.”

“I can’t see how he filled three sides of paper with that.”

“He said it only took up one page even in big writing,” George said. “Now he’s got to, you know, pad it out. He’s going to describe all the Crystal Palace matches he’s been to since then, one at a time.”

Serves Mr. Mottram right, I thought; I don’t know what he can be expecting from a class of thirteen-year-olds. They can’t know what a life-changing event is at their age. How can they know if what happened to them last year will have changed them in twenty years’ time? They won’t know till they get there.

“I shouldn’t really help you,” I said. “I should leave you to get on with it. But if I do . . .”

“Yes?” George said, propped up on his elbows, eying me with wary optimism.

“ If I help you, you’ve got to understand it’s only this once.”

“Course,” he said with a beaming smile of relief. “You know I’m not like that, Mum.”

“Yes.” I smiled back. “I do know. I trust you.”

“ ’Cause you can,” he said, shrugging.

“All right then, let’s think.”

I sat down at the kitchen table and watched him assume a thoughtful expression. He furrowed his brow and chewed at the end of his Biro, then caught my eye and started to giggle.

“I’d rather write about anything else in the world,” he complained.

“Just think,” I said. “In fifty years’ time you might really want to write about the Event That Changed Your Life. In your old age you might find you’re desperate to set down your memories. Look at Grandma.”

My mother had recently filled half a red Silvine exercise book with startlingly deadpan revelations. Her father had, at the age of fourteen, rejected a future as a farm laborer and walked down from Wakefield to London to find work; at first he slept wrapped in old newspaper on benches along the Embankment. That was before he went to fight in France. His father had been, among other things, a prizefighter at country fairs, more or less on the wrong side of the law all his life.

“No,” George said, shaking his head firmly. “ Boring .”

“You might find it interesting when you get older,” I persisted. “I never knew that her mother, your great-grandmother, was found as a newborn baby wrapped in a flour sack on the church steps early one Sunday morning. That accounts for a lot.”

I’m glad I wasn’t born at a time when you had to stay with the father of your children even if he broke your jaw.

“Where was I born?” asked George, who knew perfectly well.

“Willesden General,” I said. “Then I kept you beside me in a basket all the time for months and months. You were a lovely mild baby, like a dewdrop.”

George smiled a gratified smile. “But I did cry sometimes,” he prompted.

“Yes, but when you cried it just made me laugh,” I said. “You didn’t wail in a high-pitched way; no, it was more like the roar of a lion, and then only when you wanted milk. When you were hungry, you just roared!”

He smirked at this and gave an illustrative growl.

Following his birth, I’d had an urge to find out more about my family tree. After a while I gave up. It had branches and twigs and leaves in every corner of the British Isles. There were shipwrights and ropemakers in Northumberland, laborers in Lincolnshire, watchmen and peddlers and blacksmiths from Ipswich and Barnstaple and Carlisle. The further back I went, the further afield they spread out. It seemed pointless. George was from all over the place.

“Life-changing events,” I said, returning to the business in hand. “Let’s think of some examples.”

“If you win the lottery,” George suggested.

“Or lose all your money,” I said. “Go bankrupt like Dad’s dad. Skip the country like my uncle Colin.”

“Yes,” George said, pen poised, looking less hopeful.

“What would change the life of a thirteen-year-old, though? That’s the question,” I reminded myself. “The death of a parent, certainly, but I don’t want you writing about that because it might bring bad luck.”

“Jacob’s mother died,” George commented. “He doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“No,” I said. “Poor Jacob. What did she die of?”

“He says cancer. But Ranjit told me it wasn’t that, it was a bottle of tablets.” George shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“No,” I said again. Jacob would get by till middle age, probably, when he would step onto this death as onto the tines of a garden fork, and the solid shaft of the handle would rear up and hit him in the face.

“So, not death,” I said. “Because that’s the obvious one. No, it’ll have to be your parents’ divorce.”

“But you’re not divorced.”

“Well, we are in this story.”

“He’ll think it’s really true,” George said, looking worried.

“So?” I said. “It’ll fill three sides of paper. Let’s have the mum leaving the dad for a change, rather than the other way around. And you have to move from your family house to a flat, and your new bedroom is tiny and you have to share it with your little brother, who drives you mad.”

“I haven’t got a little brother.”

“Mr. Mottram doesn’t know that.”

My siblings are scattered far and wide. Sharon runs a bed-and-breakfast up by Hadrian’s Wall. Valerie has an alpha-male job in the City, just like her husband, and they live in a big house in Wimbledon. Keith has had various irons in the fire over the years, but now he’s teaching English as a foreign language in China. Very modern Britain, our family.

George looked at me warily. I could see that he was torn between his natural fantasy-hating honesty and a desire to have someone else do his homework.

“Is it allowed?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “It’s English, isn’t it? Don’t they call this bit creative writing? Well, you’re just being creative.”

“Ha,” George said.

“Inventive,” I added. “It’s a good thing. Listen, you want to watch the match tonight, don’t you? Chelsea versus Liverpool, isn’t it?”

