Can I change the verb 'said' to 'say/says' in that case?

Hi teachers,
The students have a text in the simple past and they have to change it to the simple present, The thing is that there are also some parts in direct speech, inside quotation marks, parts that of course they don't have to change.

Could you tell me which the appropriate direction will be for that exercise? Will these ones be fine?

Change the text from past to present. Don't change what is enclosed in the quotation marks.

Thanks in advance.