“In which case you’d better get this homework finished before dinner. Which I’m doing specially for seven o’clock, because I know you like all that warmup chat beforehand.”

“Thanks, Mum.”

I couldn’t resist giving him a hug, the roaring dewdrop baby who had grown into this broad-shouldered boy. Last week I’d been making flapjacks while he stood by to lick the spoon, and I mentioned that I’d always liked the picture of the lion on the Golden Syrup tin. “Out of the strong came forth sweetness,” he read aloud, peering at the green-and-gold picture. “That’s what’s written underneath it.” I never knew that before.

“Have you got your pen ready? I’m not going to write this for you, you know; I’m only going to give you ideas.”

“O.K.,” he agreed. He was in no position to object.

“Your parents had been having arguments for years. You remember the slammed doors and bitter words from when you were little,” I began.

George started to write.

“You tried to blot it out, but you couldn’t help feeling upset inside. It got into your dreams. You could put a bad dream in, George; that would take up a few lines.”

“What about?”

“Oh, an earthquake perhaps,” I said. “I was always dreaming about earthquakes and floods and fires when I was your age. Or you’re in a house and it falls down around you and you try to run, but the ground opens up in front of you.”

“To pad it out a bit?” George said.

“If you like. Then there’s the divorce, which is a relief after all the fighting.”

“Why did Auntie Sharon get divorced?”

“I don’t know,” I said, tutting. “They seemed quite happy to start with, but then Mike turned into a bear with a sore head when she had the twins. Some people find domestic life more of a trial than others.”

“Dad loves domestic,” George commented. “On Fridays when he gets back home, he says, ‘Ah, domestic bliss.’ ”

“Yes, well,” I said with a stunted smile.

“Auntie Sharon lives in the nicest place, and she’s got three dogs, but Auntie Valerie’s got the best job,” George said. “Her family goes on the best holidays, and they’ve got an Audi and a BMW. I want a BMW when I get a job. That’s the first thing I’ll buy.”

“Oh, really.” I sniffed. “The only time they all manage to get together as a family is when they go on some expensive safari thousands of miles away.”

“Just because they’ve got good jobs,” George said, “you shouldn’t be jealous.”

“I’m not jealous!” I declared. “How could I be jealous of anyone working those ridiculous hours? They’ve sold their souls.”

“Oh, Mum,” George said reprovingly.

“Anyway, after the divorce you have to move house and change schools.”

“Because you do. Money. Jobs. And you go and live with your father and your little brother, and you visit your mother at weekends. You might even ask if you can go and live with your grandma for a while.”

“Why?” George said again, large-eyed, even more down in the mouth.

“For a break,” I said absently.

Grow up in certain homes and it’s like being out on a cold, choppy sea in an open dinghy with two angry fishermen in charge. Or sometimes just a single fisherman, who is, what’s more, drunk. Whereas with a grandparent life for a child can be less dangerous, more like being afloat on a reservoir.

“What happens next?”

“The mum wants a new start. She wants to see the world! Everybody else has.”

“But, Mum, Mr. Mottram will think it’s really you.”

“When you think about it,” I mused, “it’s none of Mr. Mottram’s business. He should only be interested in it as a piece of writing. Is it a good piece of writing? Is it convincing?”

“What if he asks me?” George muttered.

“He won’t. He’s an English teacher, isn’t he, not a psychotherapist. So if he did ask you he’d just be being nosy.”

George shrugged helplessly.

When I went to live with my grandmother for a while, she had enough to eat but not quite enough to keep warm. She was over seventy, but she had kept on one of her old cleaning jobs—Mrs. Blincoe—mainly for the sake of being in a house with central heating. I’d go along to help with the floors; then, while she polished and dusted, I’d puzzle over the Latin homework that held my enfranchisement. She never considered this work demeaning, and in fact looked down on Mrs. Blincoe as an unfeminine woman, a cold woman who had made her husband lonely and who did not grieve when he died but said, “Now I’m free to do what I want to do,” and went off round the world on various package holidays. The cheerful bearded sailor on her packet of Players was as close as my grandmother ever got to the sea. She cooked with a cigarette in her mouth; quite often ash would fall into the gravy, and she would stir it in as extra seasoning.

“Listen, you’re doing ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ aren’t you?” I continued. “Do you think Shakespeare got asked whether he’d ever grown donkey’s ears?”

George smiled briefly.

“Right. So you see your mum at weekends, and one weekend she tells you she wants to go to Peru and asks if she can borrow your Duke of Edinburgh rucksack. She promises she’ll send you postcards. It’s just something she’s got to do to move forward in her life.”

George scribbled away, not happy with where the story line was going but incapable of coming up with an alternative. I felt powerful, like a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat.

“I still don’t think it’s allowed,” he said.

“Of course it’s allowed,” I said. “You’ve got to have things happening, see, or it’s not a story. Think of the films you like. Car chases. Explosions. Sharks.”

“Can the mum be swimming in the China Sea and then a shark comes up?” George asked hopefully, trying to enter into the creative spirit.

“Probably not,” I said dryly. “That might be a step too far for Mr. Mottram, don’t you think?”

“But you said—”

“Yes, but we’ve got to make it believable. It’s like a game, isn’t it? He shouldn’t be able to tell what’s real and what’s made up.”

“I’d like to go to Japan,” George said. “They’ve got the new Nintendo Wii there, and I could get it way ahead of everybody else. Plus, you don’t have to have injections to go there.”

“Next,” I said. “I think the dad meets someone else, don’t you? At first he’s just been going to work and coming back and cooking nasty teas. You’ve had to help—buying a loaf of bread on the way home from school, that sort of thing, and doing the washing up without being asked.”

“Isn’t there a dishwasher in the new place?”

“It’s broken. And nobody gets round to finding someone to mend it, and, anyway, you’re all out all day. Maybe your little brother can be in because he’s ill, though. Chicken pox.”

“My little brother can’t be left on his own,” George objected. “If he’s seven or eight or something. That’s against the law.”

“O.K., you’ve got an older sister instead.”

“ She can cook,” he said with satisfaction. The meals were worrying him.

“No, she can’t,” I said. “She just eats crisps and bananas. No, it’s the dad that has to do it after work, unless you start teaching yourself from a cookbook.”

George looked up from his pad suspiciously. I was always trying to get him interested in cutting up broccoli florets or making omelettes.

“The dad should do it,” he protested. “I’m a kid, it’s not my job. Kids should be looked after by their parents.”

“You’re thirteen, George!” I said. I was about to bring up the walk from Wakefield, but then I stopped myself. “Oh well, it’s your story. The dad does the cooking, but it’s always pasta.”

“Cool,” George said, grinning.

“And the pasta is always soggy.” I scowled. “Feel free to carry on.”

“No, no,” he said. “After you.”

“He’s been trying to cook, but he’s no good at it. Then he meets, let’s see, Miranda. You know she’s not nasty or anything, but she’s got nothing to do with you. And he starts including her in on everything.”

“She’s always there when he’s around, watching television with you, in between you on the sofa.”

“What, even when football’s on?”

“Yes. She pretends to like it. She says she’s a Chelsea supporter.”

“Chelsea,” George said grimly.

“One weekend your mum tells you she’s off backpacking in three days’ time, first stop Thailand,” I continued. “We need to wind this up, George. She promises she’ll send postcards. You could have them arriving a bit later on with little messages—you know, ate fried tortoise, went bungee jumping, that sort of thing. You could stick them on the fridge so Miranda can see them.”

“Maybe she can cook.”

“Not likely,” I said. “She’s not interested in food. She doesn’t see why she should, anyway. Why should she? Then it’s the last straw. You’ve just had another of these postcards; the mum’s got as far as Australia. And your dad announces that your holiday this year is camping in Wales—there’s no money for anything else. He can stretch to walking boots for you and your sister, but that’s it.”

“Wales,” George said, with leaden emphasis.

“I think you can leave it somewhere there,” I said airily. “It’s April now—people are planning their summer holidays. Mr. Mottram will buy that.”

“But how do I finish it off?”

“You don’t have to really; you don’t have to solve everything. It’s not a police procedural. But you’re right, you do need something.”

“I know,” I said. “Pull in your love of football. All these months since the divorce you’ve turned to football to help you forget. This year you’ve been following the Champions’ League with a passion. Is your team doing all right in it? Manchester United?”

“Last night’s game was amazing , Mum,” George said earnestly. “Rooney scored this goal in the ninety-first minute, and I couldn’t believe it.” He shook his head in wonder. “It was unbelievable.”

“Was he happy?”

“He did this full-body dive all the way along the grass, then he lay with his head on his arms, and they all bundled in on top of him. We were playing at home, though—it might not be so good in the away match.”

“You can put all that in, just like you’ve told it to me.” I’d been struck by a thought. “Now, what does the Man U crowd chant when it wants the team to win? You know, like Tottenham’s is ‘Come on, you Spu-urs.’ ”

“ united ! united !” George chanted automatically.

“There you are,” I said. “That’s your last paragraph. You explain how football has got you through your parents’ divorce. You describe Rooney’s great goal in the ninety-first minute. How your team means so much to you. Then you write how you joined in with the TV crowd shouting, “ united ! united !” And you round it off with the words ‘Ironic, really.’ ”

“Ha,” said George, who wasn’t slow on the uptake, even if the pilot light of his imagination had yet to flare into action. He smiled reluctantly and started to write this down.

I looked at his fair head bent over the writing pad. The time for advice was almost gone. Beware heat without warmth. When a man loses his temper, people say, That’s the Irish in him, or the Scottish, or the Viking. Don’t listen to them. Dirty players or terriers are what they call footballers with that anger-stoked edge, but strength without sweetness is no use at all.

“Ironic because?” I asked.

“The mum and the dad. They’re not united.”

“There you are.”

I glanced at the kitchen clock.

“I’ve got to get on,” I said. “I’ve got my own work to do.”

“That’s all right,” he said, smiling up at me. “You go. I can do it now.” ♦

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